Thursday

Sara and I made Sea Glass candy the other night, I love hard candy! We decided the mint was our favorite. We made orange, lemon, mint and raspberry. It's a start to our Christmas cooking for gifts.

Just as I finished the last batch of candy Josh came home from work so we decided to color his hair. Hehehehe it's for the school play.......he plays a goth kid. It looks better than I expected except for the brown tail he has in the back.....oops! The first contest was Tuesday and they got 4th, not bad for a new coach and new bunch of kids. One of the guys got best actor award, Congrats Jordan!

I finished Brad's quilt today, it looks better in the pic than it does in real life..........

My Grandma had the blocks made for my Mom originally, Mom's favorite color is green but the three greens used in the blocks is awful together. I have to thank Margie for helping Mom pick border fabric that matches, (quilt shop owners are awesome when asked for help) Mom got the center set together and I put borders on it and got it quilted. Brad is the lucky boy who is getting this quilt, his favorite color is green, darker the better. One of Grandma's quilts down, three to go........

Quilting?

I did get a little quilting in tonight, Sara and I went to the studio after dinner and I got a tabletopper, wallhang and throw done for a customer. I also quilted Brad's quilt from Mom and Grandma(not sure I want to take a pic of it, my mom was right when she said it was ugly.....) I will finish the binding on it at work Thursday. I have a full day of hauling beans tomorrow so I'm taking a small crochet project along for the waiting time while loading. ok off to bed!

Wild Saturday Night

My Brother-in-law is moving to Nebraska, his friend Joe helped him move this weekend and brought this sweet girl along for the ride. Ripley is well behaved and loves everyone. She also likes to wear sweaters so I gave her the candy corn sweater I made last month. (it was to big for Sadie) I added a draw string around the bottom so it didn't gap around her belly and it was sooooooo cute! Joe was very patient and understanding about me and Sara dressing his dog! (she ended the night setting on Kevin's lap)

Andrew and Sara played with playdoh they found in Brad's room, he's been hoarding it awhile I think, after them arguing over the two cans they finally made more. They stole Josh's pizza cutter he got from work (thanks Hotstuff) then I gave them the meat mallet, and finally the cookie cutters came out. At 11:00 I finally made them clean up and go to bed. So the doh is in bags and the tools are in the dishwasher, everything will be ready for Sunday morning play!

Andrew lost his first tooth this week so he's showing off the gap a lot!

I taught a hot pad class at the quilt shop today, it went well and we had a lot of fun. I am still working on fleece throws for my little kids Christmas presents, 1 is actually totally finished.....only a dozen or two to go.........work tomorrow at the bar then the rest of the week is mine. (or so I think)

Quilt Group Christmas

Left: Sandie, Jennie, Anita, Wanda Right: Edna, Linda, Janie, Luanne, and Maxine. Missing is Linda (who is babysitting grandkids) and Mom (who is riding out a hurricane in Florida)

The Orchard Quilters always have a party out in November for Christmas. This year it was at the Blarney Stone in O'Neill Nebraska (Irish Capital of Nebraska) The food was fantastic!!! My Tequila Lime Chicken was fantastic and the French Onion soup was great, and my salad looked so pretty I had to take a pic. I feel like a stuffed toad as I write this because I ate everything and enjoyed it all! The last pic is all the little gifty's we gave each other, I did hotpads and pickle relish,(top left in pic) Mom made everyone address books and Luanne made the cutest wrapped decoration (top right in pic) it's toilet paper wrapped in fabric with a flower and ornament. The note was the best part of it, the last line was "and you all know what you can do with the Angelsoft" I loved the soap wrapped as a piece of candy too, I'm going to set it in the bathroom and see which of my kids open it first, won't they be surprised when they find soap! In fact most of this will decorate my bathroom this year! I have snowmen planned in blues and greens with a splash of red and everything I got tonight will look soooooo cute! It really was a nice evening out with fun ladies!

Dog quilts

I decided to make my cousin Mike and his kids a couple of quilts. These will be the first quilts I've ever sent to him. (if you didn't get married or have babies you have been out of luck on the quilt receiving end) I wanted something fun and useful for the kids but not to fancy that he wouldn't let them use them so this is what I came up with. The first 3 pic's are my process, the last two are what the finished quilts look like. I hope the kids like them and they don't clash with Mike's house to much. Someday I hope to get a quilt for Mike done but until then the kids come first!

