Platte Branch Design Co.

My Featured Pattern Designers:
Meet Belinda and Jan from DesMoines, Iowa. Yes, I mentioned these sisters a bit yesterday, but they have their own story to tell. About 4 years ago, they joined talents and began marketing their own pattern line. What I thought unique and special about their patterns was that you get directions and specifics for all different sized quilts. You don't have to stop and do the math to make a king from a throw sized pattern. Isn't that fabulous? For us non-math folks it is (me).
Below is the Rhapsody pattern with little pinwheel centers. Besides all that, most of their patterns give different ways to set the blocks so you might have 3 different arrangements which totally change the look. All from one pattern.
The appliqued center quilt below is the Summer Blues pattern.
Check out their website to learn more about them and where you can find their patterns. They also do mail order. They didn't have all their samples with them, but take a look at these.

The red/cream/blue above and this white and light blue quilt is made from the Tilt-a-whirl pattern.

This one is monkey something. Don't you love what she did to the back? This is Jefferson Township.

and this is Square Dance.

Thanks for looking. Contact these designers and show them your support.

A memory filled weekend

I would like to pay tribute to a wonderful woman we lost this past November. I met her just a couple of times as a part of the Sarah's Grove Quilt Guild. She was one of those kind, gentle, and soft spoken women that just stick with you once you meet them. Her name is Lois.

I have had the pleasure to meet three of her wonderful daughters now and this past weekend they all got together and returned to the Homestead Cabin. This time with an emptiness I'm sure - without their mom. But to create new memories with Belinda being her first visit. So if walls can talk, then too, I believe they can hold fond memories of those that have graced their presence. She is one of those great memories. The miniature quilt is a project Lois did. She wove fabric to create the tumbling block design.

Belinda, Jan, and Barb - thank you.

Also joining Sarah's Grove guild were some great new friends from the Marshall area, Vernon Hills, and Fall Creek/Las Vegas.

Thanks ladies for a great weekend.

There were lots of different projects going on around the room. Some adorable bunnies, some tomato pin cushions, quilts with sparkles, table toppers, a T shirt quilt, batik's, civil war, brights, pastels. Oh My!

This wall hanging and the detail of 3-D piping and points

There were lots of cute pin cushions this weekend. The guild group was making these tomatoes. Last year they made the stacked flowers.
This Alaskan quilt was embellished with sparkled jewels. Very nice Brynda.

*****During this week I have more quilts from this weekend from a pair of sisters that joined forces and are pattern designers. Some of their work later.

March color madness

Take off your coat and enjoy the weekend's bounty.

There was alot of color to behold.

From Chris's Dye Candy

This beautiful duet from Kathy and Donna.

My pin cushions of the week...... ....and my favorite notion of the week. More like notion holder.

More feast for the eyes......

A work in progress but I love it!

Olbrich Gardens Spring Flower show

On monday around noon, I get this call from a friend that says, "Patsy, you just gotta come see this".....so I drop everything and go. She is one of those friends that know exactly what you like......

So I jumped in my Subaru and I am on the road to Madison. The Spring Flower Show runs till March 22nd so I only had this one day to see it. What fun!

I hadn't been to Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison for years. It was a beautiful day and I should have toured the grounds too but didn't take the time today. They have events throughout the years.

Only minutes from off of the 'Beltline' (hwys 12/18) that snakes around the outskirts of Madison. The 'dome' was quite humid that day so pardon the foggy photos - I kept wiping the lense constantly. Viewing the dome was only $1 and then a donation for the Spring show. Reasonable entertainment, huh?

A Simpler Time: Garden Beauty & Bounty was the name of the show. I am sure I will return to this photographer's paradise when the tulips outside on the grounds are all open. Many weddings take place here and I can see why. I have one of these and one of those and oh, yeah, one of those too! How cleaver. I can't wait till I visit my local Amish Green houses in a few weeks!
This is an early garden cultivator. We had one exactly like this on the farm where I grew up. In fact, I think I have one in my garden shed - oh dear. I may never find it in there! I always feared for my toes while pushing this thing as a kid. Of course I was barefoot.





The fragrance was wonderful!

Chickens are always my favorite. Love the metal nesting boxes.

The water trickling down the copper rain chains was an idea I have tucked in my memory. I have the barrel already Marty! What's a little plastic tubing, motor, pump, and a little copper chain???

Red thing is a seed separator.

More galvanized tubs with freshness tucked inside.

Now we are entering the 'dome' and see some Tropical wildlife and plants.

These are always fun. Those coins in there can't be good for the fish.

That was fun.

New Things at the Retreat

A few new items have come to settle within the walls of the retreat. It feels like a sort of homecoming. Both items have a very 'homey' look to them.

I would like to introduce the Retreat's new hand quilting frame.

This is my second one of these. You see, back in 1985, I bought my first model from the Pleasant Mountain Quilt frame company. Well, when I bought my longarm, I had to make room and I reluctantly had to sell it. Well, you just know a good product when you've had one before......so when I wanted a frame in which guests to try their hand at 'hand quilting'.....I already knew what I wanted. Here is the new 'baby' I just love.

