This is a bed with a story.
It has lived many places during my lifetime, and many more before that.
It belonged, as half of a pair, to my Grannie’s parents – their bedroom set back when folks slept separately in twin beds.
I’ve often wondered about this scenario, pre-Victorian times and forward to the Dick Van Dyke show reruns we watched as kids.
Why were people in TV shows in 2 beds? I think it was all the way until the Brady Bunch came round before I realized that Carol and what's-his-name (*edited to add: MIKE! it was MIKE! It just came to me) were in the same bed together. Scandalous, just scandalous!
At any rate – my Grannie and her brother, my great uncle Boo (Who’s name was really Charles, but everyone called him Boo. I have no idea why. It is just what it is…) ended up with these beds, one for each.
And then when Grannie got married and started having her babies, 3 sons in all, both beds came to dwell under that roof, making 3 generations who had slumbered between headboard and footrail.
When my folks married and children (i.e.: ME) started coming along, and the same thing with my Uncle Fred – my cousin Jeff and I were only 6 months apart –the pair of beds became singles again and each family had one.
I loved visiting my cousin's house and seeing that matching twin under a different roof. Related. Just as we were. My cousin passed away at 27, just prior to my Jeff being born. Jeff carries the name of my favorite childhood cousin.
Home at last!
This bed made the rounds through all of us kids, my two siblings, and even some of the half-siblings up until the time that I, myself got married and started a family of my own.
At that time I stripped the crackling and crazing finish, refinishing the bed as much as I could to bring it back to life. But the slats underneath? Those have made it through all of the generations.
My sons both shared this bed, making 5 generations to date.
Yes – bedrooms will have NUMBERS, it is easier for me to remember them that way, I’m just not a prissy room name kind of girl! LOL!
Also in room number one!
Mona sent me a photo of this beautiful tall boy dresser she had found on sale –did I want it? HECK YES! was the reply.
I want a dresser in each room so that folks can UNPACK and feel at home. There will be stands at the ends of beds for suitcases too, but it’s nice to have a drawer.
I have ALWAYS had a thing for "high boy" dressers --but never had one. So happy that I get to enjoy this one here.
And room one is the ONLY bedroom that has a closet. Not sure when it was added, but its bump-out takes up a small part of room number two.
This is the room number two – see the closet bump?
It actually isn’t bad – it gives a bit of an “entry” into room number two.
This beauty came from Tess in Raleigh!
Look at that wood grain on the front veneer! BEAUTIFUL!
This piece will be used as a bedside table between the two matching twin beds. The height is just right, and every room needs a mirror. I haven’t oiled these pieces down yet, but I’ll do some scratch cover on any chipped veneer and spruce them up a bit. Look at those lovely Queen Anne legs!
I also love the graceful curve of the mirror stand. And how the light from the windows catches that lovely beveled mirror glass.
This room also has another dresser, so there is plenty of drawer space here for quilters to use.
This beauty also came from Tess!
Tess told the story of how she remembered her parents having this dresser for all of her life. She thinks it may have come down the family line via an uncle.
The graceful curved front and beautiful mirror just set off that lovely tiger-oak.
This is room number five - destined for 3 white iron beds!
There is just something about the blue shiplap walls and light from 3 windows that make this room a favorite.
I’m on the look out for 2 more white beds to go with this one, hoping to find them in all different patterns.
Here you see the results of my weekend in 14+ tubs and assorted boxes.
All on their way to you!
With my travel schedule ramping up for July, I’m glad to have these done before leaving for Michigan on Thursday.
I'm making progress and should have ALL Quiltville Quilter's Date Keepers and Pencil Set orders out the door by Thursday.
The next shipment is on its way.
When asked why I won’t just open them up for “pre-orders” my reply is that no one but me knows what that does to the invoicing system in the background. There is no “pre-order” status that will separate these from regular daily orders that don’t contain these items. I have to print them all and sort through, putting EVERYTHING in processing status (when they aren’t able to be filled yet) and then people start emailing me after about 5 days wanting to know why they haven’t received their order yet, or have I shipped it yet, or just checking on the status of their order. Answering these emails takes up valuable order filling time.
It’s best to wait. For everyone involved – but especially me, the person filling orders!
I'm not Amazon. I am one person and a very small business with a basic online store that does just what I need it to do.
I promise to post as soon as the new batch has arrived and will work them in between what I’ve got going on over the next couple of months which involves Michigan, Hershey Quilt Odyssey, a huge retreat in Louisville, KY, a trip to England and winding up at two back to back weekend retreats at Mary Koval’s Quilt Shop in Bedford, PA.
I can’t thank you enough for your patience, and we WILL get these out to you.
Once I am moved to the Quiltville Post Office in Mouth of Wilson, VA I want to hire someone to come help with mail order. I would be comfortable with that, and we’ll have to take on pay checks and tax withholdings and all that goes with it at that time – but to have someone come to my HOME, to sit at my dining room table and try to do this? It’s just too much. It feels invasive, like I would lose ALL privacy in my life.
