The Farmer’s Wife and The Poor Farm

September 9, 2016

It’s Friday! And you know what that means. Or rather, what it’s supposed to mean and very rarely does. It’s Farmer’s Wife Friday. *horn blast*

Part of the allure of the Farmer’s Wife 1930’s sew-along is reading the letters that go along with each block. Angie, who is running the sew-along over at the Gnome Angel blog, has also designed .pdf files of journal sheets to go with each block. There is a space on the sheet to record, “What I’m Grateful For Today.” So, while it’s nice to have the journal sheets to keep track of block details, it’s even nicer to have them to help practice gratitude. For instance, I’m grateful I wasn’t actually carried off by mosquitos while photographing today’s blocks.

That’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, I admit. I have a lot to be grateful for. A solid house, a good job, and general relative health for me and mine. And, a new puppy.

Meet Pete. He’s a Friese Stabyhoun. I’ll let you go google the breed. He’s a sweetie, and likes to sleep by my feet when he’s all worn out. When he’s awake, he’s very busy. Since my girls are often equally busy, we loaded them all up on Sunday and drove out to a county park called Eastmanville Farm. It’s the site of the former Ottawa County Poor Farm. While most of the old buildings are gone, the 1928 barn has been restored.

It’s a very nice park, with lots of hiking and equestrian trails. The perfect place to walk some energy off puppy and kids. We took the loop around to the historic cemetery.

Only four of the graves had retained their markers, but 60 more were located with ground-penetrating radar. Each now sports a concrete marker, and the cemetery has been rededicated.

Poor farms, despite the name, were not necessarily home only to the poor. Anyone who couldn’t live independently and had no one to care for them might end up at one. Some of the residents of this one came of their own volition – to include a judge and a veterinarian. My own great-grandfather, by the account of my father, had a deathly fear of ending up at one. Possibly out of fear of being forgotten entirely, I’m not sure.

It was an interesting trip, and a bit of a nostalgic walk around the grounds – rolling gravel paths that skirted around ponds, not unlike the old homestead I posted pictures of a few weeks back. And it encouraged us to slow down, take stock – and be grateful. I’m even grateful I got a little time to sew. That’s going to be in short supply for a while, as one of my co-workers has given notice and I’ll be working on my normal day off until we can find a replacement. Ah, well. For now, I introduce you to this week’s “girls”.

The first is “Bea.”

The light blue here is really more of a periwinkle. At least I got all the plaid going in the same direction.

Then there is “Carol.”

Yay, me, for fussy cutting? I have to say, it’s something that makes me cringe a little, because I don’t know quite how to go about it. And it wastes even more fabric than plain paper piecing. But it does look cute.

The next one is “Carrie.” I’m not sure I’m REALLY that fond of this one, but I’m hoping it will help with overall color balance in the finished quilt.

Things are not as precise as I would like, but lining up those center seams was just a bear.

The last one I finished this week is “Anne.” She’s sort of a hot mess.

The seams on this one ended up not nesting the way thhey should have. And the center is just a bit of a train wreck. However, there are something like 99 blocks in the book and I need 90 for the layout I have in mind. This one may end up on the discard pile.

Then again, maybe it’s not so noticeable from a little distance.

For the moment, I have a lot to be grateful for. And even working more means more money to put into the fund for the new house, whether we buy or build. I have the opportunity to go to Sew Pro next weekend, and I’m pretty excited about THAT. Will I see any of you there?

Fading Summer

August 21, 2016

Here in Michigan, there is a silly state law that prohibits any school system that gets public funds from starting classes before Labor Day. Purportedly, this is to stimulate tourism. I suspect it does nothing of the sort. What it does mean is that I have a little more time yet before MY children go back to school. And I can share with you a bit of our Summer Vacation. Maybe some of the photos will inspire you a little. To take a trip, go wander, or even make a quilt. Feel free. If you need my permission to use a photo for your quilt – just ask and I’ll happily provide it.

We took a longer weekend than we have in past years, so we could be a bit more leisurely about it. We headed North, stopping at Hartwick Pines State Park to have a picnic lunch. If you’ve never been, it’s worth a side-trip. The park highlights one of the last stands of virgin white pines in Michigan, and has a well thought out logging museum. From there, it was up to the Straits of Mackinac, and across to the island on the ferry.

