winter storm

With a winter storm on it's way

I'm looking for a new knitting project.

 

 

I finished this cable cowl this weekend.

Whew! It sat in my knitting basket a long time.

 

These Outlander Clan Cuff boot toppers worked up fast

despite having to make two of them.

Do you watch the  TV series Outlander?

I love it.

 

Now...I must get our Christmas tree up.

 

~b

 

 

 



Ball

We have really been enjoying this screen printing business/hobby.

 

 

Mr. b was a photo lab specialist in the Army.

It was good field, a safe field to be in

 while the Vietnam War was winding down.

 

 

There are similarities between photo developing and screen printing.

 

We are hoping these dish towels and tote bags are marketable.

 

~b

 



thankful

While I was making dressing

 and thinking about it being just the two of us this year for Thanksgiving...

I thought back to my most memorable Thanksgiving.

 

As newlyweds and with Mr. b in the army we had just moved to New Jersey for his AIT training.

That is where we spent our first Thanksgiving together.

Service pay was pretty meager ($300 a month) and we hadn't proportioned our money very well.

With Thanksgiving at the end of the month

we found ourselves broke and with only a can of chicken noodle soup on our shelf.

 

Bradley Beach, New Jersey, 1972

 

I was terribly homesick anyway

 and finding myself so far from home on this holiday really made me blue.

 

After we shared our soup we headed to the shore (one block away)

where we discovered life was pretty darn good anyway.

 

That was many Thanksgivings ago and every one since has been good.

 

I am thankful for my family today.

 

Happy Thanksgiving from snowy South Dakota...

 

~b

 

 



farm living

Welcome to the farm!

Three more blocks for my Farm Girl Vintage Quilt.



farm fresh flower block

feed and seed block

 mama hen block

 

Isn't Mama Hen sweet?

She's happy to be a chicken this week

and not a turkey.

 

~b

 



thrilled

I love a new project...

the learning and challenge of it.

 

 

Burlap pillows...aren't they fun?

Mr. b screen printed the reindeer pillow.

He is doing a great job.

 

 

We make a good team.

 

 

The other two were logos cut from the same coffee burlap bags.

 

~b

 



snow what?

We woke up to snow this morning...

and I love snow!

Could it have anything to do with the fact

 that I was born in Alaska?

 

 

Snow also means the Christmas music is turned up 

while I sew Christmas projects.

These burlap socks turned out as cute as can be.

Mr. b screen printed "Let it Snow" on four of them for me.

Screen printing is his newest hobby

which will coincide with some of my projects perfectly.

 

 

These socks and more can be purchased at the

Prairie Preservationist in

Huron, SD.

 

~b



aprons

A new apron for the holidays...

 

 

the perfect gift for a hostess don't you think?

 

 

This one shipped out of my little sewing sweatshop this morning.

 

 

It's a vintage pattern and fabric for a vintage girl.

I love that rick rack trim!

 

~b

 

 



life

 

 

A Life Well Lived

How will we be judged...

When our journey through life is o'er

And we stand before our maker

At the foot of heaven's door?

 

Will the gold and silver we possess

Be added to our score

Or will our shabby coat lead us

To be halted at the Door?

I believe a loving God

Will welcome all that lived... -

Beatrice Boyle

 

 

It was a difficult week as Mr. b and his brother and sister

buried their mother. She was 95 years old which meant it

was definitely a celebration of a life well lived.

 

~b

 

My vet...

 

1972 basic training

Fort Leonard Wood Military Training

Thank you Mr b.

 

~b

grandchildren

 

GRANDCHILDREN

make the world a little

softer, a little kinder,

a little warmer.

 

 

~b

Friday

Today is farm girl Friday.

I'm winding down on the number of quilt squares I have left to do on my

Farm Girl Vintage Quilt and starting to wonder

 what large scale project I can attack next.

 

Iowa dairy barn

 

All farms need a large barn

 to keep their critters warm and dry.

 

 

Mine would have a quilt square painted on the front of it too.

 

 

Old red barn block - Out to pasture block

Grandma's quilt block.

 

~b

 



november days

november: the last month of autumn,

 but the beginning of a new adventure;

 time to take risks and do the

unexpected

 

~b

 

 

Amish

When we found ourselves in Amish country this last trip...

we decided to do a little exploring.

 

 

Their lifestyle intrigues me...

we all know "simple" is better.

But how do you begin to de-clutter a life?

 

 

Mr. b said you can tell Amish homes...

they always have clothes on the line.

Maybe I am a little Amish then.

I definitely don't like my picture taken.

 

 

I checked out the local quilt shop

 just to see where those beautiful Amish quilts begin.

Sure enough, there were two Amish women buying fabric...

yards and yards of it.

 

winter star block

 

I picked out a few Amish colors for a Farm Girl Vintage quilt square.

I also bought a cookbook...

we agree that butter, cream and eggs

should be used in unlimited amounts.

 

 

 

~b

 



November

It's November already...time to talk turkey.

 

But first just a few words and photos from Halloween...

 

 

I walked along with the granddaughters

as they went trick or treating Saturday night....

and had lots of fun doing it.

 

 

There were a lot of homes that went all out to decorate their doorsteps for the kids.

Let me just say...the kids and I loved it.

Thank you!

 

And now we can talk turkey.

 

~b