Barn Quilts of Kittitas County, WA

I received an email this morning about a Barn Quilt Trail in Eastern WA state. Having lived in Western WA for 26 years I found it to be very interesting and thought you might also.  You can find information at this website:    www.BarnQuiltsWashington.org  they can also be found on  Facebook.

 

If you will be in the area this Spring and Summer you may want to check it out. It is a lovely area of Washington.

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas. We had a quiet Christmas here with a beautiful sunny day and cool weather. I took a picture of the sunset this evening:

Santa left a present for the cats (mostly Squeaker) and it has been inspected and approved.

 

Squeaker is the primary user of the stand. The older cats will scratch on the bottom and Lucy has gotten brave enough to get up to the second tier. Squeaker loves the cat stand this is the third one he's had.

Miss Emma usually sits like this while she takes her bath. DH calls her a hussy and  is always telling her to sit like a lady, but she never does.

So that was the excitement around here today. I did go out to the sewing room for awhile this afternoon and make some Toasty Toes. I try to make DH a pair for Christmas every year. He loves them and says they keep his feet warm.

Winter has Arrived

This morning we woke up to snow and it is still snowing. Small tiny little flakes.

This is enough for me so it doesn't need to snow anymore this winter. Somehow, I think this is only the beginning.

My Back to Square One is now a top. Just have to find a backing and get it quilted.

Really like the quilt, but I'm ready for something else to work on. Fortunately I have lots of new and old thing to chose from.

Think I will go finish the binding on another quilt and then maybe knit for awhile. Stay warm.

Back to Square One

I finally got caught up on my Patchwork Times mystery quilt. I just need to add the final two borders and it will be a top. I really like this quilt and it really stretched me when we had to do the square in a square blocks. I really don't enjoy doing them, but they came out okay. You can see all the other quilts over at Patchwork Times.

Meet Gracie

About two weeks ago I finally managed to purchase a Featherweight 221. Then I got sick with Bronchitis and a sinus infection, but I have finally climbed back into the land of the living. So I can now show you  Gracie:

She sews a nice stitch, but that's about all I've determined so far.

While I was on the mend I caught up on my knitting for the Fourth Quarter Challenge at the Loopy Ewe. It is finished just needs ends woven in and blocked. This is the Pine Forest Baby Blanket done in Cascade 220 color Violet.

You can find the pattern on Ravelry. The pattern is a 4 row repeat and if you use markers is fairly easy to do. Hopefully, I will return later and show you my caught up progress on Back to Square One the mystery quilt I am working on from Patchwork Times. You can find the button on the right side of the blog if you want to check it out.

Cooking Beans

Last Sunday I showed you my new pressure cooker and mentioned that you could cook dried beans in it in a short time and I would let you know how that worked when I tried it. On Thursday this week I gave it a go.

The book that came with the cooker says for every cup of food add 3 cups of water. So I put in two cups of washed dried pinto beans and six cups of water. It also said to add 1 tsp of vegetable oil (I used olive oil) for every cup of water to keep it from foaming. Then it said to put the lid on, set it for High pressure at 3 minutes which I did. It took it about 12 minutes to come to pressure and then to it started to cook for 3 minutes. At 3 minutes it shut off to warm and I hit the stop button and let it release pressure naturally as it said to do. When I took the cover off this is what they looked like:

 

They had cooked but to me they needed more cooking as they were firmer than we liked them, so I put the lid back on and repeated the process for another 3 minutes. They came out like this:

 

They look about the same, but these were softer. I had to rinse them off because of the oil. I think 6 tsps of oil might be a little much. We decided that we like our beans cooked all day on the stove slow with onions and ham hocks added and cornbread. If you wanted beans but forgot to soak them overnight this would be a good way to do a quick start. I think maybe what the directions meant but didn't say was 3 minutes per cup of food is the cooking time. So there you have it. I really like the pressure cooker and will keep trying recipes and let you know if I find a keeper. If you have one of these pressure cookers do you use it and do you like it? Let me know if you have a favorite recipe to use  in it.

Lazy Sunday

I am not getting much done today it seems. I've been hunting for recipes to use in my birthday present. DH gave me an Nesco Electric Pressure Cooker when I mentioned I thought we should have one. I've used a regular pressure cooker for years, but since getting this one it's the only one I want to use. It is also a slow cooker and has high or low pressure to cook with. Best thing of all I can get it started set the timer and leave which I couldn't do with the old one.

The usual statement of I'm not connected to Nesco in any way other than a satisfied customer. I have their dehydrator also and love it.

