It’s fig season in Ms. Jeannie’s world! They have been coming in over the past week now in full force, which means picking every day.
It’s fig season!
With all that rain yesterday (over 1.25″ inches) from Hurricane Issac, Ms. Jeannie went out to pick today, prepared with a big bucket. Joining the mosquitoes, bees and butterflies, Ms. Jeannie set to task picking and pulling. As she got closer to the center of the bush, she discovered a surprise…
Garden Surprise
A stray grey cat! He turned out to be very sweet and quite a fig picking companion. Apparently he had quite a story to tell too – meowing the whole time…
Quite a handsome little thing, Ms. Jeannie is not sure where he came from, so she’ll call around to the neighbors and see if anyone is missing a sociable pal. In the meantime, he seems content to explore the yard here at Ms. Jeannie’s.
As for the figs…Ms. Jeannie’s bucket overflowed with over 5lbs! A friend is going to be giving her a jam lesson – so she’ll keep you posted on how it turns out.
Ms. Jeannie is thoroughly lucky to have come from a family of cooking adventurers. Her parents, her sisters, her husband all love to cook and enjoy experimenting with new flavors and diverse ingredients.
When she was small, Ms. Jeannie’s mother taught her the “old-fashioned” way of baking, with recipes handed down from generation to generation. Which meant everything, always, was made by scratch. Cookies, cakes, pies, puddings, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, every decadent delight was made by our hands with real, whole ingredients.
Ms. Jeannie’s great grandfather, William Earle aka Grandpa Bumpy, was an excellent baker. It’s his pie recipes that we still use today in our family.
As Ms. Jeannie grew and started her own experimenting, this love of building creations from the mixing bowl up stemmed out into other aspects of the palatte: homemade tomato sauce, chicken broth, pasta, salad dressings, soups, breads…it was thrilling to know that she could indeed make anything she wanted.
One of her most favorite things to make is pie crust. There is something about lumping a few, simple ingredients together in a bowl, mixing it about and then rolling it out into a delightful sheet of smooth paper-like dough.
There are challenges still though – even after all these years… like that wonderful flip of the thumb that makes a beautiful scalloped edge around the rim of the pie crust.Ms. Jeannie cannot seem to master this for the life of her. Instead she opts for the more rustic, “provincial” style of folding over the extra dough, which creates a very humble look.
Gorgeous scalloped pie crust (not made by Ms. Jeannie!). You’ll see Ms. Jeannie’s rustic style further down the blog. Apple Pie photograph by Summer Owens.
Ms. Jeannie was consistently taught by her mother that using good ingredients was just as important as using good equipment. Which meant having a good set of mixing bowls, rolling pins , flour sifters and a pastry cloth. Necessities. Each and every one of them.
Vintage Kitchen Tool Collection from JodysVintage
When Ms. Jeannie was off to college and on her own, she tried to cut a few corners in the equipment department. Using an empty wine bottle as a rolling pin, the wooden cutting board as a pastry cloth and a fork in place of a dough cutter, Ms. Jeannie was off and baking to somewhat satisfactory results. Sometimes the dough would be tough and difficult to work, flour would get all over everything (almost always on the floor!) and the dough never rolled out perfectly on the square cutting board – usually lopping off one side, making it thicker in that section then all the others.
For years she baked like this – improvising and substituting, working with what she had at hand instead of getting the proper tools. A pastry cloth – that is really what Ms. Jeannie desperately needed. But she always seemed to overlook this one neccessity when she was out shopping.
Until…two months ago! When she FINALLY she purchased a pastry cloth at the kitchen supply store. It cost $5.00. What are on earth was she waiting for all this time? It was indeed a jubilant and monumental day:)
Ms. Jeanne’s new kitchen darling!
Now, whatever Ms. Jeannie rolls out onto this magic carpet comes out lighter, flakier and more evenly consistent. It is completely marvelous! As it turns out – pastry cloths have been in use for over a century. Because they are made usually from unbleached cotton and/or oilcloth they provide a wonderful non-stick work environment. Seasoned with a little flour and carefully stored, pastry cloths can last for years. Marvelous, says Ms. Jeannie, since it took her years to acquire!
Here is Ms. Jeannie’s latest creation using her lovely kitchen helper… (note the rustic crust!)
Ms. Jeannie’s Simple Tomato Basil Tart
Simple Tomato Basil Tart – Serves 4
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tablespoons of vegetable shortening
1/4 cup ice cold water
1/2 lb. Farmer’s cheese
4 large handfuls of fresh basil, washed and torn in pieces
2 lbs. organic home-grown cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the halved tomatoes in a medium size bowl and toss in 3/4 of the fresh basil. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Set bowl aside and let tomatoes marinate while you make the dough.
