Vintage Quilt Basket Block

Ladies from Kansas

This story is about one of my tattered treasures. This quilt was a gift to me from my husband; my dear, sweet, bird dog obsessed husband. You may have heard of women who consider themselves football widows or know someone whose spouse is overly devoted to golf. Well, I am the hunter's wife. I once saw it put nicely on a T-shirt - "This marriage is interrupted for hunting season". As a young bride, I didn't think this would present any big issues for me. I also love the outdoors and support my husband's views on conservation. My dad, grandpa and brothers were hunters. A few weeks out of the year to make my husband happy sounded reasonable. But...then I started to realize my husband's view of hunting season was much broader than most. It is very close to year round! It seems if you are not hunting you are training your dogs, updating your equipment or keeping your shooting skills well honed participating in a skeet league.

Over the years I have negotiated time away from hunting for various social and family events. However, one that I was never quite successful with was our wedding anniversary. It happens to be very near opening day of bird season in Kansas. Even though we live in Indiana... for several years, the week of our anniversary, my husband and his buddy Jim packed up their favorite dogs and gear and headed for Blue Rapids, Kansas to hunt the area near Tuttle Creek Reservoir. Our wedding anniversary was usually celebrated before the trip followed by a phone call from Kansas to exchange I Love Yous on the special day. He would come home with little game but wonderful stories about the dogs, the people, the quaint motel, the good food, the amazing sunsets and general outdoor relaxation.

Each year he would bring me a little something from a gift or antique shop to express his appreciation for my understanding...or maybe ease his conscious. One year, he out did himself. You see, just as I understand his obsession, he understands mine. This particular year as he unpacked his gear he handed me a quilt! It wasn't a new quilt. He had found it in a small antique shop in Blue Rapids. It was worn beyond repair and very musty (kind of stinky actually) . But after a gentle washing it revealed a beautiful tattered treasure. What had once been soft green borders framed 20 lovely ladies with appliquéd and embroidered gowns, parasols and garden flowers. My initial thought was to cut the individual blocks apart for framing

but that was several years ago and I'm still thinking. Scissors seem like such a drastic measure. If you would like to view the quilt now, click here or read on to finish the story. I've provided an additional link to the quilt at the end.

Each year when my husband came home from Kansas, he would tell me I should join him some year. Which as the years passed, and I became more and more accustomed to my plight, sounded more and more intriguing. I had always thought we might take a special vacation on our 25th anniversary... maybe Hawaii.   Well...can you guess...   We celebrated our 25th anniversary in Marysville, Kansas; me, my husband, Hank, Trixie, Zowe and Jake.     For the trip out we decided to avoid the interstate and took the U.S. 36 route.   We didn't rush, stopping often to exercise the dogs and get a snack. I learned that U.S. 36 turns into the Pony Express Highway at St. Joe Missouri, that Marysville Kansas is also known as "Black Squirrel City" and pioneers passed through this area of Kansas on the Oregon Trail..

I was a bit concerned about the "quaint" motel which had the following note taped to the front desk counter "Please do not bring any wild game dead or alive into the motel rooms."   So, we upgraded to the Super 8. We enjoyed wandering the gravel roads with names like Bobcat Lane and 14th Road.   The Autumn air and sparse, sometimes lonesome, country side was wonderfully relaxing.



We left a note in the mail box at Irving.   I was told that when Tuttle Creek Reservoir was built they expected the small town of Irving to eventually be covered by water.   All the residents had to relocate but for some reason the water didn't completely cover the town.   Today there is a lone mail box with a notepad inside for visitors to leave little "I was here" notes.

The night of our 25th anniversary we enjoyed dinner at the Wagon Wheel in Marysville.

I guess the years have affected my mind but I had a wonderful time.

Just the two of us and the 4 dogs.

Thanks for the memory sweetheart. I Love You.

Click here to view my Kansas Ladies quilt.

author's email address -- charlena@doveinthewindow.com

To view additional stories click on the quilters link at the top of this page.