Category Archive: quilts

2018
12/31

Category:
quilts
Schedules

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Quilts to finish in 2019

As we enter this next year, I have joined some groups to help me keep accountable.  This means that I get to post the photo of the quilt I want to finish each month at the beginning of the year and check in at the end of each month to see if that has been accomplished.

January- this quilt still needs to be quilted and bound

 

 

  February – Bear paw has been cut out.   There are many, many pieces and it will be a challenge to get this top done in one month.   But I need to apply myself as lambs will be coming next month.

 March – Leg Cozie, a lap quilt

  April – babies are mostly here and needing a lot of work, plus the garden needs to be worked.   So the aim is to get the teapot miniature done.

  May – Glacier is 50 x 70 and I’m hoping things have calmed down enough I have time to finish this top.

    June – I still have 14 of these blocks that are finished and need to be set into a top.  The plan is to find a baby quilt design into which to fit them and finish the top.

 

  July and August – There are several of these blocks.  I plan to finish 2 of them during the hot weather.

  September – The garden is still needing lots of attention so if I complete the top, I will be happy.   This has been on my radar for about 15 years.

  October – Time to start thinking about the holidays.  This will be gifted.

 

   November – Garden is mostly done, Sheep are breeding and I will catch my breath.   I love Penguins and so do others.   This will be gifted.

  December and another penguin quilt.     These are my month goals and I am connecting with American Patchwork challenge, and others as they come to my attention.   That’s my way of being help accountable.   And of course, I have told you my plan, so you will also be watching.

Have a very blessed 2019, full of health and happiness.

 

 

 

2018
12/16

Category:
quilts
Sewing

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Teddy bear blanket

This teddy bear blanket is the largest left over piece from the quilt I made using some of these parts as blocks.   And it must have a satin binding to be a proper baby blanket.   It is 44 x 44, so will be useful for some time.  Instead of quilting, I bar tacked where she will be put the ties as she wanted a tied blanket, but I don’t know what color, so she gets to do that part.

2018
11/07

Category:
Garden
Life
quilts
Sewing

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Turkeys and ducks

The ducks are finished and the turkeys started.   These are essentially small quilts and the binding is put on the same way as a large quilt, which takes a bit of time.

The garlic is planted and the plants that can’t survive a freeze have been moved.  We’re expecting our first freeze tonight and as usual, it barely got done.   It’s amazing how deadlines help push one to get things done.

Tomorrow is the dentist and the next day is the optometrist.   And another week will be gone, and we will have arrived at week’s end.  How does this happen so fast?

2018
10/31

Category:
quilts
Sewing

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Potholder sewing has started

I’ve decided that 20 of the potholders will be embroidered and the rest will be pieced.  So for the pieced ones, the fabrics have been selected are now cut out.  The  potholder sewing has started!  I’m sure with the other things needing my attention, this will take most of the month.  Bias binding is slow for me and many of them will have that.

2018
10/18

Category:
Life
quilts
sheep

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Coat changing day and a finish

Coat changing day

We watch the coats to see who is growing out of this size to keep their fleece clean and from felting.  Several of the girls received a bigger size today and tomorrow some will get ear tags.  Morgan, the dark sheep here has been very distrustful, but she is coming around.   Today she enjoyed having her chin rubbed

And a finish

I finished the lower cardinal today.  Then I put the whole project away for a rainy day.   I am not enjoying it as much as I would like.  It’s time to do some piecing instead.  There is a pattern for a reverse rabbit and male cardinal as well as a moose in the kit yet.

2018
10/17

Category:
Life
quilts

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Machine failures

Machine failures maybe shouldn’t feel like your world is spinning.   But it does get expensive.   We are still waiting for the new oven.   And today, I went to quilt this top – that I finished sewing in June.

16 block hunter star

The quilting machine computer has gone out and the only solution is an upgrade with a new computer.   So this quilt will wait a bit longer.   I hope to get it done by year’s end.

So instead, I worked on this paper pieced cardinal.  My goal this year is to finish a few of the started items that are lying around.   Another hour and I should have this one finished.

What are you working on, I’d love to hear?

 

2018
09/03

Category:
charity
Life
quilts
sheep

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Cleaning, Kennel quilts

Today we started by “eating the frog”.   Our frog was cleaning out some long overdue bathroom drawers.   One should not be able to find medicines dated 2004.  Now you can’t.   And there is room for what should be there.

Then I tackled changing coats on two of the ram lambs.   They would rather run and play games than stand there and have a coat changed, but just look at this wool!   It is gorgeous!  It has lovely crimp and length.   I am very happy with it and hope these boys find the right home with someone who appreciates it.

After some barn cleaning, Bracken and I came back to the house so she could chick sit.   She loves that.    Just standing there watching their every move.The 8 kennel quilts are finished.   I will wash them and they are ready to donate.

