a simple quilter

my heart is broken....

2011-09-26T16:30:00.000-04:00

On the morning of September 16th my brother called from Connecticut to tell me that my mother who had gone into the hospital earlier in the week had gone into cardiac arrest. While trying to rush to be at her side and only making it as far as Chicago, I received a second call that she had passed away.

I. miss. my. mom.

summer in seven

2011-08-10T13:15:00.000-04:00

Seven photos that for us will be reminders of the summer that was 2011....

the odds of breaking your arm while trying to do your first cartwheel?

note to self: do not trust children who tell you that they have collected

ALL of the eggs from the chicken coop. By now I should be on to their

shenanigans!!!!!

note to self: NO ONE needs 21 tomato plants in their garden!!!

The discovery that drying dishes feels less like work when using cute towels.

What's wrong with this picture?

It helps to know that we planted a packet of WHITE pumpkin seeds in

our garden this spring. Not only is this pumpkin orange but it's on it's way

to becoming a carriage....36" around and it's only August.

In June, I gathered a bag full of fabrics to donate to a local charity. Many of the fabrics were

left over scraps from the years that my mother and I made dolls and date back 15-25 years.

Some were fabrics that I couldn't recall why I'd bought them and wanted them to go away.

Together they sang out to me and somewhere between the basement and the car I decided to piece them together into a scrap quilt that I could take with me when we went camping this summer.

Mission accomplished...my quilt was far easier to dry than a sleeping bag after it ended up raining

on the tent for five days!!!

Three weeks of military academy boarding camp (the little guy on the far left is mine)

and a request from him that he be apply for admission to enter this

particular military boarding academy in the fall of 2012....

which means... this will be our last year schooling here at home...

oh, the adventures that are waiting to unfold themselves before us.

so I've been....

2011-06-21T10:57:00.001-04:00

knitting, knitting, knitting!!!! Early this spring I took on a bit of contract knitting and have been doing lots of sock knitting. This week I needed a break from working with thin sock needles and I picked up a bit of cotton and much larger needles to work on this towel. The work is flying off the needles and I should have a new towel to dry the dishes with tonight.

I am almost ready to put the knitting away and switch over to crochet. Each of the last two summers I've worked on crochet projects and it seems to have become a bit of the rythm of the seasons. It just doesn't feel "right" to crochet unless the days are hot and humid. And sock knitting in the summer....what's the point? These little squares are stitched up and will be joined to a backing to make a cushion.

The children asked for an additional coop so that they could separate out the broody hen and have a coop to raise the chicks in. Working together they completly assembled this little coop one their own. A week later the eggs hatched and we've added four chicks to the excitement of our days.

I've spent hours working in my garden this spring. I have a couple of special projects in the garden this year. I'll share more about those later this summer. I'm crossing my fingers that they are a success. As of 7:00 pm last night I declared the garden officially weed free...who am I kidding...I'm sure that by the time I got to the other end that weeds were already sprouting. It's a love hate relationship but all the hard work is quickly forgotten when sitting down to a homegrown salad.

The only thing missing are the tomatoes!

love is ....

2011-02-14T16:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

two prize boxes are better than one....

2010-10-29T21:31:00.000-04:00

my children each wanted to have a turn

pulling a winning name from the bucket...

so what's a mom to do...

quick thinking and a bit of dividing the names into

woolies and cottony entries and a winner

was drawing from each category...

the cottony stitchy prize box will be heading out to...

Malbergs

and the wooly knitty prize box will wing it's way off to...

Carolyn

thanks to everyone who stopped by to leave a comment.

a reason to celebrate!!!

2010-10-26T11:06:00.000-04:00

yipppeee!!!!!

Last Friday we made the trip into our doctor's office for

what we found out was to be our last shot in our rabies series.....

which means that I need to draw a name for my little give

away....you have until this Friday to leave you name and a

good link to you or your email address and if your choice

of a prize box would be something wooly for knitting or spinning

or something quilty and stitchy....BUT...you need to

leave your comment on the original post.....any

comments left here will not be included in Friday's giveaway.

thanks for stopping by...

let's play a game....it could save a life

2010-10-10T12:03:00.001-04:00

If a person is sleeping in a room and awakes to discover a bat....what do you do?

I'm not going to make you do research or join as a follower.

The point is I want you to be able to make an educated decision

if you find yourself in the medical urgency that we found

ourselves in this past week.

So here's the answer....if you or someone you know awakes or discovers a bat in a sleeping area......

Assume they have been bitten and seek medical attention. While only 1% of the bat population carries rabies...a person can be bitten or scratched by an infected animal while sleeping and be totally unaware that a bite or scratch occurred. What you need to know is that there is ABSOLUTELY NO CURE FOR RABIES!!!!!

How did we come to share this information with you? Last Wednesday night we discovered a bat in our home....it was clinging from a rafter in my bedroom ceiling which is part of the open area of the main living area of our log cabin. We know that an outside door was left open for a quite a long time on Tuesday evening and the bat may have been in the house for at least 24 hours. We tried to open the doors and windows but the bat was last seen flying up into the rafters and stone work of our fireplace. That night we thoroughly searched the two bedrooms with doors and hunkered down to sleep there for the evening. I tossed and turned while something that I remembered reading on a blog a long time ago swirled in my head...

I recalled reading something about finding a bat in a bedroom and needing to seek medical treatment.

Thursday morning I got on line and started looking for information regarding bats and what should be done if you find one in a room where someone has been sleeping. We learned more about rabies and the number of people worldwide who die from it every year than we ever expected to learn. But what we didn't know is that there is absolutely no cure for rabies. Once you exhibit symptoms there is no treatment. Because we don't have the bat....we can't send it to be tested to see if the animal is a carrier of rabies. Knowing that information would have given us an option of starting treatment if the bat was infected with rabies....but without it there was only one decision to make...and because the bat was found in the main sleeping and living area of our cabin....and because the children sometimes leave their rooms to use the bathroom and return to their beds without closing their doors....we had no choice but to seek medical treatment for their safety as well.

After contacting the local and state health departments we were advised to seek immediate medical treatment for possible exposure to rabies. Friday we spent five hours in the emergency room of our nearby hospital. We were each thoroughly examined for bite wounds or scratches and while all of us appear not to have any visible bites...bat bites can be difficult to detect. Which leaves us to the ouchy part.....we each received injections to protect us from developing rabies. Hubby and I received one injection in the arm....two in the bottom...and one on each thigh....FIVE shots each....OUCH!!!!

Here's the hard part....both of my children each received an injection in their arm and one on each thigh....sweet babies...OUCH... THREE shots each....my heart ached when I knew what needed to be done to keep them safe. Their tear stained faces after there injections made my soul ache and what I wouldn't have given to make the whole situation disappear.

And it's not over....for post-exposure non-bite rabies treatment the injections continue on days 3, 7 and 14 for one additional injection each.

If you've read this far and are still here....hopefully this little bit of information will weave it's way into your being and if you or someone you know finds them in this situation you will be able to recall it. I will tell you to skip calling your primary care physicians....ours was clueless when it came to answering questions regarding the treatment of rabies. It is a medical URGENCY...no typo....and you should seek medical attention at an EMERGENCY room. They were the only treatment facility that carried the injections we needed.

If you're still here and want a chance to win my giveaway....leave your name and a contact email in the comments and tell me if you'd like a prize box full of wooly fun for knitting and spinning........or a prize box full of quilty cottony stitchy things.

Either way... on my last day of treatment (today is day 2) I will pull a name from all of the comments and send off a box full of happy things.

my name is christine and I am a penny pincher....

2010-09-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

The people at Downy and Snuggle don't want you

to know this... but I can save you money by using

LESS of their products... here's how...

start with one cup of liquid fabric softener and

mix it with two cups of water in a jar with

a lid and shake well.

fill spray bottle and grab a new clean sponge

Load clothes into dryer and spray each side

of the dry sponge FIVE times. Toss sponge into

dryer and run dryer. Depending on the size of

the load of laundry, you may need to SLIGHTY

increase or decrease by a spray or two.

If after many loads of clothes the sponge starts to become

shrived and begins to bend....run under warm

water and squeeze out excess water. The sponge

is ready to be used again.

Now if I could just find a way to water down gasoline!

baa, baa black sheep.....

2010-09-13T18:10:00.000-04:00

I waited all summer for September to get here

and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed...

boy child...who seems to be inching closer to being a

teenager every time I turn around...

and I played hookey from school on Friday and

headed over to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival

Last winter when both children were in school

I found myself with a few extra hours to myself during

the day and I have rekindle my love of hand spinning...

which led to the purchase of a new very portable

spinning wheel. It's small and folds nearly flat

and came with a bag that protects it from

small fingers that like to twist knobs when I'm not looking.

While I love spinning processed fibers... my heart

belongs to washing, hand carding and spinning raw fleece.

