Quilt Festival

Connie and I attended many Quilt Festivals – wish I were there this weekend. But listen to this – two blog readers met and hooked up, meeting for the first time at Quilt Festival.
Read more here


On the left is Jo from Wyoming as she comments and on the right is Tanya Tullos from Houston. Tanya is the author of all the historical content in both of our books Beyond the Battlefield and A Country’s Call.
The sapphire collection of quilts is breathtaking!
Now for some Dirty Dozen 7’s.




My friend Carrolyn sent me this fun picture – do you think this is photo-shopped? It must be but I love it!

And I have gotten so many fun cards from so many of you but these three people couldn’t have shopped at the same place but they’ve sure got my number!

Two birthdays ago I gave this Black and Decker jackhammer to Owen for his birthday and it has stood the test of time. He still loves it! The family isn’t crazy about it however – you know how annoying loud toys can be. But is this not the cutest picture?

28 thoughts on “Quilt Festival

  1. Sandy in Indiana

    Beautiful #7’s!
    Love the animal picture 🙂
    Thinking of you & hoping you are feeling a little better every day!

  2. Dee

    Hi , Hope you are still on the mend in a positive note. Had my knee replaced 3 years ago and have a 98% perfect knee. First year is the hardest but in a few months, you will be walking without a cane or walker. Take this time to catch your breath, wish I was closer to help you out, honesty,

  3. Lois Ann Johnson

    Not able to close any of the ads today, Mary! I have no clue what to do because there are no “X”‘s to click on. Hope your healing continues on schedule.

  4. Paula S.

    I love the pictures – all of them! I also hope you’re getting better everyday. It’s rough as I’ve watched friends go through this and hope I never have to!

    1. Pamela in Missouri

      Thank you, Sandy. I’m glad you like it. The pattern is Plantation Road by Bonnie Blue Quilts. It was a Dirty Dozen because I kept procrastinating about adding the borders.

  5. Kathy Hanson

    Owen is so cute with his jack hammer!!! Love all the pictures, yes, I’m sure that animal one was photo shopped but what a beautiful picture! I really enjoy reading all of Tanya’s historical information on the quilt pattern pages in your books, so informative and enjoyable to read! The finished quilts are so beautiful, isn’t Dirty Dozen fun and oh how nice to have things finished! I am working like crazy on #4 as it is a block of the month quilt that my daughter, Sarah, and I started in 2011!! We are both making one so it is the perfect one to get done! Better get to the sewing room!!

  6. Ellie

    Love the pictures today! Especially the animals! You sound as if you’re feeling a bit better each day! Keep working at it and it does get easier. I know, I’ve been there three times!

  7. Nancy Wingo

    Mary, I have so been praying for you and thinking of you every day. You are the sweetest kindest strongest lady I know. Thanks for sharing even though you are in pain and trying to recover through all of this and not think of all the things you would like to be doing at home. I fell last week and broke my second hip the first one only eight months ago. But my husband agreed to let me come home for rehab this time. It’s slow going but I don’t have it as bad as you do. I don’t have animals plants or farm as you do. Please know that you are loved by so many people and such an inspiration to everyone. God bless you and help you recover very very soon.

  8. Jeanine W

    Some very nice finishes. The one with all the half square triangles is amazing! I would never want to do one like it as I do not care for half square triangles!! I always enjoy your posts and your pictures. I’ve never had knee replacement so can’t realize all the pain you are having. I’ve had friends that have had it and it wasn’t fun, but better in the end. For some reason there are no ads to close today. A couple with no x’s and some yellow rectangles. That unusual. I usually close 6 or 7 each time.

  9. Joyce from NY

    The dirty dozen finishes are amazing. Hope each day is going better for you. I closed 3 or 4 ads today. Thank you for taking the time to blog for us during your recovery.

  10. Charlotte S

    What great pictures today! I love all the quilts. Closed a bunch of ads too. Continued prayers are going up for your complete healing.

  11. Margaret

    Love your blog, sorry you are having to go through this but from what I hear you will be so much better. Praying for your pain and fast healing. Love hearing about all the animals. You are so special.

