Whew! A Finish!

Embroidery by Judy Purdy; photo by Jan Hatchett

It has been a whirlwind month.  About two weeks before the big day, my baby brother announced that he was getting married!  Since we had already met and fell in love with our new family member, and my new sister-in-love, we were very excited, but under the gun for the wedding gift.  As quilters, we like to make, you guessed it, quilts and it was going to be very, very tough to get one made in two weeks for the wedding.

Center block of the quilt holds the label.

And, honestly, we didn’t make it.  Even after Mom and I sat at the dining room table with two sewing machines and sewed like fiends, we didn’t make the deadline.  They were married on February 4th and we gifted them with their quilt on February 22nd, after they had come down to celebrate my brother’s birthday with us.  We put the last stitch in it on February 19th and washed and dried it on the following day.  Not too bad, all things considering.

I may have been a little gung-ho to get this done (out of fear of it languishing around for years, unfinished), as Dad dubbed our work area as “Jan’s sweat shop.”  Ahem.  Nuff said.

As the bride didn’t indicate any favorite colors and we couldn’t be too bold and ask outright (it would ruin the surprise), we took an “anything goes” palette of scraps in all colors.  I used an “organic, improvisational, modern” approach.  I have since learned that those terms mean, essentially, “wonky, but cool.”  In order to save time, we densely quilted the blocks onto the batting as we made them, adding the backing on separately.

Completed quilt top.

It was an interesting way to finish a quilt and it was quite efficient in some ways.  In retrospect, I would have added backing to each block and joined them Quilt as You Go style with sashing strips.   My sewing machine just couldn’t handle the stress of sewing through the intersections and the free arm was just short enough to prevent me from quilting the back on “in the ditch” as originally planned.  Hence, we tied the back on, Appalachian style.

It does kind of work as I tend to quilt my quilts and my Mom tends to tie hers.  This one is a unique hybrid of both techniques.

But, I wish the quilting went through to the back.  Live and learn.  It was quick and simple.  I love the end result.

And the best part is that my brother and his gorgeous wife love it, too!

And this is why it was all worth it! Ain’t they cute???

The worst part was wanting to tell this quilt’s story, the new technique and all while I was making it and knowing that it would blow the surprise if someone told them what we were working on.  I am horrible at the discretion part of this gifting stuff!

What are you working on lately?

Till next time,

 

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Horse Pillows

“Barn Moms” get pretty creative when left to our own devices!

Eldest son is absolutely horse crazed!  I can’t claim to be far from it, myself.  But, he is a born cowboy and he loves to ride.

So, how could I not craft up a little something for Christmas that was right up his alley?  A bunch of the “Barn Moms” and I got together and made some absolutely adorable pillows decorated with horses on them.  Some were fanciful, others looked like a particular horse, we even had a fantastical unicorn in the mix!  Lots of the “barn kids” received pillows among their Christmas gifts and they seemed to be a huge hit with everyone.

My kiddo received a pillow that represents “his” horse Doc.  Doc is a quarter horse who hates baths and brushing and just wants to throw on a saddle and go–much like my son!  He is a true cowboy horse and he has claimed my son as one of his very favorite people.

(L to R) Pillows representing Hans the Hanoverian (in show braids), Baron the Shire, and Doc the Quarter Horse.

On the right are three of the pillows that I made.  I wish I had gotten more photos of them before I delivered them.  On the left is one that went to one of DS18s riding instructors.  It looks like Hans, the big, goofy warmblooded Hanoverian that lives at the stables.  His instructor often rides him in ACTHA rides and Equestrian events, hence the braids instead of a mane.  I hoped that the paisley fabric would emphasize his fancy “show” prowess.

The middle pillow represents Baron, the Shire and our only draft horse at the stables.  Unfortunately, not long after I made this pillow, he suffered a strangulation lymphoma and didn’t make it.  I am hoping that DS18s other instructor enjoyed receiving this remembrance of this big, gorgeous boy.  As much as he was my favorite horse to ride and to love on, he clearly loved her (and she loved him) more than anyone else.  It’s sad to lose a friend, but I will always remember that drafty personality and big, pretty walk of his.  Sigh.

