So much to catch up on! 8-13-21

First of all – did you watch the Field of Dreams game last night? It was fabulous with an ending only Hollywood could write – haha! Wasn’t the corn just beautiful? I say this every summer but last night everyone could see that gorgeous corn! I hope they replay the game because I’ll watch it again.

If I can move the pictures I will.

I’ve had such a super busy week – colonoscopy prep on Monday, procedure on Tuesday, friends from Vermont coming on Wednesday and I had promised a homemade pot roast meal so even though it was 90+ degrees, I was cooking. One of the Heath Bar cakes was for that supper – it was great fun seeing them again with their Sheltie named Sonny.

Yesterday I went to Walmart to get my second shingles shot – got that over with this week, too! Last night Connie and I took Becky out for supper at the Muskie in Ventura – delicious shrimp and walleye. Then home to watch the game.

Today I’m going to get caught up! Here on the blog I am going to post all the waiting reader quilts.

Jill and her birthday quilt

Remember last winter when I worked on this red and white Farmer’s Daughter quilt for my cousin Jill who lives in California? She visited yesterday so I could give it to her. I had made the comment in a past blog that I was going to give away all my quilts at my funeral and Jill wrote to me and said she wanted hers while I was alive! Haha! So I made this quilt in her color choices and I picked the pattern Farmers Daughter because Jill’s dad was a farmer who died suddenly in his 50’s of a massive heart attack. The quilt is a tribute to Herman Harle, Jill’s dad.

Good Fortune

Here is the brown and tan quilt I’m just getting ready to bind – for another relative’s birthday – it’s name is Good Fortune and will be available as a free pdf download in our online store. This is my “go to” quilt pattern when I need to make a nice gift.

Good corner

Bad corner

And don’t forget Hayseed –

I’m going to start cutting this out in blues today. Pattern in our store.

Tammy

Sorry this got so long but I needed to catch up and now I think I am – if you sent me a quilt photo and have not seen it posted, resend it because something didn’t come through.

I’d like to go to the new movie Aretha tonight but I think I’m too tired. Happy Summer Day to all of you!

34 thoughts on “So much to catch up on! 8-13-21

  1. Lois Ann Johnson

    Mary: I enjoyed seeing the photos of my cousin, Pat, and her husband (Terry) on your blog today. I had the good fortune to meet them in Clarion for brunch this morning so was able to catch up on what was happening in their lives. It sounds as if they enjoyed their visit to your farm as well as the wonderful pot roast dinner you served. They are heading back to Vermont tomorrow, so we said good bye until the next time. They love to travel (I do NOT!) so hopefully I will see them again next year. The weather is so beautiful not that the humidity went down. Now all we need is some rain!

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Lois Ann – we talked about the wonderful job you’re doing with Bailey! They are very pleasant company, aren’t they?

  2. lorraine bujnowski

    It is always fun reading your blog.. It’s full of fun and pleasant happenings.
    Thanks so much for doing it.

    L

  3. JUDY BRUNDAGE

    I love your Good Fortune quilt and I have just the fabric to make a bunch of them. Can’t wait for the pattern to come out, hope its soon!

    Love your blog, your farm and all you do. Thanks.

  4. Carolyn S Knott

    I love reading your blog. I also enjoy the quilts, yours and the readers. I especially enjoy your farm life pictures. Having been raised on a farm I miss all the excitement and the work that goes on. I just wanted to say it tickles me that you call your evening meal supper. I say it too. i just don’t hear it as much anymore. Even my children who grew up hearing supper, call it dinner now.
    and we are from east Texas where we are so southern acting in these piney woods. Oh how the times they do change. Thanks for sharing your time with us.
    Carolyn

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Carolyn Knott – it will always be supper to me! Old farm girl that I am!

