The five stories lovingly contained in Hearts and Gizzards: Motherhood in Motion are Clara's. Always symbolizing love and comfort, Hearts and Gizzards is the name of a quilt designed by the Ladies' Art Company in 1898. Variations of this design are often found in folk art. These quilt designs became marvelous works of art, carrying with them far greater value than their humble beginnings. Favored by Clara, the Hearts and Gizzards design epitomizes motherhood and caretaking while finding the miraculous in the mundane. The reader sees how quilting gives Clara a sense of communion with the generations of women before her.
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Clara is an ordinary woman, equally at home in her domestic life and in the corporate world. Following the birth of the second of her three children, Clara chooses to leave the corporate world and the urban life she knows so well, and with her husband, Sweetheart, takes up residence in an idyllic and sleep community. Having forsaken two-piece suits and high heels, Clara now revels in the minutiae of being a dedicated housewife and mother. But sometimes, too much of a good thing can make a person a little stir crazy. For Clara, it soon becomes necessary to turn to quilting, an age-old art which becomes her lifeline to surviving motherhood during the trying times when she doubts that she'll make it.
The five stories lovingly contained in this volume are Clara's stories. The reader gets to see how quilting gives Clara a sense of communion with the generations of women who have made quilting a part of their lives; how Clara learns a lesson in diplomacy when she accepts the challenge of working on a group quilt for an auction to benefit the school library; how a temporarily side-lining injury causes Clara to take up an alternative form of needlework with near-disastrous results; how a scrap quilt becomes the perfect take-along project when chaperoning a distant swim meet; and, finally, how Clara hosts a family reunion at which her trademark charm and wit are solely tested but at which she also unexpectedly unearths two long-ago quilters on her own family tree.
In the best-selling tradition of Whitney Otto's How to Make an American Quilt, the author of this delightful collection pieces together life and art, stitching a whole that is as movingly real as it is wondrously beautiful.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-written tribute to the creative side in every mother,
By A Customer
This review is from: Hearts & Gizzards: Motherhood in Motion (Paperback)
Ms. Alcyon's words flow, and her vignettes are a pleasure to read, even if the reader is neither a mother nor a quilter (or only one of the two). I appreciate the author's description of getting her quilting done during nap times and late at night while her children were young--and it's interesting to see how her projects grow in sync with her daughters. But what I liked best about Hearts & Gizzards is Ms. Alcyon's talent for writing--her descriptions, dialogue, and details are perfect.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a well written and truly sweet book.,
By Shirley@sostre.com (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Hearts & Gizzards: Motherhood in Motion (Paperback)
This is a truly sweet book that would make an excellent gift for women learning the art of quilting. While the stories in the book revolve around motherhood - including the joys it brings as well as the insecurities that come with it - I think anyone who has discovered, or is considering quilting could relate to the recurring themes and come away feeling curiously happy and content.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!,
By sewhappy@webtv.net (Brockton, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Hearts & Gizzards: Motherhood in Motion (Paperback)
This book was a joy to read. It was a very interesting portrayal of a quilter and a mother. It was refreshing to see that none of us are perfect, nor should we expect to be. I truly enjoyed meeting Clara and travelling with her through her mothering and quilting experiences.
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