Middleton Place Plantation and Charleston Tea Plantation, South Carolina Trip

Sorry it has taken me so long to post more about our vacation.  I was caught up in the nice weather, family and quilting.   My newest projects are undercover secret sewing for Christmas.  It's never too early for a quilter to start on presents.  This is the week of our Streetsboro Quilt Show, so watch for upcoming posts about that fun event.
Middleton Place
Middleton Place Plantation was a joy to visit.  Click on the link above for more information about Middleton Place.  On our Buckeye Tour, we had perfect weather to walk around and enjoy the gardens.  Oh how great to be in the warmth and sun!  We were surprised to learn that rice was the main crop in the South before cotton.  This plantation still had a small rice field plus beautiful landscaped gardens.  Here are some pictures.  I would encourage anyone who is visiting the Charleston, South Carolina area to stop by this great plantation and learn more about the history in the South.

We loved the hanging moss on the trees.  They told us NOT to pick it because there is a little red bug that lives in the moss.  We left it alone and just enjoyed seeing it.  

Reflecting Pool

I see a kangaroo in the clouds

A huge Live Oak!

Middleton Place has some of America's oldest landscaped gardens.  It was spectacular to see!

Live Oak trees never lose their leaves completely.  

Barbie was right at home with the sheep

This is how they kept the grass mowed and fertilized at the Middleton Place Plantation.

Charleston Tea Plantation

After visiting Middleton Place, we drove farther into the country and visited the Charleston Tea Plantation.  This is the only place in America where tea is grown.  It was very interesting to learn about the whole process of making.  Click on the link above for a more detailed description of how they grow and process American Classic Tea.

Field of tea plants

Our Tea Tour Bus. 

Tea Plant up close

Only the top few leaves are used to make the tea.

Only in America!  A John Deere engineer, a tea expert and a farmer invented a machine that would carefully pick the top tea leaves.  It's called the Green Giant Tea Picker.  Here is an image from Explore Charleston Web Site. 

http://www.explorecharleston.net/PhotoGallery/

Green Giant

A good time was had by all and by the end of the day we were ready for the rocking chair.  

Our shopping bags were full of good American Tea and we were grateful for the sunny weather and fun filled day.

"With a good friend, or new friends, the days are never long."  ~ my own quote. 

Mount Airy, NC - Mayberry

Barbie and I just got back from a trip to North and South Carolina.  We had a great time and created some fun memories.  We travelled with Buckeye Tours out of Cambridge and I have to say that they offer some great tours.  Check them out online - Buckeye Tours or like them on Facebook.

Our first stop was Mount Airy, North Carolina, home of Andy Griffith.  This is the town that inspired the memorable Andy Griffith Show.

We stopped by the courthouse . . . 

And ended up in jail!

It was comfortable - just like home.  

Judge Barbie released us on bail.  

Most of the buildings in Mount Airy are made of granite.  This is an expensive material, but not for Mount Airy since it is the home of the world's largest open faced quarry.  Here is information from the website:  http://www.ncgranite.com/largestquarry.aspx

"Not many states have a State Rock—in fact, North Carolina has designated the great Mount Airy quarry the Official State Rock of North Carolina.

There are several reasons Mount Airy Quarry has been given this honor. It was one of the first commercial natural stone businesses in North Carolina. But more importantly, this was recognition of the many beautiful structures built from Mount Airy White that dot the earth.

The Rock, as it is known affectionately by local citizens, was once considered a white elephant when it was purchased in 1849 by Robert S. Gilmer. He was so angry when he found this “big white rock” on what he thought was a farm, that he insisted the seller give him part of his money back. So the story goes, that the huge Mount Airy White Quarry was bought for zero.

That was over 150 years ago, and we have been harvesting stone from this site since 1743—and will be, for the next several thousand years. The great grand children of your great grand children’s great grand children will be able to design and build a building that will match exactly the one you built.

It has other interesting distinctions. Astronauts circling the world can see it from outer space, it is so big. It has been designated the “World’s Largest Open Faced Quarry”.

That’s our Rock and we love her."

  I think it was very interesting!

A granite church in Mount Airy

That was our first day of trip and we had more adventures to come.  I will be adding more to the blog later.  We met some wonderful people on the bus and really enjoyed the journey.

