Thursday, December 5, 2013

Aunt Jane of Kentucky "The Gardens of Memory" and Rosebud Quilt Block


In the Quilters' Book Club for November, we've been reading Aunt Jane of Kentucky by Eliza Calvert Hall, written in 1898 . This book consists of nine short stories.  Each story is told by Aunt Jane in a humorous way that is full of wisdom.  The final story in the book is called "The Gardens of Memory" and is thirty-six pages long.  It's about flower gardens and memories of gardens.  "To Aunt Jane there were three epochs in a garden's life, 'daffodil time,' 'rose time,' and 'chrysanthemum time'; and the blossoming of all other flowers would be chronicled under one of these periods, just as we say of historical events that they happened in the reign of this or that queen or empress."

There's also a humorous story about Sam Amos and a black snake with red stripes that you won't want to miss - especially if you have a husband who doesn't like to pick up his clothes!  "Things has come to a fine pass in Kentucky when a sober, God-fearin' man like me has to put his necktie in the top drawer to keep from seein' snakes."
 
If you'd like to make the Rosebud quilt block shown above to represent this story of Aunt Jane of Kentucky, you can find the pattern here.

In December, the book selection for the Quilters' Book Club is The Christmas Quilt: an Elm Creek Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini.  It's realistic fiction set in Pennsylvania and perfect for this time of year!  Get it now from your library or local bookstore and join us in reading and discussing this book.
 
 
Aunt Jane's favorite garden flower is the daffodil.  Which flower is your favorite?  Please reply in the comments sections below for a chance to win a copy of Jennifer Chiaverini's just-released book, An Elm Creek Quilts Companion, courtesy of Plume Books.  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced tomorrow! 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here

7 comments:

  1. It's hard to choose a favorite flower since there are so many to choose from. My favorites during spring are the wildflowers in the woods. In summer I like coneflowers. Limelight hydrangeas are my favorites from summer through fall.

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  2. I grew up in a rose garden and my dad hybridized roses as a life-long passion, but roses are not fond of the volcanic soil, the long rainy season and hot summers in Japan. My favorite here is the lily. There is such a variety of those too and they take no care at all but stick the bulb in the ground and forget it until suddenly it springs up and puts on a wonderful show. My first daughter's name translates "Lily picture".

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  3. My favorite flower has always been the simple daisy although I also love snapdragons. Truth be told though, I enjoy my vegetable garden more than my flower garden.

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  4. I love hydrangeas. I was given one in memory of my son so they are very close to my heart.
    And a favourite of my daughters is the orange gerbra

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  5. My very favorite flower is the peony. But I really like the "old fashioned" flowers, English roses, iris, tea roses, hydrangea... My mother used to call daffodils the telephone flower because they were shaped like an old fashioned telephone.

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  6. Winter flower is poinsettia and summer flower is lantana. I love most flower as I was raised among plants in a green (glass) house.

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  7. I would say that spring flowers are my favorite. Those first few daffodil, crocus, tulip, and hyacinth blooms make my heart happy!

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