Monthly Archives: July 2015

2015
07/10

Category:
charity
Life
Sewing

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Laundry and hats

IMG_2708

Would you believe that a bolt of fleece, which is 8 yards, produces 136 of these little hats and YES, they are done.   That completes the fleece hats for this year.   They don’t collect them officially until September, but they are DONE

No photos, but also several loads of laundry were done and some tidying up,   Anytime I start feeling like I don’t want to do housework or laundry, I remember how many don’t have it to do.   That makes me realize it is a blessing to be able to do these mundane chores.

Did anyone make yesterday’s cookie recipe?

.

2015
07/09

Category:
food
Life

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Tomatoes, cookies, and shopping

IMG_2710

This is the first of the tomatoes.   All are the small type.  I labeled them as we picked them, so that we could compare and decide if we want to try these types again next year or only some of them as well as something new.

IMG_2709

I was acquiring a list of must get items that were not at the grocery store, so I spent part of my very hot day in the stores, which is a great way to cool off.   I purchased 2 shower rods, a birthday card, a birthday gift, a syrup bottle, a shower curtain with a map and 2 bags of lingerie bags in which to wash the wool.   {It is not an accident that you can’t clearly see the card or the gift in the back.}

Here is a cookie recipe that we are really enjoying, sometimes just to eat, sometimes with strawberries over them as in shortcake, and sometimes with milk as for breakfast.    I use one very ripe or thawed banana per cup of oatmeal.  Sometimes I add just raisins, sometimes dried mulberries, blueberries and raisins.   I mix it up. The big thing is you want about a cup of oats per banana.   They are a bit tricky to get to stay together when you put them on the pan.   I used parchment paper.   Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.   Quick and easy to make.

 

2015
07/08

Category:
Life
quilts
Sewing

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Tiny purple hats

IMG_2705

This is just a simple little quilt case.   I used about a yard of fabric, sewed side and bottom and made a casing around the top in case she wants to close it.  I added a used color grabber and 2 fresh ones, for her to use the first time she washes the quilt.   The used one is for her to see how much color they will attract.

IMG_2704

These little hats don’t take long per hat, so I was able to get another third done today.  I’m  interested to hear if any one of you is now making any type of little purple hats for the hospitals.

2015
07/07

Category:
Life
quilts

COMMENTS:
4 Comments »

Picnic time finish

IMG_2701

This quilt was a lot of work, but now that it’s complete, it was worth it.   I still have to make a pillowcase to keep it in, but that’s the easy part.

 IMG_2700

This is the label on the back, she doesn’t know about this yet and is on vacation, so will get it in about 3 weeks.

 IMG_2699

And this  is how my quilts are signed.

Tomorrow, the plan is to work outside  as it has been a bit neglected by me.

 

2015
07/06

Category:
farming
Life

COMMENTS:
1 Comment »

Planned parenthood?

IMG_2698

Not our plan, I just sold 14 chickens.   Yesterday 5 bantams and today 7 buff Orpington hatched.    Obviously we thought we were diminishing the flock.   In fact I thought we were down to 6.  Surprise!   As long as they stay in the chicken coop or pasture, it is not a problem as they are great for bug control.   But both these who just hatched babies have been a pain around the house.   The bantam is cooped up in a pen near the house and will be transferred to the coop as soon as the chicks are old enough – maybe another week or two.    The new clutch was taken to the coop today and set up.   Perhaps if they are raised there, they will get the idea, since there are still 4 hens down there that behave.  If they don’t get the idea, we have a freezer and dogs who will eat chicken.   Life is fun on the farm!   Anyone bored, I have a coop that needs to be cleaned out.

And now back to the quilt, I’m trying to get quilted.

2015
07/05

Category:
farming
Life
quilts

COMMENTS:
4 Comments »

Oh, look! Babies!

 IMG_2669  IMG_2667

 

 

 

 

 

She’s been hiding somewhere and this is what she brought to show us.  Because they are bantams, they are so tiny and cute.   Look at the one standing by a normal brick.

IMG_2688

A day’s work has this table runner nearly finished.   I just have the hand work on the binding to do, so will finish that tonight and call it done.

 

2015
07/04

Category:
farming
Life

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

10 Things your non-homesteading friends just don’t understand

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/blog 

A modern homesteader is someone who might:

  • Painstakingly research the remedies of generations-past to help their families heal.
  • Get more excited going to the farmer’s market than the mall
  • Spend all night in the barn checking on a new baby goat… and never blink an eye.
  • Scour yard sales for old cast iron cookware and mason jars.
  • Grow tomatoes and lettuce and basil on their apartment balconies.
  • Find kneading bread dough almost as good as therapy.
  • Close their eyes and take a long slow breathe whenever they smell freshly cut hay or ground wet from rain.
  • Line up all their home-canned foods in a pretty row so they can admire the fruit of their labor.
  • Rise at the crack of dawn to milk their animals, or drive 40 miles to pick up fresh milk from a farmer.
  • Dig up their front yard, despite the raised eyebrows of the neighbors, to plant their first garden.
  • Jump up and down and squeal when they finally find the first egg from their home-raised chickens.

This  blog speaks so well about the times of my life that I have loved the best.  Not that I ever considered myself a homesteader so much as I enjoyed he farming experiences.

I do hope you will go and read it.  If you double click on the red, it will open in a new window.

2015
07/03

Category:
quilts

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Alpacas, chickens moved.

It was a difficult morning as we sold our alpacas and chickens and the people came to pick them up today.     After that I spent the day working on the SCORE quilt  – the Seahawks quilt.    Tonight was our oldest son’s birthday and he and his brother invited family and a number of friends to the celebration.  We enjoyed ourselves and met some new people.

IMG_2656

I took the quilt along as the border wasn’t finished, but I was able to finish it there before the food was served.  His nephew helped him hold it.  The colors in the first photo are accurate.

IMG_2662

 

IMG_2661

2015
07/02

Category:
Life

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Interesting art

IMG_2649   IMG_2647 IMG_2648

At the medical office I went today, these sculptures were hanging.   I found them fascinating.  They appear to have each layer cut out of balsa wood and then they have very small wooden dowels that hold the layers separate. The dowels reminded me of the small tinker toys.

2015
07/01

Category:
Life

COMMENTS:
Comments Closed

Baby hats

It seems that I was busy all day, but when I looked for photos, I didn’t have much.   The mechanic came out again this morning and after another two hours had everything tuned up and a couple broken pieces replaced.    It seems quieter.   Maybe these quilts will be done next week and I can play with the embroidery machine again.

IMG_2641

For diversion and since I didn’t want to tackle anything serious while he was here, I started sewing the hats.  All of them have the long seam

IMG_2642

And 40 of them have the seam across the top and top end sewn together.   Then the two pointy ends are butted and zigzagged together.

IMG_2644

These are now turned and ready to go.   They are so cute when rolled up for a baby’s head.

Later today, a family came out to look at the alpacas, sheep and chickens.   Bill wants them to be sold, I can’t imagine how lonely it will be here without them.   We’ll see what happens.   They  want to  discuss it and if they decide will have to find a horse trailer to take them home.