Cookies, fudge, Christmas surprises ...

For the past several years I have been the Christmas box sender -- full of cookies, regional cool foods or sauces found in my travels to my sisters, their kids, and now their children. I would put on a long list of Christmas music, sing along and bake til I dropped. Last year, I decided it was time to end it. I sent my recipes and their favorites to all the families so that this year they could make the cookies in their own kitchens. This year, I feel like I should be doing it, but I'm just limiting the amount of cooking to our own children. I've also drastically contained the amount of cookies to a favorite sugar cookie, without frosting, and fudge. Two favorites easy to make up and send out.

My daughter's birthday is Friday, December 14th -- I have always tried to make sure her birthday and Christmas were always separate. After Thanksgiving, we would start to make cookies, and December 1st, we'd start to decorate the house. Candles in the windows, garlands on the fireplaces and stairs, but we would never put the tree until after her birthday dinner.

And for this year, her birthday present is Christmas supplies. Something she asked for, and a few things she didn't. I hope that this year she can still be surprised and be filled with wonder with both the gifts she receives and the ones she has to give.

My son is stationed in Japan this year -- far away from family, friends and his much loved fiance. Technology keeps us close by using Skype so I can both see him and hear his voice. And of course, Facebook messages and posts.

I receive hundreds of status updates, shares and videos. This morning I received a really neat video from a mall in someplace USA where a crowd in the food court turned into a group in joyous song -- a wonderful rendition of prayer in song to remind us what this season is about.

May your season be filled with wonder, joy and love, to be shared with family, friends and all you meet.

Merry Christmas ~~~

Dee

The 12 Days of Christmas ... and accessories

Last year I was going to make some Christmas accessories for my daughter's new home, but she informed me she had changed her colors. So we talked about her colors and she sent me a picture of a snowman and she wanted things to go with him. I found some fabrics that met with her approval, and made her a tablerunner.  Well, a tablerunner would be so lonely, so I decided to add some other accessories. The line from which I made the tablerunner was The Twelve Days of Christmas by Kate Spain for Moda. (The box has been sent to the destination, so I'm hoping she's gotten it by now so that I can publish this post!) 

The first thing I did was make ... stockings !

 

Of course I forgot to take a picture of the FINISHED stockings and tablerunner ...

 

I really liked this line of fabrics -- I got a 1/2 yard bundle from an online shop to make the stockings and the tablerunner. Cheery, bright and Christmas-y but not the typical always red and green. Yes it has red and green, but the blue really complements the whole thing.

 

THEN, there was a quilt --  I had found a panel that went along with the line. I thought I could find fabrics that I liked to go with it, but as the year wore on, the only answer was a kit. And I found it! Beaver Creek Quilt Company had two left, so I snagged one! 

 

   The panel has the numbered squares and the instructions were very easy to follow, the kit had everything except the backing and batting. I used a squared yard in the enter of the back and surrounded it with another. When it was quilted, it came out perfectly !! I will have to ask for a picture of  the receiver with her new quilt, front and back  :D

 

 

 

I can't publish the finished pictures until I know the box has been opened, but it sure was fun making the accessories to go with the tablerunner ...

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas has another meaning for me .. back in December of 2009, we had a pastor in our church that gave us something else to think about.

 

Besides just being a song, did you know the origins of the song came from scripture? Back when religion was unable to be practiced, the song was written to be used as a Bible study to teach the children the scripture readings of the Bible.

The references are pretty interesting if we think about them; the Partidge in the pear tree refers to God giving Jesus to us (Christians); 2 turtle doves refer to the Old and New Testaments; 3 french hens refer to faith, hope and love; 4 calling birds are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; 5 gold rings are the first 5 books of the Old Testament; 6 geese a-laying are the 6 days of creation; 7 swans a-swimming are the Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; 8 maids a-milking are the Eight Beatitudes; 9 ladies dancing are the Nine fruits of the Spirit; Ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments, 11 pipers piping are the Eleven faithful disciples and the Twelve drummers drumming are the Twelve Points of the Apostles Creed. When I listen to the song now, I think of these gifts as well.