I've been working with a Corriedale fleece that

girlie and I picked up in Kentucky last year.

It's a long way to being ready to knit into a sweater...

especially when this little temptation is sitting on a shelf nearby

calling my name and begging me to go for a spin.

The tag is still in the bag...but I want to say it was

a soy and Merino blend. Four balls came home and

it should lead to plenty of yardage.

got pumpkin?

2010-09-12T16:47:00.000-04:00

if Libby Pumpkin isn't in your pantry then you're out of luck,

because you won't find it on the shelves in

the grocery stores either....

at least not until Libby gets the 2010 pumpkin harvest

picked, processed and shipped to grocery stores.

The leaves on the trees are changing and the nights are

getting colder...which means it's time to bake

pumpkin bread. My family will easily go through

four loaves of pumkpin bread in a week.

When my children saw for themselves and read on the

internet that the stores are sold out of pumpkin,

they convinced me that I could make

my own pumpkin...all we needed were a few pie pumpkins.

I cut the pumpkins into quarters, scrapped out the yuckies,

added a half cup of water to the roasting pan, covered

and baked for about 90 minutes. Once the pumpkin

cooled I used a melon spoon to scoop out the pumkin

from the skin. To smooth out the pumpkin I will

probably throw it into the food processor before

freezing it.

Don't believe me that there's a shortage of pumpkin?

Click here to see what it's going for on E-bay...

simply finished....

2010-08-17T16:16:00.000-04:00

Ask my girlie what I did last weekend

and she'll tell you that I sat on my butt...

I can see how she'd think that...

I hooked 45 baby granny squares in two days,

sewed all the remaing blocks into rows...

and when I should have been cleaning on

Monday for a house appraisal, I sat on

my butt some more and finished the

baby grannyghan with a sweet little edging..

off to find a box so that I can pop it in the post...

2010-08-04T14:12:00.001-04:00

Our log cabin does not have air conditioning...

and it's just too hot these days to try getting any stitching

done on a blanket of this size. There is only one skein

of yarn left and when the weather cools it shouldn't take

me very long to finish the last couple of rows.

So I've begun sewing together baby granny squares

for a baby that will most likely arrive before the

blanket is finished...but I'm sure it will be

finished before the first snow flies.

I hope it will keep him nice and toasty.

I spent the last two weeks sitting in an ice rink while my

son attended hockey camps in Chicago...

and I was able to knit nearly three pairs of socks.

and another pair was started....

I can't wait to see how this orange pair turns out.

Did I mention that I love knitting socks?

a sneak peak at a pair of socks for a Christmas gift...

We always had parakeets growing up...and I couldn't

                                    imagine our home without them. We take their cage outside
                                      each morning and hang it on the porch. We worry that
                                               racoons might try to get into the cage so we bring
                                                         it back into the house each night.

Hope you are enjoying your summer.

One of my favourite blogs...

2010-06-21T18:10:00.000-04:00

I, absolutely adore everything about Lucy's blog over

at Attic24....completely smitten...

....so I've decided to work up a baby granny square blanket

similar to one of Lucy's blog for someone I know who is having a baby...

just a sneak peak..I.can't wait to get the first few blocks stitched together

then it might feel like a blanket and not just collection of squares.

Hopefully I will be able to get these worked up

and stitched together soon....so many projects....so little time!

Is there a blog you are completely smitten with?

Leave the address in the comments so that I can stop by

and visit the blog that makes your heart sing.

Bantam Chicks Available...limited delivery available...No Kidding!

2010-06-20T14:11:00.001-04:00

Last fall, a very sweet blogger and her hunk of a husband

met my children and me in parking lot in a torential downpour

and gifted us with a box of Bantam chickens...

inside the box was one insane rooster and 5 happy hens...

nine months later and OOOOHHHH...baby!

Actually it doesn't really take that long to get baby chicks....

it takes only 21 days...

and there wasn't just one baby....there were 8!!!!!

So here's my chance to bring a little chicky love to your home....

the chicks are now going on 5 weeks old and they are feathered out

and ready to find a new home....we have 7 chicks that need a new home...

On Wednesday of this week,we will be driving from

Wisconsin to Buffalo, New York for a hockey tournament....

so if you live somewhere in that general direction

we will bring the chicks to you....no charge....just a chance for you

to have as much fun as we've had raising a small back yard flock.

pot roast and pie

2010-06-19T22:26:00.001-04:00

i don't worry much about the crust on the bottom being perfect ...

... a little cream around the edges and thick fluting...no one will notice....

...my sweet little pie bird, you make me smile....

...pie by hand...

I've always used lard and cream to make the crust.

thank goodness we have berries in the fridge....

this pie was eaten for breakfast by my littles....

so good to have you home!

and now on to the pot roast....up until two weeks ago I had never

made a pot roast...Two pot roasts later, we are completely smitten

with this recipe from The Pioneer Woman....

and the potatoes are to die for...absolutley nothing compares!!!

Sundays will never be the same in our home again...

the filling of days....

2010-05-26T18:21:00.000-04:00

have been trying to adjust to having both children in school since

February....and I have to say that the next 6 school days can't go by

quick enough.... I am SO looking forward to having the three of

us back together...I hope the summer just DRAGS!

to keep my mind busy and my heart distracted I have thrown myself

completly into everything crochet....

this sweetie will eventually be used on my bed...

made of Noro sock yarn it's growing ever so slowly but it makes my

heart go pitter-patter...

and when I found this gem in a Japanese crochet book

my heart skipped a beat....completely smitten!

my children are in swim lessons for four weeks starting

in a couple of weeks...the first row is completed

and if I keep my eye on the prize.

I may have a blanket by the 4th of July...

fingers crossed for sunny days and the pool to stay open.

my granny is twisted!

2010-02-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

...this granny is spinning out of control...

I am on the verge of ripping out and starting over,

but I don't know how to prevent the next attempt from

ending up in the same twisted fashion...

anyone know what might be causing my twisted granny...

I know that blocking works wonders...

but knowing there is already trouble....do I turn back now

and try again...HELP!!!!!

february handwork

2010-02-11T13:14:00.000-05:00

on my needles....Alpaca Sox...me, my, mine!!!

on the end of my hook....a blanket for a baby boy....

tired of lost hooks and needles...finally a solution...I love HOBBY LOBBY!

work continues on my granny squares...the stack grows slowly

....completely smitten with these socks...

these should keep me busy at least until the end of school...

in June....maybe...

The First Day of School

2010-02-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

Somewhere tucked far away in the back of my head

I knew this day would come....

...but what I never imagined was how much my heart would ache.

My boy will spend the rest of the year at a Waldorf day school with his sister...

and I will try to keep my hands busy with all the stitching I

dreamt of doing when this day came.

me and my Nanny McPhee

2010-01-11T11:10:00.006-05:00

While we haven't had television in our home for

nearly two years, we do have favorite movies that we

occassionally find in our letterbox from Netflix...

and we view them on a portable dvd player

with an 8" screen...

...and last summer while watching Nanny McPhee,

I was smitten with the granny square afghan on Chrissy's

bed. I grabbed the camera and began snapping photos

trying to catch as many shots of the colors as possible...

I gathered the wool and then set it aside so to wait for

my courage and crochet skills to catch up with me and I

worked on this blanket for Sarah...

last week after watching Nanny Mcphee again...

and having come across this granny sqaure tutorial...

I gave it a go and ....

so begins the journey of stitching

my very own Nanny Mcphee.

december went something like this....

2010-01-04T14:04:00.011-05:00

blizzard Abbie was a bust...and we haven't had snow since then

but the cold weather set in and we made... ice marbles....just be sure to remove them from the

deck railing before the temperature breaks freezing....

trust me on this one!

girlie and her cat went out to make a snow friend...

all the cat wanted to do was make snow angels....

we are convinced that our cat must be part snow leopard...

having his sister back home during the school break hasbeen so

good for his soul....most days are full of playing, smiling

and letting her know that he misses her when she's away at school...

but when silly girls frost their fingers instead of cookies... it doesn't take much to bring out the 9 year boy...

she was oblivious to the antics going on behind her....

...she looks worlds away!

and who will ever forget the Christmas of 2009...

the year we celebrated with a three foot

flocked PINK treedecorated with baby doll toys.....

An After thought:

I wish I could figure out why Blogger won't allow me to clean up

the spaces in between some of the text....

and none of my pictures would move where

I wanted them...aaarrrrHhhhhh!

Blizzard Abbey ...the worse may still be on it's way

2009-12-09T09:25:00.006-05:00

We knew it was coming and our guess is that

as of this morning there is about a foot of snow...

our local am radio station has dubbed this storm...Blizzard Abbey....

there may be a few more inches through the

rest of today....but it's not the snow that

has us concerned....it's the wind that is

expected later this afternoon and tomorrow....

the trees are so heavy with snow that it's not taking

much for some of the branches to snap even

under the light winds that are starting...

