Been Up To Stuff

I didn't mean for it to be so long since my last post. 

Its been very busy around here and I imagine it will stay

that way until after the first of the year...yes, 2012 is coming before we know it.  

Our garden gave us plenty of zucchini

so I made

zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini bread

Our plum tree was also very generous, yielding enough fruit for nine 

batches of plum jam. This is something we make every year.

I am so glad the crop was large this year.

We have many request for it and our whole family loves it, as well. 

The poor tree was so heavy laden, I couldn't bear to take a photo.

We celebrated a birthday (my hubby's).

There was family time and this is what we ate for breakfast,

not so nutritious, but very delicious!

A Pinterest find. I love Pinterest, but more about that another time.

We found time for hair cuts.

and naps,

(I know, I know this couch/fabric is soooo dated, 

we tried  to find someone to reupholster it yesterday, but no such luck)

 fun in the tub,

and play time

We even enjoyed seeing Poppy (grandpa/my hubby) in concert at the park.

 I really need to take more photos of the adults 

that belong to these children. I love them too! : )

Gigi (great grandma to the children, mom to me) with the littlest one, Kinlee

Whew, a busy last few weeks, but I did find time to sew a bit. 

A few backpacks. 

The perfect size for a cute little one.

and a new tote pattern

Now for the next few weeks.....

Quilts for Kids

It's been a while since I've posted, shame on me. I've been busy, busy, busy. 

Today I  want to share just a tiny bit of my busyness. 

Quilts for Kids is an organization that provides a comforting quilt for ill children.  

They will provide a kit to make a quilt or you may make your own, 

using your fabrics and patterns. 

I wanted to get involved. I ordered a kit, so I would know what they were looking for. 

I was so excited, I got the quilt top done right away. 

Several months later Quilts for Kids emailed me about the kit.  

Oh No! Turns out it found its way under a stack of fabrics and I forgot all about it. 

I had wanted to send a few more quilts back along with it, 

but now I was really behind and I'm not a fast quilter. 

I quickly started  planning and making a few more to go along with it. 

One of the quilts, which I thought was a

fabulous idea (so wonderful in my head) turned out not to be. 

It's not terrible, just not how I envisioned it, so 2 steps forward and 1 step back. 

Then I remembered I had a couple quilts in the closet. 

Made them, never used them or gifted them.  

I got them out and they joined the stack nicely. 

This is the kit I was sent. It is so cute with all the trucks and I love the stripe binding. 

The binding wasn't included, but the stripe was the backing that 

was included and I squeezed out enough for the binding.

These are the three I had stacked in the closet 

just waiting for the right home.

I added a bit more quilting and zig-zagged around the 

binding per Quilts for Kids preferences.

And this last one I made just for some sweet little girl that might like butterflies.

I had a few yards of this brighter blue, and it needed butterfies.

Can you believe the salvage said Patrick Lose 2002.

I really need to get using my stash!

Here are all five waiting to be boxed up for the ride.

I was thrilled to finally get these in the mail, but not happy about how long it took me. 

If you're a quilter, check out Quilts for Kids.

Bliss Quilt

Seems so long since I posted. What have I been up to?  

Well, I guess I have been pretty busy.  Just sometimes it doesn't seem like 

much is accomplished until you stand back and take a look.  

I headed back to work after the 6 week summer break. Usually by the end of 

summer I am looking forward to returning with a bit of delight, 

but not this year, summer vacation was just too short.  

Been back for almost 4 weeks now and it has been crazy busy.   

I finished a quilt for my sweet new little grand daughter.

Isn't she a little cutie? 

She is 3 months old, so I am a little slow in getting a quilt to her. 

Yes that's right, only made one quilt for her. 

As a quilting Meema(gamma) I feel shame. 

She deserves an abundance of quilts.

I had a charm pack of Bliss, and I knew my daughter would love it. 

Just went with half square triangles. A simple design and I thought the fabrics 

looked great all lined up next to each other.

close up

Used Bliss and some of the inner border fabric for the back. Didn't get a photo

I've been working on a few more things, knitting my first pair of socks and some creations I hope to donate to my church for a fund raiser. I'll have to share when I get a little further along. 

What haven't I been working on? Some bee blocks that have me stumped 

and my Farmer's Wife blocks for the quilt along. 

I want to, I really just get stuck over choosing fabrics.  

UGH! I need to just do it already!
 

School Is Cool

School starts here in nine days. 

My grandson needed a little something of his own for pre-school. 