My goal is now to get a few more boxes in the mail -- no stress, no worry ... I would like to think I can practice Christmas every day ~~~

For now, back to handstitching ...

Til the next time ...

Dee

 

 

 

 



Sewing Machine For Sale --

I have a Necchi Quilters Edition 4825 that needs to find a loving home. She sews beautifully, has a small band of accessories, and has done some wonderful work for me. However, I just am not using her to her full potential.

Machine, foot pedal, instruction manual

Accessories:
Feet: All purpose, zipper, buttonhole, button
sewing foot, overlock cutter, satin stitch foot,
overcasting foot, darning foot, quilting foot, and walking foot
Not shown: gathering foot, blind hemmer foot, cording foot and 2 rolled hem feet

Other:
Bobbins, screwdrivers, spool holder, pack of needles, light bulb

   View of bobbin and foot area

 

 

Price $400 + shipping

 

Method of payment:  Cashiers Check/ Money Order or PayPal

 

Will be shipped when payment clears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This wonderful girl loves to work, and we've made a few quilts together. But I found a 'new to me' Viking that included an embroidery unit that took her place. She had a good checkup, cleaning and maintenance just last month and is ready to help someone be creative.  Would make a wonderful Christmas present !

 

For me, it's back to the sewing table, as this Elf has a lot to get out in the next couple weeks !

 

 

Stitch on ~~~~~

 

Dee

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Welcome Charlotte !

While spending time with my Mom, my favorite times were when she was sewing. She had a Singer 401a and I couldn't wait til the day I could use it. I remember one summer she took me to purchase fabrics as she was going to sew all next year's school clothes for my sister and I. Skirts with matching vests and pants and holiday dresses. This year she also bought patterns for clothes for my Barbie. I was soooo proud and excited !

I spent hours touching fabric, helping her pin pattern pieces on the fabric, watching her iron and watching her work tirelessly to create our entire wardrobe. I was so proud of her to do this every year, she was soooo creative. The downside?  My sister and I looked entirely alike even tho' we were 2 grades apart. I hated that part! 

Then it was time. She helped me pick fabric for my Barbie dress from the scraps, I'd pin the fabric very carefully. And then I'd cut it out. Note* On a pattern, there is a side of the front where it notes: 'place on fold'. You're not supposed to cut there, it's so that the piece unfolds to make the entire piece. But I would very carefully cut this line too! And I'd have to start all over again. But I soon got the hang of it and produced at least a few respectable dresses for Barbie.

Over the next several years, Mom watched over me as I sewed skirts, pants, dresses, blouses. When I was in JHS I rode my bike to school (over 5mi) so I would sew the cutest shortest dress and make matching bottoms -- I thought this was awesome!

When I was in 9th grade, Mom's mother, Gramma Laura, gave me a Featherweight, my very OWN sewing machine. Now I didn't have to wait til summer to sew with my Mom. I still have this machine, and it still sews like a champ, but instead of making clothes for me or even dollclothes, she makes all kinds of quilts. Lovingly put together for my own family and dear friends.

So now I have two memories in my sewing room, one from my precious Gramma that continues every time a quilt is finished. And now Charlotte has joined the family where she can start sewing again and I can bring some of those cherised memories back to life.

I'll be in the sewing room -- this elf has lots to work on :D

Stitch on  ~~~~~

Dee

Quilts ... and more quilts !

Spring sprung early in February .. and then .. it was summer .. what happened ? This year seems to be moving quite fast. It seems like it was just February, and we didn't have winter, Mother Nature brought on spring and I was outside working in the gardens, conditioning my horse by driving her on the road and I was drawing up a log cabin design that was going to be a quilt for ME. Since then, the center has been completed and I am working on the pieced borders. The first pieced border will be Half Square Triangles (HSTs) depicting trees.
 



      

Single log cabin block

    

        Assembly line making rows

As you can see, the block has a variety of reds and greens. So I'm using a variety of the greens for the trees. The 2nd pieced border is planned with blocks of Delectable Mountains and I will use the reds for the mountains. My vision is that the trees and mountains depict the Ozarks, the mountain range in the area where I currently live.

