I don’t know how I got this in the mail but this would be a nightmare for me. Taking a trip to a poor country to volunteer for animal care – can you imagine the horrors? Seeing the homeless animals keeps me from traveling to any foreign country. Never happen.
All these years are beginning to get jumbled up in my mind. Here is every Goat Gazette ever published:
Plus several of the last ones to be included.
In 1989 Connie and I pushed a bed in the local celebration called Duesey Days.
To be continued…..
Loved the pictures!!!! You guys were so cute!!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed your Goat magazine. Now I wish that I had kept some of them. Reminiscing is wonderful. I have visited your shop a few times and always enjoyed it. Take. Care . Molly B.
I love the idea of the goat gazette’s published in a book!!! Again, not that you need to tackle one more thing, but how wonderful would that be?
I loved the pattern for crib quilts!
Holly – let’s be serious – a few hundred customers might buy it and then all those books would sit in storage. It does not have universal appeal and I’d never live long enough to do it. So the answer is a resounding NO! Haha!!!!
Mary! Love it all. Can’t wait for more! And by the way, I dare say most of us in our 30-40 yr were skinny..er than now! Haaha
Forgot to mention how pretty Becky’s card is, and how interesting that you and Connie pushed a bed in Duesey Days. Nice quilt on that bed!
There’s a consistent pattern here and I hope Mary that you know you and Connie touched so many people’s lives with your business and now continue to do by keeping all of us connected. It’s very unusual to see this many people share the bond all these years that we have and respect your words and values.
It’s very evident that you’ve developed a friendship with your kindness to many around the world. It will be a sad day when we don’t have this blog so I thank you for your sincerity and hard work to keep the spirit of Country Threads entertaining us every day.
Kathy – oh goodness! You’ll embarrass me – I don’t think we ever were comfortable with accolades. I so enjoyed writing the GOAT GAZETTE and when the internet took over, all that writing had to go somewhere. Haha! I enjoy this group of ladies very much!
Kathy – here’s another point – the city of Garner and the community in whole never gave us any recognition or even acknowledged our business. We were just that “little craft store west of town”. I would love to know how many hotel rooms we filled in Garner and surrounding towns, meals that were purchased, gasoline, snacks, supplies and even Main Street shopping especially when we had a very popular clothing store who also had another store across the street that sold fabric and other domestics.
I hope I’ve gotten over it but people across the United States knew us but Garner residents did not. Now we’ve been closed for years and it’s like we never existed.
Mary, such a shame the town leaders didn’t appreciate what you brought to the economy in Garner. Every dollar spent locally gives back to services to that community. I have a friend facing surgery and made sure I bought gift cards for meals from local restaurants and not the chain ones she’d have to drive a distance to.
Kathy – great idea about the gift cards – I have to remember that.
Even today your quilt show booth would pull me right in! The fabrics and patterns are still what I love!
Wowzers…what a great post today.
I wish the 250th birthday of our country would entice more young folks to want to quilt, like we did.
The work you put in to getting ready for market. All the samples, patterns, books. It showed how much you loved the craft, or is it art?
Mary, thanks a million for posting. We all enjoy it .
Jo, it was America’s Bicentennial in 1976 that sparked my interest. I had taken a quilting course a couple of years before that that touched on piecing, applique, etc. Then in 1976 Better Homes and Garden Magazine had an issue with an article about quilting and I was off and running. Back then it was cardboard templates and hand quilting. This “hobby” has brought me so much enjoyment and I have met so many wonderful people, both in person and through blogs.
Ginger – me, too! The Bicentennial hit me hard with quilt fever / cardboard templates, oh my!
Mary, it is very interesting to hear the back story of Country Threads. Thank you for the time and energy to gather and post all you and Connie have done to promote quilting. “Touch of Spring” has turned out well.
Love seeing all these pictures and going down Memory Lane! Have been making your patterns since you began! Really enjoy all of your Posts! Thank you!❤️
Awesome! Just Awesome! A walk down memory lane! Loved seeing these photos!
No to traveling to care for the animals. I would want to bring them all home, if that failed, I would stay forever in a foreign land . Lol.
I loved your shop. Didn’t make it there often as I’m 2 hours away, but I have great memories of time spent shopping with my friends and the road trips we took. Thank you for sharing these memories that included those of us lucky enough to remember your shop.
60’s all week. False spring makes me nervous. I can picture a foot of snow in March or April. 🥶
I don’t comment much but I want to tell you I love your posts and read every one!! I enjoy seeing your quilts, farm, animals and hearing about all you do – please know that I really appreciate all your time and effort in making this blog – it really makes my day!!!!