The upper deck of the ferry affords some very nice views of the Mackinac Bridge, even on a hot, misty afternoon.

This year we ranged a little further into the interior of the island than we have in the past. We walked up to Fort Holmes, which sits atop the highest point on the island, and affords some glorious views.

You can see the mainland across the water. And it was early enough in the morning to catch the sunlight, although a bit eye-watering.

We even got a nice view of Sugar Loaf Rock – which meant we decided we didn’t actually need to walk down to see it up close.

For the first time this year, we paid the separate admission to visit Fort Mackinac. It was interesting, and I was surprised to run into some animatronics. Like most kids, my youngest child was unimpressed with the weight of history on the place. Though she looked like any bored student, seated at the desk.

There were also commanding views of the harbor, from the wall of the fort. Which makes sense, given that it’s job was to serve as something of a sentry.

Of course, we had to walk around the Island and hit all of the usual tourist spots. The Grand Hotel just begs to be photographed.

That soft aqua color that the porch ceiling is painted? That’s iconic for the Grand Hotel. It’s a color I wanted for my blog, but had trouble communicating that to my graphic designer. I’ll go more into why that is, when we talk about building color palettes from photos in a future post.

I also had to stop and get a picture of The Little Stone Church. It’s another Island landmark, with its own historic marker. Mostly, though, it’s pretty and it’s on the hill to the Grand Hotel. This was the first year it was open while we were there, so we did nip inside. The stained glass windows are lovely, though I didn’t have my tripod along, so pictures weren’t really an option.

If you go, I recommend spending the night, if you possibly can. The Island is lovely at any time, but particularly so at night (again, no tripod – sorry), and early in the morning, before the arrival of the first ferry from the mainland. Very few of the tourists are up and moving, In fact, not many of the businesses are open, yet. You can cross Main Street without fear of being hit by horse-drawn carts of bicycles, although the drayage wagons are on the move, delivering things to businesses while they can do so easily.

And we took the time to wander just a bit. There are so many lovely cottages along the shores that I’d love to have. And then I remind myself that I’d need a lottery win. And it would still be massively inconvenient, even as a Summer Place. Still, a girl can dream:

On our way home, we stopped by what I refer to as “The Olde Homestead.” It’s the farm my mother grew up on. It’s still in the family, but no longer really being farmed. Faint strains of Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” run through my head whenever I walk around there: The fields are grown over now, years since they’ve seen the plow. There’s nothin’ time hasn’t touched. Various old farm implements languish in the weeds. This is what is euphemistically referred to as a “honey wagon.” I’m betting you can work it out.

The house is gone, as are the tractor shed, chicken coop, and granary. But the old barn still stands tall. It even has it’s lightning rods. I remember playing in the hayloft, and chasing barn kittens around in the attempt to tame them. I also remember falling down the hay mow (not a huge deal, given the large pile of soft hay at the bottom. I’m lucky grandpa didn’t bother to sweep up, much).

Pine trees stand 20 feet tall in the old cow pasture. But my uncle still works the sugar bush on the back forty every spring and has revitalized the orchard. Maybe I can find time to go up this fall and sweet-talk him into some apples.

We ended our trip with a stay at the Great Wolf Lodge – a treat for the girls for being half-way well-behaved for the rest of the trip. I hadn’t realized just how kid-friendly a place it is. Even autistic-kid friendly. I think we’ll have to plan a longer stay, so that we can take advantage of more of what they have to offer.

I was a good girl, and didn’t make my husband stop at any quilt shops. (Though there were probably at least 4 within easy reach and 2 more a short distance off our route). This was part virtue, and part because I new the weekend after we returned was AQS Quilt Week – and I wanted to save my quilt budget for that, instead.

I hope I’m making memories for the girls, although it’s hard to tell, just now. Either way, it’s good to rattle them out of their routines just a bit, and practice social skills out in the wild, as it were.

What are your favorite family vacations? Any things that your kids particularly enjoyed – or hated at the time but remember fondly, now?

Cherry Pink and Appleblossom White

May 31, 2016

Spring came late to Michigan this year. Despite a fairly mild winter, we trudged along in cold, gray mud until May. And even early may was cool and dreary.

