Favorite Things Friday

Favorite Things Friday..............
This week I was unable to spend much time with my sewing/quilting machine in turn it reminded me ow much I do enjoy it! So this week my time spent quilting is my favorite thing.
Farmers Wife 3" Blocks (book by Lauri Aaron Hird)
the first thing that pops in my mind is Paper Piecing. I know I know.... to some it is the most dreaded of all.But...(and there always follows one of those) Paper-piecing is my favorite,piecing so precise(well most of the time Hee hee) Anyways I have included in my pictures a couple of past paper piecing and some that are waiting for me to return to
(Nevada Star)
Wisconsin Barn Quilts Blocks 6" by Jen From Cre8tive Quilting

Eagle
McCommas Beauty(still unquilted) Pattern by Karen Stone

My Nevada Star Book by Carol Doak (waiting for me to come back and complete)

Piecing of My "Not So Oriental Beauty" from AQS magazine March 2009
Yep!! It is one of my favorite things..Paper piecing but I will almost guarantee next week their will be another. The most wonderful thing, the ability to change as we grow...........

To see more of "Favorite Things Friday be sure to go and stop in at: http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/favourite-things-friday_19.html

Enjoy......

Big "Red White & Blue"

Okay...... so they are not so"BIG" but I just loved these two blocks that I just downloaded and printed the pattern for this morning, for the Wisconsin Barn Quilts that Jen from Cre8tive Quilter is posting as a block a Week. These 2 are #'s 42 and 45, I skipped around this last time so need to go back and get the in between ones done.
This is block #45 and is called"Old Glory Star" from Walworth County.

This block is #42 and is called "Four Flags" from Racine County.

If you are interested in checking out the rest of Jen's blocks her Wisconsin Barn Block logo is on the top of my blog double click and enjoy all the blocks she has posted so far.

I had to throw in these two pictures I snapped yesterday from a little doe that was passing thru, checking out my berry bushes out back. It almost looks like a little cave but is actually a couple of different branches from a flower I call "trellis" (because it is so tall) . But it has fallen over and the one like it from the other side also fell over so makes a frame that she happens to be walking thru.

I told her she better be on her way, the guys all have hunting license and will checking her out. Hee hee

Actually they don't hunt the ones here they are usually really small so the dogs use them for exercise in keeping them away from the garden and flowers when they are in bloom.( Of which the dogs are all nestled in their little warm beds instead of doing their keep away jobs....hmmm.)Right after I snapped this picture we had about 15 Turkeys stroll down right behind her.

I'm off to work onsome more blocks so will check in later, until then have a WONDERFUL day!!

Our 1st Snow of 2010

No quilty post today....
Winter has given us our first snow of 2010. (Usually we have this the first week of September)
We woke up this morning to a light covering of snow, quite pretty with the trees all adorned with the frosty branches.

I am "Not" a "Snow" person. When I say that, I guess I should also mention that I love to "look" at snow and how it frost the trees and everything in it's wake, but the "COLD" part of snow I could live without. With the 1st snow also brings back the Deer and Turkeys that like to feed on our berry bushes which in turn gives the dogs their winter exercise.
On the quilty front this week there hasn't been much going on, though I did make it to our Guild Business Meeting and picked up a couple more Project Warmth Quilts to do some quilting on. Though it seems to be a busy time of year (Whew! I just realized two days ago that Thanksgiving is in a week ) the quilting brings a calmness to sometimes a crazy and eventful life. (Bring on the quilts to be quilted) hee hee)

