Down On The Farm.....

Fall is rapidly approaching......our crops are "doing their thang". Here is a quick show and tell about our cotton. The first day it blooms the flower is this creamy white.

And believe it or not that same white flower turns pink. After it turns pink it then shrivels up and falls off.

After a short time, where the flower fell off this round green bulb starts growing. Soon we will see this bulb start spliting and opening up. That may be a little while yet. The earliest we have ever harvest cotton has been in October. This ladies is the beginnings of where all that beautiful fabric we buy for our quilts comes from!!! Who knows, some of you may have quilts made from some of "OUR" cotton.

Here is a whole field of those flowers and bulbs. You can see pink and white flowers mixed. The green bulbs come on in stages. Here is a field of our cotton right here on the North side of our place. Where I live...this scene is about all you see right now in all 4 directions. I hope you enjoyed seeing the process. I will show the next stages as they come about. Right now I am busy making my pear preserves, it is a 2 day process for one batch. I'll show you my results as soon as I get the sticky wiped off the jars.

I think my "mr. farmer man" will be very excited that I have posted about his cotton!!

Hand Work...

Along with the baby quilt I'm working on...I have had some hand work with these little soft square blocks. I'm going to hand stitch a blanket stitch around the green "A". In one of the above pictures I have one block completed except sewing the stuffing hole closed. These are easy and fast....I think I'm going to keep a pile of these going just in case. I always try to keep a " gift" drawer full.

I keep all of my individual projects stored in these wonderful see-thru plastic pizza boxes. Everything I need involving this project is in this box....I can just grab it up...take it downstairs or with me if I travel. These I call my Handy Work boxes. I just can't seem to sit ANYWHERE without something to keep my hands busy!

Baby Quilt...

I have a baby shower coming up...( in fact, it's breathing down my neck ) and for months I've been trying to think of a quilt idea for this new little person. SO...yesterday it was like I had a light bulb moment. I could do a crazy quilt style, that way I could use up some of those bits and pieces of lace, rick rack and ruffles left over from other projects.

After I came up with the idea, I was excited to get started with it because time is running out. Just about the time I had a few pieces ready to sew up......GUESS WHAT???......A thunderstorm popped up. NO MORE SEWING!!! I quickly unplugged my sewing machine. I had been so involved in getting this quilt started I hadn't even realized it was getting cloudly and I thought I kept hearing something.....well, it was thunder off in the distance.

Sooo......hours later, about 10:00 pm, I went back upstairs and tried to pick up where I had left off. I worked on these until about 12:30 and I had to make myself stop and go to bed. I am so thankful for the rain...BUT.....BUT....I'm really miffed that the groove I was in got interrupted! Anyway, I am doing the sew and flip on Bounty napkins. This brand of napkin is pretty sturdy and I never had any problems with it coming apart. I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this quilt. Maybe some of Tonya's wonky hearts to go with this. Maybe the little sweeties name in there somewhere. And to think, these 3 wanna be blocks were made up of all those little scraps I didn't throw away!!! Yes......I keep EVERYTHING!!

I'm Thinkin' FALL.....

I can't believe school has started already!!! Our crops are blooming and turning colors waiting for harvest and the holidays are barreling down upon me!!! oooouuuu...I just got scared!!.....So, I began digging through my "stuff and things" seeing what I have and what projects needed to be put on the forefront. I have this cute book that features those great plaid kitchen towels. You can sew up trick or treat bags and such out of the actual towel or you can hand or machine applique using the patterns included. They suggest black thread with a blanket type stitch. I LOVE fall. I think it is my favorite season. I got very excited and inspired today as I pulled out holiday books and fabrics. I try to keep all my favorite magazines in monthly order. When I need inspiration I can quickly thumb through the holiday, season or month I need projects for. Isn't the cat/moon towel above fun!!

I don't have anything fallish to through on the couch.....I'm thinking this should be my next inspiration. I had more fall fabrics than I thought when I started pulling them out. You know....making another mess!! Some days it seem like I have pulled half my yardage off the shelves!!!!