On the far right is Doc, the Quarter Horse.  His mane is made of looped twine that is “blowing” backward because he is running across the fields.  This is my son’s favorite horse and if he had been available to lease, we would have done it.  They make such a good team together, even reading each other’s minds.  Doc is kind of a no muss, no fuss kind of horse who hates brushing, braiding, baths, or pretty much anything other than riding, meal times, and peppermints.  It’s an ideal match for my son, who pretty much feels the same way about baths and anything too fussy related to hygiene.  LOL!

Fortunately, all of the pillows seem to be well received and enjoyed!  My kiddo sleeps with his on the bed at night. He is afraid it will get messed up if it falls on the floor.

Did your child have a favorite gift that you made?

Till next time,

More Painting Fun!

My inspiration piece.

The painting bug hit pretty hard this Christmas.  After I took a class in November, I realized that this opened the door to making even more creative gifts for family and friends.  This painting is of a Painted Bunting.  We see these beautiful, colorful birds each year when we go down to Jekyll Island for vacation or to visit.  They are a family favorite.

I looked at scores of photographs online of the Painted Bunting, so I could try to be reasonably accurate in the color placement, etc.  All in all, it was a pretty fun project to complete.  Not a masterpiece and certainly not a photograph, but a bright, happy, obvious bird painting.  Works for me.

Painted Bunting

This particular painting was inspired by a painting of an Eastern Bluebird.  Since the shapes were largely similar, I kind of kept the outline the same and then changed the coloration to be that of the more showy Painted Bunting.  Birdie then became part of Christmas for my youngest son, an avid bird watcher.

He really seemed to enjoy it and asked for another to go with it.  He is just determining which bird he would like next.  Love that!  I think I would like to try the mottled Bluebird, myself.

Do you ever attempt a new craft?  How did you like it?

Till next time,

 

Slow Sunday Stitching 3

Hello friends,

This week, I haven’t worked a single stitch on the quilt.  The wonderful (steal of a deal, many years ago) lamp that sits just behind and beside my rocking chair has blown its ballast.  Hubby will have to order a new part for it, so with the holidays impending, it will be a week or more before we can get back into full quilting mode.  Sigh.  I do realize that I am very, very lucky to have a handy hubby as opposed to spending money on a new lamp.

As for actual hand stitching, I have done a little bit.  I sewed some trim and buttons on some homemade fabric Christmas ornaments.  They turned out very cute, but, unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of them.  I plan to use them as little gifts, or as gift tags.  The best part is when they are fun to actually make and you smile while you stitch!  That is success in my book!

I worked on some star ornaments that are being hand sewn together.  They are a little wonky, but cute and cheerful.  In the photo, the one on the left is partially sewn (it’s really kind of tough to not sew through all of the layers with every stitch and only catch the top fabrics).  The ones on the right are just pinned down.  I have no idea why I purchased these fabrics.  I got them on super sale (I found the receipt) at my LQS.  I don’t think I had a particular project in mind for them at the time.  So, this made for a rather frugal way to use up some bright, holiday fabrics into ornaments.

My biggest project is getting some things ready for Christmas projects.  Some are for gifts and some are for my home, but I spent a fair bit of time getting some dresden plate blocks ready for hand applique over the holiday weekend.  The only hand applique that I have ever done has been the raw edge, blanket stitched version.  I have never done any where the edge is turned under and the stitches are hidden before.  This could be interesting!

I like to do some hand work while watching movies or binge watching on Netflix and this appears to be a good weekend for that.  So, next week, I may have even more progress to show for my hand sewing.

Of course, I am linking up again at Slow Stitching Sundays at Kathy’s Quilts.

If you missed my other Slow Stitching Sunday posts:  #1 is here and #2 is here.

What wonderful projects are YOU working on?

Till next time,

 

Sneak Peek

I just love having projects to work on! In fact, I often have many going at once with a long term project interrupted a few times for quicker gifts and projects along the way.

I also have a love/hate thing with Christmas crafting. I simply adore all the projects and fun things I can make, but I feel like I must keep them all a secret until after the holiday, for fear a recipient might see them on my blog. So, this year, I have a new plan. I am just showing everything I am working on. Some will be for me, some for gifts, some just for fun. No one will know until Christmas if any of it may be headed their way.

And, as usual, I am keeping an online log of ideas that just might be useful one of these years. Who knows, one of these fun items may become gifts one of these years. Hopefully, this will keep me from forgetting good ideas and keep you full of new ideas to try also.

