Harriet's Handwork 1820-1840 by Betsy Chutchian.

The prints and colors of Harriet’s Handwork were inspired by a girl named Harriet, and by an antique quilt in my collection dating to 1820-1840.

Harriet Hanson Robinson (1825-1911) began working as a bobbin doffer at a textile mill in Lowell, Massachusetts at the age of 10 to help support her widowed mother and family. Her job was to exchange full bobbins with empty ones on the spinning looms, a task she performed for fifteen minutes every hour, earning $2.00 a week.

At age 11, when the mill workers went on strike over lowering wages she eagerly participated.  After the strike ended, Harriet continued working and was eventually promoted to “drawing in girl” – the process of using long hooks to grab threads and draw them through the harness and reeds of a loom after the warp threads have been loaded.

Harriet continued to work at the mill until she married.  In her later years, Harriet actively participated in the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

The prints and colors in Harriet's Handwork were reproduced from an antique quilt dating to 1820-1840.  Shades of chocolate brown, berry red and sweet pink mix with a biscuit-colored neutral, and my favorite Plantation Linen printed "near solid" is included in this collection.

There are 38 prints in the collection - including my favorite Plantation Linen textured solid.

Spring Market in Portland - it couldn't have been less than five months ago?  The appliqué small quilt in the upper left is the center block from Gather Around.  Below it is Hot for Chocolate.  I also created a light version of Hot for Chocolate Hearts in White Chocolate.

The other quilt is Winding Bobbins.

I'd also like to introduce Betsy's Thimbles - the result of a collaboration with Paper Pieces.

The Thimble needle book shown here is made with English Paper Piecing papers.  The papers have been sized to fit Moda's pre-cuts - Mini Charms, Charm Squares and Jelly Roll strips.  There is also a plastic template to make rotary cutting easier.

With Market in just a few short weeks, I'm busy making quilts for my next collection.  It is titled Susanna's Scraps.  

But more about this one next time.