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Thursday, November 22, 2018

A Blessed Thanksgiving!

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Found in West Jefferson, NC.

I took my dad on a little jaunt to Jefferson/West Jefferson North Carolina yesterday afternoon – there were a few odds and ends to pick up, and then we met with the rest of the family who were inbound from Winston Salem – deciding to have dinner at our favorite Mexican Place in Jefferson.

Only upon arrival we saw that they were CLOSED.  No worries – in the same plaza is The Winner’s Circle – and you can find just about everything you could ever wish for on their menu with portions so large you could feed a family of 4 on one platter.  No lie.  Half of it came home!

But before we ate – there was some time to kill.  We hit up an antique mall I love to frequent to just to see what holiday decorations may be out (not many) and with Dad in tow, I told him to just look around for anything that interested him.  “It’s like a museum where you can touch stuff!” I announced  as he headed over toward a display of vintage cameras, from old brownies to polaroids, and we talked about the technology of this long  out of date artifacts, the earlier versions of what is now found on our cell phones and live in our back pockets on a daily basis.  Can you imagine?

Some of them even had manuals still in their boxes – so much fun to look through.

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Someone spilled bleach on this beauty.

*sad face*

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But these names – all embroidered, tell a story!

Dewey Ave Methodist Church Sisterhood
Granite City, Illinois 1966

And here it is in West Jefferson North Carolina.  with a bleach stain.  i do love that little heart print the maker used as background, and the embroidery and quilting are very neatly done.

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Oh little lap quilt -

Evidently there were not enough  blocks to go around so some 4 patches were thrown in with some sashing added to them to increase their size so they’d fit.  Whatever works!

But I find quilts like this so interesting, and was explaining this to dad, the things that could be learned from this maker, just the same way were discussed the whole display of vintage camera memorabilia.  The fabrics date from the early 1900s. 

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Close up

Indigoes, plaids, mourning prints – the contents of the maker’s scrap bag.  Perhaps the scraps came from garments she made previously for the men in her family that she lovced beyond measure.

today I’m thinking of where this quilt was on any given Thanksgiving years and decades ago.  Who dreamed beneath it while the maker started her Thanksgiving ritual of “All day in the kitchen for a 20 minute meal.”

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The best views are at the top!

We drove to the top of Mount Jefferson to give Dad the lay of the land. It was getting cold – past 4pm and a bit breezy up there.

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The sun was making its way toward sunset!

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The mountain was casting its shadow on the valley below.

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Rock outcropping and the valley beyond.

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Check out that shadow!

I find mountain vistas incredible at any time of day – but when weird things like big shadows happen it also makes things more interesting, just like the inconsistencies in any vintage scrap quilt .

I’ve been spending my time “Being present” with Dad while he is here, we’ve been watching Netflix together, and I’ve been working on bindings – but when he took himself up for a nap, I went DOWN to the studio to put some pieces through the machine.

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Making more hour glass units -

There are about 8 blocks left to finish and I can lay out blocks and put this top together.  I am bound and determined not to carry Halloween into January.  LOL.  But just those few minutes of cutting, stitching, pressing and laying out units kept my hand in the cookie jar, and I felt like I was making SOME progress.

This morning I am hitting the kitchen as many of you are.  Rick and Mona will be over around 11 so she can help me prepare our meal. 

There WILL be a cut throat round of FARKLE after dinner as we chat and laugh and enjoy each other.

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Our Thanksgiving Sunrise.

I am wishing the same for you, wherever you are.  It’s a different Thanksgiving for us.  We are missing Dave’s dad, and my brother Mark.  It feels like there are empty places at our table, but we know they would want us to continue on with our traditions.  Perhaps start some new ones. Continue on making new memories while cherishing the old ones.

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving day!

My life has been abundantly enriched by this quilting community and I am so grateful YOU are in this scrappy mess with me.

Much love to you and yours today.

And a good night's sleep tonight as part 1 of our Quiltville Mystery GOOD FORTUNE goes live TOMORROW!


29 comments:

  1. Bonnie, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and friends. No cooking for me today but I'll be with some of my family and long-time friends. Thank you for all you do for our quilting family!

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  2. Happy Thanksgiving Bonnie and thanks for all you do for us in quiltland. It takes awhile to get used to life without loved ones but I think you are doing it right - you and your dad and family are helping each other through it and yes all this cooking and done in 20 minutes whoever thought that was a good idea!! one day someone else needs to do the cooking in my kitchen or take me out instead! I think I could handle not having leftovers - I could still make pie to have for a couple days :)

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  3. Today is Thanksgiving number 3 without my Dear Husband. He passed 2 yrs ago in September, 4 days shy of his 52nd birthday. Today I will have 2 of our 3 children and 5 of 8 grandchildren (with #9 on the way) here. I am blessed beyond measure. I miss him terribly everyday and more so this time of year, but I have a purpose in this life and will do my best to fufill it. Wishing you and yours a very blessed Thanksgiving!