2. Now onto the dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and shortening. Using a dough cutter (or a fork – in Ms. Jeannie’s case) mash the shortening into the flour until it forms small crumb-like bits. Add the cold water and combine until dough forms. Knead it lightly into a ball with your hands. Just until it is no longer sticky. Be careful not to overwork the dough – then it will become tough.
3. Sprinkle a small handful of flour on your work surface (aka the pastry cloth!) and roll the dough out as thinly as possible. Place crust in a round cake pan and bake in oven just until the crust is firm but not brown. About 20-25 minutes.
4. Remove crust from oven, add the tomato/basil mixture. Take the farmers cheese and slice in thin chunks on top of the tomato mixture. Carefully mix cheese and tomatoes together with a spoon, making sure not to scrap a hole in the bottom crust. Top with the remaining 1/4 basil.
5. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Broil for an additional 5-6 minutes until the cheese starts bubbling and turns golden brown.
6. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve this with a simple side salad and a glass of white wine (Ms. Jeannie chose a Pinot Grigio) and you have a lovely, light, late-summer dinner!
Behind every great childen’s story book is an equally fascinating adult narrative. Take these examples of just a few favorite children’s books…
J.M Barrie, the enigmatic writer that brought us Peter Pan, wound up adopting the five little boys who inspired the story of Peter Pan after both their parents died. He also donated all the rights to Peter Pan to the Great Ormand Street Hospital.
J.M. Barrie (186-1937). Peter Pan was his best known work.
Roald Dahl who made us all believe in Willy Wonka, was also a pilot and intelligence officer in the British Air Force, married an American actress, and suffered through the deaths of two of his five children as well as his wife’s debilitating illness.
Roald Dahl (1916-1990) is credited with being one of the 50 greatest British writers sine 1945.
Kay Thompson delighted all with her Eloise series, who was partly based on her goddaughter Liza Minelli. She was also a successful singer, musician, composer and actress.
Kay Thompson (1909-1998) was best known for Eloise.
And in keeping, Margaret Wise Brown gave us the classic story of the Runaway Bunny.
Available in Ms. Jeannie’s Etsy shop
If you are unfamiliar with the story – it is about a little bunny who dreams of running away and having his own independent adventures. Only his mom assures him that he can never get so far away that she won’t be able to find him. It is wonderfully illustrated by Clement Hurd.
“If you go flying on a flying trapeze,” said his mother, “I will be a tightrope walker, and I will walk across the air to you.”
Originally published in 1942, by Harper and Row, The Runaway Bunny has been continuously in-print, making it one of the most popular children’s books of all time, both in the states and abroad.
Many refer to Margaret Wise Brown as a genius of children’s fiction. Born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 1910, Margaret grew up in an unhappy household with parents who argued frequently. To cope with her environment she often escaped to the stories in her head, of which she said were always quite prolific.
Margaret with her sister Roberta and furry friends. See the bunnies?! Photo courtesy of margaretwisebrown.com
After she graduated from college, Margaret spent many years studying children on a psychological level at the Bank Street Experimental School in New York City. There, she communicated with her young audience on a get-to-know-you-basis, where she thoughtfully observed their relationships with books, story patterns and issues that affected them in everyday life.
Trying to emulate that same level of sincerity in her writing, Margaret attempted to capture the real-life problems and concerns that children faced instead of focusing on the then-popular fantasy and fairy tales peppering the children’s book market. Perhaps this is why Margaret’s books have remained so well loved for more more than 70 years.
Known to be quite charming and captivating, Margaret was a lover of animals and adventure, a world traveler and a practical joker. Linked in early relationships to William Gaston and novelist Preston Schoyer , it was poet, actress and playwright Michael Strange also known as Blanche Oelrichs, who ultimately captured Margaret’s heart.
Michael Strange, aka Blanche Oelrichs (1890-1950), poet and actress
Margaret maintained residences in both New York City and Maine. Her seaside cottage house in Vinalhaven, Maine affectionately called Only House, was a source of inspiration and entertainment. There, she wrote, spoiled guests and explored the wilds of the Maine coast.
View from Only House. Photo courtesy of margaretwisebrown.com
In 1950, Michael Strange died from leukemia and two years later Margaret was engaged to John S. Rockefeller Jr. At the time of their engagement Margaret was 42 and John 26.
By this point in her writing career, Margaret had published over 100 books, writing under four different pen names. She made out a will, which bequethed all royalities of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny to a neighbor friend’s son, Albert Clarke, whose mother Margaret had developed a friendly family type relationship with that stemmed from her early work at the Experimental School.
