Saturday Stitching Fun!

Last Saturday, hubby and I drove to Charlotte, Michigan.  I sewed with the ladies who stitch at the Hen House Quilt shop, and also picked up a treadle, as part of a Pony Express.

some of the ladies I was sewing with

more of the ladies I was sewing with

A few of the ladies were also hand stitching with this group.  I was working on more project bags.

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

The main reason we went was to pick up this lovely treadle for a friend of mine.

1888 Willcox & Gibbs treadle

Willcox & Gibbs treadle

Oh my, what a lovely treadle this is. 

The colors are at or past peak in Michigan.  Most of the color wasn't next to the roads, but, inside the forests, where I couldn't get pictures (driving too fast). 

Don't worry, hubby was driving.  I was stitching on my Be Attitudes quilt block.

Churn Dash baby quilt tops

I love to make Churn Dash quilts.  They are simple and fun to make.  Each time I make them, they look different from the last time, with the different color and fabric changes.

I need to make 4 different baby quilts.  One of the babies is already here (Oops!), but the other 3 babies are due in 2019.

I pulled some fabric the other day for the 'freebie table' at quilt guild, and decided to keep one of the fabrics and used it for the centers of these churn dash blocks.  I made 2 identical quilt tops.

See, I really did make 2 tops

The colors aren't showing up well.  I do NOT have pink in the quilts.  That pink is really a nice wine color with tiny pink lines running thru it.   My secret sister gave me that fabric back in February, for Valentine's Day (I have a GREAT secret sister!).  And that color on the bottom, that looks like black is really a dark green.  All the colors were pulled to go with the center fabric.

center block fabric

All of this fabric came from my stash.  I'll back these quilts with Minkee.  I may have enough Minkee in my stash, too.  I can use the center block fabric for the binding.  I have plenty of it left over.

As for the new baby (already born) she was using her big sister's quilt last night.

big sister's baby quilt

It's nice to see something that I made, actually being used.  Since so many of my quilts head off to far off places (family all over the country) I seldom get to see the quilts being used.  

Tomorrow, hubby and I are headed to Michigan.  My Michigan TOGA group gets together for sew-in's once a month.  I'll be picking up a Willcox & Gibbs treadle for a friend of mine.  We are the 'pony express' for this machine.  I'll also get some time to stitch with the ladies, too.  I'll try to remember to take some photos while I'm there.

Family Reunion and Stone County Museum

My family reunion was last week in Mountain View, Arkansas.  This family reunion started back in 1982, and I've only missed attending one time (my honeymoon won out that year ;).

There is always a family dinner on Friday night, followed by an auction, to raise money to cover the next family reunion.  A few years ago, the auction was changed to a silent auction.  This was a great thing, since we now have more time to chat with family members. 

yummy BBQ dinner

family dinner

family dinner

Two reunions ago I made quilt blocks for everyone to sign.  The quilt was finished and raffled off at the last reunion.  This year I had more quilt blocks for family members to sign.  This has proven so popular, that I plan on not only having the finished quilt at the next reunion, but also a new set of blocks to be signed at each reunion. 

my signed block for this years reunion

people signing quilt blocks

I have less than 2 years to get this quilt finished, and figure out what blocks to make for the next quilt.  Any suggestions for future signature block quilts is appreciated.  I have a Pinterest page started for ideas for future family reunion quilts.

On Saturday morning, we always have a family history session.  This year, it was at the Stone County Museum.  We've not been there before.  What a treat it was to visit this museum that has so much history of the area where my family is from.

Don telling some of the history

family members listening to the history

The Stone County Museum has many 'sewing & quilting' related things. 

Centennial quilt celebrating MountainView's history

up close of one of the quilt blocks

There was a Baptismal Dress from 1898.  It is in excellent condition.

machine stitched

There is a treadle in the museum, but, it is closed, so I don't know what make/model it is.  It is NOT a Singer (no name listed on the treadle irons).

treadle

on top of the treadle

Of course there are quilts.  They had a whole book of photos of quilts that were not on display (no room) along with some of the history of those quilts.  They did have a few quilts on display.

some of the quilts on display

The 2nd quilt down is a Carolina Lily quilt.  This card is attached to the quilt.  Considering when this quilt was made, the use of a treadle for the binding and some of the applique is unique.  All the other stitches are done by hand.

Carolina Lily quilt history

Owners of the quilt

machine stitched applique vines

machine stitched binding

The museum also had a boot patcher machine (for sewing leather).  It was used in a shoe shop in town, and is at least 100 years old.  I couldn't tell what the name on it had been (worn off to just a ghost of a decal) but, I think this is a German machine.

boot patcher sewing machine

There was also a Martha Washington sewing cabinet in the museum.  Inside two of the drawers, it says it was made in Chicago.

Martha Washington sewing cabinet

On Saturday afternoon, the family gathered at the church that some of the family members helped to start back in 1909.  My family is the Gayler's, but, they married members of the Thomas family (and I think the Wade family, too).

short history of the church

leading the Gayler Family 'sing' at the church

Just before you reach the church, you drive by the field where my grandfather was born.  When he was born, there was a house next to the well.

well that was next to the house where my grandfather was born

We love to go to the Gayler Family reunions, and to see the places that were important to our ancestors.  We also love to not only see family members that we know, but to meet the new family members that are attending for the first time. 

While driving home on Sunday, I did get a bit of hand stitching done.  I finally finished this block from the Be Attitudes quilt.

June blocks from Be Attitudes quilt

I'm working from the end of the quilt to the beginning (December backwards to January), so, I only have 5 blocks left to finish.  I've only been doing the hand embroidery on this for 3 years now. 

Blanchard Springs Caverns

My family reunion is every two years in Mountain View, Arkansas.  This time we decided to go to Blanchard Springs Caverns.  We hadn't been in many years, and I'd forgotten how beautiful the caverns are.  The reunion also included the caverns as one of the 'things to do' for the reunion.  There were so many of us, that we were split into two different groups.

There are 3 options for visiting the caverns.  Most people opt for the easy tour of the most beautiful room (the attic room).  This is what we all took.  It is paved and accessible for almost everyone.

This is what you see when you first enter the caverns.  The column in the middle is 65 feet tall.

 

another angle of the 65 foot tall column

This formation was named the warship by some former military guys that had served.  You can see why.

the warship

another view of the warship

At the end of the tour, the family members in our group posed for some photos together.

Gayler family

After the tour of the caverns, we drove over to the Springs (in the same park).

If you ever get the chance to visit Mountain View, Arkansas, I suggest going to the caverns.  There is also the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View.  I haven't been to the Ozark Folk Center in several years, but, my mother and stepfather went this year (hubby went hiking and I went to most of the antique shops in town instead).