$5 Friday and More, 2-24-23

Here is “Never Interrupt”. This pattern is available for $5.00, cash or check sent to Country Threads, 2345 Palm Ave. Garner, IA 50438. a SASE is soooooo appreciated!

Never Interrupt

Mine is made from yardage strips but it was designed to use a charm pack.

We will stop posting $5.00 Friday patterns in a few weeks because hopefully spring will be on its way and then we’ve all got other things to do.

I talked about binding this panel last night and had a question on designer. This Welcome was on the bottom of the part I quilted.

I think we’ve laid the Bullseye to rest, don’t you? Once again I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of your support! Just thinking about the Bullseye makes me consider making another one. I actually sold 60 partially made blocks at Junkin Gal awhile back – I know the clientele had no idea what they were. Haha!!

You probably won’t hear from me this weekend because I’m going to start working on Pet Parade. I’ll tell you one thing – there’s a lot of readers who are pet lovers!

I have several fun stories I’m going to write up before good weather arrives. Then it will be yard cleanup time and thoughts of gardening. I’m an enthusiastic gardener until about July – haha!

There’s a new series on Apple TV called the Reluctant Traveler starring Eugene Levy. I recognized myself immediately and I may even have to subscribe just so I can watch it.

I finished Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. The story was fascinating at the beginning, downright boring in the middle and surprising at the end. My next book is also by the same author, Picoult, called Mad Honey. Reviews have been good. Anyone read it?

Sad morning doing chores – found one of my white geese frozen solid in the pasture. He’s been under the weather and not walking well so it was not unexpected but it looks like his wing was out and he was trying to walk meaning all that cold air got to his body and killed him.

See this nice wide concrete window sill made for houseplants? That south exposure makes it a favorite spot for the cats, too. My geraniums in the basement are blooming.

Too cold to try different quilt locations outside!
Never Interrupt

I think that’s all from the blog about nothing.

42 thoughts on “$5 Friday and More, 2-24-23

  1. Dee from Shell Rock

    I so enjoy hearing from you. Your pictures are great, you sing my song so often. The loss of the goose is sad, us country people experience it way too often. The window sills are a gift to the cats for sure. My lab would try to sit up there, no way. Thanks for the conversation.

  2. Tanya T. in Houston

    LOVE Never Interrupt on the fence with the snow! How I wish I could shop regularly at Junkin’ Gal! I would have snapped up those circles and known just what to do with them!

    Local quilt show next weekend near me and big Dallas show the weekend afterwards. Lots to look forward to seeing and doing!

  3. Kathy in western NY

    Oh I am so sorry you lost a pet to this frigid cold.
    I never did send in a picture of my doggies and kitty but next time. I was thinking about the comment on maple syrup and pancakes that I must have fed my kids too much breakfast nights for dinner cause they will not do it for their own families now. Some days when raising a family that was all the energy I had left in me was to make pancake batter!! Oh well, their loss. We still love it at night.
    I see you watched CBS this morning too and we thought the same thing about getting Apple TV! The Reluctant Traveler looked so good and he was so funny describing how he met some challenges. I think we can go to Target and get a device for our TVs?? Gotta wait till a grandkid comes around so we can ask them how we get it. We had cable internet company here yesterday and we still have the “slow speed” internet cause we are grandfathered into an old plan. We don’t do gaming so the man said be content with this one and the price.

    1. Diane and the gang in Central Ohio

      Hey, Kathy, didn’t we all have “ breakfast for dinner”. We did and my husband and I still do. My mom and dad used to travel to a pancake house in Western NY for fresh maple syrup. Yum! When I was a very young wife, I needed maple syrup , but I didn’t know where to get it because we always bought ours at Kenny Miller’s farm. My husband laughed and told me I could buy it in the grocery. Who knew?

  4. Jo in Wyoming

    I wish I were in Texas! My daughter in law is on her way to El Paso. It’s cold and snow blowing here.
    My small quilt group met at the botanical garden last week. Oh! The flowers were so pretty. There was a stain glass show hung…great too.
    Fun post today.

  5. Sandy

    Hi Mary, so sorry about your duck, it’s hard to lose pets. Is that Keeper taking a close look at the quilt?Quilt meeting this afternoon so will take a couple more bags of fabric to donate! It’s slowly going out the door! Stella has been telling me stories about 🧚‍♂️ fairies sleeping in the neighbour’s hydrangeas, she has a great imagination. Tak3 care everyone, best wishes from Sandy

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Sandy – yes, Keeper was the one looking closely at that quilt. He is never far from my side!

