365 block challenge quilt is completely pieced

Here it is all pieced.

If I have the counted correctly my quilt has 11,180 pieces in it!! It finished out at 84 by 105 inches. 

Since January 1, 2021, I have worked on this weekly. I could hardly wait until every Friday morning to receive the email containing the 7 blocks of the week.  Every block is different, no 2 alike. They start as 3 1/2 inches and when sewed together make a nice little 3-inch square block. 

I purchased the program to make this quilt from Sentimental Stitches. It is a technique called paper piecing.  I ran the patterns off onto tracing paper, and then sewed through the paper, then removing it before sewing the blocks together. 

 I believe Gay is offering this pattern again for 2022 if you hurry!

This is the fabric I used the most of.  It's a bolt of fabric I purchased from a friend when his wife, who was an expert quilter died.  It's very old, only 36 inches wide. I would cut off a couple of yards, wash and dry it and iron it before I used it in the quilt. I did not wash the colored fabric. 

I sewed the entire quilt on this Singer model 206 K machine. It was manufactured in 1953, a year after I was born. It's beautiful with a domed case.  It's the first vintage black zig-zag machine I have acquired. 

I posted pictures to my Facebook account and most times to my Instagram account of the 7 blocks of the week. It was always hard to show the actual size. Sometimes I used coins for references. 

This is the very first week!

It's always fun to look at the back. 

Here's a close-up back view. 

I liked this one, notice I fussy cut the star to be in the middle. 

Of all 365 blocks this one had been picked probably as most people's favorite.  A square in a square.

A good block to embroider the year it was pieced.

This block contained 65 pieces of fabric. I thought that would be the most.  However, the following week, one came with 68 pieces of fabric. 

 

68 pieces of fabric in one 3-inch block!!!!

This is maybe my favorite block.  Something about it looking round, I guess.

There's always lots of tiny pieces of paper everywhere. I use tracing paper to print my patterns on. 

Now I need to get it in the frame, and I will be hand quilting it. My plan is to quilt around every 3-inch block. 

Life is good.

Now on to the next adventure, thank you Sentimental Stitches, the next project is 4 1/2 blocks!

On this day . . . They were wed

Imagine a Christmas wedding 123 years ago today. 

My grandparents lived it. I recently acquire a copy of their marriage license, which wasn't recorded until a few days later in January of 1899.  Grandpa wasn't 21 years old so, his father had to witness for him. Grandma was 20.

They were married in a town called Blackmer, in Miller County, Missouri. The town is now all but gone. It was located a few miles south of the Osage River and situated close to Bear Creek, a tributary of the Osage. (I now live on the Osage River, far down stream.)  

The town once had a general store, post office, blacksmith shop, church, school, and a mill in the nearby vicinity. The post office was in operation from 1891-1912. 

The nearest towns to the Blackmer community were Brumly to the south and Ulman to the southeast.  Tuscumbia, the county seat, was located about 10 miles to the northeast. The little hamlet of Blackmer went out of existence in the early 20th century.

Here is an early picture of Grandma and Grandpa, of course well after their wedding day.

 
Perhaps this picture was taken on their 45 wedding anniversary, as he died before their 50th.

This was the last house they lived in Jefferson City, Mo. 

Happy 123rd wedding anniversary and Merry Christmas to my grandparents in heaven.

A wonderful Christmas gift - memory

Martha Washington candy!!!

Today I got a text from my daughter in law Lori with this picture, saying she thought I might like this.  A week or so ago I was telling her about this candy. I got the recipe in Home Economics in 7th or 8th grade. Yes, I took Home Ec every year I could, if you can believe that.

It was my mother's favorite candy at Christmas from then on.  I made it often in those early years. 

Here's my original recipe typed out on and old typewriter, whatever those were?

Excuse me now while I go wipe away my tears. Miss you Mom.  Thank you, Lori, I love you!

Time got away from me

The first weekend in December we took off for Festus and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. Friday we did a mini tour in the old town of Ste. Genevieve.

Our first stop was Asl Pewter Foundry on 3rd street. Here Bernie is checking a out a drop hammer. 

Next door was our friend Stanley Winkler's blacksmith shop. However, it was closed. We left a card for him in his mail slot on the door.

A beautiful old home across the street. 

After we checked into our hotel room in Festus, we met up with blacksmith John and his wife Eileen. We thought we ordered small drinks?!?!

Matt keeps a spotless shop. It's an automative repair shop/teaching school.

The meeting on Saturday was well attended. Lunch was KFC and it was delicious.

We got home Sunday and I came down with the worse head cold. It lasted for over 2 weeks. Thanks to the blacksmith hubby for giving it to me. 

Here is a new lebkuchen recipe I tried. They are delicious!!

This is Brenda Gantt's orange slice cake. Most of you probably have watached her videos on Facebook. 

The cake is very sweet!!!

Here is my nighttime project, while I watch TV. A little embroidery. 

These were the last of the turnips from our garden. After we pulled these, the garden was plowed.

Now we have turnip kraut fermenting in the basement!

I finally got my tree up. This Gingerbread man tried to run away, if you can believe that. He not only broke his leg but crashed Noah's ark. Bad boy!

We canned our first Venison last week. Gosh is it good!

I made gumdrop candy. When I was a kid, this was one of my favorite Brach's candies 

Here's the recipe.  You're welcomed.

Sorry for the sweet overload but you know it's Christmas time!

Life is good.