Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Land of Liberty Quilt Block and the Setting of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini


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.  I am making a quilt I call my Curl Up with a Good Book Quilt.  I have long admired red and white quilts so decided to keep it simple and go with just two fabrics, Kona Snow and Kona Rich Red, for my blocks.  Feel free to use whatever fabrics you'd like.  If you shop from your stash, it won't cost you a thing!
 
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.  If you love to quilt and read, please join us!  It's easy to jump in anytime.  Check out the Quilters' Book Club Schedule right here.  

 
Our book to read and discuss during February 2014 is Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini.  It's her first, stand-alone historical novel.  Get the book from your local library or bookstore and join us!  If you want to read it on your Kindle, you can get it here.

The book takes place in Washington City, District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) over a period of forty-one years - 1860 to 1901.  If you'd like to create a block to represent this book's setting, here are links to some free patterns to get you started:

Land of Liberty Quilt Block from The Quilter's Cache

Martha Washington Star Quilt Block from The Quilter's Cache

Washington, D. C. Quilt Block by Pat Sloan

Washington Puzzle Quilt Block from The Quilter's Cache

Washington Star Quilt Block from The Quilter's Cache

White House Steps Quilt Block from The Quilter's Cache

Have you ever been to Washington, D.C.?  What were your favorite parts?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a copy of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  Plume Books is generously offering two copies of the book.  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.

  
You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post February Redwork Little Birdies and Lazy Lasagna.

8 comments:

  1. I've been to Washington DC with my family. We enjoyed seeing the monuments and museums.

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  2. Love this block! I've already read many of the books on your list. Good choices. :-)

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  3. Since my youngest son lives there, I have been many times. The thing I like best is all the museums ... and they are FREE of charge. We always go and since we can afford to go, we sometimes just take in a few exhibits at a time. That is especially nice when going with children because you can leave while they are still turned on rather than worn out, which might happen in those huge museums.

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  4. My son is in the Air Force and was stationed there, so we went several times. I, too, loved all of the free museums--hard to say my favorite. A couple of things stand out as extremely impressive, though: the Vietnam Wall, Arlington Cemetary, and the Holocaust Museum (very somber, but so very important not to forget!). One surprise for me (since I had never heard of it or seen pictures) was the Korean War Monument with the 'reinactment' type statues of soldiers in a sodden Korean field--so poignant.

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  5. We went when I was young. I remember the Smithsonian, and Washington's monument. I don't think I would walk up it now!

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  6. We took a family trip to DC back in 2005. We took Amtrak. We loved all of DC, but, The Air & Space museum was just a few blocks from our hotel, and we went there almost every day. We always found something new to check out there each time.

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  7. When we visited Mt Vernon--I know not DC but close--I was surprised how it had changed as I remembered in 1960. We met someone that said yes we had remembered right and things were being changed back to what they think is original. I love the Cherry Blossom Festival, really beautiful. Yes, the museums are wonderful. Our son and family live there so we see a little at a time.

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  8. We celebrated Easter in D.C. one year and were completely blown away with the site of the cherry blossoms in full bloom! Gorgeous!! The Vietnam wall will bring tears to your eyes, and I agree with Nancy A, the Korean memorial is very poignant.

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