I got started straightening up in the shop – I didn’t say cleaning – just sorting and straightening. Here are some “before” pictures – stuff everywhere!
Found all these blocks in a pile – guess I should sew them together. Here’s three more – heading off to Junkin Gal in Garner – along with the little mallard block.
This came off the quilting machine – more on this later.
How do you like my new handbag? It’s a gift from my niece who says, “it isn’t just everyone that you can give a rubber chicken purse to!” Hahaha! I’m going to take it to church some Sunday and park it in the front pew during the children’s sermon to see who notices it!
The morning glories have outdone themselves this year – soooo tall and so many blooms. This is the worst view of our place – picture taken from the garden west of the barn – you see the pile of limbs, the bad plywood, the lean to the goats use – all necessary parts of the farm but not very attractive.
Blanche has had a good day – anytime we’re outside she’s happy and tonite when I sat in the porch, I left the door wide open and she actually stepped in! This was a major milestone. I wonder what happened to her to make her so afraid.
Don’t you just love these gorgeous fall days?
I would never show pix of my place..quilting is everywhere and it’s a MESS!!! Love your quilts. The chicken purse is hilarious; you know some little kid will notice right off. I’m glad Blanche found a home with you! And OH MY GOSH!!! Is that tree every gorgeous! Fall comes in like a snail which is fine by me–I don’t like what comes after. ugh
I could just pull-up a bar stool and sit in your sewing room and chat away with you among all the piles of treasures. It shows a creative spirit! Messes don’t bother me in someone else’s home – I would rather hear what they intend to make with everything.
Blanche might have been kicked away at doors so she’s afraid to walk in a door.
Someone told us that is why our rescue hides her head down when we let her back in the door after being outside. Hard to imagine happening so we get her in quickly at the door and then she runs so fast inside. I bet you will have Blanche inside with you by the end of the week. I hope so. Good night from here and thanks for a delightful post to read tonight.
Kathy in w NY – and every pile I pick up gives me an idea of what to do with it! So now I have fabrics in bags for specific projects – when will I ever get them done? I have two baby quilts laid out on the cutting table right now and fabric laid out to cover a chair cushion. Good grief!
I love the size of your stars, especially how big the area is around the star. Can you share the cutting measurements?
Can’t wait to hear the reaction when you take the chicken purse to church!! Ha! Your niece is right! Not just anyone can pull off carrying a chicken purse!!
Poor Blanche. I’m sorry she is so timid—makes me wonder, too, why. Hope she will warm up to life on the farm!
Do you have the pattern for the Mallard Duck? I would love to buy it. My grandson needs a quilt with Mallards.
Dale – it’s from one of our books and I will look!
Dale – the mallard pattern is in our old book Wear Warm Clothes, copyright 1993. I would have gladly printed the rotary measurements but this block is made with templates. Maybe you can find an old book for sale online?
Wow! What a beautiful orange tree to go with your pumpkin. Here in northern Vermont we have some color, but nothing like that yet. I blame the too warm weather on the fact that there is no vibrant tree color here yet. I feel sorry for the people in the tour buses rolling into town because they are about 3 weeks too early we think. I’m so glad Blanche seems to be slowly getting closer to coming in the house. I know it will be cold there before long, and she’ll need to be inside where it is warm. Your quilting room might look messy, but you seem to get an awful lot finished! You’re right, not everyone can carry a chicken purse. Your new one is a credit to your individuality, and will certainly make you stand out at church and everywhere else!
Pat Smith – photo from a friend – probably from online.
Mary, I love your “sewing room” and all the piles of imagination and plans for new projects. It always makes me smile on the old enamel kitchen stuff you use when you are making a new quilt — like what we always used for a dishpan. You live on a farm WITH animals. Just like more humans, everybody seems to take room and maybe makes a mess. Such is life. And the big flannel (?) board on the wall. That would be near heaven for many of us who don’t have all that room. Some quilts just have to be laid out while we sew. I use the top on my queen sized bed. Sure better than crawling on the floor.
It was a beautiful day with just a gentle wind. A perfect fall day. More tomorrow. Some of the trees are actually turning yellow overnight! We got down to 39 one night so far. More to come!
