Tuesday Farm Block 1

This month I started a new Block of the Month - but it turned out to be a block of the week as we have to complete 4 blocks each month.  Living in the MidWest in farm country I love the farm theme of this BOM.  It is called Farm Girl Vintage and the book is by Lori Holt.

My favorite farm building is of course the old barn- it is on my most photographed list.

Window of old barn

Red Barn

Run Down old Barn

Abandoned Barn

Another old Barn

I guess you can sort of get the idea.  At any rate the first block I chose to make was the Old Barn Block.  I'm making the 12 inch blocks although there is a 6 inch option.  I am using new fabric for the background - but the rest of the fabric will be mainly from my stash - unless I run into something I can't fill - which is highly unlikely.

At any rate, here is my block for this week.

Spring Salad Dressing

This was on a Salad my Sister made for my Birthday one year and I want to make sure I don't lose it - so I'm posting it here this spring.

1 cup    mayo
1 T white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Whisk together mayo, vinegar, and sugar. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.  

Winter in November

Winter has arrived - over a month early with temps more conducive to January than November - I have lived here for nearly 40 years and I don't remember a winter that started out like this.  We are slated to set the record low maximum temperature today - the old record you ask - 26 F back in like 1880 or so.  Right now it is 16 and the overnight low was 8.  Believe me when I tell you that these temps are 25-30 degrees colder than normal.  I remember Thanksgivings when we had to run the Air Conditioning!!

Any way - life does continue.  Hubby is talking about buying me another car - he looking at a 2013 Ford Fusion.  My other 2 cars average age is like 15 or 16 and the Cougar needs some transmission work and both cars need new tires.  I guess it is time - I've staved off losing the Cougar for probably 10 years but I guess the time has come.  He is afraid of it leaving me stranded in the winter cold somewhere - I guess I can understand and thank him for caring that much.

Been busy working on Loyal Union Soldiers Sampler Quilt -

Manger Block

Campfire 

Manassas

These are just a few of the new blocks I've made.  I'm quilting the Lovely in Lavender quilt and it is going very well so far.  Soon I'll be in the borders and that might get a little tricky.

Found a book on barn quilt blocks - the blocks that were painted on barns.  There are also Barn blocks themselves.  I'm planning on making a barn quilt with a panel I found - but to add the barn blocks that were painted on the barns and to actually read about the reasons behind the custom is going to be a lot of fun.

Well, I need to get off of here and hopefully get some work done on my Storm at Sea quilt today.  I'm on Blocks 18 and 19 of 35.  Getting there - but still a ways to go.

The time has Flown by

Here it is, the first of November - the Summer has gone and now Fall is in it's closing days.  We have had some beautiful days this fall - far more than I expected after the less that stellar Summer.  I have completed a quilt and started several more.

This one is called Spring Garden - and I completed it in September.  I had originally planned to keep it, but then I listened and just knew it belonged to my friend.  I was invited to her surprise birthday party last week - so I gave it to her.  It is a throw quilt - not large enough for a bed but great to cuddle up with on a cold Illinois winter evening.

We had mirror tiles on our entryway wall for many years.  It is a 12 foot tall about 6 foot wide wall and I liked the mirror tiles.  But one night a few weeks ago, one of the tiles fell off the wall - scared my granddaughter out of 3 years growth and shook up hubby.  Anyway they cleaned up the tile and the next day we decided to tear down all the tiles.  Good thing we did as about a dozen more were ready to fall.  We have patched the wall and picked up the paint for it.  I'm also making a wall hanging quilt for there.  It is burgundy and eggshell with gold flecks - in a Storm at Sea Pattern.

This is one form of the Storm at Sea Pattern.  This one is for my Loyal Union Soldier Sampler and is in different colors.  But it gives you an Idea of what it will be.

This is the wall we are redoing - the tiles have been removed and some of the patching is completed.  it is a big job, but will certainly be glad when it is done.

I feel like it was yesterday since I last wrote a post - and it has been nearly a year. The time has just flown by - yet it has been a trying and stressful year. We did finally finish the basement after the flooding and it was looking really good. It was a very very hard winter - for us a nearly record snowfall and harsh temperatures plus winter didn't ease it's hold until late in May. My Azalea never did bloom as it was simply too cold for it. Hopefully it will bloom again next year.

