two posts in one day...

Kristin turns 20 tomorrow.........hope she likes Orange cake with butter cream frosting.

Austin is staying for a few days so I put him and Brad to work. Here they are painting Brad's bed frame. Two cans of spray paint and they need two more.

They are sleeping here tonight...........

Here's Austin starting to dig the fire pit, I sent marsh mellows out. Not to worried about the fire, it rained last night.

Looks like they are ready to camp.......hehehe.........in the back yard, if you look closely you can see my roof in the top left corner of this pic. Sara is spending the week at Dawn's with her daughter Rachel. Thursday we trade kids back. I enjoy having Austin around, keeps Brad busy!

Long week...

Kristin is working on her T-Shirt quilt, she found a bunch of leftover quilt blocks and pieces to put it together with. I can tell her what some of them are from....the gold and green floral was a quilt I did for Dad and Paula, the Tye-dyed fabric was Ashlee's, the 30's print Hole in the Barn Door blocks were from a Row by Row swap with the State Quilt Guild, cat fabric from blocks I did for an exchange and the old blocks I bought at a garage sale. She has sooooooooo many T-shirts, this is just her favorites.

Patches was her little helper.....what a cutie!

I started this little project today after I found a fridge stand for Kristin's mini fridge. She also mentioned making square shelves (easier to buy at the thrift store) well anyway brown is boring so I dug around and found a dictionary in Brad's discarded books....leftover from 6th grade.
I tried to get it all done before Kristin came home but no such luck so I let her do the shelves.
Kristin has a roommate this year so space is at a premium in their room. I think her bright colored accessories will look good with her bookish shelves.

It's been a long month around here, my father in law is in the hospital. He had a heart attack but wouldn't go to the doctor until he was so bad he didn't even know what time of day it was.(lack of oxygen) it was touch and go for awhile, he was just getting to the point of bringing him home when he climbed out of bed and broke his hip. So off to Norfolk to have it fixed, they weren't sure he would survive surgery but that went well and he is recovering slowly. It will be awhile before he comes home yet so it's going to be another long month....

fridays sewing

This is a repeat...........made the first one almost a year ago, sold it at Christmas. I still had 5 kits made up so today was the day to finally make another sample. You can find the pattern on Moda Bake Shop. Not going to quilt it for awhile, we will see how the kit sells without quilting. I love 30's prints.

I finally finished the Matchless Star sample quilt. (the second sample) This is another I will quilt at a later time. I have my first sample done and waiting for quilting, maybe this next week if things settle down. I only have one corner that I'm unhappy with but it's staying in now, the more I rip with this quilt the wonkier it gets, love all that bias.....

I have a plan for another one of these quilts but the way my summer is going it will be 2011 before I even get a chance to gather the fabric and remember where I put the pattern!
It's been a long day with the quilt shop then working the bar....think I'm settled down enough now to get some sleep......

My weekend

Friday at work I finished two quilt tops! I used our 5 yd quilt top patterns, I love the top quilt, the pinks are wonderful, the pic is terrible, sorry.....

This fun quilt is Newton the Sheep. I think it's fun and kind of sweet. I finished them and threw them over a rocking chair for display just before closing.

This bridge is just west of Ewing on the Elkhorn River. The bridge is standing but the road is gone, the river changed channels and left the bridge standing high and dry. Sara is sitting on the end of the bridge, gonna be awhile before they get this one fixed!

Thursday

I painted a frog. Drew and painted a frog. I asked Kristin for a frog picture two years ago when I remodeled the bathroom. She never had time so today while she was painting I joined her and painted my own frog. Now to find a frame.......

Kristin was working on her London England picture we found at Hobby Lobby in the clearance isle. It was really boring according to her so she livened it up with her own funky style. She is definitely a color gal! It was fun spending the afternoon being artsy.

4th of July

Family was here for a picnic, the kids played games.........and so did Flatty Katty.

Flatty Katty also played the part of Josh's parrot....the food was good and I know everyone had a great time, I ate and went to work, they enjoyed a movie, games, made cookies and played with fireworks.

This is Transportation by Michael Miller. It's on display at Quilters Candy Shoppe. I made up a few kits and when I bring it home I will make pillowcases to match with the leftover fabrics. (or throw pillows)

This is my 1st 5yd quilt. Stupid me had to pick one that is put together like a big puzzle, block by block. The fabric I used was Seasons with Norton, he's a little sheep who is rollerskating or ice skating thru the seasons. I think it's cute and I hope somebody else does and the sample sells the rest of the fabric.

The Country Market is this afternoon, Sara and I are planning to attend. I made cherry sauce and jam this week and today Sara made Chex Mix and Puppy Chow. Ok I better get moving........4:00p.m. will be here before I know it!

