Growing Up On the Farm

When I was twelve, I became a country girl.  Up until that point, I had been a bonafide city girl, living in a suburb on a quiet cul-de-sac.  All that changed the year I turned twelve.  My parents moved us to the country.  And since I was the oldest, some of my siblings never knew anything but the country.  That would mean my five little brothers.

I loved all five of my little brothers and taught them all kinds of things as they grew up.  Surprisingly, even though they were outside boys, bonafide country boys, I taught them how to embroider and they didn't protest.  We embroidered baby animal quilt blocks when they were preschool and elementary age.  (The five of them were born in a six year span.)  The blocks never got finished, though, because chickens, and goats, and calves, and horses called, and then the boys began restoring old engines, and mowers, and bicycles, and now trucks.

So, this winter, I went on a finish project kick.  This was started simply because I was snowed in my tiny apartment for three straight days.  That was rough.  So I started looking for things to do and I found the blocks.  First, I finished sewing them and I put names and dates on all of them.  (This was accomplished while talking to friends on the phone.)  Then, I put the blocks in Biz and water.  Biz is an amazing thing.  It removed all the little boy fingerprints from the white blocks, but it didn't hurt the stitching one bit.

After the snow and ice melted, I visited my favorite local quilt shop.

There I found these adorable ginghams to border the blocks - because, in my infinite fifteen year old wisdom, I had made the blocks rectangle instead of square.  After squaring off the blocks with gingham, I cut blocks out of the farm boy fabric I had bought years before at Hobby Lobby.  The blocks were 12.5" when I was done cutting. 

I laid out the blocks on my bit of bedroom floor to decide on the most eye-catching pattern.

After piecing the top, I took it to a dear lady who hand quilted it for me - in time for Mother's Day.  I put the binding on the day before Mother's Day and we gave it to my dear mother.

Isn't she beautiful?  I think so, especially for having borne eight children - with the five boys all teens right now.  She was thrilled with the gift - and surprised!

For a parting shot - here are the boys when they were all elementary age - so a few years after they worked on these blocks.  Wish I had a current picture - but then, they are much cuter in this picture.

They are pumping water when we were on a family vacation - they used to beg to get to pump...now they wouldn't do it if you paid them!  How times change!

Many Years Later...

I think I have said this before, but in case I haven't...my mother and I have been cleaning out the home that my siblings and I all grew up in.  Well, some of them are still growing up in it, but you get my drift.  Because of aforesaid cleaning out, many old projects have been rediscovered.  Now, if there is one thing you must understand about my family, it is this cardinal rule:  Never, ever get rid of a project.  Always, always keep it in the hopes that you will one day have the time, or the inspiration, or the money to complete it.

So, yes.  A good part of what we have found are unfinished projects.  Lots and lots of them.  Many of them have actually been featured here on my humble little blog. 

One such project...

My mother began these placemats a long time ago...quite possibly before I could remember anything.  They were for her mother.  Through the years, we would occasionally find said placemats and I would offer to finish them for her.  And she always said she would finish them herself one day.

Well, finally, this last time around, I convinced her to let me finish them in time for Mother's Day.  It was a simple project, since she had already cut them in ovals.  It just took patience to get the lace to lay flat around the curves.

So I pinned carefully, working in a little extra on the curves...

Then I sewed slowly...

Yes, I sewed over the pins.  If you believe that is absolutely unforgiveable, you can let me know in the comments section.  I will sew over pins when it is precision work that might not come out right if the pins are removed before the sewing is completed.

And here is the finished product...

I made four - to go with the two my mother had completed years before.  And we gave them to my grandmother on Mother's Day.  I like them...maybe I will make some for myself.  My mother has lots of good creative ideas.  I inherited that from her.  I also inherited the propensity to not complete projects...

Easter Dresses: Photoshoot

It is a very rainy, dreary day...a little over a week after Easter, and I am finally getting these photos up for you.  Enjoy the sunshiny warmth of the pictures and maybe it will make your day seem a little bit warmer!

Getting all prettied up for the photoshoot...

The view from the back...ties, ribbons, sashes, and all...

Hmmm...what's down there?  Good thing we didn't see a snake in the creek or they would have all gone running!

"Are we almost done yet?"