Not sure why Mondays are so ughhhh around here, I think I try to cram to much into the weekend so by Monday I'm beat. I am in the process of making Christmas presents and a little quilting on the side. My crochet has been keeping me company a lot lately too. I have made a hat/scarf for charity, 3 scrubby/dishcloth combo's and a bunch of granny square centers in blue, with a few white added yesterday. I also have a scarf started for ME with a hat or two planned. (that depends on how much yarn is left) Kev took me to Lincoln on Friday, I hit 4 quilt shops and a yarn shop in 4 hours! Ok I spent a little money too, oh it was fun!!! I think I will get moving and go play with my new fabric..................

I should be doing housework today and quilting but there is no motivation in me........

Cyclones

I started a scarf project tonight, 3 down, 12 to go.........think I will take orders at the craft show on Saturday, I've run out of time! The scarves are wool ends I bought at Pennelton Woolen Mills in Bellvue quite awhile ago, another of those grand ideas for presents. I work tomorrow day at the quilt shop, the night at the bar and the show is Saturday morning......ugh! (wish I was packed for it)

Here's my little football supporter's leaving for the game, they had a good time even though the football team lost..........Sara came home running a fever and Brad slept on the bus so he's just now heading to bed. I hope Sara is feeling better tomorrow, my luck she brought home a bug and I'll be the one sick.

1. 6 baby bibs
2. 2 baby quilts
3. 7 handbags

these are the things I finished at work today, I have hot pads almost done for a party in November at the shop(we're making a variety at a sew in) and 5 more handbags to line and sew straps and closures on. I am happiest at work when I can make samples and plan classes.

Ok I'm off to bed, it's gonna be a long weekend so don't look for me till next week.........

whats going on

Not much going on here today, it drizzled some and started raining tonight. I felt a little strange all day so spent part of it in bed. Played tag with the kids after school and made two trips to town...ugh! Spent tonight setting up my computer and embroidery machine, had to clean off the table in the family room, my yarn took it over for awhile. Kev told me to finish a few projects, I told him they were for his next wife to finish......he then told me he needs to find a girlfriend to finish a few of them.......I almost jumped for joy! I would love crafty company(don't think he had crafting in mind when he mentioned a girlfriend though) well anyway I think I will start something new just to aggravate him!
I finished Sara's hat and did a little football with the name Cyclones under it on one of my old black T-shirts for her to wear tomorrow, Brad is also going but he bought a $40 sweatshirt so no need to make him anything fancy to wear. I am going to try to snap a pic in the morning of them but who knows if I will remember........mornings are not my best time!
I work at the quilt shop the next two days and help set up for the craft show tomorrow night, I am looking forward to the show, just wish I had more projects finished. Oh well I will take what I have done and hope for the best.

Josh's B-day

I whipped up this cute kid's Christmas quilt this week, loved the bright colors and it's flannel so it's warm and snugly. I will do the binding by machine sometime this week before the craft show on Saturday. I'm just in finish mode now for the show, no starting new things........

This baby quilt feels soooo goooood! It's flannel with blocks of chenille. Love the texture and it's big at 45x60. I am thinking about making one for myself twice this size cause I like it that much. (only in pink) I did a machine binding and have it all done and ready to go.

I made these for a sample at work of a panel we have for sale. I'm planning on bringing them home just before Christmas and surprising the kids with them on Christmas morning. I know it will be a surprise because they all think I'm a dork for having a blog....

Just want to say Happy B-day to Josh, he's 17...........wow.........Josh collects dice so Sara and I thought he would love these sunglasses, he did! I also got him two new pets, meet EEEKKK and MEEEEKKK. (I named them, he will change the names I'm sure, something to do with names of epic leaders from history)

We finished picking soybeans today, hooray!!!!! I have a load on the truck and some on the wagon, it didn't all fit in the bin. It's supposed to start raining again after midnight so getting them done was such a good feeling. If it don't rain I will deliver to town and spend the day sewing tomorrow, I'm looking forward to having the day to finish a few things up. I did finish Sara's green scarf, a lot of it in the truck waiting to dump beans and she fringed it while watching T.V. tonight. I started a new hat for her to match it but my shoulder is starting to hurt so maybe tomorrow. The football team is going to State Playoffs and she's going to watch, it's a 4-5 hour bus ride away Thursday, Sara wanted something to wear in team colors so I gave her the scarf early. If I remember I will snap a pick of her in them. (felt bad because we missed the deadline to order t-shirts so maybe a scarf will make up for it)

THIRD SNOW!!!!!

