Frances E. Willard Fabric Sale

Every year, Grandma's Attic holds a Frances E. Willard Founder's Day fabric sale at or about the time of her birthday (September 28). This year is no exception. At the bottom of this post I've included the information regarding that sale and you'll definitely want to take advantage of it!

So who is Frances E. Willard and what does she have to do with our store? Well, Frances E. Willard was an American educator, temperance reformer, and women's suffragist. She was also President of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She founded a magazine, wrote many books, and was the first woman represented with a statue in the Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. In short, she dedicated her entire life to the empowerment of women.

When I first opened Grandma's Attic, way back in 1994, I went looking for a few period pieces I could use to decorate the shop. I felt we needed a photograph of a grandma type to hang on the wall behind the cutting counter. To my delight, I found the perfect grandmother in an old-fashioned oval frame at an antique shop in Albany, Oregon. At that time, I didn't know who she was. Her portrait, shown above, has been hanging in our shop ever since.

Approximately three weeks after Grandma's Attic opened for business, a lady came into the shop, saw this portrait, and asked, "Where did you get that fabulous portrait of Frances E. Willard?" "Ahh! That's who she is," I said to myself. Massive amounts of research later, I discovered that Frances was never married, certainly never had any children, and most definitely was NOT a grandmother. I decided she could be our "spiritual" grandma because of all the causes she believed in and the work she did for the empowerment of women and women's education. I also learned that while she herself was not a quilter, both her mother and her sister made quilts.

Each year, we honor Frances E. Willard by having a big sale to celebrate her birthday. That sale begins today and extends through Sunday, September 27th. You can take 25% off your fabric purchases by mentioning this blog in the store, or by writing FRANCES E. WILLARD SALE in the comments section of your webstore order. The discount will not appear on your invoice. We will take it off on our end. Please note that this offer does NOT extend to the Samara Fabric Collection used in Patchwork Party Fall Edition 2009.

This offer is filled with the potential for so much fun you'll want to share it with your friends. Feel free to let them know so they too can enjoy the savings!