I cooked a 3.5 pound chuck roast in it the other day in 45 minutes. Next I'm going to try pinto beans in it. I usually soak them over night and then slow cook them all day with a ham hock and onion on the stove. The recipe book says you can cook dried beans in 3 minutes in the Nesco. I'm going to have to see if that is true. I'll let you know.

On to other things. This week I have been working to get caught up on my Back to Square One going on over at Patchwork Times .
This is my quilt so far:

DH says he really likes it and he thinks it looks like a Stained Glass window. It is really coming out better than I thought it would. Have the next border partially done and hopefully can get it finished and attached by tomorrow.

On The Needles

Nothing much new on the needles except some progress. Haven't spent as much time knitting as I would like to, but I have made some progress on the Pine Forest Baby Blanket

September start of project:

October addition so far:

So there has been some progress just not what I had hoped to have done. If you want to see how others have been doing check out Patchwork Times

How I Believed In Myself

Over at Jo's Country Junction she is having a give away for a sweepstakes drawing for a $50 Visa Card and a BlueRay Combo Pack for Monster's University. If you'd like to enter check out her blog with the details.

READ THE WHOLE POST FOR A CHANCE TO WIN

I'm a quilter and a machine quilter and one day, in 1993,  while catching up on reading my quilting magazines I had one of those light bulb minutes where and idea just pops into your mind. The more I thought about the idea the more excited I became about it, and as luck would have it I was home alone with no one to share my excitement. When my husband came home I excitedly told him about my idea and how I thought it would sell. He agreed that he thought I should do this and encouraged me to go with it. I had an idea of what I wanted my design to be, but not being able to draw more than stick figures I had my daughter give it a try. She sent me what she had drawn and while it was in the ball park it wasn't quite right. So I took her drawings and my idea over to see my B-I-L Richard. Richard is really good with Corel Draw and he started putting shapes together and after a couple of hours of playing around we came up with a design that looked like the picture in my mind.  I took the drawing and started looking at how to get the design made and how much would it cost. I finally found a place in Wisconsin to work with. It still took me a couple of years to get up the courage to spend the money, but in 1996 I finally placed an order.

I designed with Richard AND Margaret's help and my family's encouagement  a QUILT BUG lapel pin and these are my -

 QUILT BUGS:

 I really get excited when I am at a quilt show and see someone wearing one of my pins it is such a rush. I used to watch the quilting shows on tv and one Saturday Kaye Wood did a program on all the pins you collect and how to display them. Right there on tv sat my first quilt bug in the center of all her pins. Again I was home alone and no one to share with. Unfortunately, I couldn't record it right now like we can today so I could show them when they came home. That's okay I saw it and I can't even describe how good it made me feel. So I would urge you to follow your dreams. If there is something you really want and believe in go after even if it takes you awhile to get there the rewards are worth it.

So now I have to ask you Have you been bitten by the QUILT BUG? If so don't you think you should have one or six to wear or give as gifts to your quilty friends?
If you've been bitten by the QUILT BUG and would like to win a set of my pins leave a comment here to let me know you entered the sweepstakes and a link to your blog page with your entry post. I'll draw a name on the 31st of October.


So would you like a chance to win a $50 Visa Gift Card and a Monsters University Blu-ray Combo Pack?

On The Needles

I've been tempted once again. I am doing the 4th Quarter Challenge at the Loopy Ewe. I have a chance of finishing this one on time since it doesn't have to be done until the middle of December and I'm hoping to have it done before then. I am doing the Pine Forest Baby Blanket with Cascade 220 wool in violet. It is such a pretty soft color and I'm liking it alot. 

If you want to see what everyone is knitting check out Patchwork Times .

Laugh for the Day

The daughter unit sent me a bunch of pictures today. There was one that describe Squeaker perfectly.

And that is why his sharp claws are kept cut short. Describes him perfectly when he plays.

Early Christmas

Today Christmas came early at our house. I'd rec'd an email earlier in the week from the Daughter Unit saying be looking for a box with an early Christmas Present. Since for the last several years we've always told the Kids we want nothing we already have everything we were wondering what would show up. This afternoon Fedex delivered a box which was to heavy to be nothing. Meet Neato.

After unpacking Neato we sent him to the charger for about 3 hours. About 4:30 I thought I'd turn him on and see what happened. He's louder than I thought, but very interesting to watch. Neato came out of the starting gate and Squeak immediately went over to see what was this noisy thing.

Meanwhile, Lucy and Emma were trying to figure out what was it doing, were they safe where they were, and how to hide from it. Emma hid in the corner until she could out run it.

 Squeak didn't trust it so he was keeping an eye on it as long as it didn't turn around and come after him.

