Patchwork Quilts, Whoopie Pies, and Amish Romance.

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http://www.heygo.com 17th February - Patchwork Quilts, Whoopie Pies, and Amish Romance.



I thought the lady who was giving the tour was a quilter but she is an author who has an interest in the Amish community. She lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Tricia did make Amish Whoopie Pies with the help,of her daughter.

Not to my taste, it was full of fats and sugars but they did look tasty.

Some say Amish wives invented the whoopie pie from remnants of cake batter and frosting. According to the story, the name originated from the Amish men who, when they found these treats in their lunch boxes, would exclaim, “Whoopie!”

There was heavy snow outside her window, it rarely snows in Little Rock so it was a bit of a novelty.

Tricia has published over 70 books, her contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She recreates historic wartime eras with precise detail through comprehensive research and is a beloved author of Amish fiction.



On the side we saw a rocking chair made by a local Amish family and a couple of quilts that were gifted to Tricia.



Benita was watching with me and is familiar with Amish quilting, I’m not so did a bit of research.



In America, quilting became popular by the Dutch, English and Irish settlers. Quilts were invented to keep out the cold during long winters. While quilts were often used as bed coverings, they were also used in other ways. They could be seen covering windows, adorning floors and even providing a form of currency.



Amish women didn’t begin quilting until the late 1800s, before that, the Amish were still using German featherbeds as their bedcovers. Early Amish quilts were made from pieces of fabric left over from garments made for members of the family. Amish women made the fabric from hemp, flax or wool which they spun into yarn and then wove into cloth. They then dyed the fabric with natural pigments.



Quilting has always been an important activity for Amish women. Quilting circles became social gatherings where women would meet to sew together and discuss homemaking and other community news.

Girls in the Amish culture are taught how to sew from a very young age. As young women, they usually begin sewing quilts to use when they have a house and family of their own.



In the early days, quilts were sewn exclusively by hand. Later, women sewed both by hand and with a foot-powered sewing machine run by a treadle. Amish women still use non-electric sewing machines powered by generator, gas or foot.



The quilt patterns often told stories about the women who quilted them, the beautiful patterns were created without the influence of the outside world — no television, magazines or knowledge of modern fashion, style trends or culture.



Typical Amish quilts usually have a dark background of black, blue, purple or dark red with splashes of bright, solid color.

Most quilts are made in the winter, as the Amish women are busy in the warmer months tending to farming and gardening.



Quilting lost popularity by the time of World War II when many women began working outside the home and fabric was being used to aid in the war effort. At that time, women didn’t have time for quilting. Fortunately, Amish women have kept this timeless tradition alive.



A different virtualtrip but it was interesting to hear her stories about the Amish community.

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