Hank and Michele were here today and she asked me to include her thank you on the blog tonight. Here it is:
Thank you to the Chicken Scratch blog readers for sending me cards of cheer and get well wishes after my back surgery. Unbelievable!! I received 61 cards from “31 States”!!!
You ladies really are the best. I received cards from MO, KS, LA, RI. IA, MI, TX,SC, MN, NV, CA, IL, TN, IN, NH, AZ, OR, ID, VA, NY, CO, FL, WI, NE, PA, WY, OH, WA, SD, GA, MA. And, if you mailed me one from a state not listed, no fear. Eventually our mail carrier will get it to us. Hank and I were overwhelmed with all your efforts. I am recovering so well that after 4 ½ weeks, I intend to go back to my desk job next Monday- mainly so I’m not tempted to do yard work that I shouldn’t do yet. I could go on and on about the cards but want to share what I observed. We are personally blessed with a large local family and a large group of friends, so I was not lonely. But, if I was an elderly person in the nursing home or home bound with a very small social network, receiving these cards would be priceless. You took the time to find or even make a card for a total stranger, you wrote in the card and mailed the card. This effort doesn’t happen often enough these days. You should each be very proud of yourselves. We should not take for granted what a little act of kindness does for the soul. Blessing to each and every one of you.
Love
Hank’s Mom-Michele
And that’s been my message all along. Those forgotten souls who are lonesome for their family and lonely in the care center deserve to receive a caring thought from anyone – even a stranger.
And I want to say HI to Lisa Bass! We love Moe and she’s just the best girl – she has never been a problem for me in any way.
The Quilt Show
I have so many pictures I had to take a chance and post them all so I didn’t get mixed up. Please keep sending them – this is so fun!
Here’s what we did today – Moe rested under a tree when we went to the field. Greta follows us to the field every day and then rides back on the seat of the golf cart with me.
What did I do for fun today? I took a nap in the porch.
You did quite an amazing job! I’ll ponder & review your instructions to see if I think I can do this. Best, Deb
What a wonderful show of quilts, wall hangings & table toppers!! I had to look them over more than once. I’m working on a panel with 250 years on it and will border it with stars. Managed to put out our new bird feeders, and some fun whimsical items in our new wildflower beds. I’m starting to like our new backyard, just waiting for the wildflowers to come up. Managed to plant 4 large pots on my deck and will try my hand with a cherry tomato plant. So glad that Michelle is doing well and that she shared how cards can be a kindness we can all try to do.
Just when I think I’ve seen a lot of quilts, along come many more – and so original and well photographed, and presented – such talent, and generosity for putting them all together for us, Mary! Glad to know, Michele, that the cards helped. And saved, will continue to delight when you want a pick-me-up!
Wherever you are happy springtime! I love your farm scenes and goings-on, and especially the dogs, cats, chickens, goats, and what-ever else might be petted!
Thank you Mary for putting all 13 quilt pictures on your blog. I have so many more but these are my favorites. And thank you Michelle for reminding us how much receiving cards means to the recipient. I just went out and bought 10 more cards for my stash.
Gloria B – that probably is the correct pattern. The lady in charge of the mystery just handed us a typed copy of the instructions. I went back and looked and there is no title and the quilt was much smaller than mine.
I don’t mind sending out copies of this mystery but I wrote notes all over margins because I made so many additions. Just give me your address.
My oh my such wonderful quilts. Michele’s thank you warms my heart. Windy here in Idaho today. The winds have been terrible this year, wish we could get some rain.
Have a great day
Thanks for adding Michelle’s message in todays blog. Such a sweet letter and I am happy that she is getting along so well after surgery.
The quilts today are amazing. The town by the sea is excellent and I would love to make it since I live in a town near the ocean.(Pacific) I saw one similar in a quilt shop years back that was also in a little town by the sea. Loved it then, too. It didn’t have the wonderful additions like yours, Deb.
Glad you took a nap on your cozy porch, Mary.
Yesterday was my husbands 88th birthday. I made him a (requested) cherry pie.
Sue – a cherry pie would be great for any birthday but congratulations on 88 years!
Mary,
Hi! The patriotic quilts are all so beautiful! I also like Gloria’s seaside quilt. Very peaceful and just fun.
