The Country Register of IN Jan-Feb 16 by The Country Register Publications

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The Country Register of Indiana

Editors’ Corner

Enjoy our annual Quilting & Needlework Issue

o f In d iana Ind Gail & Merle Taylor, Editors & Publishers P. O. Box 128, Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763 Phone: 888-616-8319 • Fax: 800-609-0278 IN@CountryRegisterOnline.com • www.countryregisteronline.com The Country Register of Indiana • Jan & Feb, 2016 • Vol. 16 No. 5

The Country Register is published every other month. Copyright © 1998. The Country Register of Indiana, Inc. is one of a national network of independently owned and published specialty newspapers licensed by The Country Register with exclusive rights to publish in the state of Indiana using logos and graphics owned by The Country Register. Page header and footer, and icons accompanying regular features in this edition are copyright © 2006 by Tracey Miller and this publication and may not be reprinted. Reproduction or use, without obtaining permission, of editorial or graphic content by anyone in any manner is strictly prohibited. Articles published in this newspaper, which are contributed by outside sources, express the opinions of their authors only, and may not express the viewpoint(s) of the management or staff of The Country Register. Such articles that are accepted for publication herein may be edited at the sole discretion of the publisher. Responsibility for products advertised in this newspaper lies with the advertisers themselves. Though The Country Register will not knowingly publish fraudulent materials or fraudulently obtained materials, we are not liable for any damages arising from purchase or use of products advertised herein. Notification regarding any consumer complaints related to merchandise purchased from our advertisers would be appreciated and would assist in our publishing efforts.

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THE COUNTRY REGISTER OF INDIANA P. O. Box 128, Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763 Subscriptions: 1 Year (6 issues): $18 ~ Single copies: $3 for postage & handling

The Country Register Publisher Contact List

The Country Register began in Arizona in the Fall of 1988, to provide effective, affordable advertising for shops, shows, and other experiences enjoyed by a kindred readership. Since then the paper has flourished and spread. Look for the paper in your travels. To receive a sample paper from another area, please mail $3.00 in U.S.A. or $4.00 in Canada to that area’s editor. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.COUNTRYREGISTER.COM

The Country Register Founder: Barbara Floyd 602-237-6008, Phoenix, AZ

Publications All Across The United States & Canada USA Alabama: Amy & David Carter, 866-825-9217 Arizona: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Arkansas: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 California & N. Nevada: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Colorado: Jan & John Keller, 719-749-9797 Connecticut: Michael Dempsey, 919-661-1760 Delaware: Merle & Gail Taylor, 888-616-8319 Florida: Amy & David Carter, 866-825-9217 Georgia: Linda Parish, 706-340-1049 Idaho (N): Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 Idaho (S): Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Illinois: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 Indiana: Gail & Merle Taylor, 888-616-8319 Iowa : Linda Glendy, 641-751-2619 Kansas: Cindy Baldwin, 866-966-9815 Kentucky: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 443-243-1118 Maine: Gail Hagerman, 207-437-2663 Maryland: Amy & David Carter, 866-825-9217 Mass. & RI: Michael Dempsey, 919-661-1760 Michigan: Bill & Marlene Howell, 989-793-4211 Minnesota: Kim & Mick Keller, 763-754-1661 Missouri: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 Montana: Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 Nebraska: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Nevada (N): Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Nevada (S): Glena Dunn, 702-523-1803

New Hampshire: Kathleen Graham, 603-463-3703 New Jersey: Merle & Gail Taylor, 888-616-8319 New Mexico: Jan & John Keller, 719-749-9797 New York: Dave Carter, 866-825-9217, North Carolina: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 North Dakota: Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 Ohio: Barb Moore, 937-652-1157 Oklahoma: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 Oregon: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Pennsylvania: Amy Carter, 866-825-9217 Rhode Island: Michael Dempsey, 919-661-1760 South Carolina: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 South Dakota: Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 Tennessee: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 443-243-1118 Texas: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 Utah: Daniel & Stacy Tueller, 801-592-8498 Virginia: Amy Carter, 866-825-9217 Washington & E. OR: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 West Virginia: Amy Carter, 866-825-9217 Wisconsin: Scott & Jennifer Hughes, 715-838-9426 Wyoming: Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 CANADA Alberta: Ruth Burke, 780-889-3776 British Columbia: Bryan Stonehill, 800-784-6711 Manitoba & Saskatchewan: Scott Kearns, 306-736-2441 Ontario: Harriet Ramos, 343-882-5812

www.countryregisteronline.com

Quilts are beautiful and who doesn’t like snuggling up under a favorite quilt on a cold winter day? Quilts and quilting evoke a sense of the past–when our Grandmother’s quilted. Quilting takes patience, talent and determination. It is with that in mind that we bring you our annual Quilting & Needlework issue. Dedicating one edition each year to this pastime and those who practice it with such passion seems only right. As you visit the fabric, quilt, sewing and needlework shops advertised on our pages and make your way from shop to shop in the shop hops please take your copy of The Country Register along. Stop in at the gift, antique and specialty shops along your way. Who knows? You might find the perfect rocker on which to display your newest quilt, a neat gift

for the person who helped you finish your last project that was stalled, or even a home decor item you just can’t live without. The shop owners love to see new faces. Stop in and let them know you saw their ad here in The Country Register. It may make their day brighter in the new year. Check out the sales and events details in the ads on each page. From afterChristmas sales to events to chase away the winter blues, our advertisers have thought of everything you need and even a few you don’t yet know you want!..

Let’s Go ShoppingAND THE GR ANDKIDS! GRANDKIDS!

January & February 2016

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Advertiser Index

Events Listing

Shops are listed alphabetically by location.

See shop & show ads for complete details.

January

Day

Event

Page #

2-3 5-16

Christmas Clearance - Keepers, Lafayette ....................................................... 7 Discounts to Customers - Harvest Inn, Crawfordsville ............................... 6

Day

Event

Pajama Sale - Yoder Department Store, Shipshewana .................................. 4

Day

Event

February March

Page #

3-5 IN Heritage Quilt Show, Bloomington .......................................................... 10 10-12 Indiana Button Show, Indianapolis ................................................................ 24 11-12 Pop Up Event - Honey & Me, Franklin ........................................................ 11

Free Pattern

Find more free patterns at: JacquelynneSteves.com

Cities & Shops

Page P age #

Angola ................................... 4 Sewing Treasures Beech Grove ........................ 11 The Fussy Cut Quilt Shop Bloomington ....................... 10 IN Heritage Quilt Show Centerville ............................. 8 Warm Glow Clayton ................................ 19 Whispering Pines Designs Corydon ............................... 20 HollyHock Quilt Shop Crawfordsville ........................ 6 Harvest Inn Interior Decor/Gifts Danville ............................... 19 Outta the Shed Decatur ................................ 18 Country Creations Evansville ............................ 20 Let’s Sew Franklin ............................... 11 Honey & Me Georgetown ......................... 20 The Quilting Bee Greensburg .......................... 14 Tree City Stitches Greenfield ............................ 15 A Touch Of Home Greenwood .......................... 11 Take Root Country Store The Back Door Indianapolis ......................... 24 IN Button Society Show Lafayette ................................ 7 Keepers Liberty ................................... 9 Pohlar Fabrics Madison ............................... 17 Fabric Shop Marion ................................... 5 Quilters Hall of Fame Martinsville.......................... 10 Berries & Ivy Country Store

Cities & Shops

Page P age #

McCordsville ....................... 15 McCordsville Mercantile Metamora ............................ 21 Words & Images Mooresville .......................... 24 Breezy Manor Farm Muncie ................................. 18 Cotton Candy Quilt Shoppe Nashville .............................. 12 The Story Inn North Vernon ...................... 16 Classic Stained Glass Sharynn’s Quilt Box Plainfield ............................. 24 Gilley’s Antique & Decorator Mall Rensselaer ............................. 7 Michell’s Sewing Fix Rising Sun ........................... 17 Quiltfest Rushville .............................. 21 Elizabeth’s Keepsakes In Stitches St Paul .................................. 14 Olde Barn Primitives Salem ................................... 13 Past N Present by Michelle Past N Present Too Seymour ............................... 17 Primitive Crow Shipshewana .......................... 4 Yoder Department Store Terre Haute ........................... 6 The Country Cabin Wabash .................................. 5 Heaven on Earth Nancy J’s Fabrics Washington .......................... 20 The Stitching Post

Not Classified by T own Town and Out of State Out of State ........................ 22, 23 Web Based ........................... 22, 23

Winners will be announced in the next paper and books will be mailed PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY - THIS WILL BE YOUR MAILING LABEL. P O Box 128 Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763 Use this pattern for embroidery, wool applique, punch needle or rug hooking, painted projects or whatever your imagination can dream up! Reduce or enlarge pattern as desired. Commercial strictlyy pr prohibited. Commer cial use is strictl ohibited.

We love to see the projects that you have made from our patterns. If you decide to post projects based on one of our patterns on a blog or website, please give design credit to Jacquelynne Steves. Thank you!

Name Street Address City

State

Zip

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The Country Register of Indiana

ANGOL A - SHIPSHEW ANA ANGOLA SHIPSHEWANA

Sewing Treasures 100% Cotton Quilting Fabrics, Embroidery Stitch Designs, Wide Variety of Quilting & Embroidery Notions, Threads, Patterns & Books, Quilting & Embroidery Classes

AUTHORIZED HUSQVARNA VIKING SEWING MACHINE DEALER 1605 South Wayne Street, Angola, IN 46703 260-665-6948 located 1 mile south of the monument South Wayne St. from circle Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-5:30pm Sat 10am-4pm; Closed Sun & Tues

www.sewingtreasures.net

Gather – A Vintage Market

By Simone Gers

Vintage African Indigo Batiks: The Fabric of Life

Quilts That Redeem, Virtual Ministry Quilt We are entering into a season of thankfulness and joyful anticipation for most people. For others? Well . . . maybe not so much. I would like to take this opportunity to reach out to those in the “not-so-much” group. With years of giving ministry quilts, I’ve come across people in all stages of grief as they deal with tragedies and difficult situations. Healing seems long in coming. The journey through to the other side of the valley is an ongoing process. Some days go fairly well until a hiccup blindsides them. Those days seem like two steps forward; one back. Oftentimes, the holiday season holds its fair share of just such days. Every ministry quilt I’ve been a part of giving has been given with a prayer. When asked if I can offer a prayer, no one has turned me down. If you’re reading this and you are walking a difficult path right now, may I pray with you? Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful quilt wrapped around your shoulders. You’re enveloped in tangible love and care. You are experiencing the Heart of Jesus through the hands and feet of those doing His work. As I stand near you, I put my hand on your shoulder, and we go before the throne of God where He stands ready at the right hand of His (and

by Sherry Osland

our) Father to hear and intervene on your behalf. Offer these words to Him. “Father God, this world is a paradox of incredible beauty; yet brokenness and pain. I humble myself before you and ask for healing, restoration and redemption from this journey of pain. You are with me every second of every day. Jesus, I thank you. Please, take my hand and continue to walk alongside of me. Please go before me so I don’t lose my way. Cover my back, Jesus, and give me your strength to go forward. In Jeremiah 29:11, you’ve promised me a “future and a hope.” Help me persevere and trust in that. When tempted, tired, depressed, discouraged and doubting, be my strength, my comfort and my peace. Lead me through this valley and bring me out on the other side. Show yourself in supernatural, yet tangible, ways so I might feel Your Presence. Thank You. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” –Written by Sherry Osland of Praise Works Quilting in Abilene, Ks. In business and ministry for l5 years. For examples of quilting (and Quilts That Redeem books for sale) go to: facebook.com/praiseworksquilting. Contact information: sherryo51@hotmail.com or 785-263-4600.

When my husband Tray gets home from a "picking" trip, my first question is usually, “What’s your favorite find?” Earlier this year, it was Vintage Indigo Batiks from Africa. He couldn’t stop gushing about them. And they are beautiful. I’m a pragmatic person so I love items that have multiple purposes and indigo batiks are so inspirational. Of course, they make great shawls and wraps and are fantastic for throws. Some people like the lighter-weighted textiles for clothing and we like the heavier batiks for the throws. They bring tablescapes to life and make gorgeous tablecloths for all kinds of dishes, especially white ironstone and yellow or red Fiestaware. Many people are using batiks for pillows, bolsters and upholstery work— and it’s no wonder because the handwork on vintage indigo batiks is inspiring. Each batik, like a quilt, tells a story that is handed down from father to son, mother to daughter. Sections of cloth are composed of individual motifs such as fish bones, little stars or hunters and each piece has its own unique tale to tell. There are some themes, like wealth and luxury, calabash flowers (a sign of prosperity), brave and fearless, yet meanings differ depending on the individual, ethnic group or region. African Batik was originally imported in the 19th century by Dutch merchants from Indonesia where paste made from

starch or mud is used as a resist instead of wax and the dye is made through a process of grinding indigo plant leaves. African batiks feature larger motifs with thicker lines and more colors than Javanese batik. The complexity of the weave, the color and the type of thread used determines the value of the fabric. I love looking at the batiks and wondering about the families who made them and what the symbols meant to them. I like to compare the weaves and feel the different textures between my fingers. It’s interesting to look at the blues next to each other and wonder how many times each piece was dipped to get it to its perfect shade of indigo. I love that each piece is unique. I love watching customers feel the fabrics between their fingers, throw a batik over their shoulders, wrapping themselves in history. And when someone brings a gorgeous indigo batik up to the register, I wonder what stories will be told about this great, one-of-a-kind find and what memories will become enmeshed with the stories already woven into the fabric. ––Simone Gers began her antiquing journey 35 years ago when she married Tray, an avid collector. They still have the first piece they bought together—a pegged farm table that was so decrepit it was behind the antique store— and they have been upcycling vintage finds ever since. The Gers own Gather A Vintage Market in Tucson, AZ, a monthly market. Simone has taught writing and literature at the college level for many years.

