Pardon the dirty windshield photography - I was returning from the USPS building 3/4 a mile up the road and found myself trying to catch up to this tree hauler before I had to turn into the drive -
Yes, you can see the turret to Quiltville Inn on the upper right of this photo.
TREES! Every 3 minutes - all weekend long - Christmas Tree harvest is in full swing in beautiful downtown Mouth of Wilson, Virginia (Which is this intersection you see in front of you. LOL!)
That also means we are on the lookout for *road kill* trees - those that roll off the back of trucks and just need to be rescued and given a home for the holiday season.
Amidst all of this excitement, I was brought into the Hen Den to check out a book someone was reading - about this very place.
And when I mean this very place - I mean this intersection. This house. These upper windows.
I hope you can enlarge this photo to read it if you are on a mobile device.
It's amazing what old photos you can find when you hit up the google machine.
Did you know that Mouth of Wilson, Virginia (Grayson County) very nearly disappeared off of the map in the 1970s? Appalachian Power proposed the Blue Ridge Project, a huge hydroelectric plant with 2 dams flooding 44 miles of the New River in Virginia and North Carolina.
Mouth of Wilson would have been submerged under 160 feet of water. The National Committee on the New River formed to fight the project and 26.5 miles of the New River in North Carolina were granted National Scenic River status by President Gerald Ford, forever removing the threat of dams in the area.
Noah Adam's book Far Appalachia is available on Amazon, and the audio version is available on Audible. Lucky me! I've got 6 credits waiting to be used - guess what is next up in my listening queue??
Back in the sewing room - Ooh, baby baby!
Straits of Mackinac blocks from String Frenzy are coming together!
Isn't this cute?
I love how she enhanced the writing on the camper to say *Quiltville Sisters!* YAY!
Lisa is bound and determined to turn her block units into BIG blocks!
(I love how her blouse just blends into her project.)
Nothing like a quilty backdrop to highlight a beautiful white featherweight!
Next door at the QPO -
I quilted it with a grey/beige colored thread in an edge-to-edge design called Twofold Feathers by Hermione Agee of Lorien Quilting.
Yes, my back is scrappy!
All of these light blues are directional prints, some of them large. It was a great place to use them up.
Here you can see the quilting a bit better.
And the batting? Yep. I pieced it from leftover batting margins from other projects.
I started hand stitching the binding down last night while watching "A Haunting in Venice" on Hulu. If you like who-don-its with Hercules Poirot, this is a fun one!
Lola keeping watch over the length of my thread.
I finished the quilting and am feet up in my comfy chair stitching down the binding by hand.
I love the contemplation time that the slow hand stitching brings.
I started my Star of Hope quilt days after October 7th.
I'll finish a mere month later.
It will take a lot longer to fix all that's broken in the Middle East.
How are you coming along on yours?
When I'm done, I post full out photos of mine, and share some photos of others I've seen being posted around. If you have finished one, please use hashtags #quiltville and #starofhopequilt so I can find your post.
I want to thank everyone for diving into Silk Path with me!
There are going to be wonderful quilts happening over the winter as you make this project!
Silk Path is easily constructed from strip-sewn panels: Sliced, mixed and matched, rearranged and sewn back together! No triangles required.
Introductory Special: I have placed Silk Path at 25 % off in both the digital pattern section of the Quiltville Store and in the Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop.
Full color photos, step-by-step instructions included.
Quilt Size: 84’’ X 84’’
Sale price good through 11/15/23. Hurry now and save - no coupon needed!
And yes - I'll be drawing for 2 winners who will each receive a Silk Path PDF pattern from me, and a Facets of Brown Color Roll from Cotton to Quilts.
Enter to win on the Gift-Away Post!
The folks at Cotton To Quilts have sold out on these rolls every time they put more in the store. They are also cutting as fast as they can for rolls in our Indigo Way Mystery.
This is a small shop in Louisville, Kentucky who is just celebrating their one year anniversary.
We are a rather large global quilting community and have descended upon them like locusts. That can be a good thing and a bad thing.
Let's show some support and cut them some slack if things are currently out, and check back often to see if more has been added.
Today is the last day with the November Quiltvillians. Temps around 60, lovely day and much quilting ahead!
Quiltville Quote of the Day -Once when returning from running errands there was a crazy driver just all over the road passing cars over, around and in between.
I just held steadfast in my own lane. Yep, there's a life lesson in that.
Stay in your own lane and let the crazies pass you by!
Have a great Monday, everyone -
16 comments:
cats and contemplation, Lola approved snuggles!and out here on the west coast we had "time change" -- cats do not re-set as easily as clocks!!!! furthermore I'm particularly pleased when a crazy goes zipping in and out and back and forth and you come around the bend and there they are! STOPPED at the light! he he he Life is good! Cats in Carlsbad CA
So good to see Lola looking happy. How is Ivy doing?
I am so glad you rescued the Victorian on the hill in this little hamlet. I hope that I can do a retreat there some day.
I always let the crazies go by! My poor husband is waiting for knee surgery to happen.
I'll sew a little bit after my sauce is done. Have to unsew 2 sashings as I don't like how they look.
That Ruby Slippers is gorgeous 😻...hope you end up with a tree 🎄..
Have a Sparkling day
Wow so much Quilty goodness happening, love these mini quilt show with your guests work highlighted! It truly is amazing to see your house as it was " back in time"...if walls could talk! Happy sewing and tree hunting :0)
Your quote is so apt, especially this time of year. More than once I have encounter people like you mention and more than once I have passed them down the road, either in the ditch because of road conditions or having been pulled over by police. You just have to shake your head. LOL
Lola sure looks happy to be in your lap in the house! Hope Ivy is handling things better.
Amazing coincidence! If there is such a thing as coincidence. I'll have to read this one, and I love your stories too. You are talented.
Haven't heard about Ivy lately? How is she doing?
I am still laughing over "road kill" Christmas trees
Lola is the best quilt helper around! Such a colorful history you have there! I took the day off for doctor appointments. I might get some sewing time in this afternoon, after a much-needed nap, of course! I am going to dive into the Stars of Hope quilt, and start digging around for the mystery colors as well today. Tomorrow is back to work, where I really stay in my own lane much of the time! Have a great day, everyone!!
Glad that Gerald Ford did a favor to the Appalachian corner of your world. No fun to lose a town as pretty and historic as Mouth of Wilson. I'm enjoying the parade of Stars on the FB and IG. Saving my Blues for the Mystery. Have a great week. Safe Travels to AZ.
Bonnie you inspire me!
I was also wondering how Lola n Ivy are getting along?
Or even better - stopped by a cop!!
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