Wednesday Ramblings

Today was busy. First Ken and I took everything out of the camper, defrosted the fridge, and then winterized it. We put it in storage for the winter. Bye camper, see you in April! On the way back I took pictures of the elevator where we sell our grain. Before you think it's not that big, they usually keep 110 railroad cars on the siding to be filled. I remember when they built it about 10 years ago, they poured concrete day and night for those tall grain silos. I think it took almost a year. Yes, the sky was that wonderful blue color, and although by evening it cooled off, it was a nice day again. On the way home we stopped at the farm and I took a picture of the "other" man in my life--Stripe! I had drug his feed pan over closer to the fence while Ken got him some oats, and Ken didn't see the pan so he tossed the oats over the fence. Grrr!! The picture is not very good, but at least he's not muddy at the moment. In case you are wondering what all the rushing around is, we are forecast to get a foot of snow in the next day or so. We also cleared off the garden, put the patio furniture away, and cleaned the flower beds. So no sewing done today, I have boxes sitting everywhere waiting to be sorted and put away.

My holiday cacti are blooming their hearts outs! I hope you're not tired of them yet!


You can really see the three different colors in this photo.

Tonight when I unloaded my camera and not just the memory card--I found this picture from a few weeks ago!! Mason and Grandma!!



I'm beat, think I will eat and do a little laundry, tomorrow will be another day!

Monday Goals

Monday seems to come around fast. But I kept up with my goals from last week. Sunday I even got the pink/blue Amish bars isolette covers quilted! So my goals for the next week will be---

1. Load another project
2. Make bindings for the Scrap Happy Churn Dash, and both Amish bars isolettes

That is all for this week, I am babysitting Mason next week, Laura Beth returns to work and her daycare lady had a baby too, so I will fill in for a week. Hardship, I know. If I have the bindings made, maybe I will get time to sew them on while I am there. (Fat chance--you remember what 8 week old babies are like!)

Have other projects for this week, remember to get my flu shot, winterize the camper and put it in storage. And remember my holiday cacti--you can now see all three colors if you look carefully, a yellow, a fuchsia with white, and a solid deep red. I am taking plenty of pictures---it may be the only time it blooms like this and I'm going to enjoy it!

Stashbusting in 2009

Judy L asked if we were going to continue to stashbust in 2009. Yes. I am more focused, I like seeing when I buy fabric, when I use fabric. It has made me realize that I CAN cut up that favorite piece of fabric. No use saving it forever to be on a little old lady auction! So I am going to continue. Hope to see more of you there, I love to read everyone's posts and see how they're doing.

My goals? Finish 6 UFO's. Use 100 yards of stash. And ENJOY myself!

Sunday Stash Report

Stash report---I bought 5 yards of fabric I have no definite plans for at the moment--one was of sheep, and the other looked like it might be a background to go with the sheep or maybe into a kids quilt. And the other was 4 pieces of some more vividly colored fabric, half of it goes into a birthday present for someone and I will keep the other half, so that makes another yard for me.


Total---6 yds in and 0 yards out.

Although it doesn't seem like it, I've made lots of progress this week. Maybe not quilting progress, but still I've been busy! But today I am staying inside and being quiet (Ken is sleeping--he worked nights and harvested days the last few days, he's TIRED!) so although I wanted to bake some pies and try out my new food processor, I will go sew and be quiet!

I had two goals this week, finishing quilting the chunky churn dash and load another project. Well, I loaded TWO projects--



I put a 2.5" strip of muslin between the two Amish bars isolette covers.



They are narrow enough that one width of fabric will do the backing--so I laid one selvage on the other and sewed them together.



And voila!! Two projects ready to sew at once. They are just wide enough I won't feel like I'm wasting batting as a width of batting will do it. And since I was going to quilt them with white and use the same pantograph, I can do both at once. I will stitch on the muslin to keep the backs from shifting each time I advance the rollers, the pink has a light pink flannel back, and the blue has a blue flannel back.

It's a beautiful day in SD, I checked the thermometer and it was 70 degrees out, and no breeze, bright blue skies. I know it won't last, but will open the up the house and enjoy it while I can!

Saturday Aches and Pains

We worked hard today but we're done harvesting. I thought maybe I would squeak by and not have to do too much, but I was wrong. First set of loads Ken was hauling--he had a flat. Well, we had spares along so his dad took them to where he was waiting, and I had to climb into "Annie" and head in with the next set of loads. We have to keep ahead of the man doing the combining.
Annie is "my" red tractor in the picture. She's pretty good sized. Usually only used to do tillage in the fields, but when you need her, she comes through! So I spent the whole day driving back and forth from the field to wherever Ken was on the road with another tractor and set of wagons--we would switch back and forth. Its a tight fit with Annie to unload at the grain elevator, so I avoid that job and let Ken do it. teehee!

But I did work on my goals last night, tomorrow I will take pictures to show you!

