Thank you, Terry!

I won a pincushion from Terry at Terry's Treasures.  I haven't been blogging or reading very many blogs.  Terry always has fun projects and beautiful pictures.   She also makes quite a few pincushions.   I commented on her post and was a winner.  She sent me a lovely fabric/rickrack wrapped parcel!

So many goodies!!

The pincushion is made from one of her signature blocks.  I love those cute little button topped pins!!

Terry also sent me embroidery floss, quilty magnet and a lovely card (love butterflies!).  Thank you so much Terry!!  This win and bloggy thank you will get me back to blogging!!

I've been missing the blog world, but the real world seems to take up all my energy.  I won't try to catch you up on the last two months. 

As you can see from the header, we have been blessed with rain.  It is so wonderful to have the color green in our life again.  Last year's brown world was such a downer.  We are busy making hay for winter feeding now.  We fed every last bale and chopped corn stalk last winter.  We had to buy more of each to keep our cattle herd.   The rain means we will not have to sell our cattle.  They have all been vaccinated and are in summer pastures.  The grass is tall and lush.  The flies are plentiful too.  Every day I check water tanks and fences to make sure everyone has water for the hot days of July and are staying in their assigned pasture.  We are trying to control the fly problem with fly spray, back rubbers and fly control lick tubs.   Flies irritate cattle and also spread diseases.

Thank you so much to those who checked on me while I was offline.  DD #1 is healing and will not have to see the dermatologist for 3 months.  I had another steroid shot in my knee and shot of liquid too.  I made it through calving season and am doing exercise therapy now. 

I have more news to share, but will check in again soon. 

Thank you, Mama!

I won a give away that really made me smile.  Carol has been making pincushions.  She reached 1000 followers so she gave some of her gems away.   Isn't this the cutest pincushion? 

It is stuffed with walnuts shells and the most wonderful pincushion I own.  My very favorite!!  Thank you so much, Carol.  Stop over and check out her blog if you haven't.  She is a fabric artist.  I wish I had  half of her creativity.  I love seeing what she has come up with--so different than I would be able to do.   She uses all the bright colors I love.

It was a very warm day today--94 degrees!!

Some of us spread flat out for a nap in the sun.

This little guy found some shade to lay in.

It was too hot for doing much outside this afternoon.  I got caught up on some cleaning and laundry. 

Duh!

I finally figured out what the problem was with my camera.  My memory card was FULL--how did that happen?  I think my other camera told me when that happened--this one just started acting weird.  I'll know next time it happens.  I'm back with pictures!

Here is a picture of the first baby of the season.  A little bull was born on Friday.  He has white on his back feet and a white tip on his tail.  He was too cold this morning to pose for me.  As you can see Mama wasn't letting me get any closer.

The winner of the last give away, the book  Stack the Deck Revisited was Winona.  I hope she enjoys it.

I received a package from Kallie, who hosted a give away in February.  She made me a beautiful hexagon needle case with thread holder.  Isn't it the coolest thing?!

She sent the needle book, thread (purple-my favorite color), pins, fabrics and hexie template in a pink cherry fabric envelope.   I like the pins she sent.  They are very sharp and have glass heads.  Thank you, Kallie!!  I love how generous quilt bloggers are--they give from their heart.  I've added your blog to my blog list--you'll always be a special friend.

I finished pinning June Bug, so I'll be able to start "big stitch" quilting.   

Some Friday Fun

This give away is closed.  Thank you for stopping by.

The winner of the Cotton and Ewe book is comment #3  Martina.  She has a lovely blog written in both German and English.  Congratulations, Martina!  You have a new follower too. 

Today I am giving away the book-- Stack the Deck Revisited: Updated Patterns from Stack the Deck! by Karla Alexander.  

Just let me know if this is a book you might like to have, leave a comment. 

Yesterday we made a 200 mile round trip to get truck parts.   Today DH is gone to a bull sale with a neighbor.  I'm so glad I didn't have to go too.  I'm going to finish sewing the backing for June Bug and keep on fighting my hoarding gene.  I am making progress with the organizing.  

It's another gorgeous day here--almost summery.  I'll probably have to fit in a walk too.

 

Stilll Celebrating

This give away is closed. 


I'm still celebrating my 200 posts milestone.  Today I am giving away a book.  You can see it here, since my camera is still failing to communicate with my computer.  I'm still working on their little tiff.  I hope they are speaking to each other in a day or two. 

