As a reader said, this does make me happy but also so worried about them. They’ve made it 3 nights now so that’s encouraging. Mama has already attacked Mollie and I don’t think any of my cats are brave enough to go anywhere close and that’s a good thing.
Here’s Good News before quilting.
This is Good News – originally designed to be a reversible quilt but I didn’t want a reversible quilt so I made the two different blocks and alternated them in each row. It’s really an easy to piece quilt – strips, cut, sew and cut again. I made the blocks months ago because I wanted to use up all those medium and light prints and I used lots but still have many – as you all know from trying to use up your current fabric.
Can you see the two distinct blocks? Even I think it’s hard to see but I love the overall look.
And yes, the pattern is available BY MAIL ONLY at this time. Send a SASE to Country Threads, 2345 Palm Ave. Garner, IA. 50438 with $5.00 cash or check only, no credit cards.
GOOD NEWS – $5.00 and SASE.
This is a great mindless sewing pattern that does use up fabric. And the price is right -$5.00!
Remember that tree root I planted upside down? Here are the morning glories covering the root that will bloom very soon.
I have an outdoor quilt hanger that faces the road where I try to display a seasonal quilt usually a quilted panel. This will go out next month. I’ll post it again after binding. I had a terrible time with the tension on the longarm which Jo is helping me with. Here is an example.
I’ve decided not to take it all out since the quilting stitches will never be seen from the road but it’s a disappointment for sure.
Anybody have a pants hanger not in use with pants? How about strips? I don’t want to sew wrinkled strips and this is a good solution.
What a waste of a watermelon! Not even close to ripe – the chickens are feasting!
One last puppy shot!
Any potential adopters out there? If you’re a blog reader I’d trust you to give one of my precious foster pups a wonderful home.
No reader quilts to post. 😕
Hi Mary,
I think you will find that those chicks will stick around better than some of the adult ones you had since they tend to live where they were hatched.
YES! Your sewing room could be mine! Except I only have a path on the floor. Baskets, after baskets of works in progress and dream quilts! I’m ashamed of myself. I’ve sort of lost my “sew jo” and trying to figure out how to get it back! I have about eight quilts that were BOM’s. I don’t know why I love making the monthly blocks but get stalled or lose interest when the 12th month rolls around for completion. 😩 Hoping your sweet babies all survive-glad they have a protective Mama! Have a good weekend!
As always I continue to love your “daily happenings” blog Mary! The pictures are always fun to see. Our 44th anniversary was yesterday, so we celebrated by adopting 2 kittens. Our older cat (19) Ella died in the spring and has been much missed. So now we have a stripe tabby female Molly and a cream male Sam. They are litter mates and about 4 months old. This will be an adventure!
Pam, I am in the same boat with you on BOM projects. I love piecing the blocks but another (ok, many other) BOM happen by the time one ends and I’d rather spend my time sewing blocks together. This is where the Dirty Dozen comes in handy. It has helped get some tops put together and kept my LAQ in business. Lol. The little tribe is so cute. I look forward to watching them grow as I haven’t seen them mature before. happy weekend!!
Have a good weekend, Mary!
Had two HUGE DOWNPOURS this morning! Hope they helped quell the Moose Fire n others in Idaho!
Enjoyed seeing the 🐥 chicks…hope they all make it to maturity!
Great blog today Mary, taking a break while the last of
the cucumber relish is in the canner. Banner year for relish. Love the pictures of the pups, good thing I don’t live closer I would be very tempted. Mittens the cat would not approve. Good News is a great quilt and who doesn’t have an abundance of fabric to use.
Thanks for the tips on keeping critters out of the garden. Surprisingly the coffee grounds are working.
Enjoy the weekend.
Sheila in MA
Mary, we got a watermelon just like that from Fareway, but they replaced it for us. Unfortunately, I don’t have any chickens anymore, so just threw it in the field, but something found it. The little chicks are so cute. Some look like they are from chicken eggs, but I guess time will tell, huh? I just canned 11 pints of tomatoes this morning. They will be good for chili and other things this winter. I don’t have a lot of tomatoes since it’s so dry, but enough for the two of us. Enjoyed all your pictures. Have a great weekend.