January & February 2016

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MARION - WABASH

Heaven on Earth Large selection of quality cottons, homespuns and wools We purchase full fabric lines • Friendly service Lots of samples for inspiration Long arm quilting service 4767 N. St. Rd. 15, Wabash IN 46992 (6 miles north of Wabash)

765.833.5461 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5; Sat. 9-3; Closed Sun. www.heavenonearthofwabash.com info@ heavenonearthofwabash.com

1604 S. W abash St., W abash, IN Wabash Wabash, Phone TToll oll F ree: (866) 563-3505 Free:

F abric, P atterns & Books Patterns www .colorsgonewild.com www.colorsgonewild.com In Historic Wabash, Indiana, located on South Wabash St. (State Road 15/13) 1/2 Mi. So. of the Wabash River Store Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5:30; Sat 10-5

Visit us at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show Bloomington, IN • www .IHQS.org www.IHQS.org March 3rd - 5th Exhibit info:

The Quilters Hall of Fame is closed for the winter We will open again on April 7, 2016 Thank you for a wonderful Year!! 926 S Washington Street, Marion, IN 46953 (765)664-9333 www.quiltershalloffame.net ~ quiltershalloffame@sbcglobal.net

Quilty Pleasures When my daughter, Heidi, was little more than a toddler, I planned to make her a Raggedy Ann for Christmas. Time has blurred the reason why I didn’t get it finished, but I do remember handing her a box of red and blue fabric and bright orange yarn, along with a hug and an IOU. She has never let me forget it. So when a big birthday loomed ahead, I determined to do something special for her. To make a luxurious quilt that would surround her with “mommylove.” And absolutely not give her an IOU on that most important day! Because she loved Ralph Lauren bedding, I searched for just the right sheet to serve as the basis for her quilt. And I found the perfect pattern called “Cole Brook.” Unfortunately, it was a king-sized bed skirt instead of a full sheet. But, it had the right colors, the right weight, and feel. A soft, cotton sateen. It would do very well. In truth, I collected fabric for more than a year. Finding only Ralph Lauren fabric proved to be too daunting for me. Eventually, I added other brands of high thread count pillowcases and luxurious fabric samples. The big day drew close and still, I shopped for just one more

by Cathy Elliott piece for an elusive quilt square. Maybe a silk plaid or a linen toile would give it that elegant edge I wanted. With only two weeks to go, I started rotary cutting and stitching, piecing the quilt. I worked into the wee hours, knowing I didn’t want another Raggedy Ann moment on my parenting record. Just in time, I got the quilt top finished and wrapped for the big party. In a perfect world, the entire quilt would be completed, but I was happy to hand Heidi an original Medallionpatterned coverlet – almost a quilt. And lots of mommy-love instead of an IOU! I called it “Mostly Ralph Lauren” and she loved it. Mission accomplished. Now, there is still the problem/promise of that Raggedy Ann…. © 2016, Blog post reprint used with permission. - Author and speaker, Cathy Elliott, nourishes her night-owl habit by creating cozy mysteries and more on her trusty laptop in California. In addition to various articles and anthology contributions, she has authored three novels: A Vase of Mistaken Identity, Medals in the Attic, and her latest mystery A Stitch in Crime.

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The Country Register of Indiana

CRA WFORDSVILLE - TERRE HA UTE CRAWFORDSVILLE HAUTE

Harvest Inn Interior Decor & Gifts

25th & Poplar Terre Haute, IN 47803 812.232.4635

1521 South Washington Street Crawfordsville, IN 47933

Come in now for all of your Primitive Decorating Needs

(across from Applebee's on 231 S.)

765-376-5802 • Tue-Thu 10-6; Fri-Sat 10-4

Olde Century Paint Seasonal Decor ~ Pictures Hand Crafted Items ~ Candles Primitives ~ Furniture ~ Wreaths

Customer Discounts Offered from January 5th to 16th Let us help you make your home cozy for winter with our curtains, braided rugs and lamps. It’s a great time to spruce up a room.

Har Harvvest Inn

Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun Noon-5pm

We customize orders for: Furniture, Bedding, Curtains and Rugs Lamps and Shades • Canister Sets Bathroom Accessories • Boutique items Lanterns and Exterior Uniques

www.harvestinn.webs.com

Building Harmony

Like us on FACEBOOK By Jeff Cappis

Moose Calls

This is a piece about passion, lust and heartbreak in a valentine story of unrequited love. The air was still warm, but the leaves were softly fluttering from the trees. I was on my way out the back door with my grandson Kane. We were going to get some fire wood for the evening. He’s 4 and to him, going to the woodshed is a great adventure. It just so happened that this time he was right. Between us and the woodshed was a large moose. She was gently munching on our lawn. Even though we didn’t seem to bother her at all, I figured we should go back. “Maybe we should just wait inside,” I said while shuffling a curious Kane back in through the door. Luckily I have a fair size tinted window near the door, so we watched the moose from inside. She just kept on munching. Not too much later, I noticed something up the hill was moving. It stepped out of the trees with it’s long antlers and proud stance. A male moose. After spying her, he swaggered down the hill to let her know he was there. But, in a way, kind of coy so as not to look too interested. Keeping his distance at first, he struck another rather noble pose. She took on a “I’m just hanging around the forest with nothing to do but look pretty” kind of pose. I suppose in her mind she was going to have a romantic night under the full moon and stars, eating grass and leaves, with the man of her dreams (or something like that). Diluted with self-reassurance, as guys often are, the male began to saunter closer. I suppose he was thinking he would meet this other moose and talk about the forest (or something like that). Anyway, he was starting to get all cocky and confident, unaware there was a problem: another male moose coming along not thirty feet behind him. Now the female really struck a pose. The males began by slowly circling each other, one of them snorted. They knocked horns a few times, but not very

Kelly Rost, Owner

We are all about you and your home!

deliberate. They kicked up a little sod. They had staring and pooping contests. This kind of thing went on for 1/2 hour. By the time they were in the “I can scrape more bark off this tree with my horns than you can” contest, it looked as if they might be actually having fun. The female though, was getting impatient. At one point she shook her moose stuff in a provocative way, but they ignored her. She paced a bit. I suppose she was thinking “There isn’t much tree left. They should be finished soon. Then I may choose my champion!” (or something like that). Turns out, we have lots of trees in the forest. Even Kane got bored and went to watch TV. The female moved in a little bit closer but always pretend not to notice. So did the males. They got busy knocking dead branches off the newly naked trees with their antlers. After a while, the female was getting impatient. She got right close and made a few snorting noises. She even gave them that level-eyed kind of stare. This finally got both the males’ attention and everyone stopped. So there they were, all three of them staring at each other. Kind of a moose awkward moment really. One girl, two dates. For a few minutes they just stood there until finally the two males tapped horns, pooped, and wandered off through the forest in opposite directions. The female (she must have been confused, humiliated and disappointed), just went back to eating and fertilizing our lawn. There are a few theories about what happened there. a) Maybe moose find other moose to be as ugly as we do or b) The two males became good friends and neither wanted to hurt the other’s feelings by stealing his girl or c) Nobody could get romantic because they could see we were watching. As it turns out, it didn’t matter. In the spring she produced a newborn calf from a previous romance. Now there are two eating our lawn.

Ann’s Lovin’ Ewe

Personal Downsizing For the New Year I’m motivated by my friend’s great Before and After photo. In September, my 6-foot, 304-pound friend Mark who had high blood pressure was also diagnosed with diabetes. The prospect of a lifetime of drawing blood, managing his sugar levels, taking medication, and logging food journals, was daunting. And that wasn’t even correcting the problem. With that prognosis, he admitted, “I needed to make a serious change.” When Mark asked for two months to try to reverse the diagnosis, the doctor was optimistic. Mark read Fuhrman’s book on reversing diabetes, changed his eating patterns, and moved all the things he couldn’t eat to the garage pantry and fridge. “It really comes down to a radical departure from normal American eating.” This departure was not merely a temporary resolution. “I look at this as a lifestyle change, not a diet.” Mark also turned a little-used basement office into a workout center by investing in exercise equipment and a television. Now after work, instead of relaxing on the couch while eating an extra late-night dinner, he spends 60-100 minutes watching television while exercising on his elliptical. By October, he described dramatic results. “I lost 25 pounds in as many days and was exercising once or twice a day.” By November, at Mark’s two-month appointment, he had dropped 39 pounds. Not only that, his fasting blood sugar levels were not even pre-diabetic, and his blood pressure and all cholesterol numbers were normal. “The nurse said she had never seen anyone’s numbers drop that fast.” But the perks of Mark’s personal downsizing extended beyond weight loss. “With healthier eating and weight loss, I have more energy to tackle projects that I had put off.” Forty less pounds meant greater mobility and easier breathing. “We

by Ann Stewart are now going through the entire house and downsizing wherever we can. It feels really good.” Mark’s personal downsizing resulted in an upward swing in attitude. “Life had felt like a depressing downward spiral.” The heavier Mark got, the more tired and unmotivated he became. The less he did, the more he ate to try to feel better. “I didn’t take on many home improvement projects because If it can wait 10 years, maybe that is all the longer I will be around. So why bother?” But thankfully, that was reversed. As soon as he gets home he tries to keep moving. Instead of sitting around and thinking about not eating, he gets busy on home improvements, claiming he’s shopped at Home Depot more in the last three months than the previous three years. “The more I lose weight, the more energy I have to tackle things; the more motivated I am from success. Seeing things get done makes me want to continue to eat healthier and lose more weight.” Mark’s negative diagnosis became a positive life changing turning point. His testimony was so inspiring that I reconsidered the results of my last bone density scan and the need to start weightbearing exercise to keep my bones strong. I, too, have some little-used basement space currently housing an unused PingPong table. With downsizing, reorganization, and the purchase of an elliptical, the basement became an inexpensive but effective workout center for the New Year. We all have some health and lifestyle choices to make. Who is your inspiration? What positive changes can you make? How will you begin? I want to start the New Year making wise choices that will benefit my future and those I love. –© 2016 - All rights reserved - Used by permission - No reprint without author’s permission. Look for Ann Stewart’s upcoming novel Stars in the Grass

January & February 2016

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LAF AYET TE - RENS SEL AER AFA YETTE RENSSEL SELAER

Michelle’s Sewing Fix Sewing Machine Repair and Classes

KEEPERS

www.keepersprimitives.webs.com picturetrail.com/keepersprimitives Facebook: keepersprimitives We w elcome yyou ou to stop by K eepers, a unique combination of primitiv welcome Keepers, primitivee country decor and needful items for yyour our home. W Wee offer handmade in the USA one of a kinds, antiques, a w ide variety of brand name wide candles (W arm Glow an Creek, Cross Roads & more), rugs & (Warm Glow,, Sw Swan accessories, w indow treatments, furniture, Billy Jacob pictures, Audry' window Audry'ss Pumpkin Rolls, Family Heirloom W ea extiles and lots of Wea eavvers T Textiles primitiv ith 19 merchants plus K eepers Home primitivee needfuls. And w with Keepers Collection there is alw alwaays something new!

Come see why w wee ha havve been selected as a fa vorite by Country Register readers 3 times! favorite Join our W arm Glow and Sw an Creek Candle Buying Club Warm Swan For Free Candles – ev en good on w ebsite purchases! even website

Christmas Clearance Jan 2nd & 3rd Up to 75% OFF Seasonal 765.446.8800 3635 SR 38 E Suite B Lafa Lafayyette, IN 47905 Store Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5; Sat 10-6; Sunday12-5 Gift Certificates Available Handmade dealers always welcome. Antique dealers wanted. Call for details.