But May in Michigan is also Blossom Time. My home state is covered in orchards – apple, cherry, peach, and a few others. In the Spring, they burst unto magnificent glory, covered with blossoms. There is even a Blossom Festival in the Southwest corner of the state, dating back a hundred years to the tradition of the Blessing of the Blossoms. This may be because, while we grow excellent fruit, Blossom Time in Michigan is a little chancy. A late frost can damage the blossoms and result in a poor harvest – which happened just a couple years ago.

This year, however, it was glorious.

Row upon row of frilly floral confections. These are apple trees, if you’re keeping score. The blossoms, individually, are pink, but in a mass, tend to look white. Cherry blossoms tend to be more deeply pink, thought still appear much paler en masse.

I made my husband pull over so I could take pictures at this lovely little orchard somewhere in Van Buren County. It was an out-of-the-way spot, though these orchards are obviously pretty young. You can tell by the small trees, and the close spacing. These trees will produce earlier in their lifespan than the larger ones, and their apples can be picked without ladders or other special equipment. There was a derelict, old orchard not far away, but I opted not to press my luck and ask my husband to stop again. Besides, the light was fading.

Still, that last golden haze was enough for me to sneak up on a few unsuspecting blooms for a close-up.

After all, my own little trees are just apple twigs as yet, and didn’t bloom at all yet this year. So I happily romped around the edge of the orchard (being careful not to actually trespass – some of the trees are quite close to the road), and snapped away.

All the while, strains of “Cherry Pink and Appleblossom White” ran through my head. I had to work at not mambo-ing between the rows. The girls were with us, and not really up for the sorts of crowds to be found at Blossom Fest, so we contented ourselves with our little blossom drive.

On the way home, I reached into my bag and got out my sketchbook. Because this much pink needed to be a baby quilt. When I actually pulled fabrics, I ended up going with more coral pinks, because they’re just more available right now. Getting a range of pinks that run on the fuscia tone is quite a bit more difficult, unless one wants Princess, Barbie, or baby prints. Still, I like how things turned out. What do you think? Would you like to see a pattern for this one?

Retreat! Retreat!

May 6, 2016

I have a confession. Before last weekend, I’d never been to a retreat before.

And I have been missing out.

The basics : The Grand Rapids Modern Quilters (of which I am a member, but don’t hold that against them) had a weekend retreat at the Lake Ann Camp near Interlochen, MI. It was a smallish group, because the parent organization is still in the “building” phase – but we had such a good time.

The venue was everything we could have asked for. The setting was gorgeous, which was a bit distracting. I’d get a few things done… and then go back to the scenery.

This was the view from my sewing table. We had a great cabin to sleep in, just steps away.

And the room we were working in was huge, with lots of work space. Everybody had a well-lit space and a sturdy table all her own – plus a table to share with her neighbor.

When I needed to, I could go out and stretch my legs, walking trails on the pretty grounds. The local quilt shop, Interquilten, was handy for a break and the sweet ladies there even offered to make “emergency deliveries” if anybody ran out of thread, needles, or other supplies. Naturally, I had to get a pack of fat quarters from them when I visited. More on that in a later post.

Then I’d come back in, socialize a bit more, and sew a little longer.

We arrived on a Friday night, and had until 2 PM on Sunday. Though this was what was left of us by about noon on Sunday:

I was a bit annoyed to find that I’d left an entire box of fabric at home. But then, I seriously over-estimated how much I was going to get done! Even without children and husband, I have a bit of a squirrel brain and need periodic breaks. In addition, I’d brought along a pretty time-intensive project. I’ll share more of it later, since it may become a pattern for you, gentle reader. For now, suffice it to say, I found a vintage quilt on Pinterest that I fell in love with. Then I reworked its construction to avoid paper piecing or Y-seams, and picked out fabrics that should work in my youngest daughter’s room. She likes pink. Hence, the Peptobismol(TM) pink fabrics.

And even though I didn’t get as much done as I ought to have, I did enjoy getting to know the ladies of my quilt group a little better. Nor was it a bad thing to take a break from the constant every day grind of work-sleep-parent. Autism x2 can take a lot out of you! With my husband’s blessing, I rambled back down the Lake Michigan coast on the way home. I stopped at Point Betsie and took photos of the lighhouse.

