March-April 2016 - The Country Register

N.& S. Carolina
2
The Country Register of North & South Carolina
515 E Carefree Hwy #1128 • Phoenix, AZ 85085
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Fax 602.866.3136
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www.countryregister.com/carolina
Barb Stillman
Lolly Konecky
Publisher
[email protected]
Patty Duncan
Sales/Office Assistant
Nancy Williams
Editorial Consultant
Publisher/Art Director
[email protected]
Cathy Shoemaker
Graphic Designer
Phyllis Cypert
Sales/Office Assistant
The N. & S Carolina Country Register
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The Country Register is a United States and Canadian network of independently owned
and published specialty newspapers for the consumer who enjoys outstanding shopping,
events, day & overnight excursions and specialty classes.
Publisher’s contact numbers across the
USA & Canada for The Country Register
Send $3 to any publisher below to obtain a paper from another area:
* Indicates these editions are available on-line at www.countryregister.com
USA
Alabama: Dana Wilburn, 6349 Knollwood Ct. Frederick, MD 21701, 301-698-2694
* Arizona: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy #1128, Phoenix, AZ, 85085, 602-942-8950
* Arkansas: Lenda & Richard Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, phone/fax 405-470-2597
* California and N. Nevada: Betty Fassett, 26941 Cabot Rd., Suite 132, Laguna Hills, CA, 92653, 800-349-1858
Colorado: Jan & John Keller, 16755 Oak Brush Loop, Peyton, CO, 80831, 719-749-9797
* Connecticut: Michael Dempsey, 10213 Fanny Brown Road, Raleigh, NC , 27603, 919-661-1760
* Delaware: Merle and Gail Taylor, P.O. Box 128, Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763, 888-616-8319
* Florida: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
* Georgia: Linda Parish, P.O. Box 389, Lexington, GA, 30648, 706-340-1049
* Idaho (N): Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
* Idaho (S) WA & E. OR: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy #1128, Phoenix, AZ, 85085, 602-942-8950
* Illinois: Lenda & Richard Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, phone/fax 405-470-2597
* Indiana: Gail & Merle Taylor, P.O. Box 128, Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763, 888-616-8319
Iowa: Linda Glendy, P.O. Box 6, Tama, IA 52339, 641-751-2619
* Kansas: Cindy Baldwin, 988 9th Ave., McPherson, KS 67460, 866-966-9815
* Kentucky: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 5804 Whitrose Way, New Market, MD 21774, 443-243-1118
* Maine: Gail Hageman, 221 Winslow Rd, Albion, ME 04910, 207-437-2663
* Maryland: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
* Massachusetts-RI: Michael Dempsey, 10213 Fanny Brown Road, Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-661-1760
Michigan: Bill and Marlene Howell, 3790 Manistee, Saginaw, MI, 48603-3143, 989-793-4211
* Minnesota: Kim & Mickey Keller, 12835 Kiska St. NE, Blaine, MN, 55449, 763-754-1661
* Missouri: Lenda & Richard Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, phone/fax 405-470-2597
* Montana: Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
* Nebraska: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy #1128, Phoenix, AZ, 85085, 602-942-8950
* Nevada (N): Betty Fassett, 26941 Cabot Rd., Suite 132, Laguna Hills, CA, 92653, 800-349-1858
* Nevada (S): Glena Dunn, 4568 Carol Circle, Las Vegas, NV, 89120, 702-523-1803
New Hampshire: Kathleen Graham, 330 North Road, Deerfield, NH, 03037, 603-463-3703
* New Jersey: Merle and Gail Taylor, P.O. Box 128, Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763, 888-616-8319
New Mexico: Jan & John Keller, 16755 Oak Brush Loop, Peyton, CO, 80831, 719-749-9797
* New York: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
* N. Carolina: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy #1128, Phoenix, AZ, 85085, 602-942-8950
* North Dakota: Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
* Ohio: Barb Moore, P. O. Box 37, Cable, OH, 43009, 937-652-1157
* Oklahoma: Lenda & Richard Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, phone/fax 405-470-2597
* Oregon: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy #1128, Phoenix, AZ, 85085, 602-942-8950
* Pennsylvania: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
* Rhode Island: Michael Dempsey, 10213 Fanny Brown Road, Raleigh, NC , 27603, 919-661-1760
* S. Carolina: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy #1128, Phoenix, AZ, 85085, 602-942-8950
* South Dakota: Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
* Tennessee: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 5804 Whitrose Way, New Market, MD 21774, 443-243-1118
* Texas: Lenda & Richard Brown, P.O. Box 32581, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123, phone/fax 405-470-2597
Vermont: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 5804 Whitrose Way, New Market, MD 21774, 443-243-1118
* Virginia: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
* Washington & E. OR & S. ID: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, 515 E Carefree Hwy #1128, Phoenix, AZ, 85085, 602-942-8950
* West Virginia: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
* Wisconsin: Scott & Jennifer Hughes, P. O. Box 276, Altoona, WI, 54720, 715-838-9426
* Wyoming: Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
Cover Story
Rebecca Barker’s Quiltscapes
Art has always been a part of Rebecca’s life. Her Father was a dairy farmer and
her Mother was an artist since she was a baby, painting Christmas tree ornaments.
Consequently, she grew up with paint and paper in-hand. She attended the Fine Arts
program at Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) and
received her BFA degree.
On her family’s dairy farm quilting and collecting
old quilts was a pastime for the Barker women.
Rebecca’s natural appreciation for quilts and the
country landscapes became the subject she choose
to paint. She developed a line of paintings she calls
“QUILTSCAPES”. The old time quilt pattern is
depicted in the painting with the quilt. For example,
the LOG CABIN quilt has a painting of a log cabin
in the background. Several paintings have the quilt
images subtly mixed in to the landscapes while others have the quilt hanging on a
clothesline in the foreground. Rebecca paints her quiltscapes in acrylic on masonite
board. The quilt patterns come from quilt history books and quilt shows. “I do not make
up the patterns. I love the designs of old time quilts”. She creates her own colors and
materials in the fabrics. “I do not work from real quilts because the colors have to match
the landscapes“. Her style is described as realistic, with clean, clear colors and sensitivity
to composition and texture.
She shows her work on her web page and has produced a line of note cards, limited
edition prints, two books and gift items. Rebecca lives on the west side of Cincinnati in
an old Victorian style home which also serves as her studio.
“My work is meant to honor the beauty of the old time quilts and their makers”
Rebecca Barker’s Quiltscapes
1085 Willow Ave.
Glendale, OH 45246
513-521-4021
www.barkerquiltscapes.com
Index for March-April 2016
Special Events ................................................. 3, 5-6, 8-11, 13, 16
Abbeville, SC • Columbia, SC • Greenville, SC ..........................3
Gaffney, SC • Camden, SC .........................................................3
Mt. Pleasant, SC • Summerville, SC • Bluffton, SC ......................4
Maggie Valley, NC • Waynesville, NC • Franklin, NC ..................5
Burnsville, NC • Hendersonville, NC..........................................5
Forest City, NC • Newton, NC • Morganton, NC • Spindale, NC ...6
Professional Services ................................................................7
Concord, NC • Charlotte, NC • Matthews, NC ............................8
Kings Mountain, NC...................................................................8
Clemons, NC • Spencer, NC • Salisbury, NC ..............................9
Raleigh, NC ........................................................................10-11
Chapel Hill, NC • Fuquay Varina, NC • Richmond, VA...............10
Warrenton, NC • Wake Forest, NC ............................................11
New Bern, NC • Bellhaven, NC • Wendell, NC ..........................12
Southport, NC • Granite Falls, NC ............................................12
Rockingham, NC • Cameron, NC .............................................13
Raeford, NC • Fayetteville, NC .................................................14
Services ..................................................................................15
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British Columbia: Bryan Stonehill, Box 1338, Summerland, BC, V0H 1Z0, 800-784-6711
* Manitoba & Saskatchewan: Scott & Marj Kearns, Box 850, Kipling, SK, S0G 2S0, 306-736-2441
* Ontario: Harriet Ramos, Box 60, 4338 Innes Rd., Orleans, ON K4A 3W3 613-612-8465
(CAR)
The Country Register is a United States and Canadian network of independently
owned and published specialty newspapers for the consumer who enjoys outstanding
shopping, events, day & overnight excursions and specialty classes.
