Thanksgiving One Last Time

Thanksgiving is over for another year. Today I did nothing - well next to nothing if you do not count the second load of dishes, a load of wash, putting things away, and then. . . a long hot soak in the hot tub. I needed that.

String piecing in the raw

What did we do?  Well I cannot speak for the rest of the family but I ordered dinner from Whole Foods weeks ago and spent my time setting the table. 

In the early fall I visited sister Jan at her NC mountain home and spent a good deal of a long weekend doing string piecing on lightweight, non-woven dryer sheets (yes, I am one of those ladies who saves dryer sheets, but not the lint!). Starching, pressing and gluing a center strip across opposing corners, my bag of scraps was pulled into service offering a diverse array of colors, prints, tiny plaids and other strips of scrappy fabrics too numerous to list. OK, the job I have Mother was the glue task, something for her to contribute during her visit. Someone (Jan), mentioned to me that the 'hot' color in housewares now is orange; having a deep red-orange fabric at hand that became the constant center-stripe and creates the diagonal-diamond grid you see above.

Quilted and bound with piped edge.

After stitching scrappy strips onto about a dozen sheets and editing the arrangement for a narrow runner, the next step was asking long-arm quilter Jan Struble to tackle the top quilting with her expert advice on thread color, batt and stitching pattern. Naturally the result was terrific. The table runner measures 18 inches wide by 47 inches long and reveals a mosaic-like sparkle of vivid colors. Many years ago (a previous marriage) the wedding china selected was a vibrant pattern by Aynsley, "Familia Rose" featuring the contrast of bright orange and blue flowers. For more than thirty years I was determined 'someday' to create a table setting just for that china. This year that day arrived (and I am married nearly 25 years to my second and best DH).

Beginning to set the table.

For this special day I also needed orange napkins to fit the pieced fabrics and the tabletop department in A Southern Season offered just the right shade (must remember to wash them separately first). Ideas began to flow as soon as the table started to come together - needed all the cobalt blue glassware I could find that was not already packed into storage. To that end I had found a set of tumblers with a gilt-edge design just a few weeks ago whilst bargain hunting. Shopping for blue, orange and yellow flowers added still more sparkle and I discovered that I had over bought. So sterling silver 'Washington' cups were polished and used to make mini-bouquets for each place setting. 

Finished table setting.

By the time Thursday morning arrived I realized that the 'good' silverware was packed away in storage and I need to give the 'daily' silver a lick 'n spit before adding utensils to the table. 

OK, so I am showing off a bit but consider that such opportunities are rare these days as this is likely our LAST Thanksgiving in this house. Our retirement villa is already underway and we must sell the house in the coming months to be ready for the big move in the summer.

We have hosted Thanksgivings here over the past decade, and more Christmas dinners but this is the one I want to remember. One last glimpse of silver, gold, blue and orange sparkling in the candlelight as we lingered over a traditional dinner.  And for sister Jan, BIL Rich just retired from his career and they could be selling their current home within a year or two. This dinner will serve as benchmark for all of us to remember.

That's my story and now I'm off to begin the Christmas season. Not that it will be a big deal - just a quiet holiday for the two of us. The energy spent on TGs like this comes only once a year.

bbf