From left to right: foulard prints, woven plaids, printed plaids, overdyed green (top) and green calico (bottom). A couple of these don't have a lot of contrast, but I think I'll leave them that way. Making these blocks in the 4" size is a bit more of a challenge when it comes to choosing the right size fabric designs!
Speaking of Civil War fabric styles and cotton fabric in general, Dear Hubby and I made a trip to the heart of U.S. cotton-growing country last weekend. We went to meet up with some friends for a cooking class at the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, Mississippi. I had never visited the Mississippi Delta, so it was fun exploring and learning about the history and culture of the area. BTW, the Mississippi Delta is distinctly different from the Mississippi River delta - worlds apart, in fact!
As luck would have it, the local independent bookstore, Turnrow Books, happened to have a copy of Empire of Cotton: A Global History, which I had just read about on Barbara Brackman's Material Culture blog. I have only read the introduction to the book thus far, but I am looking forward to delving into it this weekend.
Dear Husband also did his part, picking up this cookbook by a former chef at the Viking Cooking School. I've paged through it, and it looks like one of those cookbooks where you want to try each recipe, starting at page one!
Our cooking class was excellent fun! We have cooked together with our friends many times over the years, but we're no longer next-door neighbors so our cooking opportunities are few these days. We had a great time learning new kitchen tips and tricks from our chef-instructor and enjoyed a delicious meal with our other classmates. I would definitely recommend a trip to Greenwood and the Viking Cooking School! I'm hoping for a return trip to the Delta in the not-too-distant future - I have yet to find a quilt store in the area!