I am culling through some of my books and this is one I have never used and probably won't.  So if you would like to have it, check it out and leave me a comment.

I hate posting without pictures, so here is a photo of Peanut sacked out on the bed in the sewing room.  Don't you love the coordinating comforters on the bed.  She doesn't mind if her bedding doesn't match.  She's loving this warm weather and all the birds in the trees. 

Running By

Just running by to tell you the winner of the give away is Anne.

grannyanne   Mar 12, 2012 11:16 PM

Sometimes technology just gets in the way. My problem is that I forget to take the darn picture! Thanks for the chance to win this giveaway!


DH has been on the computer all day looking for a new truck.  What a computer hog!!   Talk to you later in the week---I hope.

I Am So Mad

The give away in this post is CLOSED.  :)

I was so excited to post tonight!!  Then I went to download my camera---grrrrrrr.  I'm not sure what is wrong, but I think this camera is done.  The geese have been flying, I've been organizing and I won a give away.  Now no pictures to share--rats!!!! 

The skies have been filled with geese flying and honking.  Spring is in the air.  We have warm temperatures and lots of sunshine---and MUD (much nicer than dust).

I have such a mess in my sewing areas.  I've been at it again--quilting in my mind.  I've bought more fabric and some books.  I'm such a weak person!  I cannot buy any more stuff-  I have no room.  I've been organizing and rearranging and taking stock.  I need to get rid of some stuff!!  I'm excited to start sewing after this major overhaul.

My first project (after June Bug gets sandwiched ((which still hasn't happened)) will be to use the  a walk in the woods charm pack I won from Jen, Closet Quilter.    (Thank you, Jen for the lovely package, card and charm pack. I had a lovely picture---that didn't download.)     I've really been feeling the call to make some small quilts for this blogger.    I think some small quilts will be good for my FMQ practice too.

If you have stuck with me in this crazy post---------------------------------------- I'm having a 200 post give away.  I'm giving away a Charlotte's Scrappy Quilt kit in the blue color way.  Just leave a comment if you would like to be included in the drawing.   I'll draw sometime this week.  : )

Catching Up

First:  The winner of the book  Threading the Needle by Marie Bostwick is number 14.

James-LindaJan 30, 2012 08:52 AM

FMQ IS COMING ALONG NICELY!
THIS LOOKS LIKE A NEAT BOOK!
THANKS FOR SHARING!

 I'll get the book in the mail this week.  I hope you enjoy it, Linda.

One of the things I enjoy about deciding to blog is the friends I've made.  I have connected with quilters I would have never met.   I received a belated birthday gift from one of those special friends.  It was such a nice surprise.

She even wrapped it!!  So pretty............

Maria of Life on the Block is a very special lady and blogging friend.  Isn't this mini wall hanging the sweetest thing.  I love redwork.  (Sometimes I think I like it, because I don't have to decide or change colors--just enjoy the embroidery process.)  Red is one of my two favorite colors--purple is the other fav.  I really like the border fabrics that Marie chose.   It's a beautiful piece of work and I'm enjoying it so much!

And she also sent me goodies:   I like Lynette Anderson's designs, but I've never been in a shop that carried them.  This pattern is so nice--embroidery and sewing combination, but quilt related too.   I'm definitely making this set.  You couldn't have picked a nicer pattern to send me.  She included 3 quilt labels for future projects too.   A lovely note and card finished up my surprise.  Thank you so much, Marie!!  The gift of your friendship means a lot to me. 

You can find Maria's blog on my blog list.  I love her cute Wednesday flowers--so creative.  Her projects are always bright and happy.  She does a variety of things.  It's fun to know that our seasons are opposite and so are our time zones.  It's summer there/ winter here and morning here/evening there.  No matter what our differences we share the love of the outdoors, family and fabric.

I've been working on my valentine swap project.  I put the accessory bag in the mail last Friday.  I can't wait to show you what I made.   These little projects have jump-started by creativity.  I'm ready to sew again!

2012 Free Motion Challenge for January

The give away is closed 1/31/2012 at 11:59 PM.

I signed up for the Free Motion Quilting Challenge at Sew Cal Gal's.  I finally took the time to attempt the leaf motif for this month.  Not the greatest sample, but it got me started!  There are some really nice samples in the flickr group.   I'm going to keep working on this and the new February tutorial will be out very soon.