The Country Register provides targeted, effective, and affordable advertising for the
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For more information about publishing The Country Register contact Barbara Floyd
at 602-237-6008.
Barbara Floyd, The Country Register Founder
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March-April 2016
Abbeville, SC • Columbia, SC • Greenville, SC • Gaffney, SC • Camden, SC • Special Events 3
It’s Time for the 2016 Spring Festival
In Abbeville, SC, on May 5, 6 and 7
Abbeville, SC, is where you want to be during the first weekend in May for Abbeville’s
35th Annual Spring Festival on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 5, 6 and 7. Since
its kickoff in 1981, the Spring Festival has drawn thousands to the charming town!
There are craft vendors; all day entertainment with bands, vocalists and vocal groups;
food vendors; amusement rides for the young and “young at heart;” a car show featuring
classic cars; a 5K run; DodgeBall Tournament; mansion and other tours; a magic show
at the Opera House—and even more.
While there are admission fees for some events, the Festival provides lots of FREE
FUN for the entire family!
Many events are listed in the Festival ad on this page of The Country Register.
However, you’ll find complete listings, details and locations to help plan your visit at
www.abbevillespringfestival.com. You can also follow Abbeville Spring Festival “On
the Square” on Facebook for updates.
Abbeville is located in the foothills of western South Carolina in one of the oldest
counties in the state. Historic Abbeville County sits along the Savannah River separating
South Carolina and Georgia. The area is a unique combination of natural beauty, outdoor
recreation and many valuable historic buildings and sites.
‘Threaded Memories Quilt Show’
Held in Greenville, SC, April 8 & 9
The Foothills Piecemakers Quilting Guild of Greenville, SC, presents its biennial
quilt show on Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9. Threaded Memories Quilt Show will
be held at Pelham Road Baptist Church in Greenville.
Colors and patterns will highlight the many beautiful
quilts and quilted items on display during the two-day
event. Styles can include modern, traditional, miniatures,
appliqué or landscapes.
Thirteen Vendor Booths will be available with a
broad range of quilting items and services. Vendors
include: Beginnings Quilt Shop, Dragonfly Quilt Shops,
Marietta’s Quilt & Sew, MLC Findings, Quilting Sew
Easy, Sewcial Studio, Sheridan Kay Quilting, Strawberry
Patch Fabric & Things, The Longarm Network, Viking
Sew ‘n Quilt, and Vintage Quilts & Textiles.
Silent Auction and Boutique areas will have items
made by guild members. Used quilting books and
FPQG Opportunity Quilt “Of
magazines will also be for sale.
Days Gone By”
The Opportunity Quilt is “Of Days Gone By” and
was made by guild member Penny Jones and quilted by Carol Alperin. Tickets are $1
each and the drawing will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 9.
Threaded Memories’ hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 9:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is $5 and children under 12 are admitted free when
accompanied by an adult. Pelham Road Baptist Church is located at 1108 Pelham Road
and is close to I-85 with many local hotels nearby for those requiring lodging.
For more information, visit the Foothills Piecemakers Quilting Guild website,
www.footillsquilts.com, email [email protected] or call 864-905-5364.
Legacy of Past Makes ‘Quilting Sew Easy’
A Warm & Welcoming Quilt Environment
by Kerri Habben
As a child, Ann Barnhill sat beneath the quilting frame as the ladies above sewed
through the layers of fabric. She watched the needles dart down and then up again. And if
a needle dared linger too long, little fingers might just happen to take hold of it.
Today, years later as an adult, Ann is grateful to be able to share the talents she learned
from her mother and grandmother through her quilt shop, Quilting Sew Easy. Located
in Gaffney, South Carolina, it is the first quilt shop in Cherokee County in over 25 years.
Open for four years in April, Ann’s shop offers a truly warm and welcoming environment
and she encourages other quilters to believe in themselves and fosters new, valued skills
that bring both a sense of satisfaction and relaxation.
Through making a quilt, we return to our heritage providing warmth and love today
and, stitch by stitch, sew our memories for the future. In a quilt, a family heirloom is
created, often tying together the past and the present.
At Quilting Sew Easy, Ann and her experienced, friendly staff make it a point to
learn more about their customers in order to help them achieve quilting goals. In the
shop, there are nearly 2000 bolts of fabric as well as pre-cut charm packs and fat quarters.
There are patterns for different types of projects from smaller items to large quilts.
The classes are designed to suit quilters at every level, from a complete beginner to
those more experienced. Ann guesses they have taught quilters from as young as six years
of age all the way up into their mid-90s. If someone older than that happens to be in the
shop, they might just find themselves quilting as well.
The shop is a Handi-Quilter retailer and carries Handi-Quilter Longarm machines.
Quilting Sew Easy gives patient instruction on these machines and works to provide
quilters with the best possible service as they enjoy and work with these quilting tools.
There are complimentary memberships in the shop’s Quilting Lovers Club that
include regular discounts, an extra one for your birthday, e-mail updates, quilting tips
and more. A current project is the “Block of the Month” club, wherein at the end of a
year, there will be twelve patches prepared for a quilt. A senior discount (60 and over) is
given on the second Tuesday of each month. One Friday of each month, there is a “Sit
and Sew’cialize” and quilters also gather every Tuesday. As they work together, ideas
evolve and creative energy grows.
Continued on page 4...
4 Mt. Pleasant, SC • Summerville, SC • Bluffton, SC
N. & S. Carolina
The Different Layers of Time
by Kerri Habben
I’ve been contemplating time. I shouldn’t because, being time, it travels as it ever has,
passing at its own pace without any thought of what I think. Which is as it should be.
I’m pondering that time has layers. It has the top strata, the most simple. Be here at
2:00 p.m. on Saturday. That bill is due by next Tuesday. The casserole bakes for halfan-hour. These things are inherently easy to behold if you just keep up with each one,
fulfilling each need as required.
Then there is the undercurrent beneath that. The one where I look forward to January
for the fresh, new year. I take a few deep breaths, turn around a couple of times and
March is flowing into April with nearly a quarter of that year slipped silently into the past.
Suddenly, the car is due for inspection once again. The garden is finishing up even though
it seems like we just planted it.
Even then, it is easy enough to just grin and laugh at myself. After all, I am not the first
human being, nor the last, to get immersed in life and lose track of time. And it is time
that I’m grateful to have had, especially with the luxury of it passing smoothly enough
that extra attention wasn’t necessary. This affirmation eases the mind when another year
is spent and then another until somehow a decade and half had dripped away, one second
at a time.
Which brings me to the deepest layer. The one where time weaves a blanket. It is this
warmth deep inside that redeems us when it seems the world is spinning far too quickly. It
is this genuine energy that reminds us who we truly are just in case we’ve forgotten. The
beauty of this level of time is that it doesn’t ask permission or give advance notice of its
presence. It requires something seemingly insignificant to spark it, and when it arrives, it
slips past every emotional defense. It demands that you feel it, breathe it in right then and
it quietly glides the answer to every question into your bones.