As you can see I have tons of towels.......all washed , ironed and ready to go. They've been ready to go for about 2 years now!!!!!! ((sign))

Here is a picture of hubby's side of the closet.........He caught me when I was taking this picture and said...."DON"T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT'!!!........What you say???....why I'm not doing nuthin'!!....No....what makes you think I would cut up your shirts to sew up in a quilt.....why it NEVER entered my mind!!!

I was inspired to take this picture this morning as I was walking out of the closet.....just out of the corner of my eye this caught my attention........THIS REMINDED ME OF THE COVER OF BONNIE'S NEW BOOK!!!! Go over to Quiltville for all the info. Wouldn't all of my hubby's shirts make a WONDERFUL scrappy log cabin quilt??!!!

FUNGLY QUILT...?????

Here is my "Blanket of Flowers" kit I picked up last week. The quilt in the instructions used stark white for the star/pineapple shapes. I thought it looked too harsh so I softened it with this light cream. I kinda like these 16 inch squares ( well..sorta ) they cover a larger area so I feel like I'm making better head way. This is supposed to be queen size, but I'm thinking I'll probable use it on our king bed. It really is sorta striking all finished and quilted.....really....well, I thought so. Don't you think it kinda fits into the "Fungly" challenge Tonya presented to us? I would like to make this again and reduce the size of the squares.

I try really hard on my "REAL" quilts to make everything match up, but as you can see EVERY square seems to have some problem or another....( put you're hands over your ears Tonya while I complain about this )! What do most of you do about this?? Do you square up and then sew them together. The other quilt tops I have done were smaller squares and I didn't have much of this. I need to get me a seam guide attachment as well, I think this would help. But I have never been clear on how to square up. How do you determine the center of the square to start with ....without alot of measuring?

Here is another one.....Some of these "problems" are 1/8 to 1/4 off. All my other points match up ok. Is this where some of the fabrics give a little? I have a really great DVD of a great quilter/fabric designer that forcefully says if you sew it right you shouldn't have to square up......OH REALLY......well, I sewed it right!! I mean we're talking about a gal here whose bath towels and wash rags are all facing the same direction. ( Well, not so much anymore...I'm really trying to work on this ). One day I just took my newly laundered towels...wadded them up and just SHOVED them into the cabinet.....It felt really good!

Here are some of the neutral fabrics I picked up last week when I went to the quilt shop. I love their soft, yet whimsical attitude. I love how fabrics seem to have attitudes.....some are dark and looming, serious. Some are VERY chic. Others are silly and fun.......there are some that look like they could just stand up and put soft, cuddly arms around you. Some wild and loud and just seem to DARE you!

I'm going to get back to my quilting and stop showing my craziness about my fabrics. Have a good day!

Making Fabric

I dumped out some of my crumbs the other day and sorta played around. Thanks Bonnie for sharing about crumbs. It's amazing how cute your pieces are when they are all sewn up together! I like to call it make fabric. Yes, by sewing all these tiny pieces together you can make fabric! You can design it any way you like by what colors and designs you put together!!

I discovered a way to press these little short seams without needing my bulky iron. Several months back I bought one of those little Clover irons. I also bought the larger pressing attachment but haven't put it on yet. Anyway, in my scraps I found two squares ....one of flannel and the other is that warm and natural batting type. I put the two together and I leave it right here in front of me and when I need to press... my little ironing board is right here handy!! Since I am working with such small pieces my mini ironing board doesn't get in my way.

I just keep the Clover iron right at the side on it's stand and it's very handy when pressing time comes. I have one of those June Taylor pressing/cutting mats, but where I have to put it I have to kind of stretch across to use it and then whatever gets caught on my arm sleeve gets raked off onto the floor and THEN I have to BEND OVER to retrieve it. I decided this was entirely too much activity and movement to be going on around my sewing!! I mean...it's bad enough when I have to go all the way back downstairs to get another cup of coffee!! But then again I have discovered that when I sit too long in my chair and then when I NEED to get up I have difficulty standing or walking very good!! SO..I can't win for losing!!!

