Sunday, February 23, 2020

Won't You Be My Neighbor Finshed

My Finished House Quilt:  Won't You Be My Neighbor?
It seemed a fitting way to remember Fred Rogers too.  What a gentle kind soul he was.  We need more like him in the world.
Hanna wrote to him in 3rd Grade for a project to write to someone she looked up to.   Here is the letter he sent her.
I love how he addressed it to:  Hanna in the Third Grade.  He included an autographed photo.  What a wonderful keepsake.
  I took it with me on a walk I like with coco at Parmalee Farms in Killingworth, CT. 
 They have tapped the sugar maple trees and the sugar house was busy boiling away.
 Here is the original 1889 Farmhouse on the Property.  You can see more here.
It was sunny but a very cold day on Friday.
I loved hand quilting this with big stitches.  It took 8 days start to finish and I wasn't really even trying.  I will be doing more big stitch in the future.
 Why is this sign there?  seriously?
A video I made while waiting for the wind to stop gusting.
A lovely spot in the community garden for a photo. 
My colorful bird clothespins; a gift from Sheila L.  Yes, the sky was really that blue.
Paint by Numbers fabric for the backing 😄😄
I love this Chicken Coop or is it a Hen House? don't you?
Speaking of Fred Rogers.  I really enjoyed this documentary.
And I listened to this interesting podcast about how Mr. Rogers touched so many people.
I still haven't seen the Tom Hanks movie yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Would you be my neighbor?  Which house would you live in?
Happy Sunday
xo

32 comments:

Sandy said...

Your house quilt is so charming, and the name making it even more so. What a delightful sentiment. I have not seen the movie, nor the bio on Fred Rogers. Must do! Cool to see the maple trees "in action"!

Chantal said...

Awh! Wonderful post, Barb. So cool for Hanna to have this wonderful souvenir. Not a lot of children has a autographed picture of Mr. Rogers. In your Neighbourhood, I would like in the second row, second house because it is different from the others. I need to be different, lol. Gorgeous quilt, Barb. ;^)

Loris said...

Lovely quilt and such a heartwarming story to go along with it. Mr. Rogers is definitely an inspiration to us all!

Pinkadot Quilts said...

Your house quilt is so wonderful and the big stitch is perfect, you are tempting me to give it a go! Great setting for a photo shoot!
I don't know any kid that didn't love Mr Rogers.....his soft voice I think was part of it. What a wonderful keepsake Hanna has there!
I love the red striped house with the dark blue background....

Yvonne said...

I did not see the Tom Hanks movie either, but I think it is about an extraordinary man. Being Dutch I have no clue who, but I will google it. Like the way you displayed your quilt. My quilt is coming back from the quilter today and since we are visiting beautiful Utah right now I think I might try to get some pretty pictures of my quilt too!

Diane said...

I adore this quilt, but seriously, how could I choose just one house when they are all so dang charming? I am leaning towards the plaid and the one with the letters and numbers but honestly, they are each adorable. It looks like a quilters' neighborhood for sure!

Lori said...

That is really so wonderful! The letter from Fred really shows what a terrific person he was.
Love your quilt shoot photos!!

Jill said...

It would be fun to be your neighbor! Winter stroll's such as yours can be quite lovely. Great photo-shooting & setting for Won't You Be My Neighbor. Your daughter has a special keepsake. I have not yet seen the movie either, but hear it is wonderful. Hard to pick a favorite house, but if forced I pick the royal blue with polkadot background. Thanks for talking us along on your enjoyable walk!

julieQ said...

What a fun, fun quilt!! Love those houses...and Mr. Rogers as well. We need more forces for good in this world, and he certainly was one!!

Kyle said...

Yes, I would definitely like to be your neighbor. What a wonderful tribute to Mr. Rogers and his influence on all of us. Your quilt is awesome and looks fabulous in "your neighborhood". If I were to pick my house, it would be the soft grey background with the pink house.

Kathy in FL said...

I just bought the book "The World According to Mister Rogers" by Fred Rogers at one of our local thrift shops this week. It's next on my TBR pile. Will have to listen to the podcast, too. Seeing your quilt has me adding a house quilt to my long list of quilts I want to make! Thanks for all your inspiration!

Shirl S said...

Love the house quilt, such pretty settings for the pictures. We often talk about tapping some maples at our cabin and making our own syrup.