What's a gamma to do?

Make a backpack with that pattern she bought last year from made by Rae

He's three and has a love for cars!

The inside is lined like a checkered flag

 It's cousin approved and checked for size.

Will HE like it?

Yay, he likes it!!

He wouldn't even take it off for dinner! : )

Enjoy your backpack little man.

You melt my heart  ; )

**  There are lots of backpack patterns available, but if you're looking for one, give this one a try. It went together very smoothly and is the perfect toddler size. I added the side pockets.

Nine Weeks With The Farmer

Well, here I am.

I was hoping to get a few more posts in before now, 

but I started back to work and 

had unexpected, but welcome company with us this past week. 

I'm generally feeling unorganized and lazy. 

I suppose I'm just adjusting to work after six weeks off.  

(Ok, I'm done whining now, I think)

I finished 4 more Farmer's Wife blocks

I just realized I didn't take photos of the blocks individually. Oops!

From the top is #39 Friendship,

#14 Butterfly at the Crossroads,

#13 Buckwheat and 

#45 Grape Basket

Do you want to see an "oops" from this week? 

I made Grape Basket and something was just not right.

The color. It was blah. It had no life. 

So my Honey made suggestions and here is my

new Grape Basket along side the blah one.

Much better, huh?

The Farmer's wife quilt along is on week nine, but I've only gotten eight blocks done.
I bettered stop spending so much time on the color combo dilemma and get more blocks done!

My Honey went on a vacation to visit family a while back (I was unable to go).
While he was gone he went to THREE quilt shops.
I like to think it was because he missed me, but it was probably because
he was with his sister, who is a quilter.

He returned with a kit to make a brightly colored block and

some "Florida" yardage that he picked out,

and his sister sent two kits alike to make doll size quilts.  

I loved the fabric and thought I would combine the kits to make a slightly larger 

doll quilt, but as I was working I started thinking how I needed another 

apron and the colors would go with the kitchen nicely. 

Those two kits were just enough to make a wonderful apron.

I didn't have a pattern, but it turned out alright.  

There are a few things I will change next time.

Unwashed

modeled by my daughter

hanging with a friend

My sister-in-law doesn't have a blog. 

She does beautiful work and is quite fast about it. 

Here is shot of her most recent work she sent me.

Have a wonderful week.

Wendi

Farmer Takes Another Wife

Even though I have far too many other projects going, I joined The Farmer's Wife Quilt Along which started about 6 weeks ago. A quilt along is a group of quilters working on their own version of a particular quilt at the same time.  Sort of like a support group, offering support and encouragement as the quilt progresses.

The Farmer's Wife Quilt Along is based on a book written by Laurie Aaron Hird. It includes letters entered in a contest from farmers wives in the 1920's that were asked "If you had a daughter of marriageable age, would you want her to marry a farmer?" The letters are charming and full of conviction for their way of life. I found myself longing for their lifestyle. A simpler, slower pace, a community having shared family values and beliefs. As I grow older, that is the kind of community I would love to live in. Each letter is represented by two 6 inch quilt blocks.

I really wavered about joining the quilt along because in general I am not fond of sampler quilts (a quilt where every block is different), but I LOVE small blocks with all those tiny pieces. I love the precision and the challenge. The pace for this quilt along is  2 blocks per week, since there are 111 blocks, it will take a good year to complete.  I think I'll start with some of my favorite blocks and stop when I have enough, perhaps about 80. 

I am about 4 weeks behind, but that's OK, here are my first four blocks

 

Strawberry Basket # 91

Farmer's Daughter # 32

Contrary Wife #21

Bouquet # 8

and here are all four blocks playing together

 

The red and white looks out of place now, but will blend in when more blocks join in. I originally didn't want any white or cream etc, but I didn't have enough other colors in my stash that I felt would work as background for all the blocks, so I will be adding in white here and there. 

If you would to see the blocks from some of the other wives or find yourself wanting to be a Farmer's Wife, check out the Farmer's Wife Quilt A Long flickr group

So far, I'm a pretty happy Farmer's Wife  : )

Sam

Where has the time gone, 

seems just yesterday that you joined our family. 

The last one, my last baby. 

We  dreamed of a little girl named Sam,

and there you were, right in my arms. 

Oh what joy!

few weeks old - 1989

 A real sweetie, right from the start.

just before turning one -1990

3 3/4 years old - Easter 1993

Full of fun and laughter.
Our funny girl.
A sweet blessing.

Happy Birthday Angel