And on top of everything else, they can’t sign books FOR me – so I’d have to be here anyway to do that.
Some stitching happened!
I got the binding on my Diamond Tile Small Quilt last night while watching part of Season Two of Anne with an E on Netflix. SO GOOD!
This red is the same red I used in my Roll Roll Cotton Boll mystery (now found in String Fling) and with 1/4’’ finish, will be perfect to bind this quilt.
I was going to use a gifted piece of coral from Lisa, but the print was too big for the 1/4’’ finish. I’ll save that for something else. I’m happy to see more of this 1970s Crantex print GO!
I’ll be taking this as my evening stitching project to Michigan this week – it’s only a 2 night gig, and one of them is lecture, so I don’t need to take the whole machine project set up. Quilt, thread, needle, thimble – I’m ready to go!
Oh yeah – and VACUUMING happened!
Not sure how long it had been since this floor last saw a vacuum – but I couldn’t stand it any more. Funny how just vacuuming the floor, or washing down the back door and getting doggy nose smudge off the doggie door can set all things right in my world. This was a lovely sight to wake up to this morning!
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
Double Wedding Ring shared by Kevin the Quilter!
Good Monday morning!
Here's to a brand new week ahead, focusing on the things we are blessed by, not stressed by!
44 comments:
It's such a joy to read your blog every day it's fun. The joy of that bed and the memories it carries is wonderful. As a child I remember having a 3 bunk bed i slept on the bottom and my two sisters slept on top while my other two sisters had single beds, we all slept in the same room. Oh what fun we had.
Wonderful memories! That's a lot of sisters!
Recently learned while touring a historic home here in PA that they used to tax the number of rooms in a house, closets were considered rooms, So only the guest room had a built in closet to show the guest how wealthy the homeowner was. Maybe there was a similar tax in Mouth of Wilson
That is really interesting!! I know during that time period that "wardrobes" were articles of furniture - and closets were just not the norm either. :)
Oh, Bonnie - all of those beds and dressers are beautiful! Especially love that star quilt in first picture! You amaze me at how much you get done everyday! Take a breather now and then :) Thanks for all you do!!!!!
I would have thought the rooms might get quilt block names. "You're in the Log Cabin room." But numbers are certainly practical and efficient.
Nope. NUMBERS. I'm not a foofy room name kind of person, really, and that would limit me to how I decorated the room. NUMBERS it is. Maybe with a number quilt on each door.
Bonnie, you won't have to name the rooms, the quilters will do it for you. You already called one room a name, shiplap
Beautiful Beds and dressers!. What fun to see your dream come alive. I'm blessed to have 3 Granddaughters for Grandma Quilt Camp this week. We had to delay til Summer. It's gonna be a hot one. Thank goodness for AC and the cooler basment. Passing on the Love of stitching! Sharing my Stash, lol
Bonnie, I loved reading your comments on your mail and invoiceing. I so understand being a one man show and filling orders and processing it all. I am the newish owner of Pacific Rim Quilt Company. �� You do an awesome job and i love that you explained why you do what you do and why pre-orders an option for your business. I honestly do not know how you do what you do. You are an inspiration! Have a great week and take care!
Karen Boddicker said...
Oh Bonnie, we had a tall boy dresser just like that when I was a kid growing up in South Dakota, 4 of my 6 brothers shared it! I remember it well, always loved it too! Probably still in my family with someone.
As for hiring someone to fill orders....me,me,me...I'll move and come work for you....lol. Love seeing your progress on Quiltville in!
Thank you for all you give to us, I feel I should do more after reading your blog, you certainly aren't Amazon but we can call you Bonniezon. Enjoy your day.
Loving the updates and additions to the "Inn" but I have to add my 2 cents, in a residence as big and magnificent and soon to be so creative, the bed rooms need names. Perhaps first names, or historic names from that area. But please reconsider and name the guest rooms.
Today’s quote is so appropriate at least for me today. We just get caught up in all the mess around us and don’t see what’s in front of us. So excited to see Quiltville Inn coming along and can’t wait to be a retreatant. Keep up the good work! We also need to remember that Patience is a virtue.
My grandparents lived on a farm and the main bedroom upstairs at one time held beds for four boys had a built in wardrobe on the length of one wall. I had forgotten all about it until I read today's post. I love reading all the posts on quiltville inn between the history and seeing it transfrom. Safe travels to Michigan from a Michigander. Where in Michigan are you going to be.
Your retreat is coming along beautifully! I love how you are doing the individual rooms.
I can't wait until you get more of the date keepers and pencil sets in. I am so excited to be able to order them!
I love the Inn updates and the Beautiful antiques. I was surprised that you are not naming the rooms for quilts but the way my brain works with the numbering system I would be able to locate the room easier.
