"Shoo Fly Blocks Among Friends"

SHOO FLY BLOCKS AMONG FRIENDS
86” X 97”Cherrywood Hand Died Fabric
Machine Quilted by Ione Ewert Whitney
WEST SOUND QUILTERS GUILD (Raffle Quilt)
                2013

This quilt was constructed by West Sound Quilt Members, Adele Ewert, Linda Martin, Karen Whitney and Ione Ewert Whitney.  After several attempts to work on the quilt during the day that failed, we finally decided on Friday evenings at Adele’s home.  The evening started with dinner and visiting and then we would get to work.

Shoo Fly on Point

But the story of this quilt starts years ago:

Marlys from Minnesota flew out to go to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.  While there we saw artist, Dianne Phalen.  She had been a vendor at West Sound Quilt Show several times.  Marlys purchased a package of note cards that had quilts on the cover.  Several months later she had been given some tie died fabrics to make a mission auction quilt.  She struggled to find a pattern and one day she noticed the package of note cards laying on the pile of fabric and the quilt that caught her eye was the Shoo Fly block.  But on the note card the color placement was reversed from the traditional pattern.  She made the quilt and brought it to Washington State in 1998.  Variegated thread was just becoming available for longarm quilting machines and this is what she wanted in the black solid blocks.  After quilting half a block I loved the look and decided that I should make a quilt like this as well.  Cindy loved the pattern as well and made a quilt for a mission auction in Fresno, that quilt was the top bid quilt that year.  The quilt was also made one year for the Gig Harbor Quilt Festival for Cancer.  This quilt had pinks for the background and black for the shoo fly.  The straight setting version of this quilt has become a go to charity fund raising quilt for Ione.   We decided to set the Shoo Fly Blocks on point for this quilt.

When the question was asked who would do the 2013 Raffle Quilt I thought of the Shoo Fly Quilt.  I raised my hand.  In the mid 1990’s I had taught classes several years at the quilt shop in Staples, MN.  My cousin, Lorna and her friend, Linda A. owned the shop.

When they sold the shop Linda became part owner of Cherrywood Hand Died Fabrics.  Now on my trips back to Minnesota I would stop at Cherrywood to see their new colors and then would drive down to southern Minnesota to visit with my 2 aunts, Lena and Anna.  They are fabulous quilters, everything was hand quilted beautifully, they weren’t so sure about machine quilting when I got my machine but we quickly showed them  I was using my machine as an electric needle and we made them each a quilt they were suppose to cuddle under and wash when needed.  Several times while we were working on this quilt phone calls happened between these aunts and Adele and I.  On February 6, 2013 this quilt was revealed at West Sound Quilt Guild.  I took pictures of the quilt to send to these special 2 aunts.  On February 14, 2013, 4 months before Aunt Lena was to turn 90 she passed away at home while listening to classical music which she did every night with her sister Anna who just turned 99 in January.

I sent an email to Linda A. to ask permission to use the Cherrywood Fabric for this raffle quilt and was given permission.  Since that time Linda has retired and gets to spend more time with her grandchildren.

Karen did the reverse appliqué in the corners of the border.

This pattern came to me from Aunt Anna and Aunt Lena.  They had been given a suitcase of needlework things when their cousin, Marie, passed away.  In our family stories there is a note that Marie was known for her needlework before marrying the widower.  One year while visiting in Minnesota I found the grave markers and learned that Marie was in her late 30’s when she married the widower who had  6 small children.  He died a year later, hence no more needlework for her.  I am honored to have 2 paper patterns she used for whole cloth quilting and the designs on this raffle quilt are from one of her patterns.   These patterns are from the 1930’s.  The reverse appliqué was reduced in size for the alternating blocks quilted with Signature Variegated thread and enlarged for the quilting in the outside border with Superior So Fine thread.

Linda M. embroidered the label for this quilt.

So many lives intertwined in the making of this quilt and new friendships and old friendships grew.  We encourage you all to write the stories of your quilts.  Quilts are more than just fabric stitched together.

To the winner of this quilt.   We hope you enjoy this quilt for years to come.

Ione Ewert Whitney
Port Orchard, WA

 PS:  The Original Quilt was sold at the Twin Cities Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale for $800 and Cindy's quilt was donated and sold at the Fresno MCC Relief Sale for over $2,000.  There are additional quilts and connections that have been made across the US from these friendships/quilt.     (by: Marlys)

Celebrating the closing of a "Home" church: Bergthal - Wynona, Kansas

My home church is closing this summer, and I found this recent picture on their facebook page.  Wynona Unruh (in the picture)  made all the quilts, or quilt tops.

Thaine

I celebrate with Thaine the memories of the work of the "Home" church.  There are many issues connected to saying "Good by" to a person's "Home" church.  My "Home" church in Delft, Minnesota, happened several years ago and that was followed by the closing of the "New Hope" church in New Hope, Minnesota, the church I was a member of when my "Home" church closed.  

Marlys Wiens

Focus for 2012: Water

As we Celebrate and raise funds for what MCC does globally with "water", 

let us ponder the following reading:

Now go from this place as people bathed in the muddy water of God's

transforming grace.

And as you go

may God give you the grace never to sell yourself short;

grace to risk something big for something good;

grace to remember that the world is too dangerous

for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.

So, may God take your minds and think through them;

may God take your lips and speak through them;

may God take your hands and work through them; 

may God take your hearts and set them on fire.