In that moment, you are utterly and completely alive. You are a combination of sadness
and joy, dormancy and vitality. You are everything you have ever been and everything
that has ever mattered most to you.
My mother and I had a moment such as this on a late winter day at the Farmer’s
Market. There we bought red onions and rutabaga. We talked about how empty the market
was due to the season and smiled as we compared the dearth to spring and summer’s
abundance. We said the time of peaches and blueberries would roll around before we
knew it. We walked across the parking lot to the fish and seafood restaurant, ordered and
received our meal at the counter. It was as ample and delicious as always.
I saw the man in the plaid shirt as I was refilling our cups with sweet tea. Though
shorter in height, his stance, white hair and attire reminded me of my Dad. I brought the
tea back to our table.
“Kerri,” Mom said. “Look at that man over there. He’s even holding his arms the
same way.”
“I know,” I answered. “I saw him.”
We looked at each other and smiled wistfully at each other with tears glazing our eyes.
“Fifteen years, soon,” Mom shook her head slightly.
I responded on a wisp of a sigh, “Or perhaps it was yesterday.”
Kerri Habben is a writer, photographer 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 contacted at [email protected].
Quilting Sew Easy, continued from page 3...
The work of many hands—those that came before us and our own today—affirm
who we are. At Quilting Sew Easy, a quilter knows the past, present and future can be
contentedly sewn together. After all, it isn’t all that far from beneath a quilting frame
where little hands couldn’t wait to take hold of a needle.
Quilting Sew Easy is located at 1231 North Limestone Street, Gaffney. To learn
more, go to www.quiltingseweasy.com, email [email protected] or call 864649-1313.
Kerri Habben is a writer living in Raleigh, NC. She can be reached at elhserenade@
earthlink.net.
Deep Dark Espresso Brownies
courtesy Cooksrecipes.com
These rich, dark brownies, intensely flavored with instant espresso, will transport the
coffee lover straight to espresso heaven!
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup instant espresso coffee powder 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 375º F (175º C). Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan;
set aside.
Beat brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add eggs,
vanilla and salt. Beat until well blended. Stir in espresso powder, flour and baking powder,
mixing until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted
in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan. Lightly dust top with powdered sugar
and cut into bars.
Makes 24 brownies.
March-April 2016 Maggie Valley, NC • Waynesville, NC • Franklin, NC • Burnsville, NC • Hendersonville, NC • Special Events 5
Don’t Miss ‘Airing of the Quilts Festival’
On Mother’s Day Weekend in Franklin, NC
Make plans now for a Mother’s Day weekend trip to the beautiful mountains of
western North Carolina for the Airing of the Quilts Festival in Historic Downtown
Franklin on Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8. This outdoor show celebrating the annual
rite of spring with colorful quilts hung throughout the area is definitely the place to be.
Many other activities taking place add to the fun.
Franklin is part of the national Quilt Trail movement and the first “Airing” was
done to bring attention to the trail. In 2009, a committee was formed to begin the quilt
block trail in Franklin, The group received funding from Franklin’s TDA and TDC to
help develop the trail and, led by Quilt Trail president Deb Heatherly, they set a goal of
hanging 25 blocks. Over the next few years, the committee worked to reach this goal
and the now-completed trail has blocks located throughout the county. Blocks along the
“Macon County Quilt Trail” can be found on barns, historic churches, homes, an old
general store, and on businesses through the town. It takes the better part of a day to see
them all and maps are for sale to lead you along the way.
In 2010, the Macon County
Quilt Trail Committee, in
cooperation with Main Street
Coordinator
Linda
Schlott,
decided to host its first “Airing
of the Quilts” festival to bring
attention to the trail. The Saturday
of Mother’s Day weekend was
chosen as the date for the annual
event as a way to honor the
talented ladies who have kept the
quilting tradition alive and passed
it on to present day quilters. Quilt
trail block owners were asked to
hang quilts at their block locations
and downtown merchants were
asked to hang quilts as well. The
result was a beautiful display of color and the “Airing of the Quilts” festival was born.
Each year, the festival has grown adding craft vendors, workshops, lectures and more.
The last festival brought visitors from ten different states and one foreign country to see
the display and participate in the related activities. Although the main event takes place
on Saturday, many visitors choose to arrive on Friday and spend the weekend in Franklin.
On Friday, you can participate in a daylong workshop with Creative Grids® designer
Deb Heatherly hosted by Deb’s Cats N Quilts. Deb will present a trunk show of quilts
from her books ‘Cat’itude and Strippy Stars, as well as a hands-on workshop where
participants will learn to use Deb’s Creative Grids®Cat’s Cradle Tool, her Strippy Stars
Tool and three other amazing Creative Grids®Tools. (Check www.Debscatsnquilts.com
or call 828-349-8912 for details about the workshop.)
Franklin is the gem capital of the world and the annual gem and mineral show also
takes place in Franklin on Mother’s Day weekend. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you
can visit the many vendors at the show or try your hand at mining for rubys and sapphires
at various gem mines located throughout the county.
Franklin also boasts many wonderful craft stores, gift shops, antique stores and
interesting restaurants to try. Downtown merchants offer a variety of wonderful stores
for your shopping pleasure. If you’re missing a furry friend, make sure to stop by Book
Unlimited to pick up a book and pet the kitties in residence.
If you’re looking for something handcrafted, check out NC Mountain Made, a gift
shop with an ever-changing variety of locally crafted delights. If you’re looking for
antiques and collectibles, Nest Feathers and The Attic are two stores you do not want to
miss. Plan to spend some time downtown as each shop has something wonderful to see.
Franklin is also home to two quilt shops and one fabric store where quilters will find a
variety of fabric, patterns, books, and beautiful quilts for your viewing pleasure. Quilters
will definitely want to visit Deb’s Cats N Quilts, A Stitch in Time, My Favorite Things
Continued on page 6...
6 Forest City, NC • Newton, NC • Morganton, NC • Spindale, NC • Special Events
N. & S. Carolina
Springtime in the Carolinas Quilt Show
Presented by Rutherford Quilt Guild in May
Rutherford Quilt Guild from Rutherfordton, NC, will present “Springtime in the
Carolinas Quilt Show” from Thursday, May 12, through Saturday, May 14. The biennial
event will be held in the Student Union/Gymnasium of Isothermal Community College
in Spindale.
The public is invited to attend and admission is $5. Show hours for Thursday and
Friday are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The College is
located at 286 ICC Loop Road (off Route 74 Alt) in Spindale, which is about three miles
east of Rutherfordton, one of the oldest towns in Western NC.
The judged show will feature more than 100 quilts made by Guild members selecting
from nineteen categories. The quilters will use both traditional and modern techniques,
including hand-piecing and quilting, machine piecing and quilting, and hand and machine
appliqué. Guild members will also have a display of their quilted interpretations of a
recent challenge, “Log Cabin Quilts.”
The show will include a Vendor Mall and Member Boutique. Raffles will be held
throughout the event.
The Guild’s Raffle Quilt “Twisted Star” is an outstanding quilt that has been paper
pieced, hand appliquéd and machine quilted by guild members. Tickets are $1 each or six
for $5 and will be sold before the drawing takes place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. The
winner will be notified by phone if not present.
Proceeds from the quilt show and raffle quilt are used to support the Guild’s
community efforts as a 501c(3) charity. In 2015, the guild made and donated Quilts of
Valor to veterans residing in Rutherford County.
