Antique Store Finds in Amish Country

This past week, my daughter and I made our annual trip to Holmes County Amish Country (north-central Ohio).  We traveled on Monday and Wednesday and had the full day Tuesday free for shopping in quilt shops, gift shops and a wonderful antique mall.  At the Antique Trading Post in Millersburg, I found this hanger with tiny china plates and cups which I would date to the late 1940s.  The china is crazed and worn-looking which I love and has my favorite Dutch motifs.

I’m always drawn to the little made-in-Japan pieces that I remember from my grandmas’ and aunts’ houses in the 1940s.  I couldn’t resist this salt and pepper set.

For my daughter and me, the main focus of the trip is the beautiful scenery, the great food and our stay on a Mennonite farm, Mel and Mary’s Cottages, but the shopping is also so wonderful in little towns like Berlin, Sugar Creek, Walnut Creek and my favorite name, Charm.  We like to go in the fall when the colors are at their prettiest and see the rolling farmland and all of the charming (and very friendly) Amish people.

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Amish Children Garden Banner – Canvas Duck Fabric

A while back, I made my first garden banner featuring a harness horse.  So far, it has held up well through a very hot, sunny summer and a few torrential rains.  I wanted to make another banner for “back to school” and chose a favorite design by Helan Barrick from my decorative painting days.  I call this a banner rather than a flag because it is quite stiff and becomes even more so when exposed to the weather.

I used canvas duck fabric (not outdoor canvas which is treated) which was sewn to make a double thickness 12×18 inch banner with sleeve and primed it with two coats of Gesso front and back.  Then I drew the design on the front and painted it with acrylics.

For the back, which I can see clearly from my front window, I painted a design of an Amish-style quilt block.

Both sides were finished with two coats of Minwax Clear Satin Polycrylic to make it weather-proof.

I like seeing the banner in my front yard – my dog Rusty is looking out the door, probably admiring the quilt block on the back!

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The Amish and the Honey Bees are Visiting my August Kitchen

My favorite vacation destination is Amish Country in Holmes County, Ohio.  It is so picturesque with photo-op scenery around every corner and each bend in the road.  In August, I display a few items that have been purchased and some that have been handmade.  The two cast-iron figures on the window sill were a recent gift and I love the one of the woman quilting.  On my shelf I have a set of 4 figures that I’ve had for many years.  They look so similar to the families we see walking along the road when we visit Amish Country.

My first cast-iron Amish figures were an engagement gift from a friend in 1952 -a set of salt and pepper shakers.  This little guy’s mate was lost many years ago and he’s a little the worse for wear because all four of my children carried him around when they were toddlers.

I have two beautiful framed  pieces made by my oldest daughter …

…and two wall hangings that I made ….

My daughter loves bees and contributed several items when she moved back home.  I made two of her embroidered pieces into wall hangings  …

For me, displaying these beautiful things is a nice segue from summer into fall.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

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Repurposing a Pillow into a Wall Hanging

This wall hanging began life as a pillow in 2007 when it won a blue ribbon at our county fair.  Then, it went into the cedar chest to be given as a gift to the proper person.  Each time, I hung onto it and gave something else from the chest and decided this year, I would like to have it made into a wall hanging that I could use more than I could a pillow.

It was pretty easy to disassemble the pillow, make the back into top and bottom borders, and add a backing.  I omitted binding and simply sewed the wall hanging and backing right sides together, then turned and top-stitched.   I used drapery hooks rather than adding a sleeve.

This pattern was adapted from a decorative painting design by my favorite artist, Helan Barrick.  I simplified it quite a bit to make it into a fused applique panel and added the pieced blocks in typical Amish colors.  The little quilt the girls are working on is also pieced.

I’m enjoying seeing this repurposed item in my kitchen after all these years.

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Pause and Remember – 9/30

On Friday, I pause and remember a single, wordless moment from the past week – inspired by The Warden’s Log.

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Fabric Goodies from Amish Country (Ohio)

I’ve posted before about the beautiful Amish country of Holmes County, Ohio.  My oldest daughter and I made another trip just in time for the peak colors and gorgeous landscapes.

This area is also a shopper’s paradise, particularly for quilters.  My three favorite quilt shops are Helping Hands (Berlin), Gramma Fannie’s Quilt Barn (Berlin), and Miller’s Dry Goods (Charm).

Although I buy a lot of fabric for specific quilt projects, I especially love to find a bin filled with bags of remnants.  I found three this trip – a 75-cent bag…

…a $2 bag….

…and a $5 bag.

The little Amish lady behind the counter told me the remnants in the $5 bag were from a quilt she had just completed.  I would love to see her quilt with all those pretty fall colors.

We always stay at a cottage set in the middle of Amish farms – very quiet, picturesque and charming.  There are plenty of restaurants serving Amish-style, hearty meals and lots of fun things to see and do.

