Sunday Stash Report

It's a beautiful day, we had a light shower of rain this morning, and now the sun is shining and the birds are singing. We are going to Sioux Falls later to meet with Laura Beth, Mason and Nick--they are there for a wedding. I will get to see Mason and enjoy all their company, at least for a little while.

But on to the stash report. Nothing bought, nothing finished this week, so I'm still a -7 yds. But I'm ok with that, I have several projects "in the works" so more finishes are coming. Thanks to Judy and the Stash Reports I buy much more responsibly.

What my stash needs is for me to go thru and pull out all the small pieces of yardage and cut them into noodles and bricks. I use them the most, so it's a good idea. A few Nickel squares for "just in case". Maybe I will do that in color groups, and see if the stash becomes more workable. What do you think? Any ideas out there??

Motivation Friday

I haven't done much sewing except to cut the Disappearing 9 Patch blocks. I have some errands I HAVE to get done in the afternoon, but I should be far enough ahead of Ken and the planter that it shouldn't matter. "Annie the Anteater" has a tummy ache and needs to see a tractor doctor, we rented another tractor so we aren't held up. I admit, I really MISS Annie, she is easier to turn, has more power (although she is rated 155hp, and the tractor we rented is supposed to 195hp!) and I can pull through wet spots easier. But beggars can't be choosy!

This tractor is a Case IH 7240 front wheel assist. Annie is much older, a Case IH 3588--2+2. That means she is a full time 4 wheel drive. "Big Red" is pretty and shiny, has a nice interior and a comfy seat. And the radio looks fancy, but I haven't tried it.

Wednesday Ramblings

I had wanted to take pictures of my camping area, but it was overcast and drizzling, so that will have to wait until another day. I packed up my laundry and perishables and drove home this morning, I am off until next week and if it doesn't rain I will help Ken tomorrow.

But remember I said I needed (okay--not NEEDED, maybe wanted is the better word?) projects to sew on in the camper? Tonight I cut out enough pieces to make a Disappearing 9 Patch. I used some of that batik I bought last week, a solid dark purple, and a soft yellow. Do you like them??


I won't sew any more of these, I will save them to work on while camping.

Monday Goals

I'm having a brain block to think of goals for this week. We are still planting soybeans so I think I will be helping with that. Spent Sat-Sun-Mon, and will spend Tuesday volunteering at the Visitor Center. The weekend I think is spent babysitting Mason maybe. But I have a few possible ones

1. Cut out a project to work on while camping
2. work on pink/purple/green UFO
3. put together some bricks and stepping stones blocks--they are all pieced in a tote

I have a few other things that I need to get done, so I don't lack for projects, I lack for time!! Still have a few flowers to put in the ground, but the garden is done.

I wanted to post a picture I took with my phone, but I don't have it quite figured out yet and I'm too tired to read the manual! The weather was overcast, cold, and a bit drippy all weekend, and we were quite busy in the Visitor Center. I like it that way, makes the days go fast. And I enjoy all the people, from the very young to the "young at heart"!!

Judy asked what's on our design wall, so I will have to take a picture when I get home. I'm glad she didn't ask for a picture inside my closet or the top of my cutting table, or even underneath my big table! Now THAT'S scarey!!

Sunday Stash Report

Sunday Stash Reports roll around fast when you've bought fabric! When I was plodding along not getting much done, I didn't have anything to report!

This week I finished the Serenity quilt--that used 13 yards. And the blue and cream Irish chain used 15--so that's 28 yards used. But, uh, I bought 35 yards the other day. Oh, I don't regret any of it, three jelly rolls, a charm pack, and a piece of pink, brown, and rust, colors I am low on. And a piece to coordinate for some backing. So I feel good about my purchases, they were needed! And, I bought them all on sale and even used a 60% off coupon on the backing! So that made them even better!~

So that puts me -7 yds for the year. But I'm still feeling good about my stash! Thanks Judy, I'm buying much more responsibly!

Motivation Friday on Saturday

It's been a whirlwind week. I am now at the Lewis and Clark Visitor's Center volunteering through Monday. Here is another link. My internet in the camper wasn't working last night and I haven't figured it out. Yet! So I am posting my Motivation Friday post from here.



But I worked in between this week and finished binding both the Serenity quilter and the Irish chain. It was too windy this week to take pictures outside, so I hope to do that next week when I am back home.