The Knitting Savant

By Andrea Springer

Rosie’s Hope Chest

Every romance starts somewhere. I met my husband, Steve, on an online dating site. I’d been in “the dating pool” a while longer than he had when we were matched, and my experiences hadn’t been positive. In the early days of our email courtship, I shared that one of my passions was knitting. He immediately responded, “Cool! My mom was a knitter and my sisters knit as well.” I couldn’t have imagined a better answer. I’d found a keeper! Rosemary McPeak Snook was, among many things, a wife, mother, grandmother, volunteer -- and a knitter. Her daughters have told me she liked to make blankets and afghans. We keep the baby blanket she knit for one of her grandchildren on display, even though that generation is grown with homes of their own. My husband’s oldest friend considers an afghan she made him in high school to be one of his treasured possessions, because it came from Rosie. While working in my in-laws’ home last year, we came across Rosie’s cedar hope chest, full of treasures from her life. In addition to her wedding dress, childhood quilts and a Bible from her confirmation, we found a stocking cap and matching sweaters she’d worked up for Steve and his sisters when they were young. She’d chosen a “mod” 1960s turtleneck pattern and used three strands of worsted weight yarn to create a bulky, multi-colored fabric in a stockinette stitch. It made me

smile to think of the time and effort she put into each sweater, and the fact that she stored them with other items she valued told me they were meaningful to her. In an era when we consider so much to be temporary or disposable, I think about all the things that are created around the world daily. When we’re gone, how will the things we’ve made be viewed by others? What things – if any – will continue after we’ve moved on? What will be our creative legacy? I never had the honor of meeting my mother-in-law. She passed away before Steve and I met. However, I’m privileged to experience her life through her family and friends. I can touch the things created for others. I get to know her through the recipes in her recipe box and the trinkets she collected from her travels. I see the joy in her face in photos. I know how deeply she loved her family by the way they continue to speak of her with affection and longing for her presence even years later. Rosie may be gone, but she’s definitely not forgotten. She leaves a legacy of love in her wake. –Andrea Springer blogs at www.knittingsavant.com where she helps folks remember that they have everything they need to be successful in knitting and in life. You can share comments or ideas with her at andrea@knittingsavant.com or follow Knitting Savant on Facebook and Twitter.

• Sewing machine repair • Long arm quilting services Winter Special $40 sewing machine • Custom quilt orders /serger tune-ups • Basic sewing, quilting classes, for children and adults 6868 N 600 W, Rensselaer, IN 47978 • 219-869-2218 michelle@michellessewingfix.com • Michelle Drwal, Owner

www.michellessewingfix.com

The Tale of a Box from My Closet Time to Finish Old Tasks Winter offers powerful lessons that it is a good time to finish up old tasks. Of course, I’ve also received the last phrase of that sentence in a fortune cookie. Whatever the inspiration, I’ll make it my own: It is a good time to finish up old tasks and to allow the past to settle into the future. I have a tangible task; it sits before me in a box, waiting patiently as it has for the last nine years. There is nothing onerous, dreary or disturbing in my box. There is no lurking regret, swea tbreaking doubt or even intense grief. There is a beautiful memory, one so heartbreakingly warm that I rarely rewind the moment. That way, it remains vibrant and alive. Now I wish to share it with you. It is mid-August, 2006. Three generations of women sit together in a resident’s room at an assisted living community. The resident, the oldest at four months shy of 100 years of age, crochets, as do her daughter and granddaughter. It is as it has ever been for as long as the daughter and granddaughter can remember. Except for the grandmother’s hands. Their efficient rhythm has lost its steady stamina. There are gentle bursts of energy and then periods of complete rest. The process repeats itself until the yarn sits still and quiet in her lap. All of them know that the desire to try remains, but as the saying goes, the flesh is weak and tired. A rare sadness and passivity creeps into the grandmother’s eyes. The granddaughter finds a pretty basket in the closet. They ask the grandmother if she would like to put the yarn there so she can pick it up when she feels more rested. The grandmother nods with a relieved acceptance, releases the skeins and the partially finished granny square into the basket. And just like that a 91 year lifetime of crocheting comes to an end. Three weeks later, the grandmother passes peacefully away at the hospital,

By Kerri Habben

dying of aplastic anemia, wherein her bone marrow ceased to produce blood cells and platelets. The blanket and yarn was packed up and the g randdaughter placed it in her closet with the thought that she and her mother should finish it one day. She waited to finish it because what she felt from the blanket was the weakening of strength and durability. She knew, naturally, that one day her grandmother would no longer be living, but somehow it seemed like her hands would forever be steadily moving. After a time, whenever the granddaughter saw the box, she still thought of finishing it one day. But this time, somehow, she even forgot what was in the box. Which meant it was more than time to complete the blanket. So on this winter’s day, I open the box. I remove the yarn, whereupon the square appears lost. I reach out to embrace and reassure it and I find that instead it comforts me. During its long hibernation, the atrophy I feared to feel has somehow again grown into a new, deeper strength. Or, perhaps, time has the same effect on a blanket as it does on the human heart. I pick up a crochet hook and I decide to crochet one row to outline my grandmother’s work. And it is then that I know that her work never stopped at all. She is within every efficient and steady motion of my mother’s and my hands. The past settles into the future. It is a good time to finish up old tasks. –Kerri Habben is a writer, photographe, and crochet instructor living in Raleigh, NC. An avid crocheter and knitter, she learned these skills from her grandmother and mother. She donates many of her yarn creations to those in need. Kerri has gathered a decade of essays she is working to publish. She can be reached at elhserenade@earthlink.net.

Page 8

The Country Register of Indiana

CENTER VILLE CENTERVILLE

Special Way to Give...

By Ann St Martin Stout

The Gift Money for Valentines Day Sometimes cash is the easiest and most sensible way to give a gift. Make a very special colorful gift with your creative handwork. What could be better than a jingling handful of dollar coins in a handmade drawstring bag? Here’s how you can make it special. You will need: • Dollar coins (e.g. Susan B. Anthony, Sacajawea, Eisenhower, Presidential) • Fabric for outside of bag, suitable for recipient - 6" x 16" • Fabric for lining of bag - 6"x16" • Thread / needle / sewing machine • Shoelace or strong ribbon for drawstring • Trinket, charm or button meaningful to recipient. (optional) Directions: Step 1: Sew the two fabrics right sides together along three sides, leaving one end open for turning. Step 2: Turn and press. Fold in raw edges on unfinished end, press and topstitch closed Step 3: Fold down ½” - ¾” inch toward lining on each finished end and topstitch along edge (not fold) creating a casing that will hold the drawstring. (Optional: ends can be folded outward to expose lining if it is a coordinating fabric.) (Or: Sew a ¾ “wide ribbon to outer

side to create casing, leaving ends open. If your ribbon is the kind that frays, you can dip ends in diluted craft glue before starting project.) Step 4: Fold lined fabric in half, right sides together, and stitch up sides to create bag, stopping at the casing. Turn bag and press if needed. Step 5: Feed drawstring through casings in a continuous loop (use safety pin or bodkin to help feed it through). Knot ends of string together. If desired, you can put in two drawstrings - one going each way - so they pull against each other to gather top of bag. Step 6: Sew or pin a special trinket, charm or button on bag or on drawstring. Step 7: Fill and give to the lucky recipient. He or she will find many uses for the bag once the money is spent. (Idea: for a child just learning to count money put in a handful of varied coins for excitement, practice and money to spend.) Note: Before the bag is sewn up the sides in step 4, some decorative quilting, stenciling, or stitchery could be added. I used a decorative machine stitch to close the end in step 2, and matched it, for decoration, on other end. –© Copyright 2016 - Ann St Martin Stout. www.leavesarefree.tumblr.com/

Jo of All Crafts – Master of None by Jo Branham You know that old saying: “Jack of all trades and master of none?” Well, that’s me with crafts – “Jo of all crafts and master of none.” I’ve dabbled in cross stitching, candle wicking, tatting, quilting, painting – small houses and designs on clothes, card making with rubber stamps, appliqué, embroidery . . . And I have all the paraphernalia to prove it. My mom taught me embroidery when I was a little girl. Maybe that’s why it is still my most favorite craft of all. For Valentine’s Day, I used to decorate a shirt – a sweatshirt or a long sleeved tee – for my sister, Liz, every year. I need to start doing that again. I really enjoyed it – and I now have a niece who would enjoy receiving them, too. The first few years I bought stencils and painted on the shirts with fabric paints. That was kind of a hassle because I couldn’t hide it anywhere since we lived together. And I always had to find a place to lay it to dry that was inaccessible to

cats. There is no where inaccessible to cats. Then I started buying the iron-on transfers and decorations. That ended up being a pain because sometimes the iron wasn’t hot enough – even though I had it on the setting they told me to. Or the transfer was so old it didn’t “stick.” So then I started doing appliqué with embroidered embellishments. I liked that a lot better. And then I just started doing the whole thing with embroidery. I used chalk paper to draw my design on the shirt. I also kept a printed copy of the design because over time the chalk would wear off of the shirt where I handled it so much. By that time, I usually had quite a bit done, so I could just look at my printed pattern and free-hand the design. I could also fold it up or stick it in a bag to hide it whenever Liz came around. Or the cats. I loved it! I think I’ll go shopping for a shirt this weekend. I’ll dig out my floss and patterns and see what I can come up with for Valentines Day.

January & February 2016

Page 9

LIBER TY LIBERTY

A Cup of Tea with Lydia

By Lydia E. Harris

How Do You Spell Love?

Love makes the world go ’round. So, Roll the dough into a ball, flatten it, and as the year begins, here are some “heartthen cut out the dough with a heartTea” ideas to share love with family and shaped cutter. If the cookies lose their shape, recut them with the heart-shaped friends of all ages. Heart-Tea Menu for Adults cutter as soon as they come out of the Last February, I was pleased to serve oven. For gifts and mailing, we place the lunch to my sister Ruth. Since it was near heart-y cookies into heart-shaped boxes Valentine’s Day, a “heart-Tea” meal was or cookie tins. in order. Last year our three grandkids (ages 4 I prepared four heart-y soups to to 11) came for a sleepover on Valentine’s sample: my mother’s meatball-andweekend while their parents celebrated dumpling soup (my childhood favorite), their wedding anniversary. white bean and We started by ham, French onion, drawing names and and asparagus with making Valentines lemon. Ruth loves to show love in asparagus, so that special ways to the soup with its person whose name refreshing, lemony we drew. I set out taste and chunks of c o l o r e d roasted asparagus construction paper, was her favorite. It doilies, stickers, looked appealing markers, scissors, served in a hearttape, and glue. My shaped glass bowl four-year-old and topped with a heart-shaped piece of granddaughter, Anna, took her Valentine wheat toast and a roasted asparagus spear. making seriously. She kept whispering I garnished another soup with a slice of to Grandpa and her older siblings to get tomato cut into a heart with a cookie the information she needed. I wondered cutter and added a chive arrow across the what she was up to. Then we made our top. own Valentine holders and hung them Our menu also included green-pea from our chairs by the table. salad with small, heart-shaped pieces of The heart-y theme continued during cheddar cheese served in paper muffin mealtimes with heart-shaped pizza for liners and placed on doilies atop heartdinner. The next morning we feasted on shaped saucers. We finished our meal by waffles cut into hearts and topped with nibbling heart-shaped chocolate chip whipped cream and heart-shaped cookies and sipping Bigelow’s strawberries. We sipped hot chocolate Pomegranate Pizzazz herbal tea, a rosefrom heart-shaped teacups and added a colored, fruity blend. dollop of whipped cream and pink sugar. Lovely Setting After breakfast, we read our Valentine Pink and red make a cheerful setting cards. When I opened mine from Anna, for teatime. I used a pink gingham cloth, I found crooked strips of colored pink heart-shaped teacups, and red and construction paper with letters printed white tulips for the centerpiece. Hearton them. I strung the pieces together and shaped cookie cutters made inexpensive saw they included the entire alphabet. napkin rings, and heart-shaped red, pink, Anna couldn’t write words and messages, and white doilies added a lovely accent. so she simply wrote all the letters of the Since Ruth enjoys the candy bar with her alphabet so I could create my own words. name, a package of Baby Ruths waited at I kept those jagged scraps of paper, her place setting. because to me they spelled L-O-V-E. Heart-Tea Ideas for Young Sweethearts Any time is a good time to show love Often our grandkids and I bake and to others. I’m ready to express affection frost heart-shaped sugar cookies together. to family and friends with a hearty meal, Sometimes we also make chocolate chip a lovely setting, or tea and treats. Won’t cookies into hearts. They’re easy to make: you join me? –Lydia E. Harris, who holds a master’s degree in Home Economics, is blessed with five grandchildren and authored the book, Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting.

From Lydia’s Idea File

French Onion Soup If French is the language of love, what better way to express your love than with French onion soup? And your friends will undoubtedly ask for amour of this tasty, easy-to-make soup.

