Sunday, November 13, 2016

Hope's Journey

I've been thinking a lot lately about women and our journey through history.  The campaign and election have brought women's' interests to mind, but I've been thinking about "our" interests for far longer.  So with the arrival of my newest line Hope's Journey in shops in the last couple of weeks, I thought it was time for a post....please read to the end, a prize awaits.

Did you know I name each of my fabric lines with Moda after women and my quilts are influenced by their story? Below is the mini version of a larger quilt, I named Hope's Journey. It is based on a fabulous antique made in the late 1840's or 1850's at the very latest.

So who is Hope? Hope is every woman who left her home in search of a better life.  This time period saw massive movement of civilization westward to California, Oregon and southwest to Texas.  In a movement called Manifest Destiny, men saw it as their right to go west, conquer, and prosper. Men sold their homes, uprooting their wives and children with the prospect of a better life, a fresh start, leaving behind debts, or worn out soil, or crowded cities.  They were adventurers and dreamers and their women had little to no say in whether to go along or not. Whether they agreed or went kicking and screaming, they got in the wagon and said goodbye to everything and everyone they knew.  They might as well have been going to the moon.  All the women had was HOPE, the hope that somehow life would be better and the journey would be worth the sacrifices made.



Here is the antique quilt....



 My reproductions

The quilt below, is called Between a Rock and a Hard Place....a tough place, where many a pioneer found themselves.  To continue pushing on, or to take a different route or even turn around, after tragedy-- an illness, death of a parent, loss of a child or, even a disagreement with the leaders of the wagon train, was a hard decision to make and all too often, a decision they would regret. There are SO many stories from women's diaries of the Overland journey!  Far too many for me to tell.  

Next...

Here, Molly is in mid squirm on Calico Meadow.  Inspiration for this quilt comes from a vision of women and girls clad in bright calico dresses walking beside the wagons through fields and meadows at the start of the journey. By the end of the trail, the calico was far from bright, but rather a dirty and tattered testament to the courage, perseverance, and triumph of seeing the journey through. Would their new life be the vision of bounty and prosperity they had dreamed?
In planning the quilts, I didn't realize they would look so Christmas like. Calico Meadow looks like little Christmas presents and Hope Blooms, the quilt below is ideal for Christmas. 

Hope Blooms...I'd like to believe that all who departed, arrived in one piece and had a happy adventure, but I know the outcome for so many was not that at all.  If the journey did carry a family to a pretty homestead or a successful business or to strike gold, they were the fortunate ones.  Hope got them through and with hard work, its blossoms set, and a new life began.


a close up of the pretty quilting by Sheri Mecom. I love the design in the basket.

Other lines...
Eliza's Indigo quilt, below is named for Eliza Lucas Pinckney, who in 1738 at age 16, took over the management of her families 3 plantations and developed indigo as a major cash crop in South Carolina by 1740's. (note this is a photo of me, that I don't hate, LOL) Eliza had no experience, but I'm sure hoped that she would meet and exceed her father's expectations as she planted the indigo seeds.


Below is Lizzie's Legacy quilt, large and small.  Lizzie, my great great grandmother left her home in Kentucky in 1852 with husband R. W. Carpenter and traveled to Texas to settle and make a new life. Where would I, or any of my family, be without the courage of this brave woman, or the hope she had for the future?  It is her legacy, of sewing and quilting, I treasure beyond expression.


And now we come to Rachel Remembered, the line that was just shown at Market in Houston. First, is a close up of the antique quilt, my inspiration for the line.  Notice the image of the man, Andrew Jackson, a military hero in the Battle of New Orleans, a statesman and businessman before becoming out 7th president.  I named the line after his wife Rachel.  Rachel's family was one of the first families of Tennessee. Rachel was born in 1767 and died in December 1828, one month before Andrew was inaugurated. 


Shown here, is most of the quilt.


Rachel and Andrew fell in love at first sight, or at least shortly after meeting. Rachel was separated from her husband at the time.  Word of divorce was published and she and Andrew married.  A couple of years later it was discovered the notice was falsely reported and the divorce was not final and their marriage was illegal. Once the divorce was final, the Jackson's married again. The scandal kept her in seclusion and followed Rachel to her grave, The press was as vicious and as unrelenting in reporting the opinions of Jackson's political rivals as the recent abysmal display by the candidates and the press in the recent campaign.

And here are my creations based on the fabrics in the antique quilt....the large and small quilts with the stars, are called Rachel's Garden, her favorite place on the plantation, the Hermitage. The gold and blue quilts are named Morning Walk.  Tennessee Lady is between the star quilts. The patriotic color quilt and the quilt on the table are in one pattern called Endearments (that will be a recurring series of little quilts) and last, the 16 patch quilt is called Nashville, home of the Hermitage. Rachel Remembered will be in shops in April,

Women.