If you don't hear from me, I'm still having "internet issues". I will be heading home after the holiday.



Have a safe and fun Memorial Day!

Wednesday Ramblings

Yesterday my sister came over and helped me with my garden. She stands on the landscape fabric until I can get it fastened down! Hey, it may not sound like an important job, but when you don't HAVE that person---you just can't do it!


Currently my garden looks like this, lots of bricks, boards, posts, tomato cages and straw bales holding down the fabric. I have a few squash to plant yet tonight, and when they are up, I will spread the straw over the whole garden and water it down well. This keeps my garden from drying out and the fabric from coming loose. The fabric will allow water through, but will not let weeds come up through the fabric. A few oats will sprout from the bales, but they will die off when they cannot root through the fabric. When it is all covered, I have a hose with spray nozzles every so often that I can position to water the entire garden. All summer all you have to do is turn the hose on. Easy. In the fall I pull up all the tomato cages and posts, boards etc, and all the mulch is tilled back into the garden.

Remember those perennial sweet peas I have been planting the last couple of years--two of the plants are now waist high--













Hard to believe I started these from seeds three years ago, and thought for sure they would die the first year, and the 2nd year only one got big. Now I have several plots started. I also have been babying some peonies, I love peonies. I think what helped them was the "enriched compost" I added last year (aka manure pile!)

These are now above my waist, and there are three more bushes like this. They are covered with buds, and I can hardly wait until they bloom. I also have some iris I moved from the north side of the house to the south side. They are the tall later blooming variety, and although very pretty, they are white with yellow throats which do not show up well against my house.

Tuesday Thoughts

All my company has left and it's very quiet at our house. Ken has gone to work in the field and doesn't need me unless he calls, so I have some time to myself. I will work on my bindings. Last night while my friend and I were talking I was able to sew one binding down so that will make a finish! And if I get the other one done this week, that will make TWO!

But, I must have been stressed and I "poked a few buttons" this week! One purchase was necessary, I didn't have enough fabric to sash my 9 patches for amandajean's sew a long. I did have some backing, and with a friend's help, we narrowed it down to this---

The light is not the best, but it is a Moda Marble called "Sweet Butter". I was looking for a neutral to set off the 9 patches, but not muslin. I bought enough of this to makes sashing and binding.

The house is so quiet today, the only thing I hear is the air conditioning running. No Mason. :-( But I was able to get one last picture of him right before he left, he was sleeping in grandpa and grandma's bed--babies sleep so HARD and I hated to see Laura Beth wake him up. He wakes up so cheery.


But I better get to work, tonight when the wind goes down I would like to plant my tomatoes and a few seeds. What are your plans for today??

Monday Goals

Time to set some goals. They are going to be small, I have lots of unquilty things to do this week.

1. Bind Santuary quilt
2. Bind Irish chain quilt

That's going to be it.

But I have some pictures from this weekend to show!

My sister-in-law got along well with Mason! She was the mother of the graduates.

He loves her, she gave him a stalk of broccoli to play with--he had a green mustache!

These are the graduates--Kyle graduated from High School and Ashley from College.

Later on we sat on the deck, it was nice out and Mason loves to be outside.

Mom, quit smooching me~!

Mason doesn't have red hair, more of a tow head. They leave today to go home :-( Later today my friend Sally will stop and stay overnight. My garden has been tilled, so I need to get to work. I have tomatoes in pots and a few seeds in packages.

Sunday Stash Report

I've ORDERED some fabric but it isn't here yet, so I don't have to count it. Yet. And there hasn't been a finish either, still hand sewing the bindings on. So my numbers are the same, I'm even with the board.

Laura Beth and family are here this weekend, we have two graduations to attend today. So it's been a family weekend, and we're enjoying it. Mason has grown and is so much fun! The weather is supposed to be warm and sunshine today. It should be a good day for a graduation!

Mason waves hello, can't talk, I'm eating breakfast~!

Saturday Fun!

Had a lazy day sleeping in, Mason is here and even he took a morning nap! Then when woke up he was VERY cuddly, so stuck him in bed with Grandpa. That lasted quite a while, and then they got up, Mason was getting hungry. Mom fed him, and he's been very good. Lots of smiles and cuddles and laughing.

