Sunday, August 19, 2012
Lif Strand: Let Her Entertain You!
Lif Strand: Let Her Entertain You!: Roxy has decided to become the manager of July Kitteh, the ultimate entertainer! Roxy's put an introductory video on her web page!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
So, here's the rest of the story of Old Glory as toold tome by my human. In the early years of the nineteenth century, the British and the Americans were involved in what we would call today a “shoving match” over national borders and acts of aggression on the high seas. By 1812, this escalated to a declaration of war by the United States. The British, annoyed by the brash actions of the U.S. were quick to pick up the challenge. In the summer of 1813, British warships appeared in Chesapeake Bay and proceeded up and down the shores, firing pot shots at American installations. Major George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry ordered an enormous banner to be flown over this garrison that protected the entrance to Baltimore harbor. The British would be able to see it for miles and they would know that the fort was occupied and ready for battle. But, the British mission was only one of reconnaissance, and the ships soon disappeared.
As spring budded in 1814, the British were ready to fight. By late summer, they had laid siege to Washington, burning the White House and any other government buildings they could find. Then, they headed to Baltimore. As they drew up their formidable armada into battle array, a small sloop approached under a flag of truce in hopes of arranging the release of Dr. William Beanes, a physician who had treated not only American casualties, but also British. American Colonel John Skinner and Georgetown attorney Francis Scott Key were successful in negotiating the release, but the British insisted on delaying their departure until after the planned siege because they had gained too much knowledge of the preparations. They were held on their own ship under guard as the bombardment commenced.
At seven o’clock on the morning of September 13th, the British started raining heavy bombshells down upon the fort. These bombshells carried lighted fuses so that they would explode upon reaching their target. However, many of the 1500 fired exploded in mid-air before reaching the target. Superior weapons allowed the attackers to stay out of range of the defenders, but when a close-in assault was attempted, the shore batteries decimated the smaller boats, sinking 22 in all. At sunset, the attack stopped, but at one hour past midnight on the fourteenth, the cannonading began anew with the bombs and rockets that traced eerie red arcs across the night sky. Key and his fellow detainees knew that as long as the shelling continued, the fort had not surrendered. Then, long before daylight, there came a sudden and mysterious silence. Unbeknownst to Key, the British had broken off the attack and retreated. In the predawn darkness, Key waited anxiously for any sign that the fort survived. When daylight came, the flag was still there.
Being an amateur poet, Key was so inspired that he started to write verses on an envelope that he had in his possession, and did not stop until well after he had retired to his hotel in Baltimore. He showed the poem to his brother-in-law, who had it printed and circulated, first in the Baltimore area and then as far away as Georgia and New Hampshire. A note accompanied it: “Tune: Anacreon in Heaven” and it was titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry”. In October of that year, a Baltimore actor sang it in public and called it The Star Spangled Banner.
Now, you know the story. Don’t just rattle off the words when you sing it! Think of them and what they mean to our nation
After passing from owner to owner, and suffering deterioration from well-meaning hands the flag was given to the Smithsonian in 1907. Many of us remember its tattered remnants hanging in the entrance hall of the American History building of the Smithsonian. In 1998, an extensive restoration program was undertaken to preserve this national treasure. Today, visitors to the capitol may see it on display in its controlled atmosphere chamber in the Smithsonian Museum.
When yet more territories petitioned for statehood, it became apparent that adding both a star and a stripe would not work, so the stripes reverted to thirteen in honor of the original colonies that united in revolution against the tyranny of English rule.
My human asked me to remind you that Saturday June 16th is a special shopping day at WMQ, with super four year no-interest financing on many of the BERNINA sewing computers.
If you're going to be in the area on the Fourth of July, don't miss the parade here in Round Valley, and then stop in for a glass of lemonade.
As spring budded in 1814, the British were ready to fight. By late summer, they had laid siege to Washington, burning the White House and any other government buildings they could find. Then, they headed to Baltimore. As they drew up their formidable armada into battle array, a small sloop approached under a flag of truce in hopes of arranging the release of Dr. William Beanes, a physician who had treated not only American casualties, but also British. American Colonel John Skinner and Georgetown attorney Francis Scott Key were successful in negotiating the release, but the British insisted on delaying their departure until after the planned siege because they had gained too much knowledge of the preparations. They were held on their own ship under guard as the bombardment commenced.
At seven o’clock on the morning of September 13th, the British started raining heavy bombshells down upon the fort. These bombshells carried lighted fuses so that they would explode upon reaching their target. However, many of the 1500 fired exploded in mid-air before reaching the target. Superior weapons allowed the attackers to stay out of range of the defenders, but when a close-in assault was attempted, the shore batteries decimated the smaller boats, sinking 22 in all. At sunset, the attack stopped, but at one hour past midnight on the fourteenth, the cannonading began anew with the bombs and rockets that traced eerie red arcs across the night sky. Key and his fellow detainees knew that as long as the shelling continued, the fort had not surrendered. Then, long before daylight, there came a sudden and mysterious silence. Unbeknownst to Key, the British had broken off the attack and retreated. In the predawn darkness, Key waited anxiously for any sign that the fort survived. When daylight came, the flag was still there.
Being an amateur poet, Key was so inspired that he started to write verses on an envelope that he had in his possession, and did not stop until well after he had retired to his hotel in Baltimore. He showed the poem to his brother-in-law, who had it printed and circulated, first in the Baltimore area and then as far away as Georgia and New Hampshire. A note accompanied it: “Tune: Anacreon in Heaven” and it was titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry”. In October of that year, a Baltimore actor sang it in public and called it The Star Spangled Banner.
