School Girl's Puzzle Quilt Block and the Evolution of Sarah Prine

School Girl's Puzzle Quilt Block Pattern

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.

Our book to read and discuss during May 2014 is THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE by Nancy E. Turner.  It's historical fiction, but the author based the book on the life of her great-grandmother.

Hopefully, you have had time to complete the book by now.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on one or both of the following questions.

Trace Sarah's evolution from a young, unschooled girl with rough, homespun grammar to a polished and literate writer.  Where in her diary writings do you begin to notice the change?

Sarah is relentless in her quest to educate herself.  Why do you think this is so?  How does it change her relationships with her family and friends?

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Mexican Star Quilt Block and Settling in Arizona Territory.

Mexican Star Quilt Block and Settling in Arizona Territory

Mexican Star Quilt Block

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.  It is never too late to join and begin reading and sewing along with us.

Our book to read and discuss during May 2014 is THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE by Nancy E. Turner.  It's historical fiction, but the author based the book on the life of her great-grandmother.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  It's also available on Kindle right here. 

In the book, the family settles in Arizona Territory.  If you'd like to make a quilt block to represent this, here are several ideas for you to check out.  Click on each quilt block name to go to the free pattern:

Event:  Settling in Arizona Territory

Blazed Trail Quilt Block

Chimneys and Cornerstones Quilt Block

Hearth and Home Quilt Block shown below

Mexican Star Quilt Block shown above

Practical Orchard Quilt Block shown below

Hearth and Home Quilt Block

Practical Orchard Quilt Block

How many times have you moved in your lifetime?  It could be across town or across the ocean!  Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post May Redwork Snowman and May Snow.

May Redwork Snowman and May Snow!

Click here to view two completed Redwork Snowmen Calendar Quilts.

May-Time

There is but one May in the year,

  And sometimes May is wet and cold;

There is but one May in the year,

  But before the year grows old.

Yet, though it be the chilliest May

  With least of sun, and most of showers,

Its wind and dew, its night and day,

  Bring up the flowers.

Anonymous

We had a foot of snow and a delayed start to school yesterday!  A crazy May!

What has your May weather been like so far?  Snow?  Rain?  Flooding? Tornadoes?  Windy?  Hot and dry?  Balmy and pleasant?  Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Traveling by Wagon Train in These Is My Words. 

Traveling by Wagon Train in These Is My Words

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.  It is never too late to join and begin reading and sewing along with us.

Our book to read and discuss during May 2014 is THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE by Nancy E. Turner.  It's historical fiction, but the author based the book on the life of her great-grandmother.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  It's also available on Kindle right here. 

If you'd like to make a quilt block to represent traveling to Texas and back by wagon train, here are many ideas for you to check out.  Click on each quilt block name to go to the free pattern:

Blazing Arrows Quilt Block

Broken Arrows Quilt Block

Broken Wheel Quilt Block

Broken Wheel Variation Quilt Block

Indian Design Quilt Block

Indian Hatchet Quilt Block

Indian Star Quilt Block

Indian Trails Quilt Block

Quills and Arrows Quilt Block

Wagon Tracks Quilt Block

What modes of transportation have you used - walking, horseback, bicycle, motorcycle, car, bus, train, plane, covered wagon?  Inquiring minds want to know! 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Wedding Rings Quilt Block and Sarah Agnes Prine.

Wedding Rings Quilt Block and Sarah Agnes Prine

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.  It is never too late to join and begin reading and sewing along with us. 

Our book to read and discuss during May 2014 is THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE by Nancy E. Turner.  It's historical fiction, but the author based the book on the life of her great-grandmother.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  It's also available on Kindle right here. 

If you'd like to create a block to represent Sarah Agnes Prine, the main character in the book, check out:  

Sarah's Choice Quilt Block

Wedding Rings Quilt Block shown above

If you'd like to create a block to represent Captain Jack, check out these two patterns: 

Jack's Diamonds Quilt Block or

The House That Jack Built

What three words would you use to describe a pioneer?  Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Sun Rays Quilt Block and the Setting of Arizona Territory in These Is My Words.

Sun Rays Quilt Block and the Setting of Arizona Territory in These Is My Words, Part II

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.  It is never too late to join and begin reading and sewing along with us.   

Our book to read and discuss during May 2014 is THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE by Nancy E. Turner.  It's historical fiction, but the author based the book on the life of her great-grandmother.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  It's also available on Kindle right here. 

