It is April, and I am joining many others in celebrating National Poetry Month by reading, writing, sharing, and celebrating poetry each day this month. Many years ago I was a quilter. After I began teaching, I had to put my needles and frames away because I just did not have the time. This year I am going back to my quilting roots and will be playing with patchwork-themed poems from memories of my own quilting years to the history of quilts and to quilt patterns. Pull up a needle and thread and let's stitch awhile.
The Rose of Sharon, a biblical quilt, is one of the oldest applique patterns. It was common for a young girl to spend years piecing quilt tops for her hope chest. Once the girl was engaged, family and friends would help quilt the tops. Many times, the Rose of Sharon was made and kept as a showpiece for a bed that wasn't used very often. As many young brides traveled west, this quilt was folded safely in the trunks.
I created a cherita for this quilt, as it tells the story of a young bride traveling west.
a Rose of Sharon, stitched by friends and family,
folded safely inside.
This week also marks the beginning of the Kidlit Progressive Poem, which is being organized by Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche. A different poet adds a line each day for the month of April. Last year was my first year participating, and since I lived to tell about it, I will participate again this year! You can find the poem's trail below.
April 1 Kat Apel at Kat Whiskers
2 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
3 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
4 Donna Smith at Mainly Write
5 Irene Latham at Live your Poem
6 Jan Godown Annino at BookseedStudio
7 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
8 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
9 Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche
10 Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone
11 Buffy Silverman
12 Janet Fagel at Reflections on the Teche
13 Jone Rush MacCulloch
14 Susan Bruck at Soul Blossom Living
15 Wendy Taleo at Tales in eLearning
16 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe
17 Tricia Stohr Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect
18 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
19 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
20 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
21 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
22 Ruth Hersey at There is No Such Thing as a God-forsaken Town
23 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
24 Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference
25 Shari Daniels at Islands of my Soul
26 Tim Gels at Yet There is Method
27 Rebecca Newman
28 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
29 Christie Wyman at Wondering and Wondering
30 Michelle Kogan at More Art 4 All
It’s a beautiful quilt pattern, and the story you created in your poem is charming, and it sounds like it fits the historical period.
ReplyDeleteLeigh Anne, I always love reading stories of settlers traveling west. Yours is a tender one and the cherita is the appropriate format to tell this story. Perhaps children could write a cherita about something they deem important to save throughout the years.
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