Later the relatives are coming over, we have football dip, potato salad, brownies and rhubarb torte. My favorite BIL Paul is going to hang some coathooks in the basement stairway for me. The weather is cool but nice, lots of sunshine. Tomorrow we have a graduation we are going to. What's happening at your house?

Motiovation Friday

Okay, to check on my goals. I am hand sewing the binding down on the Santuary quilt, and the quiltng is done on the blue/cream Irish chain, the quilt is trimmed, the binding made and sewn on. Just the hand work left. Whew!

Today I am getting company, it's graduation weekend for some of the nephews and a niece, so Laura Beth and family are coming home for that. I have been running errands, back and forth to the field, and yesterday was errand day again, mowed the lawn, and started cleaning and cooking for company. Extra beds are made, the floor vacuumed, swept, mopped and toilets are cleaned. No I am not the cleaning fairy--Ken usually does that. Don't look too close, and you are fine! (He's actually quite sweet as he did it early this morning while I was still asleep!) Well, he did vacuum last night while I was making beds!

Do any of you recognize my supper??

Come on and make a guess! No idea? Not cream of wheat or cream of rice---it's grits! Bet you didn't know that someone from the NORTH ate them, and I'm not from the South! I was first introduced to these at a Waffle House years ago in Southern Missouri. And I have relatives that eat them too (they are from Missouri) so I have developed a taste for them. A few stores will carry "grits", and I always have a canister on hand. I eat them a lot like hot cereal, but like them with butter too. Sometimes I eat them with a dab of apple butter, but haven't had the cheese etc kind. Have you? What's your favorite?

Monday Goals

Not sure what today will bring, it's a bit wet to continue working in the next field, a day or so would be a big difference. Ken can plant the smaller field I got ready yesterday. We may move Annie and I to another field, or we may just wait while Ken plants. But I did take a picture today of Ken, Annie, and Ruby the quilting dog (she loves to ride in the tractors) as Ken was "trying" the next field to see how wet it was. Working it when the ground is this wet makes hard clods as the ground dries out.
Annie isn't a huge tractor, but Ken is 6 foot tall, and that's how tall those wheels are. So imagine me (5'3") hauling myself up those steps! It's NOT easy and I try to stay up there once I'm in there!

If I'm not in the field today I can catch up on all the other jobs I haven't been able to do--dishes, laundry, quilting, binding! (I wanted to bind the other day but my hands were acting up from carpal tunnel and driving the tractor.) My garden isn't tilled and I have tomato plants ready to go in the ground. The washer Ken uses for his everyday clothes isn't draining, I suspect he might have a nail stuck in the drum, but will call the repairman as I can't feel it. There is plenty to keep me busy WITHOUT going to the field!

Sunday Stash Report

Sunday stash report time again! Nothing bought and nothing finished. Same figures as last week. But I HAVE been keeping busy, just not "quilty" busy!


I found a new use for selvages! I use them to make trellises for my young climbing plants! If they survive this year, they will "graduate" to a real trellis next year. These are Lathyrus Latifolius, or perennial sweet peas. They grow to about 6 feet tall and get like a bush,and bloom all summer with little care.

I have a holiday cactus that cannot seem to make up it's mind when to bloom.

If you look very closely, in the front there are two white with pink stamens blossoms. Just two!

I have been sewing for stress relief, every night I work on a few random 9 patches for amandajean's quilt a long. I now have 87 9 patches made, enough to make a small quilt.

Motiivation Friday

My goals are temporarily suspended, I am doing the farmer's wife bit right now. Yesterday I was working in the field (I was disking in fertilizer) and so was Ken. We both were in separate tractors working in the same field, wanting to get the fertilizer worked in before it rained. As I came back down the field (squinting into the setting sun through a dusty windshield) I wasn't sure whether I should stop or not. Yes, that fun spring time job--Ken was stuck. Bad. I wasn't sure whether he was throwing mud clods at the tractor he had been driving or was just waving his arms at me. Oh dear! But after unhooking the disk I was pulling and hooking to the front of the other tractor (why am I always the "pullee" and not the "puller"??) we got it out and everything hooked up again with no breaking of anything! Today Ken worked on the planter as it was sprinkling off and on all day, and I made the necessary run to buy groceries etc. You know you're low on groceries when you have used the last egg!

If it doesn't rain a bunch tonight, we might be planting corn tomorrow, and I would be heading to the next field to work ahead of Ken. If I don't post regularly for a while, you know where I am!