Very pretty quilt Mary. My creative space is much smaller but a mess. When I complete a project, I have trouble putting the completed project’s bits and pieces away before I start something new.
Your morning glory vine on the upside down tree root turned out great. I love vines such as pumpkin, gourds, and squash.
Thanks for all you do.
Um, yeah, I kind of sew n a mess like that😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😳😳😳!! I have a HUGE space (first floor of a 24’ x36’ building). And it is PACKED full and then some. Trying to work on putting tops together from blocks I have pieces over the past 2 years. Have PLENTY of fabric for backing plus a roll or 2 of batting. Just need to get BUSY.
And BOMs? I have started MANY over the past 20 years. And have a TON of them that I haven’t even started🤪🤪. What was I thinking?!? And I was sorely tempted to order yet another one😳😳😳!! Had to slap myself so I didn’t do it. I recently found ne that I had started who knows when, and I didn’t even REMEMBER having it. Or doing any of the blocks. EEEEKKK!! I may get 5 or 6 months done, and then some new, shiny thing catches my eye, and I abandon it. Have at least 10 BOMs n that condition. Been working on the most recent BOM every week or so and I am up to Month 6. WooHoo🙌🙌. Progress is being made. Just so many things to d, and only so much time. Big sigh. I have enough BOMs to last the rest of my life.! Which could be 2 more years or another 20 years!! At least I won’t get bored easily.
I so understand about SewJo leaving☹️☹️. It’s HORRIBLE. I lost mine for a good 6 months staring last October. Didn’t sew one stitch from October until March or April. Have no idea WHY my ambition disappeared, either. Ugh. I was scheduled to go on a retreat in early May with my bestest quilting peeps. I knew I had to cut projects to work on before I went. And I sewed for about 10 minutes that first time I went to my studio. And cut up some fabric for my retreat projects. The next day I sewed some more. And cut more fabric. And so on. It took a REALLY long time to get back to sewing daily. Some days I don’t sew at all, but I will go to my space and play with my fabric. Or plan to cut something. Or drag out a BOM to see where I am. It was a conscious effort on my part, but it has worked. Go to YouTube and Karen Brown’s Just Get it Done Quilts. She has a video about what to do when you lose your SewJo. It was very helpful for me👍👍. Hang in there, Pat. Your SewJo will return. Eventually. Just give it some time. Sewing string blocks, pretty mindless, got me going when I tried to start again. I feel your pain and frustration.
LOVE the chicks and the dog pics. I so wish I could adopt one of your fosters, Mary☹️☹️. I already have 2 rescues who I love DEARLY. When I want to go away for a few days, I have to board the dogs. It’s just getting so expensive for me now. Having a third dog would about do me in financially. Living on a very fixed income STINKS. Ugh. Hoping someone out there will step and adopt one of those babies and love them to pieces.
Ha! Yes I sew in a mess like yours. I say I get whiplash walking through the room. But I make do. Have to.
I didnt know what u meant Mary when the chicken dropped cotton. Now I get it. I’ve not been round farms that much.
So glad u took puppies back. You have such a good heart. Thanks. I’m a mother of a dog transporter, fosters and as they say adopter of foster failures. But r the sweetest dogs.
I have a ferrel cat who adopted me. In and out kind of situation. My exercise. Ha!
Good to hear from you today. Look forward to it.
Just a suggestion from experience. My friend had baby chicks and had them fenced for protection from coyotes and other predators. However, seems a raccoon came down from the open top and killed them all and some of the adult chickens. She now has a new fenced area made of finer screen and over the top too. Is working well for the new chicks. Would hate for you to lose any of those again.
Mary Jane – mama took them out to the grove today. Not much I can do.