I am down in Indianapolis helping my daughter and son-in-law. Their older rescue dog needed a hip surgery. She’s wearing the cone of shame and they’re using a sling around her abdomen to lift her while walking. She’s snoring right now in her kennel.
We are also gardening! No surprise there. In Indy, the peonies and irises are already bloomed for the year while in Michigan, my irises were just coming out and the peonies only have tight buds. My daughter definitely has a green thumb. She loves gardening but also loves help! LOL.
Take care everyone! And thanks for the great quilt photos. 🌻
Sunflower – and I know what good help you are. Connie’s lab Betty just had a lump removed and she is wearing a skin tight “dress” so she doesn’t have to wear a cone – maybe you could look into that.
Oh my, the quilts are absolutely beautiful! It made my day. I have been busy working on my own stuff and forget there are so many out there doing what I do and make such beautiful quilts. There is a quilt show in Gray, IA today and I would have gone if just one of my fellow quilt friends would go too. Not happening but I got a wonderful quilt show right here on my computer. Thank you.
Loving the rain we are getting!
Me again, Looking at Etsy I now think Gloria’s gorgeous quilt imight be an adaptation of “ Home again” by Lella Boutique. With instructions that Gloria provided I think we might be able to give it a try. Setting it on water is genius!
Gloria from CC, it’s Gloria from northern IL here. 😊. I too love your seaside house quilt. I’ve seen that design or something very similar before, but you made yours extra special. It reminds me of seaside towns I’ve visited and locked into my memory.
I don’t know for sure if this is it but I loaded your pic into Ai and asked for a pattern name. Maybe AI can do something helpful, not hurtful. Here’s the response….
This looks very much like the “Hillside Houses” quilt pattern (sometimes sold as Hillside Houses by Pretty Little Quilts). The distinctive features are the stacked, scrappy houses climbing a hillside with a large sky background—very similar to quilts identified by quilters online as Hillside Houses.
Your version appears to be a customized variation with:
* A coastal/water border and sailboats
* An American flag on a pole
* Birds in the sky
* Additional embellishments and borders
Mary, thanks for a beautiful quilt show.
I chuckled when I saw the purse party like it’s 1776. It reminded me of 1976 the bicentennial and how I took my first quilting class then. I also helped organize our town parade and rode roller skates from one end to other to keep the marchers in order. And here it is 2026 and so much older but still quilting.
The blog quilt show means just as much to those who no longer can attend quilt shows so please realize how important sending your pictures to Mary is.
Being home and unable to mingle among quilters will be hard for me when I am unable to get around as it is for others here now so this is such a meaningful gesture Mary does to keep us engaged.
I’m so glad Michelle is doing well after her surgery. Hank needs her. How sweet Moe looks.
Kathy – and the only way this wonderful quilt show can continue is if readers send me pictures. So much easier than driving 2 hours to a quilt show in person! Haha!
Ladies, You know we have a winner when instead of deleting todays blog, I keep it so I can look at it again – which I do a lot. Wonderful. Thank you.
A big thank you to Michelle for the pep talk about the kindness of sending cards. I’m happy to hear that Michelle is recovering so well. I just scrolled through several recent blogs and seeing all of those patriotic quilts in rapid succession is just amazing. So lovely and such talent!! I have just finished my 1st T-shirt quilt with the help of a quilter friend who has made several. I was a bit intimidated but now I think I’m good to go. I have a tendency to over think ( and I mean WAY overthink) and it can be crippling to getting started.. But it is done and hopefully the parent’s who requested it and the recipient will like it.
Cold (39 degrees at 7:30 am) and rainy in NH today. So far I feel like spring has ben a bust. Hoping that we get some summer weather soon. I’m not a fan of hot and humid, but warm would be nice.
What beautiful works crafted from fabrics and executed with so much care and creativity! W, O, W,!!!!!
Michele’s thank you was priceless. I am so happy she is doing well after her surgery. It is a good idea to go to work rather than to be tempted to do yardwork. Thank you for the thank you, Michele!
I love all the beautiful patriotic quilts. We have a lot a patriotic ladies in our group! I love every one of them. I have made a few, but mine are very simple compared to some of these.
Thanks again, Mary for such a wonderful blog!
Hello! So glad the wilderness trail is open! Fun for all! Greta is so funny. Don’t you wonder why she walks out there and then rides back?