Tragically, in that same year that her will was acknowledged and her engagement celebrated, Margaret died unexpectedly at the age of 42, from an embolism, while on a book tour in Nice, France in 1952. The year that Margaret died, Albert Clarke turned 9. And here is where The Runaway Bunny story takes a dark turn…
In 2000, a Wall Street Journal reporter interviewed Albert Clarke, to see what became of the boy who had inherited the fortune of the Runaway Bunny/Goodnight Moon legacy. The full article is included here and details such an unusual story of unexpected outcomes, it is amazing that it hasn’t been turned into a movie or full-length book in and of itself.
It is fascinating to think about how there is both light and dark caught up in the continuously growing snowball that is The Runaway Bunny, proving yet again that in life, nothing really is simple. Not even in the world of make-believe bunnies. Not even in the gesture of a gift.
The Runaway Bunny continues to sell internationally year after year and has been translated into several languages. For most, it remains a source of comfort and inspiration. In 2006, it was interpreted as a violin concerto by composer, Glen Roven and performed by the American Symphony Orchestra.
For Albert, the books are a source of dis-contention and unease. Like the runaway bunny who can never outrun his mother, Albert will never be able to outrun Margaret. Her presence will be felt his entire life.
Margaret Wise Brown with her beloved dogs. Photo courtesy of margaretwisebrown.com
Ms. Jeannie has been one busy bee these past couple of weeks. She has missed her regular blogging schedule terribly but is in the middle of preparing two fun new posts now…so stay tuned.
The synchronized swimming coverage starts this Sunday for all you Olympiad fans:) Ms. Jeannie of course will be tuned in to see how our U.S. ladies fare. Did you know that synchronized swimmers slick their hair back with Knox gelatin? The gelatin holds every hair in place during the competition and takes about an hour (and lots of hot hot water) to wash out at the end of their performance. Ms. Jeannie just loves little fun facts like that!
Synchronized swimming coverage runs August 5th – August 10th
Ever since Ms. Jeannie watched the Aqualilies promotional video, she has been humming that catchy little tune they featured. Finally after driving Mr. Jeannie Ology nuts, she took to the internet to find out about the song. If you missed the Aqualillies video from her previous post here it is…
Searching with just the few lyrics she could identify “whichever one you choose” and “kiss me kiss me kiss me” on elyrics.net, Ms. Jeannie discovered it was the song called Never on Sunday by the Chordettes, which came out in the early 1960’s.
Here’s the song in full…
It was written for the foreign film of the same title, Never on Sunday, and won an Oscar for Best Song at the 1961 Academy Awards. This was the first song from a foreign film ever to win Best Song, so it was a big deal for both the music industry and the film industry. Here’s the movie trailer…
The movie starred Melina Mercouri as a free-spirited Greek prostitute (naturally!) that is the object of an American philospher’s (played by Jules Dassin) fascination. He’s studying abroad trying to figure out how and why Greece has fallen from ancient greatness and she represents the symbolic cause behind his research. Some critics say this is the 1960’s version of Pretty Woman.
Greek actress Melina Mercouri (1920-1994)Jules Dassin (1911-2008) wrote, directed and starred in Never on Sunday
The movie was also nominated for Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Director and Best Writing/Story/Screenplay. Ms. Jeannie can’t wait to watch the whole thing – it sounds like it was a good one.
By the time the Chordettes had won their Oscar, they were at the peak of their career. Catapulted to popularity with their mid- 50’s chart topping hits Mr. Sandman and Lollipop, a performance on American Bandstand in 1957 (the first televised episode actually!) ensconced them in the American popular music front.
By December 1961 the group had broken up, but, 40 years later, were brought back into the spotlight when they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
Looking for your own vintage Chordette records? Try these Etsy shops…
Set of Three Vintage Record Albums by midsummerdaydreamVinyl 45 – The Chordettes: Soft Sands by dragonflychase
Ms. Jeannie has this lovely friend Tuny who has lived one of those adventurous sorts of lives here and abroad. She’s fun to spend time with because she’s always got something interesting to say. Last time they got together they were talking about the royal wedding and trying to determine William’s last name. Tudor? Windsor? Wales? They were determined not to look it up online yet try to figure it out by going through the lineage of the royal family. They got about 20 minutes into that and then decided to consult Google. (In case you are interested it’s a hypenated name, Mount Batten – Windsor!)
Anyway, in trying to guess the right name, their conversation took all sorts of twists and turns. There were references to Tuny being engaged to a Spanish bullfighter, her years spent as a librarian, her travels, her books, her artistic endeavors and her love of cats.
