Amish art and lifestyle were introduced to me in 1972. I travelled with my mom, Bonnie Leman, to a quilt show in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. She was there to judge a quilt show as Founder and Editor of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. I was there to get into trouble.
There was lots of down time for me at this event. I was able to wander around and visit with the local artisans who were preparing to sell their wares. I remember vividly the ladies cooking sour kraut. They were Amish and wore the traditional Amish clothing. They watched me carefully as I spied on them and smelled the large vats of cooking kraut. I was hoping for a free taste, so I tried to be very friendly and stay out of the way. Finally, after no free taste was offered, I worked up my nerve to ask when I could come back with some money to eat what was smelling sooo good. I was gently told I should come back in a few months, when the kraut they were canning would be available. Darn!
I have the wonderful memory of crawling underneath a quilting frame in the large white barn at that Quilt Show in Pennsylvania. There must have been eight women sitting around this large quilt frame, engaged in friendly conversation as they hand stitched a large quilt. I can see hands of all ages on the underside of that quilt, with thimbles on their fingertips, to gently push the needle back up, again and again, as they took tiny quilting stitches. A few other kids were under that quilt, giggling and watching, wondering how it all worked. I love these memories...
The wonderful folks at http://peapodcrafts.etsy.com were kind enough to include my Amish inspired folk art pillow in their etsy treasury "Simple Living". I've placed a link to that treasury below so that you can take a peek. The images in today's blog are images from that treasury. Thank you peapodcrafts for nudging me down memory lane!
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