Here is some of my made fabric pieces shaping up nicely. I've made some pieces large enough to sew up some potholders but I was thinking about pulling out all the pastels and polka dots and doing a baby size quilt. It's always been fun for me to make something basically out of nothing. See if you can too.....DO YOUR OWN THING!!!! Go 'make fabric'....it's sooo inspiring!!!

I Went Shopping....

Yes... I left "the homestead" and went shopping! Straight to the fabric store as usual. My boxy star quilt top needs to be finished and I just haven't been satisfied with any of the fabrics I have here...so, darn....this means a trip to the fabric store. This is "a few" of my selections. The orange is for an "Orange Crush" quilt I hope to do soon. I also selected alot of lights and neutrals of which I had very little of in my stash. The fabric I ended up selecting for the Boxy Star quilt will NOT be what I will be using after all. The lady in the quilt store was nice and tried to be helpful, but someone else can't select for you or see what you have in your mind. After I got home and layed it out I knew it wasn't right ( I really knew it when I bought it ). I've since figured it out BUT as usual I don't have enough of the color...so back to the fabric store I go. The closest store for me is 45 miles away....so this can be a chore everytime you need something!

Here is the startings of my new project. This particular quilt was hung up in the quilt shop and I was just really taken by it. So happens they had one kit left. I'm not much on buying kits. I usually just do my own thing, but I thought this would be a nice change. It was already to go...pattern and fat quarters....no decisions on my part, and since we have been having thunderstorms off and on and I keep unplugging my machine I have been cutting away at all of these pieces and parts and parts and pieces. I have never really stopped to think of how many pieces there are in a quilt, but I was amazed that I've cut 500 so far! WOW!

Here are a couple of the squares I managed to get sewed up between thunderstorms. They are large squares-16 inch. Sews up pretty fast too! This design is out of the Quiltmaker magazine, I think in 2006......it's older.....but that's about par for me. I'm always a little behind and trying to catch up, but you know what....who cares.....I'm not running a race with anyone ( well maybe with Nanette - I swear she is running a quilting sweat shop - that gal can turn 'em out ).

Yes and I am following Bonnie and Tonya's suggestions about scooting over another 1/4 seam and stitching again and then cutting between the seams and saving what you cut off to use in another project. By doing this you are sewing two projects at the same time. I'm gaining 16 extra little squares from each large square I sew on my main project. I feel very efficient when I do this. A great tip! Oh and before I forget go by and visit at Fran's blog. She is a newbie AND an excellent quilter!

I see that the horizon is getting dark and looming with more thunderstorms coming. We are soooo thankful for the much needed 2 inches we got last night. Hubby is so excited to get to cut off the costly irrigation wells on the crops. You gals would faint if you knew how much our electric and gas bills were each month to run these well motors.....try 1200.00 A DAY!!!! You do the math!! Just think what I could do with that in the quilt shop!!!

I'm gonna go now and try to get some more squares sewed up before the lightning starts again!!!

THUNDERSTORMS!!

Hi everybody....I'm going to post this quick. We have been and are going to continue to have thunderstorms....needless to say we ALWAYS unplugg everything. That means this computer and especially my sewing machine. We have a rural electric service so there are lots of power surges during even mild showers. Can cause lots of damage to my household items. So...that is why I'm not around to post or visit in blogland. I'm cutting out a new quilt since I can't sew. Sorry.....gotta go and get things unplugged. See you soon!!!!

Look What I Found!!!

I was digging in an upstairs closet the other day and found this with a stack of pictures leaning together facing the wall. On the back I have written 1991. Years ago I cross-stitched constantly. I remember how difficult this one became. This was done on a cream linen using one thread. Even with one thread it became thick and hard to get the needle in an out. There is a matching design that goes with this that I started long ago and have not finished. I don't think my eyes could handle the smallness of it now. Maybe I should give it a try anyway!