I can't believe it's snowing again and it's not even the end of October. I think it's going to be a long winter! I'd like to say I love snow but the older I get the less I like it, I hear that from a lot of people around here.........I'm not the only one. This was the drive home between my house and Mom's, I should of taken the oil road and saved myself a little 4 wheel drive time. My red truck is half brown with mud and slush. (ok I don't mind a little mess but when it's splashing over the top of the truck it's a bit much)

Just a few place mats I made for work,

Halloween table runner at work.....

Table runner made with McKenna Ryan fabrics.......love this!!!

Busy weekend

It was a busy weekend for all of us around here. I worked at the quilt shop and the bar both Friday day/night and Saturday day/night then I helped haul beans to town yesterday. Today I am hauling beans again before the rain tonight. I hope the weather forecast is wrong but the way our luck goes it will rain buckets! While I wait for the truck to fill I crochet in the truck or I come home and try to do a little housework. Laundry and dishes seem to keep me busy! I was going to show off a few things I have sewn lately but my purse and camera are in the truck in the field........tomorrow I work at the quilt shop and have class that night, then again Friday and Saturday. It's a busy time of the year!

Second Snow

Can you believe we have had two snows and freezing rain already! I'm not ready for winter......not that winter cares if I'm ready or not. I woke up this morning and had Sammy and an outside cat laying in bed with me, I know winters coming when Fluffy Cat wants inside. The guys have been cutting wood but we've been using it to so I hope the pile gets bigger before the cold really hits hard.

I'm going to visit Kristin today and deliver a truck full of junk for her play. I'm looking forward to watching the practice and the process of the whole thing. Oh and I'm taking her to dinner too.

Sorted stuff in my studio yesterday and quilted a bit, also got Mom's computer shipped to her in Florida, still have two more boxes to go.........

First Snow

We got our first snow on Friday night/Saturday morning. By the time I thought of taking a pic it was already melting. My MIL said this was only the second time in 53 years it had snowed on her B-day.

Kristin came home to find stuff for her play, she is the Prop Master! (me, Josh, Sara and Skylar played Prop Crew for the morning) We found some great stuff for the play that is set in 1937, I am really excited to see it all pulled together in November. I have to deliver the junk Thursday due to my truck needing a new thermostat.....can't send her with the truck overheating.

Brad, Sara and Andrew made fire starters for the wood stoves. Newspaper, dried pods off the locust tree's and dryer lint all held together with a little wax. They worked great as I tried them out this morning! I love to take pic's of them working together, it makes me smile every time they do it without the sarcastic arguing that teenagers are famous for.

Everyone in the house gave me stress for saving the dryer lint.........

whats going on

I helped Kev pick beans last Friday before work. I also quilted a sample quilt for work in between loads. I LOVE these 1930 Aunt Gracie prints! The quilt is 48x52 and it went together really fast. I always wanted to do a tumbler quilt and this was a good starting point, makes me want to do a big quilt next. We have 5 kits ready to go at Quilters Candy Shoppe as soon as I go to work tomorrow or Friday. (Might work tomorrow, don't know yet) Hey did you notice I didn't stipple the quilt, I did wavy lines and then re pinned the quilt and did lines the other way, it was fun and something different for me.

Friday

Not much going on today, just a little housecleaning.......ugh! I have a few things to quilt for samples at work, will show them off when finished. Getting stuff ready for the Orchard Craft Show on Oct. 31 guess I'm going to have a table by my SIL 's table. I have lots of hot pads and purses ready, and quite a few baby quilts. I don't usually sell much but it's local and supports the community and my FCE group is hosting it so I will be there anyway.
I have been working on a spiral scarf the past few nights, wow does it take a loooooooooong time, I could of had 4 regular scarves made in the time it's taken to do this one. I am half way done with the last row, you can bet I'm gonna show pic's when it's done! I think I will go back to purses...........instant gratification!
I don't know if I work this weekend at the bar, that will cut down on my sewing time if I do.....be back sometime with pic's.........