Rutherford Quilt Guild is a young group that began in 2009 when four women
returning from an out-of-state quilt show agreed they needed their own guild. It didn’t
take long for others to join in and soon the new Guild was “up and running” and is
still growing! Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the
fellowship hall of First Baptist Church in Rutherfordton for a brief business meeting
followed by the evening’s program. Guests are always welcome. To learn more, go to
http://rutherfordquiltguildinc.org/.
Giveaways and Winners
The Cotton Quilt in Granite Falls ad can be found on page 14.
We have two giveaway winners from our last issue:
• Phyllis Cole in Boiling Springs, SC, is the winner of a $25 Gift Certificate to be
spent at her favorite Country Register advertiser, Schoolhouse Quilts, located in Forest
City, NC.
• Terry Wright from Clayton, GA, is the winner of Jane Cleland’s mystery novel,
Ornaments of Death.
• We had five winners for the Southern Spring Home & Garden Show. Tickets
were sent to Deborah Fike, Terry Wright, Beverly Smith, Deborah Young and Jennifer
Roycroft.
Phyllis said Schoolhouse Quilts is her favorite place to shop because, “The store
always has the newest fabric and patterns!”
Terry Wright told us that she “enjoyed the review of this book in The Country
Register.” She said she is an avid reader, but never saw this author (Jane Cleland) before.
“The cat on the cover in the Christmas tree really appeals to me—I have 3 rescues! I pick
up The Country Register in any quilt shop I’m in and read it front to back. Thanks for a
publication that caters to my passion, quilting!”
Another loyal reader, Mary McRae from Ridgeville, SC, said, “My husband and I
travel a lot and I always look for The Country Register. I try to get it at the welcome
center on the interstate. I love the articles and it lets me know about the shops in the area.
Keep up the good work!” (Ed. Note: Thanks for reading, Mary!)
In this issue, there is another $25 Gift Certificate drawing so be sure to enter and tell
us which Country Register advertiser is your favorite. Also, please let us know how you
use The Country Register in your travels and shopping trips. We love hearing from our
readers and so do our advertisers so be sure to tell them how much you appreciate their
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The Country Register, Inc., is celebrating its 28th year! Newspapers are now published
in 46 states across the U.S. and in five provinces in Canada. Going out of state? Call
ahead to the state(s) you will visit and get a copy of that area’s The Country Register and
take it with you as you travel this spring.
Meat Loaf Potato Pie
Airing of the Quilts, continued from page 5...
and Sew Creative while in Franklin. Call ahead to find out how late these shops will be
open on the Friday and Saturday of Airing weekend as most have extended hours for this
special event.
On Saturday, May 7, during the main event, there will be much to see and do. From
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., check out the quilts hanging in various locations downtown and around
the county. Craft vendors will be located in the downtown gazebo area with a variety of
wares and many non-profits will have tickets for sale for their 2016 fund-raising quilts
The Historic West’s Mill District of Cowee, just a few miles from downtown, will
feature quilts and tours of historic Rickman’s Store and Pleasant Hill Church. There will
also be quilting demonstrations from the Cowee Quilters.
Visitors can also tour the back roads and discover the Macon County Quilt Trail
with its 25 wonderful quilt blocks that started the event. Maps may be purchased at NC
Mountain Made and Deb’s Cats N Quilts.
courtesy Cooksrecipes.com
This meatloaf version of the classic dish, Shepherd’s Pie, features a baked ‘crust’ of
meatloaf filled with creamy mashed potatoes topped with cheddar cheese.
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cooking Directions:
Mix together ground beef, dry bread crumbs, egg, milk, chopped onion, salt, dry
mustard, pepper, sage, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
Spread into an ungreased 9-inch baking pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 to 50
minutes; drain.
Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the meat in the pan and
sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese is
melted, about 2 to 4 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
March-April 2016
Professional Services 7
Professional Services
Building Harmony
A Tale of Two Rings
by Jeff Cappis
There are more than a few things in marriage that are sacred. These are understandings
developed between a couple over the years that you just don’t fool with. Right? I think
it’s good to keep some order in a relationship and show your partner respect. That’s one
way to say “I love you” without any big deal or drama. Here are our top 7:
1) Neither of us will eat the last cookie. Leaving it for your partner to enjoy is just a
nice thing to do. For that reason, there is always one stale, hard, ignored cookie in the
jar. After that, if you do eat it, you’re doing everyone a favor. Sort of a family version of
throwing yourself on a grenade to save your platoon.
2) If you can read a whole chapter of
your favorite book while in the bathroom,
turn the fan on.
3) Binge-watching TV is a couple’s
sport. If you watch an episode by
yourself, this is considered cheating.
This is serious, ladies and gentlemen.
Your partner could get so mad that she’ll
make you sleep on the couch. Apparently
making me sleep on a fluffy couch in
front of a big screen TV and home stereo
system is considered a punishment. I
plead guilty. I plead guilty a lot. Cathy
gets to be right a lot of the time. I just
swallow my shame and accept my
punishment.
4) Never use a face cloth to clean the
bathroom. As we later determined, the bathroom also includes various other parts of the
house, the vehicles and the dog.
5) You must always endeavor to put your partner in the best light. This is a tricky one.
Things like, “Wow, that dress takes a lot of years off your actual age,” or “I even love you
when you’re mad. I love you a lot,” surprisingly, can backfire on you.
6) Always wear your ring. This is very important and it is clear right in the beginning.
If your hand is missing that ring, your finger better be missing with it. It is a symbol of
everything you stand together for. It’s not just a piece of jewelry; it is sacred.
My ring cost $1600. Not that the money was important, but it is part of a matching
set my wife and I share—a totally unique and one of a kind set. Naturally, I never want
to damage it.
One time, when I was working on my car, I took it off so it wouldn’t get damaged.
I thoughtfully found a safe place to put it. Somewhere where it couldn’t get lost or
damaged. I was proud of myself for taking the time. However, a few hours later, when
we went for drive, Cathy noticed the ring wasn’t on my finger. Busted. I’d forgotten to
put it back on. The look she gave me felt bad. What was worse, I looked over and there
was my ring, spinning around on my car antenna as we travelled down the highway. Then
I got the look and the silent treatment.
The worst time, though, came one year later. I’d lost a little weight and it became
loose on my finger. One day, I was cooking steak on the Bar-B-Q when I noticed the
ring was missing. I started to panic. I know I was wearing it when I started so it must
have fallen into the bar-b-q. I had that thing apart, hosed down and clean, but no ring. I
couldn’t find it anywhere. It was lost and I was going to be in the biggest do-do of my life.
Finally (and in desperation), I called the jeweler for another one. No problem. Two
weeks. (Two weeks? She’ll notice it’s gone within the next two minutes.) Oh yeah,
double the price. (Aw $@#%&!)
I should have just been a man and ‘fessed up about it, but instead I kept my left hand
hidden for the two weeks. It was always in my pocket or conveniently behind something.
It wasn’t easy.
One day I was Bar-B-Qing again when I got a call from the jeweler. The ring was
ready. Oh goody. Then, just as I got the news, I looked down to see my original ring
sitting between two deck boards. I asked the jeweler if it was too late to cancel the order.
He laughed.
Now I had two rings. I wore the new one and put the original safely away. Thinking
about the experience though, I realized I hadn’t seen Cathy’s left hand in quite a while,
either. I was thinking about this when I bit into a stale two-week-old cookie—and found
her ring.
7) Know when to shut up and don’t gloat.
Copyright by Jeff Cappis. Email: [email protected].
