Crazy Quilt Block #4 - Update

This is what I intended to write about last night – Crazy Quilt Block #4 honoring my great-grandmother about whom I do not know a great deal beyond the basics.  Born in Scotland, she emigrated to Canada, married my great-grandfather, moved to the US, and raised a family.  However, since my grandmother, her daughter, was a needlewoman, I have made the assumption that my great-grandmother probably taught her at least the basics of sewing.

Here is the block 4 at the early stage again:

 

That's when I had first started and was finding it difficult to find my way through this block.  It had a painful couple of weeks as I second guessed myself and thought I should start all over as great grandmother   simply wasn't talking to me.  But I kept trying new ideas and working on the thistle truly helped as the Ghiordes knot (aka turkey work which is the embroidery stitch the actual bloom was stitched in) takes quite a long time to do.  Finally I seemed to have a bit of an inkling of what might work so I plugged away at it.  Here it is now:

 

Given the few facts I have, liberties have been taken with the tokens and embroidery.   I have included a tatted edging around her photograph (I have inherited tatting shuttles from either my great-grandmother or grandmother), a kilt even though they were worn by the men, an embroidered thistle, and a thimble.  The thimble wasn’t hers, but it is a symbol appropriate to the theme of this CzQ.

 

 

 I also plan to include a pin made from an agate bracelet my mother said came from the Isle of Skye.  That island was known at one time as a source of marcasites hence the buttons on my great mother’s dress.  While not marcasite, they have the look of that mineral.  The key is my conceit alone; it is a symbol of new beginnings and power and probably a host of other possibilities and attributes.  It seemed appropriate for a young woman who flung herself into her future by leaving her familiar world for the unknown across the Atlantic Ocean.

 

You may notice a wandering bittersweet near the thimble and ribbon flowers.  It winds its way up the flowers in the perse broderie and will peek out here and there for no reason except I like it.

 

Clearly there is quite a bit of work left to be done, but I am having a very good time now and don't mind working on this, the fourth block of my first crazy quilt.