Naturally, I had to stop and dip my puddies in the water. Side note: Lake Michigan is still darned cold in April.

I stopped off in Frankfort and looked around a bit.

I climbed the scenic lookout platform just North of Arcadia.

And then got a little vertigo looking down the bluff to the water:

Before I rambled home.

I love my children, even when they’re being their most Autistic. I love my husband, who puts up with me and manages the children better than I can, a lot of the time. But now and then, it’s nice to get a little break.

Thanks to all of the great ladies who made this retreat so much fun. And look for more teasers for this new quilt. You’ll have to let me know if you’d like to see it as a pattern!

The Last Rose of Summer

August 30, 2015

We’ve had quite the snap of cool weather here in the wilds of Michigan. It feels like Fall, even though it’s still August. Even my rose bush has sort of given up – this is the last bloom on it, already fading away.

Not quite ready to let Summer get away completely, we took a trip up to Ludington. For all that it’s only a little over an hour away, I’d never been. And it’s a delightful little beach town. We had lunch at the Jamesport Brewing Company – if you’re unfamiliar with Michigan, brewpubs have sprung up on every street corner, and some of them are excellent both in terms of beer and food. I was tormented by the existence of an antique shop right next door. I didn’t dare drag my wiggly wee rascal into a place peppered with so many breakables, but I did sigh lustily over the vintage quilts I could see through the windows. If they end up being your treasure, send me a picture!

Then it was off to Ludington State Park. Now, Michigan has an extensive State Park system and takes a lot of pride in it. But the Ludington park was beautiful and impressive even by Michigan standards. It’s the first one I’ve been in that actually rents out paddleboats and kayaks. It was also crowded. REALLY crowded. We had to park at the very back of the furthest lot. But, I thought to myself, this was no real trouble. I wanted to see the lighthouse before we went swimming, and the back lot had a trail that led directly to it, through the woods. Since last Saturday was actually a bit on the warm side, win-win, right? Yeah…..

It started out innocently enough. We began our walk down a lovely little boardwalk that fringed the edge of Hamlin Lake.

And then it was into the woods. “How far is this?” my husband asked. “Not far!” I airily reassured him. In my defense, it didn’t look that far on the map. What, maybe 4″? So we walked through the cool woods, sat for a moment in the hiking shelter, and then continued on. Not far along, however, we moved from woods, to dunes.

Now, if you’ve never walked dunes before…. it’s an experience. You get all the traction of walking through sugar sand, with only the occasional scrubby tree for shade and lots of sharp undergrowth to catch your ankles. It looks like this:

Periodically, you also have to climb one of the larger dunes. This is exhausting, especially when dragging a giggling 7-year-old who thinks flopping into the sand is the Best. Thing. Ever. We reached the top of one large dune, and she looked at me and grinned. Then looked back DOWN the dune. I managed to snag her by the shorts right before she ran back down it.

About 40 minutes to an hour into this walk, we encountered two ladies coming the other direction. “How much further to the lighthouse?” my husband asked. They considered this and one responded (in a cultured British accent), “About half as far as you’ve already come from the hiking shelter.”

Greeeaat. Too far to turn around, but still a slog. Then, finally, we saw this:

Only a few dunes away!! We managed to trudge our way over the last few dunes and also encountered – a bus. Really? My husband favored me with the Death Gaze. Worse, the bus driver was wearing an apron with a note pinned to the front – “Return Trips – $3.” We, being clever in the ways of parks and facilities available, had locked both of our wallets in the van so that we could go swimming without worrying about valuables.

Ooops.

So, we enjoyed the lighthouse for a while.

We read the marker about the history of the Big Sable Point Lighthouse.

And even got a bit of vertigo, gazing at the tower – which, after our tromp through the dunes, we opted NOT to climb.

And then we walked back to the front of the park via the nice, flat, packed gravel path. Still about 2-1/2 miles, but easy walking. My children were remarkably good about the whole thing, which my husband has now dubbed the Ludington State Park Deathmarch. They were rewarded by some swim time in Lake Michigan. It was a yellow flag day – which means there is some surf, but nothing too heavy. Waves big enough to do a bit of body surfing, and just the slightest pull of an undertoe if you ventured too far toward the edge of the marked swimming area. The water was cool, but not cold, and we all enjoyed it. It was a beautiful day to be on the lake.

