Another Gift

This Christmas gift was a lot easier and quicker than all those canned pickles – a purple and white couch quilt for a friend who loves  purple AND she doesn’t read this blog – ha!  Here is the very simple star quilt that I made and quilted in about two days.


And a little more Fall decorating – the top of this birdbath toppled off and broke last summer so I used the base to hold pampas grass.  Looks good, don’t you think?  It will be even better when we harvest the pumpkins which will be in about 10 days.


Thanks for all the nice comments about Mom – it was a bittersweet post but lots of good memories, too!

34 thoughts on “Another Gift

  1. Carolyn Van Petten

    I love the Purple Quilt–so much fun–Purple is my favorite color. I live in the Twin Cities and the leaves are beginning to turn–going to be a beautiful fall! Is the pattern for the Purple Quilt Lucky Stars?

  2. Launa

    Love the unique way you repurpose things, Mary. Still much smoke up here north in the panhandle of Idaho. Air alert here today again. So many forest fires burning in the west. Pepper, our Border Collie puppy, is just thriving and keeping us busy. Quite a lovely purple star gift quilt.

  3. Carolyn Boutilier

    Mary, I made a comment about your fall quilt with the turkeys and pumpkins on the bottom. I found my book Country Threads. Good project after the holidays as I have lots of projects going for gifts. love the purple quilt. My granddaughter loves purple.
    We are watching FL with family there.
    Carolyn B Shenandoah Valley VA.

  4. Kathy

    I loved the star quilt and to think you made it in 2 days! My goodness, it would take me two months the way I’m going. I’m a beginner and will try to find a pattern that is easy to follow. We are looking into getting a new couch and recliner and want to make a cover so the kitties will not try to “mark” it by clawing it. Our old couch has the scars of their previous marks of ownership. Any hints on how to deter the cats from their activity of marking with their claws would be appreciated as well. I am in awe of your creativity and energy!

  5. Mareen

    Mary – it looks amazing – I am glad I got a couple of your moms things at your sale when you had it. She was a unique lady for sure and so active until her stroke. I love fall just hate what it means that cold winter weather is on the way………

  6. Diane

    I love your beautiful purple and white quilt! Could you please share the pattern? I would love to make this. Thanks

  7. Diane

    Love that purple quilt!! That’s another one my daughter would love. Your mom and I almost share a birthday–mine is today. Lots of good people were born in September:) Cool here in Central Ohio today. It’s nice not to have 90 degree heat and 100% humidity. I am so glad you put the little Charm Square quilt in your book. I am binding mine now and will share a picture soon. Diane

  8. Martha Engstler

    Fabulous quilt, such a great way to use far quarters which seems like I have lots of.

  9. Sue

    Wow! Fabulous star quilt and another great arrangement for outdoors. More fun than pickles. lol

  10. Kathy Hanson

    What a fun quilt – love the colors! What a great idea for using the bird bath pedestal – you are so clever!

  11. Donna

    Mary I’m typically not a purple person (periwinkle, yes!) but I must say yours is stunning! I do love it. Also your decorating talent and repurposing things. Keep things out of the landfills. Lovely fall day here in St Paul. Fall…..my “favorite season” but only wish winter were shorter. Snow I like, but not ice and bitter wind chills.

    1. Mary Etherington

      I,too, like snow and winter – without the bitter cold and wind! In Iowa and Minnesota, it all comes together, doesn’t it?

  12. Sharon Cervenka

    Love the quilt pattern! I need to be on your Christmas list! Always enjoy your “chicken scratch “

  13. Ann Barlament

    What a wonderful idea for the pompas grass to grown in, self-contained, yet still elegant.

    Love your star quilt!! You always create such fun quilts!

  14. LMK

    the quilt is really pretty, like the different backgrounds. gee, i did this with the base of a birdbath years ago, not long ago paul painted it blue (we also have bur shutters on our house) the top of the birdbath?? i put sand in with colored glass, will put candles in now for fall. kind of thinking outside the box. awhile back i found a pretty picture (in a thrift store) with red flowers on, someone got it as a gift in 1946, i had to buy it (that was the year i was born) and only $1.00. great weather, love fall but the days are going way too fast. i’ll get at my fall decorating tomorrow. we are still planning on going to kasson, mn. sat. for citywide garage sales, never know what you will find. always enjoy reading what you are up too. paul likes to hear about earnie joe, he gets a kick out of his name.

  15. Kate Schloemer

    When you start bringing your succulents back into the house. How do you kill any bugs in them first??
    Beautiful quilt…

  16. Dee T.

    I love the star quilt. How do you find so much time to sew so quickly? Maybe I just sew slow.

  17. sydney

    Gorgeous quilt! I like the optical illusion (at least to my eye) of some of the stars seeming to be larger than others depending on the color combinations foreground and background. Oh, to be so accomplished to be able to whip one out in two days!

  18. Connie Hunsley

    Mary, your quilt is beautiful, just beautiful!!!
    Purple is my favorite color too!!!
    Connie from Texas, not to be confused with your Connie!

  19. Cathy

    Mary, the straight line quilting on your quilts is just the answer to what to stitch on so many quilts. Am I correct that you do it on a long-arm machine? If so….do you always go left to right on each row or do you go back and forth. I have never done straight line quilting on a whole quilt and always wondered if you went left to right on every row if it ever gets pushed somewhat to the right or if it stays nice and square. Thought I would check with you as you have done so many.
    Thanks much…..keep up the good work, I love your blog!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      I was taught to stitch only in one direction – left to right on the long arm machine. It does not shift or push or pleat.

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