Immediate seating is available for a party of four.....

We also have a single seat available for a party of one

out on the patio with a lovely view of the snow covered trees...

...I highly recommend something HOT off the menu!

This storm finds me two thumbls shy of a pair of mittens.

The yarn was dyed by girlie for a pair of boot socks,

but after knitting them up...

I ripped them completely out because I thought

the colors were too pretty to hid inside a pair of snowboots.

A bit of quick knitting of thumbs this morning and I bet they

will get their first taste of snow by lunchtime.

I'm hoping to be holed up tomorrow as well...

school has been cancelled and girlie needs boot socks...

she used food color to dye more yarn...

I've had this pattern book in my stash for over 20 years

and I think this is the perfect blizzard to make my first pair.

and if I run out of yarn then I am hoping to get a chance to

sit and spin a bit of baby camel and silk that I

came across at a little shop in Columbus, Wisconsin.

Curled up with a good.......

2009-11-27T10:50:00.003-05:00

Kindle!

We've owned a Kindle for the quite sometime...

and when I can pry it out of my child's hands,

which RARELY happens,

I get a chance to download books for me.....

So when Milah recommended a couple of books recently,

I snuck into boychild's room while he was asleep,

grabbed the Kindle and downloaded both books

mentioned on Milah's post from Amazon.

Now you can find me curled up on a chair with a good....read.

how accurate are fortune cookies....

2009-11-11T10:08:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, when I opened my fortune cookie we all laughed.

It said, "Your luck is about to change."

Stupid cookie! And then yesterday, after not having quilted for weeks, I went to sit down in my quilting chair to do a bit of stitching... only to find that the cat had thrown up in my chair..... Stupid cat!

The answer to an age old question......

2009-11-02T10:49:00.007-05:00

There are some things in life that are just too good to pass up.

So when Christine mentioned that she'd like to thin her flock of chickens, I mentioned it to my girlie who is know around these parts as "The Chicken Whisperer" Girlie begged and pleaded and promised that she would take good care of them and waited ever so patiently for a reply from Christine. Christine was very sweet about offering us her bantam chickens and there was just one catch.... come and get them....no worries... what capable 9 year old boy can't read a map...Lewis and Clark crossed the country without GPS and we could easily manage to make it from Wisconsin to Lafayette, Indiana. Those of us who weren't busy reading maps or driving were lucky enough to sleep through most of the noon traffic in Chicago on Friday...who wouldn't love a two hour nap, only to awake and discover that you haven't really missed anything exciting and you are only 15 miles from where you first fell asleep. What happens in the Jeep...stays in the Jeep, but I am certain that my boy child will never in his life forget just where I-65 intersects I-94....love you buddy!

So the answer to the age old question, which came first the chicken or the egg?

Even girlie knows the answer to that... it was the chicken, but the egg was a close second!

problem solved

2009-10-06T09:30:00.010-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I told my husband that a blogger was looking for a new home for some of her chickens and she said I could have them.....he said,"Great! There' s only one little problem...we don't have a chicken coop for them!"

Problem solved... Do you realize that you can buy absolutely anything you can dream of on the internet and they will bring it right to your door? AMAZING! Ok, so it was the end of the driveway...but that's close enough.

The only thing that was not included were the two smiling Amish guys shown in the photos putting the chicken coop together.

The child inside the coop was full of smiles... the guy with the ball cap...not so many.

The only thing waiting to be finished is the ramp for the chickens to get in and out of the little door, a coat of paint or two and the little flower window box. And my end of the deal....driving 5 hours one way to pick up the chickens.....I'm starting to wonder... exactly how much noise will these chickens make on the way to their new house ...and how long will my Jeep smell like chicken sh@t?!

She Was Somebody's Mother....

2009-10-05T09:37:00.008-04:00

While blog hopping this morning, I stumbled across

Margaret's Hope Chest and fell hard.

There are numerous projects and causes

that a quilter could chose

to donate their time, fabric, quilts or services to.

This one has struck a cord with me and perhaps it will

for you as well, because she was somebody's Mother.

(Click on the logo to visit Margaret's Hope Chest)

Somebody's Mother

The woman was old and ragged and gray And bent with the chill of the winter's day.

The street was wet with a recent snow And the woman's feet were aged and slow.

She stood at the crossing and waited long, Alone, uncared for, amid the throng

Of human beings who passed her by Nor heeded the glance of her anxious eye.

Down the street, with laughter and shout, Glad in the freedom of "school let out,"

Came the boys like a flock of sheep, Hailing the snow piled white and deep.

Past the woman so old and gray Hastened the children on their way

Nor offering a helping hand to her So meek, so timid, afraid to stir

Lest the carriage wheels or the horses' feet Should crowd her down in the slippery street.

At last came one of the merry troop, The gayest laddie of all the group.

He paused beside her and whispered low, "I'll help you cross, if you wish to go."

Her aged hand on his strong young arm She placed, and so, without hurt or harm,

He guided the trembling feet along, Proud that his own were firm and strong.

Then back again to his friends he went, His young heart happy and well content.

"She's somebody's mother, boys, you know, For all she's aged and poor and slow.

"And I hope some fellow will lend a hand To help my mother, you understand,

"If ever she's poor and old and gray, When her own dear boy is far away."

And "somebody's mother" bowed her head In her home that night, and the prayer she said

Was, "God be kind to the noble boy, Who is somebody's son, and pride and joy!"

Mary Dow Brine (1816-1913)

could she really ....

2009-10-04T17:08:00.006-04:00

have grown this much in just a few months....really?!

outdoor chores resulted in grumbly tumblies....

we planted popcorn this Spring.....no joke! and after a miserable growing season, were lucky enough to harvest two ears that have been laying on the kitchen counter drying for the longest time...

they were the most delicate pieces of popcorn I've ever enjoyed! next year we will plant the entire packet of seeds. you should try a row or two...

outdoor busyness with chores left spare moments to work on a bit of this and a bit of that....but mostly this.

a friend is in need....

2009-09-29T12:39:00.003-04:00

Please be so kind and head over to her blog and leave kind words, thoughts, hugs, love and prayers in this difficult time that she and her family will be facing.

haunted by a memory....

2009-09-28T10:15:00.007-04:00

When my sister was in jr high she learned to crochet in home ec

class and I begged and begged her to teach me to crochet. She delighted in being the older sister and held it over my head that I was too little...and she refused to teach me.

I can still see her curled up on the sofa in our family room with her yellow, orange and brown yarn tucked in a basket and the blanket she was working on heaped in a pile on her lap. It has taken some thirty odd years, but after spending hours on the end of the bed of a sick little girl Friday night.... I am on the way to my own blanket....it's not the colors that are important........but the journey getting to this point and believing that I could.

you can have summer....

2009-09-25T09:16:00.008-04:00

but I call dibs on Fall and Winter....

there is something about living in a log cabin that makes me long for cold days with a fire burning and a pot of soup on the stove...

...if only these grapes weren't twelve feet off the ground... oh! the things I could make...

...so instead I stick to the knitting I started for my school girl. The shawl can be pattern can be found here. It left the house this morning and is on it's way to live at school where it will be hung in her cubby....good-bye shawl!

and what about the little bit of pink wool left over... some things never change.... I'm still trying to work up the courage and skill to take on making the likes of this blanket....someday!

because if it were up to me...

2009-08-29T09:58:00.004-04:00

little boys wouldn't grow up...

until their quilts wore out...

but it's not up to me....

and now EVEN the type of quilt I will make is no longer up to me...

I have been informed by my 9 year old that he's too old for his cowboy quilt and would like a new quilt for his bed... and when I asked him what he had in mind, he told me that there was only one quilt that would be the perfect one for his bed.....a log cabin of course! Thank goodness he didn't say a feathered star! I've been collecting these fabrics for the last year and was able to cut everything into strips this week...I'm hoping to have the top pieced before he returns from a hockey tournament tomorrow night so that I can hide it away until I can finish it for Christmas... Promise # 9 make a quilt to put on each bed on Christmas Eve...

home SWEET home

2009-08-25T18:14:00.007-04:00

Things I promised myself that I would do in 2009...

on or before November 1st, make pomanders to hang through the house at Christmas time....

One of my sweetest Christmas memories from my childhood is sitting at the kitchen table with a basket of oranges and a shaker tin of cloves. For years I have wanted to spend time with my children making orange pomanders, but somewhere in the bustle and rush of the holidays....we seem to always find ourselves on the other side of Christmas looking back and saying "next year" .....sigh

Last Christmas, our home was being packed for our upcoming move and with our house listed for sale we tried to keep the mess to a minimum and pomanders were pushed to next year...again I made a handful of promises over New Year that I have been working diligently to keep...and so the last time we went to the market I added oranges, lemons and whole cloves to the basket.... The oranges will take several weeks to thoroughly dry and will last for years and years. Once the oranges are completely dry,they will be tied with a ribbon and as we begin decorating for the holidays a pomander will be hung in each room. promise #2 KEPT!

going away...

