Le Poulet Mini-Quilt Table Topper

Last week, I posted about chickens invading my June kitchen.

https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/the-chickens-have-come-to-my-june-kitchen-2/

Actually, they spilled over into my living room when I made this mini-quilt for my table topper rack.  I had a very small remnant of this fabric called Le Poulet by Windham and fussy-cut all of the elements of the quilt.

As of this writing, this fabric is available on eBay.

I just added some chicken-wire fabric for the background and polka-dot for the binding from my stash.

The backing was made from scraps ….

….and I finished it off with some simple machine quilting

There was one fussy-cut of a hen which I didn’t want to lose in a drawer full of scraps, so I added strips to make it into a block right away.  This can be used to construct a tote or gift bag, a potholder or maybe a pocket on an apron.  It’s ready to go.

I also found this great vintage thermometer to add to my chicken-coop kitchen.

A Trip to Amish Country (Ohio)

Last week, my oldest daughter and I made a return trip to Holmes County (Ohio) Amish Country.  We have been visiting this area since 1998 and always stay at Mel and Mary’s Cottages in Charm.  They converted part of their Mennonite farm to cottages for visitors.

On either side of their property are vast stretches of fields and hills.  Sitting on the porch, this was my view to the right….. (click on pictures for a clear view of this beautiful countryside.)

…and this was my view to the left….

We had to get a close-up shot of these beautiful horses.

In my opinion, the area ranks right up there with Vermont and Switzerland for having the most beautiful scenery in the world.  Around every bend there is another stunning view.

In addition to the peaceful, quiet stay at Mel and Mary’s and the gorgeous scenery, there is a large shopping area with restaurants, quilt shops, gift shops, antique malls, wonderful Amish markets ….. the list goes on and on ….. and amidst all of this, the Amish go about their daily lives in their black buggies with the beautiful sleek trotters.

I got quite a bit of fabric, including yardage and fat quarters ….

And one of my favorite things to buy – a bag of scraps left over from making quilts.

I found one piece of fabric I especially liked – Windham Fabrics Floursack by Whistler Studios (Style #33073).  The vintage floursack labels have borders of floursack fabric.

A Google search pulled up several sources for this fabric including Amazon.com and Hancock’s in Paducah, KY.

At an Amish market, we enjoyed huge scoops of homemade ice cream and I found Concord grapes which are difficult to find in our area.  I made my favorite Streusel Concord Grape Pie as soon as we got home.

Another beautiful trip to Holmes County.