Ingredients: • 1 package Onion Soup Mix (such as Lipton) • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional) • sliced French bread (one or two slices per person) • Swiss cheese slices (one or two per person)

Directions: 1. Prepare onion soup mix according to package directions. Add sugar and simmer. 2. Toast one or more slices of French bread for each person. Butter if desired. 3. Top each slice of toast with a slice of Swiss cheese cut to fit the bread. 4. Microwave bread for 30 seconds or until cheese melts. 5. Pour hot soup into bowls. Top each with bread and melted cheese. Enjoy! Makes 4 one-cup servings. Optional: If you wish more onions in the soup, brown one or two thinly sliced onions in two tablespoons butter until tender. Add to packaged soup mix and simmer according to package directions.

Time for Quilting "How long did it take you to make that quilt?" Probably every quilter is asked this question from time to time. And we quilters will ask this question of each other too. Some of my own responses to this question have included, "A long time!" and "That's a good question!" Another possible way to reply would be to provide the month/year the quilt was started, followed by the date it was finished. But when it comes to estimating the actual number of hours spent making a particular quilt, to borrow a line from the old song, "Does any quilter really know what time it took?" There are a number of quilting books with titles that hint at quilt construction time, such as Quilt-in-a-Day or Quilt-in-a-Weekend, but my first thought with those books is that they may be underestimating the real time start-to-finish of the project. As with the TV cooking show boasting 30 minute meals, I wonder about how those meals translate into actual time spent in the kitchen. There are certainly some activities that are just naturally associated with length of time; such as how many days will I be away from home, or how many hours I need to drive somewhere, or how many minutes I need to wait till lunchtime, or how many seconds I feel like exercising today. But, unless I've got a deadline to meet, I generally don't find myself associating length of time with my quilting. For me, making a quilt is mostly about creativity and relaxation, being in the moment, and enjoying each step along the way. And there definitely are many steps involved in the process of creating a quilt! Sometimes there are unplanned steps in unexpected directions and sometimes a

by Sally Lomanno few backward steps are required too. When I'm engaged in my more favorite steps of the process, blocks of time will go by and I can hardly believe what time the clock says when I finally pause to glance at it. I would try hurrying through the steps that I don't enjoy quite so much, however I have found that I can't combine quilting and hurrying. Quilting helps slow me down. Quilting makes me take my time. That's one of the many rewarding aspects of the craft. Snipping off the very last stitch of a quilt is all the more satisfying to me because of all the time I've invested in making it. Now, finding that time is a whole nother spool of thread. I seem to manage to set aside quilting time in various ways. On some days I can even put quilting at the top of my priority list and then I squeeze any other activities in around my stitching time. It often surprises me how many other tasks I can end up getting done anyway when I focus most of my attention on doing something I really enjoy. Putting my quilting first like that reminds me of a conversation I once had with another stitcher during a train trip. She was knitting and I told her how I wished I had brought along my lap quilt project, but that it wouldn't fit in my bags once I was done packing. She quickly remarked, "Oh, my knitting always goes in first, then I pack everything else in around it!" I don't know how much time she and I spent chatting on that trip, or how much time I've spent making any one of my quilts. All I know is that, in both cases, it was time well spent. –Sally Lomanno lives in Cape May, NJ. She enjoys writing nearly as much as she enjoys quilting.

Page 10

The Country Register of Indiana

BLOOMING TON - MAR TINSVILLE BLOOMINGTON MARTINSVILLE

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Dirty Knees

by AnnMarie Rowland

A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose I haven’t taken a survey, but I’d dare to bet that if I did, the most common answer to the question “What flower do you like best?” would be “Roses”. And no wonder; they are beautiful to look at, wonderfully fragrant, and long-lasting. Since Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us (hint, hint), I thought I’d talk a little bit about colors, how to prolong your roses’ beauty once they leave the florist’s shop, and how to get the most for your money. Different colors mean different things when we’re talking roses; and it’s all good, with the constant exception of the yellow ones, which represent jealousy or decreasing love (ouch!). Red is the most popular choice for this holiday, so give a single one to say “I love you”; more to say “I love you still” or a dozen to say “I’ll always love you”. Mix the red with white to signify unity, or give thornless ones to declare love at first sight. Pink roses, which tend to smell even sweeter than red, are a sign of perfect happiness. It’s hard to go wrong with roses. Most florists advertise “long-stemmed” roses for Valentine’s Day, usually by the dozen, sometimes in a vase and sometimes in a box. What’s the best deal? I’ll give you my opinion, with all due respect for florists and rose growers. Skip the long stems. Yes, they make an impressive presentation. Yes, they seem to be extra romantic. But…no, they don’t smell any sweeter. No, they don’t mean you love her (or him) more. No, they don’t last longer. They do cost more, and that’s fair because growing roses with long, strong stems requires the grower to devote more time and attention to the rose bushes in the field. But to me, it’s just more stem. Stems are not what flowers are for. Flowers are what stems are for. No matter

how long (or short) the stems may be, it is the intoxicating fragrance and velvety soft petals of the rose that make a rose…well, a rose. Don’t ignore the smaller variety known as a “sweetheart” rose. Often it outfragrances the large ones, and comes with a much smaller price tag. They’re lovely for corsages or small table arrangements. Whether you buy/receive roses, carnations, daisies or some other flowers for Valentine’s Day, you’ll need to know how to care for them. Here are some tips: 1. Choose a vase that is big enough to hold the bouquet without crowding the stems. 2. Remove any leaves that will be under water in the vase. 3. With the stems under lukewarm water, trim an inch off from the bottom, at an angle. Garden pruners are perfect for this. 4. Fill your vase ¾ full with room temperature water. Add the floral preservative that came with the bouquet. If you didn’t get any, you can use 2 ounces of Listerine ® to each gallon of water. The mouthwash acts as a fungicide, and also adds glucose (food) to the water. 5. Arrange your flowers and put them in a cool, dark place for a few hours so that they can adjust to their new home. 6. Change the water every other day. Change it. Don’t just top it off. Bacteria lurk in the stale water. 7. Keep them in the coolest part of your home, out of direct sunlight, and store in the refrigerator at night if possible. Whether a single red one or a dozen; nothing expresses love the way roses do. –Copyright 2015 - AnnMarie Rowland is a freelance writer, Master Gardener, and singersongwriter. When she is not on the road, she lives in Michigan. www.annmarierowland.com

It’s Party Time with Lesley

Winter Party

Happy “2016" to everyone! May this be your best year ever! Life is so much more fun when you have a party with friends or family. It’s time to bring some more happiness into your life and enjoy that friendship time. Winter party themes are not something we think about, but it can be an exciting and fun event. Here, where I live, our winter is white and sparkling snow wherever you look. I decided to make this winter party theme about the colors white and silver. The decorating, tableware, the food, a game, and even what to wear can be about either the colors white or silver. The decorating will be easy with hanging white or silver cutout snowflakes. Snowballs can be little white stryofoam balls and you could even wrap some of them in tinfoil for silver balls. You could also use some of your silver Christmas tree ornaments to place in fancy large glass bowls or vases to place around the party room. The dining room table is a place I always like to dress up. Set your table with a white table cloth, white napkins with silver napkin rings, or silver/grey napkins with white napkin rings. Add a couple white or silver candles and have some novelty piece you have on hand in silver as your center piece. When sending out your invitations (or personal phone call,) let your guests know what your theme is, suggesting that they wear something in one or both of those colors. Of course, men can get away with wearing a “white shirt.” Now, at this time, if you wish, you could tell your guest that this will be a “pot luck” dinner, and each guest could bring one dish in these colors. Of course, something in a silver food would be difficult, but they could put it in a silver serving dish. I suggest going “pot luck” as it makes your planning time cut in half and makes it less of a chore! My friends (or cousins) and I do this quite often. It adds a lot of interest in what someone else has made, and you end up getting a new recipe! Now, I know I normally advice not to have food all in the same color, but in this case, I will applaud the effort as I know it will work out. As hostess, you will be responsible for supplying the dishes, cutlery, and

by Lesley Nuttall

beverages. You could make an appetizer if you wish, but not necessary. You could also make one “white food dish” yourself, and I am adding a salad that you could make the morning of the party. If you would like to play a game with the guests, make up a “word game” using winter words. This is relatively easy to do. Try to have about 15-20 words which you will scramble, and your guest will have to put them in the proper order in, say, ten minutes. Have paper and pencil/pens available for them to use. Have the guests work in pairs, as it makes it so much more fun. I’m including a few words to start you off: snowballs, snowflake, icicles, slippery, blizzard, snowshoes, snow machine, snow bank, sliding, skating. Snowing, freezing. Now just add a few more of your own. If you wanted, you could have a small silly prize to give to the winners. Remember, it’s all in fun. And fun and laughter lowers stress level, so whatever you do, make it fun for your guests! For a successful party, the pre-planning is very important. So, be precise and plan out each part of the party. I always put my husband in charge of looking after the drinks, ice, drink glasses, etc., which also takes some pressure off of you. With all this in mind, your party will be a big “hit!” Have a wonderful time with your guests, and best wishes to everyone in the new year! –© 2016 Lesley R. Nuttall is the Author of Secrets of Party Planning, a guide to easy entertaining. She lives with her husband in Dryden, Ontario, Canada. email: lesleyrose@shaw.ca Nippy Cucumber Salad • 3 large cucumbers -washed and cubed • 1 large onion - quartered and sliced • 1 cup cauliflower florets - bite size • 1/4 cup chopped chives or scallion tops • 1/4 cup each sour cream and mayonnaise • salt & pepper to taste Combine all ingredients, but add the sour cream and mayonnaise just before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings

January & February 2016

Page 11

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Wit and Wisdom

by Jule Ann Lattimer

In the World, Not of the World The ocean fascinates me. Every year we rent a beach house on the shore in North Carolina. I love everything about it – the sand, the tides, the shells, the bird life, as well as the surprising things the ocean coughs up each night. One morning the beach was peppered in jelly fish. What a sight! Another day I watched a flock of pelicans huddled together patiently waiting for the fog to lift. Some days playful dolphins follow along as I walk the beach in search of multicolored shells and treasured sand dollars. I once read that there are more living creatures under the sea than those living above it. With our ever-advancing technology, oceanographers recently discovered a giant squid that is 10 feet long, weighs over a ton and has eyes the size of dinner plates. There is an underworld of plains, plateaus and mountains ranges. I am awestruck by God’s creativity. As I sit in my beach chair admiring the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves, I often meditate on God’s amazing creations.

One of those is the Gulf Stream, a powerful, warm and swift current within the ocean that originates in Florida and follows the eastern coast line of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean towards Europe. It is 62 miles wide and its depth varies from 2600 to 3900 feet. It travels at a speed of approximately 5.6 mph. This river within an ocean dwarfs all rivers combined that empty into the Atlantic Ocean. What did God have in mind when he placed a river within an enormous ocean? As I contemplated that thought a scripture popped into my head. “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:15,16) Jesus often used object lessons to teach his disciples. Is this an object lesson for us? As God’s children, He expects us to live a moral life of integrity, not to be swallowed up and carried along by this corrupt world’s seductive pleasures. Just as the Gulf Steam remains autonomous, so must we.

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Page 12

The Country Register of Indiana

NASHVILLE Register to Win a Trip to

The Story Inn For Valentine’s Day

over $375 Value!

The Country Register is giving away a trip to The Story Inn in Nashville, IN the midwest’s premiere country inn. Leave your cell phone, laptop and stress at home and head to bucolic Brown County. Spend a night in one of their tastefully decorated rooms. Make dinner reservations so you are sure to enjoy the inn’s gourmet dining room and the chef ’s special. Then enjoy a great night’s sleep followed by a wonderful breakfast. Spend your day visiting antique shops, hiking, exploring the area or just napping! What could be better? How to win... Getaway Contest! The contest is simple, just send a note, email (page 2) or cereal box top with the reason YOU should win! You know we love stories!

Happy Valentine’s Day and Good Luck!

6404 South State Road 135, Nashville, IN 47448

(812) 988-2273 • www.StoryInn.com

Sewing Baskets

Fine Print: One entry per person please. Entry letters will be judged on creativity and, in our humble opinion, the best reason given for being deserving of a get away trip. One entry will be picked on February 1, 2016 and the winner will be contacted immediately in case they actually want to schedule their trip for Valentine’s Day. Winner will receive $375.00 in The Story Inn Gift Certificates which can be redeemed for meals, overnight accommodations or merchandise. (No unused portion of the certificates will be refunded in cash or may be used as a staff gratuity.)

