The JC Fields’ Store!
I made 200 mile round trip drive to Wallburg, NC and back yesterday -
It's time once again to thin the herd.
And it was a beautiful day for driving – crystal clear with just a few clouds.
It’s also the kind of trip where if you find yourself putzing along behind a slow moving diesel truck, it’s best to pull over and let that guy get WAY ahead of you while you take some photo ops of interesting local landmarks.
1888-1944
When we first moved to the area I was enamored with all of the little country churches and cemeteries – but this store has remained hidden for decades in the woods that had taken over.
Someone at some point over the last many months has clear cut the trees around the store leaving it visible once again.
And yes – that is the same Fields family – relatives of the folks who built the Old Fields' Mansion, now known as Quiltville Inn, owned the mill, the old general store on our property in Mouth of Wilson, as well as what used to be the old Ford dealership across the street.
Everyone in these parts knows the name Fields!
I was parked here – at Elk Creek Church across the street.
Next to the Fields’ store is the Elk Creek Cemetery.
My inner history fanatic envisions so many scenes of folks stopping by the general store to gather supplies, share news and friendship. And I am wondering what the plans for this building are.
Oh the stories this store could tell!
Bringing home the 1885 Singer Improved Family.
You can see the spots where decals have worn away.
It's one of the first class 15 machines out there with its ingenious round bobbin mechanism.
I acquired this machine in 2013 – and it has spent the last 7 years living in the dining room at the Wallburg house. I wrote about finding the machine HERE.
Various other machines dating from the 1950s on forward also came back with me and I am hoping to find adoptive families for them through the 3 retreats happening at Quiltville Inn this month. (No, no featherweights or 301s!)
Eventually (But not soon) the Wallburg house will be sold and there is just way too much vintage sewing love and fabric pack-ratting to move it all at once.
I am the vintage sewing machine version of the crazy cat lady. And I know I am not alone in the fabric department either.
My plan is to start working on slimming down that house a little bit at a time.
It will do just fine right here!
Welcome home, little machine.
Of course I remembered the stack of hexie stars!
I will have 55 total blocks – if I make one more to make it 56 I can set the quilt 7 X 8 and it will make a good couch size once I get borders on.
I could go bigger – but that means making more stars and I think I feel done with them, you know?
I loved English paper piecing with hexagons. Diamonds with dog ears? Not so much. But I got this far, and setting them on the string blocks will see me through.
Today’s agenda?
It’s already been a busy one -
I can never say no to pancakes on the porch!
And, Oh Zoey!
Click to Play:
On the agenda today is a podcast I’m recording with Quiltmaker Magazine, and around that all of the usuals that keep things going here.
My cleaning gal comes today to start the sanitation on the inn for the next round of retreaters that arrive on Thursday.
I hope to find time to prep some more string blocks for some hand stitching tonight!
How is Tuesday shaping up for you?
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Be willing to dig deeper, to find reasons, to do some research on your own.
We can't help what we feel, but knowing some real answers helps put things in better perspective.
And EVERYTHING looks better with bright yellow sashings!
Have a lovely Tuesday, friends!
22 comments:
We "have" a similar machine waiting for us to pick up in Idaho (we are in Missouri). DH is a master of decaling - model railroader - and plans to make decals for the machine if we ever actually have it here. I should be leaving for Idaho today, but Covid changed those plans. Someday.
My little dog is sitting next to me and can't figure out where the dog is that is barking. I love the Zoey videos!
Oh, Bonnie! I'm so glad to hear you didn't enjoy the diamond hexies!! I'll still work on them while traveling, but I thought I wasn't cut out (get it?!) to do EPP. I've not done hexagon shapes, so I'll give them a try. Not sure what will happen to the lovely ones I've done already (there may be 8 or so). Watching yours is giving me inspiration!!! Have a great day!
LOL, What is it about Idaho and treadles? I have one waiting for me to pick up there as well, from a family member! Except I am in Michigan. Have no idea how I am going to get it here. And Covid certainly didn't help. Good luck with your travel, and hope you get your machine in a timely manner.
"Never believe everything you think." Yep, I need to run that quote through my head until I get it right. I have to remember not to believe "the lies I tell myself". I need to stop! Thank you!!!
I love Zoey. She is just a ray of sunshine. You are so lucky to have each other!
I don know that feeling of when you're just done with making a certain kind of block and you want to move on to something else. Your EPP on strings idea is fantabulous!
That Zoey is the icing on your daily blogs. Thanks for sharing that sweet girl with us.
I love knowing about the history of places, etc. Thanks for sending the pics and information. I am glad when anyone refurbishes buildings, etc. Zoey makes me laugh. June
Facts over Feelings... that's a sentiment I can get behind (pun intended).
Field trip. Yup. I have planned a field trip for tomorrow. I have stayed home too long. Enough already. So going to Blowing Rock and snoop into all my favorite stores. Bringing my bestie with me.
Even though the abandoned buildings are considered by some to be eyesores, I agree that their history calls to me as well. I think that restoring and revitalizing them, as you have done, is a smile to their history. I find it amazing that quilters, several, have filled little towns with life again. It is a calling and trying to launch this project in the middle of a pandemic, well, amazing! Love little Zoey!
Bonnie, your presence and the Quiltville Inn will be building a bigger community for sure. So happy for you and your family.
It has long been a fantasy of mine to have a General Store, just like the one you pictured with a nice long porch added onto the front. Sadly I am not related to anyone named Fields from which I could "inherit" this building, but man it looks like a great project!
I heartily agree with - Zoey never fails to leave us smiling.
Love the pictures of the old buildings. I've used a couple as wallpaper on my laptop. Precious history of our past lives.
As I watched Zoey in the video, I was thinking of how blessed she is to have come to live with the Hunters. If only we could empty the shelters and every dog have a home. She is definitely loved and I think she loves y’all just as much. You’re a good dog mom Bonnie! 💕💕
I think you should buy the Fields Store and move it to the Quilvilla property and make a store/museum out of it.
Number one - it's not for sale - number two, I think the idea is nuts. LOL!! No no no no no!
Thank you for sharing your solution to the paper pieced blocks. This morning it hit me like a ton of fabric--I also have a pile of completed paper pieced honeycomb Lucy Boston blocks and I was not looking forward to setting them together with many background honeycombs and tiny squares. And now, I have another solution. Many thanks.
My family is from Elk Creek/Comers Rock. Mom loves to go for a ride back in the mountain and show me all the old places. There’s an old schoolhouse way back in the woods that I love to visit and photograph.
I love seeing photos of old buildings. It makes me want to get out my pencil and draw. Zoey is so funny and plainly is trying to tease you to try to take her toy away from her. He eyes look so full of fun wanting to play keep away.
I love the Hexie stars. I would like to machine piece them. Are the stars made with a 60* angle?
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