Bonnie, I know here in Oregon that if you don't have a closet in a bedroom, it ISN'T a bedroom. Strange how things go 'round!
After doing some geneology I'd say twin beds=family planning. Having 12-14 children was no picnic. My grandmother slept in the sewing room.
Thats so funny! I think you figured it out!
Bonnie, I love the quilt on the bed. I would love to make it. Do you know the pattern name?
Love your photos of the rooms at the Inn. Why not name them after your favorite quilts? You could use a quilt of that name in the room. That could be the theme for the room.
I love that 12 point star quilt. I figured out it's a 30° diamond but would still be interested in getting a pattern for it. Google was no help. Do you know if there is a pattern for it, anywhere?
I have an almost identical high boy dresser to the one Tess found for Room 5. I actually got up and went at looked at it to see if I was imagining it. It is one of my favorite pieces of family furniture.
Everything is coming along so nicely. You are making great progress and have received some beautiful gifts. Good luck and safe travels.
NO, thank you. They don't need names. I don't want them to have names. Hotel rooms don't have names. They have numbers. :)
LOL! I don't blame her one bit!!
No room names. NO THEMES. Thank you.
I am blessed to be in your Wanderlust class at Hershey. I am bringing part of my Wanderlust UFO from Asilomar, and will work on the border blocks. One step closer to making the UFO info a flimsy.
My grandparents had twin beds - set only as far apart as the reach of two arms could reach to hold hands. Papa was a doctor and made house calls even in New England in the winter. He said he didn't want to wake Gram at 2 am when he had to go help deliver a baby. Gram always snorted - of course she was awake by the time he found his shoes and whatnot and finally left - but she also always said she was just as happy NOT to have his cold feet on her legs when he came home again. Decades later, when I visited from college they still had those two beds. Gram showed us her newest quilts - one on each bed. Mom said she must have put them on sideways, they almost touched the floor on the sides. Gram told her, "you have to have enough quilt so that with two people underneath, nobody's tush hangs out." I have never seen my mom speechless, before or since..... (And that is why my quilts are always big!)
Yes, I've felt stressed for the last 12 days that my son and family have been on their vacation to Portland, OR. We've been responsible for keeping their plants alive in 90+ temps, and keeping their pets fed, and their lawn mowed. My Dad's house sits on the farm at the head of the driveway and my son built a new house on the north side of the Century Farm established in 1887. My two grandsons are the 7th generation to live on this farm. My dad, at 89, entered assisted living over a year ago with dementia, and we've been trying to keep things up since then even tho the house has sat empty. My sisters are faced with what do we do with the house built in 1887. It has so much history associated with it, but it's not good for a house to sit empty. But I have to say we are so blessed to have this treasure trove of history in our possession, but where do we go from here. I have beautiful historic quilts that I've taken from the house because no one else wanted them, but what do we do with the house???
Thanks a lot for sharing and I have some special things for you.
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There is a better picture of this star quilt on June 6 2018 post. Still not a name for it but a good view.....it's so beautiful,sigh
Bonnie, you have put so many wonderful, homey touches and antique furniture in the Quiltville Inn. I feel like your retreat will be the real-life embodiment of the Elm Creek Manor retreat from Jennifer Chiaverini's books!
That is too funny! Under the heading of TMI from Mom (or Grandma)!!
Bonnie, how about some of those 'old timey' hotel room numbers that look like miniature house numbers? Those would be cute.
LOL She's right though! When my hubby and I first married, he moved into my house and for a couple of weeks, we shared a twin. Tight quarters since he was 6 foot LOL.
I think you are wise to stick to room numbers - much easier for guests to remember and you're not locked into a theme. Can't wait to see it in person.
The beds are so beautiful, and the stories that go with them priceless. The tall boys are just magical and are making the rooms so homely, so enjoying watching your progress and love all that your doing thank you so much for sharing it all with us xxx
I absolutely LOVE this story! Thank you for sharing!!
Bonnie, I am so tickled for you.
I am a LONG time lurker on your blog, and have one of your books, am a Scrap User, and an admirer of scrappy quilts and the history of quilting. I am loving watching you build your dream, and so wish I lived closer to contribute! I have a beautiful little antique farmhouse full bed that would be perfect (except I think you are only using twins). But Austin might e a little far to deliver!
I so admire your posts when you describe your systems for taking orders and shipping, or your decisions about how you are fulfilling YOUR dream. As a reader of many, many blogs, and a presenter in my own industry, I have come to understand that when you embrace and speak your heart, and deliver that same message or product, your tribe will find you.
We actually have a ton in common (Bay Area, trisomies, Greensboro), and I dream of making the trek to Quiltville Inn one day.
Until that day, keep doing you, and know that you are respected, loved and followed!!
Andrea G. Austin TX
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