Sunday, September 23, 2012

Garden Flag, I think not.

What started out as a Garden Flag for my front yard has turned into a wall hanging.  I like it too well to let it fade outside right now.   Our school district office manager has an old "cheap" picture hanging on the wall of her office.  I told her this fall she needs something new in there.  I think I just might take it in to her in the morning.

I found it when Goggle searching for a pumpkin block.  It was on an old post by p.s. i quilt by rachel griffth.

Does anyone know of a place online to purchase quilt hangers similar to the one in the picture?   I bought two last spring in Appleton and should have picked up more. There are no shops in my area that have quilt hangers.

I must be slipping.  Saturday I only canned 18 pints of applesauce.  This afternoon I have been baking squash all afternoon to freeze.  It is delicious this year-very dry and fluffy.  Next Saturday will be applesauce Saturday for D-I-L 1.

Have a great week!


Friday, September 21, 2012

Friday Night Sew-In Results -also Found a Great Giveaway!


Ahhhh!  That felt so good! 
Three hours of working on Cora Elizabeth's baby quilt made a world of difference! 
It was an extremely challenging couple of days at school.  I am 
so very thankful for my quilting to help me unwind and relax!

All that is left is to sew on the binding..and to make a label.  



One of the best purchases I made was the Slider Supreme.  I bought the
"Queen Size".  It is 11 1/2" X 17".  When FMQ the fabric glides as you work your
piece across the machine. It is a Teflon top with a tacky back.

 Tomorrow will be cleaning, picking tomatoes, and canning applesauce. 
 We are supposed to have temps in the mid 20's Sunday morning. 
Here comes fall!

 P.S.  
I found while reading blogs an AWESOME giveaway.  
Check out
She is giving away a box FULL of great treasures!
Click on her picture to visit your blog!

Enjoy your weekend!

Finally Friday--Sew-In-Night

Friday night Sew-In.  It has been a LONG and CHALLENGING week.  I am so very ready to set up my sewing machine.  I plan to work on quilting the baby quilt flimsy. 

My housecleaning, laundry, and more applesauce will have to wait until Saturday!



Sunday, September 16, 2012

Catching up with Fall activities...

Kasey started 4K ( 4 year old  Kindergarten) this last week.  She rides the big bus to school in the morning. At noon the bus takes her to day care for the afternoon.  When fall field work is complete she will be spending her afternoons with Papa.
 We were blessed with rain early in the growing season even though we have been without adequate rainfall the last half of the summer. We will have ripe corn. Thankfully it is already drying down so we won't have to purchase as much gas to dry it.
I usually try to can enough applesauce for us and my two daughters-in-law.  It is difficult for them to can with the the kids.  I have a system that works well.  Especially with the use of my 38 year old Kitchen-Aid mixer and the attachments.  I only wash and quarter the apples before cooking.  When they are soft they are put into the funnel.  The applesauce goes through the strainer with the peelings, core, and seeds out the end.  So far I have 45 pints done. (And four pies)

In the middle of processing a batch this afternoon, DS-1 called asking if I could  bring Cole something to snack on and his blanket.  He is combining beans with his daddy while Kasey and her mom went shopping. 
 I packed a snack for DH, DS=1 and Cole.  Cole was happy to see Papa caring his John Deere blankie.  (I couldn't find his "Farming With Daddy" hat. There is a small passenger seat with a seat belt for Cole.

Cole was happy just to have his blankie!
The beans are dumped into the grain cart, then emptied into the truck that DH drives to the grain bins where the soybeans are stored until hauled by semi truck/trailer to the plant.

 My school year is as challenging as I expected it to be.  I am still working on my daily schedule.  If I don't need to stop to eat or use the bathroom I should be able to make it.  However, that also means there is no prep time in the day either.  They have sent a fourth aide into my room for  an hour a day.

 I  hung my motto above the bulletin board where I keep the daily schedules of the ten classrooms that my students leave to receive pullout instruction in my room. 
Also, put up a shelf with blocks to help me remember why I do what I do.

When I learned that September is National Sewing Month a blogging friend encourage me to find even 5 minutes a day to sew or quilt.  So some nights-no matter how tired I have taken time to clear my mind with sewing/quilting.

Here is the result, the flimsy is finished and needs to be sandwiched and quilted.  I need to finish it soon.  Cora Elizabeth is the granddaughter of a friend and is due in October!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Remembering..1963...1986...2001

There are three events that have occurred in our country that I will always remember where I was when they happened. The first was the assassination of President Kennedy and the events.  
Remember when John John stood to salute his father's casket as it left the church, the riderless horse during the procession?


The second was the Challenger Explosion.

And...what we will never forget, and changed our lives forever.
9/11/2001

If you have a family member who has ever served in our country's military, please thank them.

In Prayer for Our Nation,

Sunday, September 2, 2012

A Blue Moon Winner...

