JELLO Jiggler Quilt Pattern Inspiration


The inspiration for this quilt comes from my hometown, LeRoy, NY, the birthplace of Jell-O, which celebrates its bicentennial in 2012.

According to the book, “Images of America: LeRoy,” by local historian Lynne J. Belluscio, Jell-O was introduced by Pearle B. Waite in 1897. It was named by his wife, May, and they trademarked the name.
The first four flavors were lemon, strawberry, orange and raspberry. Two years later, Waite, a carpenter by trade, sold the rights to Jell-O to Orator Woodward, for $450. It was Woodward who perfected Jell-O, launched an advertising campaign, including the Jell-O girl, and sold it via horse drawn wagon to rural communities in Western New York. By 1906, a year after Woodward’s death, Jello-O was earning $1 million a year.
In 1964, the LeRoy Jell-O factory was closed and moved to Dover, Delaware. Now, a Jell-O Museum sits proudly on East Main Street. And, as the village prepares to celebrate 150 years, it is a key factor in the fun.
A part of the celebration includes a ‘barn quilt’ trail. Local organizers have invited residents to make their own barn quilts (painted quilt squares on a board or barn) and be part of the tour. The Jell-O Museum’s quilt square is aptly called Jell-O Jiggler. It’s bright and colorful and looks like triangles of fun Jell-O colors.

The Jell-O Museum’s barn quilt was the inspiration for this quilt. For many people, their hometowns are places they can’t wait to leave. I was no different. It’s only now, that I live more than 450 miles away, that I realize what a true gem it is.
LeRoy is a town small enough where you can walk to the Post Office, school, local restaurants and yes, even to the Jell-O Museum. It’s small enough that most people know you, or your parents. And it’s a town with a history – not only with its founding, its Jell-O ties, but my own.
My mother grew up in LeRoy. My grandfather father was a police officer and owned a hardware store there. My grandmother worked for the village. My great grandfather was mayor. My parents still live there. The streets are full of people who I either went to school with, or whose children I went to school with. The cemetery markers remind me where we come from. It’s personal and special.
So, to celebrate, let's do a give-a-way! Leave me a comment about your hometown, famous or not, what do you love about it? I'll pick a winner on Friday, April 13 (seems like a good day for a good-luck give-a-way, eh?)

Comments

Carol Sc said…
Love the history of Leroy --- thanks for sharing it! I spent most of my "growing up" years in East Lansing (moved where the Breslin Center now sits, when I was five). It was much smaller ---we could ride our bikes, lay them down wherever and they would be there, when we came back. It was a "dry" city and the University (College, then) was also much smaller --- and, I think, safer.
Cecilia said…
I grew up in Yulee, Florida. We moved there when I was 7 and most of my Father's family moved there too. It is a very small town (not a city) and in our neighborhood we were able to ride our bikes and play without having to worry about anything. I enjoyed reading y our history lesson about your hometown and I love your quilt! Are you going to make the pattern available? I would like to make one too.
Katie G said…
I grew up in Delton, Michigan, home of the Panthers. Delton is an extremely small town, but was a tight knit community nonetheless. It's not famous to the world for anything, but for those around the area, it's famous for a little store called Doster Country Store. Doster boasts the BEST pizza in all of Barry County - and it's a country store that sells pretty much anything - from tanning packages to groceries to gas to camping supplies to boating supplies to Plainwell Ice Cream - they have everything. They literally have a pizza oven in the back of the store and their pizza is simply to die for. If you're ever over near the Yankee Springs/Delton area, you'll need to stop and ask for directions to Doster Country Store. You won't be disappointed!
Wendy said…
I grew up in, and still live in, Nottingham, England. It's very famous throughout the world for being the hometown of Robin Hood. To others it's known for the famous cricket ground of Trent Bridge. To me it's the place where I used to paddle in the fountains, sit outside bars in the summer and of course where my family and friends live!

Popular Posts