 We hope. We endure. We hope. We survive. 
Life is a journey, taking many paths.
We live in the hope that with every day, every year, every election, to have a better life. 
Every politician makes the promise to make our lives better.
Today's vision of HOPE is no different than that which all women  have had before us.
BE THANKFUL for the better, as it comes in so many different ways for each of us. 

Now, as I promised, a reward for reading....
Please subscribe, or follow me, and leave me a comment about hope or your journey 
 for a chance to win.....
 a layer cake of Hope's Journey
Let us lift each other's spirit.
~Until next time, hoping every day is  day,
Betsy

Please comment until 6:00am Wednesday. Texas time.

52 comments:

  1. Oh wow, this is such a beautiful and interesting post, I learned so much! About your history, about your inspiration, about your background. As a Texas lover I am always interesting in finding more about your great state too. Love all the quilts and your fabrics and with this background information even more so. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this extensive post. My hope? That my daughter will have the courage and stamina to make a good life for herself. Her path will ask totally different things from her than the women you described, my hope is her patch will lead her to her own happy place somewhere in this world (maybe Texas, she shares my love for your state).

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  2. My journey has been pretty blessed. Nothing at all what these pioneer women went through. Beautiful quilts! Thank you for sharing how you come up with the names of your fabric lines, very interesting. HUGS... and stitches queenbeechefAThotmailDOTcom

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  3. Here's a quote I like about hope: "Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future." (Robert Schuller).

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  4. I always look forward to your posts, and I am never disappointed. Hope and quilting and stitching have enabled me to endure many changes and health challenges throughout my life journey. Silly or schmaltzy as it may sound, I've always used the "one stitch at a time" motto in all situations along with the patience that comes with stitching. Thank you for your blog AND Instagram AND books (I have them all) AND history lessons! (ilove_2quilt@yahoo.com)

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  5. I so enjoyed your posting today. All the quilts look so beautiful! I am glad you like the quilting I did for you on Hope Blooms.

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  6. What a beautiful post, Betsy. I love the stories, and can't even imagine living in those days. First off, I don't take orders very well from my husband - I see marriage as a partnership, not a dictatorship. So he would try to load me up and I would dig in my heels! Your quilts, books and fabric are all just beautiful - I just love everything that you do. I have a presentation/trunk show that I do for guilds, and I talk about my quilting journey and how it started. In short...shortly after we were married, my husband asked if I wanted a sewing machine for Christmas. I said no. Not interested, didn't need or want one. Well, he gave me one anyway. Eventually one thing led to another, and now I wonder what I would be doing now, if he had actually listened to me!

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  7. Love this post! My journey has led me to many different homes, although in the same state, and changes in my husbands career. I too, always carried hope of a better life and new beginnings.

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  8. Thank you for your post. Reminds me of the many strong women in my family history who because of their sacrifices and strength my family is strong and blessed.

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  9. What a fantastic post! I love history and especially stories about women who risked so much to start a new life in the west. I made a quilt and wrote a story of "Arzetta and William Poole" who made it west along the Orengon trail. You can read about it here:
    http://theconstantquilter.blogspot.com/2016/01/grab-cup-of-tea.html - if you are so inclined. It was a fun quilt to make. You inspire me so much! I love every fabric you have introduced and I cannot wait for Rachel Remembered to come here!

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  10. Always look forward to your posts. My blog is called "My Joyful Journey", that is how I see my quilting, teaching and traveling for quiltmaking. A passion that takes me to great places and people, like you. Thanks for this post and your wonderful quilts and fabrics.

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  11. You have inspired me yet again. I enjoyed reading your post and the history behind your fabric and quilts. My day is always a better one even when I can only dream about the next quilt I would like to make. Thank you. I made my first visit to Houston for quilt festival this year and am blessed to have had the opportunity. So much quilty love around the world!

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  12. I love reading about the pioneers but I am not sure that I could do what was required of a pioneer woman even though I think of myself as a strong person.

    My hope is that my husband will win his battle against cancer.

    Thanks for sharing your lovely quilts and their inspiration.

    Charlotte

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  13. What fascinating stories. I sure love all these f your lines and books. I am on the hunt this weekend for Hope's Journey fabric as I know my secret pal will love a bundle for Christmas. Ps the kitties are so cute!