The setting of this book is the Arizona Territory from 1881-1901.  If you'd like to make a block to represent this setting, in my previous post there are links to several free patterns right here.  But I have even more links today.  You could make an entire Arizona sampler quilt if you wanted to!

Desert Corsage Quilt Block

Desert Flower Quilt Block

Prickly Pear Quilt Block

Sage Bud Quilt Block

Saguaro Cactus Paper-Pieced Quilt Block

Summer's Sun Quilt Block

Sun Rays Quilt Block

When you think of Arizona, what three words come to mind?  Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Cowboy Boot Quilt Block and the Setting of These Is My Words.

Cowboy Boot Quilt Block and the Setting of These Is My Words

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.  It is never too late to join and begin reading and sewing along with us.     

Our book to read and discuss during May 2014 is THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE by Nancy E. Turner.  It's historical fiction, but the author based the book on the life of her great-grandmother.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  It's also available on Kindle right here. 

The setting of this book is the Arizona Territory from 1881-1901.  If you'd like to create a block that represents this book's setting, here are some wonderful ideas to get you started.  By clicking on the title of each block, you will be directed to the free pattern.

Arizona Quilt Block

Arizona #2 Quilt Block

Arizona's Cactus Flower Quilt Block

Cactus Flower Quilt Block

Cactus Star Quilt Block

Cowboy Boot Quilt Block (Paper Pieced) shown above

State of Arizona Quilt Block

Have you ever been to Arizona or lived there?  Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Waste Not Quilt Block and the Theme of Survival as a Pioneer.

Waste Not Quilt Block and the Theme of Survival as a Pioneer

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.  It is never too late to join and begin reading and sewing along with us.     

Our book to read and discuss during May 2014 is THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE by Nancy E. Turner.  It's historical fiction set in the Arizona Territory from 1881-1901.  The author based the book on the life of her great-grandmother.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  It's also available on Kindle right here. 

If you would like to make a quilt block to represent the book's theme of survival as a pioneer, here are three ideas to get you started.  Clicking on each quilt block's name will lead you to the free pattern. 

Theme:  Survival as a Pioneer

Hard Times Quilt Block

Sunlight and Shadows Quilt Block shown below

Waste Not Quilt Block shown above

Do you have any pioneers in your family's past?  Inquiring minds want to know! 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Christian Cross Quilt Block and a Song for Sunday.

Christian Cross Quilt Block and a Song for Sunday

Christian Cross Quilt Block Pattern Instructions

The Old Rugged Cross

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame.
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best,
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He'll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I'll share.

by George Bennard, 1873-1958

What's the name of one hymn you sang in church this morning? 

Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post 

Railroad Crossing Quilt Block and Train Whistles.

Railroad Crossing Quilt Block and Train Whistles

Railroad Crossing Quilt Block Pattern Information

Whistle-Fantasy

OUT in the dark the train passes
And the whistle calls to the child,
Desolate, piercing, wild,
From the track in the meadow-grasses . . .
"Far, far away," it screams,
"Far, far away,
Out in the distance are dreams
Dreams you shall follow some day
Far through the endless wild . . .
Distance . . . dreams . . ."
Backward the faint call streams:
Far in the dark the train passes,
And the whistle calls to the child.

by Margaret Widdemer

Did you know that trains have their own whistle language?  Here's what each whistle pattern means:

Two Longs:    Release brakes.  Proceed.
One Short:    Apply brakes.  Stop.
Two Longs, One Short:    Approaching meeting points or waiting points of trains. 
One Long:    Approaching station.
Two Longs, One Short, One Long:    Approaching public grade crossing.  Used as an alarm for people or livestock on the track.
Three Shorts:    When train is standing, back up.
Two Shorts:    Answer to any signal not otherwise provided for.

Can you hear train whistles where you live?  Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Quilters' Book Club Selection for May and Three Winners.

Quilters' Book Club Selection for May and Three Winners!

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.  It is never too late to join and begin reading and sewing along with us.     

Our book to read and discuss during May 2014 is THESE IS MY WORDS: THE DIARY OF SARAH AGNES PRINE by Nancy E. Turner.  It's historical fiction set in the Arizona Territory from 1881-1901.  The author based the book on the life of her great-grandmother.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  It's also available on Kindle right here. 
 