This is my latest fun project!  I am attempting a dresden block…or two…or three.  Love these rich, Autumn fabrics.  These are from a Moda layer cake, but I didn’t keep the wrapping, so I am unsure of the name.  I am certain that these blocks would be fabulous in any fabric combination.

What projects have you got in the works?

Till next time,

Finally! A Finish!

Scarf from Moda Bake Shop pattern

Dont’cha just love this scarf?  It’s the perfect blend of cozy flannel and lovely patchwork.  Here is another photo of my friend, Beverly, modeling it after she recieved it as a

Bev in her new scarf

birthday gift a year or so ago.  I loved it so much that I made another for my Mom.  She loved hers, too.  I even took some scraps and an old piece of minky backing and got it all ready to sew up to have one myself…but I never got around to sewing it.  In fact, I had forgotten all about it.

That’s probably why I found it earlier this week, still pinned together.

So, even though I haven’t been sewing much lately, I just HAD to finish this scarf.  Right?

Here she is, all warm and super cozy, made entirely with leftovers from other projects.  Beauty from chaos.  I kind of like that!

Close up view of patchwork and “dotted” minky back.

The pattern for this project is from the Moda Bake Shop website.  Here is the tutorial I used.  These are absolutely easy to make and are a great gift item.  With Christmas coming, this is a good project to try.  It can elevate a beginning seamstress

A scarf for me!

by giving her a scarf that finishes up much nicer than the title of

“beginner” would imply!

As the weather forecasters are telling us that a “polar vortex” is coming our way next week, I will be happy to snuggle in my new scarf, pondering new gifty goodness to

make!

I love wearing my new scarf!

Do you make any or all of your Christmas gifts?  What was your favorite?

Till next time,

Crocheted Baby Gifts

Gift for an expectant friend.

Some things are just plain ol’ fun to make!  And baby gifts are the closest thing to instant gratification around due to the small size and the fact that while making them, I am remembering my own teen boys as precious infants.

Crocheted gifts are also good on the budget.  By purchasing baby yarns (baby items have to be super soft) at my local Wal-Mart, I was able to make this little set for an expectant friend for very little cash outlay, but a big impact.  As a matter of fact, I find that homemade baby gifts (especially the cute booties) are very well received gifts that don’t take weeks or even months to complete.

I am not one to stick entirely to a pattern once I know what I am doing, but I did for the hat and booties this time.  I found the patterns for them on this site.  The site is run by a lady, Bev Qualheim, who is very generous in sharing patterns, links, and ideas for all sorts of knitted, crocheted, and sewn projects.  She encourages many to be made for charitable purposes and even lists organizations that would be helped by a simple donation of a few hand made items.  I love this site for all sorts of ideas and tips to make your crafts the very best that they can be!

The blanket is from a pattern that I have used many, many times for gifts.  It can be found here.   This pattern works up quickly because you hold two strands of yarn together as you crochet.  To make it a bit larger after I ran out of the blue yarn, I added a double stranded border of single crochet in white.  It makes a warm blanket, without a lot of holes to get little fingers caught in.  As the intended recipient is expected to arrive in the near future, warm blankets will be welcomed.  For summer babies, I like two sided fleece receiving blankets.  They are not too warm, but useful in air conditioning.

What is your go-to baby gift?  Do you make gifts yourself?

Till next time,

Garden Bounty

This year, we have had a lot of veggies to can up for Winter eating.  But, we didn’t grow most of them ourselves.  A few we have purchased, but mostly, as we didn’t have the time needed to have a really successful garden this year, friends have given us their excess garden produce.  We have been very fortunate to have friends who have shared excess banana peppers, squash, zucchini, corn, green beans, basil, rosemary, and literally almost 2 bushels of tomatoes!  We have either eaten fresh or canned for Winter eating from all of these wonderful foods.

We plan to move a lot of our raised garden beds to a different place on our property so that they may get more sunlight than where they are now.  Leafy greens, like basil, do really well in that spot, but tomatoes, hot peppers, and beans just don’t seem to take off like they should.   I think a couple of extra hours per day of sunshine may make a big difference.  Of course, the fact that I spread a very thick layer of “poopy hay” from the riding stables and didn’t leave quite enough time for it to break down, didn’t help my situation a bit.

