Not an early Halloween post but rather a post about the first new quilt that I’m doing in the project, one for my maternal grandmother, Beulah Jordan Hodgman, a.k.a. “Boo”.

I’m starting with Boo, because I grew up in the house next door to her so she was both literally and figuratively near and dear to my heart when I was growing up so when I started thinking of the project; picking books to represent women from the family and making quilts from them, it was easy to think of one for Boo:

The Homemakers Pictorial Encyclopedia of Modern Cake Decorating

The Homemakers Pictorial Encyclopedia of Modern Cake Decorating (interior)

Boo made beautiful wedding cakes in a special little kitchen, her “cake room”, that my grandfather set up for her in their basement. I used to love watching her make delicate little icing flowers on perfect little pedestals – and trying to sneak frosting out of the old refrigerator in the corner when no one was looking (that and my mother’s wonderful chocolate fudge I’m sure are to blame for my sweet tooth).

I’m up in Veazie now visiting with my mother and sisters (one of whom lives in Boo’s house) going through old family albums, cook books and Boo’s button collection to pick out buttons to add to the quilt (which will be a Cake Stand block quilt for the quilters among you).  So I have the pattern, the book and some buttons to add to the quilt, when I get back home I’ll get about making some encaustic monoprints that will in someway convey ‘cakeness’.

Here is Boo’s frosting recipe from her hand-written recipe book (I am frightened by the ingredients in some of her recipes now that I am more or less vegan):

Boo’s Frosting Recipes

I’m also visiting the Maine Folklife Center while up here. Next Friday’s post will be  about what I found in the archives and a wrap up of my trip north!