daily yarns 'n more

the flying geese are taking flight

Finally...These guys intimidated me in the worst possible way.  I started this quilt last year when we moved here.  I joined a block of the month at the quilt shop in town.  I know I should have been sewing on this quilt ALL year but I didn't.  Why? Because these guy's scared the willies out of me.  I had never made a flying geese in my whole life.  So, in preparation for my retreat coming up, I decided I was going to finish this quilt top and get the thing quilted and on our bed this winter.  But first, I had to make 102 flying geese and with the help of this wonderful, awesome, tool, I was able to conquer my fear.

Don't they look like they're going to take off?

What have I been doing the past few days?  Not blogging that's for sure.  I've been cutting fabric...I've been cutting fabric...I've been cutting fabric...Oh, and I've been making flying geese.

Now that I've conquered my fear of flying geese I want to make a flying geese quilt, but first I need to finish this one.

over the weekend

We were busy as bees.  Autumn has fully settled in here.  A walk around the yard proved that over the weekend.  Tho I spied a few bits of color still hanging on.  My favorite flowers have dried up and you can see them here.

I'm going on my very first quilt retreat in just over a week and I'm sooooo excited.  I've been getting some things ready and doing some sewing.  In preparation in going and what to bring I made a caddy pad to carry my iron in.  Not sure if I need to bring my iron, but I just figure if I bring my iron in this cute caddy pad, then I'll have my iron and a place to iron...Just In Case.

We also did a little bit of construction over the weekend.

You'll have to wait to see just what Sadie Girl was watching.

what's been happening around the farm here

I finally finished the coneflower quilt that I started last October.  Wow, did I just say October?  Man, do I have a few UFOs to finish.  I've been sewing, and doing other things.  If I haven't been visiting much, I'm sorry...There is a lot going on right now and I'm trying to pop in on you all when I can.

Our strawberries are continuing to bear fruit.  We pick at least this much every few days.

We hull them, rinse them, and bag them up to put in the freezer to enjoy this winter.

For that strawberry shortcake that will taste soooooo good during the long winter months.  Until then, we'll just enjoy some fresh picked strawberries on our Multi Grain Cheerios.

I'm still trying to get a few shots of the hummers that are visiting, they are just too quick.  Here's one from the other night out on the back deck.

He's off...and he'll be back.

being creative

It's been so hot the past week to do anything but sit and do nothing.  I've managed tho to get a bag/purse made for myself.  This one will hold my camera as well as my wallet and whatever else I carry in my purse.  I'm not totally sure I like the cream color fabric, tho it's not too late to change it....I'm just too lazy to do it.

you're never too old for a party bag

Believe it or not I have been sewing.  I made quite a few party bags for my daughters 30th birthday.  We filled them with a few of Elaine's favorite items...Like Dove chocolate for one...Yum!

I'm sorry I can't find the web-site where I got the pattern for this cute little bag from, not only to share it with you but to give credit where credit is due.

it was buried under a lot of dust

It's been a long time since I've pulled my Amada Jane pleater out.  Before I could even start to think about smocking I had to pleat the fabric first.  I thought I had some fabric already pleated, but since our move I couldn't find it.  After I'm all done then it will show up.

First I had to replace some needles that were bent and some were missing.  Not sure how that came about.

My Amanda Jane pleater needles are not your standard style needles.  These needles I have to order, and I was praying really hard that I had some extra ones hanging around somewhere.  Lucky for me I did.

The needles were all soaped and put in place (I stuck the needles in a bar of soap to help them slide through the fabric easier).  Since this has been sitting for so long I worried that I would have a bit of trouble pleating the fabric.

The needles are all threaded and now I'm ready to pleat the fabric.

Look how nice the fabric is going through the pleater.  The soap worked like a charm.

Now I'm all ready to start smocking.

Boy, does my box of embroidery floss look a mess.

i need to dig out a long lost love

photo taken from a past bonnet

I have an order for a baby bonnet and I need to get working on that now that SPRING will be here in 17 days.  I have a couple of very cool ideas as to how I want to make this new bonnet.

should a person be allowed to have this much happiness and fun?

I am though...having fun and lots of happiness.  Pinch me...No!..Don't pinch me, I don't want to wake up from all this. 

I'm happy to say with the help of this man and the sale of our house, we are debt free.  If you follow this man, you will know that there are 7 baby steps to financial peace.  Steps 1, 2 and 3 being a $1000.00 emergency fund, the debt snowball (where you pay off all your debt except the house) and 3-6 months expenses in savings.  We are now on to steps 4-7, which are, investing and retirement plans, college/wedding funding (we added the wedding part, with 3 daughters still single we thought this would be a good add), paying off your home early and building wealth and giving.  I love telling our money where to go, I feel so in control. 

I've been wanting an embroidery machine for so long and I've been patient in waiting for one.  I didn't feel any justification to get one when I had a perfectly good machine (even tho it's over 10 years old sitting in my sewing room).  The only thing is it couldn't do this (see photo below) other than that it works beautifully.  Plus the only way I could get one was to CHARGE it and that was not going to happen while doing this man's plan.

But by following the man's plan, I now have this machine sitting right along side my perfectly "old" good sewing machine, and I've been having FUN...FUN...FUN!!!!!!

I can't stop sewing and I made another apron and I'm not really sure who this one is going to.

Like I asked...Should a person be allowed to have this much happiness and fun?

I think so.  How about you?

another ufo scratched off the list

I've been trying to get an ironing board cover done for a while now.  I really had to get it done, because I cut up the old cover that was on my ironing board.  I got the idea from the Moda Bake Shop.  As usual I didn't follow the pattern exactly, I changed it up some.

I also made over the weekend, a nursing cover for my DIL who just had our newest grandchild.  I had to order the plastic boning that is used to help hold the top of the cover out.  This will go out in the mail tomorrow.

I still have a few projects on my to-do list.  I've been trying to keep busy and I think I'll finally get everything off my list this year.  At least I hope I do.  Some of my UFO's are from way way back.

How about you, do you have any old UFO's still sitting waiting to be done?

baby love

I made a baby blanket for our soon to be newest grand child.  I'm excited, I get to fly to Texas this coming Tuesday to help out while mom/dil is in the hospital.

Jim and I were and probably still are going to head down sometime late February early March, but the baby is going to be coming earlier and our DIL's parents can't change their flight plans.  So, I get to go and they'll be there after she gets home from the hospital.

Sunshine and warmer weather here I come :)