  6. Carla along Lake Michigan

    That wide window sill would have made a great bed for Mousse, our first mini-dachshund! She fell off the arm of hubby’s recliner while napping in the sunshine in the west facing window. We bought a window ledge cat bed for her naps. Heaven as she could chase the squirrels off the bird feeder too.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Carla – oh no, she fell off? Dachshunds are prone to back problems – glad she got her own little bed.

      1. Carla

        Yes, a couple of times. She lived a good long life even with an extra vertebrae! Mousse kept the big (to her) bird dogs in line and was a great bunny hunter.

    2. Carla

      Ok, this is too funny Carla Along Lake Michigan. On Mary’s blog, and Jo’s, I only sign as “Carla”. What I find funny is that on Instagram I am ‘Carla by the Lake”, that Lake being Lake Michigan. I sense you are a woman who loves the Lake as I do!

      1. Carla

        Carla, I remembered that there was another Carla from Michigan, you’re from Holland area? I’m a bit farther north in Muskegon.

  7. Linda

    I read Mad Honey. It was not my favorite. Not as good as Small Great Things or Wish You Were Here in my opinion but your mileage may vary, to quote a friend! I hope you like it though….let us know!

  8. Joyce from NY

    I have read Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult. I thought it was a very good book, it took many twists & turns like her books often do!

  9. Connie R.

    I just came across some leftovers from the last Bullseye quilt I made and, was wondering if you had plans to offer the mini bullseye quilt pattern on one of the remaining Friday $5 quilts. With all the stuff you went through recently with your original Bullseye, I can understand if you don’t.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Connie – I had planned to offer it but now I don’t know. It isn’t quilted yet so maybe that will give me time to give it more thought. It’s sad that I have to be so afraid

      1. Connie R

        Totally understandable. I was thinking today how the email from your 90 year old friend alerted you to the fact that Quiltmania was using your pattern. Isn’t it crazy how many ripples came from that email from your fans supporting your work. Quilters are wonderful!

        1. Mary Etherington Post author

          Connie R – I will always be grateful to my blog friends for coming to my rescue!

  10. Diane, Squeak, Buddy in Central Ohio

    Awww. So sorry about your goose. It is so hard to lose a pet. I have the book with Don’t Interrupt. I am ready to make it. I really like yours and Keeper does, too! I really like the book with all the quilts! My husband thinks some of them are hilarious😀

  11. Donna in Wis

    I just finished the book Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult…I had no idea where it was going until about 200 pages in & wow…very interested…I don’t think I am a fast reader, I read it in week. It is our Library’s book club pick.

  12. Pattie from PA (today AZ)

    I absolutely love Jodi Picoult and have read every book she has written. Sounds like Mad Honey is a new one ? Hope my library has it when I get home. I never buy books as I will likely never read them again. There are so many to be read that I heavily rely on my library.
    I guess it’s also time to try to catch up with my travels…for those of you who asked. Today I returned to an Escapees campground called Rover’s Roost outside of Casa Grande, Az. I have electric, water and sewer hook ups for the first time in several weeks. I was here in early January for 10 days and then headed to Quartzsite, AZ for 2 weeks do boondocking in the desert. I stayed with an Escapees (BOF) called the Boomers. Look up Escapees.com and you will have a better understanding of what I am talking about.
    From there I traveled to Yuma, AZ with the desire to cross the border into Mexico at Los Algodones which I did with my husband many years ago. This is a hugely popular destination for Americans and Canadians to get dental work done at very cheap rates. And BTW, they are all trained in the US! My interest though lies in purchasing inexpensive tequila and Talavera pottery along with negotiating everything you buy. (Enjoying one of my homemade margaritas right now 😉)
    So I spent several weeks boondocking on BLM land and also at Quechan Casino in Winterhaven, Ca, just 1 1/2 miles from the border. But I have been disappointed in the weather this winter. Everyone says it is the coldest winter they can remember. Not only that, the wind was been a challenge. Two days ago my RV was rocking and rolling all day long. I had great difficulty opening and closing my door to get the dogs out to potty. The sand blew in around my windows and you could feel the grit on the upholstery and counter tops.
    We did have some nice afternoons and for the most part, the sun was always shining. And thanks to all the solar on my rig, I never had to rely on my generator to run my outlets, microwave, TV , etc.
    Now I will be in this location for the next 3 weeks before I head to Tucson for and RVers boot camp where I will learn more about the operation and care of my rig and the the Escapade for my informational seminars, happy hours, activities, etc for the Escapees Club.
    Till then, thanks for reading my rambling. The dogs are asking for dinner. 😋

