Unique Sunbonnet Sue

Here's a creative rendition of the well-known Sunbonnet Sue pattern.

This little girl with her bonnet is most often made with an almost cartoon-like simplicity, just a few pattern pieces - dress, arm, hat, and shoe - and most often as a repeated block.

In this lovely quilt, however, she is larger than usual and more fully drawn, with the addition of ribbon ties, a reticule, and lots of embroidered detailing.

I'm thinking that the bonnet, bow, and reticule were probably not originally white.  If I try hard, I think I see a very slight blue cast to those fabrics, so I'm guessing they were originally blue.

She is standing in a lovely flower garden of little gathered fabric circles and embroidery. 

All the stitching is really well-done.  I really enjoyed having her at my house for this short visit, and that is saying something, because quite honestly, I've never been a Sunbonnet Sue fan.

This Sue was made in the 1930s, at the height of the pattern's popularity.  She came to me to be re-bound before being presented to the next new baby in the family.  Such a sweet tradition!

And I present her to you today as a breath of spring, here on the winter solstice, ancient day of Sun Return.  Yes, spring will come!