Cats – yes most definitely. Tuny might just be one of the biggest collectors of cat art that Ms. Jeannie knows. Specifically she loves cat folk art, which Ms. Jeannie can understand since she is a big folk art lover herself!
Each August, Ms. Jeannie anticipates the Slotin Folk Art Festival held in Norcross, GA (this year it’s August 17th-19th). If you have never been – it is quite an experience of color and creativity – so much so – by the end of the day, Ms. Jeannie’s brain feels swimmy with pageantry. Tuny would love it here!
A glimpse into the festival. Photo courtesy of blackartinamerica.com
It just so happened that the first piece of folk art Ms. Jeannie ever bought was at the festival in 2008…a small 4×4 painting of a bird. Here’s a photo of it…
The start of Ms. Jeannie’s folk art collection.
Ms. Jeannie loved the flowers and the colors. The fact that it featured a bird made it even more perfect. It is by far the most colorful piece of art that Ms. Jeannie owns.
So thrilled, Ms. Jeannie was, of her new acquisition, the artist wrote a personal little note on the back and signed her name. Ms. Jeannie’s glad she bought it that day as she hasn’t seen this artist at the festival any years since and she can no longer read the name of the artist’s signature. It’s one of those long scratchy, crawly names that she wrote upside down with a faded marker pen. This makes Ms. Jeannie cherish her folk art bird even more so. A special memento from a special day. Periodically, Ms. Jeannie will move Bird about the house to spaces and places that need a little extra brightening. Bird is good at offering that extra bit of light. Art is good at offering at that extra bit of bright.
So when Ms. Jeannie chats about cats with Tuny she can understand how her love of all things feline plays such an important part in her life. Read on as Tuny sheds some light on what it means to be a collector …
Ms. Jeannie: What is it about cat art in particular that appeals to you?
Tuny: Well…partly it is that cats themselves appeal to me; I like being around them, interacting with them, learning about their individual personalities, and enjoying their appearance, which brings me to a second, and perhaps more important, part, in this context: It’s a cliche that some people can toss a scarf or throw onto a sofa and have it transform the sofa, as if an experienced interior designer had done it. Cats are so well designed that no matter what they’re doing, it’s art. They can sprawl, curl up, stretch out, etc., and always look as if it were deliberate, because they form a pattern. But even more than the above, I love them and want to celebrate them.
Ms. Jeannie: How did you discover Etsy?
If you are unfamiliar Etsy.com, it is an online international marketplace devoted to the sale of handmade crafts and vintage finds.
Tuny: MANY years ago, before I knew much about online activity, I must have been searching for “cat art” and came upon a kitty puppet that I wanted in the worst way–but it said to Sign in to Etsy, and I didn’t understand what Etsy was or how to go about that…especially as the only computer I had was my work computer, and I didn’t want to sign into anything on it. It wasn’t until several years later, when Etsy became better known, that I figured all this out.
Screen shot of the Etsy Home Page
MJ: What do you like best about Etsy? What do you like least?
T: Perusing Etsy’s like being let loose in a really cool art festival, in the comfort of my own house, where I have access to art from around the world–that’s the best. Least are two things: when searching for something, odd things that have no relevance often turn up in the results. I understand, in most cases, why this happens, but I wish there were a way to put in limiters, such as “no prints” or “no cat-eye beads.” The other thing isn’t a real dislike, but I wish one could purchase an Etsy gift certificate that would be good for a shop of the recipient’s choice.
MJ: How did your interest in art develop?
T: Because I come from a very talented family, I always thought that my own efforts in that direction weren’t worth the effort, as it were, but when I was in my late 20’s, living abroad in a country with a long tradition of leather book binding, I started making little illustrated books for a friend, and had them bound. When I discovered how much fun painting was, talent or not, I was hooked.
The bookbinding episode was in Portugal–I didn’t learn bookbinding; I went down to one of the binderies, which were small operations, and told them what I wanted to do, which was to paint some pictures and have them bound into a small book. They gave me the paper of the right size, and when I finished the paintings, I took them back and they bound them into a small leather book. I made several of those. What I did learn, also in Portugal, was to make what are called tapetes, or carpets, of Arraiolos, in a very simplified form…a sort of long-armed cross-stitch done in wool on a burlap-like background.
Antique Arraiolos Portuguese Embroidery Panel from Helena Alexio Glamour
MJ: What type or types of art appeal to you most?
T: Folk art and illustrations in children’s books
Playing House by hottamaleartVintage Children’s Book Illustration “Dali’s Russian Dream” from MissQuiteContrarySiamese Cat Folk Art Painting by 3crowsVintage Children’s Book Illustration Alphabet from nesstiquesGhostly Cat Halloween Clay Folk Art Ornament by KilkennyCatArtVintage 1950s Child’s Book Illustration from kelleystreetvintage
MJ: If you could sit down and have lunch with any famous artist, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
T: None; I prefer admiring from a distance.