2009-08-16T11:08:00.006-04:00

and with me I shall take ....

a book...

a block..

and a sock 40 hours in an ice rink waiting this coming week and surely one can be finished. The Quilt Merchant shop will only be a short drive away. My son will be in hockey camp all day and girlie can easily be bribed with a trip to Dunkin Donuts which is just down the street from the shop. If you're in the Chicago area this is a very sweet little shop and well worth the time to visit....especially if you like Civil War reproductions or Blackbird Designs books or patterns.

the next number was....

2009-08-16T10:39:00.003-04:00

27...the winner is Erin from A Prairie Home Quilts and her guess was the closest at 25

Thank you for your guesses... and for helping keep this giveaway small.

fortune cookie wisdom and a chance...

2009-08-14T12:37:00.004-04:00

I have just finished reading the book "The Time Traveler's Wife" and I am looking forward to seeing the movie as today is the opening day in theaters...

so I thought I would offer the book up to you if you are interested in reading it....

so keeping with the spirit of lucky numbers on the back of this particular fortune... I will mail the book to the person who guesses or comes closest to the last number that is hidden after the fold.... Leave your lucky number guess by Sunday morning and I will let you know who the winner is and send the book off to you in the mail Monday afternoon. The fewer people who leave a guess.....the better your chances of winning ....so don't tell your friends! Your chance to play has ended... all guesses before my closing comment were considered.

today's lesson: keeping cool under fire

2009-08-11T14:52:00.003-04:00

Nine years ago I might have panicked had I found myself in a similar situation...one that involves blood and a child of my own...

but through the years and during the few trips that we've had to make to the nearest field hospital...I've taken copious mental notes...

apply pressure...clean wound....butterfly bandage... fashion splint to immobilize...and finish with waterproof tape...

this boyscout knife has been reassigned to (M)other duties until further notice. And in case you're dying to know what he was using the knife for...unbeknownst to me at the time... he was out in the woods making arrows from sticks... I've not had a chance to ask which book he got this brilliant idea from... I'm sure we'll discuss it when my husband comes home tonight.

quilting and a chemistry lesson

2009-08-10T17:41:00.006-04:00

catching up with July from the 1999 block of the month quilt that I am working on....

and was making great progress...until my son brought up a science book and wanted to discuss the periodic table.....I am so looking forward to this next year of him studying here at home...

I had him leave the book on my cutting table so that I could read ahead... just as soon as I finish the two blocks for July.

Another quilt from a magazine that I've thought about working on... just might be what I need to keep me busy these next couple of weeks. The quilt was shown in the January/February 2006 Fons & Porter Love of Quilting Magazine and the pattern can still be purchased through their site. Precut kits can be found at John Flynn's shop. With a new children's bedtime routine in place for the upcoming school year... I may be able to get the first block finished this week.

perhaps since this IS a quilting blog.....

2009-08-08T20:05:00.005-04:00

...I really ought to show something quilty. So, I share this quilt from the 100th issue of American Patchwork and Quilting... I've been nudged by a friend that it might be a fun quilt to work on.

I sent my hubby into town bright and early this morning to find my own copy....because somewhere in the back of my mind I thought I might have the perfect background fabric buried deep in my stash...

Not sure that I will follow through with making this quilt, but may toy with a block or two and see where it leads me.

40 hours spent at the ice rink for hockey camp left little time for stitching this week...

Up before the rooster this morning and I made a bit of progress, wish I could share the entire project but that will have to wait...

Meet my new friend....a vintage turtle cloth tape measure..... my latest find on Ebay. My apologies to the bidder that I stole him away from, but I just couldn't let you win him for $14.99. I'm sure that you must feel horrible for bidding the price up so quickly in the last 5 minutes of bidding...apology accepted. I don't doubt that the seller would love to thank you for trying to outbid me. Better luck next time!

a finish and a frozen charlotte

2009-08-02T17:07:00.009-04:00

Starting this little piece in July allowed me plenty of time to finish the stitching... now I just need to find a frame so that it can be wrapped and given with love on the morning of the first day of school. If you want to stitch your own little sampler, the chart can be found here on the Blackbird Design blog.

I came across this Frozen Charlotte a few years ago at a quilt show in Ohio. I have no idea how old she is or if her body is jointed or a solid piece. I'd love to take her apart and see. I think about slipping out the stitches around her neck every timeI pick her up. I wonder if she was broken and then made into a pincushion to keep the pieces together? Many of the other Charlotte dolls that I've seen have a glossy shine and black painted hair. My Charlotte has no finish and is very rough. It looks as though she has a tiny speck of blue paint in her eyes All these unanswered questions....how old is she? who did she belong to? why was she stitched into a pincushion?

Scrub-A-Dub Wednesday

2009-07-29T08:58:00.004-04:00

I love washing dishes by hand... and this has little to do with the fact they we don't own a dishwasher. There's just something soothing about the water, the repetition, the bubbles.... and the scrubbies!!!!!

I used to buy the best sink scrubbies from an Amish shop when we lived in Ohio. They lasted forever and even withstood a run in or two with the sink disposal while it was turned on.

But then we moved away and my last scrubbie wore out and fell apart in an ugly mess. One blog page with a link to another and I found myself here with a replacement for the world's best scrubbie.

Great tutorial and the scrubbies have been sink tested and they are FANTASTIC and can be thrown into the washing machine when I think they need it. For cutting the tulle strips, I used my rotary cutter, my longest ruler and a book to keep the tulle under control. I would recommend cutting two strips at a time...knotting the ends together...rolling them onto a cardboard tube and then cutting one strip at a time and tying a knot and rolling it onto your cardboard holder. DO NOT cut all 15 strips and throw them into a pile thinking that you will knot and roll them later....terrible, terrible mess.

those are silver, these are gold

2009-07-28T12:18:00.005-04:00

I first saw this tiny salt and pepper shaker set in an antique shop the week before Mother's Day. When my husband went back to the shop on his own looking to buy them as a surprise gift, he was unable to find them in the shop. I have passed by the shop numerous times since then, and each time I approached the shop hoping they would be open so that I could by them for myself, they were.... CLOSED....CLOSED....CLOSED! I have driven by dozens of times on different days of the week and different times of the days and thought for sure they couldn't be still sitting on the shelf. Yesterday as I approached the shop I thought, "How perfect this little golden set would be to send to a sweet friend." And to my surprise the shop was OPEN! I will enjoy them sitting on my shelf while I wait for the perfect time to send them along as a surprise, but they were never meant to be mine. NEW FRIENDS AND OLD FRIENDS Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold. New-made friendships, like new wine, Age will mellow and refine. Friendships that have stood the test - Time and change - are surely best; Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray, Friendship never knows decay. For 'mid old friends, tried and true, Once more we our youth renew. But old friends, alas! may die, New friends must their place supply. Cherish friendship in your breast- New is good, but old is best; Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold. Joseph Parry

home again, home again ......

2009-07-25T18:13:00.008-04:00

jiggety jog...

back from a road trip to Ohio for a five day hockey camp, and an award of the captain's "C" after the first day on ice... during the time I watched and waited in the stands, I was able to start a smallish piece of stitching for a certain girl who will be going to school this Fall... I wanted her to have something as a keepsake from her first day of school, so I've decided on a sampler with the alphabet stitched in her favorite color. and while I was away...my dear husband thought he would help around the house and wash the quilt we bought from an Amish farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.... "@!$@%#^#&$*$!#@$"

The thread cards that I ordered from Sajou arrived while I was away ...

I am smitten with these little cards and think that they are far too pretty to be wrapped up in thread. I may weave a ribbon through the tops and hang them where I can see them... or find a special box to display them in.

the ides of july

2009-07-15T20:42:00.003-04:00

Another part of the stitching for Christmas gifts, but not a Christmas stitchery. Does that make sense? Can't show the entire piece because that would just ruin the surprise.

I have become horribly addicted to making these knitted cloths from Messy Karen and I absolutely blame Lindsey for hooking me. I promise it takes NO time to whip these up. They finish at 4" x 5" and are cute tied with a bar of special soap.

I can't resist this Blackbird Design pincushion I just need to figure out who I can stitch it for as a Christmas gift so I can keep my word to work only on Christmas gifts after the 1st of July. Do you need a pincushion?

This stitching is one strand over one thread... not to be confused with my two strand over two threads project. I can't work them on the same day or my eyes go loopy.

