Finally a warm sunny day after 3 days of rain and is the grass ever tall! I mowed for hours and tomorrow I’ll need to trim. All the plants are outside and I’ve found a new home for several of the biggest ones – a business in town with high ceilings!
Here’s Mama and Darla this afternoon when I did chores.
And I knew I was missing a number of eggs and voila! There they are behind Emma’s chair.
Threatening sky to our southwest last night but we had nothing but a light rain.
Diane, Squeak’s mom, recently sent me this towel by Deb Strain – looks vaguely familiar doesn’t it?
Here’s a Debbie G’s Bullseye with Bella keeping watch. Isn’t that a cute little dog?
And Kathy H. Chose a different layout for her Bullseye blocks – very nice!
Here’s my favorite feed bag tote – with horses!
I don’t have horses so I don’t have these bags. Speaking of feed bags, don’t bother to send your extra $2.00 for postage if you ordered a feed bag – well take care of it and if you’ve already sent the $2.00, thank you. Here are several of the feed bag totes I made and use for groceries.
I failed to show a picture of the fall Gameboard that Connie made – here it is again. Pattern available for $5.00.
All the plants are moved outside now and that means washing all the plates, saucers and bowls I used for drainage. Now if I were an appliqué designer I’d use both of these designs. I’d blow them up and have a wonderful design even for the center of a medallion quilt.
I have such a vision here of these two motifs – if only I could appliqué.
I finished cleaning and waxing our exposed aggregate floors. This company makes both the cleaner and the finisher. I just used the old cleaner bottle because I bought a large container of finisher.
My floors look so good! And I’m so glad I finished.
I was at Connie’s today and snapped a couple pictures by her backdoor.
June one is Saturday and one of the quilt patterns were making available to you is Wedding Day. Rick and I got married on Flag Day in 1997 and I made this quilt that I hang up every year. It is very faded and I’m not sure you can even see the dress vs. the background! This pattern is $5.00.
We sold this pattern to many who made it as a wedding gift.
The next pattern is Summer, a slice of watermelon. This pattern is $3.00.
It’s the same size as Tulip, Frosty and Evening Star.
Uncle Sam is available until the Fourth of July for $10.00.
And Gameboard in Halloween colors is still available for $3.00.
Feed bags are still available for $4.00.
Goat Gazettes are $12.00 plus cards as we can stick them in the envelope. We’ll send a minimum of 2 in the envelope.
And here’s Connie’s Charming Nine Patch – are you still making 9 patch blocks from your charms?
Oh boy, that’s a lot of review!
Great pics! Yes you can appliqué! Just do raw edge fusible appliqué by machine! Use either a tiny zig zag in matching color along the edges of the appliqué pieces or a tiny zig zag with invisible thread or a blanket stitch of whatever size fits your appliqué piece. It really is easy peasy, Mary! If I can do it surely you can do it! ;).
Jan from TN – Hey Jan – yes, I suppose I could do that but what little time I have to sew I love to sit and piece. I do have several appliqué projects waiting for me however. Ha! Maybe I just needed a push?
Love the bull’s eye quilts. The kitties look like they should be sitting on eggs. I wonder if the eggs you found are still good. How long do they stay fresh?
Martha Engstler – yes, the eggs are fine – it’s been very cool and eggs will stay fresh on the counter for up to 2 weeks – IF they’re not washed. Once the “bloom” is washed off the egg, bacteria can enter the egg through the porus she’ll. Once they’re washed they must be refrigerated. Probably more info than you really expected, huh? Haha!
Being a city “girl” it’s all good info for me. I really didn’t know, now I do, many thanks.
So much eye candy, love to see your wedding quilt. That peony in Connie’s garden is gorgeous, even the foliage is pretty and the Jade plant is real tree. I had one that was beginning to look like a mini tree and three years ago my daughter’s dogs broke. Mama and Darla are such pretty girls!
That first thing I noticed about the Bullseye quilt was the snakes and I apologize, I like the colors of both of them, but I am not fond of snakes and you are right the little dog is a sweet heart. Enjoy tomorrow, Mary, is supposed to be sunny.
Felicia Hamlin – Connie just hates snakes, too. I don’t hate them like she does but I don’t want them in my yard either. Yes, Connie’s jade tree is huge and I just love it! I have one that is beginning to get big but when they’re so big I can’t move them either. Did you move your cactus outside? It would love this nice weather!
Not, yet but I better do that. It is looking really good, I will find a shady spot to put it in. I took my geraniums out and they are already perking up. It has been a beautiful day.
I enjoyed all the wonderful pics.