This closeup view will give you some kind of idea as to how small the stitching really is! I'm glad I found it......I'm going to find a really nice place for it in my sewing room!

I also found this!! During my refrigerator/ freezer calamity I found this out in the garage ( our garage is not attached to our house...it's like a little stucco building at the edge of the yard..more of a storage house than a garage, and this is where my freeze is) anyway, I found this down in the bottom of an aluminum trash can that was shoved over in a corner. These trash cans are great for storage because bugs and mice and such can't get into them. You can imagine my surprise when I found it. I had forgotten all about it. This project is about 23 yrs. old. I started this after I stopped working ( for someone else that is). I faintly remember saying..."When I quit work I'm going to make me a quilt." I can't remember why that seemed to be such an important thing to start with when I quit work???? I don't remember how or why I used this layout. I don't remember how I even knew how to start a quilt. I don't remember any of these fabrics. Mostly in a fog over this one!!!

I can see the quilt police running and screaming as they pull on their hair!!!! Believe it or not, I also started hand quilting it. It's about 1/3rd quilted..that is if I only leave it very plain and just quilt around the squares one time. AND LOOK at how GOOD I matched my seams. I probable didn't know they were supposed to match!! I think it became too hot to keep quilting on it is the reason it got put up, and I never thought of it again!! This is soooo amusing to me and I love it!!

You gals need to run over and visit Tonya and have a look-see at Fran's sleepover quilt. Fran doesn't have a blog, but she sure is a SUPER quilter!! Nanette and Nedra have posted some good pictures of some quilt shows they have been to as well.

I made an executive decision Sunday and determined the pears are not ready yet, so maybe I have some sewing time until this next weekend. I have been sewing and playing with my "crumbs". I have also tried my hand at some "maverick stars". They didn't turn out too well, I'm learning what not to do on these. My fabric colors were not in contrast enough.......so, I probable have some more new potholders!!

Garden in Full Swing...

Yes.....I have been whining around this week. My garden is at full peek, full capacity and over-flowing. I have done nothing the last 2 days but shell blackeyed peas. I just put up enough to eat on a few months during the winter.
Here is a BLACKEYED PEA TIP: I shell my peas and dump them all in a pillowcase and put them in the freezer. As you need them just scoop out what you need. DO NOT WASH them before you put them in the pillowcase, just wash before you cook. I used to put them all up in ziploc bags and they seemed to form ice and become freezer burned, and alot got thrown out. My hubbies dad is in his 80's and also still maintains his own large garden . He is the one who gave me this tip. I was a little unsure about this, so one summer I tried this with a small amount AND IT WORKED!! I've been doing this now for years. No ice formations or freezer burn. It's like they have been freeze-dried or something. Try a few this year and see what you think.

So....with all this said.....It seems I must go and earn my keep and get amoungst the okra!!

More Potholders

Have you ever heard a chicken "moo"? Well I have......here in Texas. We hear it all the time......no really.......... we do!!!

CUTE Notebook Cover

Last Monday Fons & Porter had another cute idea.....this quilted notebook cover. They used a fabric that was already quilted. Pre-quilted would sure make the project go alot faster, but I used this opportunity to practice my free motion . There were several times during this step that I was thinking "WOE----hold her head up--she smells alfalpha"!! I was afraid I was going to sew through my finger!!

I was amazed the free motion step went fairly quick. I monogramed Shaylee's name on the pencil pocket and then basted all the pieces together to get ready for the binding.

Here is how the inside looks finished. The binding was kind of a chore for me. I haven't done any in a while and I've not yet mastered my bias binder attachment . I always have to sew over the small rounded edges again to catch part of it underneath. Oh well, practice makes perfect....and besides, Shaylee won't mind one bit!!!

Here it is all finished. The closure is supposed to be velcro. They used the stick on kind, but the velcro circles I had on hand didn't stick very well. What I had may have been too old, so I will have to see what they have at the fabric store. I really liked this project and plan on making some more. Like I said, if you had the pre-quilted fabric this would sew up really fast!!