Here’s what Connie is doing today – a new fall wallhanging called Small Pickins which will be in the online store soon.
Fall!
Get our your orange, gold, brown and green scraps for this one!
Ta-da! The only yardage you’ll need is the border and binding – a great small, quick wall quilt for fall.
That’s what Connie’s doing today – I’m frantically moving plants into the house because it’s supposed to start raining and turn cold. I don’t want these plants to get chilled feet. So as I move plants in, I created my own “Small Pickins” tableau.
Lots more pumpkins to pick but I wanted to start enjoying them now. When they get past their prime, the goats and the chickens will feast.
Yesterday Julie from Kansas, and her friend, Catherine from Lincoln, NE came after the rug. It was such fun to meet “like – minded” gals – Catherine loves plants so I sent her with several “starts” of my pencil tree, nigh blooming cereus, pregnant onion, and zigzag plant. I also learned she was a spinner and asked if she’d like to have our family spinning wheel which I have stored for years because nobody wants it. I don’t want it to go into the fire when I die, so now it will reside at Catherine’s house. Makes me relieved and glad!
When Julie gets the rug down, she will send me a picture and when Catherine puts the spinning wheel back together (she received it in parts), she will also send me a picture.
Julie brought along some quilt tops for me to see – here are a couple of my favorites – I can’t answer any questions about these. It maybe if Julie is reading, she will comment. Please address your questions to her.
She is a prolific quilter, isn’t she? Now to get them all quilted for her new house!
What a great day – both treasures will have new owners who will love them and I won’t have that to think about anymore. When I have time, I’ll put a different rug down in the living room and rearrange – I wish I could get rid of that recumbent bike but I should be riding it this winter.
Here’s a couple DDs:
I hope these are the last barn swallows to hatch in my garage so I can shut the overhead door. These guys look ready to take off!
And doesn’t he look comfortable on this nice day?
Don’t forget VOTE! And the new one in the store, Small Pickins!
Back to mowing plants!
Such a fun blog today, Happy Labor Day!
Great blog today, all the visitors & beautiful quilts & giveaways. I love the small Pickens pattern, but I don’t have a printer to get patterns from your online store. In the eighty’s today with quite a strong breeze. I’m hemming pants for a lady. School starts tomorrow here, will be pretty confusing I think the way they have it set up, they’ll do the best they can.
You might try saving the pdf download to your computer, and just look up the pattern when working on it. I have done this with several lately, because I am trying to save a few trees and if I decide to print it because I have a printer, it is there and ready for me. Don’t print out many anymore because I will end up with more patterns than I will ever make.
Thank you Marj, I will try that!
Yes, it is a fun post today. Your pumpkin patch is so inviting. I remember last year when you has such pain getting the plants inside with your bad knee. What a difference.
Looks like Hazel made herself at home on those tops.
Happy Labor Day…this is one holiday I always tried to get off.
Happy Labor Day!! Julie’s quilts are interesting and unusual patterns. Looks like both ladies went home happy with your gifts. It is so fun to think about the spinning wheel and the rug living on with their history! You may have to “trick” yourself into riding the bike before you do something you really love to do –like reading a book or sewing a stitch.
I LOVE that first quilt you showed of julie’s! Julie can you tell us how to get the pattern?
Great blog today mary. FUN!
What a fun blog post today 🙂
Love all the quilts & especially your pumpkins….so glad you found new homes for your rug & the spinning wheel!
Take care,
sandy
It is so nice that you found someone to cherish your rug and spinning wheel. It is so sad when priceless things like that get thrown out.
Julie has made some beautiful quilt tops.
Julie, could you tell us the name of the first quilt top, I absolutely love of it.
Hi Mary wow! Julie,s quilts are amazing! Hazel has chosen her favourite block l see.today is mask making day with my daughter in law and mother, we have been lucky to get enough elastic, and can recycle some from used paper masks too.love the quilt on the garage wall! Take care, best wishes from sandy
Your swallows made me laught. Our barn is open on the east side. I think hundreds of babies are born in it each year. Now, however, I believe they have all flown south. I can always tell when they are gone because the white butterfly reappears and lays eggs on my fall veggies. I miss the swallows.
Love Julies quilt tops. Those two must have had a very full car going home, plus I’m sure they had such a good time with you.
Fiona and Dawn….your quilts are wonderful.
Thank you Sue. I made the memory quilt for my mother (for her bed), from my late father’s shirts.
A spinning wheel! What a treasure, even in parts. Loved seeing your pumpkins and hope to have some cool air before long, too.
Julie’s quilts are amazing especially I love he over and under one.
Fall is coming with a bang! Time for he quilts to come out and the window open at night.
Stay masked/ stay safe
Angie from Baltimore – I had to really think about your statement about having the window open at night. I suppose you mean youve shut off the AC and now can enjoy the outside air. I was stumped because my window has been open for months! I get it now!
I enjoyed the quilt pictures very much. The one of Julie’s that showed the fabrics close up was fun to pick out fabrics that I’ve had or have. Those women were lucky to get your rug and spinning wheel; it will be good to know they are going to someone that will enjoy them.
Fun post today and lots of beautiful quilts!
Looks like you had a great visit. The quilt tops are very nice. The Small Pickens pattern Looks like a great cooler weather project. I, too, smiled when I saw your quilt in the garage. Such a wonderful blog today! Take care.
Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to pass on some of your “treasures” to someone else who will love them! I’ve I’ve passed on (or will pass on) several items from our house, including my grandmother’s spinning wheel which will go to my niece. I wish I knew someone who’d love my china!
Sorry Connie, I must have missed your post about the DD for September….could you post again
Thank you😊
Barb Vest
Good post. Happy labour day.