Love all the pictures you shared, especially those cute kitties. So sweet and the adorable dog on the bullseyes quilt. I am thinking Connie must enjoy shopping from her own storage for all the cute displays on her porch. As my neighbor would say to me every time I admired her newest and next porch arrangement- “ I just shop from my basement shelves and make do”. No buying new stuff at stores for her. I stopped at a new to me thrift store yesterday and as we carried a bag of Debbie Mumm Christmas plates to the car I told myself we were renting them till we would donate them back, and he laughed his head so hard and I had to tell him how I learned of it. Thanks for a good way to look at shopping at the thrift store.
Kathy in Western NY – Connie has a real knack for display and I love looking around her yard – it’s really so beautiful and I wish I could plant all those shrubs and perennials but I hate weeding so I choose to sit on my lawn mower and mow grass instead. Every year I know I’ve made the right decision although I’m going to start a pretty big planting project soon. I’m going to move hydrangeas into the front ramp area because my Karl Forster grass that’s there now needs more sun.
Yes, renting from the thrift store is a mind set, isn’t it? I’ve also got Junkin Gal in Garner to sell a few things for not much money at all. Yesterday I took some succulents into our booth.
I remember your wedding and I love the date you chose….it is so YOU! Every year I think of you on your wedding date. Love Connie garden area. I am so glad you take the time to take all the pics. Have a question for you: Where do you purchase your quilt BATTING? Do you still get wholesale or retail? My shop does alot of charity quilts and I am shopping around for the best and cheapest batting. Frieght charges are out of sight. Thanks Paula in KY
Paula Philpot – I cant believe you remember our wedding! Wow – what a memory! I am still using batting we had on hand – since I don’t get that many quilts finished, I don’t use all that much. I like Dream Poly because it’s very thin but probably too pricey for charity quilts. You’ve just answered a question I’ve had – very sweet to make charity quilts but who pays for all that batting?
Our club has a yearly auction where we all bring sewing items we are not going to use or no longer like such as scraps, sewing machines, magazines, kits, old quilts, feedsacks, just anything sewing related. This year we made $2300. and that buys our batting, labels, rotary blades, and whatever else we need to finish the quilts. We also do pillowcases. We contribute to our Child abuse center, pregnancy center, cancer center, womens abuse center. We also do alot of crochet blankets too. This year we have had several people donate the stash of someone that has passed away. We go thru that, use what we can and then donate the rest to a lady in the club that makes dog beds so every piece is used. Hope someone in this group likes this idea for them club. Paula
Paul Philpot – wow, you’ve got this down pat, don’t you? What a terrific club idea and I hope someone picks up in it. Back to your original dilemma about freight cost
Can you buy wholesale?
Paula Philpot, you might check with Fiberco in Fort Worth Texas. Goggle them, and call them. They have a wide selection of batting, & a quote never hurts! If there is a Joann anywhere near try them…I purchase batting for charity quilts when on sale & I have a coupon
Thanks girls about the batting. Yes I can purchase wholesale and we do that. Will will try the company you all mentioned. Thanks Paula in kY
Love your Wedding Quilt! It fits you so well! Thanks for all the lovely eye candy. Now I must tackle some weeds because we’ve had rain and the ground is soft this morning! Plus it’s cool!
Love looking at all the pictures. They fill my soul for the “country life”. Speaking of patterns – do you still have the Barn Swallows pattern available for sale. I believe it was $10.00. Thank you. Terry
Terry – yes, You can get Barn Swallows for $10
What fun pictures. I want Mama and Darla to come live with me. Still working on my Charm Pack 9-patches. I used two charm packs so mine is turning out bigger than I expected, but I’m loving it. Connie’s is so bright and fun! I’m branching out, but my love is still Civil War and reproduction. The last of our reproduction quilt shops in our area (Common Threads in Waxahachie, Texas) is closing and it breaks my heart. We are lucky in that we have lots of quilt shops, but they mostly stock brights and modern fabrics. I can buy online, but like touching the fabrics, putting bolts together to see what looks best, and really seeing the colors. My two favorite retail pleasures – quilt shops and bookstores – are disappearing. I feel like a dinosaur!
Janine – I think we’re all sorry the quilt shops are disappearing and I believe the fabric companies need to take part of the blame. Fabric is too expensive for the average quilter to buy yards of it from a bolt but that’s what it would take to keep a quilt shop open and profitable— in my opinion? The great thing about reproduction fabrics is that they rarely change much so old Civil War fabrics look just like new Civil War fabrics. Connie and I would like to explore combining CW with brights which would help all of us. You, too, Janine! I’m not guilty of shopping bookstores because I’m not near any but Amazon books and I are very good friends – haha!