  5. Kathy Hanson

    The Farmer’s Daughter quilt is delightful and I know that your cousin Jill is enjoying it – much more so than after you die!! To come to your home and get it is even better! Hooray! Loved the “quilt show” and the new pattern, “Good Fortune” that you are doing now! I finished another flannel quilt like the one that was a dirty dozen – as I had two of them to do. However, with all the arthritis in my hands and the tenonditis in my left wrist I can’t do any thing that big and heavy anymore! Oh well, I don’t have to make the big heavy ones anymore and that is good!!! Penny is getting big and more fun all the time. I hope we can get her down to see you sometime before too long!!

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Kathy Hanson -I think you’d really enjoy Good Fortune and it’s a free pattern!

  6. Diana in Des Moines

    Ooh, love Good Fortune, will absolutely buy that one.
    If you go to the state fair to see the quilts, look for my blue ribbon mini downstairs in the blue ribbon room. Pretty happy how it turned out, and was I surprised by that ribbon. Gotta love competition.

    Cooler temps this weekend are so very welcome, but still need rain in Des Moines.

    Yes I watched the game and cried. So very touching and so proud to say I’m from Iowa!!

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Diana in DM – tell me exactly where to find your quilt, please, so I don’t miss it. I’m hoping to go early next week.

  7. Sandy

    Hi Mary, lovely photo of you with the sheltie on your lap, dogs know dog people! I have been looking for a quilt idea to make for a young chap who has been a great help to our family and the monkey wrench block xhown will be it with fish fabric as the centres.just getting over a nasty cold, so will delay my next covid shot, hope everyone is well, best wishes from sandy

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Sandy – that would be a really good choice, Sandy! Be well! You don’t have Covid, do you?

  8. Michele

    Watched that baseball game last night. Laughed hard when I saw the two baseball players trying the feed corn. They were lucky they didn’t break a tooth.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Michele – even my readers don’t understand field corn – they thought Tim’s field across the road from me was sweet corn! I guess if you don’t grow up with it, how would you know?

  9. Beryl BC

    Lots of pretty quilts today! I enjoyed seeing Jill and her quilt. I remember her as a young girl, probably from piano recitals. Herman and his brother came in my parents store most every Saturday night to browse. Thanks for bringing up some memories.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Beryl BC – I of course forgot you might have known them! Yes, Jill also took lessons from M. Benzler and is an accomplished pianist today. And those were the days when everyone went to town on Saturday night – the popcorn trolley sat right there in the corner. Tomorrow is Hobo Day!

  10. Betty Klosterman

    A while back I sent you a photograph of my Scrap Crazy quilt and a week later the pattern. If you didn’t get both of them, I can send you both the photo and pattern again. Let me know.
    Yes, the Iowa corn is absolutely beautiful. And all the green grass. Everything is brown here, unless watered, which I can’t see to waste the water on grass. I have 4 big pots of petunias, 1 large pot with a sunflower that volunteered and some cactus and hen and chicks. It is a wierd summer for growing stuff. Oh, there is one (?) little mouse that lives under the lily next to the patio that I like to watch. He is cute. This is the same person that liked watching the sunflower grow…..
    The quilts are beautiful. So much fun to see what everybody is making. And the farm news, too. Did you find any clues to what happened to the chickens? Almost sounds like 2 legged critters?
    Betty in Rapid City

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Betty K – I’m sure I emailed you! I got the pictures and the pattern but you said it’s all straight sewing which it really isn’t since you’ve got to have a Y seam in that block and I hate doing them! That’s why I said to send the pattern – because I did not see how you could make that block without the Y seam.
      I am still distraught about the loss of over 20 chickens! I have no clue at all and I am sick about it. I miss them so much! I could cry just thinking about Fred, Little Red and Chicklet. They deserved so much more and for some reason I did not provide. I sit in the porch and remember them in the yard many times throughout the day – looking for treats under the bird feeders. Tears in my eyes now.

