This is what I’m working on but have not completed – maple leaves in 2 sizes for a small wall quilt.
When I get the setting pieced, I’ll make the pattern available for $3.00 again.
Here are a few more pictures from yesterday.
Sunny in all her glory – she is perfect and beautiful! Picture by Kathy.
Reed receiving a kiss from Apricot.
The three of us in a selfie – Reed, Mary! Kathy.
I loved all the llama stories you sent – I loved Kathy’s llamas – I even dreamed of them last night! I have many sleepless nights but not last night. I slept great and what a difference in how I feel today.
Pumpkin Report
The pumpkin patch is thick with vines.
Here’s a nice white pumpkin peeking through the leaves.
There are still thousands of blossoms which will not have time to grow into pumpkins.
It’s finally BLT season – I picked 3 tomatoes this afternoon.
One of my Goodwill purchases yesterday was this very solid wood table for $8.00!
I actually bought it for the goats but now think it could even live in my living room.
I found a bluejay feather today -something good is going to happen!
It’s Becky’s 65th Birthday today – we’re having pizza at the OP with them tonite.
wow, i have been trying to grow pumpkins for years, i get tons of flowers but never a pumpkin, how do you get pumpkins?
Hey for 65, I too turn that glorious age on July 28th. Spent the day on the Mississippi on a house boat with my sister and her husband and had a glorious steak supper that night.
My favorite meal you are having tonight – Pizza!!!!
Enjoy. Thanks for sharing your goodwill purchases. Always fun to see what goodies are out there being reused.
Thought of you and Connie today while at the Plano Quilt Show. There was a Bullseye Quilt entered!
Love the pictures of Lamas and stories. Reed seems like a great kid and love he wants to do so much with you!
Karen – I’d love to make another bullseye quilt – it was the most FUN quilt I’ve ever made! I wonder how many readers have made a bullseye quilt by Country Threads!
Love to see it, Mary!
I have never made one nor seen one!
I made a Bull’s Eye quilt shortly after the pattern (and book it’s in) came out, and it is still hanging in my sewing room. I just did a wall hanging size. I have taught others to make it as well. I love mine, done in Civil War prints. I still get comments on it.
A long-arm quilter friend recently quilted two bull’s eye quilt for two friends. They’d made the tops a while ago. I don’t know if they used your pattern, but I suspect they did.
Mary Says Sew – I don’t think there’s actually another Bullseye pattern out there but several designers stole the trick for use in borders, etc. which is impossible to stop. Do you happen to know how your friend quilted them. In circles or over the raw edges?
The long-armer stitched about 1/4″ inside the raw edge of each circle. She stitched in or very close to the ditch when she needed to get in and out of each circle.
I don’t remember how she quilted around and between the Bullseyes, or in the border.
I have never made one, but would love to “quilt along” with you.
I did a few years back! Love it! Much easier than I thought & a great scrapbuster!
I remember the year when I came to your quilt shop and bought many many white pumpkins to decorate for my daughter’s fall wedding! It was just beautiful!!! I think of that whenever I see groups of white pumpkins!
Christi Broshar – I also remember it and think of that wedding decorated with white pumpkins every time I plant them – a sweet memory!
Karen, your comment made my day! Completely forgot about the Bullseye Quilt and it’s a perfect project for my sister, nephew and me! My nephew is special needs and this is a project he can help cut with scissors, stack and and make choices for. I usually do the sewing. We all have so much fun together! We are working through my stash and plan to donate some of them to the school where my sister works. Mary, I do read comments and enjoy them. Looks like your Blue Jay feather worked for me too! 🙂
My llama story, I forgot I had one. In 1970, I was an exchange student in Peru, the original land of the llama, I believe. They were everywhere….feast day celebrations, Birthday fiestas, Macchu Picchu, the native population used them as their beast of burden. I was in a Central Downtown Park in Lima and there were llamas there, under supervision of their owner. And you are right, they do not love to be petted and they do spit at you when they get ornery… which was my experience! Llama spit is tough to deal with, especially when youre a 17 year old American girl who discovers all the Peruvian friends thought it was hysterical. My initiation into the group, I realized. Now I enjoy my llamas in photograph form, and I have also seen some darling llama quilts. Mary and Reed’s next project?
Carol – I loved your initiation story!
