50—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 18,1978
A host of
varied interests
keep her busy
“I think I’d feel old if I sat around and did nothing. I
can’t sit still.” These words were spoken by Mrs. Roy
Weinhold, Ephrata, who was the chief architect and
worker on the tablecloth and banner which were
presented at the county convention of the Society of Farm
Women of Lancaster County. The materials were the gift
of Lancaster County Farm Women Society 3, of which
Alva has been an active member for 48 years.
Alva talks readily about the part she played in getting
the richly-made banner and tablecloth completed for the
convention two weeks ago, but says it nonchalantly
because her whole life centers around being busy - and
mostly in the service of others.
The Farm Women project, she said, took up “most of
the Summer. “It was natural for her to design the insignia
because she is the one who paints the insignia on the
scrapbooks which are presented to each outgoing
president of her society. Furthermore, she-has made
many banners for Salem Lutheran Church, which is just
three doors away from her home and where she is an
active member.
Sewing is, obviously, a large interest for Alva who says,
“My mother taught me to sew very young. I made a
patchwork quilt where I had nine pieces of fabric to join I
could also embroider, knit and crochet.” She says there
was a time when she made all her own clothes, including
Doing needlepoint brings a lot of satisfaction to
Alva, who currently is working on a design which
will be used in reupholstering a rocking chair.
suits and coats. She simply followed pattern instructions
and never had formal instruction.
Alva took up practical nursing as a career and even
tually the sewing gave way to other interests. However,
when she later gave up nursing she turned to a job with “a
lady who made slipcovers and draperies.” This was work
she enjoyed despite the bulky and heavy material with
which she worked. “I loved making draperies and slip
covers,” she said. Her background is diverse, because she
also worked for five years running a children and infants
clothing store.
As for making the Farm Women Banner, Alva ex
plained that she merely made a pattern “which fit
together like a jigsaw puzzle,” and cut the fabric ac
cordingly. Acquiring all the proper fabrics took those in
charge of the project to York and to the garment factory
store in Columbia. She said she also learned about “stitch
witchery," a fusible binding which allowed her to put the
pieces together first without sewing. Then the entire
design was appliqued to the cloth, with each part being
appliqued separately. When they tried to glue the letters
onto tiie metallic fabric which was used for the border,
they would not stick so they were appliqued with a braid
border also bandsewn.
She said she began making banners at the church
“through a former pastor.” She said they looked through
books to help get designs, but the final form “came from
By SALLY jBAIR
Staff Writer
Having taken up oil painting, Alya Weinhold displays her technique which has produced m
beautiful landscapes and still lifes.
our heads.” She also hand embroidered altar cloths for
the church.
One interesting banner she designed and made, was
presented to the Lincoln Fire Company on the occasion of
its 125th anniversary.
Alvin recalls that her first craft was egg decorating,
which she learned through a course at the YWCA. She has
many beautiful examples of the craft on display shelves in
her home. She has used all kinds of eggs for her work,
including goose, turkey, chicken, pigeon, partridge and
pheasant eggs. She currently has an ostrich egg and an
emu egg to be decorated.
She talks about egg shows she has attended, both in
Ephrata and in New Jersey and enthusiastically describes
the “elaborate, exquisite” eggs she has seen. Her own
eggs also fit that description, but she is modest about her
accomplishments. She explains that she often blows the
eggs out of the shell, or cuts the shell with manicure
scissors. She has been known to use an electric saw on the
larger eggs, and acknowledges, “Yes, it does take a
steady hand.”
At first it was a problem for her to find tiny figures and
decorations with which to complete the eggs; however,
now that egg decorating has gotten to be more popular,
the tiny accessories are available readily. She has
decorated eggs for herself and for gifts, but declares that
she has done none for a long tune. She laments, “I haven’t
had time to do anything.”
In addition to her long Farm Women project she ex
plains that a close friend of hers has been hospitalized for
four weeks, and she has missed just one day of visiting.
Oil painting is another interest of Alva’s, something she
took up when she was “in my sixties.” She took lessons
ST£^ 0
NOTES
with a friend then. “I always liked to draw, and enjoyed
painting and drawing. I had always wanted to oil paint. It
takes me quite a while to paint a picture. I have sold some
and gave some away,for gifts.”
She likes to paint from photographs or postcards, and
occasionally sets tip a still life, one of which won first
place at Ephrata Fair. She says, “I haven’t had the
paintbrush in my hand for a long time; my fingers are
getting itchy.”
She said she once thought that when she retired she
would have time to do all the things she was interested in.
When she finally retired, at age 72, she finds her days
speed by with interesting activities, but she does not
accomplish all she would like to.
At one time she made pressed flower pictures and
notepaper, and she once did a lot of quilling, admitting,
“It doesn’t seem to be as popular now.”
One of her current successful craft interests is drying
bridal bouquets. She said, “I went to one demonstration
and learned the rest just by reading. Now my florist sends
people to me who want bouquets dried.”
She uses silica gel to absorb the moisture from the
flowers, and she draws a diagram before taking the
flowers apart so that she can reassemble it in the same
order. The flowers tend to shrink somewhat in the drying
process, so they are not as large when completely dried.
Once dried, the arrangement will last indefinitely.
Last May Alva had so many orders for drying bouquets
and prom flowers that they covered the table and the floor
in her dining room - work area.
As if it isn’t obvious, Alva has'a lively interest
about her. As a result she says, “I have a m?
collecting things for scrapbooks.” Indeed, several
in our conversation she brought out a scrapbook
contained pertinent pictures. She added, “I guess
‘cutter upper and a cutter outer’. I save local nev
way back, and news about some of the buik
Ephrata.”
Another interest is needlepoint, and she proudly
chairs that are completed with her handiwork
pieces she is working on which will be used
upholstering a rocking chair.
A supporter of .the Ephrata Fair, Alva help*
baked goods at the Fair, eventually becoming hea*
department. Now she says, “I help with the needlf
can’t seem to get out of it”
In the Summer she enjoys freezing and canning,
the things from her own garden, and adds, “As ok
I still like to try new recipes.”
She has no intention of slowing down. “I would
decoupage and I have all the materials but I dc
around to it. I guess I really should concentrate
thing.”
Her association with Farm Women has been a
one for her, and she talks with pleasure about the ti
has taken with them. She was born and raised on a
and her husband is a retired farmer.
Married for just 11 years, Alva enjoys a step*,
and two step granddaughters. She was formerly
Stuber.
She is obviously in good health to carry out her
activities with such enthusiasm, and at this
doesn’t look like she’ll have much chance to “feel oh
Alva is much in demand for her work
bridal bouquets. She says the flowers
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