What I Did Last Summer

     I know that the title of this post sounds vaguely like a movie time but it kept me pretty busy with a couple other ladies. I told you about it somewhat last Fall. Anyway, here is the quilt all put together and hand quilted by a bunch of us! And then one of the ladies who helped quilt took it home and bound the edges. If you aren't familiar with quilting  I will tell a little bit about this method we did... if you are.... just skip this part! The Sunbonnet Sue girls are all appliqued onto a base fabric... and then I machine stitched using a button hole stitch around each and every figure and separate piece of material to make sure that it would stay in place! Mind you if I had done it all by hand it would have looked nicer maybe... but would have taken sooo very much longer. Then each block was laid out on the floor so that we could decide which block should go where... placing a blue print piece in between. The rows were sewn starting from the left top corner and then the next piece down and the pieces going up at an angle. Anyway... the quilt was started in July 2011 by 4 women and then it was finally finished in March 2012.  Making the finale count of people who worked on it 8.  

(The reason it's standing like this is because it's on display so the ladies could see it all put together; thus encouraging them to buy raffle tickets during their meetings elsewhere.)

This quilt was made for a raffle to earn money for members of  The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. This organization gathers together to talk about and write up the histories of their ancestors that crossed the plains to come to Utah in the 1800's. It's pretty amazing what those people gave up to come here. Most left your property, their homes and some even gave up family. Some can by wagons and if that wasn't hard enough.  A lot could not afford to buy wagons and so pushed/pulled two wheel hand carts and walked a couple thousand miles to find a place to call home. Children and adults alike walked across this country to get to Utah. Some walked thru the terrible heat; many died along the way. Several handcart companies (as the groups were called) had a very fateful trip.... They  were hit with snow and ice along the way. Many died but many made it. Someone once said that they didn't think that they (as in the company of people) should have made the journey. But, a gentleman who as a young child had actually made that long arduous journey stood and said, (and I'm not giving an exact quote because I couldn't find it) "You were not there, or you would not be saying what your saying. No one that made that journey, ever said that they should not have come! That journey, strengthened our testimonies as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And I would do it again." Amazing these people... I am humbled by their testimonies and the strength and love they felt for one another to do what they did. I know with out a shadow of a doubt that "I" could not have done what they did! The stories that these people have written down, copied from journals of these ancestors are more than amazing, they are powerful testimonies of our Heavenly Father and His love for them and us.