Le Chat Noir Photo Cafe by Jessica and Holly
MJ: As a world traveler, exposed to many different cultures, how has travel affected your viewpoint on art?
T: Travel has enhanced my appreciation for indigenous/folk art of various countries.
The Traveling Cat Art Print by TheSmokingCat
MJ: What is your most favorite museum?
A. Honolulu Academy of Arts
Honolulu Academy of Arts (Honolulu, Hawaii) Exhibition Hall
and the Folk Art Museum in Lisbon.
Museu de Arte Popular in Lisbon, Portugal
MJ:As a painter yourself, what do you hope to express with your work?
T: As all I paint is cats, then, an appreciation for them.
Love Song: Every Heart Has Its Song for Those Who Would Listen by Tuny
MJ: Explain your ideal art buying experience. Would you like to meet the artist face to face, get to know them, understand their motivations and their inspirations, their back story, or do you like to buy art and imagine your own stories surrounding a piece?
T: I enjoy meeting artists, particularly if I encounter them repeatedly at art shows, etc., but I like their work to speak for itself.
Irving Ponders the Nature of Consciousness by Matte Stephens
MJ: If money was no object, name 10 pieces of art that would be in your collection.
T: I enjoy looking at, experiencing, if you will, fine art, but my affinity is with folk art, most particularly cat folk art–so an unlimited collection of that would be lovely.
Original Folk Art Cat Woman Painting by LindaKellyArt
MJ: Who is the most interesting artist you have met so far?
T: Hard to answer, because they all have something interesting to contribute.
(Ms. Jeannie’s side note: Incidently, Tuny’s niece, Diana, has an Etsy shop dVineArt which combines two of Tuny’s favorite mediums: cats and illustration! This must run in the family!)
Santa Paws Christmas Pendant by dVineArt
MJ: As you transition through different stages in your life, do you find that your taste in art transitions with you or do you find yourself returning to the same artists, the same types of art, the same themes over and over again?
T: Basically I continue to like the same kind of art, see above, that I always have, but it’s exciting to see and learn about the many, many kinds of art that are out there. As I transition, I continue to meet different kinds of art, and it’s like stumbling on gold.
Nice Kitty Found Object Assemblage Sculpture by CastofCharacters23
14. What book are you currently reading? What is your most favorite book?
Currently re-reading Kipling’s Puck of Pook’s Hill;
Rudyard Kipling’s fabled tales about the hidden history of Old England
all-time favorite: Pride and Prejudice.
Jane Auston’s most popular novel and her most favorite. It has been adapted for both television and screen many times. One of the most cinematic versions is the 2005 Focus Features film version starring Keira Knightly.
MJ: As an avid reader, what art books would you most recommend?
T: Right now, my main interest in art reading is to learn how-to’s; I tend to review the myriad of books one can find by searching under “collage,” ” paper making,” or whatever, in Amazon, and then reading the reviews to see what’s worth pursuing, purchasing those that seem appropriate.
MJ: What is your favorite way to view art? Online? In a gallery? On the street? At a craft show? At a museum?
The Observing Cat by liatib
T: All of the above.
MJ: Explain a situation where art has directly affected your life.
T: When I retired, I joined one of our local art groups and have been busy ever since, volunteering, teaching, occasionally entering the art challenges–in effect, acquiring a whole new life.
MJ: What is one of the most interesting displays of creativity that you have seen in the last five years?
A. In our art group was a young man, an excellent artist, who had been in the group for some years before I came, and had, evidently, grown considerably in his talent during that time. By the time I came along, he was still developing, constantly experimenting and pushing himself, in all sorts of exciting directions. And then it was discovered, too late to do anything about it, that he had cancer. Yet he kept on with his art, pushing and experimenting, in the few months he had left.
Cat Proverb Art Print by GoingPlaces2
MJ: If you could travel to any city on the globe, solely to view a piece of art what city and what piece of art would you choose?
T: The Terra Cotta Warriers!
The Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Warriors are indeed fascinating! Ms. Jeannie would like to see them for herself as well. To read more about how they were discovered by a Chinese farmer who was digging a well and to see more photos of the thousands of them in them unearthed and reassembled for display, click here. Ms. Jeannie wonders iof there are any warrior cats in there?! If so, I bet Tuny would find them!
