39 years of Commitment

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~Simone Signoret


A good marriage is the union of two good forgivers.  -- Ruth Bell Graham


Today we celebrate 39 years of the commitment we made to God to be together until death do us part.   We have had our ups and downs over the years.  The ups have out weighed the downs.   Marriage is alot of work, but I think mainly it is commitment and forgiveness and alot of laughter.   In the marriage vows there should be a promise not only to love and honor, but to laugh together.  

We are combining corn today.  The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful sunny, warm day.  We had other plans, but the combiner could come today, so we combine--such is farming. 
 
This is post 98.  :)

A Halloween Finish

I've been blanket stitching around my farm animals for the baby quilt whenever I havehad time this week.   I felt like I needed to make something quick and fun this afternoon.    I enjoyed the Fall-o-ween blog hop with all the wonderful free patterns.  I really liked this little runner by Gudrun.   I've never made Prairie points, so this was a new technique for me.   After I took the picture I decided to blanket stitch around the candy pieces.  It's nice to have a finish.  :)

We went to Pierre yesterday and I got my new glasses.  I can see again.  lol  It has really made a difference being able to see the 1/4 inch line on my machine again.  And I can read the newspaper too.

I can hardly believe tomorrow is Saturday already and October is half over.   We are going to start combining the corn tomorrow.  The weather has been beautiful this week.    We had to pull the well this morning and put in a new pump.  This well is for watering the cows when they come home later this month.  It was nice weather to get that job done. 

I'm headed to bed.  Good night.........................

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!!

Winners/GO giveaway

The winners for the 100 followers giveaway are:  Billie Bee won the Full Bloom 3 yard kit and  Robin won the Cool Breeze kit.  Please send me your mailing addresses, so I can send you your prizes.  Thanks so much to all my followers for your best wishes.  

I just have to post about one more GO giveaway.  I would really like to win one or I would love for one of my blog friends to win one.

The give away is at Badlands Quilts.  Good luck to you and me!!

Country Quiet--Not!

I'm not sure how this post will turn out.  I've had issues with blogger.  I wanted to let you know that it isn't always quiet in the country, especially this time of year.  The video is mostly for sound value.  If you turn it up loud you should be able to hear the thousands of black birds that are here in the slew just south of our house.

If you click on this picture you can better see them flying in flocks. In the morning at sunrise and in the evenings  toward sunset the noise is unreal as thousands of birds head to their home base to sleep through the night--although they talk all night too.  During the day the noise is not as loud.  The black birds are out eating  from our sunflower and corn fields.  We are hoping that they leave us some to harvest. 

I fused a couple more blocks yesterday afternoon.  This turkey was fun to do.

Here are three brown cows. 

I spent part of the day looking through the stash in the closet for the material I was sure I had for sashing and borders.  I'm not  to that point yet.  I wanted to get it out, so I could decide on colors for the pieced blocks.  The animal blocks have alot of browns, so I want to make the pieced blocks from more reds, yellows, blues or greens.   I ended up looking through my Christmas fabric tub.  I love Christmas fabrics.  I touched, felt and refolded each piece.  lol  At least now I know what I have in that tub.  I'm still looking for that sashing material.  Fabric in tubs isn't really a very good storage method.   There are two more tubs in the back of the closet--it might be easier to buy fabric.  :)  

By popular demand--a cat picture.  Two of Peanuts kids hanging out together. 

Rocco's eye is still in the healing process.  We do eye drops and ointment twice a day.  We are encouraged that he seems to have some eye sight in his injured eye--at least reacting to movement on that side.  We have been having beautiful, sunny and warm Indian summer days this week.  Rocco has spent all day outside playing with the kittens. 

There is still time to enter the 100 followers giveaway here.  I will draw tomorrow afternoon at 5:00 pm central time for the two quilt kits.  

 I'm not sure what is happening this afternoon.  DH took lunch to the hay field with him and I thought I would have the whole afternoon to sew, but it is raining out now.  I know that will put an end to his plans, so I know mine will change too.  Have a great week-end!!

