Housework!

I haven't done much sewing lately, but boy have we been doing housework.

When the ancient ones moved in we removed an eating bar,

took the cabinets and placed them back to back, and used the countertop, and made do.  We thought eventually we would remodel the kitchen.  Unfortunately many things have happened and a kitchen remodel just isn't in the cards in the near future. 

The only problem with the situation as you look at the countertop you can see that the end is raw edged. 

This edge continuously will grab your clothes as you walk by. 

The finished edge was put where all the work is done near the sink, and stove.

I wanted a new counter top, and knew I wanted to have a butcher block counter top.  Did you know that there are different types of butcher blocks.  There are end finished blocks where they look like little squares, their are side finished blocks which the wood is placed on the edge, and there are plank finishes.  I found a company that would custom make a top for me.

Of course it arrived during a cold snowy day.  The truck unloaded it into the garage.  The kids carried it in so it could come up to temperature. 

Tuesday I installed my counter top.  It is 1 1/2 inches thick, it is a plank top, made of hickory.  I love the wood, and it is so nice, not catching my clothes constantly on the Formica. 

After snow, cold, ice, then torrential rain we had a day where we were dry and in the mid 40's.  The boys wanted to burn leaves. 

There was a discussion about how to pick up the leaves.

Raking.

Some wagon surfing.

Wipeouts.

Pulling each other on top of a pile of leaves in the wagon.

There were threats of sacrificing the oldest brother to the fire gods too.  Which is why grandma has to supervise.

We had so many leaves just from the side yard, the area near the chicken house, and the front yard, that our pile burned brightly for several hours.  Little boys, a torch, and fire life was good in their eyes. 

What little sewing I have been doing is putting together the squares from the quilt kit I bought from Craftsy.  Lots of HST point matching. I have one set of 32 blocks finished finally.

I now have 31blocks to make which are a wee bit different.  The rows are sewn together it is the matching the points which takes forever, so lots of pinning. 

I have been using my Christmas stash making this quilt.

I started running low on the background, and I needed some red, and green fabric for the quilt guild friendship block because I had stripped my fabric into 2 1/2 inch strips.  So I wandered into JAF. 

I came home with a lot of Christmas fabrics.

Also lots of background fabrics.

Holly leaves white on white.

Snowmen white on white.

Poinsettia white on white. 

I calculated I need 93 HO blocks.  I have been using them as leader and enders.

I knocked out the  guild friendship block in no time. 

There is other housework going on, but I am not ready to show it yet. 

I Like Thursday #44

Welcome to my 44th posting of my I Like Thursdays. 

First of all I love vintage postcards.

Here is to everyone may they have a blessed Thanksgiving full of good food, family, and friends.

I love my clucky girls.  How can you not feel loved when this greets me when I walk out the door.

There is always one who has to be head and shoulders above the others.  But you can see they are all looking my way.

The area by the gate looks like a mosh pit.  But they are all waiting for me. 

I like the leaves left at the very tip top of the trees. 

I made a comment recently I wonder if leaves have a contest, to see who will be the last one clinging to the tree, especially when it is really windy.  They almost remind me of kids playing crack the whip.

I like finding treats that I forgot I had put away!

Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are awesome.  Oh and I have yet to break into the box. 

Now wander on over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color to see the other posts for I like Thursday

I Like Thursday #43

Welcome to week #43 of my I like Thursday posts.  I will admit, when LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color started to encourage me to post on Thursdays I was very reticent.  Then I got into a groove, but lately it isn't that I don't like anything.  I have started to keep very busy, even so much as to not sit down and read many blogs during the week.  Translate to missing my blogging friends, but accomplishing a lot more during the day, and evenings.

So my I likes are short again this week.

I like these rechargeable flashlights.  There is one in the barn and a pair in the house.  They were made by MAC Tools.

 I was told that they were very expensive.  But I have to remember the operative word here is "rechargeable".  Even if I haven't used it in 2-3 months I need to charge them so that they work.  But they are a nice weight, and have great light.  When charged. You really appreciate flashlights when the power goes out which is has been doing on a daily basis, sometimes several times a day while they are working on all of the utility lines in the area.  We won't even talk about how many times a day I have to go back and rest all the clocks.  Some are continuously flashing the wrong time. 

I love these food bins I bought to put the cat and dog food in.  I like to get the big bags, because even though I have small animals, it is a lot cheaper buying big bags of food.  But the food kind of gets stale smelling even with the resealable bags.  Also I don't have to worry about the bags tipping over anymore. These bins will hold 25 lb bags of pet food.

Egg cartons.  Once upon a time we would get egg cartons donated to us by friends, and family.  But that source has dried up, unfortunately my chickens are laying like crazy.  I used up every egg carton I could scrounge up and I had at least 5 dozen eggs sitting in bowls in my refrigerator.  So I found a deal on 2 giant boxes of egg cartons that when it is all said and done I pay about 15 cents per box.  Also they are recycled pulp paper.  I cleaned up my pantry and found a perfect place where they are handy, but not in the way.

I love fresh pressed apple cider and I love this one especially heated.  Jeff would heat it on the stove and it actually has a silky texture to it, and it was just like biting into a crisp apple.

Finally and not a promotion or anything but I love Amazon and what I can buy, and have delivered.  I needed egg cartons, at the local farm supply it is $5.00 for 10 cartons, looking on Craigslist....sometimes it makes me wonder what those people were smoking when they posted their adds  .  Instead of running to multiple stores to locate an item, many times it is cheaper to find it on Amazon.  I still go to my local feed store, grocery store, hardware store, but they can only carry so much.  

