daily yarns 'n more

i'm happy

I love my blind hemmer.  I'm don't know what I would do if I didn't have one.  I hate hand sewing hems.

 

I am really pleased with how the curtains turned out.  I didn't go really fancy on the casing at the top, I went with easy and simple.  I didn't even realize until I put them up that the fabric pattern matches our bedside laps with leaves on them.  You can tell by the sun shining that we need to have something on this window.  Especially in the summer months facing west our bedroom just bakes.

I probably should have removed the books and made this picture a bit more pretty.  My hubby is a big reader.

I have a confession to make....I have been coveting these sewing rooms.

The Big Yellow Farmhouse

Sew With Me

Sew Many Ways

Sigh....Someday.

random chit~chat

Good morning everyone.  Today is Saturday, what's on the agenda for you today?  I plan to start making some curtains for my bedroom.  The ones I have now just have to go.  I can't wait to start cutting and sewing.

 

Renee over at Sewn With Grace honored me with the Sunshine Award.  Thank you Renee!

Now, I know I'm supposed to pass this on but I can never pick, so to all the blogs I read this is for you.  Plus I'm going to do something different. I give this Sunshine Award to all who read my blog.  Whether you comment or not you all bring sunshine to my life.  Thank You!

Renee also asked a question on the post Menu Plan Monday, which was this:

Hi Judy! Ok, I'm curious what you will do with the pork neck bones...

This is what I did. 

I took the frozen neck bones and thawed them out.

 

I browned them in a cast iron dutch oven.

 

Don't you just love green onions?  I do, and was too pumped when this recipe called for them.

After adding the onions and seasonings, you simmer it.

 

So, I simmered it and simmered it.

I know you're not supposed to take the meat off the bone but I did to stretch it out.  I also thickened the juices and added rice to it.  I have to say I wasn't overly fond of this dish.  Maybe next time I won't add the rice but just have it as a side dish or maybe serve the neck bones over the rice.  Or better yet I'll just find another way to prepare neck bones.

 

Jim's been having a hard time getting used to his new grain mill.  His other two mills ground the flour so differently.  They almost heated the flour up so the rising process was very short.  This mill grinds the wheat in a much different way.  So right now it's trial and error with each batch. 

This last batch the breads split on top,

and also developed a funny looking top.  But I have to say, despite how the tops looked this had to have been the best bread so far.

It's Valentines Day tomorrow.

Happy Valentines Day!

I titled this post "random chit~chat" because that's what this ended up being.  Just random stuff all put down.

You all have a wonderful weekend.

Whew!!!!! and a Double Whew!!!!!

I finished them all.  The sleepover quilts that I made for the 5 oldest grandchildren.

These are so cute that two of my DIL's said that they want one :)

As you can see this is what I've been doing this weekend.  Actually I sewed all the quilt tops a few days ago and on Friday I started putting them together and Saturday I finished them up.  Now I can check these off my list.

Hey, Hey, Hey....It came!!!!!  and We didn't have to wait until NEXT Halloween to get it.  The motor on this thing is HUGE compared to the other two grinders we've had.  It comes with a 10 year guarantee.  The reason why we got it so fast is because we didn't order a colored one, so it didn't need to be painted.  My understanding of the company is that when you order one then they put one together and ship it out.  But, if you want a colored one they have to paint it and that's where the hold up is.  So, we just ordered a plain one.

This grinds the wheat a bit slower than our other one but it grinds it much finer too.  You can grind it however course you want it.

The weather is getting much colder here and so far the chickens are doing fine with it.  We still haven't had any snow other than a few snow flurries and a light dusting on the ground.

We have a warm fire going in the wood stove and Sadie has parked herself in front of it.  She knows where the warmest spot is.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.

potholder swap

This summer I was in a potholder swap.  There were supposed to be 10 of us in it but there ended being only 6 of us.  I was so excited to get the package.  So out with the old potholders and in with the new ones.

i'm on a roll

I can't believe that I sewed two things this week.  I've been pretty lazy about sewing lately. 

This apron is going to Lacey in Nebraska.  Remember Lacey?  Jim and I went to visit her ranch when we were in Nebraska last April.  Lacey and her husband Matt were so kind to show us around that I wanted to give her a Thank You gift and I finally got it done.  I hope she likes it.

Now that I have those 2 items off my list I have to go check what's next.

fore...

Tuesdays are golf night for Jim and sometimes I head over to my sisters with my knitting or sometimes I just stay home.  I need to get some more knitting done so I'll give her a call to see if she'll be home.  I get more done when I visit then I do knitting by myself. 

I finished the table runner last night.  Just don't look too closely to see the mistakes.  Now I want to make a fall one and a Christmas one. 

School starts next week and I think for the first time ever, I'm not looking forward to having my youngest go back to school.  I used to look forward to getting my routine back after a fun filled summer and I think even the kids enjoyed having a routine again, even tho they might not ever admit it.