Some day I may crochet something other than these crocheted bandages....maybe...if I can find the time to learn a new stitch! It doesn't help that I visit this blog and find myself green with envy. Maybe making that afghan will be on my New Year's resolution list.

simply summer

2009-07-09T20:40:00.005-04:00

what was to be a pond...

tis no more....60 dump truck loads of dirt was a cheaper option than finishing what the seller had begun.

a washcloth for scout camp...because this year pink is out!

just kill me one more time before you leave for camp ...a sister's simple request of her brother, knight, enemy, and best friend.

perhaps he's watched Monty Python one too many times as he's got the taunting French soldier down perfectly... the cleanest baby in this neck of the woods sorry it's blurry...was able to sneak the photo through the door without her seeing me.

the Sajou catalogue....best piece of mail in the letter box, at least until the order I placed arrives... my effort to help boost the world's economy one package at a time.

love, love, love these leaves and could while away the hours just staring up at them on a summer's day

Christmas stitching... a record of days and thoughts and hopes and dreams

keeping a new year's promise

2009-07-05T07:50:00.010-04:00

Each year with good intentions, I make a list of handmade gifts that

I plan on finishing in time to put under the tree on Christmas morning. Last Christmas found me closer to finishing my gifts than I have been in the past and when Christmas morning arrived all that was left to finish was one sock. On New Year's Day I made a promise to myself that on July 1st I would lay aside whatever quilt or stitching I was working on and begin working on Christmas gifts. Today the calendar reads July 5th....promise kept.

and the winner is.....

2009-07-03T18:40:00.004-04:00

The less bloggers who know about a giveaway, the better your chances to win, which is why I don't announce that one post or another is a giveaway.

Each person who left a comment on my last post was entered into a drawing marking my two year's of blogging.

The winner is Judy! I've already begun to fill the box with goodies and will get the box into the mail next week. Please email me with your address and let me know if you will be home to receive a package. Thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a comment and mention their favorite picnic food...we will be trying many over the next few weeks.

here's your chance to play....

2009-06-27T19:52:00.007-04:00

With the 4th of July quickly approaching,

our family is making a list of food that each of us would like to have on the picnic table.... So...I want to know what your favorite picnic food is....

leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite picnic food is by the 2nd of July and include your email address so that I can contact you and ask for the recipe.

my heart pines for things familiar....

2009-06-22T15:49:00.012-04:00

no longer able to make Lancaster by lunch,

or even in a day for that matter...

and too far to be called a "quick trip" my heart aches for things that brought smiles....

a great quilt for showing off hand quilting...

sweet simplicity!

7 naughty quilting words that begin with R...

2009-06-11T13:51:00.006-04:00

rip repeat re-iron re-measure re-cut re-pin re-stitch

I also thought about calling this post..."Now you see it...

....now you don't!" Or how about "A bad week quilting is still better than a good week at work!"

I had a shoulda, woulda, coulda moment... in that I shoulda remeasured the blocks and sashing and I woulda not had waving sashings and borders and I coulda been done with this top and I'd be quilting it by now. I was just a few basting stitches away from preparing this top for quilting, but I know better that to think that everything can be quilted out. Once I stepped away from the quilt and came back the next morning I knew that had I gone forward with the quilting.... I would have been forever haunted by the waving sashing and borders and the little verse I heard my mother say many times when I was a child...... ALWAYS FINISH If a task is once begun Never leave it till it's done. Be the labor great or small, Do it well or not at all. UNKNOWN I think this little verse will find it's way onto the label that eventually will be stitched onto the back of the finished quilt.

one link leads to the next...and a little bit more

2009-06-07T18:06:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite quilters has a website, but no blog... and while popping over to see what's new in her little corner of the world, I noticed on the bottom of her web page the mention of one of her quilts in an upcoming quilt magazine. A quick trip to town to search for a copy of the magazine and a raid on some fabrics Sarah and I found at the quilt show last summer ...

One child away to the symphony and another lost in an old war movie....who can resist trying a block or two from the pattern in the magazine.

I'd love to find a blue and cheddar repro for the border, but I am trying to use up and make do with what I have. A LITTLE BIT MORE: The miniature Chimney Sweep block shown above was machine pieced by me using the pattern by Ann Hermes that appears in the August/September 2009 of Quilt magazine. Using the fabrics from my stash I was able to reproduce a block very similar to the one shown in the magazine. The fabrics I used for the block were from Judie Rothermel's Lancaster County III collection.

next generation dishwasher model

2009-05-28T12:13:00.003-04:00

Mom's Rule # 493 Put your dishes in the sink and I will wash them.

Mom's Rule # 494 Leave them on the table and you will wash them.

Our cabin was built without a dishwasher and we have decided to try living without one for 365 days before we make the decision of whether we will invest in buying one. Frequent breaking of Rule #494 has allowed me to spend time working on a bit more hand quilting. Oh the joys of being the rule maker!

finishing will set you free...

2009-05-19T15:30:00.003-04:00

A quick finish of a little doll quilt...

prompted me to pull from it's slumber a Block of the Month that was begun nearly a decade ago... I have caught up to the month of May and will work on each set of blocks in the months to come. Surely in each thirty days I can find time to keep up with the two blocks in each packet...right? And while unpacking boxes I found this early piece of my hand quilting, also nearly a decade old with only one small area left not quilted. How busy life must have become that this small three inch area was never finished. There's no time like the present...

A sneak peak

2009-05-13T18:34:00.003-04:00

Tucked under the eaves, a few of my favorite quilt books...

This one found it's way to my nightstand this week and...

I spent nights falling asleep thinking about this sweet little quilt.

Left over pink and muslin from a past project and a stolen piece of binding from a quilt in waiting...

the only thing standing between a top and a finished doll quilt ...

is time! Buyer Beware: There are no patterns in the book shown above, but the majority of the doll quilts shown could be re-created by hand or machine by most quilters.

After twelve years of debate....

2009-05-04T09:25:00.005-04:00

and trying to convince my husband that life would be sweeter without television....he decided to try it for a month... which lead to no television last summer.... which carried into keeping the television off last winter ...and a year later we've decided to donate the television to charity. People stare at me like I have six heads when I tell them that we don't have television in our home. My children play outside rain or shine, have hobbies both indoors and out, and love to read and be read to. I wouldn't trade the last year for anything.

Grandma Nussbaum's Quilt

2009-05-03T18:14:00.003-04:00

She was not my grandma and I have absolutely no clue who Grandma Nussbaum was...

but this is the quilt that she made for Jeanne...

my bid was the highest when the auction on ebay ended...yippee! I had planned on giving it to a little girl for her doll bed...

but it still has not found it's way off my sewing table.

Dear Marti, I'm sorry I had to....

2009-04-21T17:59:00.005-04:00

....break our date on Saturday, but it's not every day that I get a chance to have lunch with an Old Order Amish carpenter. Once I make a decision which background to use I will finish the block. I'm tempted to make a large quilt .

Meanwhile I've decided to start on a laser cut kit from John Flynn that should keep me busy for a bit. Anyone know of quilt shops in Minneapolis? We leave later this week for a hockey tournament and just thought I'd ask if there are any MUST see shops.

on a hot summer day

2009-04-15T08:05:00.007-04:00

... when my children were still babies

... we spent the day at a small auction not far from our home ...the quilt sat in a box and we'd not had a chance to examine it closely before the bidding began, but I was drawn to the colors that peeked from the top of the box After winning the sale we discovered that it was entirely hand pieced with the most even stitches throughout. ...after all these years of waiting patiently in a box, it was pulled out and ironed and spread out on the bed yesterday and only then did I remember that it was a hexagon quilt!

Begun by one ...to be finished and loved by another. Do you have something begun by one... that you've finished?

of books and covers

2009-04-14T10:09:00.003-04:00

click on the books for a timeless lesson

I've told my husband that I'm cheating....

2009-04-11T11:17:00.007-04:00

and he thinks it's a good idea!

It's not everyday that I get a chance to spend a few hours with Marti and with a date next week I thought I should put a little something together....

I should probably mention that there will be at least a dozen or so other women fighting for Marti's attention and I want to get as much as I can out of the short time we will have together. Now that I have found the camera cable I can give you a peek into a little corner of the loft that I call mine. Of course I unpacked all the fun stuff first... quilts, a chair to stitch in, sewing baskets, Ott light.

I admit it...I am weak and had to spend a few moments this morning while the light was just right to work on the class project for the class I am signed up for. Maybe by the time I get back from my trip to Chicago next week my family will have unpacked the rest of the house for me while I was away....please?! There's always HOPE!

from there .....

2009-04-10T12:11:00.006-04:00

.... to here Thankfully the snow had melted by the time the moving truck arrived.

The Daffodil Project

2009-03-31T15:36:00.005-04:00

We moved to our farm two years ago and when the snow melted

that first Spring we were pleasantly surprised to find hundreds of daffodils planted in the flower beds.

