I’m out of order

In more ways than one but that is a whole other story…..

I am sorry, guess what, I am traveling again.   I know, how bad/lucky am I?   Anyway, I have so much to share I need to throw up a few short posts here to check them off my list.    I promise to post the rest of Quebec and my cruise - which includes a trip - tease-tease -   to Avonlea/Home of Anne of Green Gables.

 After my cruise, I was home for 3 days and headed to my son’s for 13 days to babysit while he and my daughter in law were in Hawaii.   Business trip for her and he went with and they add a few days to the end for themselves.   And that was a whole other kind of adventure.   I will share one evil thing the kids and I did.  My kids, or rather my son, has a habit of hiding things around my house.   I ordered from where else but Amazon, 200 little plastic ducks.  To add insult to injury, I had them delivered to myself at their house.   Each day I gave the kiddoes 5 each to hide.    Now the hiding places for a 4 year old and an 8 year old are no so hidden but they enjoyed putting one on the coffee pot; I put one on the water reservoir of the coffee pot.   They put one on top of the fridge; I put it in the half gallon of ice cream in the freezer.  They put it next to a glass; I put it in the shot glass.   You get the picture.   Anyway, they have found 51 to date.  Somehow 2 came home with me so they have 147 more to find.  My son sent me this photo this morning.   He is smoking a brisket today and found one with his meat thermometer.  It could take years to find the rest.   

As I said, I am on the road again.  God bless my husband that he has no problem with me traveling about.   Heck, he even helps me load the car.   Hmmmm?  That could indicate something else…I will need to think on this.    So home for two weeks and hit the road to go to Kentucky.  I signed up for the Shaker Retreat with Jennifer Richardson of Violets & Verses about 15 months ago. Of course, Merry Susan would be there too.  Packed up the bags and picked up my friend Stacy and on the road we were before 7 a.m. on Wednesday.    We planned two days to travel to Pleasant Hill, Kentucky.   Stacy is ‘collecting’ states and Kentucky is a new one for her to cross off her list of states she has been to.  She is at 29 so more adventures await us..  Of course you all know me, I make it a trip with stops at places of interest along the way.   

First stop, Bedford, PA to visit the National Coverlet Museum.   National not because of any government affiliation but because they have coverlets from all over the nation.     What a fabulous visit.   The museum is free with donations accepted..   The curator who spoke to us lives and breathes coverlets.    They have 1,500 coverlets in their collection and rotate them for times a year.

Tree in the front yard of the building that houses the museum

The building is s former grammar school

Old architectural details always catch my eye.

  The museum is housed in a former public school.

Did you know if a woman’s name is on the coverlet, it means it was made for her.   If a man’s name is on a coverlet, he is the person who did the weaving.   Many were made on large looms in factories and their patterns are more involved than the ones made by women at home.  

This is an overshot weave (?) coverlet from the Albany area of New York.  Apparently it is unusual to have initials of names in an overshot weave.

Something interesting the curator said stuck with me.  She said textiles were often the more expensive item a family owned.  I never thought of it but after she said it, it seemed obvious.   No wonder their coverlets and quilts were treasured.  

Seemed like an unusual colorway for the black and blue coverlet in the center. 

The two below were most likely woven at home by a woman.  

Love the look of the back side as much as the front side.

The patterns were on key punch cards - which 100 years later would be used in the infancy of computers.   My father taught key punch operations and I remember him bringing home the cards for us to scribble on.   I often think of how his mind would be blown by today’s computers, iPads, watches…..

A room of looms

Some of the looms were filled with works in progress.

Ok, that about covers Stop 1, Day 1……and away I go.    Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching.  I’ll be back soon to add the rest of Day 1.