Mary, you should write children’s books about the adventures of Reed and Mary. Oh, what fun they would be. There is a family who lives outside of Rapid that raises alpacas. They are around people who visit the farm and are very gentle. They are used in the petting zoo during the Winter Stock Show.
Pumpkins grow really fast!! I tried to grow stuff but the soil wasn’t very good. Then a vine came up from where the roses were growing. Thought it might be cucumbers. I trailed the vine into the yard and the “things” were getting round. Watermelons? They were green and getting bigger every day. Then they started turning orange! The neighbor kids were thrilled watching them grow and we had 11 of the prettiest pumpkins. All the neighbor kids had them for Halloween. We had to thank God and some bird as we never planted them. Just supplied the water!
Betty – sounds like you got pumpkins the easy way! What fun!
Better look for another table for the goats. They’ll feel left out! Lol! I’m in love with Apricot❤
Thanks for all your stories. I look forward to them. It is just like hearing from a friend. Wish I had your energy. Thanks again
That picture of you, the llama lady, and Feed is perfect. I love llama eye lashes and wish I had them!
Reed is an amazing young man. How much fun it must be to get to watch hi m grow up. I love all of your adventures. He has a great family and you enhance it!
Thank you Mary for sharing all of your fun times with Reed and his siblings and those roadtrips look like a lot of fun too.
I look forward to living in Iowa again to have great tomatoes like you have and I know they have the best flavor. I still don’t have my cat bed made from the round wash tub but will next month after the move.
I look forward to seeing your finished maple leaf quilt have fun making it!
Susan
Susan – are you moving to Iowa?
Yes to Rockwell next month. I can’t wait!
Susan F -let me know when you get here and settled – we’ll meet for coffee! Use my email marye@ncn.net
The Ilamas look so sweet with Apricot appearing to nuzzle everyone. And what a beautiful animal Sunny is! I visited an alpaca farm in Oregon and thought their newly shorn animals seemed so friendly and sweet There was a shop selling knitted alpaca scarves etc.. I’m looking forward to the leaf quilt project. I’ve always wanted to make a leaf quilt and this will be my chance. You are being such a great mentor to Reed, and I love hearing about your adventures.
I enjoy reading your blog every day. I love the stories about your trips and of course the quilts. Our tomatoes here in Oskaloosa (IA) are just about done. We haven’t had the rains needed for our garden and most of it has died. We have enjoyed a lot of tomatoes, but will miss having them. I enjoy reading all the comments, too. I don’t comment very often.
Your pumpkin vines are amazing – I remember how many pumpkins that you had last year – what fun to grow them. That table that you bought for $8.00 is nice enough for your living room – you might just have to keep it there instead of giving it to the goats!! lol I love that sweet picture of Reed and Apricot – she loves to “kiss” everyone!! Yum, tomatoes, we have been eating about one a day – they are so good! Enjoy yours!
Love the Maple Leaves!!
We fed llamas, alpacas, and vicunas in Ecuador; they didn’t kiss us, though. Lucky Reed. We also saw where they wove the fleece into garments and my husband, who is a big guy, was able to buy a vest made from a llama. Very cool:)
A chipmunk or squirrel “planted” a very large viney type plant outside my laundry room window. It just kept growing and it had very big leaves and orange flowers, but they died before anything came on them. We think it was a pumpkin. Could it have been a hybrid and that’s why it didn’t produce anything? My husband named it Igor and then chopped it down!!
I can’t wait to see your finished leaf quilt. The colors are great:) Reed is so lucky to have you as a special friend:)
Peru not Ecuador. Some days the brain just doesn’t connect–lol.
I absolutely love your Bull’s Eye pattern. I’ve made four! It’s the only time I’ve made a quilt pattern more than once. The first quilt was for my friend Lucinda when she graduated from high school. (She was my Reed.). I chose purple and gold fabric because they were her school colors. I had fabric left over from that quilt so I made one for my daughter Ashley. I still had fabric left over so I made one for myself. Even though they were all made from the same fabric they all looked so different. Several years later I made another one for myself in black and red. The pattern is easy, addictive, and so striking. A big thank you to you and Connie!
I made a bullseye quilt way back when with muslin foundation block and outdated medium colored circles. I seen one with black foundation and would love to quilt along and make a darker hued bullseye quilt!