"This novel in diary format parallels the early history of the Arizona Territories as Sarah and her family travel from the New Mexico Territory and settle down to carve out a new life on a ranch near Tucson in the 1880s. Sarah's diary, based on the author's family memoirs, is a heartwarming and heartbreaking fictional account of a vibrant and gifted young woman. Sarah starts out as an illiterate, fiery 17 year old. Eventually, her writing becomes as smooth and polished as Sarah herself as she becomes a tenacious, literate, and loving wife and mother. Life in the new country brings the constant fear of Indian raids and the threat and reality of floods, fire, and rattlesnakes.  Sarah centers her world around her home and family but maintains an independent spirit that keeps her whole and alive throughout her many trials and heartaches."  from School Library Journal

* * * * * * And We Have Our Winners for April * * * * * *

 

Shar, Ellen, and Janet 

 are the winners of a copy of

Apart at the Seams, Marie Bostwick's just-released novel

and the sixth in her Cobbled Court Quilt series,

courtesy of Kensington Publishing

Congratulations! 

Send your mailing address to starwoodquilter@gmail.com

and we will get your prize right out to you!

Have you ever read a novel written in the form of a diary?  Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Bouquet Quilt Block and May Day 1916.

Bouquet Quilt Block and May Day 1916

Bouquet Quilt Block Pattern Information

Below is my grandmother's diary entry for May Day ninety-eight years ago.  George and Anna are her younger siblings and 12-year-old twins.  Their Mamma passed away three years ago.  Mrs. Hile is a neighbor who helps with housework. 

Monday, May 1, 1916 -
"It cleared off lovely today and has been a beautiful May Day.  George called me this morning early and said, 'May basket!'  He and Anna had made some for all and filled them with flowers.

"Mrs. Hile came about 9:30 this A.M., so I have been sewing a good deal today.  I finished my cap and planned my crepe dress and partially altered my suit.  I am beginning to like it a great deal better.

"This evening Papa and Anna and I each took a pretty bouquet of flowers - lilacs, violets, and verbenas - and walked up to the cemetery and put them on Mamma's grave.  Papa always brought her a bouquet on May Day, and we children got in the habit, too, so we still like to remember our little custom.  I think she still appreciates it, and I know it does us no harm to still hold the memory of the things she liked dear.

"I have been writing a letter to Fern and am quite sleepy.  Just a little tired, too.  To keep up with Papa, it kept Anna and I on the run part of the time, and yet he would say, 'My knees hurt so, I can hardly walk!'"

Have you ever received a bouquet on May Day?  Inquiring minds want to know!  

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Guest Blogger Julie Fuquda from Japan.

Guest Blogger Julie Fukuda from Japan

Give a big welcome to my guest blogger, Julie Fukuda from Tokyo, Japan (formerly of Ohio).  Julie has completed fifteen blocks for the quilt she's making to go with the books we've been reading in the Quilters' Book Club.  This is her post describing the block she made for A SINGLE THREAD by Marie Bostwick.  If you enjoy what you read below, check out her My Quilt Diary blog here.  I have loved getting to know Julie (as well as Japan and Japanese quilting) through her blog.  She's a wonderful person and an amazing quilter.  (She does all of her quilting and piecing by hand!) 

This week I finished reading our book for April.

My final task was to come up with a block to represent that book.

Sometimes finding a good block is more challenging than finishing the reading.

Our first book in February last year was the Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas.
At that time, I dug out from my stash, a piece of paisley fabric and decided to use a little bit in each of the blocks for the Quilters Book Club. That fabric will tie the blocks together and represent this group of reading quilters.

Since the amount is not so large and getting smaller each month, I wanted to make blocks that pulled out the colors from the paisley as well as added a bit more variety of color to the quilt I will make.

I have several books of quilt block designs and it is a good thing because many of them are two or three color blocks. A number of months I have given up and drafted my own pattern. I did find two patterns that might have worked for this month but the book's ending gave me another idea.

In the story, the Friday night quilters at the quilt shop make a quilt for Ivy, each one making a block to represent their home. Ivy's house block is placed in the middle, a white house with blue windows, a red door, a stone fireplace and a garden are a few of the points described by her little daughter as the "smiling" house.

In each corner were the other houses of the four members "like mismatched sentries on a guard points on a compass, fixed and immovable." Well, I wasn't going to try making four more houses but last year when we read the first of the "Cobbled Court Quilts " series,"A Single Thread", I had made a block of four spools, one representing each character, with the threads joining in the center.
I decided to use the spool colors representing those women in each corner and the paisley as compass points.

This is my 15th block. If I make a quilt to snuggle under while reading, I may have to change from reading on the train to reading in bed!