By Robert Reed

Still Much to Behold Granted sewing is not today the household activity of previous generations. But the accompanying sewing basket is making a comeback. As a decorative item old sewing baskets still are much to behold. Historically sewing baskets came in various shapes and sizes. To help contain the contents most provided a lid or some means to close off the base. Such sewing baskets also came in assorted materials from the splints of oak and hickory to grass and palm leaves. Choices in the late 18th century, for example, ranged from the dramatic red lacquer China trade box with gold decoration to the rustic hand-crafted. Chinese lacquer boxes, for example, often had finely cared ivory fittings and were highly regarded household treasures. Additionally there was the French “necessaire” which often combined polished wood or papier-mache with flares of inlaid mother of pearl. Typically they held a few small sewing items including scissors, needles, and thimble. The German “hussif ” was usually smaller that the French version, but was sometimes velvet covered. In 1791 Mrs. Benedict Arnold was reportedly given a bird’s-eye maple sewing box with birch back fittings that was very definitely made in America.. It was crafted by Elasaba of the Micmac tribe and is now in the American Museum in England. In some regions of early America, Native Americans sometimes used moose hair instead of silk thread. In other cases

such sewing boxes held combinations of items, one crafted with silk and the other crafted with moose hair. In nearly every case they were both delicate and elaborate. Other Native American works made use of available materials such as strands of wood, pine needles, or tall-growing grass. During the first half of the 19th century Pennsylvania Germans frequently made actual sewing baskets, rather than boxes, using generous amounts of oak splints and rye straw. “When one considers the large amount of needlework, both plain and fancy, that was accomplished by young ladies and their mothers during the 18th and 19th centuries, it is understandable that personal sewing boxes should be among the truly cherished possessions of most American families,” noted Nina Little in the book, Neat and Tidy: Boxes and Their Contents Used in Early American Households. Regardless of material origins the basic sewing box and the basic sewing basket seemed to further evolve throughout the second half of the 19th century. Some finer examples in the words of author Little, “exhibited a cabinetmaker’s skill.” They could be very stylish, framed with the best of quality hard woods, and often lined with quality fabric or colorful paper. Many of the fancier types had compartments or divided sections for storage of individual sewing accessories including a pincushion and spools of thread. Some of the most elaborate even provided for a removable tray which held smaller items. Sewing baskets enjoyed a renewed

Winners will be announced in the next paper BUT sent their prize by mail IN TIME FOR Valentine’s Day PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY - THIS WILL BE YOUR MAILING LABEL. P O Box 128 Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763

Name Street Address City popularity in the 1880s and 1890s, and among the best were those made by the strictly religious Shaker communities and sold to the public. Shaker sewing baskets used a woven rib construction that made them especially strong and durable. Such baskets were often sold in small shops within the Shaker colonies, or sometimes available in local shops and also included a pincushion. As a matter of fact sewing baskets of that era frequently came with pincushions attached to the top according to H e l e n Thompson author of S e w i n g Tools and Trinkets. Still other sewing baskets continued the Chinese tradition of using a thin silk rope to attach beads and coins to the top of the basket. Just about every Victorian home kept a sewing basket sitting in a prominent place. Increasingly they were circular, but varied considerably in size. Understandably larger sewing baskets could hold a woman’s entire inventory of sewing accessories and supplies even including an assortment of fabrics. Smaller sewing baskets might hold more specialized sewing materials for more

State

Zip

limited tasks. In 1908 the Sears and Roebuck catalog was offering fancy sewing boxes lined with satin. Their best selections provided a combination of plus material and celluloid. Beneath the transparent celluloid was “a pretty picture” and inside were “six useful sewing articles with plenty of room for other articles used by one who sews.” At about half the price Sears and R o e b u c k customers could purchase a squareshaped eight inch sewing “work” basket featuring straw braided into fancy designs. For those not willing to use a store-bought sewing, they could possibly make their own at home. “After the basketry revival around the turn of the century, reed and raffia (woven fiber from palm leaves) was suggested as the best easiest materials to find and use for making baskets,” points out Frances Johnson author of The Wallace-Homestead Price Guide to Baskets. “It was also about this time that bamboo sewing baskets began to be imported in large numbers.” By the 1920s a great number of raffia sewing baskets were on the market. In 1922 the Montgomery Ward catalog

January & February 2016

Page 13

SSALEM ALEM by Jo Branham

Sigh. Yes, once again Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m dreaming of spring in the middle of winter. Sunshine. warm weather. No boots and no coats. I really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind one snow storm in January or February that gives me a day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or two â&#x20AC;&#x201C; off work. Like when we were in grade school and had snow days. So what do I do when the winter doldrums hit? I read. A glass of iced tea, a bag or bowl of popcorn and a good book â&#x20AC;&#x201C; life doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get much better than that. What do I read? I like all kinds of books â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books to adult nonfiction. But my favorite type of book â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially in the winter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is what I call a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Crafty Cozy Mystery.â&#x20AC;? These are part of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;cozyâ&#x20AC;? mystery genre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which means all violence takes place â&#x20AC;&#x153;offscreen.â&#x20AC;? The book is about solving the mystery, of course, and it usually includes a lot of information regarding the main characterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal life. As a matter of fact, by the time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve read 2 or 3 books in

a series, I feel like I know the main character, her family, friends, cohorts and even enemies. Monica Ferris has a series about Betsy Devonshire, a woman who takes over her sisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needlecraft shop when the sister is murdered. There are 18 books now in this series and the books cover a variety of needlecraft projects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from knitting and crocheting to embroidery and cross stitch to needle punch. In the back of each book you will find a pattern for one of the projects described in the story. Most of these types of books share a pattern, instructions or a recipe in the back of the book. So, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re suffering from the winter doldrums, but arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in the mood to get â&#x20AC;&#x153;craftyâ&#x20AC;? yourself, grab a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Crafty Cozy Mystery.â&#x20AC;? Maybe it will give you some ideas for a new project. At the very least, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good way to wile away a cold and snowy winter afternoon.

offered brown raffia sewing baskets complete with scissors, thimble and three spools of thread. Square or round types were available ranging in size from four to five and a half inches in diameter. In addition the catalog also offered white and purple raffia sewing baskets that came with a bisque doll. Apparently aimed at children the baskets were six inches in diameter with â&#x20AC;&#x153;baby dollâ&#x20AC;? bisque figures. Besides the doll, the basket came with two â&#x20AC;&#x153;rollsâ&#x20AC;? of thread, two pieces of material, and a card of buttons. Total cost was 98 cents. A m i s h g r o u p s continued to provide s e w i n g baskets for sale from the 1930s to the 1 9 5 0 s . Typically they f i n e l y constr ucted with willow rods and wooden bases. Many were lined with oilcloth and a pin cushion attached. Some of the larger Amish sewing baskets were more than eight inches in diameter. Today sur viving sewing baskets continue to attract collectors who have no intention of doing any serious sewing

by hand. Instead such baskets are considered very decorative. They can be used for any number of purposes including h o l d i n g costume jewelry, for dried-f lower arrangements, to store old photographs, or for keeping recipes and coupons handy. Basic care should be used in connection with vintage sewing baskets including avoiding dampness and excessive heat. Baskets should be kept out of direct sunlight a n d a w a y f r o m moisture producing substances. Reco m mended reading: Baskets, 3rd edition, by Nancy Schiffer (Schiffer Publishing); Sewing Tools and Trinkets by Helen Thompson (Collector Books). â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Photos in order they appear1) Striking round sewing basket complete with lid and contents.; 2) Woven Sewing Basket.; 3 Traditional woven sewing basket with selection of sewing materials.; 4) Early 20th century sewing basket.

Past 'N' Present Michel le by

A primitive and country home decor & gift shop.

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Pas resen oo Pastt ''NN' PPresen resentt TToo

Hand made FFur ur niture â&#x20AC;˘ Candlesâ&#x20AC;˘ PPotpour otpour riâ&#x20AC;˘ RRoom oom Sprays urniture otpourriâ&#x20AC;˘ Valances â&#x20AC;˘ TTextiles extiles â&#x20AC;˘ Pictures â&#x20AC;˘ and much much more... arriving Lots of new merchandise ar riving daily!

211 N Main St., Salem, IN (812) 883-9600 and... Past N Present TToo oo , 103 E. Mulber Mulberrr y St. Salem, IN Hrs TTue-F ue-F ri: 10 - 5; Sat: 9 - 4 ue-Fri: Come in this winter for $5.00 OFF A PURCHASE OF $25.00 or more.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Likeâ&#x20AC;? Us On:

Not valid with other offers. Expires Feb 28, 2016

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1. snowball, 2. shovel, 3. snowstorm, 4. seasons, 5. cocoa, 6. comforter, 7. sweater, 8. sleet, 9. snowboard, 10. freeze, 11. jacket, 12. boots, 13. snuggle, 14. fireplace, 15. hibernate, 16. january, 17. toboggan, 18. wreath, 19. gloves, 20. scarf

Snow Days

Page 14

The Country Register of Indiana

GREENSBURG - ST P AUL PA Happy New Year!

Olde Barn Primitives

Handmade Primitives Prim Tart Burners Electric Lights Signs Dolls Stitcheries A Sprinkling of Antiques Lighted Canvas Pictures Gift certificates available “Like:”

s arm h C

Discounts on all Christmas items and snowmen

us on Facebook

5827 W County Road 700 N, St. Paul, IN 47272 www.oldebarnprimitives.com (765) 525-6249t Cash or check only… no credit or debit cards

ear! Happy New YYe

Become Inspired

Hours: Fri /Sat 9-3

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Located on the square in downtown Greensburg Batiks

• Fat Quarter Fridays 20% OFF Precut Fat Quarters, singles & bundles

• Buses & Groups Welcome Batiks • Cottons • Pre-cuts • Flannels Wide Backing & much more. 125 E. Main Street, Greensburg, IN 47240 812.222.0920 – www.tcstitches.com Open: Tues & Thurs 9 - 5; Wed 9 - 8; Fri 10 - 6; Sat 9 - 4

By Annice Bradley Rockwell

Decorating, Entertaining and Living in the Early American Style Plentiful Peace The winter months often seem unusually long in New England..But this spectacular season can bring us the truest of blessings. Winter months often provide us with time for peaceful contemplation and quiet moments to create a warm home setting that will shelter us from the unpredictable bitter blasts that characterize a classic New England winter. Harmony at Home Creating an environment that conveys warmth and solace is rewarding a n d worthwhile..After the holiday decorations are safely stored away, the backdrop for your decorating is like a clean canvas awaiting a perfectly painted scene..To achieve harmony in your room settings, begin with the larger pieces that you absolutely love..Consider positioning your seating arrangements in a new way for the winter to create cozy spaces to gather nearer to the fire to share stories of your winter adventures..Give some of your larger pieces a new purpose..Cupboards can be utilized to create two separate spaces to make your space look entirely different and blanket chests can be used to create distinct areas as well.. The Comfort of Color After all of your larger pieces are in place, consider some of the colorful elements you have that can add warmth and texture to a room..After a long day out in the cold, it is so inviting to come

home to the beauty of color..Early woven textiles and carefully arranged oriental rugs lend elements of texture and color that are comforting and warm..Carefully placed decorative smalls are another way to introduce new color into a room..Antiques in early paint can be artfully displayed to create a look that is fresh and inviting..New arrangements of your favorite pieces combined with bright and vivid additions can be soulfully appealing, especially in the winter when our landscape has an absence of color. Enhancing your Environment Taking time to enliven your home environment does give your spirit a true lift..This winter venture out to some of your favorite shops and think about how you can incorporate some new pieces into your winter displays..Be on the lookout for pieces that can be used in different ways..Think about adding vibrant hues to your displays to make them more appealing to the eye..By taking time to arrange your home so that it is an inviting and warm place to be, you will be providing yourself with a perfect balance to the icy blasts of the coldest season of the year. © 2016 Annice Bradley Rockwell is an educator and owner of Pomfret Antiques. She is currently working on her book, New England Girl. NewEnglandGirl2012@hotmail.com Robin Rock is the owner of Milltown Primitives. www.milltownprimitvesshop.com

A Valentine’s Day Story Editors Note: Gayle is one of my favorite cousins. Although a few years older than me, she always tried to include me in things “the big kids” were doing. She waas even my art teacher in elementary school - I was so proud of her. (And still look up to here in many ways.) It was the sixtyfirst year reunion of my high school class. Imagine! Sixty one years! Considering the collective age of those in attendance, the number gathered for dinner was short of amazing. A few had come long distances, too. Oklahoma. Nebraska. California. It was so good to see the "regulars" who had been coming to Sharpsville for nearly all our reunions. Unbelievably, there were three or four who had rarely attended, but who finally made their appearances on this odd-numbered year. One had driven from Nebraska, driving through Columbus, Ohio, to pick up another whose health prevented her from making the trip alone. I hadn’t seen Marilyn and Ethel in years. They were two of those who had finally made a reunion. In fourth grade, Ethel was my rival for the attention of Bobby, who had professed to like us both. At our reunion gathering, seeing Ethel reminded me once again of my Valentine’s Day story. We players in the story were fourth-graders in Mrs. Moody’s class. Before Valentine’s Day, the excitement rose in that fourth grade class as we created our own decorated Valentine shoe boxes to receive the anticipated inexpensive cut-out cards on the big day. Although, we would predictably receive one from each of the other classmates, we would, nevertheless, secretly wonder just who would be our special Valentine friend or admirer.

by Gayle Cranford

On that important day, one by one, we walked up and down the rows, carefully depositing a card in each box atop the student’s desk. I noticed that Bobby had no cheap little cut-out Valentines to distribute. Instead, when it was his turn, he deposited only two cards—and they were the folded expensive Hallmark-type cards. One was for Ethel and the other was for me. Following the party, when we had an opportunity to compare our beautiful cards, Ethel and I each thought to have received the prettier one, thus claiming to be Bobby’s real chosen one. I cannot remember Ethel’s card design other than it was rather plain, but still vividly recall that mine had a large heart that was filled with various shades of pink roses. Breathtaking! Confirmation, I thought! I can’t know what Ethel remembered about that day, if she remembered anything at all. The significance of my Valentine’s Day story is that fifteen years later, Bobby and I were married. After his death in 2009, four months shy of our fiftieth wedding anniversary, another classmate wrote in a note of sympathy that Bobby was her very first crush, a bit of surprising news for me to hear after all those years. He was a charmer, even then. The irony of my remembering this incident at our sixty-first class reunion is that two days afterwards, Ethel quietly died in her sleep while on a bus trip to Tennessee. Now, of the three participants in my Valentine’s Day story, I am the only one left who can tell it. © 2016 by Gayle Cranford who enjoys writing, quilting and playing mahjong with friends online and in person.