P.S. See the nice new laminate floor the Daughter Unit and The Soon To Be Son In Law Helped to do.

August

August was a busy month around here. Put the finishing touches on the wedding quilt going to Washington for our son's wedding. Had to take all 4 cats to the vet to get clearance for them to board while we were gone. They were not happy with us.
Drove up to WA stayed for 5 days and on the 6th day we made the 12 hour drive back home bringing our daughter and her fiancee for a visit. I hadn't seen Margaret for 10 years so it was really nice to see her and meet Mike. While they were here Margaret insisted that we rip up the carpet in the dining room, hall and living room and put down the laminate flooring we had been planning to do this one of these days soon, but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Poor Mike spent 3 days of his vacation putting down flooring. He'll probably be afraid to visit again. We are very, very, very grateful for their help. We had a good time anyway. Then we drove them down to Salt Lake to catch their plane home.

I followed the wedding photographer around and took some pictures. After a short rain shower the sun came out and the wedding went on as planned by the golf course.
The day after the wedding was spent opening gifts with family and friends. There were guests from, England, Australia, Washington, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.


As much as I had dreaded the trip it was a fun wedding and visit.
Margaret and Mike are planning a wedding after the first of the year and are thinking of flying out to Las Vegas to get married. That's close enough I can attend if we can find a non smoking place to stay. Well, that about covers it around here. Looking forward to cooler weather and the grapes getting ripe. It's time to get back to organizing the sewing room and getting some sewing done.
What did you do for August?

Design Wall Monday

The Wedding Quilt is quilted and ready for binding and a label. I quilted it with the Double Rose Vine and I am really pleased with how it turned out.  It measures 87 x 87" so it will take me awhile to get the binding done.

This weekend I decided to make the Tractor block over at  Bee in My Bonnet. 
It is larger than the barn blocks it's about 20" x 15". My husband really likes it and wants me to make it a wall hanging. Then he wanted to know how many would it take to make a quilt. I may have to give it some thought. While I enjoyed making the tractor I think I really prefer to make Barns. So we'll see how it goes. This is barn #2 for me. I have to get some 6 inch blocks made and I'll be ready to put more barns together.

Last Thursday afternoon our second Great Granddaughter arrived. Samantha May (Sammy). Even though my birthday is on this coming Thursday I'm really not old enough to have 2 great granddaughters. Where does the time go?

Well, that's pretty much what has been happening around here. Anything exciting in your neck of the woods?

Wedding Quilt

The only place I could get a good picture was to hang it on the clothes line. Need to get the back together and then it's ready to put in the machine and quilt. It is a much prettier quilt than the pictures show. It's poofed out in the middle because that is where it gets folded. Certainly hope it quilts out nicely.

A Lazy Saturday

Dh is finishing up his summer session at BSU in the next couple of days so he'll have some time to mow grass and catch up with the outside work before the next session starts for the fall. While he was occupied with school work I wandered around the yard and noticed we have a few flowers in bloom.

 

So I took some pictures of them.
I've also managed to do some knitting. I signed up for Camp Loopy sponsered by the  Loopy Ewe and for the second quarter I am knitting this February Lady Sweater.   
 
 You can get the pattern on Ravelry. I did the Boneyard Shawl also found on Ravelry for the first quarter, but I didn't get it done in time to be in the drawing for a prize. Hope I can do better this quarter. I probably won't be able to do the third quarter but I have at least finished up some knitting anyway. I still need to hide the loose threads on the shawl and block it. I used LYB Amazing Yarn in the Strawberry Fields colorway. I really like this yarn it is soft and warm and easy to knit with it is also washable. I'm doing the FLS (February Lady Sweater) in Cascade 220 wool. Also a really nice yarn to knit with. 

Earlier this year DH made me a yarn bowl after I showed him some picture of the different types on Ravelry.  I suggested he might want to make some in various sizes and he could sell them. Maybe when he gets his Bachelor's done.

Well, that's what I've been doing lately. What fun things have you finished or started this month??            

Squeak and Cantaloupe

When I cut up some cantaloupe a couple of weeks ago Squeak was in the kitchen standing on his hind legs reaching for the counter and tapping me quite firmly on the leg. He wanted some cantaloupe. I thought it was his, whatever you have I want some too, attitude.  I raised him since he was 4 weeks old so he really thinks he should have whatever I am eating or drinking. The one thing we both really like is cantaloupe so when I again cut some up this morning he wanted his right now.

He cleaned his plate and was looking around for more. So I'm sure that tonight he'll be in my lap trying to get his head in my bowl. 
Do you have an animal who thinks he should have whatever you are having no matter what it is?