Last weekend

Last weekend I met my brother Kelsey at my Grandma Allen's house in Co. Bluffs. The house has been sold and everything moved out, we just had to pick up a few things....I have a truck full of sewing stuff, a slate coffee table that Kristin wanted and a sewing desk that will be Sara's as soon as I make room for it in my studio. Kelsey remodeled her bathroom about 2 years ago so I thought I should show off his wonderful carpentry skills. He put in the floor, new high rise toilet, walk in shower and built shelves next to it and in the other corner is a new medicine cabinet and small sink. He did it so she could get her walker into the bathroom and still close the door. (yes my Grandma loved bright colors and butterflies.

I love this house and will miss it a lot, it was strange seeing it empty after very little changing my whole life. I will miss this dining room and all the stuff the china hutch held, I did bring home a lot of the mismatched glassware so Sara and I are going to do tablescapes and enjoy the heck out of the stuff! I also found her favorite pine cone tablecloth so as soon as my round table gets home I am going to do a setting with Kristin's dishes(she got the glazed brown set Grandma rarely used. ) My Grandma was very giving and anything I ever wanted she already gave me before she died. I will miss having a home away from home with her the most.

Sara and I had a great time with Kristin Saturday. She took us to see the children's play The Junglebook. She was on the light crew. I am impressed with college plays!!! She is the new Prop Master for the play coming up in November so we are gathering props for a 1930's rural poverty stricken set. She is going to shop at my house first and the farm second. Hopefully she can find stuff around here and keep the cost down for the school. I think we can find most of it except a wood stove and a stuffed rabbit that they can butcher every night........

We did a little shopping and Sara and I stayed in Sioux City at a motel, I was worn out and in no shape to drive so we crashed early, Sara was up before 7a.m. so she could swim in the pool and I got a little more rest.

This is the pile of quilts I delivered to Jay in Fremont. He has a project to take quilts to a nursing home for homeless veterans in Western Nebraska. I think that's an awesome thing to do and I'm glad I could help. I'm hoping to do a few more but the way things go around here it might be awhile.

I am on my way out to the studio now, things I brought home from this weekend got shoved in willy nilly due to them getting wet from the rain when I got home so Kev and Mile came out and helped get it out of the truck. I appreciated the help after such a long and stressful day. Sooooo off to sort and shuffle............................

whats going on part 2

I put this tractor quilt together awhile back knowing I would need a few gifts, if I ever get binding on it and make the matching burp cloth I have planned it will be ready for a new baby....yes I have one in mind who is due this winter, his grandpa would love a tractor baby quilt. Not gonna say who it's for because I have been know to change my mind and give a totally different gift after the baby is born.

This is #4 on my list from the last post, Linda's quilt. She is giving it to a granddaughter for her B-day.

This is #1 from my list, customer quilt. Now all I have to do is get it delivered!

I took a bit of time off from the studio to watch afternoon TV and take a shower, now it's time to finish dinner and head back to the studio.

whats going on today

Not much is going on today around here, two of the kids are home sick with headaches. I wouldn't be surprised if we all had a touch of something going around. Kev is getting ready to pick beans, he don't need my help yet so I'm going to mess around at home and be ready for a call to the field. I have a lot of quilting to do so after starting laundry and dishes I'm heading out to the studio. I think I need to make a list, write it down and keep myself accountable so here it goes...

1. customer baby quilt
2. Roseann's wallhanging #1 and #2
3. Roseann's flannel quilt
4. Linda's quilt
5. Maxine's quilts
6. Anna's B-day present(her B-day is in December)
7. Turning Twenty Sample
8. finish crochet purses

I also need to clean my studio so I can get something done out there, it's always the last thing I want to do so it NEVER gets done..........oh well.....

I work Thursday and Friday this week, and Friday night. Saturday I'm taking Sara to see Kristin and watch the children's play she has been working on. Sunday I head to Co. Bluffs, so today is it for home stuff. OK off I go..........

Sunday work

Spent the day getting ready for Fall, this is all the wood we had from last year. It's time to start cutting and stacking again. We have 3 wood stoves at our house and Mike and Lisa have 1 so there is alot of wood to be cut around here.

The guys moved both chicken houses and the new Bee shed. I gave all my rabbits to Kelsey and Helena so after they loaded up all the cages they set the chicken houses where the cages used to be behind the house. Sara is thrilled the rabbits are gone, she is tired of taking care of them.

