I’ve been away on vacation for a while, though I did manage to set the blog up to auto post in my absence. And I even brought some work with me. Here I am in a hammock working on some crocheting:

Crocheting pineapple medallions on porch in Belize

While I was away I was finally able to think of a book to use for my great-grandmother’s quilt. I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me before, in retrospect it seems so obvious:

A Midwive’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard Based on Her Diary by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

I had been blocked somehow about what to use for her quilt, perhaps because I had never know her in person. Getting a way for a while helped me think more clearly and it suddenly became quite clear. Grace was a midwife, it was an integral part of her life. It was fairly common in Maine and other rural states where a Dr. was not always readily available, women helped each other through the trevails of childbirth. Grace went through 12 pregnancies at home, had 9 children that survived to adulthood and 1 child that died in infancy. She assisted in the births of countless others.

When I searched for “history of midwives in Maine” I found the book above. It is based on the diary of a woman who lived in Maine from 1785 to 1812. My only problem is that I’m afraid I’m going to want to read it rather than use it in the quilt. There, I’ve gone back and ordered another copy… that takes care of that.

Thanks to the Amazon ‘Instant Gratification” option it should arrive soon.  I’ll let you know if it’s a good read.