In my experience, Momma’s are excellent protector’s of their broods – as fierce as roosters who guard the childless hens. It’s pretty amazing. The chicks who were store-hatched w/out a momma don’t have that protection – maybe that is what she was referring to. A man recently released his flock of ducks on property next to me on the lake – they were all store hatched & had no sense of lake life. They ran from the scary lake & tried to follow him back up the street. I told him I would round them up & put in our fenced yard for safety from roaming dogs. 3 days later, the Mallard breeds still refusing to venture near the lake, found an opening in our gate, squeezed through, & went like homing pigeons, back up the street – ugh! The mated pair of fat, white ducks, Mel & Gertie (made the mistake of naming them) couldn’t fit through & stayed. Mel had a bad case of crippling Bumblefoot, caused from having to walk in filth & stones, so took him to vet who gave him meds, charging us $300!, & didn’t remove the bumble. My friend took him to work on his foot (successful) & keep him in small setup for healing. Gertie was beside herself without him – heat wave hit, days over 100 degrees, lake stinking from bad algae, my wild white geese pair stayed on our lawn for coolness – which they never do – but kept Gertie away. Within 2 hours of me visiting her, she succumbed. I say from a broken heart (they are very social creatures) but it could have been the heat – she had a pool to swim in. It broke my heart more than I could fathom. All of this could have been prevented if store clerks in farm stores would simply ask potential buyers if they are ready to deal with major poo dispensing & tons of water. Most buyers are too lazy to deal with all that, they only see a cute, fuzzy baby. The wild geese (Mr. & Mrs. Grumbles) came to visit each summer – he would walk to our glass door & knock with his bill until I answered door to give them some cracked corn & occasional sourdough bread bits. After their visit on our lawn for over an hour with Gertie to get away from hardening, stinking algae, Mr. Grumbles disappeared. Mrs. Grumbles came back alone for food, then went back down to beach & would call for him. She is still here, but has been joined by different breed of white goose who was also alone & mournful over his lost mate – they mate for life. Mrs. Grumbles helped raise 17 Canadian Geese with Mr. G & their parents, so at least they have family comforting them. All wild ducks have also disappeared, along with their newly hatched. All of this occurred recently, had to rant. All creatures great and small depend on us as stewards in these hard times.
The baby chicks are so cute. I like the Good News quilt very much. And yes, my sewing area as well as other areas are similar to your sewing area.
Ditto here on the sewing room – sewing is much more fun than cleaning!
Love, love, love the Good News Quilt – will be sending my $5.
Beautiful chicks! Last year we raised a brood inside our home, in our bedroom, so that cats couldn’t try any fancy tricks while we slept. Bought one of the big farm tubs with 3-foot sides to house until we could move them out to a private coop. Now they are with the big chickens on our acreage. I had lost my setting hens, so am trying to replace. Out of 12 new chickens, only one tried to set late this year in the high temps – no success on her first try, maybe next year. Lots of fun!
Always enjoy your posts and pictures. The chicks are adorable. Nothing sweeter than a baby…anything. I have 9 hens. Eight of them are in their second year of laying and they must be SO HAPPY. It’s hot , around 95 to 100 the last 2 weeks, and they are laying every 1 to 2 days. One hen is 8yo and lays twice a week! In 40 some years, I’ve never had a hen live this long!! We have a nice chicken room, 10 x12 with a high ceiling. nesting boxes we made, the outside run is 50′ x 70′, with a Pakistani Mulberry tree in their yard, and a large outside overhead. We have a well so we flood a small area so they can wade in the cool water on a hot day. I buy a watermelon and cantaloupe each week and left overs always go to my ‘girls’. Can you tell I love the hens : ) ?
Your pups are so cute and big. Sorry I can’t take one. We have 2 yellow labs ( 7 and 4) and a 2 yo dachshund. I’m nuts over each of them!! The 7yo lab was at the vets last Thursday for a biopsy on a lump on her chest. It is very suspicious and we’re praying it’s not breast cancer. Will get the results next week and then decide what to do.
Mary I’m 70 and know how much work property and animals can be but I’m hooked! We keep saying we’ll downsize ‘next year’ but it’s so hard to leave this life style. Hubby is almost 80 and it’s very hard for him to keep up with everything. My main domain is the house, chickens, and dogs. Of course I have a garden and flowers but I’d have that no matter where we live. This might be our last year on property.
Hi Patty – I had a beautiful rescue rooster, Pretty Boy Floyd, who lived to be around 18 years, at least according to the previous owner’s recollection.
Maybe you could check with your local 4H club or high school to see if there is a youngster who would love to learn farm upkeep & help out on your farm.
