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If you’re a quilter or crafter, you probably know about Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine. Founded by three sisters in West Virginia – Jeni Gaston, Judy Williamson and Gretchen Smith – each issue of the magazine features some 15 projects for the craftiest among us to duplicate.
Distributed nation-wide, the magazine is published by Good Harbor Media based in Metuchen, New Jersey. But they are always looking for great places around the country for photo shoots. Now the Dougherty House will go down in history as one of those places.
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The historic Dougherty House in the village of Old Mission (built by Peter Dougherty in 1842) will be featured in the upcoming holiday edition of Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine. The magazine is available at craft stores like JoAnn Fabrics in Traverse City.
Old Mission Peninsula resident Barb Hansen, a Board member of the Peter Dougherty Society, which manages the house and museum tours, met with the magazine’s art director Sandra Salamony and photographer Michael Poehlman (both local to Traverse City who work remotely) a few months ago. Sandra had posted a note on the NextDoor app looking for rustic places to do a photo shoot for the magazine.
“I thought, ‘Oh, do I have something rustic for you!” said Barb. Good Harbor Media is also donating $150 to the Peter Dougherty Society.
Sandra and Michael were back in July for the photo shoot, and I stopped by to take a few “behind the scenes” photos for Old Mission Gazette. Here they are in the first room as you walk in the front door.
As an editor and publisher myself, I’m always heartened by publications that are still available in print, as so many have either gone by the wayside or switched to digital in recent years. Especially this year when the Covid-19 pandemic has been the final nail in the coffin for many print publications that were previously struggling to stay afloat.
Sandra said that while they sell downloadable PDFs and digital editions, the magazine’s readers love having the print copy in their hands, along with the patterns in each issue. “And it is a keepsake, so I’m sure some people have every copy ever published,” she noted.
The photo shoot also brought back memories of when I wrote for national print magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal and Family Circle, and the long lead times needed for those stories and photos. I remember filing a Valentine’s Day story for Woman’s Day in July of the previous year.
So it was fun to see holiday items like be-cloved oranges, popcorn strings, cheery wreaths, mittens and sleds at the Dougherty House in July – along with gorgeous quilts, like the ones pictured in this story.
“We had to bring Christmas things in because it’s for the holiday issue,” said Sandra, “but there are already so many props here to work with, so it’s a matter of where are we going to put things.” For some, she worked with Susan Fieger of Old Barn Antiques on the Old Mission Peninsula.
Others, like this sled patented in 1864, were already at the Dougherty House.
Check out a few more behind the scenes pics from the photo shoot below.
By the way, the Peter Dougherty Society made the decision to not open the house for tours this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But you can stay up to date with news on their website (and they can always use donations!).
SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette
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Thank you so much for your beautiful article.
It’s always great to share the Peter Dougherty House with everyone we can and your wonderful photos from the day show why the house transports visitors back in time.
It was fun seeing Sandra Salamony and Michael Poehlman’s visions to both highlight the projects and the house. They’re a great creative team. I’d like to thank Connie Sargent for joining us to share her long time OMP Family’s signature quilt lovingly sewn by a host of OMP families.
I did happen to see the last edition of Primitive Quilts and Projects on sale at Oleson’s grocery store on 3 mile.
Thanks again for joining us.
Barb:
I’m having difficulty getting ahold led of Chris about a hike at the Dougherty House this Thursday Jan 11th
Can you help?
Kathie Wiley
Facilitator
senior Center Network
What treasures are here on this beautiful peninsula! The Dougherty House and it’s furnishings are just amazing!
And we are so fortunate to have Jane’s gorgeous photography and reporting talent to remind us of how fortunate we are to live here.
A special thank you to Bill Cole and his vision for the Dougherty House Restoration! (To step into the Dougherty House is to step back 170+ years in time!) The hours and hours of work that Bill did to obtain permits, to encourage the fund-raising that made the Dougherty House restoration project possible, and, along with his inspired team of volunteers, Bill’s efforts to keep the Dougherty house project ticking along until the project was completed, will keep residents and visitors amazed and enlightened for generations. How fortunate we are to have this Dougherty House jewel.
Judy – well said! The Cole’s, the restoration crew, and the other volunteers that spent countless hours of labor on this house, and site, cannot be thanked enough for their efforts. So happy to see it getting well deserved publicity.
It was a joy to see the house and grounds come back to life. So many wonderful memories of dedicated people who made it happen.
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