January & February 2016

Page 15

GREENFIELD - MCCORDSVILLE

Random Acts by Maranda K. Jones

Not For Sale

Est. 1996

Mom & Me

“With a little help from my friends.” The Beatles suggest that is how we get by, and I must agree. Just this past year, I planned classroom parties, parade floats, and holiday celebrations. Looking back on those memories, I am relieved those late nights resulted in fun days for children, and I am filled with appreciation for my helpers. I was overwhelmed with assistance from my colleagues, friends, and fellow homeroom moms…and of course my own mother. My creative mom fills her days with hobbies that reflect her generous nature. Stamping cards to share with friends and family makes the hours fly by. When I make cards, I tend to create one design and mass produce it for everyone on my list. Not my mom. She takes the time and makes the effort to personally create each card for the receiving individual. Her attention to detail shows up in every craft she has ever completed, and that is quite a few. Mom has always been crafty. Another trait she and her friends have in common. Her ceramics phase consisted of glazing and firing throughout my childhood. Her friend Carol had her own kiln, and her two sons were like our own brothers. We played for hours while our moms cleaned and painted their latest creations. Once in a while, we were allowed to choose a project from the store too. We were always excited to join them at the table with scrapers and sponges. There is something very satisfying about sharing your interests with someone who returns your enthusiasm. Mom was met with that same enthusiasm when she stopped in a quilt store in Hannibal, Missouri on a road trip. While sightseeing, she spotted a snowman quilt hanging in the window and thought it would be a welcome addition to her snowman collection. When she inquired about purchasing it, the shop owner said it was not for sale, but they did sell all the supplies to make one. She decided right then and there, “I’m going to make a quilt!” and bought everything but the trim fabric. She has never made a quilt, but she was ready. She has embroidered and cross stitched before. She has sewn costumes, curtains, and crib bumpers. She has quilting in her blood and the quilts from her grandma to prove it. She found a project she would see through from beginning to end...literally. She held in her hands the patterns for each letter of the alphabet with correlated Christmas embroidery work. Visiting with the store owners, she received advice, helpful hints, and gathered supplies before heading home with her first quilt. While chatting with an avid quilting friend, Mom shared her plans for her new project. Something in her voice indicated that she could use some help. She said that every single quilt square is to be embroidered, and that if she could just get it started, she would probably finish one a month. Cynthia offered to embroider the individual pieces. Mom knew Cynthia would carefully stitch each square with perfection and promptly handed over her assignment. The next time they visited, the embroidery was finished, and Mom’s quilt was ready for the next step. Mom said she would make it to the fabric store soon to make her choice of material. Cynthia gave her a time and date as she continued to lead her toward completion of her first quilt. When Mom met Cynthia at the Denver store, she already had a pile of at least ten reds and greens for her to peruse. Mom gratefully acknowledged her selections but said she had her favorite color purple in mind. Cynthia said, “Oh, by all means!” They soon found the perfect border fabric, including another purple trim fabric and the backing. Cynthia suggested someone to finish the quilting and Mom agreed. Before she knew it, Mom’s first quilt was finished. She didn’t even have to thread one needle. And now Mom quilts…with a little help from her friends. ©2015 Maranda K. Jones. Author Maranda K. Jones shares her stories of faith and family through her personal experiences of growing, teaching, and parenting in a small town. She lives with her husband and their son and daughters in rural Colorado. She is an elementary school teacher as well as a prolific freelance writer.

Maranda Jones’ new book Random Acts is now available at amazon.com. The book includes her reader-acclaimed articles from the last decade.

Let The Country Register bring your business new customers in the New Year! Targeted, Affordable Advertising that Works!

McCordsville Mercantile 6288 W. Broadway, McCordsville, IN 46055 (Formerly St. Rd. 67/Pendleton Pike)

317-335-3355

Antiques

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Featuring Handmade Willow Furniture & Benches Saltbox Illustrations Greeting Cards Pottery • Warm Glow Candles Laurie’s Kitchen Soup & Dip Mixes Gift Certificates Available MasterCard/Visa/Discover accepted Booth Space Available for Quality Dealers: Call for Details

Re-Opening January 12, 2016 at Noon Winter Hours: Jan., Feb, Mar. Tues.-Sat, Noon-5

A Touch of Home Decor & Gift Shop 107 W. Main Street inside J.W. Riley Emporium Mall • Greenfield, IN 46140

featuring... Candles: 1803, Crossroads, Black Crow and Otter Creek Soy Candles Primitive Glow Lighting & Bulbs Old Century Paints • Leanin Tree Cards Magnet Works Door Mats & Garden Flags and so much more! www.TouchOfHome.net-main.com Hrs: Mon. - Sat. 10-5; Sun 1-5

Over The Tea Cup

By Janet Young

Tea - The Healthy Drink January is National Hot Tea Month. As seen around the world in many cultures, drinking tea has proven to be beneficial to our health and wellbeing. So, if one of your resolutions for the New Year was to develop a healthier lifestyle, then why not add drinking tea daily to your list. Drinking hot tea contains antioxidants that help reduce the risk of cancer. Green tea, in particular, helps to reduce cholesterol, and stabilize blood sugar level. If you are already a tea drinker why not experiment with different types of tea. For example, instead of a black tea, try a white or green tea. Or, stay in the black tea family, if that is your tea of choice, but try another flavor such as spicy (ginger) fruity (peach) dessert type tea (chocolate mint). Use loose leaf tea instead of teabags. You will be amazed by the difference in taste. To help you get started, why not attend a tea tasting, or go to a tea shop and see if you can sample a few varieties. The

tea expert should be able to help you identify the characteristics and notes of various teas. Enjoy tea at a teahouse to experience the tea ceremony. Read a few books about tea, and learn the proper way to prepare it. Experiment with pairing certain foods with tea, or if you want to be even more adventuresome try cooking with it. There are cookbooks available to assist you. Invest in a tea travel mug for tea on the run. Study after study has shown tea is beneficial to our health, so why not start the New Year right. EDUCATE yourself about the art of tea. EXPERIMENT until you find a favorite type and brand. Then ENJOY! Let’s Drink To Our Health! –Janet Young, Certified Tea and EtiquetteConsultant, is a founding member of Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association and freelance writer/national tea presenter. Visit her website at www.overtheteacup.com.

Page 16

The Country Register of Indiana

NOR TH VERNON NORTH

Classic Stained Glass & Gift Gallery, Inc. Quilters – we can make stained glass from your quilt pattern! Send or bring in your pattern and let us turn it into a beautiful stained glass design putting our 33 years of experience to work for you.

Sharynn’s Quilt Box EST EST.. 1994

1551 N or th SState tate SStr tr eet Nor orth treet th Vernon, IN 47265 orth Nor 812-346-4731 shar ynn@fr ontier .com sharynn@fr ynn@frontier ontier.com Shop online at: www .shar ynns.com www.shar .sharynns.com

Located Behind North Vernon Post Office • Find us on FACEBOOK

We Have Great Valentine Day Gifts!

Suncatchers • Panels • Blown Glass Ornaments Jewelry • Key Chains • Paperweights IU, Purdue, UK & Colts Scoreboard Clocks Marbles • Laser Cubes • Military Gifts • Birdbaths Car Charms • Winchimes • Yard Stakes Glass Bird Feeders • Australian Crystals and many other beautiful items.

Or for the person who has it all, give the gift of a stained glass class! 250 East Hoosier St., North Vernon, IN 47265 • Open: Tue - Fri 9-5; Sat 9-2

Complete Line of Supplies • Classes • Custom Work • Repairs Windows • Sidelights • Transoms • Cabinet Inserts • Lamps www.ClassicStainedGlassShop.com • 812-346-4527 • TOLL FREE: 1-888-48GLASS

Classic Stained Glass & Gift Gallery

A True Family Business Classic Stained Glass and Gift Gallery is a family affair. Lori Underwood has been working in stained glass for 33 years. She is “the artist,” according to her mom, Ann Means. Their husbands, Mike Underwood and Tom Means round out the crew at the shop. Ann takes care of the gift gallery and any ordering for the shop. Mike and Tom help Lori with the stained glass creations, custom work and restorations. They also do most of their installations. Lori had never been much into crafts – her passion was music. When she took a semester off from college, her mom talked her into taking a class on stained glass in Columbus, Indiana. Lori fell in love! She began taking more classes at Adrian’s Stained Glass in Indianapolis. Wayne Adrian, the owner of the shop, was so impressed with her that he asked her to go to work for him. Lori became his apprentice and he taught her everything he knew. She worked there 10 years – until the store closed. For two years Lori did custom work from her home – but she missed interacting with people so much that she went to work at Accent in Glass, also in Indianapolis. She became great friends with the owner, Barb Heilig, who taught her the business end of her craft. Then Lori became ill and had to move back home to North Vernon, Indiana so that her parents could help take care of her during her recuperation. She was out for about 3 years. As she began to get her health back, her desire to begin

by Jo Branham

working in stained glass came back full force. She sounded her mom and dad out about opening their own stained glass store in North Vernon. They were receptive to the idea. While driving through town, Lori saw a building for rent. Near the railroad tracks, it was formerly a car dealership. It had 5 huge plate glass windows – perfect for displaying stained glass pieces. She went home and got her parents, who agreed they’d never find a more ideal space – and on December 19, 1996 Classic Stained Glass and Gift Gallery opened their doors. As soothing and relaxing music plays softly in the background, you can browse through their wide variety of jewelry, Tiffany-style lamps, sun catchers, garden decorations, and many other beautiful gift items. Looking for a custom-made window or door? They do that. Or do you need an old window or door restored? They do that, too. Lori took me upstairs to the workroom to show me one of her current projects. St. Vincent’s Jennings Hospital has commissioned her to make a piece for their conference room. They asked her to create a piece using the colors of the room and their emblem, a dove. The piece became larger than she’s first anticipated and now consists of 3 panels. The centerpiece is the dove with the coordinating colors from the room radiating out from it – the two side pieces are in various shades

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

2000+ Bolts of 1st Q uality 100% Cotton F abric Quality Fabric otions • G ift Cer tificates Kits • Books • P atterns • N Patterns Notions Gift Certificates Kno wledgeable and friendly staff Knowledgeable staff.. Block of the M onth • Classes and Clubs Month Authorized Dealer Handi Q uilter Quilter Sales R ep Rep Hours: Tues-F ri 10-5; ues-Fri Sat 10-3

Sharynn’s Quilt Box

by Jo Branham

“We really take our customers seriously...” Sharynn Patterson has been in the craft business for over 30 years. She began by making hand-made faux fur and leather coats, wearable art and other things in which she could incorporate the remnants of fur. In 1994 she was doing craft shows. By 1998 she had opened a quilt store and gift boutique in Vernon, Indiana. And in 2004 Sharynn’s Quilt Box moved to North Vernon, Indiana. She and her husband, Darrell, have been Janome dealers since 1998. They have a nice selection of machines featured in the shop. Seven years ago, Handiquilter signed them up as reps for their long-arm sewing machines. They order it and when it comes in, Darrell comes to your house, sets it up and teaches you how to use it. He also services the Handiquilter machines and regular sewing machines. Those you can drop off at the shop for him to work on. Sharynn’s Quilt Box has a wellrounded and versatile collection of fabrics: K a u f m a n , Northcott, Moda, P&B, Andover, Quilting Treasures, Hoffman . . . to name just a few. They have an absolutely gorgeous selection of batiks. And you can have the fabric cut to fit your needs or buy it precut as fat quarters, charms, jelly rolls or layer cakes. She carries all the sewing and quilting notions you would expect to find – plus

Sullivan floss and a few hand embroidery patterns. Two of Sharynn’s employees recently retired. While she trained her new staff, Gail and Cathy, she cut back on the classes the shop offered. Gail is a part-timer; she will have been with the shop 3 years next April. Cathy works full time and January will mark her second year at the shop. Sharynn’s sister, Billi, works at the post office and fills in at the shop whenever she can. All the shop employees – including Sharynn – work on samples for viewing in the shop. Kits corresponding with the sample can usually be found nearby. Since everyone is getting to “old hands” by now, classes are starting to pick up again. Gail teaches a serger class on the first Wednesday of each month. Janet Gagneur will be teaching some classes on different types of appliqué, starting with an a p p l i q u é d snowman pillow. It is gorgeous! There are also classes on beginning quilting and a Foot and Ruler class that meets every second Tuesday of each month. Sharynn’s Stitching Friends Club meets at 9 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. It began as the Thimbleberries Club, but when Thimbleberries quit doing their club projects, the ladies didn’t want to quit meeting. Now the meeting starts

January & February 2016

Page 17

MADISON - RISING SUN - SEYMOUR

PRIMITIVE CROW located at: Seymour Antiques, 1005 East 4 th Street Seymour, IN 47274 812-523-3505 • Hrs: Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 10-3 Early Wares • Antiques • Primitive Goods Tattered Linens • Primitive Candles Country Neighbors Home Tour Annual Tour 2nd Weekend of June, Sept, Nov 2016 for more details see separate ad or... www.picturetrail.com/countryneighbors

1515 W Dalton Court, Seymour, IN 812.497.3057 • Like us on FACEBOOK

FABRIC SHOP Hurley Adams & Judith Adams - Owners

Happy New Year!

