I have lots of miscellaneous pictures and messages so first is the window washing recipe which I wrote on the bottle so I could refill it easily when I needed more.
Synthia Noble finished her Bullseye block – she did a nice job!
Carolyn Anderson finished two quilts from Beyond The Battlefield:
Oh, Freedom
Hidden In Plain Sight
Here’s another recent project by Connie.
This quilt will go to Joe’s dental office.
I’m reading this book and it is excellent – I want to finish it and I don’t want to finish it!
Barbara Kaup – I’ve tried to contact you by email about the barkcloth and it always bounces back to me. Please send me an email so I can reply.
Connie and I were working in the shop this morning when a woman walked in the door. Telly loved the pets but when I asked if I could help her, she didn’t answer so I said “did you know the quilt shop closed 4-1/2 years ago?” No, she said she had a 2012 edition of the Quilters Companion. That was her first mistake. She was Lynn from Vermont traveling to her husband’s high school reunion in Havelock, IA. I went back to work. She wandered around and then wanted to make a purchase which we declined.
I’ve received several more photos of finished quilts but if you don’t send me the info about the pattern I can’t/won’t put your photo on the blog. Why? Because I’ll have to field all those questions later.
Tomorrow I’m visiting Connie at the lake and I will take pictures of her garden and sewing room there so watch for that post Sunday or Monday.
Mary, I have been washing windows, mirrors and etc for so many years with one formula or another, some work and some don’t…I hate to see streaks on the windows when I think I finished..My daughter lin law gave me a box with 2 cloths in it. One you use with just plain water to wash the glass and the other to wipe it dry…it is wonderful..nothing else but these 2 cloths. The are called E cloths. Saves on the paper towels……….mj
I have the same e-cloths and they are wonderful!!
Mary Jane – my friend, Mareen, swears by these cloths!
Carolyn’s quilts are beautiful!!!! Makes me think I need to get busy sewing again!!
Colorado is under a winter storm advisory this weekend. Today is the First Day of Summer and Steamboat Springs got over 12″ of fresh powder snow. Walden had snow coming down this evening. Fort Collins just has rain thus far, but I’m not holding my breath!!
Diane Bauer – NO!!! A snow storm on the first day of summer – oh, weather god, how could you?
I love Carolyn’s quilts also!! WOW! I want to get a baby quilt done for my great nephew and his 1st b’day, but it needs to be done by Friday!! I sew tomorrow, maybe Sunday after noon, Tuesday, Thursday. I will try!! His Daddy’s b’day in the 29th and his the 30th, we are meeting the 28th. I also have a request for Blonde Brownies from his Dad..I can’t turn that down so need to bake too!! I work Monday and Friday. This will be a week for sure. I also have some alterations to do that need to be done by Monday and Wednesday.
Diane, many places in Montana had snow last night, I guess the storm was headed your way. We just got some rain. I have taken my plants in twice this pat week, will probably bring them in tonight too! I have looked at the forecast for the next week or so…we could have 80!! I had one night with 34, last night 36. I am ready for summer but I think it will by pass us this year!!
Happy Quilting!!
All of those quilts are just beautiful. I so appreciate your sharing them, and keeping us up with your happenings.
Seems like the whole country is having strange weather. We have had such strong wind and a day without rain is a real treat. We made it without today and hope Saturday can be as nice. Cool but nice. Can’t hardly believe there will be a real summer this year.
I have that John Grisham book but haven’t read it yet. Maybe I’ll move that up my list & read it next. I be,Ive he’s already got another book out. Sadly, I just don’t read book as quickly as I used to & it drives me crazy because I have such a long, long list of those I really want to read! Kinda like my quilt bucket list—it keeps getting longer instead of shorter since I keep adding more “must haves” to the list! Breathing, eating & sleeping all take up sew much time that could be devoted to sewing & reading! Lol!
Jan B from TN – I don’t read this fast normally but I’m going to hate to see it end – I have loved this book!
Weather in southern IL has been precarious also. Yesterday we had severe thunderstorms, today heat and more rain. The Mississippi River has gone down but the levels are unbelievably high.
I just put your book on my list. I’m enjoying the 4th book in Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series. This one is called Lethal White. The 1st book was The Cuckoo’s Calling.
My daughter is visiting from Washington DC. We took her to the Endangered Wolf Center, Very interesting tour and the staff was so knowledgeable. They’re doing a lot of good stuff. Location in Eureka MO. If you’re in the area it’s a nice trip but reservations are required.
Have a great day, Mary!
Sue H – I would LOVE to visit the Endangered Wolf Center! So would Reed! I will look into it.
Robert Galbraith is a pen name for J.K.Rawlings of Harry Potter fame! I read it last month. A good, many paged book!
I read The Reckoning too, and you are so right, I couldn’t put it down. Cynthia, Carolyn and Connie’s quilts are all beautiful! Funny about the lady coming to shop. We had planned to to northern Wisconsin to enjoy Lake Superior for a couple of days but it is supposed to be stormy there all weekend so we stayed home
Lovely quilts you’ve shared. I laughed when I saw your surprise visitor. Has that ever happened to you before? Love your humor Mary! Thanks for sharing with us.
