Saturday, September 29, 2012

My Lydia



Earlier this year Pineberry Lane released a wonderful sampler called Lydia Broome.  It is a simple primitive design stitched on 30 count linen and uses only two colors.  I was immediately drawn to this sampler, its primitive design but most importantly because of its name "Lydia."

Making the sampler my own Lydia Broome will become Lydia Emaline Shultz Tudor.  Lydia is very special to me, I know many things about her.  Lydia Emaline is part of my family.  Her story begins in Westphalia, Germany when her Great Great Grandfather, Johan Velten "Valentine" Shultz and his wife Elizabeth traveled to Rotterdam, Holland from Germany.  They boarded the ship, Pennsilvania Merchant at Rotterdam, Holland and traveled to Dover, England.  On September 10, 1731 Valentine and Elizabeth arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Together, they took the oath of allegiance to the providence of Pennsylvania and became naturalized citizens. 

Valentine and Elizabeth departed  Philadelphia for the "frontier"  and settled in Lancaster (York County)  Pennsylvania.  Elizabeth died in 17?? and Valentine married Maria Eva Stocker.  Valentine and Maria Eva had five children.  Valentine died in 1745 without a will leaving Maria Eva with five children and an estate valued at ninety pounds. 

Johan Martin Shultz (one of the five children) was apprenticed by the Orphans Court of York County as a cordwainer, a shoe maker.  Part of the terms of his apprenticeship included reading the Bible, writing, and arithmetic.  In return for his service as a cordwainer,  Martin would be given sufficient meat, drink, apparel, washing, and lodging and upon completion of the apprenticeship,  he would be given two suits and five pounds. 



I Thee Wed
by The Goode Housewife

When Martin reached the age of twenty one, he asked to be released from the Orphans Court and his apprenticeship and told the courts his intentions of settling in "Carolina" with Julianna, his wife.  Martin, Julianna and their children arrived in Mecklenburg County North Carolina in 1764.  Martin had high aspirations for his life and wanted more for himself and family than being a shoe maker and sometime between 1764 and 1777, he received training as a physician and surgeon. 

Grandfather Martin was a restless soul and moved his family from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to Washington County, North Carolina in 1777.  During the American Revolution, Martin joined The Overmountain Men and participated in the Battle of Kings Mountain.  "Serving under Colonels Shelby and Campbell in the capacity of a surgeon,  he attended the wounded soldiers at the battle along with the other doctors there.  After the battle when many of the soldiers had gangrene, he amputated the limbs with little or no anesthesia using whiskey and manpower to perform the surgeries."  I think it is safe to say Grandfather Martin was a survivor! 

Grandfather Martin, the surgeon died in 1787.  Grandmother Julianna moved with her son, Johan Martin, Jr from Washington County to Sevier County, Tennessee in 1794.  Martin Shultz, Jr was commissioned as a Captain in the militia for Sevier County, Tennessee and in return for his services was awarded several land grants.  Martin, Jr. married a local Sevier County girl named Barbara Ann Emert. 

Martin Jr. and Barbara Ann had thirteen children.  One of those children was Frederick Jackson Shultz.  Frederick Jackson married Hannah Lindsey and one of their children was Lydia Emaline.  Growing up in The Great Smokey Mountains, I am sure Lydia's life was a typical mountain woman's life:  lots of chores, a social life which revolved around the church and a large family.  On October 26, 1865, Lydia Emaline married Rev. John W. Tudor, they had no children and Lydia died in 1909. 

For some Lydia's story ends with her death, not for me.  Rev. Tudor must have been really attracted to the Shultz women of Sevier County because one Sunday afternoon he harnessed his horse to his buggy and "went calling" on Kittie Shults.  Kittie Shults was Grandmother Bessie's sister.  When Mr. Tudor and Kittie returned from the buggy ride, they announced their engagement.  Must have been one heck of a buggy ride.  Grandmother Bessie was not pleased because Mr. Tudor was 54 years older than Kittie!  "The very idea of that old man marring Kittie," were words Grandmother Bessie always spoke about the marriage.  Tragically, their marriage was very short lived, Mr. Tudor had tuberculous and died shortly after he and Kittie married.  As tuberculous is very contagious Kittie contacted the disease and also died. 