Couldn't Resist

 I've been watching people around blogland post their barn block from
Bee In My Bonnet  where she has been doing a Quilty Barn Along. One just a barn with a quilt block on the side, the second one a barn with the quilt block in the door and a silo on the barn and the third one she says she will be doing is a tractor quilt.  Needless to say, the more blocks I saw posted the more I wanted to play along. So here is my first block and I'm hooked. Doesn't this make you want to play along also?

It is easy to do, the cutting takes the longest, but her instructions are really good. If you do decide to join in let's see some serious barn raising.

The Stage

Dh taught himself to play the guitar when he was a teenager. The song he learned first was Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley. To this day his family have trouble listening to that song. However, that being said,  they love to hear him play. He has added banjo, and piano and is working on a couple of other things to play. So earlier this year he decided he was going to build a stage in the backyard where he and his like minded friends could sit on a summer's day and make some music. This weekend the work began.

He and our neighbor (a guitar player) started working. Then there was break time:

Then I was called out to take a picture of the progress on the stage. They still need a step, debating a roof or not and talking about painting it.

 

So it hasn't all been break time there has been work happening so they are down to the finishing touches and:

Break Time.

The Baptism.

Knitting and Other Happenings

For those of you who knit this helpful tip Ripping Back  was shown on facebook. Since it seems like always have to rip back for one reason or another I'm going to keep it in mind for the next time. I've been knitting a cute little thing called  Lady Londonderry   I'd include a picture but for some reason can't make that happen. If you click on the link it will take you to Ravelry where you can see the item and purchase the pattern if you'd like.  I'm not associated with the designer other than I purchased the pattern to knit. It's an easy knit doing the feather and fan pattern.

I finally have the center of the wedding quilt put together.  I can't get down on the floor and smooth it out nicely, but you get the idea. I don't know if I want to add a narrow border around the center or just add more background to make it queen size. I thought about adding a braid on the top and bottom, but don't know if that would be to much. What do you think?

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin   

Since Google Reader will be no more on July 1st I have signed up with bloglovin so I can still read and follow blogs that interest me.  If you haven't  found a new home so you can keep up with your blogs of interest you may want to check out your choices.

Helpful Hints for the Day

I saw this on One Good Thing by Jillee and thought you might like to see it also even if you've seen it before.  How To Fold a T-shirt

I had seen it a long time ago on you tube and forgotten about it. So practice and then impress some of your friends. My work here is done see you all later.

Okay, I just thought I was done but here is another helpful hint for microwaving Corn on the Cob . With corn on the cob season just around the corner I'm going to be trying this and using the herbed butter recipe from One Good Thing By Jillee.

So what helpful hint or hints would you like to pass along????

Making an Unscheduled Appearance

Nice weather has finally arrived so that means more time outdoors and doing things other than quilting. Today I finally made time to spend in the sewing room and managed to get half of the quilt put together. It's not the best picture, but at least I kept the cats off of it while I took one. I'm really liking how this is going together. I'm using  Quiltsmart  and it is working beautifully. The real test will come if the center works.

So what have you been up to in your part of the country? Has summer arrived for you also. I hope you are not in the Tornado zone. I have family in the OKC area, but so far they are okay. I hope it stays that way.

Quilts for Oklahoma

 I'm sure some of you have family in the Oklahoma City area. I have a brother and sister-in-law and 4 nephews and their familes in and around Oklahoma City. They are all fine and didn't suffer any damage that I know of. Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville.com has been contacted and asked to spread the word to any quilters and bloggers who would like to donate quilts and or blankets to send them to:

 Ship to:

OK Quilt Drive,
 c/o Ellen Medlock Studio Store, 
10032 S. Sheridan Rd, Suite H-1, 
Tulsa, OK 74133. 

(We will be happy to place any kind of blanket, for that matter!)"

You can read the whole post at the following:
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/05/quilts-for-oklahoma.htmlQuiltville

Anything you can do will be appreciated. I can't even begin to imagine losing everything I own, kids, pets etc and having to start over at my age. Thank you for any help you can give.

Design Wall Monday

This is a Block of the Month I did a few years ago when we lived in WA. The Shibori Dragon also did it by mail so every month I rec'd enough fabric to make two blocks. I finally uncovered it a couple of weeks ago so I have been looking at it and making changes to placement while trying to figure what kind of borders I'd like to put on it. Hopefully, sometime this summer I will finally get my design wall up on the wall where I can see things better while I'm thinking. This one needs some work. See what everyone else is up to over at Patchwork Times.