Whirl Into Winter GiveAway!

AND THE WINNER IS-------I JUST DO NOT BELIEVE THIS--------YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS----------


DEBI OF "QUILTING WITH DEBI"--OUR DEVOUT LEADER!!
I am truly glad that you have won a "Whirl Into Winter Give-Away, Debi. Thank you for a job well done! I had a ball and I appreciate being able to join all these great bloggers. I need an address and your gift will be mailed soon. Thanks again.

Click sidebar pic or Title to post to see a complete list of all the Give Away Blogs. You will not believe the generousity of these quilters!

I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT SIGNING UP FOR THIS GIVE AWAY! I happened to visit a blog who is participating also and nearly jumped out of my skin. Anyway, I had decided what to GIVEAWAY, so ----HERE IT IS----

This is a paper pieced pattern of my own design. It can be used as is or enlarged to your liking. I am encluding a fat quarter pack of 1930's reproductions that will work great if you like the fabrics used in the quilt shown below. I have other versions of the quilt posted (bottom of post)so that you see how other fabrics work as well. I loved making the birdhouses seemingly being viewed from your window. In another version, I chose fabrics that made each house seem to actually be in your own back yard or a park, or maybe in the woods somwhere. They are also used to depict the four seasons.

Anyway--I hope you are glad you visited my site and I hope you win! Good Luck!!! What a great way to start the new year--meeting new friends. Just leave a comment telling me if this is the first time you have visited my blog! If you don't tell me, your comment will not be counted. I want to meet you!

You need to have a blog so that I can contact you if you win or include your email address in your post. The winner will be announced on January 15th.

BE SURE TO VISIT OUR HOSTESS' BLOG. THANKS, DEBI--GREAT IDEA!

A Fryer Family Sunbonnet~#6

Not much time this Christmas week for research, so I thought I would show you a Fryer Family Quilt. During the 1930's, Mrs. Ella Fryer made a quilt for each of her 5 sons. This is the one she made for my father-in-law, Jim. It is strange to me that she chose not only a SunBonnet quilt for him, but a PINK one.

Each Sunbonnet dress is made from a different feedsack print with a matching solid bonnet, sleeve, and shoes.

She outlined each piece with a black embroidery running stitch.

The border is great shown on the corner of the quilt.

More next week--thanks for following Sunbonnet Sue Sunday.
One more pic shows the quilt backing---~~~~

FRYER RANCH OPEN HOUSE

WELCOME--PLEASE COME IN!! I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU COULD STOP BY! Please put your coat and hat on the hall tree.



Oh, you like the side board? It belonged to DH's Great Grandmother and Grandfather.

Sorry, no fire tonight. You know this Texas weather--always warm--even in the winter. Why do we HAVE a fireplace? Well, I guess we are just wishing. No, really, we do have cold weather at times in the winter. Some winters are colder than others. We are lucky to see snow in a lifetime.
(Notice my embroidery basket in front of the hearth)

I finally have a Texas tree this year. Previous trees have been full of ornaments that have been gathered year to year. Ornaments given to us by parents, ones the children made at school, or some I made and others given by friends. You know the drill. This year we have a theme tree--all TEXAS. The topper is a Cowboy Hat. One of the bears underneath is perched on an antique chair that belonged to my dad's little sister. Probably from the 1940s or before. Not really sure. The santa is made from an old quilt by my mother. It is one of my prized possessions.


Finally, I must show off Floyd. Floyd is my husbands trophy Elk. He came to live with us a few months ago. This is the only place in our house that he would fit. I am sure that there are many of you out there that have a simlar prize (Problem).

I want to give you a link to Martha Stewarts Christmas Cookie Video.

There are two parts and you must watch both. It is too late for me to gather the supplies to do this this year, but I intend to plan this for next year and I thought you might also. The darling cookie cutter comes from Macy's. On sale right now! The video discribes gadgets and tips to make these cookies a breeze. You know what--I think that there is as much improvement in cookie making as there is in quilting. They are not nearly as hard as they look! The secret is in the type of icing and the way it is put on--plus letting each color dry before starting on another. Leave it to Martha!

Oh, you have to go so soon? I was just about to offer you a hot Cranberry Wassil! Well, I hope you will come back really soon. Don't wait until NEXT Christmas. You drop by and visit anytime. Bye-Bye! AND A VERY MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!

Oh, by the way--I usually have a "little something" for each guest that stops by during the season. All the guests that leave a comment will have a chance to win a wool pincusion made by me. The drawing will be after New years Day.

SUNBONNET SUNDAY#5

The following is a picture of a letter from Bertha L. Corbett explaining the beginning of her Sun-Bonnet Babies, complete with drawings of them followed by a transcription:

Dear Mr. Grover,

It is a great pleasure to know that the Primer is soon to appear. To me it is always a joy to see an effort completed. You ask how the Sun-bonnet Babies originated; well, they began their career as a joke and They seem to have gone on their way creating smiles, ever after.

There once was a studio, with three young women in it. One painted on china and one sketched in water color and in ink. One day a characteristic head was up for inspection and one of the three said, "Well, it's all in the face, The character, "I think that it not always so" said the skether and thereupon drew, with a few lines, a baby in a bonnet trudging along, and for decoration effect she carried a hugh 4 leaf clover. This undoubtably is the reason why all the babies were healthy, happy, lucky, and wise.

The idea developed and the children grew more interesting all the time, as children so, until I am almost amazed at my family. It is a sincere pleasure to feel sure that my little people make real little boys and girls happier. The work is it's own reward.

Very Cordially Yours,

Bertha L. Corbett.