8 Concord, NC • Charlotte, NC • Matthews, NC • Kings Mountain, NC • Special Events
N. & S. Carolina
KISSed Quilts
Happenings in the Quilting World
by Marlene Oddie
If you’ve been reading my articles for a while, you know about my book that was
released in Spring 2015—You Can Quilt! Building Skills for Beginners.
This past October, my co-author, Leila Gardunia, and I were
able to do a presentation at market on behalf of the publisher, the
American Quilter’s Society (AQS). This gave us an opportunity
to talk with other shop owners about how effective the book is
at removing the intimidation factor of trying new techniques.
We recently learned that the book was #3 New Releases for
AQS in 2015. Thank you all! If you followed along with the
blog hop during Fall Market, then you saw the various blocks
and how much fun the Island Batik Ambassadors had in making
various small projects. We’ve added a wide variety of finishing
instructions at www.skillbuildersampler.com.
Do you remember my sneak peeks last year? My new quilt
designs using Island Batik fabrics, “Dangling Diamonds” and “Jewels” (Fire Island
Jewels version), were displayed at Fall 2015 market. They were also accepted into the
AQS QuiltWeek™ in Phoenix, AZ, from February 11 to14, 2016.
Here is an opportunity to win some fabric and maybe more. If nothing else, you’re
sure to be inspired. The
Island Batik Ambassadors
will be showing off the
new fabric collections,
including those that I used
to make these two quilts,
with projects as part of
a blog hop February 15
to March 4, 2016. Watch
http://www.islandbatik.
com/news/
for
the
complete listing of blogs.
I’m excited to share
new projects on several
different days.
2016 is the 25th
anniversary of Electric
Quilt (EQ) software
#EQ25. This software has
been my tool of choice
for designing quilts for
15 years. I’m honored
to be an EQ Artist and
have several tutorials on my blog for how to use the software.
EQ is hosting monthly contests and prize packages this year
in celebration of its 25 years. I hope you’ll consider using the
software by checking out the festivities at www.electricquilt.
com. Click on the “Happy 25 years!” banner and then find the
videos. I hope you can find mine and enjoy a walk through
history of some of the noteable quilts that EQ has helped me
to design.
Marlene Oddie is an engineer by education, project
manager by profession and now a quilter by passion in Grand
Coulee, WA. She enjoys long-arm quilting on her Gammill Optimum Plus,
but especially enjoys designing quilts and assisting in the creation of a
meaningful treasure for the recipient. Follow Marlene’s adventures via her
blog at http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com and on Facebook at http://www.
facebook.com/kissedquilts.
Garlic-Ginger Beef & Noodle Soup
courtesy Cooksrecipes.com
1 pounds beef top sirloin steak, cut 3/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons minced garlic - divided use
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger - divided use
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
4 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti or rice noodles, broken into thirds
1 (12 to 16-ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetable blend
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (optional)
Cooking Directions:
Cut beef steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick strips.
Combine 1 tablespoon garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, sesame oil and beef in medium bowl;
toss to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Combine broth, remaining 1 tablespoon garlic and remaining 1 teaspoon ginger in
stockpot; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and vegetables; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook,
uncovered, 4 to 6 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of
beef; stir-fry 1 to 3 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Remove
from skillet. Repeat with remaining beef. Keep warm.
Remove soup from heat; stir in beef and, if desired, soy
sauce.
March-April 2016
Clemons, NC • Spencer, NC • Salisbury, NC • Special Events 9
Salisbury-Rowan Quilters Guild in NC
Will Hold Spring Quilt Show, April & 30
The Spring Quilt Show will celebrate 25 years of the Salisbury-Rowan Quilters
Guild on Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, at First Baptist Ministry Center in
Salisbury, NC. The Guild is the umbrella organization for the Sunny Days Chapter and
Starry Nights Chapter in Rowan County and both quilting groups join together to present
this Biennial Show.
This is a judged show and more than 200 beautiful quilts along with quilted items will
be displayed. Evelyn Judson, an award-winning quilter from Raleigh, is the judge. Quilts
from a Whisper challenge and a Brown Bag challenge will also be on display.
The 2016 Opportunity Quilt is ‘Flowers for My Wedding Ring’ designed by Judy
Niemeyer and quilted by
Gina Boone. Tickets are
$1 each or six for $5. The
drawing will be held on
Saturday and the lucky
winner does not have to be
present to win.
A
Merchant
Mall
will
include
vendors
with the latest in various
quilting and fiber arts
products,
Featherweight
Sewing Machines and
demonstrations. A Boutique
will be filled with donations
from members. And there
Shown here is The Salisbury-Rowan Quilters’ Guild’s unique will be lots of door prizes.
custom quilted car cover. The quilted pieces were collected from
The Guild’s Tea Room
various Guild members and put together by Shelley Lenhausen will feature fresh strawberry
from the Quilted Bicycle, shown on the left. On the right is Cindy short cake, chicken salad
Sipp, a Starry Nights chapter member.
croissants and fresh tea for
those who want to take a break from the show’s activities.
There will be a special presentation of quilts made for local veterans on Saturday at
1:30 p.m. These quilts are provided as part of the Guild’s community service projects.
The public is invited to attend this fun show. Admission is $5 per person; the group
rate is $4.00 each for 15 or more persons; and children under age 12 are admitted free.
Friday’s hours are from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday’s are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. First
Baptist Ministry Center is located at 223 N. Fulton Street, Salisbury. Parking is free and
the event is accessible for the disabled.
The Starry Nights chapter meets on the second Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
and the Sunny Days Chapter meets on the third Thursday of the month. Both chapters
meet at the Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, 1120 S. Martin Luther King Jr Ave. in Salisbury.
To learn more about the groups’ activities, follow Salisbury Rowan Quilters Guild on
Facebook.
Located in Rowan County—conveniently situated in the heart of North Carolina’s
Piedmont—Salisbury is at Exit 76 off Interstate 85 about halfway between Greensboro
and Charlotte. To learn more about the area, visit www.visitsalisburync.com/thingstodo
for suggestions. The Spencer Doll and Toy Museum and the North Carolina Transportation
Museum are both nearby.
Celebrate 35 Years of Quilting in May
At Winston-Salem Guild’s Quilt Show
“Celebrate!: 35 Years of Quilting” will be presented on Friday and Saturday, May
20 and 21, by Forsyth Piecers and Quilters Guild of Winston-Salem, NC, in honor
of its 35th Anniversary! The biennial quilt show will be held at Old Clemmons Gym in
Clemmons.
Between 100 to 150 quilted
pieces will be on display, including:
large and small bed-sized quilts, a
mixture of wearables, art quilts,
large and small wall hangings, kits,
Block of the Month and challenge
quilts. This is a judged show and
ribbons will be awarded for 1st,
2nd, 3rd Place, Honorable Mention
along with specialty awards. A
Challenge reflects the theme of the
show, #35, and no larger than 24”
x 24”.
A Boutique will feature quilted
items created by Guild members
along with fat quarters and baskets
of fabric raffles. Vendors will
demonstrate the latest in quilting
supplies, and door prizes provided
by area shops will be given away
Raffle Quilt “Patti’s Garden”
on the hour. A Silent Auction will
include a variety of large donated quilts.
The 2016 Raffle Quilt is “Patti’s Garden” and it was created by the Bee Friends. It is
a queen-size modern pieced quilt with bright colors on white with an appliquéd border.
Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5.
Open to the public, the Quilt Show
will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
admission is $5 per person per day.
