Sunbonnet Sue

I love Sunbonnet Sue quilts.

I know, I know, this particular quilt block either warms the heart or raises the hackles of most quilters.  It seems you either love her or hate her.  And for those of you that are haters, there are even quilts out there that celebrate the demise of Sue.

Shame, shame...

She's such a sweet, innocent little girl, whose origins actually go back beyond the Umbrella Girls quilt blocks.  I've always loved her -- ever since I came across the Holly Hobby renditions of the character in the 1970's -- and she's held a special place in my quilt world.

The Episcopal Church in Beaufort, NC has a thrift shop that it operates for the ministries of the parish.  So when I walked into the shop a couple of summers ago and saw a Sunbonnet Sue quilt hanging over the upstairs railing, I did a double-take.  I've always had decent luck finding old quilts in thrift shops and yard sales, but this quilt was somethin' else.

And not in the good way, either.

She was filthy and grimy and I couldn't even begin to try to tell you when was the last time she had a bath.  I could tell that she was made out of feed sacks, but other than that, there was precious little detail I could make out.  But I gingerly took her off the railing and marched to the check out counter.

"How much is this quilt?" I asked the lady at the register.

The woman looked at me like I was crazy for wanting the  dirty thing.  "Thirty-five dollars."

I offered $25 and held out cash.  Register-woman took it out of my hands and had the quilt in a plastic bag before I could blink twice.

It took four good washings in the tub and a good day of drying outside in the sunshine, but Sunbonnet Sue now looks like this....

She cleaned up really well, don't you think?

Each Sunbonnet Sue is made out of feed sacks and no two Sues are exactly alike.  The edges are turned under and sewn down by machine and then embellished with black embroidery thread.

The tiny hands are actually folded Prairie Points.

The front of the quilt cleaned up quite well, considering how filthy she was.  You can see a water mark on the front, showing it clearly had been the victim of water damage.  The back, while it did clean well, shows marked wear and folding damage.

It is machine-pieced and hand quilted, not only in the blocks, but also in the sashing.

At my guild's history club, there was much discussion if the back could be yardage instead of feed sacks, I think that is probably a safe assumption.  And again, like some of my other feed sack quilts, the binding was part of the front that was pulled around to the back and whipped down by hand.

Sadly, there is no label, so I have no clue where this sweet quilt came from and how it lived out its life.  I'm just glad she ended up with me, because I sure do love her!

One more thing before I go,  I know a lot of quilters get particular joy and happiness by helping out others.  It's just part of our quilting DNA.  So, if you're looking for a way to give back, take a look at this:  http://www.elefantz.com/2015/01/join-me-for-operation-sparrow.html

The pattern is free from Craftsy and it's a wonderful cause.  Jenny gave anyone with a blog or Facebook page permission to use this link to her blog to support this cause.  So if you want to play this one forward, please do.

Love and Stitches,

Sherri