Beginner's Delight Quilt Block

     I found the pattern for this Beginner's Delight block in The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns by Jinny Beyer.  I drafted the pattern to make it 8" finished.  By the way I constructed the block, I ended up having to sew only one Y-seam.  I fussycut the center fabric as well as the yellow fabric.
     At the time of this diary entry, World War I has begun in Europe two years earlier on July 30, 1914, but the United States does not enter the war until April of the next year.  I found information on what I believe to be the film Hattie watched with Frank here:  http://www.answers.com/topic/the-battle-cry-of-peace
     In the July 30 diary entry, Hattie continues to learn how to drive and is both "crumbed" and "enthused!"

Wednesday, July 26, 1916 -

"I am writing this Thursday as it was 11:30, and I was a little tired when we got in. . . It was after 6:30 when Frank arrived.  Otis Bedell, Elza McGraw, McKinley Reid, and Ruth Edwards were all in the back seat, but we sure did a little speeding and reached Waverly soon after 7:00.  'The Battle Cry of Peace' certainly is a wonderful film.  I don't see where they could get such scenes.  But it didn't seem to waver Frank's opinion about 'Preparedness.'

"We took the kids to Lebo first and, after pulling the garage man out of bed to get some gasoline, we came on home."

Sunday, July 30, 1916 -

"It is very hot tonight - the worst heat we have had, I think.  But it seems to be several degrees cooler out on my cot than in here.

"It is shortly after ten; Frank left promptly on the hour.  He came over about five and after talking politics, etc. with Papa for about an hour, we started out for a ride, and I ran the car after we crossed the bridge.  We went to Osage City and of all the most ridiculous boneheads, I pulled the worst.  I had no trouble at all - we just sped along fine until we got clear into the city, and Frank said we would stop and get something to eat.  The Brown's Drug Store is on the left hand side, and I didn't want to cut across and be accused of 'jay driving.'  I drove to a corner and tried to turn around, but I didn't turn quite sharp enough, and I couldn't hold in the foot brake to save my neck - and smash we went into the curbing and onto the sidewalk.  Needless to say, I was crumbed!  Frank straightened things out, and we went on to the drug store.  I didn't look up to see if there was anyone around that I knew.  One man remarked to Frank, 'Say, those Overlands can just go any where, can't they?'  But we came along just fine coming back. . ."

Monday, July 31, 1916 -

"Ditto for the weather - I'm through discussing that topic.  I'd ought to be in bed now as I want to get up early in the morning - I'm going to vote! . .

"I've been thinking today how thoughtless of me it was not to offer Frank anything to eat when we came in last night.  Hope he doesn't take it to heart.  But I wasn't the least bit hungry and was so enthused about driving the car that I completely forgot that we hadn't any supper. . ."

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post: 

http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2012/02/rocky-road-quilt-block.html

Rocky Road Quilt Block

     I found this 12" Rocky Road block in a book from 1970, Modern Patchwork by Rachel Martens - Farm Journal quilt blocks from the Twenties.  It was a 14" block I reduced down to 12" finished.  

    In Sunday's diary entry, Frank and Hattie are going on a date to the Chautauqua in Burlington, Kansas to see the Ojibway Indians.  Fannie, Frank's sister, and Miss Bertha Hempstead, a week-end guest of the Woodbury family, act as chaperones.  (Miss Hempstead is a newspaper woman from Topeka.)  Hattie drives a car for the first time!
     The Chautauqua Movement flourished in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  It included various traveling shows and local assemblies that provided popular education combined with entertainment in the form of lectures, concerts, and plays.  The Movement was modeled after activities at the Chautauqua Institution of western New York (Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary).

Sunday, July 23, 1916 -
"This should really be dated Monday as it was 1:30 A.M. when we got in and, of course, I was so dead tired that I didn't open my desk at all. . .

"Frank called up right after dinner and wanted me to go to Burlington to see the Ojibway Indians.  Mother said I must take Miss Hempstead along, so he said there would be plenty of room, and I asked him to come for supper.  We started soon after six and went over and got Fannie.  Then I got in the front seat, and Frank told me to slide over in his place and drive!  Of course, he helped me and, although I made a pretty crooked track part of the time, Frank said I did just fine.  But I don't think I did, for after I had driven several miles, of course hitting every rock in the road, we had a puncture and Frank had to change tires and pump it up, too.  I was more than willing to let him drive the rest of the way, but we were late getting there.  The tent was full, and we had to stand up in the back.  The Indians were good though.  They enacted 'Hiawatha.'  We had to wait a half hour for the garage man to vulcanize the tire, and so we went up to Calvert's a little and to an ice cream parlor to kill time.  It was after eleven when we left Burlington, and we had a little trouble with something in the engine making a very nerve-racking squeaking sound.  Frank tried several times to fix it, but he couldn't.  But sometimes if we would hit a bump quite hard, it would stop for a while.  I was quite sleepy, and my neck was almost stiff by the time we got in.  Miss Hempstead and Fanny had slept between bumps most of the way home.  Although it was 1:30, Mother woke and told us she had left some watermelon in the refrigerator for us, so we went down and ate it then.  It was about two when I finally crawled in."

Monday, July 24, 1916 -

"I broke the news of my driving very gently to Mother tonight.  I didn't intend to tell her until I was thoroughly accomplished, but I only gave her an idea.  I didn't tell her we had a puncture." 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog entry:
http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2012/02/bookworm-quilt-block.html