IT’S ALL ABOUT... A Nimble Thimble
Lemoine, pronounced like Des Moines, but with an “L”, was my mom who constantly kept her hands busy with sewing, quilting, crocheting, embroidering or some type of “arty” project at all times. You would never catch her with idle hands. She tried her darndest to put those sewing jobs in my hands her entire life, but to no avail. My motto was consistently, “when I’m 99 and need something to do, I’ll take up a hobby!” Nevertheless, she maintained a thimble on that finger and turned out creative beautiful pieces of work for more than 90 years. Quilting was one of her favorite past times and since her name was Lemoine, probably the Le Moyne Star was her favorite pattern for pillows and large quilts.
Here in east Texas, we have a talented group of women who love to get together and quilt. Apparently, as mom used to tell me, it can be quite a sociable and rewarding experience working together toward a final creative decorative project. Our Nimble Thimble Quilting Club has done just that, as you will see in a moment!
The history of fabric and padding, known as quilting was a bit of a surprise to me. It makes sense that it’s a folk- art object, but there really is a lot more to it than just art. Quilting can be researched as far back as 3400 BCE. There are no actual fabric samples from the ancient era but patterns exist to back up the date. In the early days quilts were made from anything and everything, whether scraps of material, feed sacks, old clothes or whatever could be found. They weren’t always perfectly square or the straightest stitching, but served many purposes. Throughout the ages quilts have been made and sold for fund raisers, whether to support wounded soldiers or Confederate hospitals. Plantation workers made quilts for warmth as well as to sell to support themselves and their neighbors. In my book, some of the most interesting pieces come from this time frame.
There are several notable more recognizable patterns in the quilting world; one of which is a “Log Cabin”. This pattern symbolizes warmth, home and security with a red center square representing the hearth. During the period from 1800-1863 and the Underground Railroad, this quilt, when hung outside on a clothesline, denoted a SAFE house and spoke out against slavery. Many quilters enjoy learning on a Log Cabin pattern but also a variety of other patterns. A “Friendship” pattern or “Crazy quilt” can be a fun first to try, however, there are a multitude of extravagant patterns for the seasoned imaginative quilter.
It appears that our East Texas quilting club, “the Nimble Thimbles” is following in the footsteps of our ancestors as they have recently completed a quilt to be used for a fund raiser. Twelve+ of our ladies got together to stitch the patterned quilt called a “Blue Ridge Beauty”. This beautiful work is a light background with varying shades of blues and teal; and would accent many a room with today’s designer colors. Blessings go out to this group of very busy women as they RAFFLE the quilt to support the Friends of the Atlanta Public Library.
A book of six tickets can be purchased for $5.00 at the front desk of the Atlanta Public Library, or from a Board Member of Friends of the Library or from a “Friend”. The final raffle drawing will be June 23rd during the Chocolate Party from 5-7 p.m. at the Atlanta Public Library with the GRAND PRIZE as the queen size quilt. What a deal! A beautiful handmade quilt for five bucks, that’s a steal!
If you are an inclined quilter and want to be a part of an inspired artistic group, please join the Nimble Thimbles every Tuesday from 10-3 at the Atlanta Public Library. You can either bring lunch or go out during the session. The ladies share techniques and ideas and have an incredible social get together. I’m betting every single one of them wears a thimble while they create incredible works of art.
PS. The Chocolate Party (and quilt raffle) is another fun opportunity for all… June 23rd! Don’t miss it! Atlanta Public Library. Chocolate everywhere!