This week’s block is designed by Jo Morton Quilts and it is called Framed Star. This one was a little tricky with all the flying geese but it is a striking block and well worth it. As always with Blockhead instructions, they were easy to follow.
I think I am finally caught up so I can finish a few unfinished objects (UFO) that are haunting me.
Thanks for visiting with me.
This week’s block by Pat Sloan is called Pick a Posey. Since most of my relatives lived on a farm, our lives were full of plants and flowers. My Mammaw Cooper had a beautiful bunch of roses that ran all along the fence at the back of the house. She never trimmed or fertilized them and they grew in abundance. When I asked her what kind of roses they were she always replied, “old timey climbing roses”. I don’t know if this was the correct name but it described them perfectly.
My Aunt Monnie had iris flowers is all colors all around her house. She called them ‘flags’. I didn’t know they had another name until I was in the seventh grade and studied Tennessee history where I discovered they are the Tennessee state flower. She also had lots of creeping phlox growing on all the banks behind the house. They grew so thick they choked out the grass and weeks and did not need mowing. If plants were not low maintenance they soon disappeared.
My Aunt Mary loved all kinds of flowers and she grew them everywhere. She especially loved peonies and would cut bouquets for the tables. She also had tulips, bachelor buttons, and daisies in addition to all the flowering trees such as dogwoods and crepe myrtles.
Thank you for visiting and taking time to read some of my memories of the good old days.
As Sami and I were out-of-town for Thanksgiving I am late finishing block #21 but here it is and it is so cute. I do not have enough contrast between my colors but I am happy with it. As you may guess, this block is called Telephone Time by Pat Sloan.
As neither of my grandparents had telephones my memory comes from my aunt’s phone. We had an old black phone that did not have a dial. When you picked up the phone and clicked the button the operator would ask, “Number please” and would then connect you. I can remember our old phone number (981-W2). We were on an eight party line system and had a special ring (ours was two short rings) to know which family was to answer the call. We listened when we picked up the phone to make sure someone else was not using it. One lady on our party line would take the phone off the hook when she took her nap during the day and none of the other seven families were able to use the phone until she woke up and replaced the receiver.
At one point my aunt decided the ringing telephone was too annoying so she made arrangements with the phone company that we would not receive calls (or rings) and only have outgoing calls. She kept the phone this way until they finally did away with the party lines and we got a dial phone.
Designer Betsy Chutchian of Betsy’s Best Quilts and More is the designer of week #38 of the Blockheads block of the week. This striking block is called Peace and Plenty appropriately so for Thanksgiving week. When I first looked at this block the first thing I noticed was the pin wheel in the center and thought I had it all figured out before reading the instructions. The assembly was totally different from what I expected but with Betsy’s clear and easy to follow instructions it went together very quickly. Thanks Betsy for another fun and easy block.
On another note, Sami and I had Thanksgiving at my son and daughter-in-law’s lovely house in Georgia. We had a wonderful dinner and visit with all the family to include my DIL’s parents from Texas, my granddaughter and her husband, and my grandson and his girlfriend. We were very honored the grandson surprised his momma with a visit from his Marine post in Arizona and grandson-in-law was able to stop in after his shift as a Georgia State Trooper. Between the two of these young men we were very well protected. Also, as the news has been shared on Face Book I think it is OK to share here: My granddaughter is expecting my first great-grandchild in June!!!! You all know how much I hoped this would happen soon. Everyone is beyond thrilled.
As most of you know, Sami the Wonder Dog has a reputation of being an extremely spoiled dog and VERY active. She lived up to her reputation but she got along pretty well with the other animals and even shared her toy with my grand dog, Bella.
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Robin at Imperial Crochet here at Word Press shared a blog where she honored a blogger friend that she is thankful for. This idea came from her friend Bonnie and she thought it would be a good idea for others to do the same. With Robin’s permission, I borrowed the idea and wish to honor my blogging friend, Roseanne of Home Sewn By Us.