Thank you Georgia. That is a good suggestion. The 4H members are eager to help and learn about animals. We’re on 2 1/2 acres (in Southern California) and our problems vary from the trees we planted 46 years ago and strangers/homeless coming on our property. I’m not exaggerating. We have spent thousands and thousands on having trees removed and trimmed. We have over 30 pines that we’ve had trimmed and topped to around 25ft high. Some have died because of trimming and we have to hire for removal. There are more eucalyptus trees on our place than we can count. When they get this big, they are dangerous. Branches fall that are the size of a tree. Our place sits in what is called ‘the golden triangle’ and is zoned commercial. Most property owners surrounding us have sold to developers and moved on. Homes are torn down. We are now in the middle of a city with 130 thousand population (the cities north and south of us are the same). Our area is the last of open ground surrounded by apartments, businesses, and tract homes. We’ve had many outside things stolen (like a remake of a buckboard wagon that was full size…not small items). Homeless have camped in our old barn (it’s now boarded up). Dumping on our road is a big problem. Last month it was trash along with a refrigerator. Code enforcement said we’re on a private road (we already know that) and it’s our responsibility to haul that stuff away. Our son was visiting and helped us load it in the truck. We hauled it 30 miles to the dump. We have gone from a town of 1,000 in 1976 to a city of 130,000. It’s just the way it is . After all these years, change is very hard. Fortunately, we can afford another house in town just not acreage. So the ‘writing is on the wall’ we will eventually be downsizing.
It is heartbreaking what has become of this State – I’m in No. California, rural Lake County. One family in our neighborhood (old walnut orchard) still runs their egg ranch. When he closes down, the developers will move in. The people buying homes in our area are not locals & they complain of the noise from coyotes looking for chicken dinners & the flies. Our local govt already has plans for large parcel next to chicken ranch & you can bet it won’t be developed for people who enjoy tractor work. On the other side of ckn ranch, Mexican pot-growers, hopefully not cartel syndicate. For now, we still have neighbors willing to fight to preserve our little Shangri-La, but it’s just a matter of time with hired “planners” who are not locals & people who move in & out regularly with no thought of commitment to community because they have no roots here. We have been burglarized 3 x’s in the last 2 years of over 50 years with nothing stolen. They took my jewelry of mostly sentimental value that is irreplaceable – my mother’s ring she kept from the Great Depression. Our town used to thrive with summer vacationers from the bay area for years, then drugs (big business), welfare-for-life, became the norm & damaged the appeal. Having a one-sided State govt is a major fault in this destruction. If you move, make it where you will be happiest & where you can have a special sewing room!
Georgia, you know our problem exactly. The city moves in with all it’s problems. I understand fully what you are saying about the drug growers our state government! Everything people moved here to enjoy is now problematic aka smells, flies,wild animals. I would get so upset when I saw someone litter. I took it personally…this is my town and I felt responsible for it. Thankfully we got to raise our children and enjoy years with small town living. 🙂
Patty – don’t give up! Restructure what absolutely needs to be done. I got rid of almost all my flowers so I can just ride the mower. We both have a golf cart to get around because neither of us can walk well. I love my animals too much to move to town any time soon. Your hens sound like they’re living the good life. I keep my hens until they die of old age and yes, some still lay occasionally. I just don’t need all the eggs so I give away to friends, neighbors, church, hairdresser – I’m always hauling eggs somewhere. I buy produce for me hens, too. Years ago I could get boxes of lettuce trimmings but no longer so I buy what I can find – I have a plant hanger in the barn that holds cabbage or head lettuce. I do love my chickens and was so devastated last summer when I lost half of them. The farm store had 7 salmon favorelles left two weeks ago and I sat in the parking lot until I talked myself out of bringing them home.
Last night I closed my bedroom window so I wouldn’t hear the guineas getting attacked and eaten (which was likely since they went to the grove) but the first thing I saw this morning was mama and babies down by the barn! I am elated!
Thanks for your note, Patty – I love talking to other chicken and pet owners! I hope your lab’s biopsy is benign and just a fatty tumor like Telly has. Could you let me know?
Mary
Hi Mary. Thank you for your concern and I will let you know Mazie’s results.
We do have a riding mower and a golf cart. Those tools are necessities on property. Especially at our age they really help with all the walking and hauling.