Thank you
We have many fond memories of our quilt group trekking to your shop, and then eating in Clear Lake. And Nancy and I had so much fun @ quilt camp-sewing, testing patterns, eating and meeting people from all over. And with no internet or online shopping, attending quilt shows was the main way to stock up on supplies from your favorite shops. I .it’s the shows, since you could see things in person . You and Connie should be so proud of the huge contributions you made to the quilt world, through lots of hard work.
Touch of spring is lovely! And goes with this warm weather.
All these great pictures makes me want to dig out all my Country Threads patterns and books and make one of your fabulous quilts. Loved them all the years you were in business and I love them still.
These past few posts have been very interesting. I’m fortunate to have visited the quilt shop several times. We looked forward to petting the cats when there. I still have my t-shirt, not quite worn out. I’m commuting to a quilt retreat this weekend.
Great photos and memories! Have a great day everyone! 🌻
Really like the quilt design that is in the booth pictures, to the right of the chicken quilt. It looks patriotic. Was that a single pattern or in a book?
Your shop was great. Mom and I loved when quilt market was in Minneapolis, so we could visit. I bet you don’t miss setting up quilt market and quilt show booths. I certainly do not!
But, I wouldn’t mind going to another quilt market!
I am enjoying your shop memories. Thanks for sharing! Fun to see the hair styles and clothes from the 80’s. You and I are about the same age- I’m 74 – and wore the same things.
I also loved seeing the clothes and hair styles. They were my style back in the day as well.
Thank you for sharing the photos. Aren’t you glad you documented your history so well. I’ve moved so much I just couldn’t keep everything!!
The Valentine is beautiful.
By the time I retired so did so many quilt shops!
PLEASE keep it coming !!!!!!!!!
Loved all the pictures today.
Seeing all your photos and learning about your journey in the quilt business is amazing! I became familiar with your patterns in the early nineties when I worked at a quilt shop in Pendleton Indiana, but I’m just now really learning about how you got started in the quilt business. So fascinating. Those all nighters must have been a blast, even with all the hard work involved.
I so appreciate you taking the time to share the history of Country Threads. I can remember seeing your patterns for the first time around the 1990’s. Oh the pictures bring back such fond memories of my own with regard to the quilts y’all designed and the decor that went right along with them. Sadly, I’ve not made any of the many patterns I’ve purchased over the years – life as you well know it, but hoping to get back to sewing sooner rather than later. I’ll be looking forward to more of your posts.
In picture number 15, the table runner across the front of the booth with the Uncle Sam, Flag and Chickens, what was the name of that pattern? I love Americana!
Thanks so much,
Terry Dunlap
I just love reading about Country Threads and you and Connie. I remember a visit to a favorite quilt shop here in New Hampshire called Pinetree Quilt Shop and they had a quilt sample hanging on the wall made by one of their employees. It was one of your patterns…Constellation #517. It says copyright 2003. I’m not sure when you closed your shop but sometime since the purchase of that pattern, I found a recipe from Country Threads for an Olive and Nut spread which is absolutely delicious. I think it came from your Goat Gazette but I don’t believe you were still writing it. All of this led me to your blog ( which could have been how I found the recipe) which has brought me immense pleasure in my retirement. I look forward to reading your blog and the comments every day. Thank you Mary !
I love seeing the old pictures. We were all young once, weren’t we? I love it!
Paula – and skinny! Haha!!
I would love to have a copy of your Goat Gazettes. Yiu should publish them into a book.
Sbirley
Central Oregon
I am loving your sharing of your photo album! We dress so differently today, don’t we? I loved seeing your area for a show with nothing set up and then…voila! (Wah-la)! Wow! Hundreds of quilts, wallhanging, table runners, you name it! I loved seeing the history of Country Threads as you set up your new store, lovely knotty pine interior. Forward we go was your motto, no looking back, and you gals were up for whatever is ahead! Clearly you had a few plans up your sleeves! and..Motivation as well. I look forward to the continuation.
Great to see all the photos of County Threads history over the years. So many Quilt Shops are disappearing these days it is getting hard to find that “quilters haven”. Thanks for being such a strong advocate for the animals. They bring us such joy!
It’s been great reading the articles and seeing the pictures. That shop in this post…is this now your sewing studio?
Tina – yes, it is! Plus I have the sewing room in my house, too, but the shop is such a great retreat for me and I can leave it as is and walk to the house.
What a great trip down memory lane! I loved your shop and patterns and fabric. Those were the best years!