Rhode Island may be our union’s smallest state, but it’s big on beauty, coastline, friendly people and history.
Known as the Ocean State, Rhode Island has lots of coastline and fabulous ocean views. I visited the state right after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and was still utterly charmed by its loveliness. From its bustling capitol, Providence, to its tiny historic towns to beautiful Newport with its over-the-top mansions, Rhode Island is a gorgeous state.
Pennsylvania! Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love (or just Philly!). Pittsburgh is the Steel City. Just these two cities are home to nearly 2 million people! And for quilters Pennsylvania has Amish country: Farms and silos, horses and buggys and QUILTS!
Oregon is just north of my home state of California. Home of the Cascade Mountains, the Bend River and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show! The show began when founder, Jean Wells Keenan, hung a dozen quilts made by her students outside her quilt shop on a Saturday in July. A few more ladies brought their quilts to show, then a few more and a few more. The show became an annual event and now boasts over 12,000 visitors each year on the second Saturday in July.
Yes, that’s right. I’ve skipped North Dakota. You’ll see why in a few weeks. This week’s block is beautiful Ohio. The name, Ohio, comes from the Iroquois word, Ohi-yo, meaning great river. Ohio as a US state was part of the Northwest Territory. Its nickname, The Buckeye State, comes from the many Buckeye Trees that once covered the Ohio’s hills and plains. These trees have nuts with markings that resemble the eyes of a deer.
In 1584, Elizabeth I granted a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom the North Carolina state capital is named, for land in present-day North Carolina (then part of the territory of Virginia). This was the second American territory which the English attempted to colonize. Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, but both failed. The fate of the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke Island remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history and they are still actively researching its history today. Virginia Dare, the first English child to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587; Dare County is named for her.
New Mexico has a nickname of The Land of Enchantment. And why not?
From the grandeur of the Chihuahuan Desert to the magnificent Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico boasts a diverse history along with bustling cities and thriving arts and culture community.
I was born in New York City, but my family lived in New Jersey at the time. We moved west three years later so I have few memories of the Garden State. But I have visited a few times and am always struck by what a pretty state New Jersey is.
During the 19th century, the New Hampshire economy was dominated by the textile and shoe industries. By the early 20th century, the Amoskeag Mill in Manchester was the largest textile mill in the world.
With the Fourth of July passed, we move into deep summer! Also, we are more than halfway through our States of Modern blocks.
This week we go to Nebraska! For Quilters, Nebraska is all about the International Quilt Study Center and Museum in Lincoln. Home to the largest publicly held quilt collection in the world, the IQSC is a place I long to visit. Imagine, a museum filled with exquisite quilts… on a regular basis! Oh yea… I’m going there!
Montana: Big Sky Country! Wide open spaces filled with ranches, farms and national parks! From Yellowstone to Little Bighorn Battlefield NAtional Monument, Montana is a spectacular place to visit and a lovely place to live.