Bertha's designs were the most popular of all Sun-Bonnet designs. They were printed overth thing from postcards to stationary and textbooks. She is also famous for her Dutch Cleanser design which is still being used today.

Sun Bonnet Babies Primer was illistrated by Bertha Corbett, but the words were the work of Eulalie Grover.

Follow this link to see some of her earliest water color drawings.

This is one of Miss Corbett's first drawings of the girls. Do you know their names?

Now I know why I like the one with the blue dress and pink bonnet--her name is---------MOLLY! The other ones name is----May! Here are a few words from the first Primer:

"I am May. See May's sunbonnet. It is my sunbonnet. Do you see May ? Do you see the Sunbonnet Baby ?"
"I am Molly. This is my blue dress. See my pink sunbonnet. I am a Sunbonnet Baby. Who are you ?"
Visit here to see the Eulalie Osgood Grover Collection.

The quilt at the top of this post was made by my mother of 1030's feed sacks. These sacks were acquired by my mother from an aunt of hers after she passed away. I still have some of the scraps. Here are a few close ups of the blocks.

Sorry for the blurry pictures--I was in a hurry. See you next week for Sunbonnet Sunday #6.

OUR CHRISTMAS COWBOY HAS ARRIVED!

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to post, but new grandbabies, a sick mother, a husband who goes deer hunting and leaves a wife to "tend the ranch", not to mention Christmas has just about been too much. BUT--------

The above photo is proof that life is good! You see, here on the ranch, GOOD ranch hands are hard to come by. We have decided to produce our own. The first two (DS's) are the cream of the crop and the second string started with (DGS) Caden, now almost 6, and the most recent little cowboy, as seen above, is Cullen Samuel. He won't be worth much for awhile (mostly the fault of the grandparents!), but will soon be riding and roping, and able to take care of the most bundlsome task that might arise on the ranch. He will wear the dirtiest boots, drive the biggest truck, and wear the tallest hat you every saw in TEXAS. He will laugh the longest, sing the loudest, and grow the biggest heart that any cowboy ever grew. Just so you know--that is how we do things down here--always BIG.

But this little cowboy didn't come here so big. He weighed 5 lbs. and 14 oz. He was 19 1/2 inches long and his hair is sandy brown unlike his big brother who showed up with black hair. His name was chosen because it goes well with his brothers name and is suitable for a cowboy. His second name is after his paternal great grandfather. That would be my dad. I am particularly proud of that. I may call him Sam on the side.

If you think he looks no different than most newborns, I encourage you to "look again". He is special. I know---he's my grandson. Thanks for listening to the ramblings of a new Nana, again.

I will post an album on my sidebar in case you want MORE!!

A very Proud Papa

An update on the Christmas "Boot" stocking. I took it down to the local florist and had it decorated to hang on the hospital room door. All the nurses loved it. Clint (son) said that his almost took it down as he was afraid someone would steal it!

SUNBONNET SUE SUNDAY #4

This post is about Little Susie alright, but about a time in her life when she NEEDED someone. We all need someone. Thankfully it is not always a man--but in this case, it is. Sue needed a beau. Someone to dance with her, fish with her, marry her. He wore no bonnet, but a large brimmed hat. I take take that back. He does sometimes wear a floppy hat that resembles a bonnet. Hey--he has to "fit". His name is "Bill". So he is Sunbonnet Bill---NO---he does not wear a bonnet, I told you!! Large Hat Bill, then? NO--that is just not right!! There is one constant with Bill and it is not loud talking, cursing, or loud bodily functions as with most men---it is the fact that he always wears overalls. Ok--there ya go--his name is--Overall Bill. Took a long time for me to get that out, didn't it? Sunbonnet Sue loves Overall Bill.

We don't know for sure when Bill first showed up, but the earliest Bill dates in the 1920s by Nancy Cabot and Delores Hinson. These patterns call him Sunny Sam, Sunny Jim and Happy Jack. The most common names known are Overall Boy, Overall Sam, Sunbonnet Boy, Dutch Boy (wearing wooden shoes) , Straw hat or Straw Hat Boy, Fisher Boy, Little Laddie, Famer Boy, and Cowboy. Needless to say that the names were altered to suit the attire of the boy. Aunt Martha's Bill patterns are from the 1940s.

This is the Premier issue of Quilter's Treasure-featuring Overall Boys! It is dated December, 1993.

It gives some history and sketches of patterns
Mother made the quilt featured on the front of the magazine, called WORK WITH LOVE

The designer is Carol Scherer. He is admiring sunflowers. A large bandana is dangling from his back pocket and he is wearing a large straw hat that shields his eyes from the sun.

This is the second quilt she made from this magazine. Overall Bill Brings Home the Tree. Bill has cut the tree on a dark snowy evening and is dragging the tree home by lanturn light. Such a wonderful feeling you get as you travel with Bill to a simpler time when trees were cut in the woods and not bought in a store or a street corner. I can smell it now!




here is mom's quilt!


Here are more patterns and quilts that are given in the magazine.

These are Christmas Tree ornaments----

This quilt features a more grown up Bill that is taller and leaner and does work like shoveling and chopping wood. He also is shown holding a box of candy for his sweetheart.

Mom made an Overall Bill quilt for my nephew that I do now have, so I can't show you a picture. The same Bill was featured in each block and denim was the featured fabric. I believe each shirt was a different fabric and he was a thinner bill verses the pudgy one.

This is the only Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Bill Block that my mother made (that I know of). It was made for my husband and I for our 10th wedding anniversary. This information is embroidered on the bottom right corner.

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SUNBONNET SUE AND MY BLOG. I AM REALLY ENJOYING YOUR COMMENTS. THANKS SO MUCH.