A finish

Flatty Katty enjoyed my latest finish. I started this afghan a few years ago, only had a skein left to put on so tonight while watching TV I finished it. I am going to put this one away in a box labeled for my future grand babies. Now don't anyone get excited.......no babies happening around here....I just know how fast time flies and I want to have something handmade for them to enjoy. I also am really slow at finishing afghans, if I want to have one done for each of my kid's babies I need to work on them once in awhile.

We named this little white kitty Flat Kat, or Flatty Katty as I call her, she is flat.....well her ribs are flat. More like a humans than the round shape like an animal. We think she got layed on when she was born, not sure but she seems to be healthy and she sure is happy!

Sammy likes the kitties now that they are a bit bigger, him and Toulous (not sure of the spelling, the kids named him after a cat from the Aristocats movie) used Brad as a pillow.

I did a little cooking and a bit of cleaning today after I picked Sara up from camp, took a nap on the couch and enjoyed my day off. The 4th will be a picnic at my in laws and work at the bar in the evening.

Finally

I finally got my bedroom wall done.......well one anyway. The top pic is stuff from my Mom's that she didn't want anymore so I took the frames and put my wedding pic's in them. I had a mauve frame and a gold metal frame I replaced, also hung our engagement pic in the grouping. I decided my style is a bit more traditional/plain than glitzy/glam so I also got rid of the gold flowered frames. Just a few little changes and no money spent...(Sara helped me decide on the arrangement of the pic's)

Here's a pic of my yard stick shelves.....in progress.

This is what the guys have been doing this week, another two feet and it will be deep enough for the block layer to start the basement. I just think they wanted a reason to buy this new toy.......

Hats

I loved using the round knitting machine.....until I broke it.
These hats will be heading off to Ohio soon, they are all for charity. I am trying to clean out stuff around here with the girls helping and these might as well be out of here since I won't be doing any more until I replace my machine.
I have lots to do around here and plan to make the most of the week off of work, so that means naps and such....oh I mean cleaning and such!!! I am going to make my yard stick shelves today so maybe I can really get something done for a change instead of just planning to do it.

Sara's bed

I put Sara to work painting her new bed frame. I bought it almost 20 years ago on an auction in Orchard, some old guy I can't remember his name....bought the mattress and frame for $5. I needed a bed for Kristin's room at the time, I got tired of sleeping in the chair with her when she was a baby. Along the way the Kristin upgraded to her own twin bed and the mattress was disposed of and the frame went to the well house. Sara got tired of having a bunk bed in her room now that she don't have to share with anyone so we hauled it out and she slept on the floor for awhile. I got tired of seeing her room look like a tornado hit it with everything all over........(for some reason she wouldn't use her nightstand and piled everything on the floor beside her mattress) so out came the $5 bed frame and a can of spray paint.

Kristin helped her cut boards to fit the bottom of the bed, not sure we needed them but better to be safe than sorry. I teased Kristin that I sent her to college to learn to use power tools..........gotta love stage crew!

We put the twin size mattress under her bed, that way when she has friends or Andrew stays over there is a place to sleep, easy enough to pull out and she stuffed the extra pillows under there too. They gave me stress over my 20 year old sheets......said they were stretched out. Hmmmm so I got it at a garage sale, sounds like my girls are getting picky!

I think they have plans to watch movie's in here now.....

Sara wants me to mention a thanks to her Grandma Flicsha on here, she loves her new purple fuzzy blanket, in fact the girls have been fighting over it for the last two days while remaking this room. I also want to mention the quilts, both made by Grandma, they look fantastic in here and Sara is so proud of them. I am really happy that the girls have made such an effort to clean out and simplify their rooms, makes living in them so pleasant.

Where have I been?

Let me introduce the newest members of our family. Sadie has put us all thru a lot of stress today with the birth of these sweet little babes. Last night I was sure she was going to have her puppies.........well this morning I let her out after a short sleep night, she was a really wet dog when I left for work so I made her stay outside. Kristin called at 11a.m. no dogs in the house. She started looking for them, Sammy showed up but no Sadie. Didn't see her all day so I came home and started looking....we combed the woods and all the outbuildings. No dog. We gave up and hoped for the best...... I was out watching the chickens and heard whining.......under the chicken house! Brad came out with a flashlight and shovel and started digging, we could tell by the sounds that she had them under the far corner from where she went in. Brad and I dug a hole big enough for him to lay in to reach up under the house and pull them out. We have 5 alive out of 6. Sadie didn't come out until Brad pulled the last pup out then she peaked out from under the house and looked at me like I was the meanest woman on Earth! She is now living in a basket with her babies in my bathroom, I even had to give her a bath.......the babies were clean but she sure wasn't!! I am so glad we found her, none of them would of made it thru the night....the raccoons would of came home and ate them. (we do have one less coon thanks to Kev) soooooooooo if anyone is interested these pups will be ready for new homes in 6 to 8 weeks....