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This interview is part of an ongoing interview series, that Ms. Jeannie is orchestrating about artists, writers and musicians and their inspirations. To read other interviews in this series, simply click on the following links:
BLOG UPDATE: So it seems my dears, in one of these fabulous conversations with Tuny something went awry. There was no love of a Spanish bullfighter in her life – how could Ms. Jeannie have b4en so confused?! Although Tuny did have an experience with a bullfighter, as she tells here
“The closest I ever came to one, except at a bullfight, was on a train that did a night run between Madrid and Lisbon. Whilst in Lisbon, I went to Madrid to visit some friends, and on the return journey, established myself in one of the little compartments with facing seats. Shortly thereafter I was joined by two lower-echelon members of a torero’s entourage, and we dozed from Madrid to Lisbon.”
Okay so it’s not a Romeo and Juliet love affair but it’s interesting just the same:)
More family heirlooms arrived in the mail yesterday!
This time the package included two family quilts. One a small pink and white baby quilt handmade by Mable Edwards in the early 1940’s…
Handmade baby quilt circa 1942
After doing some research Ms. Jeannie discovered that this type of pattern is called a Dahlia design. It is one of the most complex and challenging quilt patterns, because the skill comes in making the flowers look three dimensional. Mable must have been an excellent sewer! Here are some close up shots…
Pretty scalloped edges!Look at all that stitchery!
The second quilt is believed to have been sewn by Mable’s mother Martha Jane Brewer, who was born in Greenwood, Indiana in 1846. Martha married Albert Edwards in the 1865 and the day after their wedding they set out in covered wagon for Iowa. Imagine that for your honeymoon! Martha was a trooper though. Her and Albert set up a life for themselves in Iowa on a farm, she had 11 babies and lived to be 82.
Here’s a picture of the Martha and Albert and all their kids, grand-kids and great grand-kids. This photograph was taken in August 1915 when Martha & Albert were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Martha and Albert are seated in the center of the group.
Portrait of the Edwards Family of Vinton, Iowa. Taken on August 24th, 1915.
With all that activity it is hard to imagine that Martha even had time to sew! This is a picture of Martha’s quilt…
Martha’s handmade quilt circa late 1800’s
The quilt design is called Churn Dash named after the butter churn. Ms. Jeannie isn’t sure what kind of butter churn Martha used but you can see how the pattern developed from the these two churn styles found on Etsy. Check out the paddles of each…
Antique Butter Churn Pottery from TomLaurusVintage French Butter Churn from RueDesLouves
Ms. Jeannie couldn’t find any similar versions of a double churn dash style like the one Martha used, so perhaps this is a bit unusual.
Double churn dash design
The blue and white color combo was the most popular color combination used in quilts because it matched almost everything. Martha’s quilt as you can see is faded in some spots, but otherwise it is in great condition. It is large enough to cover a contemporary standard queen size bed.
According to research there are over 21 different variations of the churn dash style. It also is known as the Monkey Wrench and the Hole in the Barn Door (fun name!). Ms. Jeannie is impressed with all the tiny squares and the thousands of stiches that make up just one square. She wonders how long it took Martha to make this.
Tiny squares. Tiny stitches.
The churn dash pattern originated between 1800 and 1849 and represents the pioneer woman’s lifestyle which was centered around home and hearth. Certainly Martha churned a few pats of butter in her day – both literally from farm fresh milk and figuratively from her needle and thread.
Ms. Jeannie is still trying to date the quilt to a specific decade. It could have been made as early at the 1860’s for use just after her wedding as she & Albert traveled West. Or it could have been made as late as the 1920’s when Martha’s children were grown and she had more time to devote to needlework.
Ms. Jeannie found this really pretty contemporary version of a churn dash quilt on Etsy. She loves the colors and that they spelled out churn dash on the fabric. Very fun!
Churn Dash Revisted by OsageRiverQuilts
Here’s another view of it hanging on a wall. Love the off-center layout!
Ms. Jeannie would like to try to make her own quilt one day. She likes the patterns of the wedding ring designs with those big interlocking circles…
Antique Double Wedding Ring Quilt from SwankyTexasVintage
But she doesn’t own a sewing machine and would like the challenge (she thinks!) of making a quilt by hand. Perhaps she’ll undertake this project in the Fall. Maybe Mable and Martha will send her some inspiration!
In the meantime, Ms. Jeannie now realizes what effort when into the patchwork teddy bear listed in her shop…
Vintage Patchwork Teddy Bear from MsJeannieOlogy
Ms. Jeannie couldn’t imagine shaping all those patches into a recognizable bear shape!
Vintage Patchwork Teddy Bear from MsJeannieOlogy
The patches just give him so much personality!
Vintage Patchwork Teddy Bear
Maybe once Ms. Jeannie tackles the flat panels of a quilt, she can work on something more complicated like this charmer for a fun baby gift! We’ll see how the quilt goes first…keep posted!