There was just one small problem....they were crowding each other out and none of the bulbs were producing any flowers. So last summer I waited until the foliage yellowed and dug up huge clumps of daffodils and separated each bulb and transplanted them into sweet little rows giving each new bulb plenty of room to expand. Just one small glitch in last summer's daffodil relocation project... had I known that we would be moving I wouldn't have gone to all that work. So what's a gardener to do when the sun is shining and you're sick of being stuck in the house packing? Easy...First, head outside and dig up some of the clumps that were missed in the back flower beds last summer. Second, soak them in water to help remove some of the packed soil and then very gingerly wiggle each bulb away from the clump being sure to leave a good set of roots on each bulb. Then lay them out in the sun to dry before packing them in a box right before the moving truck heads to Wisconsin. There wasn't a daffodil left in the beds by the time I was done. Even the ones that I transplanted last summer were dug back up. We lost count somewhere between two hundred and three hundred bulbs. I have removed all the flowers and have left the foliage intact. After flowering, the bulb recharges itself through the foliage so that it can flower again the next year. Only after the leaves have turned yellow in early summer should they be removed. Next week they will be put back into the ground when we move into our new home in Wisconsin. I just hope there isn't snow on the ground!

Thanks Molly!

2009-03-26T11:07:00.004-04:00

While busy packing boxes and emptying drawers and cupboards, Molly decided to unravel a bit of carpeting...

my first thought was to grab a pair of scissors and whack off the offending strand and throw a chair on top of the spot...

and then a light bulb went off and I wondered if I could shove the piece back into the seam. I used the measuring stick to find the middle of the strand of carpeting and matched it to the middle of the seam. Starting in the middle of the seam I filled the channel with a serious amount of tacky glue and with the dull point of a knitting needle I began shoving the strand back into the seam fold by fold. The tacky glue will dry clear and will hopefully hold the snag in place at least until we can sell the house.

Sure I could be packing....

2009-03-21T19:03:00.006-04:00

but I survived a five day road trip this week to Wisconsin and back

for three days of hockey tryouts and while I'm sure that there are things that I could be doing for the move....

I just couldn't resist trying this shawl for my mother. The company relocating my husband is providing a full pack for the move, so anything I don't get packed will be done for me. My thoughts are that if I get the shawl done... they won't have to pack the yarn!

I have an idea in mind how I'd like to use these first little hexagons, but with being on the road most of this week I didn't find too many spare moments to work on them. I did come across this mini lunch box and the entire project fits perfectly.

Boys in hotels that stay up watching the discovery channel until 1:00 in the morning sleep in late....

and then leave sweet love notes in sewing boxes to be found by mom when she least expects it.

With no goats in the pastures, Lucy is learning to spend time in the house. I'm learning things too! For starters.... big dogs with big chew bones leave big messes everywhere.

to a dear sweet friend of mine....

2009-03-14T18:10:00.006-04:00

Thank you....for all that you are and all that you share with me and all that you inspire me to be and do and try. I am truly blessed by your friendship! Edited to add: The block in the photo above was stitched by my sweet friend. She stitches so many beautiful things. She sent the block to me to inspire me to start a quilt of my own.

stolen moments

2009-03-14T16:50:00.005-04:00

I have quickly discovered that it takes a bit of preparation before I can sit and sew hexies together. And that something nearly the same size as a hole punch needs to be kept somewhere special so that they won't stray away.

If I could just find the time today to fill the little tin with basted hexies, then tomorrow I could sit and stitch the day away.

If Your Friends All Jump Off a Bridge....

2009-03-11T15:25:00.007-04:00

My son asked me this morning what I was doing and I told him that all my friends were jumping off of bridges and I thought I'd give it a try...

His advice to me was, "Mom, that's probably not a good idea." And then he left the room, and he never even tried to stop me or talk me out of it.

And so with a stack of pretty pieces leftover from a doll quilt, and a found package of insanely small hexagons that I had purchased two quilts shows ago when the idea of hexagons first entered my head....

I jumped... And so I am reaching out to all of you that have already made the jump.... When you do the little set of whip stitches up the back of the pieces.... just how snugly should those stitches be pulled? And is it possible that I'm not pulling them snugly enough on the back. Should they be completely hidden on the front? I know that I have just the one seam, but I don't want to move ahead only to find out that I didn't have it quite right. Thanks for your help!

What I do when I should be packing...

2009-03-10T14:35:00.005-04:00

A housewarming gift for my bed...

burgundy ...

and greens...

purples...

and oranges...

and toasted marshmallow creams.... each an amazingly soft flannel...

While sorting through my quilting stash...I mean packing..... and trying to arrange things for moving, I came across this flannel quilt kit that I purchased in Colorado Springs. We left Colorado in 2004 and this little gem has been patiently laying in wait. I pulled the fabrics out of the bag and just sat cuddling their softness. I decided the fabrics could be moved to Wisconsin as a kit or a top... I decided on the later and now all that's left to finish are the borders. As both the top and backing will be flannel I have chosen to have it finished with machine quilting. Hopefully within the week I can pack up the top and backing and send it on it's merry way to the quilter while I go back to exploring my stash...I mean packing.

March Madness!

2009-03-06T10:29:00.006-05:00

In September of 2007, I entered a quilt in the Baby Quilt Contest that the Fons and Porter magazine was holding. While I didn't win the prize, I was contacted by the magazine for permission to use my quilt in an upcoming magazine. I was originally told that my quilt would be featured in a special baby quilt edition of the magazine. Well, that issue came and went on the newsstand and there was no sign of my quilt inside. With life becoming so busy with the move lately...the entire thing had slipped my mind until this little package graced my mailbox totally unexpected earlier this week. After letting out a whoop and a holler...to which my son said, "Mom, I've never heard you yell like that!" I flipped through the issue to find what I knew must be waiting inside.... and there they are the two quilts I originally entered in the contest so long ago. But better than seeing my work featured in a magazine were the words uttered by my child, "Mom, I'm proud of you!" Even though just a handful of days have passed it has been a month of March madness. Last weekend, my son and his team traveled back to Cleveland to play in the championship playoffs and won 4-2. All the hours spent driving to and from the rink over the last five years.... The hours I froze waiting through practice.... And all the hot dog dinners at the snack stand.... I'd do it all over again for a season like that! The Amazing Molly Brown! The children and I have been struggling with boredom while waiting for our turn to move to Wisconsin. One day we got it in our heads that it would be funny if we taught Molly how to get her own ice cubes from the freezer....and it was funny the first dozen or so times! Now when you're in another room and hear the ice machine running and all those ice cubes crashing to the floor...we shake our heads and wonder just what we were thinking! Because Molly doesn't want just one ice cube... she wants them all and has learned to keep her paw pressed to the lever to keep them coming! We're no longer bored and now we spend our time mopping the floor from all those melted ice cubes.

waiting to exhale....

2009-03-05T18:04:00.006-05:00

Back in January I posted this photo of the house we went into contract on in Wisconsin. But during the inspection we discovered that the entire roof needed to be replaced... sooo...this is NOT my house....

And on the same day that one house failed inspection, another one was listed for sale.... as of 6:00 p.m. today ... this is now my new home in Wisconsin. I can't wait to see it!

O CAPTAIN! my Captain!

2009-02-03T06:40:00.005-05:00

From the age of two he has worked his tail off for a season like this...

now his team is down to the last two games of the season this weekend and they head into them with a record of 9-0-1

The boys have worked hard and earned a point total that enables them to claim the first seed position in the playoffs on the 21st of February. Well done Captain! .....from fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won.

Are You Superstitious?

2009-01-29T12:15:00.009-05:00

If we leave the house and then have to go back inside after having locked the door....

then once I go back in for what I need, I have to sit on a step and wait for a moment before leaving the house again. I can remember having done this since I was a very, young child. And if more than one person went back into the house......we all had to sit on the steps for Good Luck.

If I spill salt....then I have to throw some over my shoulder for Good Luck....I'm not sure which shoulder is the lucky one, so I toss some over both just to be safe...no kidding! But this is one... that I'm not too happy about.... The children found this bird flying around in the house when I ran down the lane for the mail this afternoon. They trapped it in girlie's room and I was able to catch it with our butterfly net on the first try. Some people who are superstitious say that a bird that flies into the house means that there will be a death in the house within the year. Others that are superstitious believe that a bird that flies into the house, foretells an important message. I'll listen closely for the message, while I pray that the first one is just an old wives tale. Leave me a comment and let me know if there are old wives tales or superstitious that are woven through your days.

I'll Match Your Donation x's TEN!

2009-01-28T20:35:00.005-05:00

There is a very sweet, young lady at this blog collecting 9 patches for a worthy cause and I am hoping that you might spare a few minutes out of your month to help her out.

Nothing fancy...

use what you have in your scrap basket or stash,

a light and a dark... or make the entire block scrappy...