This is Don's house............supposed to be corn fields in front and behind..........now it's river. All the roads are closed, a lot of water running thru Nebraska right now. No telling what kind of damage we're going to find when the waters go down.

This is one of Sammy and Nicki's babies, she has 5, oh they are soooo cute! Shorkie's are so cute! They will be ready for new home's in a month or so, in the pic they are about 2 weeks old.

Country Market in Clearwater, gonna be there on Wednesday night from 5-8. I'm hoping to have a different jelly featured each week. Not sure they will have the market this week due to the flooding...........

Here's the gang taking a break from all the demo. The inside is gutted and now they are waiting for a basement to be dug and the house to be set. Someday my brother-in-law will have a home.

Well that's whats been going on the last two weeks or so around here, the girls are cleaning my studio.......more on that another time.

whats going on this week

Sara and I are making jelly! We made 46 jars today. Apple, Apple/cherry, White Grape(forgot to skim foam off the top and looks weird in jars we're keeping it for ourselves) Hawaiian Punch, and Mixed. This should be a good variety for the Country Market we are planning to attend on Wednesday nights thru the summer in Clearwater and Saturday mornings in Neligh. We also tried wine jelly....wow it's good! Blackberry Merlot and Cream Blush. I have 4 little jars of each, if they sell well I will make more, if not Brad will be happy! He had the Blackberry Merlot with peanut butter on toast...hehehe...I think it would be grand with cream cheese and crackers myself.

Sara helped me with a few herbs this week too. Spearmint, chives, sage and winter onions.

I have made her my little helper this year, not sure she's to thrilled but it's better than laying on the couch all summer.

Sadie got a haircut, now everyone is calling her "fat girl" just because without all the hair you can really tell she's expecting a litter of puppies. I let Sara cut Sammy's hair too without my help, poor boy....I can't show his pic for fear of being charged with animal cruelty! I have yet to "fix" his hair cut.

And last but not least the guys are trying to fix systems. No luck on this one.......Kelsey showed up and Kev put him to work! I stood on the ground and watched.

New Purse

I just finished my new purse. I love it!!! I just had to have some of the new sale room fabric in the black/brown color. I would like to thank my Mom for the beads.....yes Mom I have your box and I rummaged thru it until I found enough in the bottom of it. I would also like to thank my Aunt's for the black ribbon and elastic cord. (it was out of Grandma's sewing stuff.) I picked up the grommets at a yard sale and the button is from the thrift shop. I have another in the works with the leftovers from this one, it will be a bit different and I might do glass beads...not sure yet. OK I'm off to work, gonna take my new quilt magazine to look at and ignore the customers......hahaha OK I'll wait till they leave to look at it. Sunday's I usually sit there alone at least an hour at some point during the day/evening.

long week

This is my brother in law's house they moved in a few weeks ago, it's still sitting on blocks and rails waiting for the basement work to be done. He is going to live between us and my in laws. He didn't want anything to big or to much of a fixer, this little place could be move in ready pretty easily, he will of course remodel because that's what all the Trease men do.....slowly remodel. I know he has plans for a french door in the front and a wood stove in the living room. I think he has decided to take one bedroom and make it laundry and closet. (I think all closets should be walk in with the laundry in it) Or turn it into a master bath....can't remember now. Another bedroom will be an office.

It's been a long week around here...I've been very busy but I have nothing to show for it. I made a new purse Friday, when I finish it I will show it off. Did a few customer quilts...no pic's. Laundry and dishes...no progress to be seen there either. Kristin is in England. Intensive theater study program. I hope she's having a great time! Josh is at his friend's graduation in South Dakota this weekend. Brad had a party Friday night he attended, really had a good time. And Sara has had Kaylee here to hang out, Andrew joined them for the fun. School is done except for Brad and his semester tests.

And I worked the weekend.

Baby quilts

I love to make baby quilts..........it's my favorite quilted item. I picked up this sweet little print on Shop Hop, the blue quilt has the same print, different colorway as the green quilt above. It was a bit of a challenge to myself to see what I could do with 2 FQ's of the print.

Oh and who can resist a cute panel? I picked it up at Peaceful Pastimes in Norfolk Ne.

Sometimes its just fun to do quick and easy, it's been a long week and easy was almost to hard to handle......