Quilts are Born

We had a regular quilt factory going with Brandon and Taylor making 4-H quilts.  This is Taylor's (in the gold) first quilt and Brandon's third or fourth.  I like the kids to make an easy quilt for their first one so they don't get frustrated at how long it takes.  Brandon, on the other hand, I decided that he had to make a harder one.

They faithfully came and measured and sewed.

Brandon could do a lot of it without my assistance.

Brandon and I thought maybe Taylor's could have gone a little faster, but he had to consult his incoming messages.  I'm sure they were all about quilting...don't you think??

Here's Taylor's top all done!  It's now quilted and he needs to come over and do the hand work on the binding.  Both Brandon and I are telling him it's a "2 video" binding.  (That's how long we figure it will take to do it.)

Brandon with his "Fire Escape".  I've made three of these, but forgot to read the find print about....avoid directional fabric.  So I did a lot of ripping and Brandon did a lot of resewing to make those brown strips head the same direction.     Good job boys!!     Jolyn

My Flowers

I love flowers, but I'm not very good at taking care of them.  I always say... mine thrive on neglect.  I have a little flower bed that Jill dug for me last year and Wayne weeds it.  We moved some peonies from Amy's bed over here.  But the best luck I have with flowers are potted ones on the porch.  Jill planted these for me.

Considering that they are mine, I think they look pretty good.



Here is me weeding them!  One weed!  I can handle that!!



The boys and Wayne gave me three hanging planters.  I don't know what this plant is, but it sure has bloomed faithfully.  I do admire everyone's flower beds, but prefer my little potted ones!   Jolyn

Red Things

Last week Wayne went to a show at Albert Lea where all things were red.  The way I understand it, farmers either like and buy red or like and buy green.  We're pretty much red farmers.  They also like to go to shows that feature red or green. 

 

Line after line of red.

Now here's the good part...even quilts with red themes.

And how good is my husband that without me along he still went in a building with just quilts and took pictures for me!!

Even went where it looks like all women to take this picture to show me 'cause he thought I might know someone.  Yep--there's Carolyn and Diane from Calico Hutch.  I guess I need to look for more red tractors when I go to quilt shows.  Can't say I've noticed any in the past.    Jolyn

Shopping...Somebody has to do it!!

Made another trip to the Hutch this week.  And as always--new stuff...either that ....or I just don't see everything. 

I know this bright one is new....interesting pattern.

The inner room!   Look at all those kits...just waiting for you!!!

There were several new woolies.

And here's a familiar shopper.  Looks pretty intense!

More woolies.

And more.

A happy shopper who found all that he needed to make his quilt.  Was also his 14th birthday!!!  (we hit Pizza Ranch after our exhausting shopping.)

I don't know....am I supposed to eat this by myself and not share?      Jolyn

Leftovers and More

A few blogs back I showed a black and white with bright pink quilt.  Took the leftovers and cut them into 2 1/2" squares and made this baby quilt.

But of course there were more leftovers, so I made this!  An itty bitty pinwheel.  Notice the remaining squares--into the round file!!!  Enough is enough!  Course, I'll probably end up digging them out again as I'll think of something to use them for.  I do love leftovers....food and fabric!     Jolyn

The Long "Green" Line

Isn't there a movie by that title?  This is my new table runner.  Each little block is 4" square.  So it is 8" x52".  I have an antique round oak table that stretches out to fit many.  And usually it is in that extended position.  So this runs right down the middle...end to end.  I wanted to be sure it would look real scrappy...so I had fun cutting.  Out of the leftovers...I have over 260 blocks...enough to make a queen size quilt...just to add borders.  Ayone else get that happy cutting?  Jolyn

Backing Up

Had a relaxing weekend.  Saturday morning I attended the guest day at the Frost church and heard the speaker Janet L. Martin of  "Lutheran Church Basement Women".  She was hilarious!  I think we could all see ourselves in the stories she told.  Very entertaining  morning! 

Sunday we went to Shawn and Suzanne's for dinner and celebrated Brandon's birthday.  Should have taken a picture of the cake, but was too busy eating it!  He got a case for his ukelele and a new fishing pole with a fishing trip coming up.  I enjoyed Father's Day, I hope Wayne did!    Jolyn

Old and New

A few years back (0ver 10) I made this particular quilt of which I can't remember it's name.  It had way too many triangles so instead of a large quilt, I just made a lap size.  But....there were leftovers.

I needed a quilt for a give-away, so I used the leftover blocks and even found this bear and trees to add to it.  I've named it Kicking Bear in honor of the Kicking Bear event our church is sponsoring in July.  Still too many triangles!  Jolyn

For the Birds

 

Our little nest of robins grew quickly.

Here's the smaller birds peeking through the leaves of the hanging plant.

And yesterday the robins  looked like this and today they're gone.  No good-bye...just gone.  Reminded me of how fast our kids and now our grandkids have grown up!  I can remember thinking 19 was soooo old...oh for those days!  Jolyn

Mmmmmmmmm!

I don't make a lot of bars, but I do make this Cherry Bar a lot and usually don't bring any home from the pot lucks.

Cherry Bars:
1 cup oleo
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond flavoring
3 cups flour
Mix and put in 12x15 pan, saving about 1 1/2 cups.  Spread cherry pie filling on top and drop remaining dough by tsp on top.  Bake 350 oven for about 45 minutes or until top is nicely browned.  Can drizzle powdered sugar frosting over top.  Always sample before serving. (See lower right hand of picture!)
Jolyn

Bored?

Nobody ever says they're bored around our house as this is what's waiting for them!

But sometimes it can't wait for them to be bored, so here's Bryce, Taylor and Brandon unloading.

It helps to have more than one person to unload.

It also helps to have this and some gatorade.  But the work isn't done.  That wood needs to be split and then stacked inside the wood shed.  There are three separate piles to be done.  We're looking for bored kids!!    Jolyn

Good Clean Mud

As a kid I liked to make mud pies, but I never invisioned something like this!  Each year our church youth have a Mud Volleyball tournament.   Teams are formed and they have a ball!   There were 3 courts and the players, as you can see, were right down in the sloppy mud.

Here's our fearless leader...Nick

Nick and our grandson, Bryce who was one of the refs.

NO!!!!



Not sure who is on the left, but our Taylor is on the right.



And this is how "clean" people are included in the fun.

Don't you think this should have been sponsored by some detergent!  I think most mothers throw the clothes.

Lots of food to fuel the players!  What isn't shown are tents where they could shower with hot water.  You can kind of see them in the background of the next picture.  Somehow Tim had rigged up heaters to provide the hot water.  (But I noticed there was still a lot of mud in everyone's ears.)

After the mud bowl, the kids gathered around a campfire and a graduate, Ben shared his testimony.  They have until next year to get all the mud out of their ears.      Jolyn