Weekly update: local history, bunco, a finish, and the other RSC project

The Zion Woman's Club fall Bunco fundraiser was Friday night. As club president I had a lot invested in the outcome and I am delighted to report that it was a great success.  If I added correctly, the gross income was $1950.   One winner was very lucky indeed -- she won $215 in the 50/50 cash raffle, $225 in gift cards for that raffle prize, and the quilt I donated.  

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 I enjoyed two programs sponsored by the Waukegan History Museum in honor of Indigenous Peoples Month.  

Thursday evening was a showing of "The Negotiator."    Billy Caldwell,  

(c) Susan Kelsey 

aka Sauganash, was the son of a Mohawk mother and an Irish father. He worked for the trader John Kinzie at Fort Dearborn (Chicago), was an influential negotiator for the tribes for the 1829 Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien, and eventually was among the Indians removed to Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Sauganash neighborhood on Chicago's north side is named for him (as is Caldwell Avenue). Susan Kelsey wrote a book about Billy Caldwell and then produced a film: more information here . Fascinating Chicago and Native American history.

Saturday morning archaeologist Dan Melone talked about pre-European inhabitants of northeastern Illinois. I learned a lot, not the least of which is that there are burial mounds in our county. I asked how to recognize one and he gave the dimensions -- a low mound, about 7 x 10 feet. In other words, they're not all giant formations. But he didn't provide specific locations for privacy's sake.

Sunday afternoon I went to the open house at my home town historical society. It was in honor of Northbrook's 124th anniversary. Though the first non-native settlers came in the 1830's (land in this part of Illinois was $1.25/acre), the town was not incorporated until 1901.

The building was a tavern moved from its original location at a busy highway intersection to the village park. (I was home that day and watched it.) The upstairs is decorated like a late 19th century house.

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I spent time in the studio, too!

Weave is not only finished, it's out of the house. I donated it and another quilt to Cory's Project for their big fundraising event next month.

There will be two swaps at the guild holiday. Each year there's an ornament swap and this year there's a tote bag swap. I made a pot holder ("an ornament for your kitchen").

The tote bag can be any size, any style. Small gifts (sewing or non-sewing) can be included. The lime/gray/black panel was in the orphans box so half the work was already done.

All year I've made 9-patch blocks in the RSC color of the month. I clipped a photo from a magazine and used it as my inspiration. The design uses 12 sets of 8 blocks. RSC had 10 colors plus neutral. I chose gray for the neutral and coral for the twelfth color.

I auditioned several fabrics for the setting squares and triangles, finally deciding on a light taupe print.

Getting all the blocks in the correct order was tricky.

It's basted and I'm contemplating how to quilt it.

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Linking up with Design Wall Monday Sew and Tell Monday Musings, Oh Scrap! and RSC Saturday

P.S. I walked at Illinois Beach on Saturday. 70 degrees meant shirtsleeves in mid-November! Granted, it's a flannel shirt, but still . . . the temperature dropped to the high 40's on Sunday.