March

In like a lion, out like a lamb.

This year March came in like a lion and went out like a lion.  My daughter came up with this one.  We had some beautiful days in the middle, even fooled the early blooming trees.  My favorite is to see the patches of purple crocus and yellow daffodils.  I don't mind the dreary days of pre-spring with the splash of nature's beauty, there is such promise.

............ Tired!

What a long day!

• Dropped off a flat tire for fixing
• Get emissions test on my car
• Deposit check at bank
• Do monthly big grocery shop
• Unload  groceries
• Pick up fixed tire
• Go out and look for wood (found a half truck load)
• Unload wood

What a beautiful day here in the Pacific NW, it was actually warm outside with lot's of blue sky.  Of course the clouds have rolled but that's OK.

• One last thing - bottle Kombucha (7 bottles) and start a new batch

• 
  

Midnight Sew

I went to midnight sew with my daughter and a friend, we enjoyed a great evening with a group of about 30 ladies.  Hours of talk, sharing and eating with a little sewing thrown in!  I worked on my denim rug and a crazy  quilt square, this one is a rose.  It turned out great and I did some spiral stitching to enhance to floral shape.  To fix a couple minor mistakes I appliqued 2 lady bugs over them.  With just 3 more to do, I can put it together and finish it.

This week I added to my pantry 4 extra cans of soup on sale with a coupon - .40 each and lemonade (1.59)  - free.
 I need to purchase tubs for storage in case of bug out and to store neatly, this house is not good for organizing.

I am getting a lot of sewing done lately!  Yeah!  The last two fridays I went to E's house to hang out and sew, her friend also comes.  And guess what?  yes, I am starting gifts for Christmas 2012.  This year will be quilted  demin hot pad holders (decision made), something I made about 5 years ago, but noticed my bother in laws are wearing out and he loves them (to the point of requesting some for his sons last year).  They are a little time consuming but worth it, I have finished 5 so far.  Ornaments are still on the thinking about what to make list.

I finished a third square for my crazy quilt and now have 16 squares.  After laying them out on my bed yesterday, it looks like 4 more are needed.  I don't want it to hang over the side, just to lay on the top.  It will be for decor, either folded at the foot of the bed or spread out.  I am not going to go to nuts and embroider every seam, but yo yo's might show up.

I had a great time with the girls and am glad they include this "old" lady!

"Urban Farming" ... Good Memories

My daughter and I have been talking about our "urban farm" in the middle of the city, and having a laugh because giving a title to our endeavors would never have accured to us.  When we moved into a beautiful 1906 farmhouse with a quarter acre that once owned  miles of land between a freeway and an old highway,  our excitement mounted to learn about it's past.  This was pretty easy since only one family had owned the house (grandparent then the grandson and he was 70+ years).

The house was three stories with the fireplace going up the middle with built in shelves on either side, with a plate rail going around the room, paneling below done like frames.  We painted them eggshell and put cream with little blue flour above, it looked very period.  The porch on the front was so deep (5 ft) and ran the whole front of the house with 4 river rock pillars, we spent a lot of time sitting out there on a swing.  When this house was built, it had no bathroom, no modern sink with plumbing, a wood cooking stove (because there was a metal plate in the wall for a vent into the chimney) and no inside stairs to the basement. All was added by the grandson; the bathroom was a small narrow room, the wall behind the sink was cut out to make room for the kitchen sink and stairs were cut into the floor of a walk in closet.  She was a beaut!

In the backyard was a very big shed with windows down one side.  We decided to get chickens, 7 of them.  We found some one that sold fertilized eggs so we bought equipment to hatch them and had the good luck to have every one survive.  Our daughter loved hearing the peeping and watching the hatch.  We did not think of city ordinances and our neighbors loved to watch them.  Much later we found out the the laws allowed 3 (which is more now).  We rescued the old garden with the richest, blackest  soil and dandelion roots that were huge and multiple. We ate very well from that garden all summer.  I didn't have a compost pile but practiced trench composting all winter and fed scraps to the chickens in the summer.

We did all this without the intense library one can have or the internet (it didn't exist yet),  we learned as we went along and found advice at the feedstores.  There is so much information now I might have been scared off.  Anyway that how we started.

The sewing continues . . . . . .

I finished two more squares on my crazy quilt (actually a throw).  They are 15 inches each and some have a theme to work around. I am not going to finish each seam with decorative stitches, but the idea came to me to use yo yo's to hide corners or add depth (I like to make them). Just finished the block "sewing day on the farm with the girls last year block", all the fabrics came from the other girl's projects (to remember the day).  A couple have centers from hawaiian shirts I made for my husband years ago.  Many of the fabrics come from clothes I made for my daughter and son.  Talk about procrastination, this project has been going on for 8 years and I wuld really like to finish it.  This year? can't promise! I would like to, though.

I also finished a hot pad made from jeans, this may be my project to work on for this next Christmas.  It's never to early to work on Christmas presents.  I made so much last year and felt really great about it.

Tea for Young Ladies!

J. dressed and ready for her guests to arrive

The adults tea is ready!

My daughter had a tea party for J (7 yrs) with 4 other little ones, all were dressed up for an afternoon garden affair indoors (since it's winter out there).The table was beautiful with a lace cloth and cloth napkins, the plates and tea cups, flowers and greenery, the plates of good food, when E saw it she said "it's so beautiful".  The adults sat in the living room with our tea and I couldn't stop smiling, the girls were so cute.  E put in a lot of effort and it was well worth it. J had a ball and the moms comments were 'best party ever'!

We went to the midnight sew that night also.  A great time!  I so love the companionship and feeling inspired for days to come.  I worked on a crazy quilt (started 10 years ago, procrastination .... hmmm).  E started a quilt for her husbands birthday.  OMG ....  the beautiful quilts that were in progress, my favorite was a black/grey/cream quilt and all the squares were different.  I am not a quilter but have constructed garments since the age of 10.  So my crazy quilt has pieces of scrap from clothing made for my husband, daughter, son and of course me ( also from my mom).  The construction part is my favorite, embellishing is a challenge since I am not accomplished in that area.  This is a good way to push myself into practicing though.  Two of E's friends also came and we talked of spring gardens, shooting practice and possible hunting trips for the fall.  A big storm blew thru with thunder and rain on the roof competing with the conversations, it stopped by midnight (thank goodnes).