Grid for multiple HST  12 grid makes 24
at a time !  phew



Pieced border - trees made of HST
I need 108 HSTs

Center of log cabin  -- I have named this pattern
Cabin in the Ozarks
Note: pattern is in the making !

In April my son who is in the Marine Corp, got orders to be stationed in Japan for 2 years.  I needed to go see him ASAP. I started making arrangements PDQ ! Then my partner's employer decided to move him to Oklahoma to work, so he started work on a camper to live in for temporary housing. I made some curtains for the bedroom to make it a bit more manly, along with cleaning and scouring. Scouring a trailer from tip to toe is NOT my favorite activity. But the curtains came out nice :D

Before the month was out, a friend asked me to make a baby quilt for an expected grandchild -- I was thrilled ! She picked fabric from my stash, and I got to work !

 

 Here's the start ...


  Here's the machine quilting ...




and the finished product !!! I haven't gotten pix yet of the new grandaughter IN the quilt yet, but I have been promised they are coming !

  In May, our local library decided that they would like to have a quilt, or several small quilts, to display in the library to commemorate the Civil War as this is the 150th anniversary.  Our local quilt guild passed the word that they were forming a group to make this happen and it was decided to make one full size quilt and the pattern was the Civil War Love Letters book by Rosemary Youngs. I jumped at the chance and signed up.  I have 13 blocks in this quilt, another quilter friend made over

 50!  Due to the collective effort, it made a 120 block quilt go much quicker. It is now hanging in our local library proudly displayed with all our names on the label. I love doing things like this  :D  I love Civil War era quilts and reproduction fabrics, and I am making MYSELF the Civil War Tribute quilt. I'm only on Month #4, but each block set is a work of art -- and it's going a bit slower than anything that is able to be pieced quickly.



Here are my 13 blocks -- can you find them in the quilt?

 

In mid-May, a friend who raises black angus crosses made a cut of all my pastures -- made short work for my partner who has to bushog all the growing grasses .. boy was he surprised and it cut down the amount of work he had to do when he did get to come home!  We took 15 round bales off the 10 acres .. 

 

 



 

The end of May, I jumped on a plane to DC to visit my son. It was a well deserved time away from the farm, chores, demands of the 4-leggers.  I also stayed with a friend who had a cornea transplant the end of May and stayed with her through her 2nd week of recovery. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with friends I left in Virginia before I moved to Arkansas. I got the chance to help a friend put a mare to cart, have breakfast with a friend where I used to board my horse, have lunch with a friend who I used be able to help drive her mules .. and take the opportunity to go quilting with other women. And tour the National Museum of the Marine Corp at Quantico -- what an amazing tribute to our serviceman and women that have served.  The quilt below hangs in the museum and is an amazing example of the work this organization does .. check out www.quiltsofhonor.org . Of course, my son says this is the NEXT quilt I have to make for him.

 

 



  This is Dana and her mare that I helped her put to cart .. here we are working with a drag showing me what I can do with one of my horses -- it's coming, but much slower  :D

 

 In June, we had a baby shower at our church for the daughter of one of our women, I made a burp cloth with some awesome embroidery -- I think I have found the next sewing machine I need !

 

 

 

When I need to get out of the house, I take my horse Melody for a drive. I call it my hoof therapy. I have been driving since the early 90's, and the rythmic beat of her hooves on the pavement, or just the sun on my face, is enough to give me some inner peace. I can say a silent prayer and just still my brain for awhile. The hard part is finding someone to go for a drive with me, and the occasional opportunity is wonderful .. here is my friend Paige enjoying some carriage time with Melody.  

 



 

I just finished a quilt challenge project with my quilt group. The challenge was to make a center block, and for the next 8 months of monthly meetings, we would draw two block names. You could choose to do a border of one or both of the blocks, or neither.  I took a Laurel Burch panel I had found in my stash, and for the life of me could not make several borders with the limited amount of fabric I had. So I did the next best thing. I placed frame borders to get my one border to fit mathematically, and put the pieced blocks of those that I wanted to use in ONE single border. 