    1. Kathy in western NY

      Patti, you are a wealth of knowledge on traveling alone with your rig. I imagine the rocking and rolling were a bit nerve wracking with the size of your rig. I don’t like wind at all and a friend who grew up in northern Texas would share dust stories with me and I would rub my eyes thinking of all the grit. Thanks for catching us up on your adventures this winter. I will look up Escapees. Home in spring will be soon as east coast has had a mild winter.

    2. Mary Etherington Post author

      Pattie – thank you for this travelogue! You are to be admired for traveling with your dogs and seeing the country. Too bad it hasn’t been warm for your trip. Do you read a lot in your spare time or what do you do? Sew?

  13. Cheryl from Niagara Falls

    Oh, your poor little goose! That must have been a sad find. We are in a cold snap here. Everything is covered in ice. Everything! I bet there is no salt left anywhere in Niagara Falls. It is impossible to walk outside and we are watching my daughter’s huge greyhound for 3 days. Poor thing just slips and slides. I am so worried he will fall and those legs are so long and skinny! He can’t lift a leg to pee because the other one just slides. He finally just squatted. One more day! I love the colors on your quilt on the gate. I have a couple quilts that need quilting but sandwiching them is my least favorite thing to do. I do enjoy the FMQing though. I find that and binding very relaxing. Enjoy the weekend!

  14. Cathy Washburn

    I just asked for Mad Honey at my library. There is an 18 week wait. It must be very popular!

  15. Rosie Westerhold

    I just put my name on the list at the library to borrow Mad Honey. Approximately 14 weeks wait. Hope it’s worth the wait. Have plenty of other books to read in the meantime.

    If you like mysteries or suspenses, check out books by Ruth Ware. LOVE her books🙌🙌🙌!! Lots of twists and turns in them.

    So sorry to hear about your goose. Always sad to lose a furry or feathered friend. It never gets easier, no matter how many times we go through it💔💔.

  16. Kris in WI

    Nothing like a nice cozy window seat to tune into “Cat TV” and watch the birds outside! Plus, those windowsills are a great place to keep plants happy in the winter, too. So sorry you lost one of your geese to the bitter cold. We had freezing rain on top of an inch of sleet here in SC WI. I tried scraping today, but at only 20* it didn’t want to budge. Maybe it will be easier tomorrow when it gets past 30*. On a happier note, we had about 20 male robins stop by yesterday! There is hope for spring. Be careful out there and watch the ice-wind-snow, everyone. Kris

      1. Kris in WI

        Yes, a whole flock of male robins flew (blew!) into the trees in our neighborhood. I’m usually the last person to see a robin and consider myself lucky if I see one around Saint Patrick’s Day. Maybe they flew in on that wind from the south during the ice storm. I did say they were foolish MALE robins, didn’t I? LOL! Oh, poor things. I really shouldn’t laugh. Kris

  17. Brenda

    I will start by saying it is NOT the same quilt. I did gasp when reading the name of the Best of Show quilt from QuiltCon.
    Bull ‘s Eye. Had to quickly check the pics but it is not the same as Country Threads quilt. It has a square to start it and is very modern.
    Sorry about your goose it was so pretty. Looking forward to the pics of our pets. Enjoy them almost as much as quilt pictures.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Brenda – I looked, too! Such a coincidence with the name Bullseye! Thank goodness it wasn’t ours-I think I might have had a panic attack.

  18. Billie in Henderson, NV

    Reading Mad Honey right now, so far it is good. I’m learning about bee keeping while reading it.
    Suppose to rain here in southern Nevada today, so it will be a sew day for me. Love reading the blog!

  19. Lynn

    Mary, love your quilt. Your pictures always look so pretty in the snow. Sorry to hear about your geese.

  20. Anne

    Love that panel!!! And I’m so sorry about your goose. Poor thing! Sure wish I had a place to grow geraniums in the winter! Aren’t we all ready for spring flowers!!??

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