Mary, I received your Sew Charming book yesterday, lovely, can’t wait to get started on one. I guess I have to do my UFO first, than you.
I just finished reading The Reckoning & I also did not want it to end. Grisham is such a great story developer- keeps you wanting more!!
Thanks for sharing the lovely quilts! I enjoyed the John Grisham book also. He’s one of my favorite authors. I’m just finishing Gregg Isles “Cemetery Road” and loving it. A real page turner ! I want to add it to next month’s book list!
Ellie – good to know – I may go on Amazon and look at it.
Well summer arrived ! 94 here Friday with a heat index of 107. I do love air conditioning! Still having sporadic thunderstorms. Wednesday’s storms producedtornados (EF 0 & EF1’s thank goodness but damage they did still unwelcomed, thank goodness not at my place. Lot of straight line wind damage also. Feel bad for those that did substain damages.
Stopped in quilt shop yesterday to purchase a spool of three needed to sew binding on quilt…that was all I needed and in conversation with myself I had before entering shop was all I was to purchase. Well I purchased a lovely pattern, several fat quarters, a perfect background fabric for a future quilt (yet to be determined which one). Oh, marked down fabric…4 yards please (perfect..I will find the perfect quilt for it). Last evening sat down to finish binding on the quilt.. yep, you’re right, I forgot to buy that spool of thread I needed.
Oh, Nikki, you forgot the thread! We’ve all done that, haven’t we? No quilt shop around here so nothing to tempt me except shirts at the thrift store – haha!
Hi, Mary, it is so nice to see those quilts. I am going to copy the recipe for window washing, thank you. I was washing windows yesterday, just the inside. Bill will do the outside, he is very good at that. There were tornadoes at Saint James and a couple other places in MN. Near home there was damaging hail for about two miles, feel bad for anybody who is farming. Have a nice week end.
Oh my, Synthias Bulls Eye quilt is wonderful and Carolyn’s and Connie’s quilts are too. Makes me want to jump up and run to my sewing room, except I am too tired today. Just got back from a 2 day road trip to a Celebration of Life of a long time friend.
Portland is getting to be almost too much for us to drive in.
We drove in dark cloudy weather today until we were nearly home. The sun was shining here and not a cloud in sight. Home Sweet Home.
Oh…forgot to say Thanks for the recipe. Will try it. I love homemade housecleaning helpers. I wonder what the cornstarch does? Thickening, maybe?
Sue In OR – I’m wondering if the cornstarch makes a slick finish on the clean glass so windows stay clean longer. The first time I used this stuff was last fall and most of my windows are still passable – of course they need to be washed but they’re not horrible. The only possibility is the cornstarch.
Wow! Carolyn and Synthia’s quilts are just beautiful! I’ll have to try that recipe, I wonder too what the cornstarch does. I received my signed copy of Sew Charming, thank you! I like that there are two versions of each pattern. Not sure which one I’ll try first. I think that’s so funny that you had a visitor from Vermont! And that she wanted to purchase something! You and the others have convinced me that I have to get that book by Grisham, I’ve loved many of his books. Unlike a lot of other authors he doesn’t keep repeating the same pattern in his writing. It’s nice here today! A little blustery now but the sun has been out – although we did get a quick downpour during the afternoon! Crazy weather. I’ll hate it when (if??) it gets hot. Going to Scituate to house sit for my daughter next week, the ocean is just down the street. Hoping for nice days by the beach. I’ll bring some hand piecing along. Jan in MA
When I went back to click more ads I took a look at the quilts again made by Carolyn and Synthia. I would love it if people would stand beside their quilts so that we can put names to faces… just a thought. Jan in MA
Very hard to do when the quilter is also the photographer.
Just in time. I knew there was a reason I hadn’t gotten my windows washed yet. Will be anxious to see how good it works.
I imagine that Lynn from Vermont was so disappointed when she learned your shop was closed. I know it has happened to me a couple times when I look forward to visiting a quilt shop I have visited on previous trips only to discover that the shop has since closed. I hope she was able to visit other quilt shops on her trip to Iowa.
Connie R. – Lynn from VT was probably not too disappointed because she had no idea who we were, had never owned a book or a pattern by Country Threads and had never visited our shop before we closed. She was only following her 2012 book. There is no highway sign and no sign at our gate so I’m not sure why she even entered my yard or just walked into the building.
Mary, that lady was spooky. Did you have the big gate off the road closed so she had to open it? Did she know you took her picture? That just doesn’t make sense and she just walked right into your house……. Was she alone or was somebody waiting in the car? Sounds like somebody let her loose??? Sure wouldn’t want that happening very often. Be careful.
Betty
Betty Klosterman- yes, all gates were closed. They’re always closed and we have no signs. When she walked I’m, I was startled. She said her husband was in the car.
Crazy weather is right ! Here in Alaska it was 85 for Summer Solstice, with 23 hours of daylight 😎!
Sadly, I knew that you have been closed for years but I can’t even tell you how many out of business quilt shops I have visited when traveling that are listed in the Quilters Travel Companion. Love the quilt for the dental office! 😍