What I'm working on & too many irons in the fire

Well the weather still has not cooperated with getting into the hay field. As long as I have been on the farm this is the latest we've ever been in starting hay. I've been doing my best to to stay busy sewing. 

First I've been working on this

I had gone to Missouri Star Quilt Co in Hamilton MO back in May. I had gotten the template & papers that I would need to make this quilt. My plan is to try & use up as much of my '30's & white fabrics that I can. This quilt won't be small, I rarely make small quilts. Well I liked this template so much I ordered the large template & papers. I was able to play a little bit with the larger size this weekend

I really like it & I can't wait to make more of them. These are the papers that I use to make the blocks

I also have to make my rows for my guilds Kansas row by row challenge. I'm behind so I need to kick it in the but & see what I can get done. I should have time we are supposed to get more thunderstorms in a few hours. I hope y'all are having a great day. More later later on. Check out what more quilters are up to at patchworktimes.com

Vicky

Busy little bee & what I'm working on

Well I've been a busy bee this last week or at least I've tried to be. Since we can't get into the hay field (because it's too wet) I've been trying to sew as much as possible.  I've done fairly well.  I've been able to finish 3 quilts & a wall hanging. First up is "Sunset at Turtle Bay". This was a 12 block sampler through my LQS a few years back. The blocks are their design but the lay out is mine. 

The next is my summer row by row

Then my string quilt. All of the strings for this quilt came from one large Frosted Flakes box

Then my hand embroidered wall hanging

Now I get to wait for them to get quilted. While I'm waiting I'm playing with a new template I got at The Missouri Star Quilt Co. I got the wrong size, I really needed the larger template but I'll play around with the smaller one for now.

It looks like a busy week. Most likely we won't be able to get in the field, still to wet. I'll do the best I can to use my time wisely. Check out what other quilters are up too at patchworktimes.com

More later on,

Vicky

Summer Row by Row

I am so exited to say that the Summer Row by Row quilt is done!!!! What a huge relief it is for me to say that. 

I started with these 6 rows 

I was stumped on how to finish this quilt. I think that's why it stayed undone for so long. Well a deadline is a great way to make you make up your mind so that you can get it done. First I outlined each row with a dark purple & added a single row of 2" squares in between each row

Next my plan was to add a checker board of bright squares on each side to make the quilt a bit wider.  It was going great but my variety in squares was low so I started digging in one of my batik bins. Low and behold what did I find? Sections already made up. They were the correct size & colors. I could bot believe it!

I made up my two side sashing a & off I went to the final border. 

I really like it & I really like that there are scraps in it! Hope y'all are having a good day. More later on,

Vicky 

What I'm working on & deadlines.

I've been trying my best to be as productive as possible. I know that hay season is here ( if the rain would hold up just bit)  & my quilting/sewing time is going to become scarce for a while. It looks like it's going to be a good year for hay. On Friday when I was back in the pasture checking the cows it looked like a giant dust/smoke cloud was coming from my house. It wasn't smoke or dust it was pollen. Yup there is so much pollen on the brome grass that it looks like smoke when the wind blows

On the Quilty front I was able to finish up this quilt 

It's not the best picture but the quilt is large & my living room is small. I've had mixed feedback on this quilt. Some people are neutral & others have not liked it. The blocks are not my design but the layout is. I'm calling it "Sunset at Turtle Bay". It's been a WIP for a few years & I really wanted it done. I used it as a L/E for my main project 

There are a lot of pieces to this quilt. I've been able to finish the last 5 blocks & quilt construction of " Sunset at Turtle Bay" & make a simple lap quilt while piecing this string quilt. I've got 3 more rows to put on. Then I'll need to decide what to do about borders. 

On deadlines,  this Thursday night is my local guild meeting. We are supposed to bring in our completed Summer row by rows quilt.  Is mine complete? Nope. As the PIC I need/will have it done. 

These are my rows. I'll kept y'all updated on how it goes. Check out what other quilters are up to at patchworktimes.com

More later on,

Vicky

Storm Damage

Well this morning more thunderstorms came through. Great loud thunder boomers, I love them! Then very oddly a thick fog rolled in & then the wind came. We generally do ok if the winds come from the North, South or West. When they come from the East that usually means trouble. Well today was no exception. 

My husband had been doing repair work & it is a good thing he had. His work is what is helping hold up the rest of the barn. We are very lucky & greatful that no people or animals were hurt. 

Since it was a rainy morning I could sew! I took full advantage of the time & finished this quilt

This has been a long time UFO for me. It was a Saturday Sampler from my local quilt store a few years ago. I was crazy & decided that I should do both color ways. I didn't like the setting so I made my own on each color way. This is the Sunflower quilt

The sampler blocks are the same just different color ways & lay outs. Since I am a scrap quilter buying yardage is foreign to me & I usually end up with way more than I need. That is true for this quilt too. When I got the yardage I hadn't made up my mind on the lay out & I wanted to make sure I had enough because it was a batik & I knew I'd never find it again. Well I have lots leftover. It will end up in a quilt at some point in time. I'd better go. More later on,

Vicky

Just a bunch of crazy cows

We had some thunderstorms last night. They were mild nothing crazy. My day went along just fine until I went to feed a pen of heifers. There were only 2 & there should have been 11. I put the feed into the bunks for the smarter 2 & into the pen I go. I come around a corner & look what I found 

Some how those crazy %}~<%%>~ cows broke into the barn. They have done this once before except they went in through the other doors. My husband shoehorns things in there so there was not a lot of room for them to get around. 

So unfortunately more straw bales got torn up. 

I had to go around to the outside of the door you see in the background & open it up so that they could get out. All the while I don't even consider the shoes I have on. Thankfully they are my everyday work boots. 

I wish I would have had my Muck boots. All things considered I am blessed. No heifers were hurt & no machinery was torn up. It is a crazy adventure living on the farm & raising cows. Time for a shower & fix dinner plus I need to sew. There's a quilt layed out on the living room floor! More later on,

Vicky

A busy life

Life has been extremely busy the last 2 weeks. My kiddos last week of school & all of the activities that go along with that & the beginning of summer. I did get to go with my kiddo to the King Tut exhibit at Union Station here in Kansas City. It was great, though I'd like to go again when I can take my time & read as much as I'd like to. Here are a few pics. 

You can tell he was excited for me to take his picture with all of his friends around. 

 I've been trying to sew but it has been difficult. Here is what I'm working on

Sorry about the feet but I had to work around them. After I took this pic my friend & LAQ brought it to my attention that I had some blocks turned the wrong way. I have since fixed them. I saw this quilt on a blog (juliekquilts.blogspot.com) & wanted to make it. I then found the book that the pattern was in at a quilters sale for $3!! Great deal!

 I'm using some sampler blocks as my Leader & Enders.  It worked great & I finished all of my blocks. 

Now I am working on creating a setting that will take my 12 blocks & turn them into a King sized quilt. I'll keep y'all updated on my progress. There will probably be more tractor pictures than quilt pictures in the next few weeks. Hay season is just about here. Hope y'all are having a great day! More later on

Vicky