 

 

I had border stripe fabrics that I cut apart to use separately on different sides and the final border was a wide directional print that I had JUST enough to make them fit. I just put the final border on last night.

 

Well, believe it or not, there are several more quilts I want to complete in the coming months -- Christmas is on it's way !  County Fair started this weekend and I thought I would have something to enter. I have a quilt that needs a binding, and it didn't happen. Oh well ... chores are calling again ...

 

Til next time, sew on ...

 

Dee

Editing the seasons ...

Since we didn't have a 'winter' to speak of, I didn't get my usual jump start on the sewing year. I have finished a few things, the back to my sister's quilt, all my log cabin blocks are done (quilt for ME), cutting out pieces for Starr's quilt .. I know, I jump to a few things at a time just to keep my mind from getting bored. Starr's quilt is tedious right now, and am slowly picking what fabrics will be butterflies, flowers or turtles. My log cabin now needs to get into rows -- now that the wall is vacant, that is possible. My civil war quilt, I'm on block #4.

Here's the EXtra large back for my sister's quilt. It measures 125x125 or thereabouts. When it is quilted it will be double-sided in effect from the log cabin on the front, and an off-center cabin for the back.  We'll see what happens when it's finally quilted!

But winter was ONE day this year.  February 12th.  So not only did I not get the my sewing projects further into the pipeline, so many things just didn't get done for the gardens. I usually take January and February to cut back, prune, and winter over the gardens. Mother Nature, however, had a much different idea. And planting a spring vegetable garden was very early! And having a flock of free range chickens?  They have been making sure I have no japanese beetles -- and if I find one, they have a competition to get which end.  But they can also be a pain when they remove the dirt I just put IN a bed, just to see what is underneath.  I'm down to a flock of 11, as I lost 2 hens. Don't know when I will replace them. I haven't had a hen go broody to put any new chix under this year.

This year I watched and waited to start the annual work, gardeners were being told to hold off any pruning as it would hinder the development of the fresh growth. But now that it's April, we've got overkill growth on some things. The mums, they survive anything as you can just 'do them'. My St. Joseph's coat rose on the other hand bushed out on the tops of the root bases I didn't clip as I didn't want to 'hurt' it.

So, now I have to make the decision of just where to clip and/or prune back cuz it's just TOO BIG. And I think it will need some string to help support all of this. There are a ton of blooms ready to open ... can't wait!  I also have a knockout rose bush that started to bloom 2 weeks ago, and this morning I counted several more just waiting to open to the warm air. My lilacs bloomed mid-March and are already gone.

I also have crepe mrytles -- 4 in the front yard, and 7 in the backyard.  I got 3 done in the front, let one go and 3 in the back and let 4 go.  One day I planned on getting to them and I turned around and they had leafed out overnight.  Scratch that from the 'to do' list.

What a clipped mrytle is supposed to do ...

 And this is what happens when I don't make it to create the look .. oh well ... clipping will happen anyway to shape the poor thing now !


So instead of worrying about what I haven't gotten to, I'm starting 'fresh'. My planned herb garden kept getting dug up by the flock. So, I painted a rusted tractor wheel JD Yellow -- they don't think it's real -- and they are staying away. I added marigolds, and am putting the spinach in with that.

I put a screen section around the circle which doesn't totally close, but I keep moving the opening so they are confused. Somedays it works.  


My tomatoes already have flowers and fruit. The asparagus is sprouting up, the garlic is showing, I even planted brussel sprouts! I'm adding more iris, new gladiolas, and my butterfly/hummingbird garden is overwrought with things that aren't flowers. So more dirt to turn over and add things to.

 

With all of this going on, I'm not spending a lot of time in the sewing room.  I do pass through the room to get outside to see the horses. After dark is the time I can sew. I did manage to recover a headboard for the camper. I removed all the staples and was very good about remembering how to reassemble it.  It came out great!  Next I will make curtains for the 2 sidewalls. I used my pleater on my featherweight and I am so proud of myself!

Here's what the colors were before I started .. and very dirty ..

