Lazy Sunday For Some Here Today

Some of us (Squeak) are having a nap while others of us are quilting. It's a good thing he is taking a nap because even though he tries he is not helpful running the quilting machine.

DH is out on the farm helping to clear last years garden spot so it can be readied for planting this year. Friends of ours own the farm and they do a large garden every year and I think half the county gets food given to them. This is the third year DH has helped with the gardening. The picture shows an old tree in the pasture that blew down in a winter storm a year ago. After they cut the top of it off and made firewood of it they set the bottom back in it's hole and it is showing new growth.

Well, it is time to get back to work on the quilt in the machine. Have a good Sunday.

A Beautiful Day

One of the of the things I love about living here in the high desert are the glorious sunsets. This was tonight's. The last two days have been lovely pre-spring weather. Unfortunately, according to the weatherman we might have some more snow Friday evening and Saturday.

I've been doing alittle sewing and a little knitting and some reading. What have you been doing with your day?

Sunday Music in the Country

This last sunday Dh had a couple of friends over to play music with. He set up in the backyard and they commenced to having a good time singing songs, telling lies and tall tales while grilling some brauts and hot dogs. All the sudden the sky became dark and the wind picked up and rain came down.  All summer we have been having thunder storms with no rain but lots of lightening which has started numerous fires. So everyone covererd things with tarps and ran for the house until it passed over.

In spite of the rain we all had a good time. I made a blackberry and blueberry cobbler and a coconut pecan pie and Gail brought a cake so we had plenty of desserts and good food. The ladies played Phase 10 Masters while listening to the music. Needless to say I didn't win.

It's a good thing I took a picture of the peaches on our tree this year. The morning I was going to pick them to make some jelly someone had come in the middle of the night and picked everyone of them. So no peach jelly for us this year. Hopefully, this time next year I'll have a fence around the back yard and a dog. Maybe I can train the dog to take a bite out of crime.



Anyone Else Running Behind?

It's hard for me to believe that it's already July. It has been a busy three weeks since my last post. DH started on my shed and got it almost done before he had to leave. This will give me a place to store overflow until I can get through it to determine how much I really need to keep and what should find a new home.

The hollyhocks are finally blooming and the grapes are growing. DH cut the grape vines way back this spring and then worried because it took them awhile to show signs of growth. They are loaded with tiny clusters of grapes. If all of them ripen we will be making grape jelly and possibly some wine with them.

When Dh returns from his trip my brother and his wife are coming to stay for a week and see the sights around the area. It will be nice to see them again. That being said I guess I'd best get started on my long list of things to do so I'll be ready for company.

DH the Woodturner

Dh has been wood turning again. He finally got his shop set up so he could get back into woodturning and he has been having a good time with it. He used some small scraps to make little bowls I can use to make pin cushions. He also had a chunk of walnut he got from a friend so he turned this bowl out of some of it to give to the friend who gave him the wood. It's one of the prettiest bowls he has done. I'm hoping that by the time the fair rolls around he will have a couple made to enter. He also makes pens and key chains.

The Snow Storm

Well, after all the build up from the weatherman we have about an inch of snow on the ground. It is now a rain snow mix and already starting to melt. Around here it is a relief not to have piles of snow. It would be ideal as far as I'm concerned if it only snowed on the grass and left the roads open. They got a lot more snow in WA than we did here in Rupert.

So today instead of quilting I have played Words With Friends with my sister on Facebook and now I'm knitting dishcloths. I may even get a binding on a quilt this evening while we watch tv. Stay warm I'll be back soon.

Here Comes 2012

Are you ready for 2012? I'm not sure I am but I guess I'd better get ready. I finished off 2011 by making some Christmas presents and just enjoying the sewing room. I made some baked goods also to give but they disappeared so fast I didn't have time to get a picture of them. I had some travel pillows so I made pillow cases for them for the kids across the street. The empty pillow case was for the oldest child who recieved her pillow for her birthday in September. I also tooks some fabric and quilted it to polar fleece for couch blankets for my son but neglected to take a picture before they were sent on their way. I included some pillow cases and I did remember to take a picture of them.

I made some Toasty Toes Socks for the better half he was really good this year he received 3 pair of them. They are made with polar fleece and very nice and warm in the cold weather. I'll have to take a picture of them so you can see them.

It was a great finish to the year and I had a lot of fun doing the sewing. It's been awhile since I could just enjoy sewing because I wanted to.

So what did you get made for yourself or for a gift?

Latest on Canning

The last time I canned anything was about 28 years ago when we moved to Washington and the kids and I went to Bainbridge Island to pick strawberries with which we made strawberry jelly. Here in the Magic Valley of Idaho we have been blessed with an abundance of fruits and vegetables. This year I have put up 4 pints of applesauce, two pints of apple butter, 9 pints of pear butter and 7 pints of plum jelly plus all the corn and pepper relish that DH did. I know those aren't huge amounts of product. It is enough for this year to get back into the swing of things. Also I have been trying to lose weight and consume less food so I'm trying to only put up what we can consume in a reasonable amout of time so I don't end up throwing anything out later.

