This week's collectible favorite is full of graceful elegance and Asian sophistication, in Kona Bay's much-anticipated "Nobu Fujiyama Serene" collection.
Four years ago, we lost one of the beloved founding mothers of the quilting industry – Bonnie Leman was the founder of Quilters Newsletter Magazine in 1969. I have a special connection to Bonnie, and I have a story to share.
In 1990 I left New York (where I had worked in the garment industry) and moved back home to Boulder Colorado. I was looking for a place to park my passion for fabric, color and design.
One day I stumbled across a group of quilting magazines at a local grocery store, and my eye immediately went to Quilters Newsletter. As I paged through the magazine, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I knew this was what I'd been looking for…and that was how I first got involved with quilting.
In 1999 Paul and I started eQuilter in the basement of our home, and years later I would become close friends with Bonnie's daughter Mary Austin, who had taken over running Quilters Newsletter.
Fast forward to this weekend – I went to Bonnie's Estate Sale. I wanted to find something special that would be a little piece of this family's history.
As I walked in, I saw a lot of people rummaging through domestic odds and ends, and my heart sank. Perhaps I was too late to find the special memento I sought. As I walked further into the house something glinted in the corner of my eye, and I gasped! Draped over the railing was a beautiful formal kimono in shades of deep tangerine, with tons of heavy gold metallic and soaring white cranes. This was it!
I took it to the front desk, and asked if there were any old sewing machines. "In the garage" I was told, and there in the corner I found a 1912 Wilson treadle machine draped in cobwebs. "I'll take them both!"
I texted Mary to let her know I'd found these 2 items, and drove away with my treasures secured in my car. Not surprisingly, she texted back to confirm that these were indeed 2 special pieces from the family's story. Not history, but HERstory.
The kimono was a gift from the publisher of Patchwork Quilt Tsushin around 1990. His name was Tadanobu Seto. Some of you will know him for his work with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's International Quilt Study Center. Seto was an admirer of Bonnie's accomplishments, and he brought it to her on a trip to Colorado.
The 1912 Wilson Treadle was a display and practice fixture, and frequent photo prop in the Quilts & Other Comforts shop, located in Wheatridge in the early 70's. Bonnie's husband George acquired it while traveling the neighboring states in their Quiltmobile in 1974-77.
I have always felt a deep connection to this family, and it is just one of the many stories of multi-generational family businesses in the quilting industry.
We are in the process of reconfiguring front offices at eQuilter, and I am going to display these up front so if you come to pick up a package here, or come with your quilt guild for a tour, you'll be able to see these 2 pieces of quilting history that we've saved for the next generation!
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I appreciate your story about Bonnie Leman. I met both Bonnie and her husband in 1980. We lived in Denver in the Capitol Hill area and lived across the street from a Denver Post editor. One night they invited the Lemans and us over for dinner. I always remembered the host asking Bonnie how the magazine was going, explaining to me that she had started a magazine for quilters. I was a sewist (new title these days!) and a busy working mom who had never tried quilting, so we talked about needing light rail in Denver and other topics, but it wasn’t until years later when I started quilting that I remembered Bonnie Leman. We had a lovely dinner that night and enjoyable conversations, and I became a devoted fan of the magazine years later when I started quilting! Thanks for the memories….
I am so glad you got those pieces from the estate sale. I subscribed to QNM for years (still do) and loved the history of it. Being from a large family myself, I am in awe of Bonnie. She raised her kids and founded the magazine and shop. A lot for one woman. It is sad that the magazine is no longer run by her family.
What a great story and I am so glad for you that you did find something very special as a keepsake memory of your friend.
Thank you for sharing your story of Bonnie. The quilting world lost a great treasure! I can’t imagine you finding anything else of Bonnie’s that would mean so much to you as your two finds. I had no idea of her connection to Quilts and Other Comforts……years ago when I first got seriously interested in quilting, I became a ‘member’ of Quilts and Other Comforts’, and a lot of my early fabric came from them. I enjoyed receiving the selection of the month in the form of 5″ squares, and ended up purchasing a lot of fat quarters, and sometimes yardage. I really missed it when it ceased to be! But time moves on, and other outlets are discovered…………and enjoyed!
Thank you for the pictures especially of the kimono ..it is stunning..the colors especially..and the sewing machine, looks somewhat like what my Mom sewed on when she made all my clothes! I remember always asking her if I could push the treadle, and sp proud when she permitted me to do so. Those are great treasures from a special lady.