Old Clemmons Gym is located at
6031 Stadium Drive. Parking is free.
Proceeds from the show will
be used for this non-profit Guild’s
programs and community service
projects such as: making preemie
quilts for early-birth babies when
they leave the hospital or neo-natal
center; home-made nap blankets for
pre-schoolers and kindergarteners to “Christmas Rose” 2014 Best of Show Ribbon Winner
use during the school year and take home at year’s end; and lap blankets for senior
citizens in nursing homes. A special feature during the quilt show will be a ‘history table’
highlighting what the Guild has done in the community.
The Forsyth Piecers and Quilters Guild meets each second Monday of the month
at Parkway Presbyterian Church, 1000 Yorkshire Road in Winston-Salem. Fellowship
begins at 6:30 p.m., a business meeting is held at 7 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m.
Visitors are welcome to attend. Quilting is promoted within the Guild and the community
through local and regional projects and educational programs. The Guild preserves
traditional methodologies and adds to its history by developing and encouraging new
fiber art concepts.
To learn more about this active Guild, go to: www.forsythquilters.org, follow Forsyth
Piecers and Quilters Guild on Facebook, email [email protected] or mail to PO
Box 11493, Winton-Salem, NC 27116-1493.
10 Chapel Hill, NC • Fuquay Varina, NC • Raleigh, NC • Richmond, VA • Special Events
N. & S. Carolina
King and Queen For a Day
by Susan S. Springer
A few years ago, when my nieces and nephews were younger, I would invite them,
one at a time, over to my home for a weekend as King or Queen For a Day. I wanted
them to come individually so that they would have an adult’s attention completely to
themselves. At these events, we would play card games, go to a movie or watch TV. Upon
their arrival, I would take them to a grocery store with instruction to pick out whatever
they wanted to eat the next morning.
One nephew asked me, “Auntie Sue, what is our budget?”
I said, “Budget?”
He replied, “Yeah, mom gives us a budget of 20 cents an ounce or less when we buy
cereal.”
I looked around at the sea of choices and told the kid, “Today there is no budget, get
exactly what you want!”
His eyes lit up and we came home with Fruit Loops, Cap’n Crunch and Count
Chocula, sugary cereals that he wanted to try but wasn’t allowed to have at home. The
kid was in heaven.
On another occasion, I invited a friend’s little girl to spend time with Auntie Sue. Her
mother’s friends were her aunties. We set up an air mattress with sleeping bag in front of
the TV and off to the grocery store we went. Her choices that day were crackers with the
“cheese-in-a-can.” Back home, armed with her remote control, her pixie like legs crossed
and head propped up with a pillow in front of the TV, she poised the cans of cheese over
a buttery cracker and began squirting artistic designs with the cheese. Soon it progressed
to little decorative designs on her finger and then popped into her mouth.
The next day, she learned the “law of natural consequences” as the cheesy delights
took their toll on her digestive system and she spent a bit of time in the rest room. Lesson
learned on both sides. I made a mental note—next time, limit the cans.
A nephew soon came to visit armed with his computer games. I gave the usual
commandments to stay up as late as you want, sleep in as long as you want and, if you
can find it in the kitchen, you can eat it. (Kids loved that last command.) This was a kid
who went immediately to his computer and, about 12 hours later, surfaced like a zombie
to ask about dinner. He was a fellow night owl and was bound and determined to stay up
as late as me. That next day he slept in until 2 p.m.
I decided we needed to go on a special culinary excursion I call the “Donut-a-Thon.”
I suggested that we stop at every single donut shop down a main highway in our area and
the kid’s face lit up like a neon light. Evidently, it was a dream come true and reminiscent
of Pinocchio’s visit to Pleasure Island. Our heads turned right and left as we spotted
various little donut shops and bakeries. He would get one item at each stop and eat it en
route to the next destination.
After the third stop, the King for the Day said politely, “Auntie Sue do you think we
could get some milk next time?”
I completely spaced out the fact that one might need to have a nice carton of milk to
go along with the donuts. When you do not have children, you forget things like this.
Next stop, he got the milk and I sprung for some coffee to take for my own dining repast.
Now, all my little Kings and Queens are grown and I’m looking forward to spoiling
their little Princes or Princesses. I have, in retrospect, had the fun of the grandparent role,
and just before the kids crack or start naughty behaviors, they are released back to the
custody of their parents. Now I know why my own Grandmother had so much fun with
me.
Copyright 2016 by Susan S. Springer. All rights reserved. Used by permission,
no reprint without author’s permission. Ms. Springer can be reached at ssspringer@
consultant.com.
Quilting with Barbara
New Trends in Quilting
Are Helped by How-To Books
by Barbara Conquest
Carolina 2016 March-April
Upcoming Events
March 4-5: Cobblestone Quilters Guild present “Lowcountry Threads” Quilt Show
2016, Omar Shrine Temple Convention Center, 176 Patriots Point St., Mt. Pleasant, SC,
for more information, visit: www.cobblestonequilters.com.
March 11-13: Palmetto Quilt Guild of Hilton Head Island present “Quilt Festival
2016,” HHI Beach and Tennis Resort, 40 Folly Field Road, HHI, SC, for more information,
visit: www.palmettoquiltguild.org.
April 2-3: The Brooklyn Arts Center and Quilters By The Sea Guild announce
“Piecework: Quilting and Fiber Arts Show,” 516 N. 4th Street, Wilmington, NC, for
more information, visit: www.brooklynartsnc.com.
The days are lengthening; the sunshine is warmer; the longed-for new season is just
around the corner. This is the season of newness, green shoots poking up through the
debris of winter, new calves and lambs frolicking in the fields—and new fabrics and
books appearing on store shelves.
And what’s new in quilting? What’s old is new again, a shape you probably last
encountered in high school geometry—the hexagon, that six-sided figure with 60-degree
angles. The shape itself is hardly new to quilters (remember Grandmother’s flower garden
quilts) but to quilters long accustomed to working with squares, rectangles and triangles,
these newly-popular shapes may present a challenge.
If you need it, help is near. Trends in quilting are almost invariably reflected in how-to
books (or is it the other way around, that new books create trends? A question for another
day). Here are four books worthy of consideration for your quilting library, each with its
own strengths.
Hexagon Happenings (Landauer, 2014) teaches the basics by means of text and colour
illustrations. Drafting the shapes, cutting with and without templates, selecting suitable
fabrics, and assembling by machine or by hand are presented in some detail before the
latter section of the book, which gives directions for 14 projects. The author, Carolyn
Forster, lives in England so fabric requirements are listed in both imperial and metric
measurements, a nice break for those of us who sometimes have problems reconciling
the two.
Kelly Ashton’s Hexagons, Diamonds, Triangles and More: Skill-building Techniques
for 60-Degree Patchwork (Martingale, 2014) is a useful book even if you never intend
to explore the use of hexagons. It presents information, theory, tools and procedures
rather than projects. The diagrams and text directions for sewing Y-seams (also known
as set-in seams) are exceptionally clear; they alone make the book a wise buy for people
Continued on page 15...
March-April 2016
Warrenton, NC • Wake Forest, NC • Raleigh, NC • Special Event 11
2016 North Carolina Quilt Symposium
Being Held in Raleigh, June 2 to 5
Quilting with the Stars, the 2016 North Carolina Quilt Symposium promoting the
art of quilting in North Carolina, will be held at William Peace University, in Raleigh
from June 2 to 5. Hosted by the Capital Quilters Guild and the North Carolina Quilt
Symposium, Inc., the Symposium is a nationally recognized four-day quilt conference
featuring classes and lectures with an outstanding faculty, a quilt show, special exhibits,
a vendor mall and fun evening activities.
Classes and lectures will be offered in color theory, hand quilting, fiber art, hand
appliqué, and machine quilting, hand piecing, digital quilt design, landscape quilting,
English paper piecing, machine appliqué, foundation paper piecing, thread painting, 3-D
appliqué, and free-motion quilting.
