Trego's Mountain Ear

"Serving North Lincoln County"

Category: Patches’ Pieces

  • Backroads of Montana films at Tobacco Valley Historical Village

    The filming was for a 15 minute segment of Backroads of Montana that is expected to air in mid-May.  Watch the Historical Village Facebook page for exact information when the PBS segment will air.  A special thanks to Rita Collins for serving as the Village’s media liaison and secretary.

    Filming the Hand Quilting

    Friday March 12, Ray Ekness of PBS Montana filmed the hand quilters in the old schoolhouse at the Tobacco Valley Historical Village in Eureka.   Ekness is the director of the Broadcast Media Center at the University of Montana.  Ekness spent the day filming, interviewing, and observing the hand quilters.

    Quilts

    Area quilters rejoice! In other quilting news, Scraps and Threads quilt guild will host their annual quilt show during Rendezvous, April 23-25. The quilt show is at the fairgrounds in Eureka. Other area quilt groups have been invited to participate in the quilt show. Expect to see lots of new and colorful quilts.

    The Eureka Outdoor Quilt show is August 7.

    The Flathead Quilters’ Guild has announced their annual Quilt Show is a go. The dates are September 18 & 19 at the Flathead Valley Fairgrounds.

    -Patches

  • Off with the Old, on with the New Quilt

    Off with the Old, on with the New Quilt

    Every Friday, spread out among two quilt frames for social distancing, the quilters bring needle and thread to fabric to raise funds for the Tobacco Valley Historical Village. The quilters have been meeting and quilting in the old school house for five decades. Current hours are Fridays, 10:00 am to 2:30 pm until mid May. Visitors with masks are welcome.

    hand quilting for decades

    The quilters are available to add that special hand quilted touch to your treasured quilts tops for a fee. Bring in your quilt top to be placed on the quilt schedule.  Available for sale at the village are recently added curated fabric bundles priced at $1, $3, and $5. Added to the online store inventory are 2 new flannel quilts. Selling almost as fast as they are added to the inventory are pine needle baskets. As always there is a good selection of cozy baby quilts for that special arrival. -Patches

    A striking depression era print quilt top

    Recently the quilters finished hand quilting/tying a “Covid” themed related quilt (off with the old). Replacing the Covid quilt is feminine lavender quilt top with embroidered blocks of young ladies reminiscent of a bygone era. The quilt has been marked and the quilting begun. The second frame holds a quilt top with a striking pattern of depression era prints. A traditional cable is being stitched in the solid areas.

    curated fabric bundles for sale

  • Game Camera: They are Back!

    Game Camera: They are Back!

    The Not So Perfect Game Camera: They’re Back!

    Returning to the game camera line up for your viewing pleasure are striped kitties, otherwise know as skunks. Skunks have been absent for several months but have returned. Along with skunks featured this with week are feral cats and deer. -Patches

    A skunk at night, Doe, Fawn, Black Female Cat (a frequent star on the game camera), Yellow Cat (one of several of this color that appear on the game camera)
  • On the Game Camera this week

    On the Game Camera this week

    The sound of ravens noisily calling and the presence of eagles in the field, led us to walk the wooded trails. We did indeed find a fawn, the victim of a predator. A game camera was moved to observe the predator’s return. No sightings of lions or coyotes on the game camera instead there were birds. A camp robber, magpie, and golden eagle posed for the camera. With her wings spread the golden eagle seemed to be almost as large as the fawn.

  • The not so perfect game camera, Vandals!

    The not so perfect game camera, Vandals!

    It is an unfortunate happening. Many game cameras will be vandalized or pilfered over their lifetime.  Python locks are used to keep the game cameras from being lifted. My vandals usually have 4 legs but occasionally there are those that have two.

    The two-legged variety of vandals perch and defecate on the camera.  The four-legged variety usually hit the camera with speed, resulting in the tripod mount being broken and the camera somewhere on the ground.

    My usual 4-legged suspects are deer.  Curious elk and cranky bears will also displace cameras.  This week, I found two tripod mounted cameras upside down and facing the opposite direction of their intended targets. After reviewing the video, I have determined the vandal was a curious cow.

    The cow investigated the camera in the early morning hours. -Patches

  • The Quilters’ Christmas Bazaar Moves Online

    With the cancellation of most rummage sales and bazaars, the Tobacco Valley Board of History quilters have moved their annual Christmas Bazaar online. The offerings are modest compared to previous years but there is an opportunity to purchase rare quilted offerings and hand-made one of a kind items.  This year there are two hand quilted collectable quilts for sale.  The hand quilting is meticulous and the designs divine. 

    There is a good selection of tied baby quilts. Plus two lap/twin sized tied flannel quilts are available.  These quilts are very competitively priced. The fabric, piecing, and labor for the quilts is all donated.

    The dish towels are embroidered.  These are reminiscent of finds from grandmother’s kitchen. Hand embroidered towels are much less common today but very useful treasures. At the time of this writing there two one of a kind embroidered small table cloths and one dresser scarf.

    Other items include homemade dog treats (my dogs love these), catnip mice, round and square scrubbies (I use these all the time), cloth Christmas ornaments (great stocking stuffers), phone pouches, aprons, sewer’s helper, cotton dish clothes, pan holders, pear butter, huckleberry preserves, spicy peach jam, lanyards, needle cases, pot holders, and kitchen towels.

    All fund raised by the Christmas bazaar go to support and maintain the historical village.

    -Patches