Finishes...

It's a beautiful day here today!  The sun is shining bright, it's warm and there's a gentle breeze.

Rylee and I will be getting to take our walk today.

Here are a few finishes of the week....

Remember the egg crate I showed you earlier....well here it is...

This end can be displayed through winter, spring and summer...

(punchneedle design by Buttermilk Basin)

...while this end can be displayed in the fall.

(Notforgotten Farm)

Wouldn't this crate look awesome filled with real bittersweet in the fall?!

Fresh Eggs...a counted cross stitch design featured in Mar/Apr 2012 Create & Decorate (Terry Loewen)

It was featured a little differently, I chose to frame it instead.

Stitched with hand-dyed threads...on 32 ct linen that I stained with walnut ink crystals.

And I got those tobacco sticks finished that I'd started last week and needed screws for.

Alot more has been started or in the works.  Still trying to use up a good portion of my supply stash and work up some of  those unfinished projects.

I will be taking all of these to Randolph Mercantile tomorrow where they will be available for sale.

Hope the sun is shining where you are!

Enjoy your day!

Some days I just...

...can't help myself. 

Too much stuff that NEEDS doing and too much stuff I WANT to do.

After storming through the night, we got a dark, rainy and dreary morning here in my little corner of the world.

It looks to of cleared off for now, but it won't last....

More to come later in the day, according to our weather man.

So,  what to do?

It doesn't look like Rylee and I will get our walk today, so I guess we'll just have to stay inside....

a little work, a little play.....

Right now, she's napping so I'd better type fast.

I've had two pair of pants to hem all week. 

They are now in progress....since I had to wait for pics to load.

Also pulled out these two piece and have wools cut and pinned to the back....

will stitch those on later, and hopefully get them tacked to that cool wooden egg crate I showed you the other day.

As I was pulling wools, I found these two pieces of burlap....

Hmm....maybe a couple of table runners with some wool applique'?

A good way to use up some of my wool remnants....and the burlap I've had in my fabric cupboard for probably a couple of years.

What's keeping you busy today?

Weekend Ramblin'...

Good Sunday morning all!

It's going to be a beautiful day here in my little corner of the world.

Thought I'd share a bit of what's been keeping me busy this past week, beside my little Rylee....

The week started with a "day-off"...Liz was off work for spring break so I didn't have Rylee.

Besides catching up on some cleaning and the usual laundry, I pulled out some tobacco sticks to start a couple of ladders, only to find out that I was out of the screws I use for them, so they got set aside. (I picked up some screws the other night so they will be finished soon).....

I made the decision awhile ago that I wouldn't buy anymore fabric unless it's for an order, until I used up a good portion of my stash.  While reorganizing and decluttering, I find that I have several

 UFP's....(unfinished projects) in my sewing baskets.  So.....what to do but finish up some of them before moving on to totally new projects.  I'm doin' pretty good.....

The pumpkin was only partially punched, the sheep not at all, just traced onto the fabric, and the same with the little herb stitcheries.  The little wood box is from my stash...I had already painted it and it was waiting for something.

The same with the fabrics used on the small runner and the braiding around the pumpkin....all from my stash of fabrics.

I've been a stitchin' and punchin' fool this week!  While Rylee napped and while I watched my favorite

shows on tv of an evening,  I stitched or punched....

This Simple Pleasures piece, I can't even remember when I started it,  is the one I'm having the most trouble with.

There are just two little sections left to stitch...I love the piece but it's been traced onto osnaburg and the areas yet to stitch are hard to figure out where the traced lines are, but I'll get there.  It will just take a little more time than some of the others.

Another piece....Buttermilk Basin's "simplify"....had just been traced onto cloth, so I finally picked out my colors and went to town punching!

I guess I have Mother Nature to thank for part of this, as it's been cooler,  rainy and dreary a good portion of the week, so we didn't get to spend much time outside as we would of liked.