Janine, I have a fabric shop in KY and we all love Civil War. I am in an old country farmhouse and I have a room full of Civil War. All my fabrics are $6.00 a yard. Paula in KY
How wonderful! A country farmhouse with a room full of Civil War fabrics – it’s a dream. It may be time for a road trip! Where are you in Kentucky and what’s the name of your shop?
Your post this morning has just made my day…. thanks for sharing … the kitties are hilarious … the bullseye quilts are gorgeous. I love seeing how different they all are. The wedding quilt is darling. Have a wonderful day today, thanks for brightening mine!
Mary, I love looking at all the pictures in this post. What eye candy! Keep up the good work!
Mary – I so look forward to reading your posts! I don’t know how you do it all.
My friend owns a quilt shop and it is hard to make a profit all the time. She makes most of her money doing shows. She makes kits and bundles to sell. Doesn’t take yardage. (A lot of hard work. I’ve helped her a few times.)
I want to recommend you read this book if you haven’t – “Where the Crawdads Sing.” I got it from your list and it was wonderful. One of the best books I’ve ever read. No peeking to the end. I couldn’t put it down. Have a good day.
Louverna
Louverna Tomer – we also made our most money at shows but they’re hard work and you have to be away from home, etc. I have read “Where the Crawdads Sing” and also loved it!
Mary,
I’ll be sending for your SUMMER watermelon pattern! A great variety of pictures this morning. After a warmer sunny day in the nearby town of Salmon yesterday we experienced a couple heavy downpours and an electrical storm with lightening hitting nearby up here in the mountains!
Three Mule deer didn’t let vehicle traffic passing by bother them while spending time in a Salmon yard eating fruit from trees. What’s a trip to town without a fast food lunch?
Robin – directions can be found online. I use webbing for handles but some have used bag material – which hurts my hands.
I remember your wedding but don’t recall the wedding quilt, it is positively precious; the fact that it’s faded over time makes it even more so. I have been a CT follower for a very long time. We moved out of the country and I subscribed to your newsletter and your fabrics of the month club (or whatever the program was called); this was between 1995-1999. The fabrics were 1/4 cuts, WOF, and were little “visits” from America for this transplanted gal during those days! I had quite a collection and ended up making several scrappy pinwheel quilts eventually; I never wanted to cut up those Country Threads pieces which looked so pretty stacked in my foreign sewing room! Thank you for all the memories!
Enjoy your pics and daily happenings on the farm. I am very grateful that friend and I had a trip to your shop.
My husband and I married onFlag Day 1953. We had 51 years before he went to the great beyond.
I love your wedding quilt, too. What a neat idea. Connie’s garden is lovely and so interesting to see all of the non–plants, too. We just teenager sat for our grandsons and grand dog. All three are adorable. The boys have exams next week so we were their “resources” as retired teachers. The dog is a miniature Labradoodle who is the cutest thing and soooo well behaved and well trained. He and I logged 13, 000 steps yesterday:) I will be ordering patterns soon. Squeak likes to look at your kitties on the computer.
I just love your post. All the wonderful stories and pictures! They make my day Xoxox 💖
Wonderful pictures as always. Glad to hear you are having some sunny days. We would have blue skies today, but due to the wildfires in Alberta, Canada the skies are very hazy. I spent the day with seven friends sewing shorts and pillowcase dresses for the kids in the Dominican Republic. Our priest goes there regularly and takes the items we make. We are still to wet to get started on planting any corn. Hopefully next week will be drier. I have been clicking on the ads for you. Enjoy the weekend.
Diane In WI – we appreciate your support in the form of closing the ads! Our farmers are not finished either – we have a funeral in the family on Monday and several relatives who farm are going to have to farm if possible instead of attending the funeral.
Love the watermelon…are the other three in that series still available? Tulip, Frosty, Evening Star, I believe?
Sue in Marion, IN – we have tried very hard to release these one at a time because we’re not set up with patterns on hand. At this time Summer is available and the others are not. By releasing them one at a time we think they’ll get made – other patterns out of season will sit in a drawer – out of sight, out of mind. I’m going to great lengths to explain this to everyone who is reading so everyone will understand why we don’t have an unlimited list of patterns available at all times. When we closed our store all the remaining pattens were sent to an organization that runs a yearly “garage” sale or the land fill, sorry to say.
Ok, thanks, Mary! I understand!
Robin – there are many tutorials online about the feed sack bags.