The Good Ole Days..........

Do you ever long for the good ole days. I find myself longing for them quite often. I dream of sitting and quilting while listening to the radio. Kids playing quietly with toys that don't make their own noise pollution. Hubby sitting and doing some woodworking or repairing leather on a harness. Really doesn't make a difference what we would be doing, I think it is just that we would be doing it together. As a family, we do most things together. I think that way the kids grow up in situations that require good behavior even when they are bored. We have always taken the kids with us to events we attend when possible. I wonder if we had family resources if that would have still happened. I hear so many people saying that they won't go since they would have to take their kids. I think that is so sad, but goes to prove the fact that families tend to go in one thousand different directions.

Well sorry to stray off track, but back to the good ole days. I love hard work and the feeling of accomplishment when the day is ended. That feeling of I cannot do another thing without crashing, makes me appreciate all the things my grandparents had to do just to live. Think about cooking over a wood burning stove when it is 95 outside. Or putting in crops with a mule and hand plow. I am not sure I could have survived, but I think anyone can learn to do the things needed to get by.

I often try and keep some of the old traditions in place so that my kids have a fairly good work ethic in place when they grow older. We use a regular washer but from about March thru October I try and hang all of my laundry outside to dry. The children have "chores" even though they are only 6 and 3. These chores include picking up their rooms, making beds, helping in feeding chickens and the oldest is able to help with dusting and such. Every year I put out a garden and can the extras from that. Last year's garden was a bust, but most years we have veggies to last us all year. I have incorporated the kids in working in the garden with me and helping me with planting. This helps them to become excited about eating what they have grown and in turn helps them learn you reap what you sew.

Well enough of my sentimental rantings and on to the quilt stuff.

I had talked about a baby quilt I was asked to make for a little boy. Even posted that I had found material that I was going to use. Well those plans fell through since that material was only available on line and we do not have/use credit cards.

So on to plan B. With no local elephant material, I got the idea to applique elephants onto white backgrounds and go that route. I got the material on Tuesday and worked on them Thursday.

Here are pictures of the material I picked out and found the cutest white on white background material with bubbles on it.

Here is also a picture of the first semi completed block. He still needs eyes appliqued on.

Well I had better get busy doing something, even if I do it wrong!

Poof!

I see the sun!

Was wondering if the sun was going to show it's face around here anymore at all. Seems like weeks since we have seen it. But thanks to God's graces, I see it bright and shining today.

Every year I plant a garden and can the extra vegetables for use later in the winter. I usually plant a pretty good size one, because Mom and Dad also love the fresh veggies. I went out yesterday to look and see if I need to provide the tomato plants with snorkels and promptly sunk in my yard up to one ankle. We have had so much rain and I knew not to venture in the garden but even the yard is at it's max now. The tomato plants look like they have weathered the heavy rains, but the beans and peas have not sprouted and I am concerned that they are rotting in the ground. Only time will tell.

Well with all the rain, I worked yesterday on getting laundry caught up and searching for fabric for my commissioned baby quilts. I never thought that finding the perfect fabric would be so hard. The first quilt was requested to have elephants. I definately wanted something cute, but for a boy, also.



This is what I came up with and will use the bright red and bright blue as coordinating fabrics.

I also had time to work on a personal quilt that has been in progress for over a month now. I saw this pattern made up in a quilt and decided to try and make my own pattern for it. I was shocked to see that I can still draft things using graph paper. After making the center blocks, I started and finished the next "row" of blocks yesterday. I still have 24 more blocks to make as this one is for my bed. I showed DH last night and he was impressed and excited, until I told him that I was considering sending the completed top out to be quilted. He was kind shocked since I do most of my quilting on my home machine. I will have to think about it but shudder at the idea of quilting a king size on my little machine.

Here is a sneak peek at the center.




And after the outside 8 blocks were added last night.



Today will be less exciting in the quilting world as my real life calls me to do other things, but hope you have many happy stitches today.

POOF!

Giving a fabric hug!

I know, I know! 2 posts in one day is unheard of, LOL. But I thought that since the first post was just a history, I would be excused by the Blog Police.

Well wanted to show you a few quilts I finished lately. The first is a quilt that I made for my niece for her 2nd birthday. I cut it on Tuesday and finished about 2 hours before her party on Saturday ( you will find this is a trend with me). I found the pattern in the May 2010 issue of The Quilter magazine.
The pattern is called Forever Sunshine by Jane Quinn. I decided that for my girly niece that pinks and chocolate brown was the way to go. I also decided to add a little to the pattern by cutting and appliquing flowers spilling into the bottom border. I loved the way it finished and hope she gets years of enjoyment from it.

I also recently completed a quilt for my Mom for Mother's Day. This was also a quickly made quilt because life was getting in the way. I it from Eleanor Burn's book called "Still Strippin" and the pattern is called four sisters. Even though mom didn't have four sisters, she had four siblings. I wanted to get this to her beacause over the last several years her health has been declining due to emphysemia. It was important for me to finish a quilt so that she would always have fabric hugs from me. I liked how this one finished, but wish that I had used a green that had a small print. the green I used was a beautiful material but looks so bold because all the other fabrics are prints.



Have a sew beautiful day!

Poof!

Well hello blog world!

This is my venture into the world of blogs. Think it is about 5 years to late, but better late than never! Guess I should give you a little history of me and my family. I am married and have a stepdaughter that will be 24 and two children that are 6 and 3. I am a SAHM with several side jobs and lots of hobbies. The most important of which is quilting.

I was bit by the quilting bug about 2 years ago and havn't looked back since. If I could make it into a full time job I would. I love it that much, but for now I do a few quilts for clients and friends. I hope to be expanding my quilting hobby into a business over the next few years.

We also live on a working farm where my dad raises cattle and we raise chickens, so there will be a dab of farm life mixed in along with my rants and raves of wishing for the good ole days.

So come along for the ride and enjoy!

Poof!