I had to run to town yesterday, so I took a look-see at the mercantile for something to apply the pumpkin punch needle to...what I had in mind, she didn't have but I did stumble onto this old wood egg crate.  It might turn into one of those ideas that sounded better in my head....

we'll see what happens.......

Well, time to get busy and get ready for church....

Rylee and Liz will be here soon....and my  little sister Denni, who's birthday is today so...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENNI!

Drop Biscuits...

Bisquick is a staple in my pantry for two reasons....

Banana Nut Bread, which I believe I've shared the recipe here before.

And for these.....

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS

2 cups bisquick (or any baking mix as such)

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 - 1/2 cup melted butter

garlic powder to taste

parsley flakes (opt)

Heat oven to 450 degrees. 

Mix bisquick, milk and cheese til it forms a soft dough.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 8 - 10 minutes or unti lightly golden brown.

Mix melted butter and garlic together then brush over biscuits right out of the oven before removing them from baking sheet.

Makes 8 - 12 biscuits....depending on how big you make them.

Enjoy!

Rylee...

She LOVES her wagon! 

She doesn't care if it's indoors or out....moving or not. 

She just loves to be in it!

The weather has been absolutely beautiful this past week and we've been spending alot of time outdoors.
We load up and walk to the mailbox.....

....then wander around the farm.
Usually, Lucy will go, too.....

.....and Belle. 

 This poor ol' girl has been around here forever.  Our nephew, Erik, brought this cat with him when he moved in with us and when he moved out, she stayed. 

My favorite spot behind the house here....I think we can find a strong enough limb on one

 of these trees to hang a swing for Rylee....

Not only does she love her wagon, she just loves to be outdoors, so we'll  bring her

play saucer out to the front porch to play and enjoy the warmth.

Who woulda thought...shorts, tank and barefoot in mid-March!

Gotta love this Missouri weather! 

I'm not complaining.....I'll take it! 

It would suit me fine for it to stay just like this the whole summer!

Well, time to get busy....Rylee and her mama will be here soon to go to church with me and I need to finish makin' up some potato salad to go with the grilled bbq burgers this evening!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Finishes....

Ahhh.....coffee break time!

School is on spring break today and Monday so that means little Rylee isn't here today....she's home with mama and daddy.  John and Briar are at work, so that means I have the whole house to myself. 

I was off to a leisurely start, enjoying my morning coffee out on the back porch.  I've been enjoying that alot over this past week with the unual warm temps for mid-March! Once I started, though, it was busy busy....done a little reorganizing in the sewing room then got started on an alterations job.  The worst and most time consuming part of any job is the taking apart & preparation...so seams ripped apart, I decided it was coffee break time and to sit down to share a couple finishes with you.

It took me some time, but I finally finished a little spring pillow tuck, chart by Primitive Betty

Stitched on 32 count linen with Crescent Colours hand-dyed floss, Bing Cherry.  I love how it turned out.

The little strawberry pin-keep on top is made of hand-dyed wool and filled with crushed walnut shells.

I actually had this done with the stitching a couple weeks ago but out of filler until I read Betty's filler blog post and felt encouraged to try using mohair. (I've had a supply stash of mohair for some time and not wanting to make THAT many santas to use it all up). I really like it...it gives the pillow a lumpier and more weighty feel.

This next finish could also be a post for my "new uses for old things"...

These are old tanning boards.  What to do with them?

They come in all lengths and widths.  I have two hanging in my house....on is shorter and wider and another, like these, tall and slender.  These will be making their way to the Mercantile this weekend.

I've simply wrapped them with some  fabrics and twine. One is wrapped with a piece from a very old linen towel, then with ticking and cheesecloth.  The other,  a piece of osnaburg, homespun and cheesecloth.  Both are wrapped with twine and a "hands to work" tag attached.  You could finish these off with just about anything you like.    Ornament size barn stars, florals, cookie cutters or a small vintage kitchen gadget.

Well, that's it for finishes today....and I'd better get back to work.

Enjoy your day!                           

Cake Brownies.....

.....not a keeper.