2018
09/02

Category:
Garden
Life
quilts

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Potatoes; kennel quilts

Potatoes:

The ground where I wanted to plant potatoes was hard this spring but I had 2 helpers for part of the day.  I strung string so they would know where the beds were.  I asked them to dig a hole deep enough to cover the potatoes about 3″ and about a man’s hand width apart.  The ground was hard, but the weeds had not yet started.  The rows are 32′ long and there are 8 of them.  I needed to plant many potatoes because we didn’t have time to prepare the soil.   So they put the potatoes in the ground and I did fertilize maybe 3 times in the early part.  We planted white, Yukon , red, and blue potatoes, in uneven amounts.   I just needed potatoes for the winter.  When it was really hot, I watered weekly for half an hour each row with drip hoses. We never found time to weed them. The dogs dug holes in the potato lie in and be cool.

I have dug maybe a total of 35+ feet (there are 250 feet of potatoes and some onions) of potatoes and filled 1.5 of the 4 gallon buckets.   It is not easy getting the ground to give them up either.   I cannot get a pitchfork in the soil, how does that bit of soft potato with an eye manage to push into the ground.   And many of these potatoes are very large.

Kennel Quilts:

These are small kennel quilts.  The photo is the front of one and the back of another to better show the minimal quilting.  The people who rescue small animals during a crisis such as floods or fires use many of these in the small kennels.  Finished 12 x 18″ is the only size they accept and are so easy to make.   Cut two pieces of fabric 12.5 x 18.5″ plus batting.  I used an old mattress pad to give it more cushion on these.  Put the bottom piece right side up, the top piece upside down, with the batting on top.   Pin as needed and sew around the entire sandwich minus 4-6″ to get your hand in to turn.  Turn right side out , press, and if you topstitch a bit less than 1/4″, you may be able to catch the opening in the top stitching.   On one I did a big x from corner to corner and on the other, just 3 lines on a diagonal.  The part that takes the longest is choosing scraps that are large enough, but not so large as to waste fabric, and cutting it out.  If you click on the red “kennel quilt”, you will find more information about these.  They are extremely easy and if you don’t sew exactly perfect, the small pets won’t complain.

2018
08/30

Category:
farming
Life
quilts
sheep

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Sheep mob; haircuts; Sparkle in Pink and White quilt

 

In order to get the sheep to respond better, I was advised to take a chair and some treats and sit with them.   Bad idea – sheep mob!    They know me as the food bucket.   They have no fear of me, but would rather not have a halter put on, so choose not to let me put it on them.   They don’t know others who come and there is that “stranger danger” mind-set that takes over.

After some other chores, we decided it was time for haircuts.   He wants his cut monthly, but it had been a few years since I’d had mine cut.   So now it’s considerably shorter.

I can now share this test quilt that I made.   Bears was a fabric from mother’s small collection.  I really had no idea what to do with the fabric until this “Sparkle in pink and white” pattern by Valerie Le Pont, came along and it worked quite well in this form.  The flimsy finished at 46 x 57. and is very easy.   It is offered by The Quilt Pattern Magazine this month.

2018
08/16

Category:
food
Garden
Life
quilts
Sewing
sheep

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Moving boys, hoop house update, quinoa casserole

 The young boys are moved away from their sisters and mothers.     One here seems to think the trip was just too hot and tiring.  They and their mothers have “baa-ed back and forth all day about how evil we were to separate them.  Such is life on a farm

The hoop house has been overrun with growth plus the fact that I haven’t had time for it for over a week.  After a number of foods were nearly done, I poked some “delicate” squash plants along one side.   Well that’s what the label on the plants at the store said.   They are not Delicata, but they are squash and at least one pumpkin.  They are threatening to take over the entire place.   It’s near enough to the end of the season, I won’t pull them, but neither will I believe labels next year.    Squash plants are now forever banned from inside the hoop house.   They are just too happy in there.

This morning I picked tomatoes, onions, parsley, cantaloupe, cucumbers, red and orange peppers from the hoop house.   Now they all have to be dealt with.

Then I picked some overripe apples as I’m out of applesauce and it makes a great sweetener in baked goods.  I was able to can 10 pints.   I picked a lot more apples – or rather shook them out of trees.  I’m not sure how ripe they are.   I’ll test them tomorrow.

 

While the apples were processing, I cooked some quinoa in broth.  In another pan, I sautéed onions and added broccoli until just cooked but still green.  Then I made a cheese sauce.   I mixed it all together, reserving half the cheese sauce, put it in a greased casserole dish, topped it with the rest of the cheese and that will be our casserole for the weekend.

After lunch and a rest, I had to sit down and pay bills.

And this is why you have not seen sewing or quilting.  When the rains start, and days are shorter, there will be time for sewing.  “To everything there is a season”