Oh, ladies Agnes my cousin with the stroke was able to go to her lake house by ottertail, MN for a week with her son and his family. She had a wonderful time.
Wow! What amazing quilts! Everyone so sharp and beautiful! I need to find my table runner…the only red, white, and blue thing I have,
Yes, I am headed for a new hip or two…I meet with the surgeon on Monday and if he could do it Tuesday, I’d say what time?
It’s cloudy here again today with temps in the 70s, which I love. We sat in the porch and listened to the birds. A nap on the porch sounds wonderful. Well, most days a nap is good!
Have a wonderful Saturday!
I am so enjoying all of the patriotic quilts! The display on the house is amazing 😻! Good to see Miss Greta again.
Michele’s message was very sweet and so true.
Michelle, Your thank you message said it all. Kindness matters. The small gesture of sending a card can mean so much.
The quilt show is amazing. Thanks, everyone for sharing.
The pictures today are amazing. What a group of talented quilters. Thanks for sharing. I couldn’t pick a favorite. Thank you Mary for writing this blog. We haven’t seen Mortie in awhile is she OK?
Sandra – I’ll include some pics of Mortie tonight – not only is she well, she’s a pistol!!
The quilts just keep getting better and better! Wow and wow! So inspiring! Love seeing them all and thanks again Mary for posting them.
Can I just echo what Michele said? A few weeks ago I posted (in passing) that I had to put my horse down. Not long after that I had a card in my mailbox….. from Mary. Such sweet kind wishes during a time when my heart was broken. I read it, I cried, but it SO warmed my heart. I thought of all those people who got their panties in a wad over Mary’s comments about sending a card……. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!!! (if you’re even still here). That kind gesture on Mary’s part made my day. And as was said in the blog, to some lonely person that simple little gesture can make their day, their week, month and year. It does’t take much to be kind.
I’m so glad to hear that Michele is doing well. I’ve had several friends who’ve had back surgery lately and their recovery was slow. (Everyone is different). The whole key is not overdoing and boy I’ve learned after a surgery that can be SO HARD!! LOL.
Take care all! That nap on the porch sounds lovely! 😃
Lynette, I so agree with you. I can’t imagine why people would get upset about Mary asking us to send cards. Having to make the decision to have a beloved pet put down is so hard!! It leaves a hole in your heart. I’ve always adopted the older dogs as I feel they aren’t as easily adopted & need to spend their last years in a loving home. Boots is the first puppy I’ve had in many years & Ron my neighbor & I share “custody” of him, but Boots lives with me. My condolences to you Lynette & I hope each day gets a little better.
What can I say but, Wow, what a wonderful show. That seaside quilt is amazing. I was really struck by the one with the rectangular blocks with the same print like a slit in the middle of the blocks. I would love to try that one. Thanks so much for the joy you give us!1
Brenda – this is my go to quilt for a quick gift. The name of the pattern is Cathedral by Villa Rosa Designs (designs are on a 4 x 6 card – maybe you’ve seen them in the quilt shops you visit).
Hi Mary, thank you for showing my hexagon quilts and one star quilt, they were made by a guild member who recently died,l stitched them onto calico squares and hand quilted them and today at our guild meeting they were donated to charity. One more still to finish quilting! Lovely to see all the quilts! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Michelle’s thank you was lovely and heartfelt.
The quilts are amazing!
A nap is a very fun thing to do, especially when you have such a cool porch for that activity. 🥰
The quilt show is always so much fun. Thanks for showing them.
I would love to know the name & designer of the seaside town. I must add this to my list! Tx so much! Deb from PA
Please, I would love the name of the seaside quilt pattern too. I would make it right away!
What a great quilt show today! Love, love, love
all the red, white and blue quilts!
Deb – I wish I could give you a simple answer. This was a mystery quilt with no pattern name. We were given a page of instructions for three months which gave the dimensions of the houses. There are 36 entire house blocks and 5 front door blocks. Then add strips of background to each row. Since I chose to make my houses Americana, I chose the ocean and pebble beach at the bottom. I fussy cut eagles, sailboats, anchor, ship’s wheel, patriotic terms, flagpole and flag. I named it America’s Hometown. My quilt finished at 50” x 70”.