Lincolnton Piecemakers

Posted November 6th, 2011 by Ellen and filed in My Work, Quilt Events, Travels, Uncategorized
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“Hold on My Heart….Throw Me a Lifeline ”  is a healing quilt for my family.

“We Fix Broken Hearts” was created to honor those who heal.  It is a collage of a broken heart being put back together, piece by piece.  The hand images were traced from those of my son’s cardiologists.

Twist and Shout

I spent a lovely morning recently with the Lincolnton NC Piecemakers guild.  They were a gracious and attentive audience for my “Journey of a Quiltmaker” trunk show.  The presentation follows my evolvement from traditional quiltmaker to one whose works speak for me.  My quilts come from my heart and soul.

Everyone pitched in to help pack up quuickly.  After all, we were headed to The Lincoln House for lunch. laughter and good conversation.    Food and laughter?  I’m IN!

Thanks, Piecemakers, for your hospitality.  I had a great time.

All photography courtesy of Fran Love


On the Road Again

Posted November 2nd, 2011 by Ellen and filed in My Work, Other Artists, Travels
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This beautiful California poppies piece is shown by its maker, Kay Dellinger.  It was created in a Lenore Crawford class.

I spent this morning with the Piecemakers Quilt Guild in beautiful Lincolnton NC.  Mist was still rising from the Catawba River as I headed to the foothills of the Blue Ridge.  I should have planned better and taken a day to enjoy the mountain color.  The leaves are gorgeous.

I was greeted warmly by Fran Love who helped unload my “trunk show.”  I think quilters always enjoy seeing and examining the actual quilts.  We had a great time together seeing lots of my work and members’ show and tell.

I was thrilled to see long-time friend  Doris Phillips in the audience.  Doris was one of the first to welcome me to the Charlotte Quilters Guild when I was a new member many moons ago.  A quilter extraordinaire whose pieces are always perfectly square and hug the wall, Doris is a master in that regard.  I’m sorry we didn’t get our picture taken together.  Next time……

Following the meeting, a bunch of us gathered at The Lincoln House for lunch.  Thanks, everyone.  It was such a fun day!

A few of the great quilters from the Lincolnton Piecemakers Quilt Guild.

From the Prairie

Posted October 27th, 2011 by Ellen and filed in Family, Personal, Travels
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Four Sisters Farm, Sycamore IL
The place where I grew up

The windbreak my parents planted when I was a kid is almost as tall as the silos now.  It, and the shelter house my father built for parties, are the only things left.  The house is gone, the barn is gone, the chicken house is gone, the milk barn is gone as well as the corn crib, pig house and storage shed.

My recent visit to my hometown was bittersweet.  I was there for my high school reunion.  I flew in early, as I wanted to have time by myself to settle in.  I was both sad and proud that the little town of 6,000 where I grew up had changed so drastically.  New homes exist on what was once prime farmland, some of the richest topsoil anywhere.

But many of the icons of my childhood – our Carnegie library, the beautiful post office, our stately courthouse and the popcorn stand remain.  Except for the old high school (my class was the first to graduate from the new one) and the two-room schoolhouse where I went to kindergarten, all of my schools are there.  I took pictures of each one.

My parents, grandparents and other family members are buried in Cortland.  I’m always reminded as soon as I step out of the car of the wind and cold of northern Illinois.  It was 45 degrees with a 40-mph wind the day of my visit.  I arranged fall foliage on my parents’ graves, and made an attempt to pull weeds and trim grass.

From my parents’ graves, I looked northeast across a wide corn field and saw a train which stretched as far as I could see.  Its mournful whistle sent chills up my spine. It seemed strange to be alone in that place.

Thrifting Mondays

Posted August 15th, 2011 by Ellen and filed in Personal, Thrifting Mondays, Travels
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The Winged Ear -

known to my sisters and me as “the flying cob!”

Made in Sycamore IL – the town of my birth.

I’m a child of the Prairie, having grown up in the Land of Lincoln.  The home of our 16th president is also home to prime topsoil and an iconic logo, the Winged Ear of seed corn producer  DeKalb Ag  (now MONSANTO).

I found this metal license plate addition at the Rose Bowl Swap Meet  in Pasadena CA.  Its shape was instantly recognizable, but  I was shocked to see it was made by the J. V. Patten Company in Sycamore IL.   I was born in Sycamore and grew up on a 200-acre farm near there.   Here I was in CA, where I’d flown with my then 10-month old son to visit family, when I found this treasure.  Small world, indeed.

I don’t remember what I paid, but price didn’t matter.  I’ve had this “flying cob” for over 30 years and have never seen another.

The DeKalb Ag played a very important part in my life and the life of many Sycamore area teens, as it gave me my very first job.  I lusted after this job, as it promised money, but more importantly, a good tan.  After my first day of walking up and down corn rows detasseling certain plants, I wondered what I’d been thinking.  Dead tired, mosquito bitten and sunburned, hands rough and raw, I drove my 1949 Plymouth home and fell into bed.  At dawn, it began again.  For two solid weeks I detasseled, becoming hardened to reaching for a tassel and instead grabbing a handful of corn borers.  Eeeeeew!  I learned to shake it off and move on.

As the days wore on, all of us got smarter.  Our wish for the perfect tan turned to straw hats, long sleeves and jeans, gloves and zinc oxide.  Oh my.  It was one of the hardest jobs I ever had, but I did it for three summers running.  The money at the end was more than I’d ever had at one time in my life.  I still remember my first purchase – a beautiful periwinkle rabbit hair sweater.  I spread it out on my bed to admire, caressing its softness, thinking it was the prettiest sweater I’d ever seen.  Was it worth it?  Oh my, yes.

P.S.  A Google search revealed the symbol was designed in 1936, inspired by the winged horse logo of Mobil oil.  The initials of Arlie Pearce, a commercial artist who fine-tuned the original design, are hidden in the kernels.  I haven’t found the elusive AP on my plate, but the old double-sided field signs have them.  Newer ones are marked with DC, the company now making the ears on masonite.  For more history of the well-recognized flying cob, click here:  http://www.bunnweb.org/dekalb/3-5-08.htm

Color Inspiration

Posted April 28th, 2011 by Ellen and filed in Birds, Garden, Personal, Travels
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Bark, bark, bark and BARK!


We spent part of Saturday with the kids.  While DH helped plant their container garden, I found inspiration around their yard.  The three photos of bark, above, are from the same tree.  Oh how I wish I could replicate those colors when I dye fabric!  The last BARK is Darby, their great Dane.  What a sweetheart!

I also fell in love with this bird’s nest, saved in their outdoor shed.

Click on the photo for a close-up view of the skeletal leaf on the left.

Sorry for the photo layout.  I have yet to figure out how to save an edit of a published post.  No update or save buttons appear at that point, at least not that I’ve found.