My camera is taking fuzzy pictures lately.  I'm not sure if it's me or the camera.  I free motion quilted this fabric sandwich for something I'm making.  (Can't show you yet.)  I quilted around the flowers and went over the stems and leaves.  This really was good practice.  It gave me a pattern to follow and I really enjoyed it.  I didn't have to decide where to go next.

I had planned a longer post today, but DH just called with other plans for me.  I'm off to the shower.

If you read this far---

I finished reading Threading the Needle by Marie Bostwick.  If you would like to read it, leave me a comment with the word book in it.  I'll be choosing someone next Wednesday, February 1st. 

Later gator!  : )

Blog Hop Party

I joined the Blog Hop Party that Michele is hostessing for the 4th birthday of the Quilting Gallery website.  So far there are 232 bloggers from 20 countries that have joined the fun.   It's such a busy time of year, but bloggers still have time to give away to others.    I think quilt bloggers are the most generous people I know.  Stop over at the Quilting Gallery for the whole list of blogs and give aways.  Take a little time off from your busy day and visit a quilt blog.  You might be one of the lucky winners.

I wish I had time to make something wonderful to give away.  I'm going to be giving away four new books.  I love new books!

The Big Book of Patchwork by Judy Hopkins

Nature's Table Toppers by Debbie Field

Stitch with Love by Mandy Shaw

Crochet for the Fun of it! by Frida Ponten

If you would like to win a new book to inspire your creative spirit, leave a comment on this post.  If you are new to my blog tell me where you are from and a little about yourself.   The give away will close on Saturday night, December 17th.  I'll post winners on Sunday, December 18th.

I Love To Read Give Away

THIS GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED.  Winners will be announced tomorrow, Saturday 3/19

Reading is one of  my favorite things to do.  I also like to listen to audio books when I sew.  I have good memories of my daughters reading to me in the car.  The long trip to town every morning was made much more enjoyable with books.  The girls both became very good readers.  I switched to audio books when my readers graduated.  I have been doing some reading to rest my arm from stitching.  These are quick and fun reading books.

This first book was sent to me from Linda.  She told me to pass it on and I am.  Many of you may have already read some of Jennifer Chiaverini's books.  This was my first one and I really enjoyed it.  I need to get some more Elm Creek books.  Thank you Linda for sharing!!

I liked Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok.   I was hoping this girl would make the right decisions.  I'm not a book critic.  I choose a book and read it for the pure joy of reading.  It was a good read.

The last book in the give away is Rainwater by Sandra Brown.    I think this is the best Sandra Brown book I've read.  I really liked the ending.  : )

If you like to read, please leave a comment telling me which book you would like to read.  I will draw 3 readers on Friday, March 18th.  

Birthday Book Winners

The winners of the books are:

Shannon won Simplify

Michele won Bloom Creek Quilts

Apple Avenue Quilts won 16 Brides

Congratulations!  I hope you all enjoy your books.

Party Time

to ME!!  Today is my birthday---so it's time for a give away.  I love books, so this time I'm giving away 3 books.  I love these new quilt books.  The third book I just finished reading--a nice historical read.

 Simplify with Camille Roskelley Quilts for the Modern Home by Camille Roskelley

Bloom Creek Quilts by Vicki Bellino

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Just leave a comment--I'll draw three winners on Friday. 

I Won and A New Challenge Site

I got an email from Quiltmaker that I'm a winner.  All that time I spent on the internet wasn't wasted.  lol  I had alot of fun looking at all the blocks and visiting new blogs.  I'm such a blog junkie!  I love my laptop.

I went back and read the blog.  I'm one of the Big Bundle winners.  I'm so excited!!  It's not a GO, but I'll take it.  lol  :)

 Isn't this the cutest button?  I love the quilt and of couse the cat under the table.  There is a new blog in blog land.  It's a challenge blog.  Paula of Paula's Crafty Corner has started a second blog called Paula's Sewing Challenges.  You can enter a your project for a chance to win prizes.  Please stop over and see what Paula is doing with this new blog.  I'm sure you have a project you can enter.

This is the project I'm entering in Paula's challenge this time.  It is Gingerbread Men table runner.  It was in Quick Quilts.  It was so much fun to make.  I like gingerbread men almost as much as I like snowmen--love those men.  lol

I quilted it with peppermint swirls.

I hope you will stop over and check out Paula's blog for challenges.  It is so nice of her to go to all the work of setting up this fun site.   She is giving away the cutest prizes too. 

