Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Grandmother's Own Quilt Block


     I found the pattern for this Grandmother's Own block in 5,500 Quilt Block Designs by Maggie Malone.  It is also known as Shepherd's Crossing and Four Square.  I drafted the pattern to make an 8" block.      
     After my grandparents married and settled into their home in October, 1917, they had three sons and a daughter - Jackson, Phil, Doug, and Eleanor.  Years later, they also had 15 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren. 


Doug, Phil and Jackson George
Doug is my father.


Jackson, Phil, and Doug George


Foregound:  Harriet and Frank George
Background left to right:  Jackson (31 years old), Margie, and Patricia George,
Phil (29 years old) and Judy George,
Doug (27 years old) and Roselyn George, and Eleanor George (17 years old)
October 2, 1950 on Sunbyrne Farm near Lebo, Kansas
Taken by Wayne Miller, Life Photographer

 Grandma George
                    Grandma had two tables,
                    There was the dining room table,
                         set with her crystal,
                         and the apple dishes we loved
                    that was the table where she served her guests
                    And then there was the kitchen table
                    It was a very functional thing,
                         a wooden frame painted white
                         and a porcelained steel top
                    At that table she entertained her grandkids
                    At the kitchen table Grandma did her work,
                    It seemed her hands were always busy
                    kneading bread
                         cutting cookies
                              churning butter
                                   slicing apples
                                        putting up preserves
                    and wiping the dishes clean again
                    Grandma's hands
                    must have had minds of their own
                    Because while they were busy
                         preparing the day's next meal
                    Grandma would tell us stories
                         of days long ago
                    Stories about the people
                         that passed through her kitchen
                    Stories about Great-Grandma's kitchen,
                         where she learned to cook
                    And animal stories:
                         Great Granddad's dog
                              Uncle Bob's lamb
                                   and the horse Mom rode to school
                    Grandma's kitchen was warm,
                         because that's where her stove was
                    Grandma's kitchen was cozy
                         because that's where Grandma was
                    And though we were Grandma's guests
                    we knew that Grandma's kitchen
                    was the place where we belonged.   
                                                                                      George R. Pasley, 1995
                                                                                                 

Left to right:  Roselyn (my mother), Uncle Jackson, Cousin Patricia, Aunt Margie,
Aunt Eleanor, Grandma (Harriet), and Aunt Judy
October 2, 1950 in the kitchen of Sunbyrne Farm, Lebo, Kansas
Taken by Wayne Miller, Life Magazine

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post:
http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-home-quilt-block.html

4 comments:

  1. I love this post, the words and the pictures. Your whole family must be loving this shared story too.

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  2. It has been so awesome reading the history of your family with quilt blocks. You are so lucky to have this diary!!!

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  3. This reminded me so much of pictures of MY farm family.

    My youngest sister is helping my dad in a project to scan the old family slides and photo albums so that each sibling will have a copy of them. I treasure the slides that I see rolling through on my screen saver. Often seeing pictures of the old farm, my aunts and uncles, cousins as well as my grandparents. It has also been interesting in seeing my parents as a young couple raising their own children.

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  4. Wow, I was expecting to see some photos of your new grandson, but I enjoyed these photos just as much. How wonderful to have photos of people in your family.

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