812-265-5828

220 E. Main St • Madison Embroidery Unlimited Custom Embroidery by Ilene

• Wide Variety of Fabrics & Notions • Quilting Supplies • DMC Floss • Knitting Yarn & Accessories • Kwik-Sew Patterns • Handmade Quilts • Machine Quilted Quilts • Sewing Machines- New & Used

Sharynn’s Quilt Box with Sharynn presenting new items that she carries in the shop, and then a show and tell . . . and there are refreshments, too. “We really take our customers seriously,” Sharynn told me. “They are very important to us. We support them and help them with their projects. We like to be as involved in what they’re working on as they want us to be.” You can get involves with Sharynn and her crew even if you

Continued from previous page... can’t get to North Vernon. By the time you read this, Sharynn’s Quilt Box will be offering an online store for your s h o p p i n g convenience. However you decide to shop at Sharynn’s Quilt Box – in store or online – please let them know that you read about t h e i r wo n d e r f u l quilt shop here, in The Country Register.

Classic Stained Glass of blue, with the lighter shades gradually darkening to a deep dark blue the color of the midnight sky. It is breathtaking. They have created windows, doors, transoms and sidelights for churches, homes and businesses across the United States – and over seas, as well. Day and evening classes are available. If you want to try your hand at working with stained glass, they offer a one day “Introduction to Stained Glass” class – that way you get an over-all view of what is involved and what kind of tools you need. Other classes include: Beginning stained glass; intermediate stained glass; lead working; Tiffany lamps; stepping stones; mosaics; and fused glass. A lot of these classes run a 3 to 6 week course. Special seminars on kaleidoscopes, lamps, and jewelry boxes are also available. And Lori presents a one day seminar

Continued from previous page...

exclusively on soldering because it is such a major part of any stained glass project. With 400 different colors of glass and over 500 pattern books, there’s sure to be a project that catches your eye. If you’d like a class on something that you don’t see offered – ask them. Customer ser vice is their specialty. Whether it’s helping you find a gift from the many items available in the shop or helping you choose your own project or designing custom work – they’re happy to help you in any way they can. Drop by the shop to browse for that perfect gift or sign up for a class. Don’t forget to mention you read about them in The Country Register. Check out their ad for shop information. Online they can be found on Facebook and at their website: www.ClassicStainedGlassShop.com

Page 18

The Country Register of Indiana

DEC ATUR - MUNCIE DECA www.cottoncandyquiltshoppe.com (765) 254-1584

Country Creations Quilt Shop For your quilting needs

~fabrics

~ notions

~quilting supplies Visit us on Facebook at Country Creations 5342 N 400 W Decatur, IN 46733 Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5; Sat 9-2

260.547.4535

• Block of the Month Programs • Classes • Full Range of the Best Quality Fabrics from Moda, Robert Kaufman, and many more including American Made Brand Solids.

Come Join us at a Retreat! Pamper yourself - you deserve it. Call or visit our website for details

5001 N Wheeling Ave. Muncie, IN 47304

fabrics2@onlyinternet.net

Upcoming Events: • NW Ohio One Stop Shop Hop Mar 11& 12, 2016 Lima, OH • Gathering of Quilters Show Mar 19, 2016 Ft Wayne, IN • Bunny Hop Shop Hop Mar 31-Apr 1 & 2, 2016 IN shops • Quilt Fever Shop Hop April, 2016 TBA six IN & OH shops

Back Porch Break by Nancy Parker Brummett

Late-in-Life Love

The Dropped Stitch by Sharon Greve

A Patriotic Symbol The American tradition of knitting for a cause can be traced back to wartime knitting. Martha Washington (wife of General and President George Washington) spearheaded knitting efforts for the soldiers of the Revolutionary War for utilitarian and political purposes. Colonists didn’t want to buy British cloth, so they spun, wove, and knitted their own clothing. During the Civil War, knitting became an important symbol of patriotism. In 1898, during the Spanish American War, Mrs. E. A. Gardner “conceived the idea of supplying our warships with “just what they needed.” Friends, The New York Herald, and the Associated Press joined in. Thus, the seeds of the current “Christmasat-Sea Program were planted, establishing the Seamen’s Benefit Society, a ladies’ auxiliary of the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey. One of the functions was to provide knitted pieces to seafarers who visited the Institute. By 1941 about 2,000 volunteers, including many from churches of all denominations throughout the United States provided about 5,000 gift boxes containing hand knit sweaters, socks, hats, mittens, and scarves. These warm gifts were distributed to the crew of freighters and tankers who spent Christmas Day at sea. In 1996, 17,000 garments, including 6,000 scarves, were knit by some 3,000 volunteer knitters and given to merchant mariners at sea on Christmas Day. Knitters can be a part of this program today. Free easy patterns are provided for knitting scarves, watch caps, sweaters, and socks on the Seamen’s Church Institute website. In World Wars I and II, the American Red Cross received millions of caps, scarves, socks, and mitts as knitters across the country answered the poster plea: “Our boys need SOX—Knit Your Bit.” The organization even printed free directions for military socks. Minerva Yarn Co. printed (Vol. 62) Hand Knits for Men in the Service which sold for 35 cents. With women in the war-working force in factories, the Red Cross published Knitting Instructions for Wear Work and Knitted Comforts for Women. The well-known “watch cap” of 1940 is found on knitting needles around the world today. An untold number of convalescing servicemen were taught knitting as physical and mental therapy. Upon discharge, my own family’s Navy friend continued knitting beautiful sweaters for his wife. Now it is our turn to express our appreciation and patriotism to today’s servicemen and servicewomen. Today knitting continues for warm fiber articles for active and wounded military personnel regardless of political considerations. Knitted caps, neck gaiters, socks, and mitts are welcome donations by so many military programs. Check them out on the internet and join in. Want to knit for a military family? Baby blankets and layettes are needed for many young military families who are struggling to make ends meet while they await their loved one. The common goal of knitting for world peace has become a tradition in support of our country’s valiant military men and women. Let’s keep knitting a patriotic symbol. It’s our turn now! © 2015 Sharon Greve Contact: castonshar@charter.net No reprint without permission.

Valentine’s Day is often billed as a day for young lovers, but what if the lovers are merely young at heart? A close friend of mine, a widow, recently told me with stars in her eyes that she “met someone.” Both my friend and her new beau are in their seventies, but as she described their meeting she said it was as if she were thirteen again—all the same butterflies flitting around inside her! The “sweet nothings” they whisper to one another may have to be spoken a bit more loudly at this age, she confessed. And instead of getting-acquainted questions like “what’s your sign?” it’s more likely “are you on any medications?” But the sparkle in her eyes and the giggle in her voice told me this is true love all the same. Is it ever too late for love? I don’t think so. Years ago my mom was also in her seventies when she began a long companionship with Cecil, a dear family friend. He had lost his wife and my dad had passed away. The two couples had known one another since junior high. Mom and Cecil kept being asked to the same social gatherings, so eventually he said, “There’s no reason for both of us to drive. I’ll swing by and pick you up.” Thus began a 15-year relationship that nurtured them both. “We don’t even have to tell each other entire jokes,” Mom said the day she called to let me know what was going on with Cecil (lest I hear rumors of impropriety!). “We know all the same jokes, so one of us just remembers a punch line and we have a good laugh!” Many seniors would be open to late-in-life love but aren’t sure how to meet someone if they don’t have a lifelong connection like my mom and Cecil shared. Some actually have success with online dating sites, but more likely they connect through a mutual acquaintance or a shared interest. Other couples reconnect at a 50th or 60th high school reunion, after both are single again, and pick up right where they left off—although not as likely in the back of the pick up! Psychologists explain that the spark of “first love” is one that is easily rekindled, and every summer this romantic phenomenon repeats itself around punch bowls in gymnasiums from coast to coast. It gives new meaning to the phrase “take my hand again” that I’ve been using for adults helping aging parents. Is it ever too late for love? I think not. As for me, I’ll stick with the love I married when I was forty. A good man is hard to find at any age! Nancy Parker Brummett is an author and freelance writer in Colorado Springs, CO. “Like” her author page on Facebook, or to learn more about her life and work, visit www.nancyparkerbrummett.com. Portions of this column are excerpted from the author’s book, Take My Hand Again, Kregel Publications, 2015.

January & February 2016

Page 19

CL AYTON - D ANVILLE CLA DANVILLE

Outta the Shed Chocolate Walk on the Square - Feb Primitive, Country, Western, Rustic & Antique Decor One of a Kind Creations & Upcycles Black Label, Warm Glow, Swan Creek, and Heart Warming Candles Melts & Oils, Wreaths, Pictures, Textiles and many other needfuls & seasonal decor. Like us on FACEBOOK 71 S. Washington St., Danville, IN 46122 (317) 518-4249 Tues-Sat 11am-6pm;Closed Sun & Mon outtatheshed@gmail.com

6583 S. County Road 400 E. Clayton, IN 46118

Whispering Pines Designs Rug Hooking Studio

– Full line of rug hooking supplies including: frames, hooks, lots of wool, patterns, etc. – Classes are $75 for three two-hour sessions including: pattern, wool and hook – finished product is approx. 14 x 16 – See us demonstrating at shows & fairs around Indiana For information contact Bev Stewart: (317) 839-3612

Page 20

The Country Register of Indiana

COR YDON - EV ANSVILLE - GEORGETOWN - WASHING TON CORYDON EVANSVILLE ASHINGTON

4904 Old Georgetown Road, Georgetown (Edwardsville), IN 47122 I-64 at Exit 118 • (812) 542-1236 Store Hours: • Tues - Fri 10 - 5 • Saturday 10-3 • Closed Sun & Mon

HollyH ock ollyHock Quilt Shop

1124 Highway 62 NW, Corydon, IN 47112 Directions from I-64: (Corydon Exit) Go south on IN-135 South, turn right onto IN-62. HollyHock Quilt Shop is on the right.

Fabrics ~ Quilting Classes Patterns ~ Books ~ Notions Hours: Tues - Fri 10-5; Saturday 10-3; Closed Sunday & Monday

www.HollyHockQuiltShop.com 812-738-1312 • “Like” us on facebook Come Quilt with Us!

