Friday, November 29, 2013

New Block of the Month Club!

Our newest Block of the Month Club!
Our newest Block of the Month Club, the Homeland Army, begins on January 1st. This club explores how the events of World War I changed everything for women in America today.

The title of the club comes from a poem written by Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet Sara Teasdale. I came across it in the December 1918 issue of Red Cross Magazine and was very moved by it. Teasdale's poem reflects on the suffering and loss that World War I inflicted on the women left behind on the American home front during this terrible war. It reads:

1930s Colorway
"...we are the millions of women; 
we are the homeland army, the patient ones.
Take the work of our hands, take our secret weeping,
we who have given our husbands, our brothers, our sons." 

As I began studying this time period, I realized that world events nearly 100 years ago affect our lives to this day, from the role of women in modern society, to social upheaval, and the heroic men and women whose sacrifices shaped nations, new and old. 

The more I read about this time period, the  more amazed I became at what these women accomplished. I developed this program as a way to share this information while giving participants an opportunity to create beautiful quilt blocks that were popular in the early part of the 20th Century.
Batiks Colorway

The Homeland Army is available at Grandma's Attic as a Block of the Month Club in three different colorways: 1920s Patriotic, 1930s, and Batiks--an updated twist on traditional colors. 

Each month, participants receive the fabric needed to create a 12" quilt block. They also receive a mini magazine filled with informative articles, biographies, poems, embroidery patterns and stories. A separate omnibus booklet includes fashions, quotes, vintage advertisements, rationing recipes and more.

1920s Patriotic Colorway
By the time this club ends, participants will have created a beautiful quilt to remind them of their inspirational and educational journey through this period of women's history.

I am hoping that you will be as interested in what women were doing during World War I as I have been. It is remarkable how in the span of only a few short years, the role of women could be so dramatically changed and yet able to shape how we live our lives today. To join this club, click here.

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