Fall has finally arrived with a cold front which came through here on Monday night. We've had temps in the low 40's the last couple of days, but the next few days we will be back up to high 50's and low 60's. Our trees have been looking very nice in all their fall color.

Fall has Arrived

Fall roared in like an angry beast this last week. We went from 80+ degrees to 40 degree weather and lots of rain, wind and cold for 3 days and today the sun is back with about mid 50's. The rest of the week is supposed to be real fall weather in the 60's with chances of rain.

I finally quilted the quilt in the picture. One of my customers sent it to me to quilt it belonged to her MIL and they found it when they were cleaning out some things. I put a muslin back on it and bound it in muslin. I had to quilt it with a meander due to some fullness in the center, but it came out much better than I figured it would.

On the home front DH has been canning pepper relish, corn and peppers, and pickling corn on the cob. This is his first attempt at canning so far so good. I thought I had a picture of his jars, but can't find it at the moment.

I have also managed to get this quilted so it just needs the binding sewn down and then it is going up to WA to put in my sister's booth at the quilt show for sale. It's made of flannel and can be used as a wall hanging or a lap quilt.

So working in the quilt room, quilting and canning are what's been happening around here what have you been up to lately?

Fall is Just around the corner

It's been a busy month. I have been working out in the quilt room and managed to create a sewing corner so I can take a break and sew something every now and then. I ordered some cheddar fabric so I could do Bonnie Hunter's Cheddar Challenge. I've decided to use 3.5" blocks with 2" for the knot on the bow tie and put them into a circle. I made enough blocks to do one wreath and I like it so I will do blocks as time allows.

Dh spent the day making pepper relish. It was his first time to can anything and I think he did a pretty good job. What he started with and what he ended up with. I'll post some pictures of the current state of the quilt room soon. I havet to take some first.

Canning Season and a Question

It's been 30 years since I canned anything. This summer I have picked some apples and made some applesauce, some apricots which I have added some peaches to and I am in the process of making apricot peach butter in the slow cooker. A friend told me about doing it this way shefound it on Foodinjars.com
Now my question is how do I make food in jars a link so you could just click on it and go there? I'm not sure how to do this and I sure would like to be able to do it as I often find things I would like to share.
Okay, back to the quilt room to get some more work done.

The Hurrier I Go

Here it is the 22nd of August already. I need a way to slow down the days. I finely entered something in the fair this year and won two red ribbons. I entered the Double Irish Chain quilt and one I did many years ago called White Bear from the book called Quilted Legends of the West. The book says that, "When the Indians brought goat skins to explorer Captain Cook in 1778, he thought they were white bear. Explorer Alexander MacKenzie saw the animals and decided they were white buffalo, and Lewis and Clark thought they were mountain sheep. The Mountain goat is not a goat at all, but an antelope". When I put it in the guild show in WA it took viewer's choice and my husband liked it so much that I gave it to him as a birthday gift.

Today I am attempting to can applesauce and some apricots. It's been 30 years since I last canned anything so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Back to the never ending chore of putting fabric away.

Pay It Forward

I've joined a PIF on Amanda's Musings which can be found here http://scrandasmusings.blogspot.com . Sorry I don't know how to make it so the link doesn't show. The idea is that she will make something in the next year and send it to me. Then I blog about it here and recruit 3 people to play along. Those that sign up will recieve something I have made sometime in the next year. So if this sounds like fun let me know and I'll add you to my list. Once you have left a comment that you would like to play then you blog about the PIF on your blog and get three people to play along. Once I have something made I will contact you for your mailing address so I can send your gift on it's way.

So who would like to play?

p.s. Did I mention that today is my BIRTHDAY?

End of July Already

Seems like July just started and it's gone already. Yesterday I spent the day in the quilt room ironing and folding fabric trying to get it all put away. I probably could have accomplished more if I hadn't taken Squeak out with me to give the girls a break. He teases and torments them without a break. So he played and had a good time. He played with fabric, hid in the fabric and attacked the fabric I was trying to iron and fold.

When he wore me out with his help I decided to sew a couple more of the 36 patch blocks and use my new sewing machine. I got this machine from a man in Twin Falls, brought it home and cleaned it up. It sew a beautiful stitch. I think the cabinet is the original cabinet. I found the sales reciept in one of the drawers and the lady bought it in 1953. It has been well used and will get some more use around here.

This coming weekend we are going to a quilt and woodworking show in Kuna, ID which is west of Boise. Friends have a machine and cabinet I purchased online and they picked up for me so I could get it when we came up. It is a Singer 301. So I'm looking forward to getting that set up to use also.

Well, guess I'd better get some more fabric put away.

Happy Friday

I've been meaning to post all week and keep getting side tracked. Dh found himself a pop-up camper he can use for his music weekends, fishing and camping. We went to pick it up on Monday to bring it home. It's in very good shape for an older camper. We learned how to take it down and how to set it up before we left.

Then I finished a second green and brown double irish chain quilt. It needs a label and a binding and then it will be going to the grandson as his graduation present.

