I’m so excited to introduce y’all to my friend Teresa! She lives about ten minutes from me and we meet up on occasion. But the reason I’m excited is because her debut novel released yesterday! Yay! Please give her a warm Inspired by Life…and Fiction welcome!
Have you heard of the controversial crazy quilt?
As a historical romance writer, I’m accustomed to stumbling upon surprising facts. But I was amazed to discover unbridled contempt aimed at crazy quilters in the last part of the nineteenth century.
Crazy quilts are featured in my debut novel, What Brings Us Joy. This type of quilt isn’t the kind one associates with comfort and warmth. In fact, they were created using scraps from luxury fabrics like silk, satin, and velvet. The shapes are irregular, connected by seams that are hidden by fancy embroidery stitches, backed by a single layer of plain cloth. No batting. Crazy quilts are rich in color, texture, and stunning embroidery. They are works of art.
Years ago, I inherited a crazy quilt from a great-grandmother I’d never met and knew little about, Sarah Lora Green. What she left behind in the form of a small crazy quilt told me two things: she was a talented needlewoman, and she loved her family. On her crazy quilt, stitched around the turn of the century, she featured the names or initials of her seven children. The first time I unfolded this treasure, I felt connected to her. I displayed her crazy quilt on my wall for all to see. Not the wisest thing to do when thinking about preservation of a century old artifact, hence the faded center piece.
This memento made such an impression on me, I decided to make crazy quilts part of my novel. My research led me to old newspapers posted online at the Library of Congress and Newspapers.com. I discovered that crazy quilts were quite the fad during the Victorian era. It sometimes took years to complete one, given there are so many little swatches to gather, piece together, and sew, adding a variety of embroidery stitches to embellish the piece. With the time and effort given to this art form, it’s a miracle any crazy quilts were finished.
And maybe that’s the reason for the controversy. It seems that men took a dim view of this hobby and let their objections be known. I’ve included a few examples from newspapers of the late nineteenth century.
St. Paul Daily Globe, St. Paul, Minnesota, October 26, 1884
Daily Advocate, Victoria, Texas, December, 1903
The Angola Record, Angola, New York, April 13, 1882
I was amazed. Crazy quilters were ridiculed in the most public way available at the time: the newspaper.
What kind of woman pursued this craft, knowing she’d be subject to scorn? Surely one who was strong, self-confident, and thick-skinned enough to persevere amidst open criticism. And maybe they were just a tad bit obsessed with bringing completion to their project. My heroine, Delia Truitt, is all of these plus a big dose of spunk.
But what about Sarah Lora Green? Was my great-grandmother strong? Confident? Thick-skinned enough to ignore the taunts? I’d like to think so. And if she was a little obsessive about finishing her project, that’s fine.
After all, she raised seven children in a small Texas oil town without indoor plumbing or air conditioning. She had to be tough!
A former teacher and librarian, Teresa Wells treasures a story threaded with redemption and hope. She loves people, history, and studying the Bible. Teresa is a member of Novel Academy and American Christian Fiction Writers Association, where she volunteers behind the scenes. She lives with her family outside of Dallas, Texas. What Brings Us Joy is her first novel.
1895: After losing their Georgia home, eighteen-year-old Delia Truitt and her family move to Blooming Grove, Texas, to work for a relative on a ramshackle farm. Set on helping her family dig out of their impoverished circumstances, she plans to open a dressmaker’s shop, combining her sewing skills and her keen fashion sense. But owning a business takes money she doesn’t have.
Unless she can finish her quilt in time to enter the county fair. The prize money would be just enough to open her shop. Determined and resourceful, Delia sets her sights on success—until her heart takes an unexpected detour when she meets handsome Clarence Parker.
Bent on respectability, Clarence refuses to let his past get in the way of his future happiness, especially after falling for spirited Delia Truitt. But his hopes shatter when headlines declare members of his former gang have broken out of jail and are heading his way, set on revenge. Though Clarence doesn’t regret testifying against the outlaws, he fears his future with Delia is in jeopardy. Clarence will protect her from the killers, even if it means risking their future together.
Can Clarence keep her safe? And will Delia love him after she finds out about his past?
D’Ann again: I hope y’all enjoyed getting to know a little about Teresa’s debut novel.
Had you heard the history of crazy quilts before this?
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Congratulations Teresa Wells on your first book published. Magnificent cover. Absolutely fascinating about the crazy quilts. I have a love hate relationship with them but they always draw my attention in every tiny town museum. The lack of symmetry chafes my need for order but the stitching sing symphonies to my love of beauty. I look forward to reading your book.
Thanks, Susan. I know what you mean about the need for order and symmetry. The fancy stitches redeem the chaos of irregular piecing. Thanks for commenting, and I hope you enjoy the book!
D’Ann, thanks so much for inviting me to guest on Inspired by Life … and Fiction. It’s an honor to join you all here.
You are welcome! I’m so excited to read your book!
What a fun surprise to see a guest post from you today, Teresa! I loved reading it and learning more about crazy quilts. 🙂
Thanks, Becky! It was fun posting here!I love this blog.
I had never heard about those newspaper clippings. They made me laugh, but also feel for the woman who caught the bug! Haha! Congratulations on your book, Teresa. The cover is beautiful!
Thank you, Deborah! I’m really pleased with my cover. When I first saw those newspaper tidbits, I had a similar reaction. It’s hard to believe people would get so upset about a woman’s hobby.
Teresa! I’m so proud of you! Your debut novel looks wonderful. That cover is GORGEOUS! I’ve seen a few crazy quilts (usually in historical homes I’m touring) but I’ve never owned one. I love that so many used them to keep track of family names. I saw one that had names from all the different ladies who wrked on the quilt that became a wedding gift.
I can’t beleive that article from the St. Paul Daily Globe. Good grief! Surely the author was speaking in hyberbole, but still. Put yourself upon the rack of torture? I feel sorry for that fellow’s wife.
Thank you so much, Karen! I had fun researching crazy quilts for my book. I had no idea this seemingly innocent hobby provoked such strong emotions. I feel sorry for that fellow’s wife, too!
I saved scraps of fabric from clothes I made my daughter and myself over the years so when I started quilting recently I wanted to try to use them in a quilt. Investigating how to make quilts with fabric other than cotton led me to the crazy quilt enthusiasts. Even today there are some quilters with strong quilting preferences, which is great. We need all types.
Congrats, Teresa. I’m looking forward to your book. It sounds like a great story. Also, what a treasure you have in your great-grandmother’s quilt, especially for it to have lasted this long.
Thank you, Karen. Yes, I was surprised and pleased to find out crazy quilters not only still exist, they write books about the craft. I’ve got several sitting on my shelf, with gorgeous photographs and a great overview of the art form.
How cool that you had the foresight to save your scraps over the years for such a meaningful project. Your quilt will be treasured by your descendants in the same way I treasure my great-grandmother’s crazy quilt. Thanks for sharing that with me.