Super Moon and the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails

Even though it is still chilly in the evenings, my neighbor and I couldn't help but sit on the porch to look at the super moon for a bit. Watching a moon is unlike bird  or meteorite watching in that in the case of moons, not much happens. Nevertheless, we couldn't ignore the hype of the super moon and gave this event a fair shake. As we were sitting there, we discussed many things. One subject which I enjoyed was our discussion of quilts. My neighbor comes from a multi-generational, Kentucky farming family  He fondly recalled some of the quilts he had come across over the years. After his parents had passed, he was gifted a number of family heirlooms that he holds dear to his heart. I recalled a quilt the grandmother of a friend of mine had sewn. It was made from flannel pieces of my friend's childhood pajamas. Over the years whenever she felt the need for some grandma loving, she would take out this quilt, immediately connecting to the love both she and her grandmother had for each other.

Like my friend's pajama quilt, the pieces on the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails are made and installed with fondness and affection. The forestry people at Tuscarora are proud of their forest and ranger station. They chose a Trail Rug design that reflects this. The Sewing Shanty piece honors a loved one who has passed and the Heirloom piece demonstrates the love the Juniata Quilter's Guild have for their craft.

Next time you follow the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails remember that love, fondness and affection are all part of the trail. Make these positive feelings part of your own. Follow the trail and be part of something that is positive, uplifting and memorable.And remember to support the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails. All size donations are greatly welcomed.

Become a "Friend" of PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails

By being a friend, you are helping
PA Quilt (and Rug ) Trails achieve their goal of creating,
“A Hero’s Welcome” quilt square,
honoring all those who have served in the U.S. Military. 
(Site to be determined.)

A $35 donation receives as a thank you:
5 notecards featuring scenes from the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails
2 guests passes to exclusive annual PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails party
quarterly PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails enewsletter (covering relevant information, announcements and events).

To pay either send check to:
Community Partnerships RC&D
23 North Main Street
Lewistown, PA. 17044

or click on the Paypal link to the top right of this page
(You don’t need a Paypal account to send money)

Meet the Squares: The Heirloom Quilt Square

The Heirloom quilt square has now been installed and can be enjoyed in Mifflintown, PA. This quilt square has taken the longest time, from start to finish, of any square, yet the wait was well worth the time.

At least a year and a half ago, Community Partnerships RC&D was asked by the Juniata Valley Quilters Guild, to give a presentation to the group about the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails. A short while after the presentation, the guild contacted CPRC&D and generously offered to sponsor two pieces, one to be placed in Juniata County and the second in Mifflin County.

The Skills Group were kind enough to volunteer their time and talents to paint the design submitted by the Quilter's guild. After diligent priming, taping and painting for weeks of time, the piece was completed and transported by Kevin Morgan and Mike Lennartz of CPRC&D to Heirloom Cabinetry, where the piece could be touched-up and framed for installation.

The folks at Heirloom managed to hoist this incredibly heavy the piece feet off the ground, to its current home where it overlooks  beautiful valleys and hills of Mifflintown.

The Heirloom Piece, with its strong colors and design, compliments the  beautiful farm land and countryside where she/he will stay for many years to come. Take a lovely drive and come see. Heirloom Cabinetry is on Nelson Road, just a few miles off of the main route 322.

Please support the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails. All donation large or small are appreciated. Click on the Paypal button to the top right of this blog and follow several prompts and your money will be immediately sent to CPRC&D to continue work on this great community project.
Paypal does not require an account to use.

Meet the Squares: The Tuscarora Trail Rug

There are  many components of the Tuscarora Trail Rug that makes this a special piece. First and foremost its location.Spanning across Cumberland, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, and Perry counties, the Tuscarora State forest is  95,780 acres of beautiful forested wilderness. Visitors to the Tuscarora Forest will have the opportunity to commune with nature no mater what time of year visited. Winter provides a plethora of cold weather activities whether you have a passion for x-country skiing, snow shoeing or a cold weather walk in the woods. Springtime abounds with wildflowers such as the Trillion, Skunk Cabbage, Lady's Slipper and flowering Mountain Laurel. Additionally the woods abound with  special treats such as: ginseng and morels. Summer brings more and more flowers and birds and of course fall has a spectacular display of color from changing leaves.

The PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails piece that is installed at the Tuscarora Ranger Station's fire building is a design adapted by the Locust Grove Retirement and Rehabilitation Village. Residents worked hard to design a piece that followed the original inspiration which was a hooked rug done in the 1800s by artisan Magdalean Briner Eby.

Magdalean Briner Eby lived in the area that is now the Tuscarora State Forest. She created whimsical forest scenes into hooked rugs. Her work is highly collectible today and she is considered one of the quintessential hooked rug masters of primitive American folk art.

There were many people that made the Tuscarora State Forest Trail Rug a reality. Stackpole Books, Kathy Wright, Rug Hooking Magazine, Deb Smith, Penn Dot, Department of Forestry, Community Partnerships RC&D, Locust Grove Village, family members of Magdalean Briner Eby and last by not least Gene Odata, District Forester at PA DCNR.

Meet the Squares: Sewing Shanty

One of the most touching back stories of a PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails quilt square was the Sewing Shanty quilt square created by Debra Andretta and Mark Paul Brong in honor of their father, who passed just a few months earlier. Wanting to honor their dad and his love of wood working, Debra, a talented quilter, created the "rough" draft by using fabric pieces to represent a variety of wood colors and textures. Mark then took Debra's template, adapting cloth to pieces of local wood and fabricated  a beautiful multi-textural inlay wood square. The quilt pattern initiated in fabric by Debra is called the "Sawtooth Square".

Although the Sewing Shanty has since closed, the piece has been relocated to the Daily Grind on route 45 in Vicksburg. This is a unique, beautiful part of the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails that should not be missed. Take a drive through rolling hills and farmlands to Vicksburg, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and see the intricate handiwork that honors another one of central Pennsylvania's artisans.

Meet the Quilt Squares: Hunters Valley Winery

Many people living in central Pennsylvania have kept much of the "old school" way of doing things. Tapping maple trees at the end of the winter, cooking down apples for apple butter and harvesting home grown veggies and fruits to "put up" are more common than not. Spend some time outside of the enclave of central Pennsylvania and you will realize how far many people have grown from hands-on living.

The first quilt square of the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails is installed at a place where wine is grown, harvested, fermented, bottled and sold. The entire process is done by hand. During the few months I spent at Hunters Valley Winery in Liverpool working on their quilt square,  I was privy to  part of the process. On one visit Bill, Shirley and a friend from the neighborhood, were pouring grape juice into wooden vats to be compressed. On another visit, Darlene, Shirley and Bill were inside hand bottling their delicious wines. Even the installation of the Hunters Valley Winery quilt square was a hands-on process for Bill and the two local Mennonite carpenters.

In this time of technological-driven procedures and processes, it is delightful to be exposed to hands-on industries. Take the time and head to Liverpool, photograph you and your friends/family/loved ones in front of  Pennsylvania's first quilt square and enjoy the beautiful setting of Hunters Valley Winery. Don't forget to bring home a bottle of some truly yummy local wine. Enjoy

Two broken legs

I, like most people in these hard economic times, have multiple, part-time jobs. Graduating college is no longer a guarantee of full-time well-paying employment. One of my jobs is working at a writing center at a junior college. Helping students with their papers and ultimately helping them pass classes that will lead to graduation, is rewarding (though not financially) work. Twice a week I work with a 72 year old gentleman who has enrolled in school to learn how to read, write and gain computer skills. He is very much a presence at the writing center and has become part of the "family". Two weeks ago he stopped coming to the center. After the first missed day I began my search for him, asking around for sightings, phoning his house and even driving to his house a few times to see if I could catch a glimpse of him sitting on his porch. Two days ago I found out that he had been hit by a car and was now in a nursing home with two broken legs and numerous other injuries.

I visited my gentleman friend and told him how much he was missed and how I had been looking for him for the previous two weeks. We talked briefly and I asked if he had any needs that I could take care of for him. As I parted he left me with this thought, "Life can change in an instant. One minute you are crossing the street to go get your morning cup of coffee and then next you are in an ambulance heading for the hospital."

The PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails will most likely be around long after we all are gone. However, now is the time to visit and support it. There may not be an opportunity tomorrow. Take your family and follow the trail.  Visit the Hunters Valley Winery quilt square on a date. Show your kids the world's first Trail Rug at the Tuscarora forest. Support is easy by using the Paypal button at the top right of this page. Take advantage of what you have today.