      1. Betty Klosterman

        NO Y SEAMS!!!!! I sent you the pattern by mail. You make 4 each of the side sections following Steps1-4. The look at Step 5. See where the “X” is-to the right of the “E”? Line up the straight end with the bottom of the center square as pictured, and PARTIALLY sew the side about 1 1/2″ and stop—The top end will be loose. Next follow the steps to see how it is going to work – they go on counter clockwise. You are going to kick yourself! That’s alright. No Y seams!
        Don’t feel bad. There have been a whole lot of our quilters that didn’t see that part, too. Now they ALL want to make it because it is SO EASY. And no Y seams. It is just a wonderfully idiot block to make. And you will see how it makes us all smile.

        Let me know you have a big smile on your face.

        20 chickens and no clues. Mercy. That has to be a human. Some things just happen and we have to accept it. Remember when the critter got into the barn? They were your kids, and really cute. I’ve always loved chickens . Did you report the theft to the police? There may be other farmers that are missing chickens, too.

  11. Marian

    Oh Mary you’ve been through the mill with a colonoscopy (neg. I hope), the shingles shot and all that company! Jill’s quilt is a beauty. The dog 🐶 on your lap is YOU. Nice picture! The Field of Dreams game was great. I thought of you many times because I knew you wouldn’t miss it. The game was so exciting and never boring. The real movie 🎥 is on again on Saturday afternoon at 3 on the MLB network. The weather is perfect here in Minnesota and am trying to be outside a lot mingling with my 💐 flowers. All the quilts are wonderful. Thanks for posting.

  12. Carrie Knight

    I loved every minute of last night’s ball game. I too would watch it again. It was so beautiful a summer night.

  13. clooless

    I love your “Good Fortune” quilt. Your fabric choices give it such amazing depth and dimension. I can’t stop looking at it!

  14. Kathy in western NY

    Such nice quilts your readers make and thank you for sharing them with all of us. Diana will have to send a picture for you to put on your blog of her blue ribbon award. Congratulations. The pot roast is such a comforting meal to share with friends. Thanks again Mary for sharing your days with us – so much we all have going on with all our lives, that it’s a special moment to sit down and read your blog and comments hearing about everyone all over this great big world.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Kathy – you said it – the comments are so important to this blog! I love hearing from my readers wherever they live and would encourage more of them to write – it keeps us all connected.

  15. Jo in Wyoming

    It does look like you a had a lovely time with your company, and they had a great time with you and Rick. My cousin loved company. He knew a good meal was coming.😁 Hazel found somebody to flirt with, and you got a lap puppy too.
    The quilt show today got better and better….I needed that smile.
    Speaking of great shows, we had blue skies this morning!!! No smoky haze. It was awesome.
    I’m so sad about the chickens, 20 gone, that’s shocking. Mary I’m so sorry. That’s unbelievable.

    1. Mary Etherington Post author

      Jo in Wyoming – yes, the missing chickens is so shocking I simply can’t get over it. I miss them so much – sitting in the porch they always came up to the yard to check out birdseed on the ground. Rick is oblivious to my pain – to him they’re nothing – to me they’re everything!

  16. Jeanie S, Central Illinois

    Thanks for posting the many beautiful quilts. I love both Good Fortune and Hayseed; they are wonderful patterns, and I look forward to making them.
    I am so sorry about your chickens, Mary. It seems like a very odd occurrence.
    It has been so very humid, we have stayed indoors weaving and sewing. However, we are looking forward to a more pleasant weekend.
    Enjoy your trip to the fair. 🥰

  17. Charlotte Shira

    I love reading your blog and seeing all the beautiful quilts and all the farm pictures! I want to try your Good Fortune quilt. I love your color choices. So sorry about your chickens…I’m betting it was a two legged thief!
    Have fun at the fair!!

  18. Susan K In Texas

    Five years ago yesterday we visited Field of Dreams while visiting our Iowa son. It is a beautiful place and looks just like in the movie. We were in a hotel in Albuquerque and the tv had terrible reception so we couldn’t watch the game. A friend did find a video of the players coming out of the corn. It gave me goosebumps.
    Great quilts again today. I really like the colors in Good Fortune.

  19. Kayla

    The game was a big deal around here! Farley and Dyersville were just bananas all week! So festive and so bustling!

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