100 followers/giveaway

I broke 100--followers that is!!  So it's time for a giveaway.  There are so many going on, but I'm not waiting to have mine.  I'm giving away 2 quilt kits from Fabric Cafe.    The first one is titled Full Bloom.  It has 3 yards of material and a Pin Wheel pattern.  It is spring somewhere in blogland. 

The other kit is called Cool Breeze. There are 3 yards of material and the  pattern Through The Window.

This is an easy giveaway for all my followers--new and old.    Please leave a comment if you would like to win one of the kits.  I will draw the winners randomly on Sunday.


I had so much fun last night at Quilter's Corner.  We shopped, sewed, gabbed, ate, sewed, shopped and talked some more.   The twister is a cool new ruler.  The class was to make a table runner using charm squares and the ruler.    You sew the charms together and then use the ruler to cut new squares and sew them together to make blocks that look like pin wheels.  Very cute. 

BUT  I saw the cutest little purse made with charm squares.  I've made runners for myself and for gifts, but I've never made a "bag".  I've always wanted to, but just never jumped in and did it on my own.  The owner of the shop, Lori is such a honey.  She said "You can make the purse if you'd rather". I didn't want to be a pain, but she was so nice and I really did want to make the purse.

Isn't it the cutest thing?  Just a nice size.  I used Moda's Vine Creek charm squares.  It uses 17 charms for one bag, so I have enough charms to make a second one.  

This is the other side (not the other bag).  It was fun and easy.  I learned how to sew on the handles and add a magnetic closure too.  There are 4 pockets inside.  I really like it! 

 

Now I can share this with the other ladies at quilting group that didn't get to come or made the twister runner.  I bought interfacing and handles for a second bag.  My sister's birthday is in November, so I think this might be her gift.  I'll have to see what she comments on facebook after I put the photos up on there. 

I can't believe how time with fellow quilters can give me such a positive energy.  I am bursting with creative ideas.  I could hardly go to sleep last night--it might have been the diet Coke, tho.  lol

I never dreamed I'd have 100 followers in less than a year's time.  I'm sure not all 100 of you stop and read every time, but it fun to know that others have enjoyed by blog.  I have sure enjoyed getting to see your world and your quilt projects.  I hope you get to spend some time doing something you love today.

Lots to catch up on

I've been out in the garden harvesting my bounty and cleaning off the mess for the coming winter season.  For just a hill of each, I've scored big in the pumpkin and squash areas. 

I have a thank you to post.  I won a give away from Cyndi at Blue Bird Swing.  It was like Christmas opening this sweet little package.  I won 3 fq and a cute little Halloween treat bag.  I love the variety of fqs.  Sweet Cyndi also enclosed some lovely extras--note cards, note pad, sticky notes, key fob, 2 quilt labels and some wondeful Cadbury chocolate. 

Thank you so much, Cyndi for a lovely win!!

I've been trying to work on the farm quilt here and there.   It always surprises me how long it takes for me to fuse the blocks.  I know things will go quicker after I get all the fabric decisions made.  It's fun tho.  I'm behind on my free motion quilting lessons.  I hate to say it, but I'm looking forward to winter--not the snow, but some free time.

I am looking forward to this afternoon, too.   Five of us are getting together at the Quilter's Corner in Faulkton to take a class.  I'm not sure what it's all about--something to do with "Twister" blocks.  I haven't seen some of these quilters since last spring, so there will be lots of catching up to do.  We are ordering pizza for supper too.  I'm glad my stomach is back to normal now.   I'll have to share what I learn with you. 

I've been enjoying the Fall-o-ween Hop.  So many cute and fun fall patterns to make.  I wish I had more time to sew. 

 We are still making hay for the cattle.  The corn is getting dryer and hopefully we can get it combined before it snows.  Last year we had to leave some in the field and combine it the next spring.

Peanut is headed out with her kids for a hunting lesson.  She is such a good momma.  She has finally weaned them, but she still washes them and plays with them.

Isn't this little one just the prettiest thing?

I need to get busy and organize my sewing supplies for class.   Sorry so long inbetween blogs, how time flies.  I have 99 followers--I can hardly believe that.  I never dreamed I'd have so many.  This is post 92.  I see some giveaways in the future.  :)