What's on the line?

Hmmm, notice something different? There is a fence in this photo so you know that this is not my regular clothesline. Instead, this is a clothesline at my sister, Judy's, in Iowa City. She pulled out this quilt so I could share it here on my blog! The photo was taken about a week and a half ago when my mom and I were staying at Judy's while our mom was having some medical tests at U of Iowa hospitals. And the quilt has a story, of course!

In previous posts, I've shared about quilt tops that were made by my Aunt Bell who raised our mother, Mary. Aunt Bell lived next door to us when we were kids. My mother told me that when Aunt Bell was a young mother in the late 1920's, her elderly mother-in-law "Granny Blair" came to live with her. And to pass the time, she made some quilt tops. They were given to me and to my sister by our Aunt Bell in the late 1960's/early 1970's. The quilt in the photo above is the one that belongs to my sister, Judy. It is the work of three different quilters and at three different times in it's life. First, our great, great Granny Blair pieced the blocks and sewed them into the top. She added rows of pieced strips to one end (those on the right) but not to the other end. That work was done prior to the 1930's. Sometime in the late 1950's/early 1960's our mother, Mary, took some scraps from Aunt Bell and some from her own stash, and added strips to the left end of the quilt. Judy took it to a church group and the ladies hand-quilted it. I think she had that done some time in the 1980's. 
The top that I was given is featured in a previous blogpost and is the second photo you will find here. I was told that it is "Trip Around the World". That post also features a twin size small-block nine-patch that my mom believes was made by Granny Blair. I have never had the "Trip Around the World" top quilted and the twin quilt is only tied. Some day, I will have a quilting bee with friends and set up a quilt frame and get it quilted! 
When I was given my top, I don't recall seeing the one that Judy received.  I remembered my mom saying it was a "double wedding ring" and when I've shared the story about Granny Blair/Aunt Bell and the quilt tops, that what I called it. But clearly that's not what it is. Judy said that Aunt Bell told her it was "Road to the Lighthouse".  I did a little searching and I couldn't find a quilt by that name in Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Quilt Blocks but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. We all give names to our quilts and they often contain basic blocks that we all use. The basic block in this quilt is the log cabin block. Perhaps the yellow is the light in the lighthouse? I just love how the colors were carefully chosen to give the effect of light rows around the center section. On the day I took the photos, the sun was so bright that it makes the colors seem a bit faded. I brought the quilt inside and placed it on the floor to get this close-up photo.........

There is one more quilt that belongs in this story and it is the Butterfly Quilt that will go to our brother. It was made by Aunt Bell and you can read about it here.  Each of these quilts is very colorful and very special because they are connected to our Aunt Bell who was just like a grandmother to us!
And speaking of grandmothers.......Judy also got out this afghan that was made by our Grandma Goldie, mom to our dad, Melvin. I have quilts that were made by Grandma Goldie or given to her. You can find them at these past entries....... here, here, and here!

 We are very fortunate to have so many pieces made by the women in our family!

So, as you know, I was in Iowa and I mentioned in a previous post that I took a ton of pictures. I still have oodles to share and then this past week.............I took a lot more because I was "out and about" and I took a lot of fall foliage shots!  And then today, I took more photos! I went to the Fall fest at St. Joseph's Catholic Church here in Henderson. This is the view of the church as I stepped back and sort of down the hillside. It sits on a rather steep spot on the hillside and any further back and I would have gone tumbling! Just look at that lovely sky and the steeple............

It was another warm and gorgeous day here in Minnesota. We were in the 80's again for the 8th straight day! That is a record for October! The weather could not have been more perfect for this event. Under the tent, there was a "Country Store" at one end and a "Silent Auction" at the other end.........

And inside the Fellowship Hall behind the tent, they were serving up Sunday dinner. I enjoyed this.............

My husband is out of town, so I needed a good meal and it sure was! The food was catered by Chef Craig and the chicken was especially yummy.  I mean really yummy!!
After dinner, I couldn't pass up a couple of items at the "Country Store"..........

Those little lotus bowls aren't going to hold rice. Oh, no! They are going to become pincushions. LOL!  And I have plenty of cookbooks but not one of these and at 50 cents each, I couldn't pass them by!
The day was so pretty that I drove around the Henderson area and snapped photos of whatever "caught my eye". This pretty tree that is north on Cty Road 6 "caught my eye" as I passed by............

So, I turned around and drove back by it so I could get a photo. Some of the trees have already lost their leaves as we had strong winds this past Friday. Others are still full of leaves and just plain gorgeous!  More fall foliage photos coming soon but my next post is going to be about our quilting adventure when I was in Iowa City. And then coming up is the Table Treasures event that I went to this past Saturday in Hutchinson, MN. It was awesome! So much to share.........Back soon!
Sandi