Beaver Valley Piecemakers 19th Annual Quilt Show

Who doesn't love a quilt show?  I'm passing along some information about a show coming up in October.  It would be a beautiful time of year to travel to New Brighten, Pennsylvania and enjoy viewing all the lovely quilts and visiting the vendors, of course.  When I used Google maps to see how it was from Kent, I think it's a go - only 75 miles -  about the same distance that I travel each week to Miss Carol's of Sweet Peas and Possum.  It sounds like a road trip!

More information is listed below, but you can also visit their website:

http://www.bvpiecemakers.com

Beaver Valley Piecemakers 19th Annual Quilt Show

Location - Holy Family Parish

1851 3rd Ave.

New Brighton, Pa 15066

Dates and Time - Oct. 11th and 12th 10-5

Oct. 13th 11-4

Approximately 100 quilts judged by a National Quilt Association Judge. The theme this year is 2 color quilts. Also, quilt and sewing machine raffles, vendors, café with homemade food, and a boutique. Admission is $7 and children 12 and under free.

See you there!  I'll be adding pictures to my blog from the show in October.  Watch for it!

The Shaker Tree in Garrettsville/Mayberry

My friend Kathy and I took a short drive out to Garrettsville last week to visit The Shaker Tree quilt shop and have lunch.  Garrettsville reminds me of Mayberry - I can just picture Andy or Barney cruising down the main street looking for jay walkers.   I love the small town atmosphere and friendly people.

It was a quiet day at noon at the Silver Crik Saloon, but The Shaker Tree quilt shop was jumpin' with a large selection of fabric along with many other gift items to see and purchase.  It is well worth the visit.  Randy, the owner, was so nice and helpful.  

After the quilt shop we moseyed across the street to The Village Bookstore to browse the fabulous collection of new and used books.  They really have a wide selection of children's books.  I bought two books and Ellen, the owner, offered me a free book, so I chose an American cook book to add to my collection.  Fun!

Up the ramp to the back of the store you can find more items

Click on the link for The Shaker Tree to purchase a kit to make the flag in this picture

After shopping the streets of Mayberry, I mean Garrettsville, Kathy and I found a little outdoor patio where we enjoyed our lunch.  kathy even found a recipe for onion soup in my free cookbook.

After lunch, around the corner, we found this interesting little restaurant and old Harley Davidson motorcycle . . . 

It's always fun to explore little towns and see what might be around a corner.   I'll be sure to travel back soon to the little town of Garrettsville and visit The Shaker Tree and The Village Bookstore again.  It just makes me happy!

Summer QBee Day

Yea, for Thursday!  That is the day I travel down to Plainsfield to quilt at Miss Carol's studio (Sweet Peas and Possum Blog) with my QBees.  Two of our QBees. Barb and Gina, will be heading back to work at the school next week.  I feel a tiny bit nostalgia for that exciting time of year when we return to school, but it quickly passes as I focus on quilting and enjoying my first year of retirement.

It was a productive day and I finished a quilt for my son, Earl.  He is a farmer and in the summer, sells corn at the market in Kent.  Since he doesn't have a computer, he won't see his quilt on my blog.

Earl and his niece, Toria

Toria by the bridge mural at the farmer's market in Kent.

The perfect backdrop for Earl's quilt is the corn field!

A winter quilt using Thimbleberries material.  This is the first quilt where I actually pre-washed the flannel material.  Miss Carol said that Thimbleberries is likely to shrink. 

. . . and a rail fence.

We were all productive!  Miss Carol was able to put together her Dancing Nine Patch even while helping all of us.

Miss Carol completed this baby quilt as an enders and leaders project . . . love the purple material that frames the blocks and the piano key border!

Gina finished up a quilt top for her mom.  Love this pattern of rail fence and pin wheels.  She found it in a magazine, I'll try to find out which magazine and add the information to the blog in case anyone is interested in finding the pattern.

Gina's Quilt

Barb and her friendship tablecloth

 Miss Carol spoils her QBees and brings us coffee to perk us up around 3:00 in the afternoon.  It's delightful since she grinds her own special coffee!  Check out the quilting tray!

Spending a day with QBees is better than a day at any spa.  We work out cutting and pressing material - laugh - and refresh our souls with sharing our life stories and ideas as we quilt.

Barb, packed up and ready to start back to school next week.  She is a school nurse.  Her mom, Mama Barb is next to her.  Snake River blocks are in the foreground.

Miss Carol and Mama Barb

I count my blessings to have such wonderful QBee friends and days of sunshine to quilt.
"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine." ~ Thomas Jefferson