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  4. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

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  5. I'm so glad you get to share this time with your dad. As a parent, I can imagine that he is over the moon with delight and pride seeing you follow your dreams of purchasing your new cabin getaway and Quiltville Inn. Happy Thanksgiving!

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  6. My best wishes to your family. Such a wonderful day you had with your father. What a blessing for you to have your father with you on Thanksgiving. Today is my 33rd without my father, who passed away on Thanksgiving Day, 1985. He was only 62. It is the second Thanksgiving I won't be able to confer with my mother about the particulars of cooking the perfect turkey. She passed in 2016, and her last Thanksgiving was spent in hospital. The day has become bittersweet for me. Our table will be small, just myself and my husband, but since I almost lost him last November, it will be perfect because he is here with me.

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  7. thanksgiving abounds today, and every day i write at least a snippet in my gratitude journal... you are such a tease, waiting like for Christmas morning for tomorrow's first step, living in the now today with family and friends...Cats in Carlsbad, CA

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  8. How fun the share dating info on a Quilt with your dad. There's a place by Pomeroy that has a collection of old Cameras. It fills a basement room.It will be an early wake-up tomorrow for me. Have a Happy Thanksgiving with those you love. Farkle sounds fun! Less around my table as well. I have to share with the inlaws. Grateful for all that will come today. Grandchildren Hugs are the Best!!

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  9. Hqppy Thanksgiving Bonnie! Thanks for taking us along on your mqny adventures, my life is blessed because you are in it!

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  10. Happy Thanksgiving to your and yours Bonnie.

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  11. Happy Thanksgiving Bonnie, may your day be filled making memories and the joy of remembering other Thanksgiving days. God bless you and yours.

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  12. A blessed weekend of thanks for you and your family Bonnie.

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  13. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Bonnie.

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  14. Happy Thanksgiving, dear Quilt Guru! Enjoy every moment. I do appreciate all you bring to my quilting experience. You're one of the blessings I am thankful for today and always. Christy Horton

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  15. Happy Thanksgiving! It is a very difficult one this year with my mother in law. But we are still blessed! Enjoy

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  16. Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for you!

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  17. Tried your creamed onion recipe today for something different and everyone loved it.
    Thanks!

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  18. Happy Thanksgiving day! I am thankful that I have you in my love life!!Good to see Sadie with your Dad! Looks like they were having a nice conversation!

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  19. Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

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  20. How very strange. I am from Granite City, Illinois and I know that church!

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  21. THank you Bonnie for all you do for us! I am so excited about the mystery and I won't even be home until Tuesday! Feel just like a little kid! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  22. Anonymous9:23 PM EST

    Happy Thanksgiving Bonnie. I wonder what price was on that quilt? I live 3 hrs away and think it would be fun to return it to them to see if any remember it and find out the story behind it. I've spent the last week and 3 hours this morning ironing scraps from the 30+ plastic grocery sacks, 2 mesh laundry baskets, and 1 large box of scraps collected from a closed quilt shop, completed projects, and 2 inherited collections getting them ready to cut into strips, etc. and following your example. I may get to cut all the pieces for this mystery out of the small scraps without even touching the strips! It will take me into the new year, but I'm remembering it took you a month, so I know there's hope for me. Ivy

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  23. Its "tomorrow" here already!! :) You guys still have to catchup, so I will only get the first clue tomorrow here!! :( Hurry up and catchup with us! :) :) Cant wait!!

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  24. Oh yes, and happy Thanksgiving from us all in South Africa!

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  25. Hope your all enjoying your thanksgiving, enjoyed seeing the lovely quilts so sad the red one had been damaged with bleach all that work in stitching the names but it’s fun to think of the memories it holds.
    Excited to see the first clue .
    Have a beautiful day and enjoy your family time
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  26. Far away in Israel, we are having a Thanksgiving Sabbath meal tonight, Friday, with close friends. I love your blogs and am devoted to reading them daily. I have been a fan for a long time now! I've just started cutting out your Wild Child project from String Fling and made up two blocks to see how they look with my chosen background. When it's finally finished - who knows how long it will take???!!! - I will send you a photo. You won't believe what fabric I've chosen to substitute the "turquoise" you chose for the second block.... I think of you often and hope all your plans for Thanksgiving came off well.

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  27. ANOTHER common link... my stepson and his family live there in Jefferson, NC. What a coincidence. Looking forward to the release of Good Fortune's first clues!

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  28. I hope your Thanksgiving was as "fruitful" as our was! Most all of our family, extended included, were able to come together... and hearing news of 4 ...yes 4 new babies expected in the Spring! That will make me a great grandmother to 11... and I need to get started on a few baby quilts!

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