Went today and bought some cherries from a lady who has a tree loaded with them. They are very good. I'm thinking I might go back and buy some more to freeze to make pies with. Dh says he is making chicken salad tonight so I bought some tortillas so we can have a wrap. Have to go now and find something to wipe up the drool. Later.

Saturday Morning

This morning there was a small plane flying close to the house. When I went outside to see what it was I saw this crop duster spraying the field about half a mile away from us. He made several passes and then it was quiet.

The day was spent cleaning up the back yard and trimming trees then taking all the limbs to the dump. We still have a lot of trimming to do and the house needs painting. So when we get it all done it will look like a different place around here. I'll be taking before and after pictures.

Tomorrow I will be working in the quilt room trying to get more fabric put away. Never a dull moment around here.

Summer's Arrival

Summer has finally arrived in full force. Today was a run errands day. We made a dump trip, went out to breakfast, checked mail, went to get dh a fishing license and a fishing pole and took one of the big truck batteries in to get charged. The big truck has two batteries, but we couldn't get the other one out because of this. They aren't very old and I counted 4 little beaks all sound asleep. Thank goodness Mom didn't come back and see us around her babies.

I am working on a Winning Hands quilt that I'm really liking the look of. It is going to a friend. I also went to the guild workshop on the

15th and had a good time sewing and getting to know some of the ladies in the guild.

I have also been working out in the quilt room getting more fabric unpacked and put on shelves. I'll post before and after pictures of the quilt room soon. I finally found the rest of my Circle Lord designs so I am looking forward to playing with them to learn some new designs. Now if I could just uncover my software for programs. My computer was in the shop again earlier this month and they cleaned it up but said it was on borrowed time. So now I have a new computer with 2 Terrabites of hard drive and 12 gig of memory. Have to get the things I need from the old computer transfered to the new one. So far I am enjoying the new computer just have to learn how to do some things differently. The old computer was an XP and this one is Windows 2007 and Microsoft Office 2010.

Happy Mother's Day

Well, here I am again. Spring is trying to arrive, but it's been 1 step forward and 2 steps back.

Yesterday we went to Twin Falls to run some errands. The important one being the renewal of my military ID card. DH had to go so he could claim me. After getting that all taken care of we went to Costco and I stopped at Joann's for a quick visit. On our way out of town we went to Shoshone Falls. They have been releasing water from a dam upstream so the falls were looking like what the Indians and the pioneers saw when they stopped. The first picture is of the falls when we went in July 2010 with the grandson, and the second picture is how they looked yesterday. Huge difference. They are called the Niagara of the West. If you look carefully in the second picture you can see a small rainbow at the bottom of the picture just to the right of center. It was very faint and I wasn't sure it would show up. It was a lovely day to visit the falls. There are picnic tables where you can have lunch and enjoy the view. Also, if you have a National Parks Card and a picture id you can get into the park for free even though it is a State Park. As far as I know it is the only State Park in Idaho where that is the case.

I'll have pictures soon of the baby quilt I am working on and a wedding quilt. Hope you all have a great Mother's Day weekend.

Popping in Again

You've probably been wondering where I've been. Well, I've been trying to sew, stay warm and get taxes done. In the last three weeks we have had one storm system after another pass through and a couple of them have left views like this: While the weather was being difficult I did get the red and white 9 patch snowball quilt done using the spirals template from Circle Lord. Yesterday we drove up to Mt. Home to look at 4 wheel drive Jeeps. Dh was wanting something with 4 wheel drive so he ended up getting a 2005 Jeep Liberty. It's a nice small vehicle and gets 20 to 24 miles to the gallon. After Dh was done with the car business we went on to Boise to visit some friends and I was lucky enough to work in a visit to The Quilt Crossing and KnitWits both very nice and a must for a return visit. This morning we had pancakes for breakfast and Squeak being the spoiled baby that he is had to have some also. In the midst of all this we recieved a post card from the vet telling us that it was time to bring in Squeak to be spayed. I drop Squeak off and by the time I return home the vet has left a message on the machine. I return the call and the Vet says,"Did you know that Squeak is MALE??? MALE says I in shock. MY SQUEAK is MALE?? Yes, says they - Do you want him neutered? "Of course, says I then I hang up the phone. Squeak has been in to see the vet before this so how come the vet didn't know Squeak was male, and the place I left him overnight while we were gone once never said anything about him being male so how was I supposed to know this? It's been real interesting learning to say him instead of her when referring to "Studly" Squeak. It does however, explain Squeak's P & V attitude.

Visitors from The Great Salt Lake

Today there were seagulls everywhere. This group spent the whole day in the field next to us - the one they sprayed yesterday. Dh came home and was wondering how they knew to show up Is there a seagull hotline or facebook page did someone tweet to them. He was having a silly afternoon.
We had snow then rain this morning and then it cleared off and we had some sunshine before it started to cloud up again. Tomorrow will be one of those wait 5 minutes and the weather will change days. Think we will go to the movies and watch the Limitless movie. Dh wants to see it I may decide to go watch Rango.