The summer has been unusually cool which helped with the electric bill, but we didn't really have a summer. Early in the summer, my husband hurt his neck and arm and was unable to do anything for the pain. He couldn't even drive. So many things I normally do had to be set aside to care for him. Three doctors later we found one who could actually help him, but he said it would take 3 - 4 months. Here we are 3 1/2 months later and he is so much better - he can drive for extended periods of time, he can start the lawn mover and he can do other things he was unable to do in June. He is not completely back to where he was in May, but he is well on his way and I am so grateful.

We wanted to go to a could of reunions this summer and visit Gettysburg and Manassass but that was not possible this summer. We are planning a day trip to Chicago to visit our grandson and go to the museum - he wants to take his Grampa to the new U-boat exhibit. I'm not into tight enclosed spaces, so I will opt out and go for the doll house or the electric train display.

 I have completed a couple of quilts this year:

This is Sunbonnet Sue around the year and was a gift to my sister.

This is the Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt and was a gift to my Brother.

I am working on several others and hopefully will have more completed soon.

New Block of the Week

Just what I needed was another Block of the Week or Block of the month, but I couldn't resist.  I have the Underground Railroad quilt ready to quilt - this is more or less a companion piece called Loyal Union Sampler.  I am really excited about it and I am determined to do this one in the 6" blocks.  I've completed two blocks.

This is the first one I completed last week - it is called Abel's Favorite.  I have one to make up as I started at the end of the second week - but I will get it together.

This was this weeks block and is called Winged Square.  I'm using material from an 1800's quilt that I just completed and some Thimbleberries fabric that looks like 1800's fabric.  Hopefully I won't have to buy too much more fabric.  

We have had 4 or 5 really beautiful days in a row.  Sunny, relatively warm considering it is October and beautiful.  I love this time of year.  I'm hoping the good weather lasts a bit longer as we want to take a ride to look for fall foliage and I don't want to do that in to rain or if it is cloudy.  Tomorrow we are having a new water heater installed so that is out and Tuesday they are talking about rain and I have quilt club that morning - I'm leaning toward Thursday - hopefully it will be Sunny.

Woman of Proverbs 31 Block

It is a beautiful day - as was yesterday - Sunday we really won't discuss as it was cloudy, rainy and COLD!! But I am learning to be grateful for each day that dawns, whether Sunny or Rainy to rejoice in it and to praise God for it!

Woman of Proverbs 31

I remember, as a young wife and mother, struggling to be the perfect Proverbs 31 woman.  I wanted to do all that she did, I wanted to be what she was, I wanted to make everyone proud of me and I failed miserably.  Now, so many years later I'm beginning to realize that her actions aren't what we are to emulate - the spinning and the weaving and the planting and harvesting.  It is her inner self.  It is her wisdom and common sense that I am to follow.  Her planning ahead and always being prepared that I am to emulate.  I must always look to the future and not agonize over the past.  I must care for those placed in my charge and see lovingly to their needs.

Widow of Zarapath

Rizpah

These are two more of my completed blocks - The Widow of Zarapath and Rizpah.  I never read Rizpah's story before and it truly saddened me - I'm still not sure I learned anything from her story - maybe later I will try reading it again to glean something from it.

We are still trying to get our basement put back together after all the flooding this spring.  I should have taken pictures before we started, but I really don't want to remember what it was like.  I did take some pictures a couple of weeks ago as we were ripping up tile on the floor - that was a job in and of itself.  Note to self - don't use tile adhesive if there is even a slim possibility that you are going to want to take this tile up again!!

This is going to be my quilting studio and miniature (doll house) work room.  It has a long way to go, but I'm really excited about it.  I'll post more pictures as I can.

September's reading list:

Fiber & Brimstone by Laura Childs

Eye of the Beholder by Jayne Ann Krentz

Knit, Purl, Die by Anna Canadeo

An Order for Death by Susanna Gregory

High Five by Janet Evanovich

Crystal Flame by Jayne Ann Krentz

All of this months list are by favorite authors.  Janet Evanovich I've been listing to on CD as I drive in the car or work on my quilts.  I truly think I like Susanna Gregory the best this month.  Her setting in 1300's Cambridge has all the Medieval flavor you could want and is historically accurate to the time.  That is important to me as I am a historian.  

Anyway - That's about it for today - may God's Blessing fall abundantly on each of you.