  12. Diane and Squeak in Central Ohio

    HI Mary, Good to hear you are doing pretty well. Knee replacement is MAJOR surgery so it will take
    about a year to be fully healed and back to 100%. At least it did my husband with his two. He can do all kinds of yard work now and today, he even put a bed together for a friend.
    Now that I’m getting Chicken Scratch on my husband’s email, I have all the pictures, the ads, and the x’s. Maybe it was Windstream. I am going to go back and read all the ones I missed. Thanks for keeping up with us even as you go to PT which I knows is very hard!!
    It was cold and WINDY here in Central Ohio for Trick or Treat.

    1. Kathy in western NY

      Diane – I hope you saw the post where Mary put your adorable cats picture in.
      What a priceless expression! I had hoped all was well not seeing you in the comments, We took a trip to Ohio and I finally got to the fabric store Somewhere sewing in Millersport. What a big place. Stocked up on fabrics for winter projects and beyond!!

  13. Marilyn

    What a cute picture of Owen and his Jack hammer.
    I received my book and am so delighted. Beautiful quilts and very interesting stories of women In History. So many I’m not sure where to start.
    I really like the variety of sizes, too.
    Thank you both for all your hard work

  14. Jan from TN

    That’s awesome that these 2 ladies met up at Quilt Festival in Houston. Wish I could have gone but feel almost like I’ve been to market this fall because of all the great FB & Instagram posts about it. I’ve also received a few emails from various shops that were there! Fun!!
    Hope you’re feeling a wee bit better. I know physical therapy can be a big pain because I’m also going thru it right now for my shoulder. No surgery (yet or possible ever) but I have a bursa under the scapula & I have impingement syndrome due to the bursa’s placement. I swear I’m in more pain when I leave PT than when I arrive. Ugh! But I’m sure mine PT is nothing compared to yours. Hang in there, Mary! We’re all pulling for you!!

  15. Jo in Wyoming

    I am now home, Tanya lives close so I’m sure she slept in her bed every night. She is a nice, nice lady.
    Festival was wonderful, overwhelming, tiring, and I’m broke! We met great people and saw magnificent quilts. Even some famous folks were there.
    Mary, it sounds like you are making baby step progress, for such a big surgery, any steps in the right direction is good. Hang in there and don’t start cooking…not even a piece of toast. It’s ok to be a princess for a few more weeks.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Oh, Jo, I’m glad to hear from you! And I’m thrilled that you and Tanya hooked up – Festival sounded wonderful as usual but those blue and white quilts would be a highlight for me. Was Loretta glad to see you? Did she stay with friends?
      I just made myself some toast – should have read your note first!

  16. Carol T

    Thinking of you with lots of love Mary….. don’t be hard on yourself Dearie! Rest when you need to … or rest even when you just want to! You will heal….it just takes time.

  17. Kathy in western NY

    Oh all the pictures are adorable!!! It’s like going to a quilt show seeing all the lovely ones completed. Hope everyone is keeping warm there with you resting. As always your blog posts are entertaining to read. Anesthesia didn’t slow your brain down!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      You know, I do think the anesthesia slowed my brain down because I cannot for the life of me remember being in the hospital! I don’t remember my room, Rick leaving, Rick coming back to get me or any of the nurses and aides. I don’t even remember the ride home!

  18. Tanya T. in Houston

    What a fun time at Quilt Festival! It was icing on the cake to get to meet Jo and her terrific friend. The three of us felt like we knew each other through the blog posts and couldn’t wait to send Mary a picture of our connection. We just need a Country Threads retreat to sew with each other! The blue and white quilts this year were stunning. Almost everyone likes blue! Many people seemed to enjoy walking under and through the huge displays of them. It felt like swirling in color!

  19. Penny C Maryland

    Always love your blog! Your pictures and stories keep me smiling! Continue to get better everyday Dear Mary

  20. Donna Sproston

    Hope you are feeling better day by day!
    I love A Country’s Call and will get started on Well Remembered as soon as my Christmas sewing is done. It will make January go by faster. I love the option of different sized squares.
    Owen and his jackhammer reminded me of the birthday I gave my grandson, then 3, a toy drum set. Fortunately for his parents he lost interest after a year or so. He now plays the cello.

  21. Marilyn Miller

    You are wealthy in your friends, Mary! The beautiful boxes which contained some scrumptious looking food, were such a thought filled gift. I hope you are back up and feeling like your old self again soon.❤️

  22. Carolyn Rector

    Many prayers are going out for your recovery. Could not get any pictures on the website today, not on my kindle or my iPhone. Too bad, they sounded like good ones. Keep up the good work and God bless you

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