Take care. Betty in Rapid City
Betty Klosterman – that wall is covered with scraps of batting and it really is so wonderful – I know how lucky I am in many ways. But when I try to empty that building it won’t be much fun, will it? All the animals make their own unique messes – it’s my life and I often think how much easier it would be without all these animals. But how could I live without these animals? This is my dream.
All this talk of the quilt shop clean up makes me wonder if I should take more pictures of my house, my house sewing room, etc. I’d be glad to do that but don’t want to bore anybody.
Do you ever come back to Clarion, Betty? Wish you could stop in for a visit!
Aren’t you forgetting about those little kisses and caresses from the animals. The nudges and loving rubs? They aren’t “human” but darn close. I never told my cat she was a CAT! It didn’t matter. Our last trip to Clarion was the summer of 2011. Frank had his stroke in Dec, 2011 and we never traveled after that.
Oh, I do vividly remember everything about your little farm and quilt shop. BUT now I can look at the pictures I took of everything and smile at the memories. It was a wonderful place. So much creativity and love, plus the corn fields.
Now, you have new friends on the blog who never had a chance to see the wonders of Country Threads. Thru your blog and renewing old patterns, the new friends have the fun of discovering Country Threads. Yes, we love to see where you live, the piles of wonderful fabric waiting to be made into something great. We look at all these things in the pictures. Some people are so neat, and others of us are happy in what might be called confusion, but we know exactly what is going on, I think! We all make do with what we have and love every minute of it.
Especially in the times of COVID, your blog keeps up all connected to each other. We love show and tell and all the good and bad times for our blog friends. We can’t really enjoy the good things without the bad, but that is life.
In the meantime, please keep sharing. I don’t think you could run us off, even with a stick! Thank you. Betty in Rapid City
Betty K – you’re a keeper, Betty!! Smile! I have lots more pictures coming tomorrow.
What a fun purse!!! It’s so unique.
I’m glad Blanche is getting a bit more comfortable. Thanks for the pictures of your shop. That looks like the kind of happy messes I make!
Your room is a goldmine. I could spend hours in it..touching and feeling, pondering something new. Love it,
What a great post. Yes, we all chuckled when the chicken purse rolled up. Church will be fun.
So, do tell who Blanche is named after. I’m sure somebody special. With her around, whatever was getting the chickens must be intimidated.
That tree is spectacular and the morning glories.
Now for your design wall. I number my rows across, can stack and sew vertically. How do you do it horizontally? My little mind just can’t figure it out.
Jo in Wyoming – my face is red! The picture was sent to me by friends and it’s likely from online. I’m sorry people thought I took the picture.
Blanche is named for my aunt, my mom Hazel’s younger sister. Last month when I visited Aunt Blanche in the care center (she’ll be 96 in February) I took Hazel along and she got such a chuckle out of me naming her after Mom. She said nobody would ever name a dog Blanche and I said right there and then that the next dog I got would be Blanche! So yes, the dog is named after someone special. When Mom died I knew that the next dog had to be female so we could have the name Hazel in our lives daily. The dog we lost named Faye was named for Rick’s mom. I always name my animals people names because they all become as real as humans to me. I don’t like dog names like Snowball, Midnight, etc.
I love your sewing, that is how sew too! I really like the star quilt. It looks like it could be wool. I haven’t seen any trees that brilliant yet. That is gorgeous!! Blanche will be in before to long!! She won’t want to miss anything!!
Beryl – I really should have mentioned that a friend sent me the picture – she probably got it online – it’s not here? Sorry.
So glad to see the pictures of your sewing room! Mine is a lifetime collection too! Most people stop at the door-look inside and then say-oh, you have a lot of stuff-what do you do with it all? I often see pictures of people’s studios which are spotless and wonder how they can create there.
I have a question-how are your water hoses attached to the top of your fence? We run hoses from the well to both the hen house and the goat pasture and they always seem to be in the way for mowing. We use the well for all outside water but had to install public water to the house when we purchased. We will be winterizing the well in a short while probably and then will have to carry water from the house, but it looks like a great idea for next year.
I love both Amy’s quilt and the chicken purse-such a hoot!
Debbie Miller – Rick ran the hose along the top of the fence and secured it with zip ties – we fill the pond and get water to the garden using it BUT I have mowed over several hoses in the past. The hose to the pond runs inside a plastic tile that sits on top of the ground and I can shut the blades of the mower off and drive over it. Living on an acreage is always a work in progress, isn’t it? And how can a sewing room remain spotless and do anything in it? I just sorta cleared off the cutting table but now I can see to work again.