Julie Fukuda

f you'd like to read more of Julie's blog posts related to our Quilters' Book Club and see the rest of her quilt blocks, please click here.

Julie does all of her piecing and quilting by hand.  I, on the other hand, do everything by machine except for the binding.  Do you piece and quilt by hand or by machine?  Inquiring minds want to know!

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Home Circle Quilt Block and a Family of Friends in A THREAD OF TRUTH.

Home Circle Quilt Block and a Family of Friends in A Thread of Truth

 

Home Circle Quilt Block

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.    

Our book to read and discuss during April 2014 is A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick.  It's the second book of her Cobbled Court Quilts series.  In the book, the quilters and employees of Cobbled Court Quilts are like a family, embracing Ivy and her children and helping them get a fresh start.

If you'd like to create a block that represents this creation of family among friends expressed in the book, here are some ideas to get you started:

Eight Hands Round Quilt Block shown below in a slightly different color arrangement

Home Circle Quilt Block shown above

New Home Quilt Block - you will need to adjust the color arrangement as shown below to make it a New Home block

 

Eight Hands Round Quilt Block

 

 

New Home Quilt Block

Evelyn set out to New Bern, Connecticut, all on her own from Texas, but when it came to opening Cobbled Court Quilts --- and keeping it open --- she had the support of a wonderful circle of women. Some of these women work for her; some are simply fellow quilters.  Yet all pitched in to help in a way once seen only in families.  What one thing had to happen before these women could come together?  How have you gone about building such a foundation of friendship in your own life?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, just out!  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  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 on May 1.

Looking ahead to the May Book Selection: These Is My Words: the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner, Historical Fiction based on the life of the author's great-grandmother, set in Arizona Territory, 1881-1901
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Stitcher's Square Quilt Block and the Serenity of Working with One's Hands.

Stitcher's Square Quilt Block and the Serenity of Working with One's Hands

Stitcher's Square Quilt Block Pattern Information

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.    

Our book to read and discuss during April 2014 is A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick.  It's the second book of her Cobbled Court Quilts series.

An avid quilter, Marie Bostwick has been known to turn to quilting when working through tough life issues --- not unlike the women in A THREAD OF TRUTH. What is it about working with one’s hands that cultivates a sense of serenity? Can you recall a time when quilting, knitting, or some other handiwork helped you through a tough time?  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, just out!  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  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 on May 1.

Looking ahead to the May Book Selection: These Is My Words: the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner, Historical Fiction based on the life of the author's great-grandmother, set in Arizona Territory, 1881-1901
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Hearth and Home Quilt Block and the Main Character in A Thread of Truth.

Hearth and Home Quilt Block and the Main Character in A Thread of Truth

Do you love to quilt AND love to read?  I invite you to join the free, online Quilters' Book Club.  Each month, we read a book, discuss it through comments on my blog posts, and then make a quilt block to represent that book.  I research several potential blocks to go with the book's themes, setting, main characters, and events.  And I find the patterns free on the internet, making it easy for everyone to access.  Each member can choose the block or blocks they'd like to make.

To join, become a follower of my blog so you won't miss any blog post.  To make it super convenient, you can also sign up for my posts to be delivered right to you via email.    

Our book to read and discuss during April 2014 is A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick.  It's the second book of her Cobbled Court Quilts series.

The main character in the book is Ivy Peterman.  Ivy flees an abusive husband and ends up in New Bern, Connecticut, where she is befriended by Evelyn Dixon, owner of Cobbled Court Quilts.  In New Bern, Ivy works hard to create a new home for herself and her family.

If you would like to create a quilt block to represent Ivy Peterman, here are some ideas to get you started:

Broken Heart Quilt Block
English Ivy Quilt Block (also called Clover Blossom)
Hearth and Home Quilt Block shown above
Vines at the Window Quilt Block

The most dangerous time for a woman being abused is when she tries to leave someone. Does that explain why Ivy is less than forthcoming with the details of her life? Does that justify lying to her boss? To her caseworker at the shelter? Where would someone in your community go if she was trying to escape from an abusive spouse?  By commenting, you'll be entering this month's give-away of Marie Bostwick's newest book APART AT THE SEAMS, just out!  Three lucky people will each win a copy, courtesy of Kensington Publishing!  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 on May 1.

Looking ahead to the May Book Selection: These Is My Words: the Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner, Historical Fiction based on the life of the author's great-grandmother, set in Arizona Territory, 1881-1901
 
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Snow Quilt Block and the Last Word.