And s-t-i-t-c-h-i-n-g right along...here we have the next in the State Flower Quilt series, popularly known as the "trumpet flower" (as well as a host of other names). It has been added to the growing number of finished blocks--number 24 in fact, and that means we are nearly reaching the halfway mark. This block went quick with just two colors, and may seem dull in comparison to some of the other blocks, with more going on, but the simplicity and single shot of yellow is the perfect counterpoint to the pinks, purples, and blues around it. Colors I used were golden yellow DMC #3822; stems and leaves #3349; with four strands throughout, with the exception of lettering which was 3 strands.
The yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) was designated the official state flower of South Carolina on February 1, 1924, not only for it's fragrance and beauty, but because it is indigenous to every nook and cranny of the state. It is said, "that its delicate flower suggests the pureness of gold; it's perpetual return out of the dead winter suggests the lesson of constancy, in loyalty to and patriotism in the service of the State." (This is an actual quote from the SC legislature). Over a hundred years ago, Mrs. Teresa Strickland of Anderson, SC penned it this way in a poem she wrote for the Dixie Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy--since disbanded, entitled Legend of the Yellow Jasmine:
"No flower that blooms holds such perfume,
As kindness and sympathy won.
Wherever there grows the sheltering pine,
Is clinging a Yellow Jessamine Vine."
The fragrance is beyond compare--the essential oils are used by the perfume industry because it's difficult to reproduce synthetically. But all parts of the plant are extremely poisonous, especially to livestock if eaten. Preparations made from the roots and rhisomes have been used as a central nervous-system depresssant, febrifuge, anodyne, and antispasmodic. The spring blossoms, however, are a source of nectar for butterflies, and deer often browse on the vegetation for food without ill effect. Knowing deer, I am guessing they only nibble the sweet nectar filled flowers. The jessamine grows in other regions as well, from the coastal plains, Virginia to South Florida, and west into Arkansas and Texas.
I am again, streamlining the flower block posts to save time from gathering links, etc. You can find the South Carolina--Yellow Jessamine block and pattern here. (For more general info about the project---click on the State Flower Quilt Project link in the side bar.)
OK...onward we march to Wisconsin! Number 25--halfway home!! Woot!