The majority of our eggs, veggie garden, and fruit is given away. We enjoy the growing process and people are so happy to get fresh produce with no spray or hormones. I’ve seen your hanging cabbage for the hens and I now do the same. You also gave me the idea of baking eggs in muffin cups. The dogs love that treat.
We keep hanging in on our land but things keep happening. Earlier this year, an empty place (boarded up) near us, had a gang banger move in. He posted on the gate ‘ go away’. The owner showed up with the police and police said it was a problem for the courts. The gang guy had a phony rental contract. The property owner made some threat to the guy in front of the police. The illegal gang guy was able to get a restraining order against the owner!! Just unbelievable. While living there, the guy stole a car and was out on bail the next day. California has tied the hands of law enforcement. Eventually this guy committed another crime and ran to Mexico. I heard he was caught and I don’t know what he did. The owner had the fire department come in and do a practice burn and burn the house down. Our land was dry farmed in oats until we bought. It’s fertile, rolling hills, with a great view of the valley. Now it seems to be an oasis for criminals to do their dirty deeds. We are on good terms with our police and every night we see a police car patrol on our blink camera. Posted above our beautiful white cottage gate we have a fake gun with ‘we don’t dial 911’ hanging from the gun. Life in Southern California , on land, has become a challenge. God bless you Mary.
Patty – oh, if that don’t beat all! The owner charged with threatening his intruder! I’ve heard other versions of this – people moving into an empty house only to have the law take their side when the owner wants his property back – and without damages! My heart would not be able to stand it!
My hens feasted today on zucchini that someone gave us without asking – we don’t even like zucchini! My hens did!
I agree with Jeanine of Iowa, only six of them look like Guineas, the rest look like baby chickens. Could that be that she laid her eggs on top of a nest of chicken eggs, then sat on them and hatched them as her own? Where is the Daddy Guinea? He must be around somewhere?!? They are so cute. It will be fun to see pictures of them as they grow each week. Mary, your quilt is beautiful. What a fun pattern to use with scraps, especially the pastel that you chose.
Great chickens, Mary. They are so tiny. I am sure Buddy would chase them since he was outside and homeless for so long. He hasn’t even tried to get out in a whole year. He knows he’s got a good thing here😺. The pups are so cute. Somebody will want them. My sewing area gets messy during new projects, then I try to clean it. I should have a quilt photo to you tomorrow. Beautiful day here—71*. Lovely.
I don’t know how many whole watermelons I have bought this year that looked just like yours & tasted horrible. I finally started buying slices that have just been packaged & so far all of those have been fine. I hate doing it that way but I got so tired of throwing them away. I was beginning to think my taster was off but it isn’t me..it’s the watermelons! I’m jealous of your green grass & how well the corn looks across the road from you. We are so desperate for rain and nothing in my garden is doing well!
I’d take too much rain as opposed to a drought! We will be chopping silage sooner than normal & we won’t have as much hay for the season. Pastures are gone as well. Sort of depressing I’m afraid. But…I keep reminding myself we are healthy & that’s what counts!
Hi Mary,
Those chicks are absolutely adorable! I sure hope they will stay safe. I think they have a dedicated mama.
Don’t you hate to get a crappy watermelon? We bought one not long ago, cut it open & it was almost white inside! My granddaughter’s chickens thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Enjoying some beautiful weather here in southern Indiana. 70’s & low humidity. I’m hoping our 90 degree days are over & having an early fall would suit me just fine!
Cathy in IN
I love seeing all of your pictures Mary. I’ve lost my quilting mojo this summer. It’s too hot here in Kansas and with the garden producing some, I’ve been busy canning instead! All of that standing on my feet for hours wears me out and there’s no energy for sewing.
Paula – a suggestion – just start with something small, say a nine patch and pick some fabric you love – it might restart your quilting mojo.
Hi Mary. Last time I was at retreat the power blinked off and right back on but my stitches after that looked similar to yours but on the bottom. Had to take out a bunch of quilting and redo. Don’t you just hate that? I’m sending an order for that pattern: want to use up a bunch of scraps and that looks like the perfect way to do it. If I want to send you a pic of a quilt, how do I do that? Thx. Andra
Andra – send your photo to my email as an attachment