I began cutting and sewing strips this afternoon and hope to get them in the mail tomorrow, but you have until the 14th of February to get them to her. I know what your thinking...your busy, have too many projects started, have lots of other things you need to do... believe me SISTER, I hear you...BUSY is my middle name, but we can't have this young lady checking her mailbox hoping to find mail only to be left disheartened by an empty box... Sooooooo...I challenge you with this... for each comment that you leave on this post promising to make even ONE 9 patch to send to her.... I will make TEN blocks to match your donation of ONE block. (It's quite alright if you make more than one) I triple dog dare you!

HiHo! Cherry-O

2009-01-28T08:54:00.007-05:00

When I see these little cherry berries...

I can't help but think of a childhood favorite game... HiHo! Cherry-O

We are ice bound this morning and during a quick trip outside I discovered this not so jolly holly....

With nowhere to be today, surely I can get this wee quilt finished before lunch.

I found a free chart on a blog I recently discovered ....and have been playing with threads and colors.

Someday when I can find the time, I think I'd like to take a photography class. The sun is rarely shines during the winter in Ohio and so I've moved the pencils in their matching colored buckets to the windows to brighten our days.

A label for a package that will make it's way across the pond. Inside, books and templates, some fabrics and wool and whatever else I can squeeze in before taping the box shut. Once the ice melts, I will take the parcel to the post and send you an email letting you know that it is on it's way.

and then there were none....

2009-01-20T14:58:00.003-05:00

the goats are gone...even the little babies that we've been bottle feeding for the last week. While joking around on a phone call for a snow removal estimate on Friday, I mentioned that I was moving and could only leave for Wisconsin after I sold my goats.....

The woman on the phone told me that her husband, the owner of the company, loves animals and would probably want them...and after plowing the farm lane to get to the barn to see the goats and a quick trip into the house to bottle feed the babies... he came back three days later to take them home in the back of one of his work trucks. HURRAY FOR JAKE!!!!!!!!! OUR FAMILY THANKS YOU FOR GIVING OUR ANIMALS A NEW FARM TO CALL HOME Now we bide our time waiting for my son's hockey season playoffs on February 21 and the finals if they make it on February 28th....after that we will be heading North just as soon as we can make arrangements to have out things packed and moved to the cabin. We are hoping that we can make it up to Wisconsin before all the snow melts so that we can do a bit of snowshoeing on the Ice Age Trail

2 +2 = 4

2009-01-19T08:54:00.004-05:00

a simple 4 block baby quilt off to NY just as soon as the binding is done...

bold colors for stitching a PIF... keeping my fingers crossed that my idea for it will come together...

Molly Brown...crossing the 50 pound mark...on our way to HUGE! and B-I-N-G-O there are days I forget that she's not Kate...sigh...

In Contract...Yippeee!!!!!!

2009-01-15T08:51:00.006-05:00

Yesterday our offer on the log cabin was accepted....

Hurray....and I never had to leave home. Thanks honey, for making the trips up to Wisconsin to find a new home for our family.

A nice covered porch for stitching and reading

I fell in love with the kitchen when I saw the photos. I have always wanted a gas stove top. I can't wait to do lots of canning this summer.

A pretty space for my bed....

and at the foot of it... a wood burning stove....

and lots of shelves for all of our books.

My new sewing room. How much easier it will be to find a lost needle or pin on hardwood floor. Goodbye carpet...I won't miss you!

And did I mention that there is an authentic Sioux tipi in the backyard?

It stays with the house! We are counting the days to closing and keeping our fingers crossed that all goes smoothly.

a boy and his goat

2009-01-14T18:38:00.002-05:00

steadier legs on day 2

empty tummies quickly lead to empty bottles

and lots of smiles and cuddles

a bit of nuzzling

rosy cheeks and a twinkle in his eye after hours out in the snow

no school, no packing, no stitching, but....

2009-01-14T17:28:00.007-05:00

lots of cuddling

lots of feeding and bottle cleaning lots of smiles and back scratching this littler goat is just as calm as can be

2 a.m. bottle feedings......

2009-01-14T02:33:00.003-05:00

no kidding....

so exactly how do I explain to the realtor who is coming to list our home for sale this week that I keep my kids in the bathroom?!

lucky me...it was twins Kids For Sale delivery available no kidding!

a token of frienship

2009-01-05T06:44:00.010-05:00

I love to stitch or make small gifts to give to my friends. Some friends are near enough to deliver the gift in person and other friends live too far away to allow such a luxury. It is for those far away friends that I have to pack a box full of surprises and trust with all my heart that when I mail it off, it will reach that special someone so far away. The waiting makes me crazy! Today I received word that one of my packages to a dear friend, oh so far away, has reached her safe and sound, and my heart worries no more. Tucked inside the box was this turtle needle book that I stitched from this pattern.

When I came across the pattern last Spring, I knew just which friend it was meant for.

Beads and hedebo loops allow the top shell to be removed,

and tacked inside is a bit of wool to slip needles through.

The designer cleverly included spaces to stitch initials.

to make an end is to make a beginning.....

2009-01-01T18:26:00.014-05:00

....to be nibbled slowly for children recovering from a belly bug...

SO hoping that I can weather this storm without becoming a cracker nibbler! go fish and old maid helped to pass the hours...for some of us. And with children feeling crummy enough to stay in bed all day, spare moments offered a chance to be with needle and thread. A peek of the things in my work basket that I have been adding to slowly over time, while tucked in a corner where I can see it with the hopes and wishes of making the first few tentative stitches and beginning the journey it will lead me on. There are days that I have longed to rush in with wild abandon and have it begun but I know that I still have things to learn before I can make a start. And a wee bit of bright yarn ... still wondering whether it is just the touch it will need at the end, but remembering how it made my heart sing when I found the lone ball on the shelf just waiting to be made into a something for someone. And simple thoughts about the new year that lies ahead... For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. T.S. Eliot

words near and dear to me...

2008-12-30T10:41:00.005-05:00

“There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.”

~Washington Irving

With my husband leaving for Wisconsin to start his new job next Friday, packing, cleaning and preparing my home to be listed with a realtor by Monday and trying to find a new home in Wisconsin while sitting at my computer in Ohio has been leaving me feeling a bit overwhelmed. But when Sarah was struck by a flu bug yesterday morning...while sleeping in her brother's bed...I was humbled by the love, patience, kindness and gentleness with which my son handled the situation and took care of his sister before coming to wake me up. To everyone who has left comments and sent emails, well wishes, good thoughts and prayers... Thank you from the bottom of my heart, they give me strength and comfort.

A few things I'd rather do instead of packing

2008-12-28T11:22:00.006-05:00

Even though a full pack by the movers is part of the offer my husband accepted from his new employer, I have been through enough company relocations to know... I don't like the way they pack. So hubby brought home boxes to get me started. Only 20!! Sorry guy...I need about 120 more! I've also learned from listing our homes for sale that the more I have packed away from little hands, the less my hands have to clean up. In Sarah's short seven years, we have moved 4 times.... I love you Sarah, but you room has been packed today, I just don't have time to clean your room morning, noon and night. Your babies can stay on your bed, But be warned...I have a box with their name on it! In between packing and trips to the trash, I have been sneaking peeks at the listings the realtor sent us to look over. Though I haven't seen this cabin in person....on paper it is my absolute favorite and would be perfect for our family. Who wouldn't love a pre-Civil War log cabin tucked in the woods! And just in case the log cabin should sell or for some reason not suit us, then I have found this 100 year plus stone farm house with a huge red barn. I could easily call either one HOME. Now if we can just find a weekend that Dougs isn't playing hockey. Wait ....let me check my calendar....MARCH 1st. I don't know that I can wait that long! Hopefully hubby will like one of these properties when he heads up next week. To help me pass the time spent waiting for our move to Wisconsin, I started a smallish cross stitch project that can quickly be cleaned away. These two pieces are for a scissor sheath. I have finished the back and am nearly done stitching the piece with the "C" for the front. The set has charts for the scissor sheath, a needle book and a sewing case. Hopefully it will be enough to keep me busy. If not, I have another stitching kit that could keep me busy for a very long time. I'm starting to wonder if maybe I'm not spending enough time packing?

Reindeer Won't Be the Only Thing Flying Tonight

2008-12-24T17:20:00.006-05:00

Just hours from Christmas morning and I am one sock shy of a pair. The stitches for the last sock were cast on this morning and I think with a movie or two after the children go to bed I should be able to work the rest of the cuff and foot before anyone jumps out of bed to see if Santa visited.

Things that begin with ...... M

2008-12-15T19:24:00.007-05:00

... Mouse in the Nutcracker.

Daddy does better ballet hair than I do, so he spent two evenings with a room full of giggling mice and sugar plum fairies. I have absolutely no idea how to apply makeup and so I sold the experience to my husband "as a chance to do something that most father's would never have." Bless his heart!

Molly Molly Brown

Mom's Massive Mountain Maiden

More Molly And last but not least Moving to Wisconsin. Somewhere on this photo from space is the house we will find to call home.

