In 1929 I went to work at my Uncle Ray's farm. I was the hired man. I worked in the house, in the fields, and in the barn. We fed the pigs, cleaned the pens, milked the cows, pumped the water by hand, and watered the animals with a bucket, and stacked the hay.

I stooked the grain behind the binder that was pulled by three horses. Ray was the driver. We picked potatoes with a basket and then dumped them into a cart. When it was full, someone would take it home to the house cellar, back up to the hatch and dump them into the cellar- then back for a refill.

Grandma Bruce was not able to walk and so, she was in her rocking chair all the time. We would pull the chair by taking hold of it from the back to get her to her bedroom and to the table. She was a dress maker. As there was a big family, she was always making clothes for the children, as well as anyone else who wanted anything made. One didn't find many store bought clothes in those days.

As there was always bits and pieces of material left, she showed me how to sew them on to factory cotton - a very thin, cheap material, a little heavier than cheese cloth.

Whatever size or shape they were, you fitted them together and sewed them good to the cloth - all by hand. It was called Crazy Patch Work. You worked at this after your day's work was done. I made two quilts while I was there. You would put an old flannelette blanket inside and use flour bags, washed and bleached, for the back. Then put them, on the floor, take some yarn in a darning needle, put it down from the top and back up. Tie it good - about six or eight inches apart all across the quilt until you had it all done. Once you finished it around the edges, you had a pretty nice quilt.

I kept those two I made in my card-board-box-hope-chest until I got married in 1933. With only a kitchen stove for heat, they came in very handy on a cold winter nIght.

For a number of years I did not have time for quilting. We farmed with horses and I was the farmer's helper now (not the hired man).

When the children were growing up we needed more beds, so I made some quilts from flour bags bleached and dyed. We would make them two different colors. Everyone has her own way of putting them together.

I remember having ten bags all washed nice and white and on the clothes line. Once, a neighbour drove in with a horse and cart. He let the horse eat grass while we talked. When we looked, the clothes line was wrapped around the cart wheel. He will likely remember too, when he reads this.

I still have some quilts made with bags and they look pretty good yet.

You had to do your own book keeping in those days. If you churned five pounds of butter, washed and salted it, made one pound of blacks and wrapped it, you could get the butter papers. You kept one pound for yourself. You put the horse in the wagon and drove to Souris with it to get your groceries. A pound of bulk tea and a box of baking soda, two pounds of white sugar in a brown paper bag. You would get maybe a dollar for the butter. You pay for your sugar, tea and baking soda and really hope you would have a quarter to put in the collection on Sunday!

As time went by, things were a little better. You could pick up some remnants for quilt making for not too much money. Thread was cheap. I had more time for quilting. I have made many quilts for friends and family over the years.

I have been alone for almost 17 years. Quilting has helped me through many long lonely days. I have made several and sold tickets on them. You would put the tickets in a box, have someone draw a name and that person would be presented with the quilt. All proceeds would bc sent to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Everyone was really glad to take part.

A few years ago I thought they were making a very small eye In thc necdle. It was much harder to get it threaded. So a famIly member gave mc an automatic threader at ChrIstmas. It is wonderful to get an extra hour of quiltIng time!

I've given quilts for Christmas and wedding gIfts for frlends and famIly. I am working on my great grandchildren now. I hope they slow down a bit so I can get caught up. I must go now and thread my needle. I have so much to he thankful for.

Here's a quote which helps sum up how I feel about quilting.

Thank God every morning when you get up you have something to do that day, which must be done whether you like it or not. Being forced to work and do your best will breed in you a hundred virtues, which the idle will never know.
Charles Kingsley

Copyright
Waldron H. Leard