11 May 2008

The Duel: The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat

Michele, over at With Heart and Hands, A Quilting Journey had a post on Friday honoring her mother. The poem that she posted reminded me of this little quilt.

I did not make this quilt. This was published in McCall's Needlework & Crafts Bicentennial Quilt Book (1976). Here is the blurb:
"Two favorite nursery pals are multiplied by three for six go-to-sleep friends. Applique each dog or cat with bright scraps of calico or gingham , add winsome faces with simple embroidery, and frame in cheerful yellow calico. An interesting square-in-square quilting design sculpts the border. Quilt measures about 34" x 44". Designer is Gertrude M. Rice."
It's a cute little quilt, don't you think? The fabric choices are O-so-70's, but that is what was available.

I also went on a search through my book shelves. I found my little book: One Hundred Best Poems for Boys and Girls compiled by Marjorie Barrows, published in 1930. This was my mother's book and now mine. The poems in this book are illustrated with silhouettes and have such titles as Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee and The Night Will Never Stay and The Owl and the Pussycat. The Duel by Eugene Field is in here along with my all time favorite:

The Purple Cow
by Gelett Burgess

I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one.
But this I will say anyhow
I'd rather see than be one.

Yes, I have been quilting for this long.
Happy Mother's Day!

11 comments:

  1. So which pattern do you have that is the epitome of that poem? I have seen 1 pattern that "goes with" that poem, but I am not sure that it is the same pattern. (I did not particularly care for it myself.)

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  2. OOPS! Is that the pattern? (The one I had seen was pieced - if memory serves...)

    I like the purple cow better - I did one as a block in a gift quilt. The gal had been a farmers wife & her favorite color is purple...

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  3. Paula, I love this poem! See the author's comeback. Just put it on my blog!

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  4. Fun poem . . . I think I remember it - but from a commercial for a candy called Purple Cow *s*

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  5. It is a lovely quilt!
    Kind regards,

    Sonnja, from the Netherlands
    Beertje Zonn

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  6. I could never remember the purple cow poem so thanks for the memory.

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  7. I think I had a "blankie" like that when I was little.
    LOVE the 10's colors LOL!!

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  8. Very pretty quilt and so reminiscent of childhood days. A similar pattern has been reproduced recently somewhere in a quilt mag...I will have to look for it!

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  9. You've been quilting since 1930?! Wow! LOL

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  10. Anonymous2:16 PM

    I am making that quilt now and I am doing the dogs in gingham ( just try find cotton gingham) and also try finding cotton calio. Everything has changed. I am lucky I had some old fabric from way back . I love the poem and the quilt will be cute. It is for a fund raising for pets here in Dallas Tx. ( if I get this done)

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  11. I made this quilt! One of my first. I gave it to a friend - I'd love to use these 2 squares for part of a larger quilt - I never throw things away - it has to be here somewhere!!

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