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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Hours In Between!


Hello from a rainy chilly cloudy Franklin NC! You know, the mountains in this side of the state are as beautiful when the weather is bad, as they are gorgeous when the weather is good!

I guess they don’t call them “The Smokies” for nothing…but this morning I woke up to look outside to see the clouds definitely hanging low in the rain like smoke rings around the mountain tops. Incredible!

Yesterday afternoon, though…..that’s what I want to post about! I had a few “hours to kill” in between lunch and the evening guild meeting and since the other ladies had things like a board meeting to attend---I was free to wander!

The first thing I did was walk around the corner from the church where my lectures were being held….to another church ((On Church Street no less!)) to catch some pictures of these unbelievably pink blooming cherries! OHHHH! Does this do my heart good!

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((At the same time I’m thinking of all the blooming I’ve missed in my own neighborhood…but this will have to make up for it!))

I just couldn’t get over these trees….Come on Spring!

From there I walked down the main streets of town and window shopped! It was a lovely day for just exploring….here is a view from the end of the street toward the mountains:

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The mountains surround the town, there are more closer than this, but I am at a top of a hill looking down from the front of where the meeting was..

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This is from the top of another hill looking toward more mountains. It’s such a quaint little place!

My jaunt also bee-lined me to an antique mall, and I had a great time exploring in there. How about some more antique eye candy?

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Don’t you love this 1950s “Sew Tric”?? I can imagine the fashions that were sewn on it in its day!

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This hand crank says CESTRIAN on it…I’ve never heard of that brand before, but look at all that gorgeous decal work! Good thing the car is already overloaded..I had to leave this one behind! In love

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I love different sewing notion caddies too…what a fun bird! I’ve seen other sewing birds, but nothing so stork-like! And the heart shaped base is cute with old spools….

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My mom can remember HER mom doing the family’s wash with an old wringer washer---but I’m sure glad that THIS is not the way my clothes get clean! I suppose it sure beats scrub boards and rock beating, but with some things, the old way is not necessarily the best way, and I’m happy to be a modern washing machine girl!

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I love this display of pottery jugs! I have quite a collection at home and I wonder about the stories they could tell too! The one that caught my eye? The 3rd shelf down all the way on the left…with the roundish appearance. Short and squatty and oh so cute! But was a bit more than I could afford ((Or really had room for at home in all honesty!))

Did I find quilts? You want to see the quilts already? Yes! I found quilts!

You can tell the ones I liked the best because there are more detail shots…the Sunburst one rocked my socks! I love how the value placement changed in each block so it looked like it wasn’t the same exact block, but it was.

I also love the one with all the half square triangles, especially the renegade block with the triangle turned whoopsie. I’d have kept it that way too --- Just cuz! I hope you enjoy these:

I still had some time to kill before heading back to my guild meeting, so off I went to walk the greenway for a couple of miles! It was beautiful along the river:

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And I was sure that I would NOT speed past 11 MPH!!

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Isn’t it pretty along here? Even without the green of spring yet? The sun felt warm, and I actually got a bit of pink on my neck…..time to start remembering that sun screen!

2 miles, tired legs and feet…back to the car to relax. Guess what I did?

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Yep, I’m in the driver’s seat, finishing the binding on my Sis in Law’s baby quilt (Due any day now!) and enjoying some music on my ipod with the windows down. THIS is how I relax!

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I threw it over the fence by the greenway to take a quick pic! When I get home it will be on its way to Idaho……

It’s after 10pm…time for this quilt bunny to head to bed…morning comes early and we’ve got another Cathedral Stars workshop in the morning!

9 comments:

  1. Love the sewing machines and the quilts, Bonnie. The Sew Tric may be a Japanese 15-clone, and I'm wondering if it could also be treadled (I need a zigzag that can be treadled). And I have to say that if I saw a washing machine like that, I'd want to take it home immediately. It would solve my problems of rinsing freshly hand dyed fabric (since I've realized my new HE washer is not going to do that job well enough.

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  2. You are so lucky to be able to see all the sights and places you do. Thank you for sharing and letting us live vicariously with you.

    Not even to mention the lovely quilts and ideas you come up with!!!

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  3. Bonnie, when you have time, check out all the blocks in the triangle quilt. The corners are not all half square triangle blocks! Some are white squares. All three quilts are wonderful.
    Love the looks of the washer, I remember being at my Grandmothers and her using a wringer. It had an electric motor. She would roll it into her kitchen on laundry day.
    The Cestrian machine, was it a hand crank? I have an old one that looks similar but is missing the bobbin winding parts. The engraving on this one is so vibrant hard to think it was used much.
    Safe travels, and thank you for sharing yours with us.

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  4. I'm 40, but grew up with antiques, which always shocks me! I think they are not antiques! Dad still has the hand crank ice chipper on his counter! Mom loved her crocks - at Christmas she would put tree clippings in the biggest one and decorate it with white lights. But the funny thing - as the youngest of 7 - us kids did the laundry in the summer and we had 2 big buckets (soap & rinse) and a "plunger" full of holes. Then we would send the clothes through the wringers. The washing machine part had rusted through so Dad mounted the ringers on the some 2x4s. Hung up the laundry. Kept us outside in the fresh air and entertained for HOURS! Other kids liked to help - they all had washer & dryers! I don't know - I think I should start looking around for one for MY son! All kids love to play in water! Cheers! Evelyn

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  5. It looks like a beautiful day to enjoy and unwind. The blooming trees are so lovely! Snow is in our forecast today:(
    11 mph?! Too funny!

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  6. Just finished reading another blog, Sisters Choice Quilts, and she would love the sewing bird in Pink, so do I . Never have seen those before, how fun. Great pics of quilts and township............happy travels

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  7. Bonnie I always love traveling with you! And my feet never hurt afterward ;). Fantastic quilts.
    My grandmother had a white washer like the one you took a picture of. I remember my Mom doing laundry and hanging it outside when I was really young. Like you said...I am all for using less energy, but I really like my washer and dryer. :)

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  8. Gosh Bonnie! I need to relax just after reading how you spend your time! HA!
    I love the look of mountains too. ANd I live in the flat part of Indiana. I can travel south a couple hundred miles ans see some rolling hills. They give me a thrill too.
    I keep getting a message on your blog and your website that says"security certificate errors". Hubby says it is nothing major.
    XOXOXO Subee

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  9. It's so great to see pictures of old sewing machines - especially brands I've never heard of before. And that bird with the scissors, etc - a bit similar to the picture I have on my blog of the duck with the sewing box. Unfortunately, I have a really bad habit of bringing those things home with me. (Yes, both sewing machines AND sewing caddies. LOL)

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