On another note:
Casey had his awards banquet for Track the other night, they had a potluck get-together. ( Which by the way was very yummy)
They have wonderful coaches at both the High School and Middle School.(Actually the head ones for Cross Country are husband and wife) and they do and EXCELLENT JOB! Casey was given a award certificate for being one of the team leaders, and then also for perfect attendance and 2 years of cc. This group of kids never cease to amaze me! they are the most supportive, and caring group of kids. These two schools are some of the first that I know about that both the high schoolers and middle schoolers are able to run/practice together and they are so supportive of each other no matter the grade level.(6th -12th grades) In turn it makes them all better athletes.
And on another note:
Carl also brought home a couple of wards this last week. He was called into the office along with 6 other students and they were asked to go wait in a conference room.(Remember none of these student as 7th graders had a clue what it was about: as 7th graders they did not realize that they give out student on the month awards they thought that all quit when you left Elementary grades. (But also at this school you are not allowed to wear holey jeans..so Carl I guess one day decided to test that theory, he got by with it the one day, so the next day did the same. So again the next day he wore holey jeans, after school waiting for the bus the principle caught up with him and mentioned to him that maybe tomorrow he could find a pair without holes ) Soooo... as these kids are sitting in this room they have no idea what or why they were called to the principles room. Hee hee. (Carl thought maybe it had something to do with the holey jeans)All in all they received the "Student of the Month for Leadership" and were taken to get pictures at the Chamber of Commerce.
One thing led to another, short story .....an important lesson was learned, rules are there and are to be followed and choosing to do what is right is part of being a leader.
Now on this same note I have a thought that keeps going thru my head.... the boys have jeans, Yes! jeans without holes! so why are Carl's "favorite jeans" the Pair that has holes in them the size of Texas in the knees's????? hmmmm................
Now the next day Carl brought a piece of paper and handed it to me very casually..... It was a Certificate of Honor Roll.
Something I must mention here, none of my boys like to be called to the "Front" or that type of thing, so they are pretty mellow and not real happy when they have to go to the "Front " so to speak(I can't blame then I don't either) whether it be for something as wonderful as this or not. So I have to brag on them a little and tell them Congrat!! And we are proud of you for being You!!
Well, I better get movin' and checkin some water for these rabbits, take Care and have a wonderful Rest of the Week, and if I don't make it back here before Happy Thanksgiving!! to you and yours.

Favorite Things Friday

Favorite things Friday...... What a Wonderful thing!!

But Oh how do you pick just 1 favorite??? I guess I will go with the first thing that popped into my head when I read it the first time......

The first thing I thought of for my favorite is my Bottle (Bum) Calves the most recent and the ones from the past....Quite often they have previously belonged to my dad and for one reason or another they have been left orphaned or need that litte extra care. We "try" not to get attatched but as you will see some from of the pictures it's impossible for us not to. When we first started taking in Bum calves we started with one my dad had that the mother would just continually bunt around to the point the only option was to take it away from her. We then claimed here and called her "Jenny" a couple of weeks later he(dad) had another calf who's mother died giving birth. We then brought her home with us and she was named "Sparky". When this all started if they were heifers we would keep them and put them back in the herd. Now I do have pictures of these two but as to where I have loaded them is the question. So I will say this though Sparky continues to live down at the ranch and his givin us three wonderful calves(she's such a good mommy), Jenny her future wasn't to be too bright. After we took her back to the ranch within the month Dad walked out to feed and check on them and she was laying dead by the water tank.

The next two were just as fun. We started out with "Sunshine". The picture you see here is after we had had her for awhile. But she also came to us thru a neighbor and her mother would not let her nurse and they had no other to draft her onto to they called and asked if the boys would be able to take her in. Then we ended up with another from my dad and he bacame "Midnite". (When we first got him he was pitch black) and agreed to taking him because Sunshine was starting to think she was a people and she needed to learn that she wasn't.

Sunshine, Casey and Midnite
Midnite today

Midnite

Then the next year we ended up with this little Gal. Whe was named "Oreo"(yes like the cookie that is was the boys thought she reminded them of) She was quite the baby too. Though, with her she should of been called Apple face. (If the apples would fall off the tree she had a sense of it and would be right there to eat them)

Oreo and Casey................Oreo Today (she will be having her first calf this next Spring)

At Last but not least this year we again had two calves the first one was from a set of twins. (I must add here I have a set of twin boys so these were extra special to me)The twin we brought home with us was not able to walk or stand so was unable to nurse. The mother was not able to nurse both of them so we brought the one home. He was so named "Tuffy" as I knew for him to make it he would surely have to get to be a "Tuffy". We put braces on his legs, and got him up several times during the day kept him fed and he started to get up on his own and after about 2 weeks we were able to take the braces off. Shortly after getting Tuffy we ended up taking Misty in. Her mother prolapsed and did not make it so she needed help too.