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  14. Your post truly resonated with me. Not only do I love each and every quilt you pictured, but I admire the women each one represents. I live day to day hoping the doctors will soon find a way to "fix me" so I can resume my normal life. I have been to the Mayo Clinic twice as well as numerous other doctors. My hope however, lies in my faith. I venture to believe many of the women in your blog centered their hope in their faith as well. We each travel our own journey, and take the opportunity to learn and bless others as we can. You certainly are a blessing to many in so many ways. Thank you for the opportunity to own some of your gorgeous fabrics! Kristy @quilterkg

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  15. Such lovely fabrics - make beautiful quilts. I have enjoyed the stories that go along with your fabric lines. Hope is pretty important - my children give me lots of hope each day :0)

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  16. I love your stories about your quilts and fabrics and the women behind them who inspired you to make them.
    I hope that the future will be a better place then the past not only for me and my family but for humankind in generell. There are so many people on this world who hunger or live in terrible places, in countries with war and no human rights. I really hope that one day in the future this world will be a better place.

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  17. My hope (and journey) is for happiness after loosing my husband.

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  18. Your fabrics lines and the quilts you make with them are all so beautiful. I feel inspired just looking at them. Although I follow you on social media, this is the first time I have read your blog. After the recent election, you have given me hope that we can get our country back on track.

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  19. Betsy your stores that you have with your lines of fabric make it all the best to be sewing with. Learning what women experienced alone their travels . This is were a lot of the names from quilt blocks come from. Keep up the stores love to hear. Nancy

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  20. Hi Betsy, thank you so much for sharing all of those beautiful stories. You have so many wonderful women in your life.
    I have wonderful memories of meeting you all in Houston. I am so thankful that I came. I look forward to returning!
    Much love!
    Maree StClair

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  21. Great stories. As a female engineer in the early 80's I am encouraged by the number of young women now in the workplace. STEM education is so important for girls.

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  22. I have been blessed. After a tremulous election, I hope girls and women have the opportunity to learn and grow as they wish and that all the work on women's rights and suffrage do not go backward. Your quilts are a great tribute to women.

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  23. I enjoy reading your posts, they are always full of information. Looking forward to your next two fabric collections arriving at my local shop so I can add them to my charm quilt series. And thank you for the chance to win a selection of "Hope's Journey"!

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  24. What wonderful stories and fabric. My hope is that we will all be kinder to one another and do what we can to lift one another up. I always feel my best when I am doing something for a charitable cause, my I continue to be helpful.

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  25. The back stories on your fabric collections are so fascinating. Keep them coming. I recently learned that I have 2ND great grandparents who were pioneers in Collin County TX. I hope for even better lives for the current generation of children in my family.

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  26. The back stories on your fabric collections are so fascinating. Keep them coming. I recently learned that I have 2ND great grandparents who were pioneers in Collin County TX. I hope for even better lives for the current generation of children in my family.

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  27. What do I hope for. My wonderful hubby and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in Dec. He is almost 85. I am hoping to have MANY more anniversaries. He has given me the best 25 years of my life-happy and joyful.

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  28. A lovely post about the women who inspired your beautiful fabrics and quilts. My hope for the future is to see my children happy and achieving success through hard work and effort. I have taught them this and I hope they will teach their children in turn. A ripple effect of honesty and trying your best.

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  29. These stories are so inspiring. I began quilting recently and love the old patterns. It has helped me so much with my own journey of hope to become well again. It is slow and long but with hope, needle and thread and my friends I'm getting there.

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  30. Hi Betsy, I absolutely love your fabrics and quilts! My husband and I are beginning our retirement with a move from the Northeast to your lovely state of Texas. I am filled with hope and excitement for what is yet to come.

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  31. Your fabrics and patterns are beautiful. Thanks for all you do. My hope is that our country will once again become safe strong.

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  32. Hi Betsy. You have been on my mind a lot this last week. I think this post is remarkable and so filled with hope and a connection to our past. I love the theme of HOPE. I have learned a lot recently about my family's journey to Texas in a wagon train with a story very similar to yours. I am thankful to have finally learned their story and I know that they came out of a hope for a better future. Congratulations on the new fabric lines and the new books. You made it happen!

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  33. Along with you beautiful quilts you tell a very good story of our history. Do have a books to recommend to learn women's history? I have been slowly collecting your fabrics and books and I would love to read some pioneer history too. It is so nice you honor these women in this way. Linda

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  34. A journey from earlier in my life comes to mind. My husband and I had been married 5 years, had a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, and were living in Houston, TX. He decided, after much prayer and research, that he needed to change careers. The mitigating factor was that his college degree prepared him only for the line of work he was currently in. Changing might mean us changing locations, even him going back to college. For me, a young wife settled into homemaking and raising my children at home with a regular paycheck coming in every two weeks, the changes ahead were very intimidating and anxiety-inducing. Would I have to go back to work outside my home? Would we be in a new place where I did not know anyone? Whom would I trust with my preschool children?

