MP3 Cathy Miller - One Stitch at a Time

The very first CD of folk songs about quilting. It has been hugely popular among quilters because of the incredible stories from around the world contained within the songs.

12 MP3 Songs in this album (44:57) !
Related styles: FOLK: Modern Folk, COUNTRY: Country Folk

People who are interested in Christine Lavin Joan Baez Connie Kaldor should consider this download.


Details:
A Review by Jenny Armour and Tony Suttor, for International Quilting Times (U.K.) February 2001 issue:
"One Stitch at a Time" is Cathy Miller's sixth recording, and a delight to listen to. She sings of the joys and sorrows of quilters around the world, in this collection of serious, humorous and sad songs, displaying her skills of painstaking research, a quilter's view of the world we live in, and her perceptive ear for the way we say things. Many of the songs include singable choruses, which will stay in the mind when the CD is finished, and all the lyrics are printed in the accompanying booklet; this is beautifully produced, with quilting decoration and photographs.

Here is a description of the songs on the recording:

100 Ways to Hide Your Stash:
Quilters can be very creative in hiding their fabric collection! Some of the ideas in this song came from a talk that Julie Wallace gave to Darwin Patchworkers and Quilters meeting in 1999.

The Extra Chair:
A song about quilting bees and immortality through quilting.

Follow the Stars to Freedom:
A spiritual about the use of quilts by the Underground Railroad that served as maps to Canada. This song is based on the book "Hidden in Plain View" by Jacqueline L. Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard, which is an interesting exploration of how quilts may have been used by slaves in their quest for freedom. The veracity of this thesis is not accepted by quilt historians, and I recommend reading other Underground Railroad research for alternate perspectives

It Ain't Finished Yet:
UFOs (UnFinished Objects) tend to accumulate in quilters' sewing rooms. There is some frustration involved in these lurking projects!

Just Look Up:
A story about an Airing of the Quilts in Hobart, Tasmania. The occasion was the annual Scquilters' (Southern Cross Quilters) Retreat, organized by Cathy Craig. It stopped traffic!

Names:
A wonderful song by Cathy Fink about the world's largest quilt - the AIDS quilt.

One Stitch at a Time:
In 1999 the Kosovo quilt drive gave 4000 quilts to Kosovar refugees, and a new sense of community to Australian quilters. And Mary-anne Rooney won a bet with her husband that she would get more than 30!

Patchwork of Life:
Flying over the Canadian prairies, the land is always reminiscent of quilt blocks.

Rajah Quilt:
The only known surviving convict ship quilt, made by female transportees to Australia in 1841. Thanks to Elizabeth Fry, each female prisoner leaving England was provided with a bundle of sewing supplies to help in her rehabilitation, and taught how to quilt! This quilt, made on board the ship Rajah on the way to Van Diemen's Land, was discovered in 1988 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Scrap Bag Polka:
Fun with fabric! And there's an accordion, too!

Time Flies:
Three embroidered signature quilts were made during WWII at Changi Prison in Singapore by civilian internees to get messages to their husbands and sons.

Toss the Cat:
One of the more unusual bridal quilt traditions. A copy of a photograph provided by my friend Jennifer Richards, illustrated this event in a book of folk music. One of the girls doing the tossing was Jean Ritchie, a notable name in American Folk Music. The cat landed nearest her, and within the year she had married the photographer, George Pickow. They have been married for over 50 years!!