Design Wall 10-8-2012

This quilt is off the longarm and onto my lap.  I'm binding it.  This was a UFO project labelled "Jan's quilt".  It also is a BOM.  I finished the top a couple of years ago and just never finished it.  I guess I wasn't crazy about the colors.  I like it, but not for me.  It uses a lot of my stash, which I'm glad for.  Judy hasn't called this UFO yet.  When she does, I'll be done.  Then I can catch up on the ones she has called.

I quilted this top with a Baptist Fan panto.  I think it looks good.

I'll finish the binding in the evenings while we are watching tv.  I've also started on the back for my son's quilt.  He wanted the back to be made out of Crown Royal purple flannel bags. I took a Craftsy class by Angela Walters a while back on designing backs.  I think I may do something different for his back.  She's also going to be here next week for MQX West.  I'm taking a couple of classes from her.  I can hardly wait.  I haven't been to a single quilt show this year.  I'm saving my money and time for MQX West.

This post is being linked to Judy's Patchwork Times Design Wall

Chick Experiement

We've had some trials and tribulations with broody hens.  We've had four go broody this spring and only one had a successful hatch, she had 7 eggs and 4 hatched.  That's not great odds.  One had 8 eggs and none hatched, and one had 4 eggs with 1 hatching but only living for 2 days.  The other was too flighty and her's didn't hatch either.

Two of the same hens went broody again (Zorro and Minnie Mouse), so since they were selling chicks at the farm store we decided to try to set some chicks under both of them and see if they would take and the hens end their broodiness.

We got 8 deciding to put 4 under each hen.  We got 2 golden lace wyandotte, 2 RIR, 2 speckled sussex, and 2 silver lace wyandotte.   We were told they are 5 days old.  We picked the smallest ones, thinking from our experience, we would have a better chance of them being female.  The guy at the farm store said they were 95% female.  We'll see.

So we brought them in the house, gave them water and feed and waited until dark. The Spice Girls, Tilly's Nest (in an email message) and Kathy from the Chicken Chick said to place them after dark.  We took them out about 8:30 after everyone settled down.  We took the golf balls out from underneath Zorro and started placing the chicks.  Doug placed them near her rear and each one scooted right under her for warmth.  It was getting a little chilly last night.  Since Minne Mouse was doing her flighty thing, we put all 8 under Zorro.  Zorro's sounds changed dramatically from "keep away" to more soothing  sounds.  Once they were all placed, we stood there for about 10 minutes and waited.  All was quiet.

We went out there this moring to place feed and water for the chicks and everything was still quiet.  We'll get home right after work tonight and check in on them.  I'll keep you posted.

My Design Wall 9-10-12

For the past couple of weeks I've had company.  My daughter and her family came to visit.  They hadn't been here for ten years, since they moved in 2000.  I always go and visit them in Montana but this was especially nice to have them at my home.  We had a great time.

My design wall contains all the finished blocks for Nicole's sofa quilt that Judy at Patchwork Times conducted.  I need to sew the blocks together then add the binding.

Craftsy had a free lesson promotion Saturday.  I signed up for the Creative Quilt Backs put on by Elizabeth Hartman.  I think I may need to incorporate this less on my quilt.

We heard the weather forecast for Monday was rain, so we gathered all our onions and set them on the tables to continue their drying.  I'll need to get them off soon because my tomatoes will be ripening next.  I trimmed back all the unimportant leaves and stems so the romas would start to ripen.  I can't believe I don't have a single ripened tomato yet.

Zorro our black austrathorpe is broody again.  It just so happens our farm store is selling chicks.  I think we are going to get some and see if she'll accept them.  The Chicken Chick has tried it so I think we will also.  I'll keep you updated.  Has anyone tried this?  What's your experience?  Any recommendations?

This post is being linked to Judy's Patchwork Times, Design Wall and Homestead Revival Barn Hop #78

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My Design Wall - August 5, 2012

I've been on vacation for the last two weeks with company visiting me and my son and I travelling to Montana to visit with family.  I didn't get to sew at all at home.  I did take my machine to Montana so one of my granddaughters could use it.  They decided on making tote bags while I was there.  We always try to do one project when I get there.  I didn't take any pictures. :(   My daughter even decided to make a tote bag.  They all turned out very nicely.

I'm still working on Judy's Quilt Along - Nicole's Sofa Quilt.  Somewhere along the line, I didn't make enough of the outside strips.  So I'm doing those this week.  Here's what is complete to this point,

I can't wait to get this one completed.  I have some UFOs that need to be finished by the end of the year.

This post is being linked to Judy's Patchwork Times, Design Wall

Design Wall July 16, 2012

Well it's not my design wall but my sewing cabinet.  I'm on Hour 8 of Judy's quilt a-long of Nicoles Sofa Quilt.  I'm getting there.  I will have lots of company next week for two weeks and this week will be spent on cleaning and spiffing up the house, grocery shopping, etc. 

 My quilt is coming along.  Now just to find some time to get that stack sewn together.

This post is being shared with Judy's Design Wall.

Saturday at My Place

Last week gave us 4 new chicks.  Mom and the chickies are doing great.  She's teaching them how to scratch for food.  She's very protective of them and when she and the little ones are in the coop, no one dares enter.  That makes for 15 other hungry chickens.  So we've been letting them out of the coop so everyone can have a bite.

I've been saving my feed bags or rather retrieving them from the trash.  Doug thinks I'm a real hick to keep them.  Well I've made one tote bag (tutorial) so far.  I even used it at the grocery yesterday and it held up.  I have a few more to make.

It's not fantastic, but I like it.  I did notice while the clerk was bagging yesterday that I did put my handles on wrong.  Not a big enough mistake for me to fix.  I'll just remember on my next bag.

Flowers: rather Hydrangeas.  One of my all time favorites.  My daughter got me a Hydrangea potted plant one year for Mother's Day.  I fell in love.

Since then, I put them in every garden I have.  Take a look

I love the colors!

This post is being linked to Homestead Revival Barn Hop