 Eleven of my blogging friends wrote about their activities during the Blue Moon.
 It was more fun to draw one name rather than the computerized number generator!
AND...The winner is Pokey!
She wrote:
"Hi, Linda! Let's see, we stood and looked up at the bright moon in the sky, said, hmmm, and went to bed! Long days around here, isn't that romantic of us?!? We did talk about Neil Armstrong passing though, how sad ....
School starts for us on Wednesday, so I'm glad to get to enjoy the holiday with my Larry. Hope you enjoy the Labor Day, too ~
:-}pokey"

I am almost finished putting your gift together.
 If you would please email your address I will send your gift box.
So far...a Fall mug rug  that I have almost finished, a  Christmas Notepad cube, and
a package of Chai  Chocolate.


I had Kasey & Cole for the last Friday of the summer.  Then Jessica came on Saturday morning to spend the night.  DS2 and DIL-2 went camping for the weekend with their bus.  This was her second time away from mom over night.  The two of us spent most of the night rocking in the recliner.  She wasn't crying hard..just wanted to be held and reassured.  They picked her up this afternoon.  She ran to her daddy and held on. 

She is a "button pusher." 



Friday, August 31, 2012

Blue Moon Giveaway

"




Where were you when you heard these words,"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."?   How very unique that this time it appears on the day of Neil Armstrong's funeral.

In honor of the Blue Moon how about a giveaway?   

A Surprise BLUE Moon gift package will be selected by the random generator on Sunday night for a special blogging friend.
 Just write about something you will be doing or did during the Blue Moon!
  I think I will pull out some projects that were stuck away waiting for that "Blue Moon.


http://lilypadquilting.blogspot.com/2012/08/random-notes-from-this-quirky-quilter.html
While you are blog reading be sure to check out  Lily Pad Quilting. She is having an awesome Give Away of Christmas Fabric.  She is a talented quilter and blogger! 

Sunday, August 26, 2012

What is wrong with this picture?

My dining room table is missing my cutting mat, sewing machine, and the current one or two projects I have been working on.  I sew at this table at night while DH is watching baseball or whatever sport maybe happening at the time in the adjoining living room.  When I first started quilting I was going to work upstairs in an empty bedroom.  He said, "You will be up there and I will be watching TV down here, we won't even see each other."  So,  I set my machine up in the dining room.

I have  one baby quilt that needs to be finished in September, three in November, and one in January.    Three quilts are started and packed away for now. At least this time I packed the pattern with the partial sewn projects.

I spent part of everyday last week at school working on setting up my room, working on scheduling, and curriculum for students.  This week we have "official" inservice and open house one evening.

Last week I still was needed for Grandma duty.  Friday after  I had a telephone conference at school, Kasey and Cole had one more day of the Slip 'n Slide.  Grandpa had them helping him while I was at school.

 Saturday morning Conner, Tatum and Jessica were with me. 
Uncle Todd left a Gator here for a few hours.  Jessica thought she should take it for a spin!


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Things We Do For Our Kids!

DS -2 called the other day asking if I could sew the edge of an awning for him.  Now you have to understand DS.  He builds trucks, trailers, etc. as a hobby.  He has turned an old school bus into a family camper.  He "found" an awning that had been on a camper that had been totaled in an accident.  It has never been used.   He cut it to fit the  bus.

The following is a text discussion between DS-2 and myself  the past couple of days.

D.S. "Mom when can you sew the awning for me?"

Me.  "I have school this week, probably on Saturday."

D.S. " Oh, not until then?"

Me. "When do you need it?"

DS. "Soon as you can."

Me. "I will work on it after school Tuesday.

 I purchased heavy needles for my machine. 

Next discussion.

Me. " Do you want the edge turned over and sewn."

D.S. "Yep, about an inch."

D.S. "How about 1/2 inch?"

D.S. "Oh, there is a hole on the end.  Can you patch that too?  If not I will use duct tape."

When I arrived home today the canvas was on the picnic table. I tried my old machine--didn't work.  So my Janome sewed right through it!

Me. "All finished."

D.S. " Have you hung it on the bus?"

Me. "Don't push your luck!"


 Since this picture he has painted the bus, changed the door and a few other things.  He built the ramp carrier on the back of the bus.  They are able to drive their car or 4 wheelers onto the back to take them along with them camping.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Introducing...

The newest member of our family. 
Pepper is an eight week old 1/2 Border Collie and 1/2 Blue Heeler. 
   She is a lovable rascal.

       She will be DH's dog.  Our previous Border Collie had been DH's constant companion. He went in the truck, tractor and combine with him always.  He wasn't sure about replacing him, but the rest of us knew that he needed a dog.

Did it ever feel good last night to pull out fabric and cut pieces for a baby quilt.

 Yesterday was a:
So many changes are going to be taking place at school in two weeks.  Today was the first day of a two day "Tech Institute."  I was provided with three ipads for my classroom last spring.  However, no training how to use them.   So today I heard 4 hours of speakers attempting to show me.  They could be great educational tools if I had the time to download the apps and to explore to find what is out there for my students. 

Also,  there will be two new aides along with a great aide who was new last year.  That will make considerable more work for me.  I am sure glad I have my classroom motto: