Maudie-mae's block

Finally finished Maudie-Mae's block for the appy swap im in with the some of the girls from Quiltchat. Maudie's theme is anything school related. I came up with the idea thinking about my grandma and her teaching in a one room school house. One of the most important things to her was reading. Her thoughts were if you couldn't read you couldnt do anything else in life.

The little girl has no face because she is not representing one child but all the children of the world that sit down with their very first book to read. This was a fun block to do and even tho it gave me fits along the way I enjoyed doing it.

Been a while......

Well its been a while, how time flies. Almost the end of October and ive only made what one post on here, guess im slacking. I dont know if my days are getting shorter but it sure does seem like it. Seems the more I want to get done the less I do.
Ive been working on the fabric in the pix above. Its real vintage 30s fabric, some I had picked up at the yards sale marathon late last month and some I bought off ebay to add to what I had. The muslin is not vintage, but im using natural to make it fit a bit better. Im hand sewing the whole thing. Much a challange for me, being ive never hand sewn a quilt before. When I was young I hand sewed alot of things so that came easy to me. Ive gotten over 300 pattern squares sewn on to a piece of muslin. then im sewing them into strips, putting them on the diagnal to make a patchwork quilt. These are all 2 inch blocks and im makeing a 1/8 inch seam. Some of the fabric is older than the 30s even back to the early 1900's, some is shirt material scraps.I would like to have this done by next spring or summer to put it in the county fair. I plan on making the back not just plain muslin but use whatever I have left in the prints to make a design on the back. Im not sure how big this is going to be im kinda playing it by ear. The binding will be made of smaller 30s fab I have that is only 1 1/4 inch big. Yes you may think im nuts, I guess I am, but I want to try and beable to say I did it.

I think hand making a quilt means so much more in making it. Yea everyone can machine sew, but to sit down and hand needle the whole thing some how means so much more. And why vintage fabric like this? It brings back memories of my grandmother and the fabrics I saw around the house she had all the time. During the early days on the farm for my grandparents it wasnt easy. They scrimped and saved, put there blood sweat and tears into the farm, at the end of the 40s they sold that farm and move to an other farm about 10 miles away and started that land, Like starting all over.
My grandparents saved everything like most familys that went threw the depression.

I can remember feedsacks being used as dish towels and for our clothes. Being on the farm we were far from in fashion ever. I wore dresses over pants in the winter and dresses in the summer. There was a value of things back then, you didnt just run to the store and buy new stuff all the time. We made things last, reusing things over and over. There is such a contrast of how I was brought up and how my daughters are brought up. We live in such a disposable age. Shoot there is even disposable cars now. When I was little on the farm I learned a value and how to be humble. Something ive tired to teach my daughters but wiht there friends and pressure its hard for them to understand this. At Christmas what I would get from family and santa claus
I appreciated so much, there was not alot of things and I took care of everything I I would get. I still have my kids books and one of my first teddy bears and one of my dolls. My grandmother sent me a trunk full of stuff from when I was little she had saved it all for me, It was wonderful getting it.

My Grandma was a very special lady, I know most will say that about there grandmas but she was I think over and above most.
She was from a large family like most familys back then, she was sent to live with her uncle and his family at a young age, some of her family was moving to California to look for better prospects I think. She helped take care of her uncles kids and the neighbors kids also. She did this becasue she had to, even years later when telling me about this it kinda brought a sadness to her, I think she had dreams she was never able to realize. Grandma had a huge heart and a kindness unlike anyone ive ever know. She passed down to me a morality in life to live by and gentleness and kindness. She would never say a word bad about anyone. She always would try to find the good in that person.

Now this lady I speak of was not my real grandma she was my step for my real grandma passed while haveing my father. My real grandma and her were teaching in a one room school house on the south side of Red Cloud when my real grandma was pregnent. So she new my grandfather during this time and the familys all knew each other. A few years after my real grandma passed my grandfather trying to raise a baby and run a farm (this would have been at the start of the 30s)Found he need a mother for the boy (my father) so my step grandma and my grandfather were married. The school district decited they needed to have teachers that were acredited teaching in the schools and they were building a more centralized school that they built in Red cloud and one in Guiderock. So she became a full time farmers wife, with all the things that went with that.

When my grandfathers family moved from WI to MO then to NE it was in a covered wagon, in 1872. They lived in that covered wagon while they built the house, and they lived off the land, shooting game and farming. There was horrific storm, blizzards and drought.While alot of other familys moved away they stayed and toughed it out. Im proud to know my family stayed in the Republican Valley and made a name and life for them selves.

My grandparents spent the 30s and most of the 40s south of town, and in 1949 the year my aunt was born, them moved to north of Cowles Nebraska, on to land my grandmothers family had, the moved the house from Cowles out to the farm and that is the farm and house I know and lived in for 11 years. My grandma raised me from 6 months to 11 years as her own, I knew her as mom. I miss my grandma alot, she passed in 2003 and as an adult Ididnt get to spend the time with her that I wanted to.
But the time I did spend with her was very special. She was in her 90s when she passed of poor health and in lots of pain which shouldnt have been for such a wonderful woman. I feel everyday there is something big missing from my life.That nothing will ever fill.

There has been so many times I wanted to pick up the phone and call her about good things in my life or when Im just down about something. Then I feel that pang in my heart knowing she will never know.

I feel my life is richer having had the family I had when I was little, to have been taught the things like manners and morals and values like I was makes me feel like that has made me a better person in this world. Having been brought up in a simpler life makes me appriciate things more I believe. Im able to be alone in my thougths.
Im able to live in a place where there not alot of people and be happy.
I treasure the thoughts of my grandma and being brought up the way I was. This is the time of year that brings all the feelings and emotions of life on the farm back to me for my favorite time of year is Fall. THe harvest, the cool air, the smells of baking, and the warmth of the house. I had a wonderful childhood and its wonderful to beable to look back on it and feel warm about the memories.

marathon of yard sales last weekend

Last weekend we went on a marathon of yardsales, estate sales, and antiques shops.

Nebraska held there Junk Jaunt, for 3 days for 250 miles in middle Nebraska many many people were getting rid of there stuff and junk and treasures to all that would buy.

This picture is of the Middle Loop river, the day was cold and rainy but us diehards were still out looking for that deal around the corner.

Along with many others on this quest we started filling up our truck from the start. We decited since it was a bit of a drive to go home every night we camped out at Victoria Springs state camp ground. Very nice place with tall trees and lots of shelter from the wind, thank goodness. Saturday nigth we had a storm blow threw with 70mph winds and it hadnt been for the trees we would have been blown way. There was even at threat of a tornado.... what adventures right?

We were looking for stuff to hold us over the winter to sell on ebay, and of course I aways quest the fabric, patterns, books and all that good stuff. We did get alot of good deals, but alot of the stuff for sale was high in price ( guess they loved there stuff). If they thought it might be old they put a fancy price tag on it and ask for an arm and leg for it no matter what condition it was.

Sean has such the luck, he had people giving him stuff every where he went. He found a trolling motor for 5 dollers in great condition, and old electric grill cooker vintage about 1950 ive never seen one like it,and all kinds of that boring man stuff. It was alot of fun but by sunday I was tired and cold, and wanted to go home. Id say we went to at least 200-300 sales over the course of the weekend and we miss quite a few.

I saw old quilts, old sewing machines of every shape and size, thousands of kitchen utensils from way in the past, pickle crocks were very common at alot of the sales. I talked one lady into keeping her mothers quilt that she wanted to sell. Saw a queen size 30s quilt in all triangles for sale all hand pieced.

I did pick up some 1930s fabric and some other vintage fabric along the way even a cutter quilt. And lots of newer fabric from ladys that were cleaning out there sewing rooms. Also added to my bits and pieces of fabric I seem to have quite the collection of now.

Ive had requests to show off my finds so I'm putting up pix of my sewing room, alot of what ive gotten over the summer is all ready sorted and put away, the last two weekends of yard sales I havent gotten sorted yet so my sewing room is a mess.

In these pictures are some of what I got this last weekend like I said I havent gotten it sorted.

The next pictures are my stash................

These 2 pictures are the inside of my sewing machine table, above is current fabric Im using or have been using and hasnt made it back up stairs. Below is manufactures samples. Things can get out of hand really fast seems I just cleaned up my sewing room and sewing table not to long ago. I really need to spend a day and do it again.

So anyway we had lots of fun, met alot of neat people and saw lots of animals. But im glad its over for an other year.

Well of to do something constructive.......