My brother bid on a phone call from Mr Mc Feeley at a PBS auction to gift to my son. Since he was 3 years old I thought it would be a 2 mins phone call, nope,he talked to my son for 20 mins and then with me for a bit. He sent autographed picture of Mr Rogers and a signed script, which turned out was my sons favorite episode. It was such a special show, and we need it now more than ever.

Jocelyn said...

I LOVE your quilt! It went together perfectly!

OTquilter said...

Well, of course I would like to be your neighbor! And of course I love your houses and your big stitch quilting.
One summer when we were on the Vineyard, we could not go to the beach until after the Mr. Rogers show because he was doing an opera and Emily did not want to miss it! What a beautiful impact he had on the world.

Quilting Babcia said...

Lovely quilt, gorgeous setting, and an even better story! Lots of memories of Mr. Rogers on our tv when my kids were little.

Nancy said...

Love the quilt and the title. Why, oh why, does the wind kick it up a notch as soon as you want to photograph a quilt? I have not seen the Mr. Rogers movie yet, but do plan on it. Near where I used to live in upstate NY (near Cooperstown), there was an old homestead called Parmalee Hall. I scanned the history page, but it didn't mention offspring of the Parmalee family. Interesting.

Nancy said...

Found a link to Parmalee Hall- it was built in 1783 by Ishi Parmalee. http://springfieldhistoricalsocietyny.org/landmark/parmalee-hall-2/

Joyful Quilter said...

Love the pic with the farmhouse. What a great keepsake for your daughter.

The Joyful Quilter said...

Congrats on your lovely new finish! It had quite the picturesque photo shoot. Which house would I like to live in? That's easy. I would like to live in the house with the BIGGEST studio for quilting!! :o))

Lamasure said...

Hello Barb,
So beautiful... the colors and the quilting give it a contemporary touch, while the houses look antique... stunning
Veronique Lamasure

Chris said...

Lovely finish! Your hand quilting gives it the nice, friendly touch. :) Great photo shoot too, against that amazing blue sky! I loved both the documentary and the Tom Hanks film. They are different; both excellent - highly recommend. We had spring-like weather for a couple of days, but we're supposed to get hit with a snowstorm tomorrow. Good time to stay inside and sew!

Randy D. said...

LOVE your quilt. I'd love to be your neighbor, although I'm not sure I'd be excited about the winters! -)
I especially love all your different settings for the pictures of your quilt. What a great idea!
CUTE clothespins...
Looks like a LOT of quilting to me, even with big stitches.
NICE finish, Barb!

audrey said...

Lovely finish. Such a classic, vintage look yet somehow it's all YOU.:)

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

Love this post and this quilt! What a treasure, the letter from Fred Rogers. I loved Jean Marie Laskas' piece in the NYT "The Mister Rogers No one Saw" - what a fantastic human being through and through. Anyway, your quilt is just fantastic! Backing is perfect for it and there are the birds too. I love your photo shoot - against that amazing sky. I'd move into the black and white plaid house on the pink background. ;).

Angie said...

I love the cozy wonkiness of WYBMN! It reminds me of something Pepper Cory would do. Congrats on another FUN finish!

Barb said...

test - why am I not getting comments to my email?

Barb said...

Hi Kathy! Your comment didn't come to my email. Thanks for the comments. I'll have to look for that book. He was such an amazing man.
yay - make a house quilt!

liz said...

The purple one : )
Love the quilt. Is there anyway you could tell us about big stitch
quilting, thread needles etc...
Thank you

Wendy Caton Reed said...

Such a fabulous quilt! I love everything about it. I am quite sure that he answered every letter he received. What a wonderful man and how lucky that Hanna still has her treasure. He summered next door to my best friend's grandparents in Nantucket and he autographed a cocktail napkin for one of my brothers. I'm sure his cocktail was ice tea! I love the "rocks" sign.

Janet O. said...

I love your quilt, I would love to be your neighbor, and I LOVE Mr. Rogers. The movie about him was very moving, IMHO.
That looks like a very cool place for your walk and your photo shoot.
Lovely post.
(I think no matter how large my stitches, I would never have had that quilt done in 8 days!!)

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

Oh my, what a beautiful quilt and wonderful idea, that of good neighbours. We seem to just be finding out what a good neighbour Mr. Rogers really was. What the world needs more of that's for sure.

Barbara said...

Love your house quilt and the wonderful photo shoot! So fun that Hanna has an autographed letter from Mr. Rogers. I've yet to see the Tom Hanks movie but hope to soon! I would definitely be your neighbor! I'd live in the house with the striped fabric :)