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Jane's last newsletter... |
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In this newsletter: * Antique Roadshow |
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| Recently Marcia and I traveled to Billings, MT, to attend the Antiques Roadshow. We had been planning this trip since January. Marcia and I share June birthdays and we decided the Roadshow trip would be a grand way to celebrate together. In addition to our June birthdays, Marcia and I have much in common. We were both raised on farms in the Midwest; myself in Iowa, and Marcia in Nebraska. As redheads, we also love the same colors and we like doting on our grandchildren. I love having a creative spirit friend like Marcia. |
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Marcia officially retired from her job as a graphic designer the day before our trip. Meeting Marcia when she was assigned as the graphic designer for my Salad Sampler cookbook was a gift. Next Marcia worked on the design of my webpage, and after that, the design for my Daily Desserts and Cookies to Share books. Gradually, through working with Marcia, we became friends. The beautiful page announcing our Day in the Country and other events on August 20-21 was designed by Marcia. I can always count on her to create something that makes me proud of Quilting in the Country. And I always know that any time spent with my creative friend will be a treasure. |
| In order to introduce you to Marcia’s design work, I am offering you my cookbooks at a 50% discount this week. This is a great idea for a wedding, shower, hostess, or housewarming gift. You might include a cookbook with salad tongs or a bowl, a lovely pie plate, or a special cookie sheet. The price is right! |
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Salad Sampler Salad recipes in an amazing array of categories. regularly $20 sale $10 Daily Desserts This collection of favorites from friends of QIC tops off Jane's trio of cookbooks. Besides enjoying the 365 desserts (one for every day of the year, of course) you can sit with a cup of tea and savor the tidbits of writing interspersed throughout. regularly $20 sale $10 Cookies to Share Recipes from Jane's Holiday Cookies Exchanges throughout the years. This is the fourth of her cookbooks, and includes thoughts and remembrances from Jane and friends. regularly $16 sale $8 |
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Undaunted by a tornado that partially destroyed the complex only a few days before Roadshow’s arrival, the ultimate “grownup” show-and-tell finally made its way to Montana! And there reveling in all the excitement were Jane and Marcia, feeling much a part of a very big thing. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. |
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Although tickets are free, they are chosen by a random drawing of preregistered participants, and only a few thousand are lucky enough to actually obtain a ticket. Fortunately, Jane’s generosity in sponsoring the Antiques Roadshow on our local TV station, KUSM, afforded us that opportunity. |
But what to bring for our free appraisal? We were limited to two items each – and knowing that we’d be trudging through long lines with our treasures was a consideration. We both opted for something fairly portable, yet wistfully started remembering all the what-ifs we left behind; my father’s 130 year old Cheyenne saddle made by the famous saddle maker F.A. Meanea in Wyoming Territory (too heavy), and Jane’s baking center and folk painting created by an early homesteader. |
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Snaking our way for two hours through a maze in a huge auditorium, much like airport security, gave us glimpses of other Montanan’s treasures and a chance to visit with old and new friends from all over the state, and we found that the psychology of gradual forward motion made it seem like we were actually getting somewhere fast. |
| Then after a couple hours, the light at the end of the tunnel. Glancing over and around other bobbing heads we could see another auditorium with rows of long tables and people unveiling their “stuff”. From this point on, no photography was allowed. And I can see why. It would have been bedlam. The excitement was truly building! |
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In this area, we displayed each of our two items to officials whose job it was to place the entries into about twenty different categories. They didn’t know what to do with me. I had selected a veterinary kit for Blackleg treatment fully intact and unused with original cotton gauze and full medicinal vials that were found in my grandfather’s hardware store and probably were over a hundred years old. After conferring with other officials, they placed this item, curiously enough, in “Folk Art.” |
| Thankful at this point to be wearing our “sensible” shoes, we were now really getting somewhere. We were ushered into the actual “Antiques Roadshow” set with blue carpets and drapes, lights, action and cameras! We were thrilled to recognize the host, Mark Walberg, and some of the celebrity appraiswers that come into our living room every week! |
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Jane appropriately presented her family’s heirloom quilts for appraisal in the “Textiles” category, along with antique photos and memorabilia of their makers, followed up by a current magazine article. Jane had designed a replica of one of the quilts which had been chosen for publication in The Quilter Magazine. The judge, although not selecting this collection for the final show, seemed genuinely taken by her family history of quilt-makers and estimated the value around $250. I was next with my gruesome vet kit. The judge, Ken Farmer, thought it to be worth about $250, but was having difficulty imagining anyone clamoring for them item. Going once….going twice?? Although over a hundred years old, my Great Aunt’s doll tea set turned out to be worth about $25. Now I’ll get them off the top shelf for my grandchildren to play with anytime. Jane’s last selection was a collection of her mother’s rings; one a filigree gold class ring and the other, a beautifully clear diamond that had been reset. The judge estimated the prices. The class ring which had been appraised at about $600 in 1989 was now worth only $60, the value of the gold. Jane decided to start wearing the ring on a regular basis. It was now nearly three o’clock and I was feeling a little woozy from lack of nourishment. Interestingly, there were no concessions anywhere in the entire fairgrounds. But then again, I can’t imagine the compatibility of hot dogs, sodas, and antique textiles. Everything was so completely and beautifully orchestrated, down to the last detail. To accommodate several thousand people each toting two antiques for an unhurried and friendly appraisal, in the time frame of one day is utterly amazing! |
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But do you want to know the most rare and priceless treasure uncovered at the Roadshow? An unforgettable adventure on a balmy, summer day in Montana with a good friend… Watch PBS for the broadcast of the Billings, Montana Roadshow sometime in 2011. Marcia |
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Check our website at www.QuiltingintheCountry.com/upcomingretreat.html for more information about our Fall Retreat at the beautiful GBarM Ranch near Bozeman. |
| Save the Date!! A Fall Class with Sue Olsen October 30 and 31 Sue is an artist and teacher by training and translates that artistry into quilts. She will guide you through the process of either creating a quilt using one of her patterns or making a quilt from a picture of your own. Whichever choice you make, you will spend Saturday and Sunday working with Sue to learn this whole creative process. She is one of the most organized, encouraging, and positive teachers we know, and you will truly enjoy your time with her. $98 for two day class includes lunch each day |
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Call QIC at 406-587-8216 with any questions.
Click here to visit the Quilting in the Country home page.
