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Tuesday, October 05, 2021

Before the Rain Came -


We snuck in an over-the-porch-rail quilt airing just as the clouds were gathering and the sky was getting ever darker.

There is not much I love more than the sound of rain as it hits the metal porch roof -

But we were hurrying to get the photos in a frenzy of activity before the skies opened up and we could enjoy the rain.

Just look at that ominous sky!


No matter how grey the sky, it can't stop the gorgeous color in these quilts!


It was so wonderful to spend time with these ladies!


Gorgeous tops - all of these waiting to be quilted!


We'll see you again next year, ladies!

It wasn't but minutes later, after photos were finished that those first drops fell - truly in the nick of time!

And while the rain did its thing outside, we played with this inside:


Treadle lessons!


Watch that handwheel!  Keep it moving toward you!

It's a foot/eye coordination thing.


Now you've got it! 

It just takes a bit of practice!


TOO FUNNY!

Saturday after I had gone home the ladies took it upon themselves to do some silly photos out in front of the inn.  With everyone wearing turban towels on their heads.  LOL!


OMG the Shippenstitchers are way too funny!


Thanks, ladies!

Everyone was gone by 11am yesterday - and I started in on the 12 loads of laundry it takes to get ready for the next group arriving on Wednesday.  

I don't mind it.  My favorite thing is hot laundry fresh out of the dryer.  And as weather gets cooler I may hug the hot load of laundry just a bit longer in between foldings.

I also got word that this arrived at the home of my niece Ashley:

I sent her Texas Tumbleweed from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders!

When I asked her what colors she wanted - she said she liked autumn colors.

Texas Tumbleweed has all of the autumn colors I am currently experiencing around here - and she says she loves it.  I'm so glad!


Some of our autumn colors look like this.

Chestnuts ready to drop off of the two ancient trees.

These two trees missed the chestnut blight that happened decades ago.

And those spiny hulls?  They are AWFUL!


It's not safe to wear sandals under the tree at this point.

They are SO POKEY!


We use a leaf blower to gather them all up into a pile, and then a shovel to fill the wheel barrow and over the edge of the property they go down toward the creek.

The deer do like to eat the nuts.

As for these being edible to people?  I don't know. I don't know what variety these are - if they are horse chestnuts, they aren't the kind that work for "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" kind of sentimentality.

But - I did find a recipe to cook them in the air fryer. Air fryer chestnuts might be worth a try!



Frankly, I enjoyed the down time with no social media routines to pull at me.  

It was a day of pinning, sewing, pressing and sewing rows together. 

It's getting there!

Today - HAIR CUT DAY!  I surely need it.

With the leaves turning it's a beautiful day for a drive -

What do you have on your schedule today??  

I hope you take some time out to enjoy the change of the seasons in your own area, wherever you are.


All the way through the end of October, my Punkin Patch Runner  PDF pattern is half-price at only $5.00. No coupon required!⁣ 


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Vintage quilt found in North Carolina. 

As this pandemic rolls on and opinions are polarizing, relationships are exploding at every turn.

Today I am seeking to understand and hold on to compassion. 

Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone!


 

30 comments:

  1. We are doing wall-to-wall black walnuts this year! We can't keep the driveway clean, so there is lots of "crunch, crunch" going on! I guess they are edible but it's a challenge to get to the nutmeat. Some of those quilts were really spectacular and I enjoy seeing them. I had to use your words of wisdom the other day and it was hard because I have very strong feelings about the topic.

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  2. There is an old joke that those are porcupine eggs! Marilyn Marks

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  3. what a great lot of quilts shared by the Shippenstitchers! Thanks for sharing their sharing! In southern Cal we had a great light/thunder symphony with plenty of rain (TBTG) last night! whoooeee! I am putting HSTs on the small 5" strippy blocks in Emerald City!!! Do you have any tricks to share to keep those HSTs in the right "rotation" ??? I'm having a devil of a time w/Jack and there are a great many of them... I get the strips (3 hst) put together and invariably put the 4thsquare on wrong, or sew the strip to the block upside down!!! Is it my wonky brain? or is there a "step" to remember to make sure they are oriented properly? Thanks for all you do all the time for the quilting world in general and me in particular... giggles & grins from Cats in Carlsbad CA

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  4. What is the pattern for the quilt sitting under your iron?

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    1. That's her Cabin Corners quilt she's creating---pattern to come!

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  5. I enjoyed the photos from these quilters... they sure know how to have fun!
    Makes me happy to see others having fun and remembering the importance of a sense of humour :) And their quilts are gorgeous!

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  6. As a country, the worst loss of life we ever experienced was the 750,000 dead in the Civil War. That took 4 years to get to that number. The 700,000+ dead from the pandemic took 18 months and we are still in the middle of it. So much loss for the loved ones of so many in so short a time is bound to tear at the fiber of society. Thanks for the time, energy & creativity you devote to hosting this calm beautiful creative inspirational space on your blog & now at the Quiltville Inn.

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    1. Well said, Jane, the quilt tops are beautiful, respite for today from Bonnie is truly a gift, no wonder everyone is in a tizzy.

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  7. Beautiful quilts! Today I am snuggled up inside while the rain is pouring down outside. BUT I have a front row seat watching the ocean waves here in Yachats, on the Oregon coast. Reading and hand-sewing later on. Just a few days "change of scenery" vacation. Stay dry!

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  8. I love your over the rails quilt pictures and that is my fondest wish to one day come to your beautiful retreat house! The turban pictures were hilarious! So glad your quilts are going to people who you can see their love and appreciation for all of your hard work and special creativity you put into each quilt. Happy Tuesday! K- lkw2x6-apq@yahoo.com

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  9. Yes, they were having way too much fun. Turbans and cheesy photos. Beautiful over the porch rail Quilts!

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  10. Hi Bonnie, maybe this article helps to identify the kind of chestnut you have. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/whats_the_difference_between_horse_chestnuts_and_sweet_chestnuts
    Because as soon as you spoke of spikes ... horse chestnuts don't really have spikes. And it is extremely likely that you have the real chestnut. To roast those you need to score an x on the flat side. For a long time in ancient Europe those were a stable and their starch as important as the acorns for the inhabitants of California.

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  11. Looks like an edible chestnut to me. Horse chestnuts are not quite that spiky and have compound leaves.

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  12. They look like sweet chestnuts to me, horse chestnuts have a thicker less spiny shell. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/whats_the_difference_between_horse_chestnuts_and_sweet_chestnuts

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  13. Thanks, Bonnie! Your blog is always uplifting!

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  14. Beautiful quilts over the railing and what a fun group of Ladies! Just about to sew the victory lap around my Punkin' Patch quilt. Have a wonderful day!

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  15. Hi! Just a note on the chestnuts from a horticulturist here: If those are American Chestnuts the US Forestry Dept. would be very interested in seeing them! I'm guessing by the shiny leaves that they are Chinese Chestnuts - American Chestnut leaves do not have that "shine". The Chinese version also has fine hairs on the undersides of the leaves which are lacking on the American species. An easy way to ID. They are definitely not horse chestnuts and thus are edible. I enjoy reading your blog on my lunch break each day. Thanks for all the effort you put into it!

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  16. I was just over reading a blog by northstoke.blogspot.com, who said something about the "sweet chestnut hulls" in his photo of a purple Deceiver mushroom. So there are possibly more kinds of chestnuts, and only one is the eating kind. Which may not be native to the U.S.

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  17. What is the name of the of the quilt hanging to the right of the Trip Around the World?
    I would like to make it for my QOV group. They are all stunning.
    Cindy

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  18. Your chestnuts are the roasting and delicious kind. Horse chestnuts have fewer and harder spines. What a beautiful mini quilt show.

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  19. Several years ago we had a house fire and stayed in a motel for three months. I said when I retired I wanted to work in a motel laundry and just fold towels and sheets. Love the smell and feel of freshly washed linens.

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  20. Thanks, again, Bonnie, for sharing pictures of the groups that gather at the Quiltville Inn. It is SO fun to see them having a great time and their awesome quilts! Also, I am loving seeing where your quilts are headed. Your family members will think of you each time the quilts is used or just admired, and that is a great legacy.
    Susan

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  21. Definitely sweet edible chestnuts. In France several areas are reputed for them eg Ardeche, Dordogne and Charente. They are cooked and used in a variety of ways. In the past they were a staple part of the diet of those living in the country. Now they are sold 'nature' or made into flour, marrons glace,creme de marrons. They can be used either sweet or savoury. The trees in this area are coppiced on a 20 year cycle for firewood as well. Many grow wild and there are also orchards of chestnut trees in the Ardeche.

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  22. Anonymous8:19 AM EDT

    They are good chestnuts to eat and you are throwing away a gold mine! Stab them with a paring knife, put in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, shell them and eat them with a bit of salt! Delicious! Also makes great chestnut stuffing! Keep them in an open container in a dry place until you use them. Do not refrigerate or put in a plastic bag they will mold. Try em you’ll like em!!
    Carole Coley, Greenville SC

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    Replies
    1. But she's feeding lots of wildlife!

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  23. My quilter friend and I are craving the pattern for the purple quilt, 4th from left. Would the quilter be kind enough to share that source, please and thank you?

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  24. In England we gather the fallen chestnuts and play a game of CONKERS. We thread string through the middle then take it in turns to hit each others conker; the winner being the one without a broken conker (chestnut) - maybe you play this type of game as well?

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  25. Oh, Bonnie! You just reminded me of a funny memory. My Mom decided for a Holiday meal one year she was going to make chestnut dressing as she had found a recipe for it. She bought the chestnuts and put them in a skillet on top of the gas stove to roast. She was not aware she needed to cut a slit in them to keep them from bursting. We heard Pop, Bang and there were the chestnuts all over the kitchen, including the ceiling. We laughed and laughed (after the cleanup was finished). It was just plain old dressing (or stuffing) from then on.

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