    We did end up moving to Richardson, Texas. Hubby found a different career path that required 6+ months of on-the-job training and a month of classes in New York City. Pay was extremely low his first year. To top it off, we found ourselves expecting another child his first month in the new position. Talk about a stressful adventure!

    The first several years of this new journey were hard: 3 young children, spouse working 12+ hour days to get established, many questions about the future. It got better as time went on; and now, 30 years later, we are in a very blessed position. Hope for our family's future was sometimes the main sustaining emotion for us. We praise God for his care for us and his outpouring of blessings on our lives!

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  35. Thank you for all your inspiration and sending the wonderful stories of hope. You are truly a historian, those quilts and fabrics are very nice. I am a ranch woman, with out my faith, hope sometimes would be faint. Thanks for the chance at this give away. Hoping with crossed fingers :)
    faint

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  36. I am in love with your fabric line! Your stories make your quilts special.
    I think my husband, Bob, would have been one of those crazy men moving everyone and everything across the prairie in a wagon. And, I probably would have gone with him. Case in point. We had all of our children in Michigan....then we moved to Connecticut, California, and Texas for his job....not even the military. Then we relocated to Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina. And I repeat we were not military, just corporate management back in the 1970s and 80s.
    We saw lots of this wonderful country we probably wouldn't have seen if not for moving around.
    Its been a good life and I guess you could say full of adventure.

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  37. I truely enjoy your blog, I love history so it is fun to read your stories. Right now I have a bundle of bramblewood decorating my sewing room for fall.

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  38. I love your story telling. It is really a beautiful thing how your remember these women with fabric and quilts. I can't wait to hear more.

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  39. You are truly an inspiration and a great historian. Very nice quilts and fabrics. Being a ranch woman I rely on my faith and hope follows closely. Thanks for the chance at the give away. Hoping and crossing my fingers. :)

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  40. At one point about a decade ago, I had lost hope that my future could be different than my present and my past. But miracles ensued, the impossible came to pass, and the great Counselor taught me there is always hope. That lesson will never leave me. I follow you on Feedreader. Thank you for the giveaway. Kimberly at LaunderedCotton at gmail dot com

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  41. I hope that my grandchildren will have a safer and more peaceful world to live in as they grow older.
    Love reading all the history and antique style quilts.
    kellam.susan@yahoo.com

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  42. I loved every word of this post. We so often forget those that have gone before and the important role they played in our lives today. Thank you jjoyner67@gmail.com

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  43. I loved every word of this post. So often we forget those that have gone before and the many lessons we can learn from them. Thank you for sharing and reminding us. jjoyner67@gmail.com

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  44. Women's history is the reason I love antique quilts so very much. It's an honor to me to own an artifact and spend some time learning about it. Even the many anonymous quilts tell us something about what our fore-mothers loved, did, and valued.

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  45. MY Journey is always and foremost to leave this world a better place for my four beautiful granddaughters. They mean everything to me! Your post was just lovely and of course so are all the quilts old and new. Thank you for the chance to win! I signed up to get these emails automatically and got a welcome back Mary- not too sure how that managed to happen! All is good!
    Mary

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  46. I already follow you and so enjoy reading your thoughts. Your words so effectively express our past and our future. I am thankful, everyday, to be living in a democratic society, where we are blest with so many freedoms denied to others. ...so, my hope is for better times ahead.

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  47. I LOVE seeing these pioneer women's stories expressed in your quilts and fabrics. My hope is that my children will have an even better life than what I have had!

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  48. How fantastic to read all the historical references to your fabric lines. Men are seen as heroes for what they do but we women are the real heroes - it is our support that allows men to be men

    Mandy Adams
    quiltingmama58@gmail.com

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  49. Just loved this blog entry - such wonderful stories. Looking forward to "Rachel Remembered" and your new book. I share the journey of so many other women: young girl to young bride and wife to mother and now, perhaps the sweetest of all, grandmother. It's been a lovely journey; the bumps and tears along the way have made me appreciate the joys and laughter all the more. My quilts will be here after I'm gone to tell my story to my children and theirs as well.

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  50. Hello! I am new to your blog and really enjoyed reading about the women who inspired your beautiful fabrics and quilts. I'm looking forward to reading previous posts and seeing new ones too. As for hope---I'd like to think or hope my quilts tell my story, but I am not sure future generations will care to see or hear...instead my joy is in the journey of sewing each one.

    lizzy at gone to the beach

    lizzzz.d@gmail.com

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  51. Hello Betsy! Hope is eternal! May our paths cross someday, because our journey is similar and filled with HOPE. "Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible" - author unknown!

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