The US Tour of blocks is nearing the end.  If you haven't joined in on the fun, go to the FB group Quilting Around The Block- US Tour to get all the blocks before they are no longer complimentary!  My first block for this tour was South Dakota Sunflowers.  Next up is Mississippi Memories. Both will be complimentary downloads through the event and you will find them in the Downloadable Patterns section of the website.  

Mississippi Memories is all about family for me.  Both of my parents were raised in Mississippi and my young childhood memories are filled with visiting family and friends there.  We'd camp at a reservoir near Jackson, visit my aunts and uncles in Pascagoula, Biloxi, the Jackson area, Laurel, Newton and more, and loved to hear stories about my parents childhood, explore the coast and have such fun with my cousins.  

My maternal grandmother, Memaw, lived in a small town...We'd walk downtown for a piece of candy or a glass of lemonade, pick flowers from her garden and my most fond memory with her is sitting in her lap and snapping peas... I LOVED to snap peas!  Haha!  She had a rocker on her front porch and we'd sit together while the mornings were cool and do the vegetable prep work for the big meal of the day- supper.  I loved holding Memaw's hand and walking through her gardens of peonies, lilies and violets!  

In honor of Mississippi I've created a block of our holding hands.  Holding tight while we walked her yard and neighborhood.  The state flower is the bloom from the Magnolia tree and we're holding a branch together.  A silhouette which brings a similar memory for many of us- enjoying a simple walk and gathering blooms with a loved one on a summer day.  

Enjoy the block!  You'll find a precut and fused applique' cut out, the scissors I recommend, the fusible adhesive and thread I recommend listed for purchase HERE.  The free pattern download can be found in the Downloadable Patterns section HERE of the website. Please read the instructions for downloading the pattern found at the bottom of the download page.  

The previous two blocks were 

Week #43 from #dragonflysquiltingdesignstudiohttps://view.flodesk.com/pages/60aa80908c76bbc6e10d589f

and Week #44 - Alabama from Katie Mae Quilts http://katiemaequilts.com/blog/aroundtheblock-alabama

Next up is Week #46 Louisiana from Debbie Wendt - Wendt Quilting | Traveling to Teach and Quilt

and Week #47 Arkansas from Reed Johnson- Blue Bear Quilts – Fun, Easy, Stylish Quilt Patterns

Enjoy and Thanks for stopping by today!

Take care,

Missie