Tuffy and his twin at birth.......................Tuffy and Misty today

With Misty we had her about 3 days and she started going downhill fast! We had tried everything we could come up with and then called a neighbor of ours. He came over and gave her a shot, This had started in the morning we continued to go out move her and ect. thru out the day. Around 5:00 that evening my hubby and I were up on the hill raking pinecones and had been working wwith her off and on the whole time and had pretty much decided she wasn't going to make it. One of my twin boys came running out of the house ran down to where she was she lifted her head, he called her, she jumped up and went running after him. The rest is history...... They were best buds ever since....

She has since been sold which broke his heart but he continues to tell me he is waiting for the new one next Spring. It is not really something you hope for but it is a "Favorite" if it happens.

Misty and Carl............&................Tuffy on sale day

So yes, I guess when I think about it, though they come to us in a bad situation, and not under the best of circumstances, they are my "favorites" even though we must let them go whether back to the ranch or to the sale barn we learn a little from each. The 6 months we share in their lives brings enjoyment and growth for us all.

As you go thru your day jot on over to:
http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/favourite-things-friday_12.html as see what other favorite fridays are happening.

May your day be filled with Blessing of the most beautiful kind.

Judy

Design Wall Monday

On my design wall this morning I have the start of My version of the "Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt". The Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt was Written by Laurie Aaron Hird and she is going to be having a new book come out this next year called the Farmers Wife Pony Club Sampler Quilt. Be sure to check out her site at thefarmerswifequilt.blogspot.com . I am doing my version in 3" blocks and 30's prints. I am also doing a 4" Version in scrappy prints. I am trying to decide what to use for my sashing.hmmm............................
May your quilting be fun and exciting!

Bloggers Quilt Festival and More....

Bloggers Quilt Festival :
http://amyscreativeside.com/2010/10/29/bloggers-quilt-festival-fall-2010/
This is the Quilt I chose to enter into the festival. I just learned about the Quilters blogger Festival. What a SUPER Neat Idea! This quilt was one that I learned how to do from my Mother, who had taken Vi Colome's No Pattern Star Class. Stars and horses are my loves so anytime one or the other is involved I'm so there..

This particular quilt I made for one of my Twin 13 year olds.(Yes the other one has one too, in tie dye's) He picked out his colors and I just did the arranging. My mother (Cora)did the quilting on this, I got my long arm in April and that is when this one was being quilted. She spent a lot of time quilting in flames and stars thru out the quilt. When it comes to the back my son wanted fleece backing, we learned a lot in making this quilt, and Love how it turned out. As Well as My sons favorite colors he loves the warmth and snuggliness of the back. I am definetly hooked on "Star Quilts"

Here is my Day 3 on the Winter Quilt I am working on. I have decided to go bigger (I really like to be covered) so will be cutting out more snomen and attatching pieces, and still deciding on sashing or straight stitching the blocks together..hmmm...................................

I started these and I so hope the person they are for does not see them but I just had to share them, they are placemats. I am finishing up the binding on one of them and then I have decided to add a wallhanging and or Table Topper to go with them. They need to be done SOON so will be stopping working on my Winter Quilt for a bit.

Once again I hope this finds everybody happily Stitchin' when possible and may your Day be BEAUTIFUL!

Judy

Day 2 of Winter Quilt to Be..

Well, here it is Day 2 of My Winter Quilt to be. I think it is moving along nicely, though it is getting close to decision time of where to put the white and silver metallic snoflakes. Hmmm. maybe I will see if I can get a picture to show up of them and ask opinions?? As sashing? maybe machine applique snoflakes into the blue squares that are made without sashing? border only? hmmm the possibilites are endless.....After today I will be taking a short break from my winter quilt to do up a Birthday present for a VERY SPECIAL PERSON, I cannot say what it is in case they check my site, but I will definetly post a picture when it is done and she has received it.
(tee hee, yes my design wall is still not hung- we are waiting for that "too cold" or "Snowy" to do anything outside day)


We I better be getting back to the quilt, and may your day be BEAUTIFUL!
Judy