  

  During the process -- bottom layer on, ruffle pleated .. I like this look !

  and the finished product !!  I painted the screwhead covers today and they are drying ... ready to be put on this weekend.

So, now that I've caught you up, I've got to get back outside and tackle something else. Have to run to grab a few bales of hay from a friend as cutting was scarce this past year. Hopefully with the early spring rains, it will only help to overcome the drought in the surrounding states and there will be an abundance to help the cattle in states where last  year they were without.  Then it's back to some chore somewhere outside 'til dark ... 

Sew on ...

Dee 

It's February and 60 degrees !

I am blessed .. blessed with the ability to stay home on a warm day .. in FEBRUARY !  I didn't sleep well last night due to a possum teasing the dogs -- they were going to have that varmint by barking all night !  They did let me sleep in to counteract my not sleeping during the night.  So, after feeding horses, dogs, cat and chickens, the flock got out to play, the horses got some treats and a grooming .. and whoa -- it's NOON and I haven't had my first cup of coffee !  So I took a break and had some leftover vegetable lasagna I had made this past weekend, and went back to work.

Even the horses were enjoying today's great weather by sharing a nap !  While they napped, the flock enjoyed helping me garden. I would put some dirt in a bed and they would remove it to make sure there were no bugs. I'm going to plant some of my spring seeds now and use leftover gallon milk jugs as greenhouse environments to help start them during the 'cold' weather.  Not that we are having much in that department right now anyway.  There is still a chance however !

I've been working steadily on my log cabin blocks and am getting closer to finishing the blocks.  Since there are 64 blocks, it seems to have a life of it's own now.  Takes much longer to get logs on it seems.  Then of course I have to square each block.  Here's what the block looks like now.

There is only one more log that needs to go on the bottom of the block and I'm getting close !  It seems to take forEVER to square all the blocks now.  The block will measure 9" finished and I've been playing with how I want my quilt to look with borders.  I love working with my quilts in EQ quilt design software -- I can see them, I can change them and I don't have to sew a thing until I'm satisfied.

I have been playing in the software today trying to come up with a design I like .. and I think I've come to a final version.  This is how I am seeing my finished quilt -- I think I might put a different block in the corners, like Birds in the Air .. but I really like this version.  My first border is a frame border, then I used half square triangles (HSTs) to represent trees, and my final border represents mountains using the Delectable Mountains block.



Of course, I have plenty of time to get to the borders, but this is exciting to see this in a picture .. and of course, I am working on 2 other quilts at the same time. One is the back to my sister's log cabin --  my goal tonight is to add the greens and purples and be sure to make it square so that it quilts nicely.  The other is for my great-niece, the blocks are looking soooo cute. My sister suggested that since her name is Starr that I try to put some stars on the blocks.  I found my smallest cookie cutter and I'm going to make some of the flower centers star shapes ...

Back to the sewing table ...

Dee

A snow day and Valentine's Day

Snow days are great -- they lend themselves to being lazy. Just so happens everything in Arkansas also shuts down when it snows  LOL  But they also help me get different things accomplished. Years ago I used to make bread all the time. I've fallen out of practice, and a friend of mine has jumpstarted my wanting to do it again. She is also a is the 5 minutes a day to fresh bread bible. Over the past wonderful inspiration (especially when I'm at her house and some bread has just come out of the oven!) For my birthday, she gave me a copy of The Art of Artisan Bread which has some wonderful recipes and is the bible for fresh bread in 5 minutes a day. And we've been sharing sourdough starter and recipes as well. Well yesterday's snow day got me thinking about bread fresh out of the oven. I had whipped up a batch of dough last week but hadn't had the opportunity to get it done -- so yesterday, I had the smells of bread wafting thru the house. Now mind you I don't need to make 4 1# loaves -- I made 8 sourdough rolls instead LOL

Of course, I had to eat one right out of the oven, and it was heavenly. Today I think I'll make another batch of dough for a buttermilk white as I am expecting company this weekend!

A snow day also brings out the cardinals at my house. Their bodies against the white of the snow in the trees just brings a promise that spring really will be here soon. Of course, it's been feeling like spring all winter yet, and this was our very first snow of 2012.

