Kansas Star Quilt Block

     
     I found the pattern for this 12" Kansas Star block in the book Kansas Spirit: 15 Historical Quilt Blocks & the Saga of the Sunflower State by Jeanne Poore.  My cousin George Pasley's writing is featured on page 7 of this book.  
     In these diary entries, Papa, Ted, George, and Hattie attend the Topeka State Fair.  Note that seeing acres of cars "was a sight in itself."  

Wednesday, September 13, 1916 -
"I should be in bed as it is almost 10 o'clock, and Papa says we ought to start by 6 A.M.  We have made sudden plans to take in the Topeka Fair.  Papa suddenly decided this noon to go, and Ted, George, and I soon fell in.  I'm not very crazy about the fair but think it will be a nice ride."

Thursday, September 14, 1916 -
"This has seemed like a mighty long day, up at 5:00 and have been to Topeka and back and tramped around those Fair grounds.  It is now about eleven, and as I'm dead tired will leave the rest until I am rested.

"We left home soon after six o'clock, and it began to look so cloudy and grew so cold that we hardly knew whether to keep on or not; but by the time we left Osage City, the sun was shining.  Although we reached Osage at 7 o'clock, there were so many cars ahead of us at the garage that we didn't leave there until 8:30.  Papa didn't drive very fast; every car on the road passed us, but we got to Topeka and had our car parked by eleven o'clock.  I did enjoy the ride.  It was cool enough for George and me to huddle close together with plenty of robes, sweaters, etc. and yet it was bright and pleasant.  Of course, we had a splendid appetite for the nice lunch Mother had packed.  We ate so early that the afternoon seemed terribly long, yet I didn't get tired looking at the exhibits.  Everything was good - the cattle, horses, and the hogs - were immense!  I just kept seeing so many people I knew.  There were a great many people there from this county.  And just acres of cars, that was a sight in itself.

"I should have liked to stay for the horse show, and we did plan on it.  But Papa was tired and was rather afraid to drive the car among so many at night.  We started back before six.  We came along at a pretty good clip until after coming through Scranton.  Then it was getting dark, and Papa became rather nervous and wouldn't let me drive but just a little way.  We couldn't see the signs very well and so passed our corner and came home through Burlingame but found a better road.  We reached Osage about 9:00 and stopped there for a lunch and then drove on home.  The kids piled in the back seat and slept part of the time, but I sat up front and pointed out the road to Papa." 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post:
http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2012/04/morning-quilt-block.html