Debbie Miller – I just told you zip ties but Rick also used PVC pipe attached to the top fence rail and ran the hose through it.
Love that those stars made it to your wall! Won’t be long before they make it into a quilt! Is this Heaven? No, it’s Iowa!
The days are glorious! It is the best time of the year. Love your chicken purse and seeing Blanche come inside the door. Poor baby. Enjoy the season!
Beautiful fall leaves! I love this season. I don’t envy you the straightening of the shop, but it always feels so good when you are done.
I loved seeing all of your photos today, Mary! Interesting theory about Blanche, too. When I rescued Bailey over 2 years ago, she was very afraid of the sound of newspapers! Whenever I was reading the morning paper, she would shy away from me as if she had some experiences with being hit with them? We worked through it and now she can even come sit on my lap while I read the paper and she doesn’t flinch anymore! Have a blessed Sabbath Day!
Lois Ann Johnson – thank you for that very encouraging story about Bailey and the newspaper! If Blanche would get in the car, I’d take her to obedience class!
Hi Mary
I love that dog!!!! That is one of my favorite breeds. She is so so blessed to have you!!!❤️❤️❤️
Bea knight
Bea Knight – what breed do you think she is?
I have one idea some kind of wolf hound!! She’s gorgeous!!!!!!!!!
Bless Blanche and you for all the great pictures you share, Mary!
Have a friend who would enjoy a Chicken purse; lucky you!
Leaves and some wild ground cover are changing colors more daily. Notice more wild flowers are still blooming and wild bees are active, too!
A new forest fighting team has taken over fighting the three fires here in Idaho. They all work long hours and have all done wonderful jobs!
Friends are vacationing in Ireland and asked via email about the giant Sequoias in CA that are being wrapped around their bases by firefighters using special foil wrap. General Grant tree had been dated back into BC ages.
Idaho desperately needs rain, too!
Launa – our trees and shrubs are also suffering from lack of rain but we don’t have fires threatening.
Blanch just isn’t used to being inside. Our Dalmatian stayed out her whole life. I tried getting her inside when she was old and she hated coming in.
Wanda Myers – but it’s going to get really cold here very soon!
Hi Mary. Did I miss something – has Blanche been scanned for a chip yet or did you post it & I missed it ??
I had Buddy (George) at a friends campfire & something popped in the fire & he tried to climb in my lap. He was trembling & was obviously very scared. I had to walk him way away from the campfire to help him settle down. Poor dog, you always wonder what happened in their previous life to make them so fearful of things we take for granted.
Joan West – we are going to the vet this week to check for a chip and get an ultrasound to see if she is spayed. I cannot imagine why she won’t come into the house – what did somebody do to her! And Buddy – all rescues have issues of some kind, I’m sure. His must be loud noises – sounds like he’s got a nice life – hanging out by a campfire with friends!
Thanks for posting the pictures of the shop; messes are just part of creating. Having the large table space and the design wall is wonderful! You can show us as many house and sewing pictures as you want, Mary. I am guessing none of us will find them boring. 🤗
I liked hearing how Blanche got her name.
I love love the chicken bag!!!!
Diane E – I’ll take a picture of it going to church on my arm when it happens-hilarious!
I cleaned up my sewing room last week so my sister could come and sew. Of course after a couple of days sewing I already have three projects out. The floor is still clean but only because a couple of days I haven’t been able to sew. When I clean I always find other projects I want to start!
My sister gave my mom a chicken purse like yours years ago. It’s just the funniest purse!
I love that you name your pets after special people. Blanche will be happy to hear about your new dog named Blanche.
Susan K – I can’t wait to visit Aunt Blanche in the care center and take my Blanche to visit! She will be surprised!
That chicken purse is so great! I wish you could get the kids reaction but your hands will be busy playing. How is Margaret doing? I agree with another reader you will probably have Blanche inside within two weeks. She will become pals with Tilley and Hazel and will follow them in, especially if it gets cold.
Amy – I could even imagine you buying that rubber chicken purse as a gift! I just haven’t had time to pack it and the opening at the top is small so it’s not very convenient really – just an eye catcher!