There are several pairs of cardinals on all sides of the yard !

Melody and Shadow also enjoy a good snow -- me more so as it really does a great job on their muddy coats!

So now it's Valentine's Day .. a day that's been created by the makers of Hallmark to remember the ones you love with flowers, cards, and any other thing that can be thought of. But really, we should look at all the days we have the opportunity to remind someone we care -- so don't do it just today. Do it tomorrow, and the next day .. the ways we show we care aren't just about the flowers, but the moments we create in making dinner, or sharing a dessert. But there are many ways to show you care -- start by creating a new one everyday !  Happy Valentine's Day !

My favorite quilt block and Works in Progress it creates

I love quilt blocks. In a quilt, on a barn, in a pattern.  My first quilt class was a Quilt-in-a-Day Log Cabin class, and I was hooked when I saw how many quilts can come from just one block.  The block is the same but just a turn, a twist, different size logs in the block, or instead of a center square, put a another block in the center and make logs around that block.  In fact, upon review of my project shelf, I find not one or two log cabins, but several.  This love has only grown over the years, and I have collected several different patterns that have caught my eye.  But that class quilt still graces my couch, albeit a bit thin nowadays.

So, just how many log cabins do I have ?  I have a baby quilt in perfect pastels, perfectly cut and ready to piece, in a ziploc bag (aka Project in Ziploc Bag or PIZLB).  It was intended as a welcome home baby gift for a friend that was adopting a child, but it turned out to be twins and something else was done instead.





Then there's the log cabin nine patch, a pattern by Evelyn Sloppy from Log Cabin Fever.  All the nine patches are made and I needed 9 greens for the blocks, and I've traded out a few here and there. I've made the quilt before with my fellow quilters in LeRoy, NY, and the quilt graces a friend's home after she won the raffle that year.  I have decided on the greens, but I haven't cut them yet. So that is a Work in Progress, or Unfinished Object (WIP or UFO).

Then there's the Lonestar Log Cabin in blues and yellow.  In 2004 while working at a quilt shop in Virginia, I showed the owner my favorite Amish quilt pattern. I love Amish patterns, and I was a frequent visitor in the New Holland/Lancaster area where I always pawed over the finished quilts in this pattern. When she saw it, she asked if I had ever used the Lonestar QuiltSmart foundation.  At the time I had never heard of it.  Well, I've done several quilts using this foundation now, and this quilt is closer in the project que than it was at the time.  The center lonestar is done, and I have been collecting blues and yellows for those blocks and I do believe I am now set on those colors too (and now another WIP/UFO).

And then there's the log cabin I am working on right now.  While working at that same shop, when Moda came out with the Prairie Christmas fabric line, I was in love! I definitely overbought fabric as I planned for 2 quilts, but I could make at least one more and the back to this quilt I think.  The first quilt now lives in WNY with a friend aka sister. I used a wool bat and backed it with Thimbleberries flannel -- a very warm quilt for the long cold winter there. Not so much this year  LOL   My goal after completing that quilt was to make ME a quilt and I have yet to DO it.  In 2007 when I moved into this sewing room I set a goal: Finish the projects in the ziploc bags. I have pulled ones off the shelf and completed one, or used my stash and passed the fabric on.  But of course they have moved on to other states and other homes.  Over the past few nights I have been set on a course of stripping blocks and watching this block get larger, only 2 more logs to go!

So while I may be 'on a roll' here on this log cabin project, there will always be something that will get in the way. Laundry, meals, sleep .. so I'm trying to be productive and it seems that I stay up after all the animals go to bed and I can get sooooo much more done.  But once the center is done, the borders aren't just an afterthought. I'm toying with the idea of a pieced border around the center, maybe a small evener border, then possibly pieced pinwheel, smaller log cabins or spaced squares, or ??  The possibilites are endless. I plan my quilts in my quilt design software, EQ7, and I love how I can change blocks, change color, check dimensions, check borders, use the automatic border option... so many choices .. will let you know how it comes out ..

Til next time .. stitch on !

Dee