Now, you know the story. Don’t just rattle off the words when you sing it! Think of them and what they mean to our nation
After passing from owner to owner, and suffering deterioration from well-meaning hands the flag was given to the Smithsonian in 1907. Many of us remember its tattered remnants hanging in the entrance hall of the American History building of the Smithsonian. In 1998, an extensive restoration program was undertaken to preserve this national treasure. Today, visitors to the capitol may see it on display in its controlled atmosphere chamber in the Smithsonian Museum.
When yet more territories petitioned for statehood, it became apparent that adding both a star and a stripe would not work, so the stripes reverted to thirteen in honor of the original colonies that united in revolution against the tyranny of English rule.
My human asked me to remind you that Saturday June 16th is a special shopping day at WMQ, with super four year no-interest financing on many of the BERNINA sewing computers.
If you're going to be in the area on the Fourth of July, don't miss the parade here in Round Valley, and then stop in for a glass of lemonade.
Monday, June 4, 2012
OK here is the answer to the quiz:
Our original nation consisted of thirteen states, but almost immediately began growing. Soon, Vermont and Kentucky gained statehood. And so, two more stars and two more stripes were added to the flag. This is the story of the most famous of those flags. It should stand as an inspiration to quilters whose dream is to make a “really big quilt”.
Eight strips of red worsted wool had to be two feet wide, but the fabric was only eighteen inches in width. So, six more inches were cut from the bolt and added to the eighteen. Then the process was repeated with seven strips of white, the longest being 42 feet. These were sewn together in alternating colors and a blue rectangle about 16 by 21 feet was added in one corner. Fifteen white five-pointed stars were scattered into the blue field, each one almost two feet across. The blue fabric behind the stars was snipped away and the edges bound so that the stars showed from each side. This project was so immense that the seamstress, Mary Pickersgill moved the project from her home to the floor of nearby Claggett’s brewery. Thus was born the flag that would become the symbol of the young United States of America. Long before it flew to the moon, waved over the White House or was folded into tight triangles at Arlington National Cemetery; before it became a lapel fixture, testified to the Marines' possession of Iwo Jima, or fluttered over front porches, fire trucks and construction cranes; it would inspire the poem that would become our national anthem.
But what confluence of events occurred to cause this historical moment?
Tune in after Flag Day (June 14) and before Independance Day (July 4) for the rest of the story. In the meantime, stop by the Shop and see the panel of The Flags of Freedom and other fabrics celebrating our great nation. AND FLY THE FLAG.
Our original nation consisted of thirteen states, but almost immediately began growing. Soon, Vermont and Kentucky gained statehood. And so, two more stars and two more stripes were added to the flag. This is the story of the most famous of those flags. It should stand as an inspiration to quilters whose dream is to make a “really big quilt”.
Eight strips of red worsted wool had to be two feet wide, but the fabric was only eighteen inches in width. So, six more inches were cut from the bolt and added to the eighteen. Then the process was repeated with seven strips of white, the longest being 42 feet. These were sewn together in alternating colors and a blue rectangle about 16 by 21 feet was added in one corner. Fifteen white five-pointed stars were scattered into the blue field, each one almost two feet across. The blue fabric behind the stars was snipped away and the edges bound so that the stars showed from each side. This project was so immense that the seamstress, Mary Pickersgill moved the project from her home to the floor of nearby Claggett’s brewery. Thus was born the flag that would become the symbol of the young United States of America. Long before it flew to the moon, waved over the White House or was folded into tight triangles at Arlington National Cemetery; before it became a lapel fixture, testified to the Marines' possession of Iwo Jima, or fluttered over front porches, fire trucks and construction cranes; it would inspire the poem that would become our national anthem.
But what confluence of events occurred to cause this historical moment?
Tune in after Flag Day (June 14) and before Independance Day (July 4) for the rest of the story. In the meantime, stop by the Shop and see the panel of The Flags of Freedom and other fabrics celebrating our great nation. AND FLY THE FLAG.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Springtime
Meeow wow! Spring has come to the White Mountains and I am waking up. Folks have been coming in all day with finished tops for my partner Cathy of Traditions Quilting and her magic machine to turn into quilts. My other humans, Nora and Paul have been cutting yard after yard of wide-body fabric for the backs. Paul has also been on the ladder hanging new projects in between serving customers. He grumbles a lot but I know he’s having a good time. We have a game … every time he gets out of his chair, I get into it and pretend I’m asleep.
Billye's on vacation and I miss her because she feeds me extra goodies. This is the hundredth anniversary of Arizona statehood and I am sponsoring a contest that has not only statehood but a patriotic theme. I have a whole bunch of neat theme fabrics and a couple of panels. Paul really likes the one with all the different flags on it. He’s kind of a history nut and tells me stories about the flags. I think he may have fought alongside General George.
Which brings me to today’s fascinating question. The United States’ flag has fifty stars and thirteen stripes; one star for each state and one stripe for each of the original states. Has there ever been a different pattern? Stay tuned for the answer.
Billye's on vacation and I miss her because she feeds me extra goodies. This is the hundredth anniversary of Arizona statehood and I am sponsoring a contest that has not only statehood but a patriotic theme. I have a whole bunch of neat theme fabrics and a couple of panels. Paul really likes the one with all the different flags on it. He’s kind of a history nut and tells me stories about the flags. I think he may have fought alongside General George.
Which brings me to today’s fascinating question. The United States’ flag has fifty stars and thirteen stripes; one star for each state and one stripe for each of the original states. Has there ever been a different pattern? Stay tuned for the answer.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Let's get going!
With a little help from my friends, I'm going to post photos of ME here for YOU to figure out the captions for. Once a month I'll decide which one I like the best. I've instructed my human friends to reward the winner by giving that person a lovely fat quarter, and also the best caption will go on THIS BLOG for a whole month!
So here it is - the first photo of ME for you to create the perfect caption for! My human staff will figure out the winner at the end of the month.
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