The aches and pains--well, I fell down three times today. Twice got my foot tangled in the cornstalks, and once I slipped on Annie's bottom step and fell onto the big tire--my shoulder and arm sure are sore tonight!

Motivation Friday and change in plans

Time to check on my goals. I didn't get another project loaded. But I did finish quilting the chunky churn dash. I love the quilt, but it gave me a headache. The batting is not easy to work with. It took a LOT of thread (it's a king size). Remember the decision to use variegated thread on the back, and a plain teal on the front? It was a good idea as I had this much teal thread left----


Not much! And of course I ran out of bobbin thread with this much to finish---


Yes, less than a foot to go!! Now I can set it aside until I have time for the binding.

Today has brought a few changes in my plans. Earlier this week I was rummaging in my freezer (trying to make room) and thawed out two turkeys. Who's coming to dinner you ask?? No one, I am going to can the meat! (For those of you who were at the Heartstrings Sew In in Rochester last weekend, I made those chicken enchiladas using canned turkey.) Last night I took the thawed birds and cooked them whole in my pressure canner. Yes, it's big. Big enough to hold a 23lb bird. Did that twice, one bird went into a blue canner in the downstairs fridge. (Once the pressure is up, it only takes 1/2 hr to cook a whole turkey.) The other one I sat outside (it's not quite freezing at night) on the step in the canner. This morning I took all the meat off the bones, packed it in jars, and I have some of the jars in the pressure canner. From two birds I got 23 packed pints. Now you may think this is a lot of work (it is) but it's so HANDY!!! Think of all the things you can make from meat that is already cooked and doesn't need to thaw. Casseroles. Chicken and Dumplings. Chicken salad sandwiches. I even boil down the broth (season it with onions, celery, and carrots with the whole birds) and can that too. These turkeys were bought with this project in mind, I bought them on sale anywhere from $.29 to $.48 a lb. I usually can about 4-5 birds a year. And the change in my day? The man who is going to combine our corn called late last night, they will be here late this afternoon. EEEkkk! So I am scrambling to get my turkey canned then will go help. So no sewing today.

Wednesday Ramblings

Today I will work on the chunky churn dash. Corned beef is in the crock pot for supper. Need to run to the store to pick up some cabbage to go with it. Did I tell you while I was gone my husband cleaned? Yes, bless his heart, he did. Okay, he's not a professional maid service--but the floors are clean and scrubbed, lots of stuff picked up, and he even managed to dust most my "stuff". And remember my Holiday cactus from my January 15th post? It now looks like this---


It measures 33" across and is covered in blooms. All summer it sat in the corner of the deck on the west side and was ignored except for a glass of water tossed its way. It grew so much out there the pot it was in became too small and the wind would tip it over. Right before it froze one night I repotted it and brought it in. And it is covered in blossoms. Yes, there are different colored blossoms in there because it is three different cacti. A yellow, a fuchsia, and a dark purple.

But I need to get moving here, the weather looks gorgeous out, bright and blue and no wind. And today is DD's birthday--HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!

Monday Goals

I would hang my head in shame at not touching my goals this week if I hadn't had so much fun! But now I have things to catch up on, not quilty, but still to be done before winter.

1. Finish the CHUNKY CHURN DASH!!
2. load another project--they are starting to pile up!

There are four QOV that need quilting and binding (one is Ann's--she gave it to me to quilt at the Sew In), and one that needs just binding. Two sets of string blocks waiting for me to set together. And other tops waiting. Oodles of outside work to be done before winter REALLY gets here. Sigh I need to be cloned. And Ken has made a dent in the Halloween candy, I may have to buy some more!

Sunday Stash Report

I didn't buy anything this week, but I did reduce the stash! I took fabric with me to the Heartstrings Sew In and donated it for backing and pillowcases. I also took a big box of strings, a set of foundations, and enough green fabric to cut centers for 48 blocks. So I probably reduced my stash by at least 10 yards--maybe more as I donated 96 blocks I had done! I didn't finish anything, but I did put together two tops while at the sew in, it was a very good day. Great people, great fun! Thanks to everyone who organized it.

Rochester Sew in

It was a great day in Rochester. Fun meeting everyone, lots of sewing was done.

Wish you all could have been there, we had a wonderful time!

Motivation Friday

Okay, my goals weren't touched this week! But I am in Mankato, arrived last night and am cooking, baking, and watching Mason while Laura Beth catches up on some work emails. Watching Mason is a tough job, but someone has to do it!!

Yes, he's swinging and sleeping for the moment!!

I've got my stuff packed in the car for the Sew In tomorrow, the map has been googled, next I will lay out my clothes and see how wrinkled they are. If I forgot something, well, I think someone there will have whatever I might need!


In between I have been cruising the blogs I read. I may not comment, but I AM reading them! I find ideas, laugh, and think how much everyone's lives are the same.

And to my sister--Happy Birthday!!!