Adding Color to Our Days

2008-12-05T13:52:00.007-05:00

We've been busy playing with paints, paper and glue to bring color to our grey, winter days.

Filling a jar with buttons to hold my wooden spoons.

A bit of knitting with cheery colors will soon be warming little toes.

And a wave 'hello' from Molly Brown.

Happy Thanksgiving.....

2008-11-26T11:59:00.004-05:00

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. ~Cicero

The Pilgrim Fathers Arrive in America by Angus Mcbride

Something We Should Take to Heart

2008-11-20T19:22:00.006-05:00

It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it. ~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

Post #101.....

2008-11-20T12:53:00.004-05:00

and everyone that left a comment on my last post "Here's Your Chance" about giveaways... was entered in the drawing the lucky winner was.... Diane...I have your email and will be contacting you this afternoon.

Here's Your Chance....

2008-11-12T07:34:00.005-05:00

.....to say what you like about giveaways.

what would you like to win.... what wouldn't you want to win... do you want to know exactly what's in your box or do you like surprises?

Is candy a good thing to get in a giveaway? And what's your favorite kind?

Do you enter giveaways for the prizes or for the thrill of seeing your name pulled? What is it that will prompt you to leave a comment on a giveaway post or to just skip it and wish the others Good Luck?

The Mother's Book....and a finished sock.

2008-11-11T09:42:00.010-05:00

With the children settled on the couch with reading of their own, I pulled a book from my shelf and began reading .... when soon I stumbled across a few lines that caused me to stop and ponder on the lessons I teach when I don't finish what I have begun and the custom of having half a dozen things on hand at once.

"Making patchwork is likewise a quiet amusement; and if a child be taught to fit it herself, it may be made really useful. If the corners are not fitted exactly, or sewing done neatly, it should be taken to pieces and fitted again; for it is by inattention to these little things that habits of carelessness are formed. On no occasion whatever should a child be excused from finishing what she has begun. The custom of having half a dozen things on hand at once, should not be tolerated. Everything should be finished, and well finished. It ought to be considered a disgrace to give up anything, after it is once undertaken. Habits of perseverance are of incalculable importance; and a parent should earnestly improve the most trifling opportunities of impressing this truth." The Mother's Book by Mrs. Child 1831 I threw down my book and hurried off to my knitting basket... because what a disgrace to stop knitting one toe shy of a new pair of socks?

A Christmas Ornament

2008-11-09T19:30:00.010-05:00

Sometimes it takes a gentle nudge to get me moving. Early yesterday morning in an email, that nudge arrived from a sweet friend asking me to consider a tutorial for a beaded and embroidered wool felt ornament. And so dear friend, this is for you...

Trace desired shape onto non-shiny side of freezer paper twice.

On one shape draw lines to divide into sections and label with color name.

Cut out freezer paper shapes and heat set with warm iron to the wool felt.

Cut out shapes and rearrange back into original shape on lightweight fusible interfacing. It is important to make sure that each of the pieces is fitted snuggly next to one another. Do not heat set them until you are certain that there are no gaps between pieces.

Using two strands of embroidery floss and decorative stitches, stitch across each seam being careful to catch both edges so that there are no open seams. The white lines you see on the edges of the stitches are from a rolling chalk marker that I use to mark as a stitching guide. They will wear away over time or with gentle brushing.

A jelly jar full of beads is way more than you will need. I've used gold, purple and ruby beads of assorted sizes on the sample.

Stitch beads on one at a time using two strands of embroidery floss to match the color of the bead. Not all embroidery needles will pass through the center of small beads, you may need to change the size of the needle to stitch the beads. If the eye of the needle is too small for two strands of floss then use one strand doubled over. After all embroidery and beading are complete, trim interfacing away as closely as possible to the edge of the shape being careful not to clip through embroidery stitches that may be close to the edge.

Place embroidered heart on top of second heart and pin edges. Using two strands of embroidery floss, stitch completely around the edge of the heart using blanket stitch and changing colors as desired. On this sample I have used a single ply of red perle cotton as a simple hanger. MERRY CHRISTMAS MILAH! A Simple Supply List freezer paper 6" square of lightweight fusible interfacing Black wool felt scraps 4" x 5" 2" x 3" Red wool felt scrap 2" x 3" Gold wool felt scrap 2" x 4" Olive wool felt scrap 2" x 4" DMC embroidery floss #725-gold, #470 - olive, #792 - purple, #321 - red assortment of beads and baubles in reds, purples and gold 5" of perle cotton or ribbon for a hanger Note about felt: This sample was stitched in wool felt that can be purchased through Magic Cabin. It is very easy to work with and is more forgiving then acrylic if you need to rework stitches. The wool also offers a wider range of colors. Each heart uses very small amounts of wool and the pieces of felt that can be purchased through Magic Cabin would allow you to make many, many ornaments. Note about beads: The sample was stitched with beads in a bag labeled 'Bead Heaven' that I purchased at Michael's. I have seen similar bead collections and assortments at both Hobby Lobby and Joann's. These ornaments don't require large amounts of beads so I shop for smaller bags in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. If you would like a copy of the heart shape I used, please email me and I will send a scan of the image.

Four and twenty black birds....

2008-11-08T11:30:00.003-05:00

....baked in a pie.

Ok, so there's only one and it's not black, but I use this sweetie to vent the steam from all of my pies while cooking in the oven. and it wasn't a pie it was a tortiere, and there wasn't a single piece left the next day!

Good Golly Miss Molly!

2008-11-07T11:17:00.005-05:00

The long wait is over...

Molly has arrived and is checking things out in the house.

The children made sure to put out food and she ate to her hearts content,

and promptly feel asleep before the children even had a chance to show her around the farm.

And so they have set up camp beside her playpen and patiently wait for naptime to end. My house is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Indian Summer

2008-11-06T16:11:00.006-05:00

"The air is perfectly quiescent and all is stillness, as if Nature, after her exertions during the Summer, were now at rest." Belonging to the writer John Bradbury and written nearly an "eternity" ago, back in 1817, I can think of no better way to describe an amazing week of Indian Summer. So with a loyal friend by my side... in a cozy chair in the warm autumn air... mixed with a bit of woolgathering and chicken watching... a few minutes were spared to finish the first part of stitching for a dear friend who I've never met, and though we are separated by great waters it is by simple threads that our friendship is bound.

Do You Love Your Bread Maker?

2008-10-31T09:21:00.004-04:00

In order to avoid the craziness in town today, I am going to delay our trip into town to go to the market. Not usually a big deal to delay the trip by a couple of days, but today we are out of two things...milk and bread. I can easily mix up a quart of powdered milk so that takes care of the milk shortage. But kneading a loaf of bread by hand was not on my list of things to do this morning. I've been thinking about buying a bread machine so I thought I'd see if anyone can offer any help in the matter. If you have or have had a bread maker I have a few questions for you....

What type of machine do you have and what do you LOVE about it? Do you use it? If it died tomorrow would you replace it? If you had a bread machine and hated it, never used it or gave it away, I'd love to hear from you as well.

The children made a trip over to visit their new puppy last night. The breeder would like to keep the puppies together as a litter for another week before letting them go to their new homes. They have chosen the name "Molly" and wanted to try it out. The big dog is Molly's mother. She absolutely dwarfs my eight year old who is sitting next to her.

Why is tomorrow the best day to go out for dinner?

2008-10-30T15:11:00.007-04:00

Assuming you live in the states, regardless of the restaurant, if you visit between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. I can almost guarantee that you will not see a child, except perhaps my two children. Why? Tomorrow is October 31 and parents with children will be out going from house to house begging for candy, which means the restaurants will be empty! But as we are not a family that participates in this tradition, we have found that it is an absolutely wonderful night to go out to dinner. We have always had excellent service and have never had to wait for a table and the noise is reduced to an enjoyable level. We look forward to this night each fall. This year the children have chosen one of their favorite places, and the fact that it does not have golden arches or a drive thru makes my heart leap for joy. If the weather holds we may even be able to eat our bbq chicken wings outside. I've finished up a wool needle book that will soon be on it's way to Australia along with a sheep pincushion. All that is left is to find a box that's not too big and not too small. Where's an Amazon box when you need it! Another completed top for the Home of the Brave Quilt Project for an fallen soldier's family here in Ohio. The blocks in this top were sent to me by Carol. Her piecing skills are fantastic. It made stitching those setting triangles a breeze! And a surprise for my sweet friend in Belgium. I've been needing to finish up a few promised projects before I would allow myself to begin working on this stitching. After preparing the fabric yesternight, I realized that I am going to need every second of daylight that I can get to work on this stitching. Whoever thought that stitching over one thread of linen with one strand of cotton was a clever idea, couldn't possibly have had a house load of chores, small children to care for and a puppy soon to be underfoot. But the finished stitched items will be perfect for my friend and I want to be the one to give them to her.