Love your swallows! We used to see so many, but then a nearby barn was torn down and I don’t see as many. One year they made a nest on a front porch post. They would perch on the crank out window we had then. Sooo messy and sooo noisy. Woke us up every morning haha. They never did do that again for some reason. Great post with great pics.
Is that a nail sticking out from the rafter in the garage by the swallow nest? And the open bag? Is it below the nest to catch the droppings? Or it just looks like that? It does look like a lady garage! No man stuff.
Here in Rapid City it was 102 degrees on Saturday. Yesterday, Labor Day, 2 days later, the temp started at about 50. The rain started slow, but steady about noon. The temp went down to about 31 in the night and we got snow. Got about 1″ rain that soaked in and it was very welcome. Supposed to be colder tonight then back to 80 by weekend. Blossoms are wilted, but plants look good. After all the heat they probably just went ‘oooooh!’ The west edge of RC got more and lots more in Edgemont & Deadwood. Now Wyoming and Colorado are getting it. What wierd weather? Lots of old weather records were broken.
Keep quilting all the beautiful stuff. It all brings wonderful smiles to our faces. Betty
Yikes! Very chilly here, too, but not quite 31 yet, thank goodness! I am chilled to the bone this morning and had to give in and turn in the heat.
Yes, the swallows built the nest around that big nail and the bag looks like it’s under the nest but it’s not. I do have a newspaper on the floor to catch the many droppings. I so hope this is the last batch of babies so I can close the overhead door. It’s cold!
The open space in the garage will only fit a small car because my carpenters took the space out to make the stairs going up. How stupid of them and I didn’t understand what they were doing until it was too late – many years ago.
Hello, all! Let me tell you that Catherine and I are unrelated twins. We were thrilled to find a heart and interest sister in Mary. She’s a doll, and we both loved meeting her and Rick.
In an email, i told Mary about myself and new to me house, and inquired what that “sell later” price of the gorgeous rug might be. Mary, such a generous heart, said “it’s yours.” I was blown out if the water. I rented a car, cuz I drive a beater, and drove 1,428 miles for the rug. It was exactly what Mary described, and I am over the moon.
You know all Mary’s pictures, where she has the cutest little items in her display? O mercy me, they are everywhere, and you cannot possibly look at every little thing. I loved it. A Scandinavian style carving caught Catherine’s eye as we were passing thru the kitchen on the way to Mary’s sewing room, in her question, Catherine suggested it might be part of a distaff. It wasn’t, it was something like a butter press. A distaff is the upright rod on a spinning wheel, from which hangs linen fibers, you pull into your spinning thread. It was at that point, Mary asked were either of us interest in her family spinning wheel. I knew Catherine would be, she has years of spin experience. And for the record, today sent me pics of her beeswax treatment in process. Mary, it will be stunning when she’s done.
Thank you all so much for your kind comments on my flimsies I have few quilters in my real life, your kindness thrills me. Thank you Sandy, and Angie. Beryl B C, yes, Catherine and I are blessed both to have met Rick and Mary, and then doubly blessed by her generous heart. She knows we will treasure the wheel and the rug.
Jean, and Ginny, you asked about that first quilt. https://www.cactusqueenquiltco.com
I don’t know if that will post as a link, but there it is. The inventor of the template/ruler has since sold the business. The templates are something like 6″ and 7-1/2″. It is called X-block.
My quilt is based on her design. I made my blocks 16″, and marked a 12″ ruler to cut my blocks. I can never write this pattern, because it belongs to the other inventor My center x’s are 6″ I think. I carefully planned the color flow. The brights strips range from 2-1/4″ to 3″ wude. The cross wise all flow from yellow thru orange thru coral thru red. The lengthwise start out lime through aqua through blue indigo purple dark purple. Each strip starting and ending further inn the sequence. The only reason I did that was I didn’t have enough variety of fabric, there would have been too many repeats if all lengthwise strips started lime and drifted through deep purple.
If that’s not enough info, ask, and I’ll try to elaborate more.
Sorry for the posting delay, I got home Monday 11:00 pm, and worked today. Julie in Kansas
Also, expect typos, I’m on a tablet.
Connie’s Small Pickins is perfect for autumn. Maybe I can use up some more scraps. All the quilt pictures were wonderful. Lots of talented people out there. I’m trying to find my way with so much free time. My husband passed away on August 28. I’m so used to taking care of him , and now there is a lot of empty space. I should be able to get many projects done once everything settles down. I’m glad you found homes for some of your treasures.
Diane Meyer – oh, I’m so sorry Diane! You must be lost and confused with all your free time that you previously used to take care of your husband! I can’t even imagine. I hope this blog and all the readers could provide some distraction from your sadness! Wish I lived closer so I could take you out for lunch or coffee. Email me if you ever feel like it.
Mary, I wished I lived closer. I think I need the therapy that Hazel and Telly can provide. My daughter brought over Ruger, a golden lab shepherd mix for therapy. It did help. Eventually things will be better. I just deal with each day as it comes. Thanks for your kind words. I so enjoy your blog.
Diane in WI – have you thought of getting a dog? A puppy? How about a senior rescue? All of them need homes and they’re lonely, too. How I wish I lived closer to you so you could come for a therapy day with Hazel and Telly. I know you say you’re dealing with one day at a time but I would imagine some of those days can get long. Maybe you’ve told me why you don’t have a dog or if you have one already but I have forgotten.
This comment is for julie. THANK YOU SO MUCH for the info on the quilt that I just loved! I will need to digest all that you said because it confused me. I’m certain it will make sense once I read slowly and with purpose. Exciting stuff!