Amen

-William Sloane Coffin, adapted by Stephen Shoemaker & Kevin Brown 

Reflections on attending the Goshen MCC Relief Sale for the first time:

Yes, I have been invited to the Goshen many times and with the North American Relief Sale Board Meeting at Amigo Camp in Michigan, it happened! Through out the planning I had a number of people inform me that

I also needed to make sure I traveled and stopped at Lolly’s Quilt Shop in Shipshewana, Indiana. A question from reading the French Quilt Magazine from France, a number of issues a year are about Shipshewana. Why are the French interested in a little town in Indiana? Why does the magazine write several articles a year about the Shipshewana Mennonite Quilts? There must be more then one quilt shop in the whole Goshen/Shipshewana and why was Lolly’s continually brought up?

There I was in my rented car driving down the roads and not always following the map because, well, there were things that caught my attention: Fresh egg sign, flowers and the like. Upon arriving in Shipshewana, I realized I had to be very careful as the horse and buggies were traveling on the side of the road and many times driven or occupied by children. It was a special ambience as I drove into the Shipshewana and the road rolled straight. I found the large historic building Lolly’s is in, which was probably built in the early 1900’s. Lolly’s met every expectation as the store had traditional to modern, fabrics to completed quilts, and other gifts. The store(s) met all my expectations and more.

Friday night took me to the Goshen MCC Relief Sale as it is a 2 day event. The festive event has “Haystacks” as a Friday night favorite served by youth and enjoyed by many, to find an empty seat to eat your “Haystack” was a challenge. Even in the rain, people would walk from building to building which focused on a different issue/topic. As I entered the Quilt Building, the Mennonite Men were having a concert; and pie was available to the left. Tucked in the corner to my right, was a quilting shop but I was headed for the quilts that were hanging for viewing and auctioning on Saturday. It was interesting to see all the quilts and the names of donors I have seen at other Relief Sales, which made me smile to realize some of the quilt donors from Goshen support other sales as well. Then I realized that a number of the traditional hand quilts were from Lolly’s. That thought process was interrupted, as I rounded the end of a quilt row by someone stopping me. Ms. Brennamen recognized me as we had travelled to India in 2008 to a MCC Global Family Learning Tour. Yes, MCC’s story came full circle as I was reminded of why we have Relief Sales and the funds raised for MCC.

Leaving the building, I stopped at the quilt shop to learn it was “Lolly’s”. My question was: how could the Goshen Relief Sale have a Quilt Shop at the Relief Sale and how could it benefit MCC? I returned to the shop on Saturday always asking questions. Yes at the end of the day, I bought a quilt kit from “Lolly’s Quilt Shop”, when I finally understood the commitment by “Lolly’s”. They donate quilts, they introduce new ideas to quilters and then they donate their cost of product to MCC. As I gave her my Credit Card to pay, she couldn’t accept it, so I asked if she would take a check which she would. Then to my surprise, I had to make the check payable to MCC! Lolly’s donated to MCC the cost of my purchase as well as any normal profit they would make. What an example of commitment to other Relief Sales as the other 40 some Relief Sales across United States and Canada search for different ideas. Many Relief Sales have Quilter’s Corners and this was an interesting addition.

Blessings,

Marlys Wiens

Here in This Place (Juried exhibition)

Opening, Friday, January 21, 7:30pm
January 21, 2011 to March 5, 2011

MHC Gallery
600 Shaftesbury Blvd
Winnipeg, MB
(just south of the corner of Grant Avenue and Shaftesbury)

Monday-Friday 8:30 to 4:30

Saturday:  Noon to 5:00

Thoughts of Peace

Thoughts on Peace
Monday, December 20

A smile is the beginning of peace.

Mother Teresa

 

Tuesday, December 21

Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves.

William Hazlett

 

Wednesday, December 22

Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel.

Justice in the World, 6

 

Thursday, December 23

True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Friday, December 24

Corn can’t expect justice from a court composed of chickens.

African Proverb

 

Saturday, December 25

Birth of Christ

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Mother Teresa

 

Sunday, December 26

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

MCC Relief Sales across the US and Canada are planning for 2011!

The Peace Quilt measuring 37 long by 40 inches wide is available in the United States.  The Peace Symbol and Machine appliqued Dove Blocks were received from Pennsylvania and the hand appliqued bird block is from Panama.  The quilt is machine quilted by Jane Paulsen from Minnesota.

The story about the center colorful block from Panama came from Susan, who donated the block:
"Believe it or not, this mola was made by the sahila, or chief, of Acuadup, our favorite, little-visited village in Kuna Yala. We had been ashore visiting the school and seeing the children, when a young girl came up to us and offered this mola for sale. She said that the sahila had made it. We didn't think that was possible, so we expressed some skepticism, and were assured that no, he really had made it. We were intrigued. As we walked around the island, many of the people in the village came out to ask if we would take their photos, as they had heard that we would do this and print a copy for them. Suddenly, there was Sahila Roberto, also wanting his photo taken, along with two of his grandsons. We were delighted to take his picture, and the others, as normally the Kuna are shy of cameras. This was a classic "win-win," where we could take all the photos we wanted, and they could get photos of themselves. We asked the sahila about the mola, and he said yes, he dabbled in mola making, and that it was indeed one of his. (We don't really know the word for "dabbling," but we thought this was the gist of it....after all, the sahila has a lot of responsibilities and probably doesn't spend that much time making molas.)


(Photos are available from LJP) and are of the village, along with one of Sahila Roberto. The chiefs typically wear fedoras and bright shirts like the lime green one he is wearing, along with long pants and no shoes. When one meets them, they are usually sitting or lying in a hammock in the congreso, or big meeting house. Usually the chiefs only speak in Kuna,  and have an interpreter there to translate from Spanish to Kuna.  However, Roberto spoke Spanish directly with us. Hope this is the kind of information that will be useful to Marlys. The quilt looks very cool.


Love,
Susan