And here I am taking the first hand stitches on the vintage quilt top I bought years ago. So please, don't be intimidated about not being 'good enough'. I want every guest who comes to try at least a few stitches.

A few friends adding some more stitches. I love it!!

And speaking of new babys........take a look at what I have been gifted with. The second item which has come to live with me.

It is in such pristine condition, you can hardly tell from the photo that this is the real deal - vintage baby carriage. Thank you so much Annabelle!! It will be used amongst my many collections and I just know it will fit right in with all my vintage baby quilts. It has a secret compartment under the pad at the bottom. A friend said there were some Prohibition baby carriages which use to 'distribute' but this compartment was barely big enough for one small bottle - probably for the mother :) and not the baby.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!

These are the shoes of a true Irish lass...........

My niece, Jessi

This past Sunday, I was lucky enough to attend the Irish band, "Boega" - meaning lively. They were great!

They told of driving their big bus down the road for miles and marveling about how friendly everyone was when they'd meet a car. Folks were waving with both arms. Then they realized they drove the first three miles on the left hand side of the road. The wrong side of the road here in the US.

Some of the projects getting finished this weekend by this crowd........

My pin cushion of the week award goes to..........

You see, she can quilt.

Weekend Extras

Maxi, the cat, had a little episode last week. She walked through a puddle of gasoline that had apparently spilled in the workshop. Of course after walking through it, it started to sting her little toes and doing as cats do - licking it to clean themselves, well you can guess the rest. She spit alot to get it out of her mouth. This is when she come to "Mom". I didn't know what she had goten into until I picked her up. You could smell the gas. And she kept separating her little toes. I give her a quick shower. Problem solved. She apparently didn't suffer much as she went right on to eating.

Another unusual happening was this egg I found. I reached into the nesting box and it was an egg minus the shell. Once in a great while, this will happen. Still puzzling however. It has the yolk and egg white inside a dry gelly membrane. Kinda reminds me of a breast implant - though I have no experience with such a thing. Must have been a 'stressed out' chicken.

I missed posting a few pictures, so I'm adding them here. Wish I could have convinced her it should be a tablecloth.

Raggy jacket

St Paddy's Day cute huh?

N"ICE" Storm - quilt - IN

For safety sake - most guests decided to stay the extra night - not too much arm twisting! And for all the family and employers of the guests here --- we REALLY Did have ICE. SEE........

Nothing better than a "bonus day" of quilting !!

The next day, as the temperatures were on the rise, and as the sun was burning off the fog.......the beauty began to show itself.

- it is beautiful!

Enjoy the sparkle! I sure did. Most guests were from the Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop from Fox River Grove in Illinois. Thanks Carrie and Katie.

Stacie and Katie

Some of the eye candy this weekend.....

My favorite pin cushion this weekend.......and inside the card said something about "A girl's got to accessorize"








Brown bear, brown bear. What do you see?

It's Sugaring Time.....at the Ponderosa

This is what I see on my way to the grocery store. Forget fighting traffic. But I do have to keep on the lookout for these guys crossing the 'street' in front of me. **This is a rural grocery store I was going to.Off they go. Over to the next hill.

Now on to the tree tapping......First you have to drill a hole 1 and 1/2" deep at a slightly upward angle. The spouts are tapped gently into the hole.

Next connect the plastic hose and down into the 'bucket'.

Years ago they would make wooden or metal spouts that would be tapped into a tree and the sap would run down it like a slide and into an open bucket. This was all fine and good but you also got debris from the elements like rain water, sticks, old leaves too. Much more sanitary now.

Now you have to wait till the next day. You see, tapping time only happens when the day weather is above 32 degrees, but the night time temperatures must drop down below freezing.

This is how much sap drained into one of the containers in a 24 hour period. A few trees further away produced nothing. Luck of the draw. These trees are just outside the Homestead Cabin Retreat's door by the way.

The sap is saved into a large bulk tank till there is enough to start the process of cooking it down. 40:1 is the ratio.

This week I sent out emails listing all the remaining openings for the year. Not very many left. This is all good. If you didn't get one and would like to, email me or check the calendar on the website.

I took down "Winter" and put it in boxes and put up "Spring". It took two entire days and I'm still not done. Good thing this weekends group isn't coming till friday. It gave me an extra day of primping. Can't wait to show you.

Arkansas to Florida

This is all one group made up of family and friends. Below is their block of the month exchange for one year. Unveiling for next year's exchange will be done here at the retreat.

Climbing to new heights

Sherry you worked so hard this weekend!

Scrappers too! Great job!

This was a 'potluck' weekend and Sherry's husband made this wonderful lasagna! Best I ever had. Look how thick this was! This is my project for the weekend. Since it was a potluck weekend - I got to sew!!! Yeah!! More 2" squares got used up!

Four very good friends - distance doesn't even keep them apart!