I would highly recommend a visit if you’re ever in this section of Ohio.

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Amish Graham Nuts Cereal

This recipe is based on one from a wonderful book, Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams. Wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour and buttermilk go into an easy mixture that bakes into crunchy cereal.

HOMEMADE GRAHAM NUTS

• 3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add the buttermilk and vanilla, mixing well.

Pour out into an oiled 10-1/2×15-1/2″ flat baking pan and spread evenly.  Dampening your palms with water is an easy way to get the dough spread out evenly.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the batter is firm, medium-brown in color and shrinks slightly from the sides of the pan.  Loosen from the pan and allow to cool on a rack for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.  Break up the pieces of cereal and pulse in a food processor until coarse crumbs are formed.  Divide the crumbs between two 10-1/2×15-1/2″ jellyroll pans that are lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on degree of crispness you like.  An hour made the cereal just right for my taste and so it didn’t get soggy in milk.

Let cool, then store in an airtight container.  Since there are no preservatives in the cereal, I would suggest refrigerating or freezing the cereal if you don’t plan to use it within two weeks or so.

Serve as a cold cereal with milk and a bit of brown sugar if desired (I didn’t think it needed additional sugar).  A few raisins amd/or walnuts are a nice addition.

Note:  The original recipe called for baking in a 12×16″ flat pan.  I didn’t have that size and added some time to the baking to compensate and also to get the degree of crispness I wanted.

Yield:  Approximately 11 cups of cereal.

This beautiful book, Cooking from Quilt Country, published in 1989, not only has great homemade Amish/Mennonite-inspired recipes but loads of color pictures and information on the Amish and Mennonite people and their culture.  I found my copy in an antique shop, but I notice the book is also available, new and used, at Amazon and on eBay.

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Amanda’s Quilt Wall Hanging

When we were in Amish country (Holmes County, Ohio) last fall, I found this pattern for Amanda’s Quilt.  I finally got around to making it and it would have been a fairly easy project had I not decided to make the quilt of one-inch blocks (1/2 inch finished).  The pieces were too heavy and bumpy for fusing.  I would suggest using a fabric that looks like a quilt, rather than trying to put one together as I did. 

The pieces were fused onto the background fabric, zigzag stitched with invisible thread and the facial features were done with permanent fabric markers. 

The pattern also includes instructions for a thread spool border but I used smaller borders to make the piece the size I needed.

The pattern is #20011, made by Pine Meadows Designs, Connie D. Roys, 975 Hickory Grove, Medina, OH 44256. 

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STAR SPIN QUILT BLOCK/PILLOW

When we visited Amish Country in Holmes County, Ohio, last fall, I noticed so many quilts and wall hangings with a spinning star design.  I had never seen this particular block before and was happy to find a pattern for it in one of the many quilt shops in the area.  They call the pattern #124 STAR SPIN QUILT OR WALLHANGING.  I finally had a chance to try out the block in a smaller size which I made into a pillow. This is by Oregon Treasures, 4790 North Road G, Vale OR 97918.  (I received word on 5/13/08 that their phone has been disconnected, so this address might not be valid.)   UPDATE:  I received an e-mail on 7/17/08 (thanks, Jeanne) that a free paper-pieced pattern is available on the Quilter’s Cache website under the name, “Spinning Color Wheels”.

UPDATE:  On 2/5/09 received word from Dan that this is the correct phone number:  541-473-3754.

I like to make backings out of my huge pile of scraps.

It’s an interesting block to make and not that difficult although it’s easy to get the various colors mixed up.  The quilts on display in Amish Country used a very large version of the block in the center of the quilt and then smaller blocks (such as I used on the pillow) to accentuate the center.  I may try a large quilt some day but for now, I’m glad to have another interesting block to add to my files.

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Lodge Style Log Cabin Hanging

 

In the relatively quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s, I made a new wall hanging for my lodge-themed guest bedroom.  It was based on a pattern I picked up in September at Miller’s Dry Goods in Charm, Ohio (Holmes County Amish Country).  The pattern is called “Log Cabin”  (#99001) by Pine Meadows Designs.  The pattern size is 23-1/2″ long x 27″ wide and I added a wide border to come up with the size that I wanted to hang over a queen size bed.

The pattern and instructions are very complete for the center cabin and lake scene which is appliqued using fusible web and invisible thread.  There are 22 log cabin blocks around the centerpiece which can be paper pieced (patterns provided) or simply sewn together as I have done.  

I quilted with invisible thread, echoing the design in the center and using stich-in-the-ditch and some cross lines to accent the small log cabin blocks. 

It is a fairly simple pattern and not too time-consuming, resulting in a very colorful wall hanging which is perfect in my lodge style room.

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