PS--I wish I had had my camera for when Ken was stuck, but then again--maybe not!

Monday Goals on Tuesday!

I missed Monday goal setting to take my camper to Yankton and set it up. Now I need to make some goals.

1. Hand sew the binding on the Serenity quilt
2. Load the Irish chain top

Yes, same goals as last week!

This is the season of year that is unpredictable around here. Ken is checking to see how soon we can get in the fields. Maybe tomorrow, maybe in a few days!

While we were setting up the camper it was a bit drizzly and overcast, and remember the wildlife I talked about? A few campsites down there was a SKUNK wandering around. They do hibernate somewhat, so maybe he was just waking up. The turkeys strolled by too.

I will have to take it day by day, and in between sew and do whatever I need to. I have this sitting in my living room just WAITING for me to get to it!


I love the colors, not what I usually pick!

Sunday Stash Report

Nothing in, Nothing out this week! Lots of sewing going on, Serenity quilt is ready to bind, and the Irish chain has it's borders on. So I'm still pretty even on numbers, but some soon to be finishes will change that!

I was sidetracked by "life" and outside chores--flower bed tending, fertilizing and weedkilling (I hope I got a few!) and cleaning my camper. I spend a lot of time in my camper during the summer. I volunteer at the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center above Gavin's Point Dam by Yankton SD. I'm not too far from home, and drive back and forth quite often. Here is a picture of "home away from home" during one of my camping trips.

It is quite comfortable, and when I'm not volunteering (which I love) I spend time piecing, binding, reading, and maybe this year--bike riding. I have it cleaned, I am now down to the "packing" of things I try to take with me in the "first load". We'll try to take it down on Monday, it takes a bit of time to get it parked perfectly and leveled etc. Not like a weekend trip as we will have this parked for maybe the whole summer. That means lots of boards under tires, sewer line hooked up, water lines linked. The volunteers have a separate campground with large sites, it's very nice, AND QUIET!! I don't have wild neighbors--I have wildlife that strolls by! Last year a juvenile bald eagle was very insistent that the best place to beg the parents for food was ON TOP MY CAMPER! Sounded like a herd of elephants up there, and I would have to go out and yell at him (her?) to go sit in a nearby tree. Does with fawns graze right by us, the turkey hens slink past to their nests, and later bring out their newly hatched brood. Gophers and rabbits have no fear of me. And birds--we have lots of different species of birds!

Working on Saturday

Beautiful day today in South Dakota. Warm enough for short sleeves, gentle breezes. I have fertilized and put weed killer on my lawn. Worked on shaping up the flower beds. Moved a few columbine that were in the wrong spots. The trellises are up, cages around some of my spreading plants, that spread where I do NOT want them to lean (like into the lawn mower when Ken mows!) I even have some seedlings I started out on the deck getting some sunshine.

There are a few perennials I'm still trying to establish, and they dislike being transplanted from a pot. I seem to have the best luck when I start then ahead of time in little peat pots and then transplant them when the weather gets warm. I especially like a plant called Lathyrus Latifolius--or perennial sweet peas. They don't have the fragrant odor of other sweet peas, but once established these will come up every year as a "climbing bush". They get about 4-6 feet high, and I have mine trained on trellises. They are winter hardy here, and bloom their hearts out without much care. They can withstand our long days of hot sunshine. There are some other seeds in there, climbing moonflowers, cleome (I have a hard time establishing cleome--most people here find it more of a noxious weed!) I have some old fashioned tiger lilies (now those are hard to find!) that I put cages around, the wind is hard on them, and I would like to collect some seeds and establish some more.

Later if I'm still up to it, I will sew. The borders are on the Irish chain, and I need to piece the backing. How are things in YOUR corner of the world??

Motivation Friday

Well, I've worked hard a few days, and took it easy a few days. The Serenity (not Sanctuary--I keep confusing the name) top is quilted. The binding is made, the edges are stitched and trimmed. Tomorrow I will sew the binding on. The cornerstones are made for the Irish chain. I just have to cut the final borders and sew them on.



I am bummed because a large group of Heartstrings members are in Fremont NE for a sew in and I couldn't go. They are eating out, visiting the UNL Quilt Museum, shop hopping, and sewing. I wish I was there, but know they will have great fun this weekend and still get a lot of sewing done. Hi everyone--I will wave to Julia and all from up north!!