While catching up on her magazine reading this week, Ms. Jeannie was flipping through the pages of the April 2012 issue of Vogue Magazine and came upon an article about the Aqualillies…
In Sync – April 2012 Vogue Issue pg. 218 – Beauty Fitness
If you are unfamiliar with them – they are an L.A. based synchronized swim team that performs at parties and private events. They have held special “performances” at fashion shows, celebrity parties, hotel openings and they also made an appearence on the tv show, Glee.
Aqualillies impressive water ballet. Photo courtesy of Erin Hearts Court
The all-girl team carry the retro theme of their sport through classic swim costumes, 1940s makeup and nostalgic song choices but also combine modern acrobatics and dance movements to their routine, which makes it seem both timeless and contemporary all at the same time.
Here’s a quick clip of the ‘Lillies performing…
Doesn’t this look completely fun? Ms. Jeannie could definitively see this being the next big Vegas act!
In addition to performing the girls also teach classes at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica. Ms. Jeannie is going to be in L.A. for a friend’s wedding next April so she’s going to take a class while she’s there! She’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
The origins of synchronized swimming are traced back to Berlin, Germany in the the late 1800’s but it wasn’t until the Chicago World’s Fair in the 1930’s that the sport gleamed international attention.
Chicago World Fair Poster – 1933
There Kathryn Curtis organized her show, The Modern Mermaids, which she referred to as rhythmetic swimming. In the 1940’s Esther Williams, a trained swimmer, brought water ballet to the big screen starring in such films as Bathing Beauty, Million Dollar Mermaids and On An Island with You.
Here’s the trailer for Bathing Beauty, which came out in 1944. You can see where the Aqualillies got their inspiration!
Synchronized swimming became an Olympic sport in 1984 and is only open to female qualifiers – no men allowed in this arena (or pool, as the case may be!) yet. With the Olympics scheduled to start in London in just a few days, Ms. Jeannie is excited to see how the US will fare in this category. Here’s a picture of the 2012 team.
2012 US Snychro National Team 1
One of the things Ms. Jeannie loves most about the Aqualillies is their style. They scour old magazine ads, newspapers and movie footage for fun swimsuit ideas and makeup trends. Retro bathing suits are very popular this year too – so if you need to spruce up your beach attire, click on each of the photos below to learn more…
The Natalie – One Piece Bathing Suit from Anthropologie1940s/1950s Pinup Bathing Suite from MetricModLuxe Tortoise Keyhole Tank from JCrewVintage 1940s/1950s Swim Suit from SHESABETTIEBoutique1930s Swimsuit from brerrabbitvintage
Swim caps became popular in the 1920’s as a way for women to protect their hair from the chlorinated water and to keep stray hairs from clogging pool filters. Aviator styles like this one below dominated the 1920’s:
Vintage 1920s Swim Cap from lactoseintolerart
The 1950’s and 60’s brought about more colorful, stylized swim caps adorned with flowers and frillies like these…
Vintage Swim Cap with Flowers from MommaBeeCollectionsVintage 1960s Swim Cap from plattermatterVintage 1960s Feathered Swim Cap
Pair any of these with some red lipstick and a classic hair style and you have one spectacular bathing beauty!
Happy swimming:)
Movie Poster for the 1944 film Bathing Beauty starring Esther Williams
Ms. Jeannie has never been to an International House of Pancakes that wasn’t packed. Usually with a waiting line out the door.
Now, she must confess that she has probably been to IHOP only about a dozen times in her life, but that doesn’t matter because there have been a million people before and after her that could more than make up for her irregularity. She’s sure of this. She’s seen them all eat pancakes.
The IHOP experience that Ms. Jeannie knows is a hustle and bustle of serving trays and laughing kids, bottomless coffee carafes and mile long little league tables. Glass upon glass of orange juice and seat upon seat of grandparent. The smell of bacon and butter, the scraping of silverware, the staking of plates.
Service is fast. You sit down, your coffee comes right along, you decide, you order and moments later you eat. The thing that amazes Ms. Jeannie most about IHOP though is their sheer volume of traffic and turnover. Each time she is there, it seems like everybody woke up with the same idea. “Let’s go to BREAKFAST!” Right now.
This same zest for morning decadence seemed to be occurring in Ms. Jeannie’s garden this very day.
The bees, the birds, the butterflies were all abuzz! So much so that they were literally flying into Ms. Jeannie as she stood watering her Mexican Sunflowers. They couldn’t wait to get by her, diving down, flying up, brushing against – it was a veritable feeding frenzy! The petals were open! Breakfast was on!
