The Sharing Bowl

This evening, as I was looking through some emails, I came across an email about the "Sharing Bowl".  My mother and her sister shared this bowl every other year over a span of 35-45 years.  There were no markings on the bottom of the bowl.

Sharing Bowl

Bowl turned upside down-side of Sharing Bowl

In 1976, I asked my mother, Sally, where she got this bowl.  She was still living on First Avenue at the time.  She said that it was a “sharing bowl” between her and her sister, Eddie.  She wasn’t sure what year the “Tradition” began.  My guess, is sometime during 1930-1940.

One Christmas, Sally would fill the bowl with English Walnuts that she and Donald had grown on First Avenue or something special they had made.  The bowl was given as a Christmas gift to Eddie & John (my Aunt & Uncle).

The next Christmas, Eddie and John would fill the bowl with something special that they had made or grown on their Apple Ranch.  The bowl was given as a Christmas gift back to Sally and Donald.

Every other Christmas, the bowl would travel back & forth.  Every other year, the recipient could enjoy the bowl for an entire year.

In hopes of keeping this tradition going, I gave the bowl to my cousin, Karen to start the tradition again and keep it going between her and her twin sister, Karolyn.

There is still time, to start the tradition in your family too.......

Reverse Birthday Surprise

Cute little chicken for Fall

Tuesdays are always a day to gather with 15-20 ladies and sew for those in need.  We have a great time cutting, sewing, chatting and sewing some more.  Elaine was the first to tell us about "Reverse Birthdays".  I had never heard of this new way to celebrate a birthday.  Instead of having everyone give you a gift, you present gifts to everyone in the group.  Since the gifts are from your heart and hands, you do need to plan ahead.
Elaine made drawstring bags to hold our sewing machine cords and foot pedal.
Judy made 2 1/2" crocheted hearts with a pretty little ribbon attached.  It will be a darling ornament.
Nancy V. made scented candles wrapped in a little bag.  Another bag held yummy cookies for us to share.

I was next--so my surprise was a "Chicken Parade".  "22" little Chicken pin cushions took over an entire
round table.  I guess I should have taken a picture of all of them at the table.  I did take some pictures at home that I will share with you today.  On Oct. 19th and Oct. 26th, I posted pictures of tiny log cabin blocks and mentioned that some of the blocks were not the same size but it did not matter.  I know that would have made me wonder how that would work in a quilt.

First 11 Chickens on Parade

   

Close up for 3 center chickens from above photo

Close up of same 3 chickens from back 

Close up of chickens from side and tail feathers 

Close up of more chickens

I went to a Quilting Retreat back in 1999 and Sylvia Ballard taught me how to make the little chickens.
The last time I made a batch of chickens was in January 2013 and posted on this Blog with pictures at that time.  

Look who was at the window

I had a little visitor this afternoon.  She was sitting on the brick ledge outside the window of my sewing room.  The blinds were open but it still made it difficult to get a good picture.  The whole time I took pictures, she sat frozen in one spot, crying.  Actually, I thought she was calling her babies, but after I took over 5 pictures, I realized she was scared because the moment I moved away from the window, up the brick she ran.  This was one of the better pictures.

My little squirrel visitor

Design Wall Monday-Surprise

Everything I have been working on the past month, has been a surprise for several different people.  Recently, I discovered some people I know have been reading my Blog, which means I need to be careful what I post, until after the presentation.

This is the only picture I can show today.  It is all the leftovers that were trimmed off the 5" blocks.  One lady told me not to worry about saving all those trimmings but there were just too many nicely trimmed triangles and why not?  I'm plan to find a neat use for them--maybe even in the quilt where the 5" blocks are.  The squares on the right just need to be trimmed.  The pile in front has been sewn and the 2 piles to the left and back, still need to be sewn.  When all is said and done, I should have about 160 HST.  Each square should finish one inch. 

160 HST units

Now, I had better get busy on all the unfinished items that I hope to finish prior to the end of 2015.
Check out what others have been working on finishing this month by stopping by Judy's Blog at:
Patchwork Times.com
 

Collecting Items for Fabric Journal

Looking forward to making a Fabric Journal.....
I would like to include items from the past.  The first item was found on Laguna Beach in California. My Great Grandfather, Judson Sanders included a note, stating:  "Picked up by J. Sanders on the Laguna beach in 1873".  Rolled up inside the bottle was a note.
First, I found a little history on the web, about the company that made the bottle.

History

The company was founded by Dr Thomas Cantrell who opened a shop in Belfast selling soft drinks in 1852; he went into partnership with Alderman Henry Cochrane, thereafter trading as Cantrell & Cochrane Limited.

Old Bottle from 1870's

Around the outside of the bottle, it reads:  MEDICATED
                                                                  AERATED
                                                                   WATERS
                                                  CANTRELL & COCHRANE
                                                       BELFAST & DUBLIN

The next picture is of the note rolled up in the bottle.  As best as I can interpret the writing, it says:
                                                              Montenn
                                                    Just been to Breakfast
                                                              All well
                                                        J.G. Devercaft
                                                        May 11, 1870

Note rolled up in bottle

Smaller note in bottle-cannot be unrolled without damage

If anyone can read the writing on the note shown above, please let me know what it might say.

Design Wall Monday

DWM  May 2014

As I was looking through my numerous piles of papers and fabric, I came upon these 6 blocks.  From a distance, they may looked pieced but the design is printed on the fabric.  They looked a little familiar and as I looked through my pictures,
I discovered that I had added sashing and borders to another
6 blocks back in May of 2014.  Now, to just find a nice fabric for sashing and borders for the top shown below.

 Check out Patchwork Times.com to see what our quilting friends have designed this week.....

 

DWM  11-09-2015

Mug Rugs and Flannel & Fleece Quilt are done

Flannel Quilt Top done

Top finished with binding

Color of Backing Fleece

Yesterday afternoon, I finished the Mug Rugs and hope to have them mailed out tomorrow.  This afternoon, I finished sewing the binding on a Flannel & Fleece Quilt.  I used a beautiful blue fleece for the back of the flannel quilt I designed from 42 squares for a man or teenage boy in need of a warm covering.  Since the flannel and fleece made for a rather thick edge, I chose to cut the backing fleece 1/2" wider than the quilt and just fold over to the front and sew it down by machine.  I'm not terribly excited about how it looks but it was very easy to complete the quilt using this method.  Before I began, I read on-line that when one folds over the cut edge, you do not need to worry about the fleece unraveling.  It just doesn't have a fine finish look that I'm used to seeing when I use a standard binding.