Kathy and Sam came this morning and washed all the tables and chairs in the haymow. I finished the floors and then hung quilts. The only things left to do are washing the tablecloths and buying 4 new irons. I may sew up there tomorrow just because it’s fun.
During chores tonight I dumped a bucket of water and to my surprise there were 13 drowned mice in it!! Everyday there’s one or two but 13????
I saw 2 guineas the other day with mice in their beaks, too. They are good mice and rat killers.
It’s been a beautiful day and tonite I have enjoyed reading comments from several of you making me feel better about blabbering so much on this blog. Yes, it happens to be mostly one sided so I loved hearing from you.
There was a little girl here this afternoon with her grandma and she enjoyed feeding crackers to the goats. She loves animals and I agreed they are my first priority – over quilting.
I’m going to the sewing machine now to sew something fun – like some 9 patches.
Just wanted to let you know I look forward everyday to your blog. I enjoy hearing about the animals as I, too, am a HUGE animal lover. Also enjoy seeing your projects. Gets me inspired!
Awesome! This looks fantastic and I am positive it will be enjoyed by everyone who is able to experience quilting with you. Love it…
Mary, it looks GreAT!!!
So happy to see the star quilt hanging…sold
tons of patterns over the years and made gobs
of fat 1/4 kits.
Have a great time sewing in the mow. š
I enjoy ur post greatly! I love animals! I’m surprise u didn’t have larger team helping u in mow! Have fun!
Forgot to add this. I look forward to ur post n when I see it in email I hav to open it an read it to.find what goes on ur farm. Someone had asked my late husband why didn’t he get a farm? His reply because of her pointing to me! She’ll make a pet out of every Animal the unable kill themfor food! He’s right I would! Hav fun
I love reading your blog and especially news about the animals.
I am so sad this will be the last year for fun in the haymow! I had hoped to get up to Garner to meet you in early June but I now am scheduled for surgery so I probably won’t make it until next year:( Loved the photos!
Wow! It looks so inviting and “quilty”. I wish I was
not on the other side of the USA, so I could take a
class!! I used to own a shop and you gals have always
inspired me. I’m now a caregiver 24/7 for my husband
that has frontal temporal dementia.
Have lots of fun!!!!!!!!
Ann
MANY years ago drove down with a group of friends from Northwestern Wisconsin to a class in your haymow…did an Autumn quilt with triangles, cats, pumpkins…from a Jan Patek/Linda Brannock book, I think. Awesome time and still hope to get down to your shop again. Maybe just to shop if there won’t still be classes.
I, too, love to see all of the pictures of the critters, quilt shop, barn — just everything. It was really a privilege to be able to stop in on our trips to Iowa. Each year I took pictures of everything and can go back and see it all again. Your quilts are always delightful, but I especially like some of your books. They have great patterns that just never get old. We won’t be traveling, but thru your web site I can always see the new patterns and there is always the telephone and the mail. Thank you for all the inspiration.
Hi Mary, your blogs are fun! Please know they are welcome. I’m at a quilt retreat in Amish country in Ohio. There is an adorable kitten here that is homeless. All the retreaters have been loving her up. I thought Imight take her home, but another lady is taking her to be a friend to their other young kitten. My husband is bringing our carrier for her trip home. :). Diane
Looking good. If I weren’t in Florida I’d be there. Love all your updates. Quilting and animals. The closest I’ll ever come to living on a farm.
WOW! What a nice transformation in the attic! Looks sew cool!
Ewwwwww on the mice, but better drowned than running loose in the barn. You have such a wonderful space in the haymow. Hope you enjoy the group that will be with you…
I can’t wait for camp, I love the hay mow.
Hi, looks like a wonderful place to sew, but I’m from Texas and have no clue what a haymow is. Is it the upper floor of a large barn? Stopped by your booth at The Houston Quilt Festival last year and bought some wonderful things from you and have been following your blog ever since. I do enjoy hearing about everything. Love your animals.
Oh my gosh what a transformation! It is soooo great!
What is the name of the quilt on the left that is shown in picture number 4? It looks like square in a square? Is there a kit?
Sandy
Oh Mary, I hope you don’t mean it! I haven’t yet been able to sew up there! Am SO looking forward to my trip down!
It is just the most beautiful , warm room…..I hope you did find time to go up there and sew—
Your haymow is unique, but a huge job to clean up come spring. For so many people not raised on a farm, the haymow is a thrilling, fun experience. It was great for those of us who were raised on the farm, too. What a playground! But where does it say YOU are the one to clean it out? Couldn’t you hire somebody — high school kids– to do it? They always need money. Feed them and turn them loose? Iowa is loosing it’s barns and they are being replaced with pole barns which just don’t have the same look, but time does march on. The ceramic block, oval corn cribs are being torn down, too. The one south of Clarion was still there 3 years ago, but the one on the east side of Clarion was torn down before that so they could plant more corn for ethanol… They were there for as long as I can remember.
The barn looks wonderful! Maybe you could insulate/heat it and you could sew there all the time!!! I love the large quilt in the 4th picture…to the left side…is there a pattern for that?
I grew up in the city and wished I lived in the country ~ one summer I went for a long, long drive and took pictures of barns. I sought out the round barns.
Always wanted to grow up & be a farmers wife, have lots of kids and animals. The closest that I got was a corn field in my backyard. LOL