You all have a wonderful day today...I'm off to get some things done around this house.

happy monday

So, how was everyone's weekend?  It's been hot, hot, hot!!!!  I just knew our wonderful summer weather wouldn't last.

I stayed indoors and I did some sewing.  I'm almost done with the table runner that I've been wanting to make.  I made it out of the fabric that I bought in Shipshewana Indiana.  I did a big mistake while cutting out the fabric. So I made my own block design.  I have no idea what I'm doing and there are lots of mistakes.

Not much going on at the homestead here.  The girls should be arriving by the end of the week and we are all ready for them.  I can't believe that summer is almost over.  Our youngest will be turning 16 in 3 days and hopes to be getting her drivers license, but she has to pass the test first.  I'm pretty confident that she will.

The garden is doing great and we should be getting lots of cucumbers and tomatoes.  We have been eating onions all summer long and I'm letting some of them get big so that I can have onions all winter long.

I'm off to get my day going.

You all have a Happy Monday.

a swap, something vintage and a recipe all in one

I joined a potholder swap and I finished my potholders and they are ready to be mailed out.  The theme was "summer".  Now I want to go back and make one for me as well.

My parents stopped by yesterday and brought me something that belonged to my Grandmother.

Feedsack fabric...The first thing my dad said was I could make an apron out of it.  He knows me pretty good doesn't he?  That was exactly what I had in mind to do.  I think that there will be enough for a full apron but for sure a half apron.

My friend Angie has requested my biscuit recipe.

Mile High Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 425°

2. Sift flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and salt into a medium bowl.

3. Blend in shortening.  I use a pastry blender or fork.

4. Stir in milk with a fork, a little at a time until the dough is soft but not sticky.

5.Dump onto a lightly floured board or counter and knead about 20 times.  I knead a bit less.

6. Roll dough out until it's about 1 inch thick.  Cut with a floured biscuit cutter or floured rim of a small glass.  Avoid handling the dough too much.  This is why I don't knead it 20 times, so that I can use all the dough scraps without really over kneading the dough and making the last bit too tough.

7. Place biscuits about 1 inch apart on an un-greased baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

You all have a wonderful day today and I'll try to too.

sewing and gardening...all in one day

I have wanted to make some cloth napkins and I was too pumped when I looked in my stash and found this red checked fabric.  I don't remember why I bought this fabric...It probably was for an apron I'm guessing.

I made 12 napkins and 6 of them I put a fancy stitch on the edge and the other 6 I added just a straight stitch edge.  I want to quit buying paper napkins, so this is a start.

The asparagus we ordered came today, and it had to get watered the minute we opened up the package.

I have never seen an asparagus plant before...it's quite interesting.

Jim dug part of the yard up for the plants, which didn't take as long as we thought.  Since we have done all our garden digging by using hand tools.

Adding bagged manure to the soil and mixing it in good.

We got on our hands and knees to plant the asparagus.  It was easier with two of us working at it.  Especially when we had to plant 50 plants.

All planted and ready to add more soil once the plants start popping up through the soil.  Planting asparagus is not like planting any other plant.

Sadie always has to be right there with us...Panting away like she's dieing from the warm weather.

an idea came almost 8 years ago

I started the idea to make a quilt on the way to our son Jason's graduation from basic training in 2001.  We were on our way to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and stopped at a quilt shop on the way.  I have picked up fabric on our travels over the past 8 years and have stock piled them up for the time when I would eventually start the quilt.  So, July 2007 I decided to start the quilt and have slowly finished a block or two or three since then.  I got the push to get this quilt done when at my last ASG meeting the challenge for June would be a Red, White and Blue theme.  Nothing like a challenge to get a person motivated.  I wanted to finish this quilt without buying any more material.  I dug in the scrap box that I got from my mom and found enough material to finish it off.  The only thing I bought was the batting.

I am very pleased with it how it turned out.  The only thing is when I was quilting it...I felt like I was in a wrestling match.  I need to get one of these babies....sigh...someday.  I never knew it before but quilting is pretty addicting.

Quilting Fever

by Beverly Page, Winthrop, New York. 

I can shop all day
and hardly spend a dime.
But let me in a fabric shop --
I nearly lose my mind!

I see those lovely fabrics
so pretty and so bright
My eyes take on a glassy look
(it really is a fright).
My knees, they start to shaking,
my nose begins to twitch.
As I look at all the colors,
my fingers start to itch.

I picture Dresden Plate
done up in yellows and blue
Oh, look at that lavender
just right for Sun Bonnet Sue!
Across another aisle
it's true I almost ran
For a shade of brown I had to have
to make for Overall Dan.

Drunkard's Path or Ohio Star
pieced in that real bright red
Would be absolutely beautiful
covering my bed.
I gasp, I pant, I simply
lose all sense of time.
As I pick out all the colors
that I have to have as mine!

I hurry home, my purchases
clutched tight beneath my arm,
Dreaming of the quilts I'll make
and how they'll keep us warm.
Housework gets forgotten but
I have no pangs of guilt
As I start cutting and a-piecing,
'cause I'm going to make a quilt!