Click here if you want to read about my first post recording my Hearts & Wreaths journey.
We have a lot of black walnut trees on our farm with several along our driveway and at least 5 on the west side of the heifer pasture (which in the winter is known as the sledding hill).
All winter long I see squirrels running through the pasture to the west fence then running back with a black walnut in their mouth.
This mess is at the bottom at the tree I showed you. These hulls needed to be raked before mowing started. Those walnut hulls will quickly dull new lawnmower blades.
Last fall the local grandsons and I picked up 3 tubs of walnuts out along the roadside. Our son and the grandsons picked up even more tubs. We do have a local market for black walnuts. They have a machine that washes/beats off the outer hull then you are paid for the weight of the walnuts left.
The walnut hulls are then ground up and bagged for use as pet bird litter or, if you're a sewist, used to fill pincushions! The grandsons received $15 each for their efforts.
Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Handmade Monday, Design Wall Monday
I like those blocks. You have so many pretty fabrics. I like the walnut story too. What a great way for your grandsons to earn a little money.
ReplyDeleteThe older grandson wasn't very enthused until I told him he could earn some money. When you're a child, $15 sounds like a huge amount of money.
Deletea nice way for kids to earn a little money! I agree all of those nuts/shells do get in the way
ReplyDeleteI love your hearts and leaves blocks... I love that you can get your grands to help AND earn their own money along the way too! Hope you got a bit of the black walnut husks for future pin cushions in the process too! Gretchen you know I follow your blog but for whatever reason I can't log in on my phone so this is from my computer and seems to work... just a hassle to get the computer up and running! lol
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous Sunday :) Kathi
The shells you buy are washed and ground. I have no way of grinding these walnut shells. I've hears already that black walnut shells are so hard that they are used to polish diamonds. Sorry you can't log on from your phone. Technology is wonderful when it works how we want it to .
DeleteYour blocks are looking fabulous! That is so cool the grandsons could make some money from the walnuts!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blocks. Interesting on the nuts/shells and nice that the grandsons will help to pick those up for you.
ReplyDeleteSuch happy and colourful fabrics in your blocks! Loved hearing about the black walnut adventures!
ReplyDeleteLove The leste block so vibrante nas colourfull. Love reading about the squirrels and black walnuts.
ReplyDeleteLovely block....... Glad you have a use for the walnuts and also helpers
ReplyDeleteYour blocks are looking amazing, Gretchen and yes the yellow is very cheerful. That is very interesting that there is a market for walnut shells in your area. Woo Hoo for the grandson earning a bit of spending money!!
ReplyDeletei've been drooling over hearts and wreaths since i bought my first quilt magazine 40+ years ago...and yours is stirring up my mojo again...maybe just maybe i'll start with 4 blocks? lol
ReplyDeleteWe had a black walnut tree, but never tried to open them. Golf ball sized, and some got whacked with golf clubs into the neighbor's alfalfa field. Oops! Great in the fire pit too. No squirrels at that place.
ReplyDeleteYour Hearts and Wreaths blocks are coming together beautifully. My Guy is a big fan of black walnuts, but they are hard to find here.
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