The Stitching P ost Post “Your Country Quilt Store”

A friendly country store specializing in Jo Morton and Nancy Halvorsen fabrics. Plus lots of MODA, batiks, reproduction, flannel and fleece. Southwestern Indiana's largest full service quilt store with over 10,000 bolts. Come see for yourself! Online Catalog: http://stitchingpostquilts.com 401 E Main St, Washington, IN 47501 812-254-6063 Hrs: Mon - Sat 10 - 5

Spring is Coming Yes, my friends, spring is on the horizon. That's what I keep telling myself as I look out the window at the gray sky. They have predicted possible snow flurries for today so I am waiting for the snow to fall. It's currently a balmy 35 degrees... But I do know that spring is just around the corner. The purple finches are once again trying to build a nest on the drain pipe right outside my office window. You can hear them twittering as they light on the pipe. I imagine the conversation goes something like this: "You KNOW we can't build here. The ground isn't level." [Mrs. Finch] "I can DO it, if you'll just leave me alone. This is the best spot around. It's well protected and yet we have a great view of town." [Mr. Finch] "But those people keep walking in and out that back door. I don't think this is a good idea." "I'm sure we can find a way to discourage them from using this door." [Mr. Finch laughs evilly.] Good luck to the Finch family. They actually built a nest there one year. Some of us [here at the office] were very careful about using that door. Some of us, however, were NOT -- and the Finch family found another place to nest. The frogs - spring peepers - have been vocal the last couple of weeks-a sure sign of spring. My Dad always said you'll only have 3 more freezes from the time you hear the first frogs croaking. Unfortunately, that does not mean 3

by Jo Branham nights in a row. You can have a couple days - then a warm spell - then a week of freezing temps - then a warm spell - then a month ... but that should be the last freeze. I've never really counted it up to see if it actually works. I start to and then forget. Just like whatever date the first snow falls – my folks always said that's how many snows you'll get that season. And as in the case of freezes, it doesn't mean if it snows on the 3rd and you get 3 days of snow in a row that you're done. That only counts as one snow. It has to melt away and start all over again. I always start off counting the snows, too, and then forget. Anyway, back to spring. [I am totally over the snow this year.] My neighbor took a picture of a flower - a viola or pansy, I'm not sure which - and posted on her Facebook page. I think I'm not the only one done with winter weather. The daffodils, crocus, and narcissus are sticking their little green snouts out of the ground. I usually think of them as Easter flowers, but they're going to have a long wait for Easter this year. Our world is such an amazing place. Each year, the earth is reborn. Birds look for nesting spots to bring up their young. Flowers begin wending their way from their roots to the earth above. Trees send out new buds that eventually turn into flowers and leaves. Tadpoles become frogs and croak the glad tidings of spring to come

January & February 2016

Page 21

MET AMORA - RUSHVILLE METAMORA

In Stitches ○

○

837 W. Third St., Rushville, IN 765-938-1818 www.institchesquiltshop.com

Join us for the Cabin Fever Shop Hop February 12 - 20 Fabrics by Moda, Timeless Treasures, Hoffman, Quilting Treasures and more! Our specialty is panels!! Lots of samples to inspire!

19050 Main Street Metamora, IN 47030 765-647-1212 www.metaoralanterns.com

HOURS: Mon–Fri 10–5, Sat 10–2; Closed Sun “Like” us on FACEBOOK In Stitches Quilt Shop

Bleak Midwinter Blues

Solve It with a Shop Hop There’s a line in a Christmas song that says “in the bleak midwinter.” I know exactly what it means. January and February definitely qualifies as “bleak midwinter.” It’s so snowy and cold and miserable. All I want to do is stay home in my pjs, snuggled on my bed with my kitty and good book. Or working on a craft project, with fabrics spread all around and my kitty sitting right in the middle of it all. (Cats and crafting just go together.) But as the days stretch on endlessly – as they do in the bleak midwinter – I find myself growing bored. I’ve read all my books, finished all my projects – or, more likely, I’ve lost interest in said books and projects - and want something NEW to wile away the tiresome hours… That’s when my thoughts turn to spring - warm weather, birds singing, the scent of lilac and honeysuckle drifting in the open windows...and shop hopping!! There are a number of Shop Hops that take place throughout the year, beginning as early as New Year’s Day in some places. Shop hops are the first events of the year if you’re a quilter/crafter. My sister, Liz, and I began shop hopping in May 2005. During our first shop hop, we visited a number of the

A chill is in the air. Enjoy homemade soup and a sandwich while you browse the many antiques dealer’s booths and new seasonal merchandise and home decor. A cup of cappuccino and pie are sure to please your taste buds. by Jo Branham

towns we’d never been in before. Imagine, if you will, trying to find a strange shop in a strange town with rain pouring down as if someone had turned the faucet on full blast. Not only that, school had just let out so we had to contend with traffic – including school buses. I’ll never forget it. It was then I knew that shop hopping was not only fun and frugal – you can get a lot of your Christmas and/or birthday gifts taken care of during a shop hop – it was also an adventure! Traveling down new roads to places you’ve never been before exploring new towns, shops and restaurants. And chocolate. Lots of chocolate. I believe every shop, in every shop hop I’ve participated in, has provided me with chocolate. Yes, crafts and chocolate go hand in hand. They’re part of the Three Big C’s: Crafts, Chocolate and Cats. Maybe we should make that 4 – and add Cash? So whenever those bleak midwinter blues start singing their song in my ear, I tune them out and start planning my getaway - - Shop Hops 2016, here I come!! Be sure to check the Events Listing for information regarding shop hops and other special events through out the year.

New! "1803 Candles"all soy. Essence of the Bean candles AND Flavored Coffee beans!

NEW: www.ElizabethsKeepsakes.com www.facebook.com/Elizabeth’sKeepsakes

Salvage Style

Old Shutter Wall Decor

This is a simple project anyone can do and it can be customized for any decor or season. All you need is an old shutter. They are easy to come by at garage sales, flea markets and second hand stores. Leave the shutter as is, or paint it whatever color you prefer. Now, the fun part. Use your imagination and any items of your choosing. I wrap the bottom of the shutter with fabric, usually burlap, or an old piece of cutter quilt, to form a pocket. Pull the fabric to the back of the shutter and staple it in place. Add anything you want to the pocket. For spring, flowers and ribbon are a good idea. For fall, leaves and sunflowers are great. Add a little scarecrow and hang it by your front door. For Christmas and winter, use pine, berries and a snowman, Santa or even a

by Marla Wilson

small rocking horse or teddy bear. For a year-round look, use some greenery and a wooden letter for your initial. The possibilities are endless. Personalize it with your own style and favorite items. Just have fun with it.

–Marla Wilson is the owner of The Rusty Wheel, a gift boutique in Scandia, KS. The shop features her floral designs and repurposed "junk," as well as kitchen and baby gifts, home decor and fashion accessories. Follow The Rusty Wheel on Facebook, or www.therustywheel.vpweb.com or contact her at stumpy1954@hotmail.com

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The Country Register of Indiana

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Stalking Great Grandma

by Mari Vanderstelt

It All Starts With a Quilt

Wanted: Budding Writer Interested in Seeing Your Articles Published The Country Register is in search of articles to publish in future issues. Articles on topics related to usual, seasonally appropriate content of our publication, seasonal subjects and/or the types of products sold by our advertisers are of interest. Articles about your shopping experiences also welcome. Email samples in MS Word doc to info@countryregisteronline.com. (Reimbursement for use of articles is negotiable.)

Saint Valentine Who was St. Valentine? From the research I’ve done, I’ve found that it’s really hard to tell fact from fiction. There are at least three different saints named Valentine. No one is absolutely sure which of these is celebrated as the Saint of Lovers – or if it’s a combination of the three. The one that is most wellknown was a priest in Rome who was executed on February 14, 270 AD. Around this time period, the Emperor of Rome made a decree that no one was allowed to wed. He felt that marriage made a man weak – and he needed strong soldiers to fight his battles. Valentine was sympathetic to the young lovers who came to him and soon was performing secret marriage ceremonies for these couples. Of course, it was only a matter of time before the secret got out, the Emperor found out and Valentine was arrested. The Emperor was impressed with Valentine. He found him to be a very learned man. But when Valentine refused to denounce his Christian faith and

by Jo Branham worship the Roman gods as the Emperor wanted him to – the Emperor grew very angry and sentenced Valentine to death. While in jail, Valentine formed an attachment to the jailer’s blind daughter. One version of the story says that by Valentine’s strong faith in God, he prayed for the girl and her vision was restored. No one knows if that part is true, but it is recorded that he and the girl became very good friends. So when he knew he was condemned to death, Valentine asked for pen and paper to write her a farewell message. Tradition states he signed it “from your Valentine.” The holiday evolved over time and by the 18th century, giftgiving and exchanging handmade cards had become common in England. Eventually the tradition spread to America. In the 1840s, the first commercially produced Valentine’s Day cards hit the stores. Hallmark began massproducing cards in the early 1900s. Now, Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas as to the number of cards that are sold and mailed.

I was not the least bit interested in learning about my family history until I fell in love with quilts in my mid twenties. I had no need to be interested previously. My father lives, breathes, and eats family history...or just history in general. We spent family “vacations” pulling over at every historical marker between Oregon and Wyoming. “Get out so we can take a family picture!” Dad would exclaim. “I’m reading Nancy Drew....” I would whine back. “She just discovered a secret room...” *“Kids!” Dad would exclaim. “Lewis and Clark stood here! Here! Now move so we can take a picture together!!!” With great reluctance I would shuffle out of the car and stare into the camera with a “kill me now” look that is a constant theme in all our family photos. Dad beaming, mom smiling, my brother grinning, me grimacing. Dad’s interest in history did not just revolve around historical markers. He has filing cabinets filled with family trees from every imaginable twig of our family. He has scanned countless photos owned by cousins. When we meet someone, they are not just a name. They are descended from so and so who used to live over there on the family farm until the house burned down and they moved across the river....a hundred years ago and their sister married so and so and they moved down the road from another cousin......you get the point. I never understood his fascination with our ancestors until I started to quilt. It started with a quilt my Grandmother gave me pieced by my dad’s stepfather’s great aunt who was legally blind. It made me wonder. If she can barely see and did all this, what can I accomplish. It snowballed from there. One Kenmore machine, a “Quilt in a Day book (more like a quilt in a year but whatever) and a borrowed rotary cutter and I was off and running. Fabric was draped from the furniture, quilting magazines were stacked under the bed and boring housework was neglected. I had found my passion and there was no going back. Then I found the quilts in my mother’s hope chest and my view of family history changed. Some one else in my family liked quilting! I am not adopted! I would run my hands over the stitching and literally be in awe that I was touching

something my Great Grandmother (who I never met) had touched in another life time. I wondered, did she pray while she quilted? What kind of stresses concerned her? Did she kick up her heels in glee when Great Grandpa went to a Deacons conference and she got the house to herself ? Did she ever think that if she had to look at that wall paper for one more minute she would lose her mind? Did she worry about her weight? Then I found the journals! Fifteen years of prayers, journaling, and basic facts recorded in a matter of fact way. Suddenly I needed to know more. I found out Stan (her first grandson) was still alive. When I met him, it was like seeing a character from a novel come to life. For years when we visited the family plots I would casually glance at the headstone of Bertha without any curiosity. Not anymore. Bertha is the daughter of my great grandmother, and the mother of Stan. She is no longer just a marker in the cemetery. I started to research recipes for dessert mentioned in the journals, quilt patterns, something called a “petal pillow” that she made one of for every single family member. When I watch Ginger Rogers kicking up her heels on Turner Classic Network and I am aware that sixty odd years ago she watched that same movie with my Great Aunt Ethel. I feel like a stalker, only for a dear loved one that I have never met, but who is still mentioned with great love and affection from those who are still living. Who knew that picking up a needle and thread would ignite in me a passion for something I previously avoided like the plague. Family history finally meant FAMILY to me and personalized the data and photographs in a way they never had before. For us (great grandma, and me) quilting is the thread that binds us together. P.S. Dad has informed me that I am inheriting the four filing cabinets of family data. But I still won’t pull over for historical markers. My children can thank me later. –Mari Vanderstelt, Yankee Dutch Quilting & Dry Goods Queen owns this quilt shop located at 106 East Bishop Way, Brownsville, OR 97327. She can be reached at yankeedutch@hotmail.com. Writing has proved to be a great way for Mari to unwind.

January & February 2016

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The Country Register of Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS - MOORESVILLE - PL AINFIELD PLAINFIELD

Breezy Manor Farm N e w!

Wool Shed “Like” us on FACEBOOK: Breezy Manor Farm

Handmade Woolen Goodies from my sheep, goats and bunnies. 5803 E Watson Rd., Mooresville, IN 317-260-0571 • Mon-Wed 11-4 and by appointment

Valentine’s Day February 14th is St. Valentine’s Day. As a child I remember getting those conversation hearts – not a favorite as far as I was concerned – and those heartshaped boxes of chocolates. I poke holes in the bottom of each one to see what flavors they were – because I always lost the paper that told me the flavors. There was an orange-flavored one that tasted like baby aspirin dipped in chocolate. I

by Jo Branham kind of liked that one. In grade school we always had a party on Valentine’s Day. One year we decorated a huge box with hearts and cupids and lacy-looking doilies. Another year the teacher had us decorate paper bags and tape them to the front of our desks.

Everyone dropped your card in your bag – and they usually tried to be sneaky about it and put it in when you were in the bathroom or somewhere else in the room. We weren’t supposed to look in the bag until the party. Right. I’m sure ten-year olds haven’t changed much over time.

There was always one kid in the class that no one wanted to associate with. But on Valentine’s Day, that didn’t matter. You gave cards to each and every single kid in the class. Or else. I don’t know how they do it these days – or if they even have class parties for Valentine’s Day anymore – but I think that was a good rule. For a couple hours, one day of the year, we were all the same – munching on cookies, drinking KoolAid, and reading our Valentine cards.