took it mighty hard in her heart, and it seems like her body never got over it either.”
“Was it a hard birth?” Penny kept her voice low and tried to look unconcerned, as if they were having any normal kind of visit.
Ingeborg thought a moment. “Not so terrible hard, but the baby had been dead some time. I think she knew that long before the pains came.” Ingeborg leaned a bit closer. “Your tante Agnes sets great store by babies, you know. She don’t feel right if’n she don’t have one hanging on her skirts or in her arms.”
“I know.”
“Guess it’s about your turn to have the babies and let her love ’em as much as possible.”
“Guess we’ll have to leave that in the good Lord’s hands, as someone we know would say.”
“Would say what?” Kaaren, with the pieced quilt-top over her arm, stopped beside them.
“I’ll tell you later.” Ingeborg raised her voice. “We better get at it, if we’re going to get this done. Goodie suspects something is going on, since she helped make two others.”
Laughter rippled through the gathering group. While two women set up the wooden frame, several others laid out the sheeting, then the wool batting made from the poorer-grade fleece from around the legs and necks of the sheep. Since Ingeborg had the largest flock, she donated many of the battings. Finally the top was laid in place and the three layers pinned and fastened into the frame.
“You think maybe we should tie this one, what with everyone being so busy with getting in the garden and such?” Mrs. Dyrfinna Odell asked.
“I thought we already decided to tie it,” Penny said.
“Well, you know, Miz Peterson would think then we don’t care about her as much as the others. Once you start a tradition, you got to make sure no one feels slighted,” Mrs. Hildegunn Valders said, surveying the quilt on the frame. She shook her head. “This one don’t have so many nice colors as the one we made for Solveig.”
“I brought extra materials,” Penny said. “But that’s for the next top, isn’t it?”
“You want we should take some of those squares out and add in others?” The timid voice of Mrs. Brynja Magron could hardly be heard above the children laughing outside.
“No. We have not the time for that. It will just have to be as it is,” said Hildegunn. Certain that no one would argue with her, she took a seat at the frame. “Brynja, you sit there and, Dyrfinna, you there.” She pointed to the seats on either side of her. “Penny, do you want to take the other side? Or Kaaren?”
“Why don’t we put two to a side, and we can get finished faster?” Ingeborg suggested.
“Then who will lay out the next one?”
“And cut the pieces?”
Brynja and Dyrfinna spoke nearly at the same time.
“I wish Kaaren would read to us while we sew,” Brynja went on.“Remember when she read the Psalms? That was one of my favorite meetings.”
Kaaren and Penny exchanged looks, their thoughts obvious. Brynja Magron with two opinions at one meeting? Would wonders never cease?
“Well, I’m sure if Kaaren is willing . . . that does leave us with one less to stitch, you know.”
By this time everyone had taken their places, some around one table choosing pieces as soon as they were cut and stitching the squares together for the wedding-ring pattern. The others sat around the sides of the quilt frame.
“Before we begin with the reading, I have something I wish we could talk about.” Penny raised her voice so all could hear her.
“Why, whatever would that be?” Mrs. Odell asked.
“That will wait until we have been edified by our readings,” Mrs. Valders said with a nod of her head. The bit of lace she wore on her upswept hair bobbed as if it, too, thought other ideas frivolous.
Penny bit her lip to keep from saying what she was thinking, but a wink from Ingeborg and a secret smile from Kaaren helped her settle back. A nod and a smile from Agnes beside her made Penny feel like one of
“Was it a hard birth?” Penny kept her voice low and tried to look unconcerned, as if they were having any normal kind of visit.
Ingeborg thought a moment. “Not so terrible hard, but the baby had been dead some time. I think she knew that long before the pains came.” Ingeborg leaned a bit closer. “Your tante Agnes sets great store by babies, you know. She don’t feel right if’n she don’t have one hanging on her skirts or in her arms.”
“I know.”
“Guess it’s about your turn to have the babies and let her love ’em as much as possible.”
“Guess we’ll have to leave that in the good Lord’s hands, as someone we know would say.”
“Would say what?” Kaaren, with the pieced quilt-top over her arm, stopped beside them.
“I’ll tell you later.” Ingeborg raised her voice. “We better get at it, if we’re going to get this done. Goodie suspects something is going on, since she helped make two others.”
Laughter rippled through the gathering group. While two women set up the wooden frame, several others laid out the sheeting, then the wool batting made from the poorer-grade fleece from around the legs and necks of the sheep. Since Ingeborg had the largest flock, she donated many of the battings. Finally the top was laid in place and the three layers pinned and fastened into the frame.
“You think maybe we should tie this one, what with everyone being so busy with getting in the garden and such?” Mrs. Dyrfinna Odell asked.
“I thought we already decided to tie it,” Penny said.
“Well, you know, Miz Peterson would think then we don’t care about her as much as the others. Once you start a tradition, you got to make sure no one feels slighted,” Mrs. Hildegunn Valders said, surveying the quilt on the frame. She shook her head. “This one don’t have so many nice colors as the one we made for Solveig.”
“I brought extra materials,” Penny said. “But that’s for the next top, isn’t it?”
“You want we should take some of those squares out and add in others?” The timid voice of Mrs. Brynja Magron could hardly be heard above the children laughing outside.
“No. We have not the time for that. It will just have to be as it is,” said Hildegunn. Certain that no one would argue with her, she took a seat at the frame. “Brynja, you sit there and, Dyrfinna, you there.” She pointed to the seats on either side of her. “Penny, do you want to take the other side? Or Kaaren?”
“Why don’t we put two to a side, and we can get finished faster?” Ingeborg suggested.
“Then who will lay out the next one?”
“And cut the pieces?”
Brynja and Dyrfinna spoke nearly at the same time.
“I wish Kaaren would read to us while we sew,” Brynja went on.“Remember when she read the Psalms? That was one of my favorite meetings.”
Kaaren and Penny exchanged looks, their thoughts obvious. Brynja Magron with two opinions at one meeting? Would wonders never cease?
“Well, I’m sure if Kaaren is willing . . . that does leave us with one less to stitch, you know.”
By this time everyone had taken their places, some around one table choosing pieces as soon as they were cut and stitching the squares together for the wedding-ring pattern. The others sat around the sides of the quilt frame.
“Before we begin with the reading, I have something I wish we could talk about.” Penny raised her voice so all could hear her.
“Why, whatever would that be?” Mrs. Odell asked.
“That will wait until we have been edified by our readings,” Mrs. Valders said with a nod of her head. The bit of lace she wore on her upswept hair bobbed as if it, too, thought other ideas frivolous.
Penny bit her lip to keep from saying what she was thinking, but a wink from Ingeborg and a secret smile from Kaaren helped her settle back. A nod and a smile from Agnes beside her made Penny feel like one of
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