I better get busy.  BIL and nephew are coming tonight.  Deer hunting season opens tomorrow morning.  I need to get my sewing room in order, so he can find a bed to sleep on.  We will be headed to a funeral that DH is a pall bearer for in the morning  His Dad's cousin passed away this week.  

I need to do Thanksgiving food shopping.  I hope to stop and do that after the funeral 

 Have a good week-end!

Am I Procrastinating?

I completed #3 of Raggedy & Friends and cut the blocks to start the embroidery for #4.  I didn't notice until I was done just how flowery this whole block got to be.  I still like it and I'm sure Raggedy does too.  I wanted to get this sewing done, but I also think I might be procrastinating alittle.  I need to sandwich Down on the Farm.  I laid everything out on the bed yesterday to relax the batting.   The sandwiching part of a quilt is where I really drag myself along to get started.  Once I start then I'm ok, because I need to get it out of the way.  I'll start on it next, unless I let myself get distracted again.  lol

Thank you to everyone who read my 100th post and stopped to comment.  I didn't get individual answers sent, so you get a group--Thank You!  Carol is the winner of the Blush fat quarter stack.   I love Carol's blog and never miss reading it.  She is a very creative and productive quilter.  I enjoy her old photos on Fashion Friday.  I'm old enough to be in them.  I also enjoy reading her granddaughter's blog about her Peace Corp assignment.  Carol was one of my early followers and has always encouraged me alot in my blogging.  Congratulations on your win!

It is back to nice weather again today.  Rocco is enjoying time outside with his friends.  I did too--more procrastinating.  :)  Just too nice not to spend some time outside while I still can enjoy it.    The cats love to be brushed, so I sat on the deck and they took turns.  I wish Puss liked to be brushed like they do.

I made a trip to town for supplies and parts yesterday.  I went to the clinic too.  I feel better already after the first 2 pills of the Z-pak the doctor prescribed.  I slept all night last night with the "big guns" cough syrup he gave me.  Now with a little sunshine I should be good to go sandwich that baby quilt.   If the baby isn't born this week-end on his own, he will be coming Monday or Tuesday next week. 

Have a great week-end.  Hugs  Janet

Snowin' and Blowin'

Twenty bright pillowcases were made last week at quilt group.  These pillow cases will be donated to the FCCLA's Angel Tree project.   One of our members was the Consumer Science teacher (Home Ec to  us oldies) for 35 years.  She died from cancer last year.  Her husband gifted her stash to our group to use in

community service projects.  We used her stash and some of our own to make the pillow cases.  The pattern we used was call the burrito method.  It makes a very nice pillow case with finished seams.  It is like

Robin Gallagher's method.  They were alot of fun to make.   We have also made two quilts that were given to families who had house fires.   It was so nice to see everyone and catch up on each other's projects.

Down on the Farm is a flimsy!    I need to piece the backing and start the sandwich process.    This has been a fun project.  The baby's due date is Halloween and he is still waiting.  Although I think his mom is more than ready for him to be here.

Today is post 100.  For those of you who have read all of this post, you will see that I am giving away this lovely stack of 14 fat quarters--Basic Grey's Blush.  Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win.

You can see from my header and title that today is a nasty weather day in SD.  The wind is blowing 40-60 miles per hour at times and the snow is flying.  It is a reminder for us to get prepared for the season ahead.  Thank goodness this is a little taste for a couple days and then back to more temperate stuff for a short time.

I have had the crud again.  This time a chest cold with lots of coughing.  I'm feeling better today and hope to get more done today.

Rocco hates the cold.  It has put an end to his outdoor fun.  He is cuddled up on my lap under the afghan.  He has gained alittle weight and his winter clothes from last year don't fit him.  So we'll need to do some winter sewing and shopping for him too. 

Blogger has given me fits the whole time with this post.  So I'm done.....................

Quick Visit

A big thank you to Linda for the wonderful Chocolate Chai and the new quilting book "Let's Do Lunch" by Terry Atkinson.  I won these from Linda's birthday giveaway.   I'm looking forward to making some of the bags and runners in this book.  I haven't tried the Chai yet, but anything chocolate must be wonderful! Thanks so much Linda for your friendship and your prayers.  You have been a special quilting blog friend to me.

Down on the Farm is sashed!  I have a couple borders to put on yet.  I'm still deciding colors for them and sizes.  I'm using my stash!  The baby due date is Halloween. 