A supper planned of fried chicken, mashed potatoes,  gravy and corn with "diner brownies" for dessert. 

The brownie recipe from the pull-out section of the chocolate issue of Food Network magazine.

Everything was great....except the brownies.

Their diner brownie is their cake brownie with frosting.

I wanted a sampling of the brownie before making the frosting but didn't care

enough for the taste to make it.

Maybe it wasn't their recipe.  Maybe it was how I mixed it together or how

I baked it.  I don't know. 

 But that won't be a keeper recipe for me.

Oh well....that won't stop me from trying other recipes from that issue.

Since I'm getting to cook regular meals more often these days, I'm trying new things...

new recipes from all these cookbooks I have. 

I have my favorites....but how do you know if there's another out there that's just

as good if not better if you don't try something else?

And why have all these cookbooks if I'm not going to use them?

Right?

I do have a cake brownie recipe that I like really well, even though I've not made them

 in a long time....hmm, I wonder where that is?  When I find it, I'll share it with you.

From the Sewing Room...

Here are a few things I couldn't work without....

well, maybe I could, but it would be difficult.

I do alot of clothing alterations...especially pant hemming...men's trousers and jeans...

These are a few of my favorite things in the sewing room that help make that job a bit easier.

  Tape measure, "ruler" and wax chalk for marking.

 This ruler was originally a yard stick that got broke in two so I smoothed off the rough end and it has been my marking ruler ever since.  I've tried using other rulers and yes, I know, a ruler is a ruler and  they all measure the same, but call me crazy,  it's just not the same! 

 Love this wax chalk...if it's mismarked, then just a little shot of steam or light press of the iron and it disappears.

Jean-a-ma-jig....A jeanmajawhat?  There's also something called a "hump-jumper"... I use mine for hemming blue jeans to get over the bulky side and inseams. Simply slide it under the presser foot and around the needle just as you come to the hump and it helps to ease over that seam....then I bring it around to the front as I come off that hump to ease back into it.

Something else that helps with hemming jeans is using the correct size of machine needle.

Magnetic pin-keep.  I love my handmade make-do pin keeps and have made plenty of them but for this kind of sewing, I keep this close at hand.  No more spilled pins boxes and if a pin or two gets dropped, just run my magnet pinkeep over the floor or wherever pins were dropped and it will pick them up.

So there ya go...What are some of your sewing room favorites?

Sisters...

This photo was taken just over a year ago, celebrating  Marsha's 51st birthday....

We laugh, cry, scream and fight with each other, yet, at the end of the day, we are sisters...

....and friends. 

We know that if we can't call on anyone else, we can call on each other.....

(Cindy, Denni, Marsha, Denise & Susan)

This next photo was taken the same night....our "adopted" sister....my sister-in-law, Sheila....

since she has just a brother, she felt left out of all that sister stuff so, we "adopted" her....

I think she sometimes wonders "what was I thinking?!" 

********************

We've been having some beautiful weather....I spent most of yesterday cleaning house with windows open and even a fan or two going.  It's a tad bit cooler today and calling for rain...going to take it easy today and enjoy some "me" time stitching.

Enjoy your day!



Chocolate...

I've been craving chocolate.....

Do you think I might be able to find something to satisfy the tastebuds

in this?.......

....the latest issue of Food Network magazine.

Hmm....I think I might. 

Enjoy your day!

Saturday Morning Ramblin'...

Good Saturday morning!

Since I didn't get here yesterday,  thought I'd pop in real quick to share a couple of finishes....

Another little apron order....

I can't wait til Rylee is big enough that I can make one for her!

This 'young girl sampler' was a freebie chart by Primitive Betty

Thanks Betty!

And a little pin-keep make-do....made from an old zinc canning lid and snippet of an old crazy quilt...

filled with crushed walnut shells. 

Both are available at Randolph Mercantile....which, is holding their

spring open house this weekend. 

That's where I will be spending my day....working...always enjoy that!

Have to head out soon, so better get myself busy.....

Enjoy your day!