But, live and learn and I learn a little more of how not to garden every year!  Of course, the best garden I have ever had was in old tires filled with purchased compost and rabbit manure.  Oh, the peppers and tomatoes were stunning and plentiful.  Oh well, I don’t think that the tire garden, no matter how structured and orderly, is going to make it past my parents.  As I am not inclined to put them in an early grave, I tend to abide by most of their aesthetic desires for the yard.  But, that being said, Patrice over at Rural-Revolution has a hugely productive tire garden!

Not to mention that my Mom isn’t really big on canning, but she is always game to help out, snap beans, prepare tomatoes, and just be my buddy in the kitchen.  Canning tasks seem so much easier with an extra set of hands and some good company!

So, have we canned enough that we won’t need to purchase any veggies this Winter?  No, but it ain’t over yet!  There are still collards, kale, cabbage, and others that I may come up with or purchase.  Plus, canning dried beans make fixing a quick meal so easy.   At the end of a long day canning, it is so nice to see rows of jars, cooling on folded dish towels.  No matter what kind of day it was, just that sight can remind me that it was a truly productive day.

Have you preserved much food this Summer?

Till next time,

It’s Good to Have Like Minded Friends!

This week, I am writing a few posts in advance, because my oldest son and I are at the State of Georgia Regents Pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Augusta, Georgia for a few days.  It’s almost 3 hours from home and I have been so remiss in posting lately, that I didn’t want to drop the blog ball yet again!

So this week, I am feeling really grateful and want to give some credit where it is due and to acknowledge that while I enjoy gardening, canning, cooking, sewing, crafting, and quilting, I don’t do any of them in a vacuum.  I am surrounded by family and friends who offer moral support, free materials they no longer need, and lots of love!

A sweet lady that I have gone to church with, offered me some canning jars that she no longer needed.  I went and picked them up and they were all nice and clean and in great condition!  It wasn’t a huge amount, but I am grateful that she thought of me enough to know that I would put her jars to good use.  Right now, about 9 quarts of green beans have been canned in these gifted jars and they couldn’t have come at a better time.  I am sure it won’t be long before I have filled them all and put them on my canning shelf (which is a good story for another day).

I love receiving gifts like these.  They don’t cost the giver much of anything monetary, but receiving an act of good will and kindness always brightens my day!  I remember her kindness as I work with filling the jars and I am sure that each season as I ready my jars for filling, I will remember this kindness, as well as the kindness of others.

Do you get excited about receiving “new to you” canning jars?

Till next time,

 

Homemade Salsa

There is nothing that my family likes better than homemade salsa throughout the year. It is the one thing that my sons request that I make in large quantities (that includes the many jams and sweet goodies that I also make).

For them, Mama’s homemade salsa is a sure winner!

I wish I could take credit for this amazing salsa making prowess, but, alas, I cannot. I learned to make homemade salsa from my wonderful hubby, who, in turn, had learned from his mother, an excellent cook.

However, she made hers fresh in small batches whenever she needed some and I make mine and can it for year round eating and some gifts. Hubby and I have learned how to expand those same fresh flavors into a safely canned product that we have been making for years.

First off, please consult a good book or website on food preservation and review the section on Water Bath Canning. As salsa is a high acid food, it can be easily canned in glass jars with two part lids.

This year, we have not had luck with growing tomatoes (last year, either), so we are using #10 cans of diced tomatoes that we got from our local grocery store. It is an economical alternative to fresh tomatoes when they aren’t at hand. It also enables me to make a batch on the fly when tomatoes aren’t in season for gift giving or if we run out (hungry hubby and two teen sons and all that).

Now, I would prefer having crushed tomatoes, but those aren’t available locally in the big cans for me, so I use an immersion blender (either when they are in the can or in the pot) to crush them up a bit for better texture. I pulse cilantro, onions, garlic, and peppers in the food processor, but you can put chunks in a good blender with diced tomatoes and let it grind all up together if you prefer. We have done both ways.

Finished jars cool overnight on the counter.

We tend to just add peppers until we like the taste. We do add about 1 tablespoon salt to each big batch, but no other dried spices are needed. So, when it is hot enough to make our eyes water, we heat to boiling and can it according to the latest USDA guidelines.

We will also make a much milder version for most of our friends and other family for gift giving and entertaining. We don’t want to hurt anyone! He he!

Water bath canning is simple and easy to do. Just look up the procedures in a good book or online and follow the steps. You will have a delicious, preservative free, fat free, vegetable salsa in no time. Yum!

Till next time,