A Blessed Thanksgiving!

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toward a display of vintage cameras, from old brownies to polaroids, and we talked about the technology of this long  out of date artifacts, the earlier versions of what is now found on our cell phones and live in our back pockets on a daily basis.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.

Someone spilled bleach on this beauty.

*sad face*

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.

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. 

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.”

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.

The sun was making its way toward sunset!

The mountain was casting its shadow on the valley below.

Rock outcropping and the valley beyond.

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.

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.

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.

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!