Here is just a sampling of the crowd…
Swallowtail ButterflyGround BeeCarpenter BeesMs. Jeannie thinks this might be a Dull Firetip Moth – but she’s not 100% sure. Does anybody else know?American Painted Lady ButterflyWasp
Hummingbirds have been spotted too – but Ms. Jeannie has yet to have her camera ready when they come calling. They are such fast little things.
It is interesting to watch the bees interact with the butterflies. They sort of kick the butterflies out of the way so that they can dive deeper into the nectar. Ms. Jeannie doesn’t think the serving staff at IHOP would approve of that behavior.
There were high hopes for her Mexican sunflowers this year. It was Ms. Jeannie’s mission to hide the meter box along the south side of the house with a mexican sunflower screen. Her seeds started out great. 20 plants came to life!
When they were about a foot tall. a critter of some sort came and rooted up 14 plants. Ms. Jeannie suspects it might have been the workings of a mischievous armadillo that she she’s every once in while wandering about.
The six plants that remained grew and grew and grew (almost 6 feet tall). Practically filling out the whole area the original 20 would have occupied. So industrious!
Then two back to back wind storms last week took 4 more plants out. Leaving just two behind. There is just no controlling that Mother Nature.
The two remainders are flowering beautifully though, so Ms. Jeannie doesn’t dare complain. They are growing lots of new shoots too. So perhaps they will bush out some more and cover the bare spots.
Anyway – this is a photo of them as they stand now. It is amazing to think that all this came from just two seeds.
Considered weeds in Mexico and South American countries, Mexican sunflowers are really easy to grow. Requiring little water and lots of sun, it is best to plant them in the hottest driest place in your garden. Ms. Jeannie only waters hers every few days, as too much water, yields lots of green leaves but not a lot of flowers.
Ms. Jeannie just adores them. They grow fast and big. Their leaves and stems feel soft like velvet, their flowers are a bright citrus orange and they feed the flying squad. What’s not to love?! It’s right up there with bottomless coffee and endless stacks of pancakes.
Goodness gracious! Is it scorching hot here in the South!
Everything is either wilting or dripping. The garden has been wind-whipped by hot dry dust storms almost everyday, and that is after we went through an almost tornado storm on Sunday with 60 mph wind gusts, thunder and lightening. The garden is starting to show some wear and tear. Pictures will come later this week.
In the meantime… the heat of the summer always signals the start of Ms. Jeannie’s movie marathons. There is nothing more decadent then curling up by a fan and losing yourself in the lengthy plot lines of seasonal tv shows, mini series and movie epics. That’s how she was first introduced to Mad Men, the Tudors, Empire Falls, Castle, The Godfather, Good Neighbors…
So it is with that in mind, if you are experiencing a horrendous heat wave in your neck of the woods as well, that Ms. Jeannie recommends a most patriotic mini-seies for this holiday week… the HBO mini-series John Adams.
This came out a few years ago(2008), but the more Ms. Jeannie talks about this movie, the more she realizes a lot of people never saw it. If you fall in that boat, here’s the trailer…
Delightfully, it starts out in the winter with John Adams (played fantastically by Paul Giamatti) riding his horse through a blizzard in 1770 Boston. Just watching that scene alone instantly cools you off and makes you forget about the temperature outside.
John Adams – Opening Scene
The mini-series is based on the thoroughly researched book John Adams by David McCullough.
A New York Times Bestseller! John Adams by David McCullough
Like the book, the mini-series painstakingly brought every single detail of colonial life alive in the production. Tom Hanks, a huge history buff, was one of the executive producers. It stars in addition to Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney (Abigail Adams), Tom Wilkinson (Ben Franklin) and David Morse (George Washington). The production team was dedicated to making the film look and feel exactly like life would have been in 1770’s America.
Official Poster. Such a smart tagline…He united the states of America.
They even aged the teeth of John and Abigail so by the end, they were pretty decayed. Exactly what people’s teeth would have looked like at the time! The whole production is a visual feast for not only the eyes but the imagination as well.
The opening theme delighted Ms. Jeannie. Simple yet so dramatic and full of emotion. You can’t help but feel inspired by just watching that!
Since Ms. Jeannie used to live in Philadelphia it was equally fascinating to look at the sets and then remember the city as she knew it. Of course she has the done the history tour of Philadelphia many times, but now after watching the movie and reading the book she feels like she understands that time period, the city and our early government so much better now.
So if you want to fall in love with America all over again, Ms. Jeannie highly recommends losing yourself in this eight hour marathon. She guarentees you will walk away with a different perspective on our forefathers struggle to create our nation of independence.
“Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” – John Adams
In the Vintage Kitchen: Where History Comes To Eat 