I made a few scrap blocks one day last week.  I have been reading about crumbs and strips so much lately.  I decided maybe I should start learning how to do this with my leftovers.   I've been saving all these little pieces and have a couple containers.  Sometimes they are nice to use for applique, but once you have more than one container full maybe it's time to do more with them.  (I know that is a long incorrect sentence, but I blog how I talk--sorry.  :)  )  I decided I would make 6.5 inch blocks.  As you can see some of these pieces are maybe too small.   I'll have to be a little more choosy.   Pleasant Home's Jodi is going to be doing a Sew Scraps Along and some people are giving away scraps too.   I have plenty already.  It will be fun to see what Jodi is going to do.

The weather has been just awesome for October here.  Last year it was cold and we already had snow.  This year it has been sunny and temperate.  Rocco and I have been going on a daily walk.  Sometimes we walk on the gravel road and sometimes we walk on the prairie road.  We always have company--anywhere from 6 to 8 cats.  I look like the Pied Piper only with cats.  lol  Rocco and the cats take turns running on ahead and then seeing, who can be the first to get back home.  It makes me laugh.

I have quilting group tomorrow night in Highmore.  We are going to be making pillow cases.  The cases will be given to the FCCLA group as part of their Christmas Angel project.  I haven't made any pillow cases and I think this will be a fun project for all of us.   I'm  looking forward to seeing everyone.  I'm suppose to take the dessert.  I'm still deciding what that is going to be.  

 I better get back to Down on the Farm before DH needs me for something.  The corn combining was finished up yesterday.  He is stacking bales today and moving them to the hay yard tomorrow. 

This is post  99.  :)

Charm prizes/Dizzy

I want to send out bloggy thank yous to Jodi at Pleasant Home and Patty at Mom Love 2 Quilt for the lovely charm squares I won from each of them.

 

The charms from Jodi were won on one of my favorite blogs  "Stash Manicure".  If you haven't ever visited that blog you need to.  I always get inspiration from all the guest bloggers about using up scraps, organizing fabric or just a good chuckle from the stories they tell.    There are always nice prizes to win too.  :)

Stop by Jodi's blog and see what she's up to too.  She has some really cute Halloween stuff posted.

Patty was so generous giving away 2 charm packs  on her blog and then "surprise" she sent a pattern for a runner using charms too.   Quilt bloggers are just the best kind of people!    Patty has had alot of giveaways lately.  She also has a sweet new grandson--you must see.   

 All three packs of charms are in winter or holiday prints, so I better get busy with the Christmas sewing---after I get the baby quilt done.  I won a book with patterns using charms from Linda, so that should help me make something good.

I have been working on Down on the Farm here and there.   I have two new blocks to show you.  I love this scarecrow.  I should have done his face for you, but I'm waiting to do the embroidery  later.  I'll need to put some fun straw hanging out from his arms and legs too.  I had so much fun dressing him up in John Deere fabrics.

Then I messed around fussy cutting and sewing this sweet "window in the barn" block. 

Next I cut out fabric for the little flying geese. Oh, I was so excited.  I cut up left over scraps in 3" blocks for the Bow Tie blocks I want to make from my scraps at the same time.  I used my wonderful "The Angler 2" from Pam Bono Designs, Inc. to sew the 2" corners.  I bought this slick little tool about 5 years ago.  It's so nice not to have to stop and draw lines on the squares.

Here's a picture of the Angler.  It just tapes down to your sewing machine bed.   BUT oh, dear look at those geese---what's wrong?  What happened--they aren't right!?  Well,  it just goes to show you I can't do two things at once, because I get "dizzy".  I was suppose to have rectangles that were 2" x 3 1/2" inches.  I was so pleased with myself cutting up the leftovers in 3" squares that somehow I forgot the 1/2" on most of the rectangles and cut 2" x 3" 's.   So I quickly made all these geese with the Angler with the wrong size rectangles.  Rats!!    This also is why I am a "pokey quilter", if I do anything in a hurry--it always ends up backwards, upside down or wrong.  I have to go slowly and "enjoy" the process.   So this morning I re-cut the rectangles.  I used this

sticky note to remind me of what size I needed.  lol    I was disgusted with myself, but I'm over it now.   I have 14 little flying geese and 2 "whole in the barn door"  blocks to make this afternoon, so I better get to it.

You can see from the new header that it rained 1.2 over the week-end, so no haying today.

Happy sewing!!