Instructors and Lecturers include: Augusta Cole, Nancy Chong, Mary Ellen Kranz,
Lyric Kinard, Katrina Thomas, Charlotte Angotti, Debbie Maddy, Karen Eckmeier,
Pepper Cory, Joan Shay, Molly Waddell, Nancy Prince, Deb Tucker, Deb Kerasik, Mary
Zesiger, Beth Ferrier, Debbie Caffrey, Jamie Wallen, Esterita Austin, Harriet Hargrave
and Mickey Depre.
The Quilt Show will feature a variety of entries—usually 200 quilts or more—by
Symposium participants. There will be a full-service Vendor Mall, a silent auction of
miniature quilts to benefit Military Missions in Action, and information booths for quilt
guilds from across the Carolinas.
Detailed information and registration forms for Quilting with the Stars can be viewed
at www.capitalquilters.org or http://capitalquilters.org/symposium2016. Additional
information is available at https://northcarolinaquiltsymposium.wordpress.com. You can
also follow North Carolina Quilt Symposium, Inc., on Facebook.
About the hosts: The Capital Quilters Guild is a vibrant, dynamic and friendly guild
offering a number of different ongoing activities. The Guild encourages a high standard
of design and technique in all forms of quilting and promotes the art of quilting by
teaching, sponsoring exhibits and community outreach.
The North Carolina Quilt Symposium, Inc., is a non-profit corporation that promotes
and perpetuates the art of quilting through sponsored symposia within the state of North
Carolina and by sponsoring other projects designed to preserve, continue and advance
this art form.
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12 New Bern, NC • Bellhaven, NC • Wendell, NC • Southport, NC • Granite Falls, NC
N. & S. Carolina
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
by Lydia E. Harris
Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what tea parties are made of. But what if
you have health challenges and sugar isn’t nice for your body? Does that mean tea parties
are over? Hardly! Here’s a tea menu to enjoy even if you must limit your wheat or sugar
intake.
Serve delicious foods.
For my seven-TEA-eth birthday,
our daughter, Anita, delivered a tea
party to our home. Since she has
celiac disease and cannot eat gluten
(a protein found in wheat, barley,
rye and other grains), she prepared a
tasty gluten-free tea supper that we all
enjoyed.
Her menu included three-bean
salad, fruit kabobs, cucumber boats
stuffed with hummus and grilled
chicken, and strips of cucumber and
pastrami. For dessert, she served
a creamy, frozen raspberry pie
made with cashews and a glutenfree graham-cracker crust. It tasted Food prepared by Lydia’s daughter (Anita Faull) for
her (Lydia’s) 70-TEA-eth birthday. Photos by Lydia’s
delicious with our peach herbal tea.
husband, Milt Harris
Spice up the presentation!
“Teatimes are mostly about the presentation,” Anita said. So she served the foods in
appealing ways. The bean salad sat mounded on a large chunk of orange pepper with
sliced beets for garnish on the side. Cantaloupe, red grapes, blueberries and basil leaves
looked pretty threaded onto skewers.
The cucumber boats were new to me but are easy to make. Simply cut a cucumber
into 2 1/2-inch pieces. Then cut each chunk in half lengthwise to make two boats. Scoop
out some of the cucumber and seeds in the middle and heap the boat full of your favorite
filling, such as hummus, cottage cheese, chicken salad or egg salad.
The dessert looked especially appealing topped with whipped cream, raspberry
freezer jam and a lemon slice. We enjoyed our colorful, healthy tea supper from the first
to last bite.
Make everything nice.
When I posted pictures of our teatime on Facebook, friends commented: “Yummy
and beautiful,” “lovely presentation and healthy.” And, “I wish someone would bring
me such a delightful tea! What a
precious daughter you have.”
I couldn’t agree more. We enjoyed
everything about our teatime.
As you can tell from our
daughter’s menu, teatimes can be
sweet and lovely without a lot of
sugar. If you want to serve desserts
and scones, serve small portions.
Dainty tidbits are perfect for teatime.
And when going out for tea, consider
ordering a salad with protein and a
scone on the side.
Tea itself is definitely part of the
“everything nice” at teatimes. With
virtually no calories and loaded with
Cucumber Basket: Recipe created by Lydia Harris
antioxidants, tea is good for you.
and photographed by Milt Harris.
And green tea, which is unfermented, is considered especially healthy. If you haven’t
developed a taste for it, try a flavored green tea such as Bigelow’s Constant Commenthich
makes a spicy brew.
Besides the health benefits of drinking tea, a tea break relieves stress. The ritual of
brewing, sipping and relaxing with a fragrant cup of tea provides a soothing interlude. If
you’re sensitive to caffeine, select from decaffeinated choices.
So what are tea parties made of?
•
Sugar: the sweetness of time shared (and maybe a little sugar).
•
Spice: the beauty of the presentation (and perhaps some spiced tea).
•
Everything nice: the joy of teatime (with tea, delicious food, and cozy
conversation).
I’m ready to plan a sweet teatime without adding a lot of sugar. Won’t you join me?
Lydia E. Harris holds a master’s degree in Home Economics. She is blessed with five
grandchildren who call her “Grandma Tea.” Lydia authored the book, Preparing My
Heart for Grandparenting (AMG Publishers). (No reprint without author’s permission.)
From Lydia’s Recipe File: Cucumber Baskets with Veggies
Cucumber boats are quick and easy to make. But during the spring and Easter
season, you might enjoy making cucumber baskets.
You’ll need:
Large cucumber (makes 3 or 4 baskets)
Small yellow zucchini
Small grape tomatoes
Small radishes
Baby carrots or thin strips of carrots
Celery leaves
Toothpicks
Hummus or filling of choice
To Make:
1. Cut off 1 1/2–inch piece of cucumber. Make sure the cut ends are flat. Set
on cut end to make basket.
2. Hollow out some of the center of the cucumber, but leave some for the sides
and bottom of the basket. Fill with hummus.
3. Cut a 1/4-inch slice of cucumber to become the handle. Cut off the lower
1/3 of the slice. Then use a cookie cutter or knife to cut out some of the inside of
the slice. What is left is the handle with the peel on top.
4. Cut zucchini and radishes into 1/4-inch slices. Put all vegetables except
carrots on individual toothpicks. Arrange vegetables in the basket to make a
colorful bouquet and poke the toothpicks into the hummus. Also, poke in carrots.
You should be able to fit two or more pieces of each vegetable into the basket.
5. Place the cucumber handle on top of the basket. The other veggies will hold
it in place. Add a few celery leaves to fill in as greenery.
6. Make one basket for each guest.
These cute, healthy baskets can also serve as place-card holders. Cut strips of
paper, write names, attach toothpicks, and poke into the basket. Variation: Add
other colorful veggies of your choice, such as yellow, orange, or red peppers.
Green olives look nice as well.
(No reprint without author’s permission.)
March-April 2016
Rockingham, NC • Cameron, NC • Special Event 13
Antique Shops’ Spring Street Fair
In Historic Cameron, NC, on May 7
The Antique Shops of Historic Cameron, NC, invite you to a Spring Antiques Street
Fair on Saturday, May 7. The shops will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for this special
event that has been an annual tradition for more than 25 years.
In addition to local antique dealers, there will be approximately 250 outside vendors,
predominately from the East Coast, offering a wide variety of items. Shoppers will find
everything from primitives to vintage, advertising signage, glassware, furniture and
collectibles—and more. Spots are still available and a prospective vendor can contact the
stores individually or call the Cameron Town Hall at 910-245-3212.