As an added reward, we went back into Ludington to the House of Flavors – a local treasure where they make their own ice cream. Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the area.

Need I add that everybody slept well that night?

Now we can put another Summer in the books and get ready for cool nights, colorful leaves, planning Halloween costumes, and snuggling under warm quilts.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

August 11, 2015

The last week’s radio silence was brought to you by the Family Vacation. Mind, we were not gone for a week. It’s more like: Pack for trip, three days of actual trip, unpack from trip, and do unending piles of laundry. I have some other goodies in store for you later this week. A few more vintage tidbits, and a fun surprise that has something to do with the Farmer’s Wife 30’s Sew-Along. So stay tuned to this station.

In the meantime, I give you a few photos of the trip. Don’t worry, it’s not like a whole slide carousel of them or anything. We spent the weekend traveling into Northern Michigan and rambling around Mackinac Island. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a tiny little island in the straits between the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Motorized vehicles are not permitted. So everybody gets around by bike, carriage, horseback, or on foot. Both the lack of vehicular concerns and the inherent beauty of the place soothe the soul. I highly recommend a trip.

You can access the island only by ferry. And the ferry trip itself is usually fun, provided the weather is decent. For our trip, it was overcast, but not raining. As you approach the island, you see the Grand Hotel, which tends to dominate the landscape. If you’ve ever seen the movie, “Somewhere in Time”, it was filmed here and the hotel featured prominently. There are even markers on the island denoting a key point in the film, and a “Somewhere in Time” weekend. Get on your best Edwardian dress and go!

The island offers all kinds of breathtaking views. Though getting to them can mean a lot of walking. Sometimes it feels like the entire island is uphill, even when part of your brain is aware that this is a physical impossibility. Still, even tromps down tree-covered lanes occasionally break to offer vistas like this one, over the harbor.

Most of the homes on the island are immaculately maintained, whether they’ve been converted into inns, remained summer properties, or year-round homes. And the flowers. Oh, my word, the flowers. They’re beautifully kept and just bloom in profusion everywhere. You’d never have known that the week before our visit the island had been pounded by severe thunderstorms, the likes of which the locals reported not having seen in 20 years or more.

Yet more beautiful homes, and more flowers! This one is along the West Bluff, right at Pontiac Point. How I would love to swing gently on a porch swing here, kept warm by a soft and snuggly quilt. The breeze off the lake is almost always a bit on the chilly side, and jackets are a necessity, even in August.

Admittedly, I have a weak spot for porches. And the porch on the Grand Hotel may be one of the finest in the world. It’s painted a lovely color, that has become iconic. Since we were guests at another resort, we were not permitted onto the porch to join the ongoing cocktail party. We also weren’t dressed for it. The Grand Hotel requires jackets and ties for gentlemen and prohibits slacks for ladies after 6 PM. It’s a remnant of a more formal age, and we may have to stay there someday, to soak up the ambiance. We DID visit the ice cream parlor at the East end of the hotel and enjoyed that experience a lot.

Now, admittedly, staying ON the island is a bit of an expensive proposition. I suggest that you indulge for a night or two, however. There are a few things that can only be done after the last ferry leaves in the evening, or before the first arrives in the morning. One is the Haunted Mackinac walking tour. I admit – we wimped out. Having logged something over 20K steps according to my FitBit, our feet were not up for it. The other is strolling Main Street in the early morning, before the boats arrive. It’s gorgeous, and peaceful, and the Cinnamon Rolls at the bakery are divine.

Still, if you’re planning your own trip, it’s as easy to make either Mackinaw City or St. Ignace your base of operations. Ferries leave from either city for the island on a regular basis. And there are many places that offer their own views, especially of the Mackinac Bridge – known in Michigan as the Mighty Mac. It’s suspended span is longer that the Golden Gate, and it’s an engineering feat worth seeing.

So there you have it. My little vacation. It didn’t involve any quilting or quilt shops – the only ones we passed were on Sunday, and thus were closed. I’ll try to hit them on another trip. And also to remember to take a photo of the lovely “barn quilt” I spotted on M119 North of Harbor Springs.

I will have more goodies for you later this week!