Now head over to LeeAnna's for the other people that post their Likes on Thursday too!

Sewing Smalls

I had a busy week.  What is it about when you don't work, you seem to be even busier than when you were working for a living?

I spent a couple of days working on quilt guild charity, prepping fabric, moving boxes getting ready for guild.   I know it sounds silly, but when I get to feeling down, working on the charity for guild seems to lift my spirits.  Nothing I was working on really appealed to me at the moment either, so doing busy work prepping for guild is fulfilling.

Guild decorates a tree every year at the museum and they wanted ornaments.  I was not really wanting to make them because I would have to find some Christmas fabric, but my friend sent me enough parts for the ornaments to make 3.

Once I had these done I thought I think I need a quick easy project.  Something to get my sew jo back.

I grabbed a pattern called Triangle Frenzy Swirl.

And fabric I had in my stash.  I can hear the gasps now---yes I used fabric in my stash! I read the pattern, started to sew it together and it just was not looking right.  I took it apart, so much for a quick and easy project.  But in the middle of the night it all of a sudden made sense. 

Lets just say that I sewed this together in less than 30 minutes after my late night epiphany.

A fun table runner with gorgeous poinsettias.  I just have to add batting, back and quilt. 

My next project was a gift for my secret sister at church.  I decided a fall basket was in order. 

I found the pattern  and tutorial at Freemotion by the River.  Aren't those little acorn buttons cute?  I quilted it with straight lines about 1/2 an inch a part, and every 4th line was a painter's tape width apart.    I filled it with some fun size Twixt and have it ready for gifting on Sunday.

Happy Mail

I know we all have one of those days.  We just feel blech, things are going bad, and you cry from frustration.  I had one of those days the other day--well for several days truthfully.

Imagine my delight when I opened the mailbox to a package from my friend Kris of Kris Loves Fabric!

Puppy fabric it looks like Bobbin.

A transfer and crayon quilt kit.

And a kit from McKenna Ryan.  I am learning to have more Faith, and the butterflies how appropriate. 

Thank you so much Kris.  I cannot even begin to explain where I was emotionally when this sweet package arrived.  This week has been much better.  Quilty friends are the best.

I Like Thursday #42

Welcome to my week 42 of I Like Thursday. 

I recently found my stuffed pumpkin that I made.  I knew I had made others so I went on a search through my pictures.  I like how my pumpkins turned out.  This one I made for my middle daughter.   I had used some fabric left over from a purse I had made her years before. 

This is my pumpkin I made for me a few years ago.  I found it and brought it down for  a decoration, I was kind of excited to see it again. 

I like my awesome little squirrel I found many years ago.  I located him with the pumpkin so he came downstairs to celebrate November. 

I like this little stitchery I made a few years ago.  

It says give thanks every day.  I need to find it, it was in the bathroom at one time as a candle mat, not too sure where it disappeared off to.  I may have to look for it. 

Finally I like my table runner that Dawn of Sew You Quilt 2 encouraged me to make.  

 Girl turkey. 

 Boy Turkey

 Close up pictures of my turkeys.

I am starting to look forward to holidays again.  I like things I have made over the years to put in my home. 

I like that the elections are over.  While I do not watch TV, nor listen to the radio, just the amount of political campaign literature I would receive everyday was astounding.

I have been crazy busy, with yard work, a bathroom fan vent which was broken and invaded by a bird, and getting things ready for guild and charity sew day.  Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color and check out the other I like Thursday posts.

November Awash

November 1st and I thought I should get out in my yard, pull the thistle that still seems to grow, pick up my yard lights an put them inside for the winter, get some straw to protect my roses and my Japanese Maple, maybe get the water off the top of the pool cover and leaves.

I love raking the leaves into a huge pile, and here I can burn them.

But mother nature had other ideas.  It has been pouring since the middle of the night, in fact it continued to rain until Friday afternoon.   I should sew so I could be ahead a wee bit and not be under a time crunch. 

Remember I jokingly said I had the epic HST quilt going on?  I showed the trimmings. 

The quilt had 2 blocks block A, and block B.  Each block has 25 parts, and the pressing was a wee bit overwhelming. 

Block A.  I decided instead of sewing each block separately I would sew each row when they were all done I would press each row correctly.  I then decided to do the same thing for Block B. Also there is a lot of pinning so I decided I would take a wee break and work on my Bee Blocks.

I will say that this block frustrated me to no end and it was paper pieced.  When I was done I wrote some instructions as to how big the fabrics need to be while paper piecing.  I am embarrassed to say that it took me almost 3 days to get these done.  The block is called Star Plus. 

I took a mini break after tearing out the pattern above one more time and played with the scraps.  I saw a Christmas Quilt and I thought I could figure it out on my own.

It was easy.  Just 2 1/2 inch strips and squares.  Each letter ends up being 6 1/2 inches square.  What a great way to use up some stash!

After I finished my bee block my next task was my friendship block.

I used an ombre for the yellow tree, but I didn't have one for the orange color I wanted to use.

I had seen the Vintage Christmas book by Lori Holt, and while I won't be making a quilt right away I just had to get the book.

I also saw a really neat pattern made by the Deb Tucker Studios.

Finally I like the Ghastlies, but I have never made anything from it, but I saw the newest line where they are crafting, and decided I had to have it. 

Saturday has dried out a bit.  We are supposed to be dry for a couple more days.  I may attack the leaves and garden tomorrow.