Lydia Emaline, Rev Tudor and Kittie are buried side by side in the Tudor cemetery in The Great Smokey Mountains in Sevier County.  Lydia Emaline would have been Kittie and Grandmother Bessie's Great Aunt. Doesn't Lydia have a great story to tell?

Now back to Lydia the sampler.  I plan on stitching Lydia on 30 court over dyed linen.  I have also found a Barrick (Carriage House) Sampler named Lydia and Little by Little has a sampler called Mecklenburg.

If anyone is wondering about the spelling of Shultz/Shults the spelling was changed by a census taker and spelling of the name has been changed many times.


Thursday, September 27, 2012

LNS

One of the items on my errand list for today was a trip to my LNS to drop off the Birds of a Feather Alphabet Sampler for framing.  I am a lucky girl!  My framer is awesome!  She has a wonderful eye and always helps me select "just the right frame."  Looking forward to receiving a telephone call from her saying the piece is ready for pick up and thank goodness she is much faster at framing than I am at stitching. 

Summer's Last Rose
Blackbird Designs

While I was at the LNS, I picked up the latest Blackbird Designs releases.  Those clever Blackbird girls have made this piece into a thread basket.  There is also a design for a pinkeep in the booklet called My Home which is calling to me. 



I have never stitched a Christmas sampler.  However, since I just completed a fall sampler, it seems only fitting to have a Christmas sampler.


And last but certainly not least is a Little House ornament.  I am not crazy about the words on the ornament and might do some tweaking. 

While I was at the needlework shop a dear friend and stitcher came into the shop.  She has been living in Scotland for the past several years and has returned to the states "because I want to be a hands on auntie to my nieces and nephews."  I will miss hearing about her adventures in Scotland and will cherish our time spent together stitching and knitting. 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Fall Sampler 2012


My fall sampler for 2012 is finally stitched!  My goal was to have it completed by the official day of fall, but am only four days past my self imposed deadline.

This was a fun stitch!  The Weeks Dye Works Putty  adds some bling and I love the wonky border.  

Tomorrow this sampler is off to the framer!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

. . . and then the doorbell rang



I was feverishly stitching on the fall sampler, when the doorbell rang.  It was a dear friend.  The visit began, non stop talking, and the stitching came to a grinding halt.  Suffice to say I did not meet my self imposed deadline of officially fall.  Tonight?????

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Now I've said my A B C's tell me


Finally, I have the alphabet stitched.  As I was stitching the letters, I kept humming the A B C nursery rhyme song.  You know the one:  "Now I've said my A B C's, tell me what you think of me."

Now for the borders, two days until fall.  Will I make it?

Monday, September 17, 2012

Sleeping on the job


Miss Callie Mae Calico is a people kitty.  No matter where her people are or what they are doing, she wants to be near.  This basket sits atop my work table.  Miss Callie Mae enjoys napping in her basket and being near the sewing/quilting action.

Notice the rubber mat underneath the basket--it keeps the basket from moving.  Miss Independent Callie Mae likes jumping into the basket without assistance.

It is a rainy Monday in Music City, if the basket were larger, I would ask her to share.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Shopping Adventure

Yesterday was our last Jo Morton Little Women Club class.  After the class, Carmen (my partner in crime) and I had made plans for some quilting shopping therapy.  We started our shopping adventure at Quilting Squares in Franklin, the quilting shop where we had taken our quilting classes.


This was my purchase from Quilting Squares.  The red check fabric is flannel, the other fabrics are Jo Morton (the Cheddar is from the Carolina line).


The second quilt shop was The Dancing Bobbin in Spring Hill.  The cheddar fabric is The Civil War Chronicles by Marcus Fabrics and the green fabric is also a Marcus Fabrics Bonnie Blue Quilts by Paula Barnes.  Bonnie Blue is now operating as Red Crineline Quilts


Stitchers Garden in Franklin was our third quilt shop stop.  This is a Jo Morton fabric which I will be using for the borders on the flying geese.  (If I ever get it sewn together)


These fabrics are from Jo Morton's new fabric line called Leesburg.  This fabric line is huge and beautiful.


Some more Jo Morton fat quarters.  Why, yes, I am a Jo Morton fabric junkie, what makes you ask?


Some orange wide rick rack for those Halloween or fall projects.  Yes, it is this bright but can be toned down with some coffee or walnut stain.

I also found A Day at Sunny Brook by Maggie Bonanomi.

It was a fun day--seeing beautiful quilts, satisfying my visual senses with the fabric and laughter with a good friend.




Saturday, September 15, 2012

Jo Morton Little Women Club 2012

Today was the last Jo Morton Little Women Club.  It was a bittersweet day, always fun to be with fellow quilters and see the beautiful quilts, bittersweet because it will be several months before another class begins.


Jo Morton Nine Patch Variation (This is the teachers quilt)


This is Darlene's quilt, aren't they both lovely?


Darlene's ham and eggs from an earlier class.  The half square border triangles is a nice addition.


Darlene's scrappy quilt from an earlier class.



And. . .when Darlene wasn't working on Jo Morton's, she appliquéd this beauty!  This quilt is stunning!


Marilyn, the applique queen brought this beauty to share.  WOW!


Terri made a zipper pillow for her daughter.


After quilting class was over, Carmen (my partner in crime) and I got into fabric trouble--we shopped at three different quilt stores.  Will share photos tomorrow.  Good news--there is a new quilt shop opening--5,000 bolts of fabric.  More good news--we saw Jo Morton's new fabric line--it is awesome.  

AppleJack is shaking his head and has called for the financial committee to meet.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Counting the Days--Birds of a Feather Alphabet Sampler


Eleven days and counting until the official start of Fall 2012.  I was hoping to have the Birds of a Feather Alphabet Sampler finished over the weekend but. . .



A few more letters and then the border.  I have a counting error on the letter P, so I have some damage control to correct.

The weather in Music City has been glorious!  Fall is definitely on its way, beautiful clear blue skies, a cool breeze and temps dipping down into the fifties.  The windows at Thistle Manor have been thrown open to allow fresh air to blow inside.  Ahhh, there is nothing like sleeping under a quilt.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Another Win Win

I love win wins! In June, Theresa at Shakespear's Peddler wrote about an e mail she had received from a customer.  Jo, the customer, who is a teacher, was writing to Theresa about teaching lower income students about Arts and Crafts.  Jo teaches the students about samplers specifically Loara Standish. Each student is given floss and fabric to begin their own sampler.  Jo went on to say she has about 1,000 students a week.  Image the amount of floss and fabric she would need!

So. . . I heard opportunity knocking and started cleaning out my stash to share with Jo and her students.

Yesterday, I received the nicest thank you  note from Jo and her students!  The best part--Jo is teaching the next generation about needlework.  A win win for everyone.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue 2012



Look what I picked up at the LNS today!  It's here and it's fabulous.  For the next several weeks/months, I will be drooling over the designs and trying to decide which to stitch first.  Shepherd's Bush has a tall sheep, Do You Hear?  The charm for the ornament this year is a holly button and red bead.  If you like their tall sheep designs you will like this ornament.  And if you like sheep, Mosey 'N Me has the cutest Santa leading a sheep.  There are snowmen and Santa's.  If you like rick rack and vintage buttons check our Little House Needleworks and Plum Street Samplings Good Tidings house.  And, and, and. . . there are so many wonderful designs and finishes. 


On my way home from the LNS, I stopped by the post office to pick up the mail and look what was waiting?  It is September and I already have visions of sugar plums dancing in my head!




Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Counting the Days

The official date for Fall 2012 is September 22.  That means I have eighteen days to get my fall sampler stitched.  I better find my turbo speed!


This design by Birds of a Feather was released several years ago, don't know why it has taken me so long to stitch.


Rain is forecast for the weekend--should be great stitching weather!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Family Meeting at Thistle Manor

Callie Mae called a family meeting.  Applejack usually calls the family meetings to remind me about the budget, or I had neglected to put gas in the car or special requests for meals.  It was Miss Callie Mae Calico who called this meeting.  She said we had been so busy we needed to be reminded of our commitment to her.


She reminded us this is a cat house with cat rules.


She reminded us there should be a ample generous supply of cat food, tuna, cat nip and boiled chicken in supply at all times.


A reminder that her hair is to be brushed daily.


interactive toys are the best toys.

and an afternoon nap helps everyones disposition.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Super Saturday and Sweet Memories

Does everyone remember the first Saturday of the month is one half price day at Goodwill?  The first Saturday sale days are becoming quiet popular and the stores resemble the shopping malls and retail stores at Christmas time.  Yikes! 

Grandmother Bessie did not enjoy shopping, neither do I.  (Disclaimer:  except for fabric and needlework stitching supplies).  When shopping at Goodwill on first Saturday's, I have to locate my intestinal fortitude.  I have learned not to go with a shopping list of expectations, I go with an open mind.


This platter was my Saturday find.  The back of the platter is marked Mayer China est 1881.  I was very excited to find this platter, because it matches Grandmother Bessie's cup and saucer.


While it is not a perfect match and made by two different manufacturers, I am calling it a "close enough."  I shared many breakfast meals with Grandmother Bessie and she always drank her coffee from this cup and saucer.  While I am not a coffee drinker, I will drink my juice or hot tea from the cup and allow my mind to roam back in time with sweet memories of meals shared with Grandmother Bessie. 

(I bought the platter for a dollar!)

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Jo Morton Stars in Quiltmaker

While I was running errands on Saturday and working on my to do list, I stopped at JoAnn's because I needed some sewing machine quilting needles.  Of course, I took the opportunity to browse the store to make sure I was not missing anything new and wonderful.  In the magazine section, I found the latest edition of Quiltmaker Magazine featuring Jo Morton. 


The combination of blues and cheddar make this a stunning quilt. 

Jo introduces a new technique in this quilt called "fast flying geese."  The finished size of the quilt is 30" x 36" the stars are 3 inches.  Does Jo know any size other than miniature?


I have this piece of Jo Morton in my stash,  I think it might work for the cheddar.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Good News, Bad News at Thistle Manor



Applejack and I often have good news, bad news conversations, they go something like this:


  1.  Good news:  it's a three day weekend.  Bad news:  I have a 30 day to do list.
  2.  Good news:  Fall officially starts in 21 days.  No bad news on this one, because we love fall at Thistle Manor
  3. Good news:  we have a new vacuum cleaner.  Bad news:  the dust bunnies are holding it hostage.
  4. Good news:  I carried three quilt tops to the long arm quilter today.  Bad news:  I have half a dozen (or more) waiting to be quilted.
  5. Good news:  While at the long arm quilters, I found Civil War Reproduction on sale for half price.  Bad news:  I'm suppose to be reducing my stash.
  6. Good news:  I finished another row of the alphabet on the Birds of a Feather sampler.  Bad news:  I have two more rows to stitch.
  7. Good news:  We took a loooong walk at Radnor Lake this morning.  It was peaceful and beautiful.  Bad news:  I wore the wrong walking shoes and got a blister on my heel.
  8. Good news:  I discovered a new bakery in our neighborhood, they have red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  Bad news:  I'm suppose to be on a diet.
  9. Good news:  There is rain in the forecast.  Bad news:  The rain does not discriminate and nourishes the weeds as well as the flowers.
  10. Good news:  Callie Mae got a new scratching post and she loves it.  Again, no bad news, if Callie Mae is happy we are happy.

What's your good news, bad news?