Monthly Archives: January 2015

2015
01/21

Category:
Life

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Midweek

IMG_1211The long stretch under the apple trees is all barked now and looks so good.  It will aid in water retention and weed control all summer.  Item #1 checked off list.    The grapes and apples have been pruned and the grapes tied up.   That is #2 and #3 off the list.  The raspberries are nearly done.   We will finish them after this next rain spell.   It feels good to be on top of the game for once.  Tomorrow I will put together the list of seeds I have left from last year and decide what I need to order for this year.   Do you realize that it is nearly time to get out food plants started?

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A bit ago, I mentioned Mother passed away without finishing these pillowcases and I was going to learn to cross stitch.   After trying it, I decided that I definitely do NOT like to cross stitch and will not be finishing them.  They are going out in Friday’s mail to a friend who loves doing this type work and she will finish them.  Life is too short to get hung up on something I really don’t enjoy.   I won’t live long enough to do all that I do enjoy.

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I was given somewhere over 75 of these strips of various colors.  They are the end pieces when the factory straightens the roll.   Since I am in a “use it up” frame, I put these together and quilted it.   They are only 40″ wide, so it makes a nice small child size quilt.   Previously, I  used several of the pieces in other items, so still have enough to make a total of three of these little quilts.  That’s another finish and I love finishes as well as starts.

 

2015
01/20

Category:
farming
Garden
Life

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Sun = work

 

We started our day outside by catching these now full grown ducks (at least by size).   Then we put them in this pen so the dogs and other animals could come get acquainted throughout the day.

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Chore #2 was to finish the pruning and tying the grapes.  There is a short row and a lengthy row.   I need to buy more grape plants to finish the second row.

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Chore #3 was to get the raspberries done.  They are now 2/3 finished.IMG_1209

Here the chickens are coming in for the night and want to make sure there is a bit of a handout.   The sheep and alpacas have already had their treats.

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By then the day (which started outside at 11) was over and the fellows wanted to collect their dues and go home.  And once again I am reminded why supervisors get paid more.    It’s hard work managing people.

 

2015
01/19

Category:
Garden
Life
Sewing

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Grapes

IMG_1203It was a beautiful, warm day and the fellow that has been moving all these shavings for me told me that he knew someone who was very good with grapes and all types of berries.  I  was all ears.  Mark, the berry expert, came over at noon and he really does appear to know what to do.  He started with a mess of grapes that were desperately trying to hug the ground.   He added another wire, then pruned and tied.   The first row now looks really good.   Tomorrow he will do the other row.   I will be so happy to have the grapes doing the right thing.   This past year the chickens got all of them because that is the level at which they were growing.

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In between supervising, I pulled out a box that had a few of Mother’s things in it.   I found this pair of pillowcases started.   I can’t just throw them out – they aren’t finished.  So I decided I’ll just learn a bit of cross stitching and who knows I may even learn to do the crocheted edge like our mothers and grandmothers used to do.  Mary knows how and said after the Seahawks win the Superbowl in 2 weeks, she can help me.   I doubt the cross stitching will be done by then.

2015
01/18

Category:
Life
quilts

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The squares

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Remember the squares I put together last  week. (It doesn’t have those waves when lying down, it’s just too heavy for the board after quilting)  I decided it would be great for a man in a wheelchair as it is just the right size. IMG_1199

  So I used a fishing scene on the back IMG_1198

and quilted it with a clover design.  The  quilt is finished in less than a week.

2015
01/17

Category:
Knitting
Life

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Basket Weave Rib socks

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These “Basket Weave Rib socks” by Sezza Knits are now done.  It has been a while since I knit on size one needles, so it seemed these took a long time.   Then also we had Christmas holidays during the same time.   However they are done and I am very happy with them.

2015
01/16

Category:
Life
quilts

COMMENTS:
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BOM for 2014 finished

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I’m delighted to get this quilt finished.   This is the Aurofil BOMs that I did last year.   After finishing it, I quilted it instead of hanging it in the closet for future quilting.   That  excites me!

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Yes that does leave me with some other BOMs from last years that are finished but not quilted, but I’m on a roll now.   I think the most difficult part of quilting is deciding how to quilt it.  I went with some easy for this and will for the next as I think they will both become children’s quilts.

2015
01/15

Category:
Knitting
Life
quilts

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

The tortoise

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These socks certainly are slow knitting, but they are moving along.    Of course, I also worked some on quilting which isn’t ready yet.

The other thing I did was to take in 2 webinars.   Have you done that?    I enjoy them.   Today’s was one on small farms and the other on cooking.

2015
01/14

Category:
food
Life

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Wednesday Cooking

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Today we took our list to the grocery store and came back with a good amount of food to be prepped for the week.  On the menu are such things as Kale Tofu Scramble, Triple green quesadilla, Hawaiian Chili, Rainbow Noodle Bowl, Moussaka, Tostadas, and a Quinoa Bowl.   There are a LOT of vegetables in these recipes.   So I spent my afternoon washing and chopping onions, tomatoes, green peppers, kale, sweet potatoes and such.

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   Then I either put it in bowls for last minute combining or cooked it.  But the kitchen work is done for another week.   Starting at the top left is day one.   No thinking and the menu is on the front of the refrigerator.  There is enough prepared food in this refrigerator,  that DH doesn’t even have to think “eating out”  and I don’t have to think about what to prepare.  I very much dislike having to leave a project to spend time in the kitchen.  This way it is mostly done.  Perhaps tomorrow I can sew.

2015
01/13

Category:
Life
quilts

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Grim Ripper

IMG_1140Yes, I know I’m a bit out of season.   This was started a year and a half ago.  I made one for my friend and only had the applique done on this one.   I really planned to finish it “soon”, so it sat beside my sewing machine.  Today I quilted and bound it.   And look it even has a hanger on the back!   Now I am early for this year.

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2015
01/12

Category:
Life
Sewing

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Heart potholder review

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Heart Shaped Oven mitts is an easy pattern to make.   Well – it would have been if I had used what the pattern called for.  I did not have any of the Insul Bright for which they called and JoAnn’s was out, so I used the heavy insulated table covering fleece that I had.   I did make one other adjustment.   I put the binding on the front as I would a quilt, not as bias tape.

I will use the pot holder as I really like the design, but it is so thick that I could not topstitch it even with a 120/19 needle.  So I gave that up and will use it as is.    I recommend that you follow the pattern step-by-step and use the photos as well.   This is a pattern I’m putting in my Christmas ideas folder as this will make super gifts.

And yes, this was another procrastination piece at which I’ve been looking for several years.  I think I even bought the pattern in my past.  But this is a free download, so enjoy.