Good to go
- Rogene "Jeannie" McPherson, Country Notebook
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Country Notebook
By Rogene "Jeannie" McPherson
Journal columnist
Within 15 to 20 miles from home, I can leave my driveway and arrive at numerous destinations in Linn County. Most of my needs can be met in our county seat, the closest town to my home, and thus that is where I usually plan my outing. Currently, gasoline expenses are a factor in the decision, not just preference.
For towns with a population of around 1,000 souls, I am absolutely amazed I can find what I
need without passing over the county line. Linn County has mostly small businesses, and I
applaud the courage and energy of those providing us with quality goods and services.
I don’t know much about the Small Business Administration, but if I had a hankering to open a
bookstore, as an example, I would contact this federal agency to determine whether my idea
had any chance of success. With the excellent libraries in our county, my idea might have a high failure rate.
Better to contemplate what sells and why, before making a large investment. As a retiree, a risk analysis is needed as the funds to start a business might be better invested in aging care, like assisted living or seeking out ways to stay active. There are plenty of ways to stay engaged right here in Linn County and below I describe one of them.
I’m not serious about opening a bookstore, or any business, but I look for ways to stay healthy, be interesting, and motivated. There’s a new activity in town or really in Linn County that is not risky, great for social interaction and enrichs the creative spirit we each have within us. It’s quilting. Maybe the actual sewing part is not your cup of tea, but enjoying what someone else has had a hand in producing might be the social outlet needed by anyone, young or old.
Here’s the scoop. A few Linn County residents heard about or attended quilting guilds in
surrounding counties. I am assuming this led to discussions like “we can have a quilting guild,
too,” and began meeting every third Thursday of the month, 7 p.m. at the F&M Bank Community Building on Main Street in Mound City.
More details can be found in the Linn County Journal’s feature section called, Quilting Guild votes, selects a new name — "Material Girls."
At the monthly meetings, it is unlikely actual sewing will be done unless a tried and true
practice is demonstrated. Hint: I really need ideas on how to get pointed pieces like stars to be accurately sewn. With the group working on a patriotic, red, white and blue quilt, I suspect
some blocks will feature stars.
Yes, I’ve joined the group. Most of my experience has been with piecing and then getting out
my checkbook to hire it machine quilted. Quilting by hand is not my cup of tea nor is sewing
two layers of fabric plus batting with a longarm quilting machine. I don’t have enough time to become a professional quilter, but I have a goal of piecing a quilt for each of my children and grandchildren.
A friend has a longarm and I hire her to sew creative, beautiful designs onto those three layers of material. Three quilts down, nine to go. For my daughter-in-laws, I used
left-over fabric from my sons’ nurseries to make a log-cabin quilt. The quilt featured in the
introduction to this story is one made for my daughter-in-law.
Most quilters are women, but men can sew, too. Historically, women used this form of activity
to keep their families warm during the cold winters on the prairie, but men don’t be
intimidated. I assist a quilt group organized for nursing home residents in Kansas City and have met Robert, a newbie to sewing. He is working on a keepsake quilt for a great-granddaughter.
Quilting is not just for the elderly or women.
Linn County communities have much to offer in the way of small businesses and activities.
Quilting is interactive, a way to recycle, and entertaining resulting in a useful, beautiful
heirloom. Think about joining the guild.
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