And last but not least the swing set has found a new home! I am happy to have it out of the yard after 17 years of moving it around. I wonder if Kristin will notice it's gone.......

No quilting around here lately, just some sewing at work. I am getting behind so this week will be catch up in the studio. Now that I found my camera again maybe I'll remember to post some pics....

Summer's end

Summer is ending, Autumn is in the air today. The fields are turning gold and brown, harvest is starting this week and there is a chill in the air. I love this time of year, love to see the changes in the fields and love to snuggle into a sweater. I am going to miss my sandals(ok I wear them till November usually) and sleeping on the porch in the hammock during thunderstorms at night.
I am not looking forward to hauling beans this year, heck I still have 3 loads of corn to take to town this week!
I am looking forward to having my kitchen cleaned up and canning supplies put away for the year, after 3 buckets of cucumbers today I might be able to do that....
I am also looking forward to finishing up a few Christmas presents I have started, once I get pic's I will show them off here.
I am also looking forward to finally finishing my bedroom, I know I should of had it done two weeks ago but life got in the way...again! I am working on closets today and laundry, ugh!
I am teaching a Turning Twenty workshop next Saturday at work, it's an easy sewing day with tips on how to pick fabric's and how to chain everything so it goes quick! I have two samples made and I love making them because of the different fabrics and speed!
Well I'm gonna get busy..........

not much going on here

Not much going on here right now, pretty boring actually...I did get a few things quilted this week, no pic's yet. I counted my Project Pink quilts for Heartstrings Yahoo Group and I have 5 left to quilt in various stages of completion. I think I'm going to take them to my quilt group and get a little help finishing them up. I really want them done before October is over!
I am taking quilt frames to Neligh for a show, so if your in Northeast Ne. check it out on Saturday at the Legion Club.
I work Friday and Saturday at the quilt shop, looking forward to that, I miss not being there more than once a week now.....
Kev is taking me away Saturday afternoon, no idea where, just away......he said since we didn't go away for Valentines, our anniversary or anywhere this summer it was time to run off. Heck I didn't think he kept track of holidays or special days, what a softy under that grumpy shell.
I worked on my bedroom yesterday, moving furniture, dusting, sorting. I'm shocked on how much dirt those two dogs bring in!!! I have closets to do yet and hang all my stuff back on the walls. (the Goodwill pile is getting bigger) I have had a problem with the way I wanted it to look for the last year in there so I never finished it. (to much HGTV) I have now decided to make it comfy and use my favorite stuff in there, no showcase room for me! So I have a basket for magazines and books beside my bed, a good reading lamp and a large TV! I am going to hang my wedding pic's on the wall and my old mirror that I want to edge with seashells since the frame got busted up. I will add my grandma's shells to some candle holders left over from graduation decorations for in there too. I piled all my quilts in a basket and set my throw pillows on top of them in a corner, that way I can enjoy the quilts and if I ever want those pillows on the bed they are close and easy to reach. The only thing about moving my room around is that Sadie wouldn't sleep on my side of the room last night, she slept on Kev's side(on his pants he left beside the bed) not sure she's really happy that I threw her favorite pillow away and gave her a clean one.
So today I go set quilt frames and work on closets in my room.............

just a little sewing

I have done a little sewing in the last few weeks, but with my binding fairy AWOL not to much is getting totally finished. I did get the quilt that May from Heartstrings sent me for charity quilted. I am making the small quilt into a pillow to match the quilt. I love scrappy quilts!

I started this baby quilt a year and a half ago, it's ready for binding also.

I made this baby quilt out of flannel so it's nice and cozy, no binding here either.............

AND tonight I whipped up these fun pillows for Josh, his B-day is the end of October. I quilted the front (dice side) and the back is minky. I bought the pillows at the Goodwill, they were brand new in the plastic so I snatched them up thinking they would be good for Kristin's dorm but when I found the dice fabric they quickly got turned into Josh pillows. They will look great on his couch downstairs and comfy to nap on also.

I got 3 customer quilts quilted today also, think Christmas!!! ugh!!!

Surprise

Last weekend we weaned our colt Surprise. (yes everyone but me hates his name....I call him Baby Surprise!!!) Kev got the halter on him and leads him around the yard everyday, he is in a little pen in my in-laws yard right now. I go check on him and pet him at least twice a day and Kev messes with him after work. I think he's gonna be a sweetheart when he gets over being mad....he wants his mommy!