Lunch and refreshments will make your day even more enjoyable. A popular restaurant
is The Dewberry Deli and Soda Fountain, downstairs at The Old Hardware Antiques.
Light refreshments can also be found at The Coffee Grind and The Tea Cozy & Wine
Boutique. A nice selection of food options will also be available from various vendors
during the Fair, ranging from Barbecue to Thai and everything in between.
Featured in Southern Living and voted Best Antique Shopping in North Carolina by
Our State magazine’s readers, Cameron is well worth the visit. This historical district has
also been voted the Best Antiquity area in Moore County by The Pilot Newspaper. Come,
spend the day visiting each of the shops, and plan to have a great “antiquing experience.”
Born of a plank road and a railroad and spurred on by the turpentine and dewberry
industries, Cameron prospered in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The
Fayetteville plank road arrived in the area in the 1850s, and with the arrival of the railroad
in 1875, a town was planned and built by people taking advantage of the opportunities
the railroad offered.
Along Carthage Street, Cameron’s railroad men, merchants and farmers built a
compact community consisting of one and two story frame and brick houses, stores and
churches displaying elements of the styles popular in the era of 1875 to 1925. Though the
trains no longer stop in the town and dewberries are not grown on a large scale anymore,
Cameron still retains its turn of the century character and its feeling of a modest, isolated,
concentrated village.
Strategically located near the center of North Carolina in Moore County, Cameron
is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. It has become a destination for the
serious collector, tradesperson and those interested in local history.
Cameron is east of Carthage and approximately one hour south of Raleigh, just off US
1 on Highway 24/27 between Sanford and Southern Pines.
For a listing of the shops, places for lunch and refreshments, and historical points of
interest, visit www.antiquesofcameron.com.
Vintage African Indigo Batiks
—The Fabric of Life
by Simone Gers
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.
14 Raeford, NC • Fayetteville, NC
N. & S. Carolina
Loving Stitches Quilt Shop Is
Haven of Creativity in Fayetteville, NC
by Kerri Habben
At first thought, a quilt might seem to be “just” pieced fabric in a pattern, which is
then sewn in layers to create warmth. But it is far more than that—it is time, skill and
love. In eras past, a quilt was an individual expression as much as it was a household
responsibility. Even today, we pour our experience into our needlework and discover
comfort, an insulation for the sometimes-harsh edges of the world.
This is especially true at Loving Stitches Quilt Shop in Fayetteville, NC. The
community it serves is home to Fort Bragg, one of the largest United States Army bases
in the U.S. It is difficult to consider news of deployments and war; it is a far more personal
experience when these
sacrifices are in your own
backyard.
Loving Stitches’ logo
is a patchwork heart.
It is not surprising that
the spouses of soldiers
stationed at Fort Bragg are
drawn to the shop to find
healing and a bit of peace in
quilting. For Owners Carol
and John Watkins and
their knowledgeable and
friendly staff, providing a
haven for these wives and
other quilters is a privilege
and honor.
A full service quilt
shop, Loving Stitches
will celebrate its twentieth
anniversary in July of this
year. The shop itself is an
accomplishment since it is Eastern NC’s largest quilt shop. With 6000 bolts of fabric—99
percent of which are 100 percent cotton—along with patterns, threads, notions, quilt kits
and other specialty items, the shop is well-stocked and prepared for whatever a quilter
wishes to create or might need.
Carol, John and their staff believe in fun and education and feel that there is no better
way to achieve both than with a class in the shop. With two large classrooms and a
third smaller one, fifteen to twenty quilting, sewing and embroidery project classes and
workshops are offered each quarter. Experienced and caring teachers bring their skills
to each class along with an abiding joy in their work. Lectures taught by nationally
recognized teachers and experts in the quilting industry are also hosted several times a
year. Whether you join in for a single session or an entire quarter, there is a class for you!
A quilting retreat will be held from September 15 to 18 at the DoubleTree by Hilton
Hotel in Fayetteville. Quilters should plan to be pampered at this fun retreat—including
having their own private sewing station and access to cutting and ironing stations! This
means they can leave all of their sewing and quilting right at their station for the weekend!
Find details at: www.lovingstitches.net.
While treasuring tradition, Loving Stitches also embraces technological advances
as an authorized Bernina dealer. Bernina sewing and embroidery machines and sergers
have been turning fabrics into dreams by giving quilters a wide range of basic and
specialty options. With every machine purchase, complimentary classes are provided
and experienced Bernina teachers are available for assistance. When a repair is necessary,
certified Bernina service technicians are readily available and may even be able to fix a
small problem with a visit to the shop. They also service other brands.
Longarm quilting is a more recent development in the quilting industry, enabling the
actual quilting of a pieced top to be completed in an extremely efficient manner. Loving
Stitches is also a Bernina Longarm retailer carrying models that may not be available
elsewhere.
At Loving Stitches, quilters from all walks of life will find a haven of creativity and
warmth. The shop occupies a custom designed 10,000 sq. ft. location at 7076 Ramsey
St., in Fayetteville. To learn more, go to www.lovingstitches.net, call 910-630-3912,
email [email protected], or follow the shop on social media, such as Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram.
Kerri Habben is a writer living in Raleigh, NC. She can be reached at elhserenade@
earthlink.net.
March-April 2016
Quilting with Barbara, continued from page 10...
leery of tackling these seams on their own. However, there is so much more: traceable
template patterns, charts for calculating shape dimensions, cutting guides and a gallery
of completed projects. This book will be used often by many quilters and lends itself to
the creation of originals.
The third book is not as awkward as its title might imply. The New Hexagon: 52
Blocks to English Paper Piece by Katja Marek of Kamloops, BC, is a new and intriguing
twist on the classic hexagon. The colourful cover hints of the delights inside. The
author’s glue-basting method of English paper piecing speeds up considerably what has
long been a tedious and laborious procedure that many quilters, myself included, have
tried to avoid. The combination of components made using this technique results in 52
large (6”) striking hexagon shapes, well illustrated in the book—true eye candy! Quilters
will not be limited to the blocks or sizes shown; the possibilities are endless. In addition
to the 52 blocks, readers will appreciate directions for seven projects of various sizes and
a brief colour gallery.
Hexagons Made Easy: Machine Techniques for Exceptional Quilts by Jen Eskridge
(Martingale 2013) is written by someone who doesn’t have time to waste and chooses
to use her sewing machine. Eskridge shows innovative methods of constructing and
using hexagons. She tells us that she was inspired by English paper piecing, but goes
on to say, “Fundamentally, my technique is to accurately stitch a facing to all sides of
a geometric shape and then turn the piece right side out, yielding a finished shape with
edges neatly folded under and smooth on all sides. Although the projects in this book are
all hexagon-based, my technique can be applied to any geometric shape.” The finished/
faced hexagons are then applied to another surface or they can be joined together as is for
a reversible project, because there are no raw edges. Also, there are no limitations on size,
as with other methods. Detailed directions for and photos of 18 blocks, a number of quilts
and home décor projects (cushions, table runners, pot holders) invite even the busiest of
quilters to get to the sewing machine, because fast machine techniques are used for fast
results. Again, the cover of this book offers a tantalizing glimpse of the joys within.
To sum up: Hexagons per se are not new, but new methods of construction and
utilization are bringing the traditional shapes used for traditional quilts into the forefront
of twenty-first century quilting. More importantly, they’re versatile and fun!
Barbara Conquest writes her column from Blue Sky Quilting in Tofield, AB. ©
Barbara Conquest.
Services 15
16 Special Events
N. & S. Carolina