Roseanne is always the first person to respond to blogs with an upbeat and complimentary note. I cannot figure out how she gets so many things accomplished and still takes the time to make everyone feel special by reading our blogs and giving us suggestions and ideas. She posts quilting tutorials that are easy to follow and beautiful pictures of her great nephew that I always look forward to seeing. Her pictures of the quilts she and Sue make have given me many ideas and I am thankful for her.
In addition to her Word Press blog she has a very active Face Book page and an Etsy Store where she sells her quilts. If you enjoy quilts and sewing, Home Sewn By Us is a great blog to follow.
There are so many bloggers that have made me feel welcome and encouraged me during my blogging experience. I am thankful to have found such a wonderful group to associate with during my ramblings.
This holiday season I have been mostly working on projects for donations. You may remember my post on The Giving Store Donation of wrist purses. This is the second and third batch of items that includes 48 microwave bowl holders, approximately 30 lip gloss holders, travel tissue holders, and several more wrist purses. I hope to get a few more items completed after Thanksgiving. Not all will be in the donation boxes as some are designated for others.
When I worked for the city I met a lot of wonderful and giving people who made helping people in their community their project. Some of these people work and volunteer at the local health center. The hours are long and very tiring but many continue to work long after their assigned shifts are over. They patiently help people with not only medical issues but filling out numerous forms for all things to include housing assistance, help finding day care, and locating services that are out of their area of expertise. These are unsung heroes of this little community and will be getting little packages for the holidays.
I know with my limited resources I cannot make a big difference but I can give a few people a little surprise this season and let them know they are appreciated.
Thank you for visiting our little blog today. I would love to borrow/nab your holiday giving ideas for little gifts if you would like to share.
This week’s Grandma’s Kitchen block of the week by Pat Sloan is called Lovely Dishes and so our memory story is all about dishes. Neither of my mammaws had a full set of ‘matched’ dishes. I do not know where the dishes came from but there was an assortment of patterns and styles on their shelves. I remember at one time gas stations would give you a dish with a fill up, and each station had different patterns. This was when gas was twenty-five cents a gallon! Neither of my grandparents owned a car but my uncles would give them the dishes they received at the gas stations.
I loved the different dishes with all kinds of pretty patterns. I remember picking the plate with my favorite color or flower and filling it full of good food.
On a sad note, the quilting world lost one of our stars this week. Nancy Zieman of Sewing with Nancy passed away from cancer. She will be missed.
Thank you for visiting with me and reading our blog. Sami and I always enjoy having company stop in for a visit.
It’s Block Wednesday again! Moda Blockheads block for this week, called Double Delight Star, is designed by Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters . I changed the construction a little by making the flying geese blocks using the no waste/four at a time method as described on the Lazy Girl Designs website.
I always enjoy working on Lynne’s designs and this one allowed me to add my chubby chicken to the center block.
Thanks for visiting our blog.
Please take the time to tell your friends and loved ones that they are important to you. They will not always be a phone call away.
#modablockheads
Grandma’s Kitchen Block of the Week #19 by Pat Sloan is called Mending Basket and our memory stories are supposed to relate to that, so here goes mine.
My Mammaw and all of my aunts had a sewing basket where all the mending resided until it was repaired. Unless it was an emergency repair it had to wait until a rainy day or winter time as summers were pretty busy around the farm. I remember lots of denim scraps to patch jeans and overalls and lots of buttons in jars. I can remember my aunt sewing on buttons and patches while we watched Bonanza, the Rifleman, and Roy Rogers on TV.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Please feel free to visit or share.
Moda Blockheads Block of the Week #36 is called Shoo Dat by Carrie Nelson. This block looks a lot more complicated than it is. It went together very quickly and the cutting was a breeze.
#modablockheads
Thank you for visiting my little blog. Sami and I love to have friends stop by.
Peggy and Sami Quilts 