quilting around the clock

 It was a cat Christmas for two of granddaughters.

There is a lot of hours in the two quilts I made for them.

I used a fleece backing on them to make them warmer.

Grumpy Cat because he lost his favorite napping spot...

~b

Merry Christmas

From the dakotas!

This was yesterday's make. Fitting wouldn't you say?

Did the ol' guy make it to your house?
 

At the last minute we got our White Christmas.

My play house looks so pretty in the snow 

wearing a barn quilt from Dakota Man.

May your Christmas be filled with love and laughter...

~Mr. and Mrs. b

This week...

 I made myself a snowman project bag this week.

It got a little larger than I thought it might be but no worries...

I will fill it up with a book and sock knitting.

I ran across an intriguing recipe this morning for cinnamon rolls.

It didn't call for raising them.They were easy and fast. 

Not to mention good but can you ever mess up cinnamon rolls?

~b

Breaking rules

 We always had a rule at our house that no one could buy anything 

for themselves in November and December.

I broke my own rule when I bought myself this cast iron bread pan.

This is a loaf of my favorite "Honey Bread".

The cast iron pan gives my bread a nice crisp crust.

I"m always looking at ways to improve my cooking and this pan fits the bill.

I finished this Granny Square Vest and gave it to daughter-knit-and-pearl.

It's very '1970s' don't you think?

~b

 This may be my oldest unfinished project to date.

When we moved into this house 22 years ago I had an excuse to not finish it and file it away.

It is an knitted afghan. Remember when dusty pink was all the rage? 

Well, this isn't finished yet but it's dang close and I am determined to get er'done.

It only has a few rows to go.

~b

Bing

 These felted sweater slipper socks are ready to go out the door.

Can you remember that I made mittens out of the same sweater back in 2021?

The sweater that keeps on giving right?

How's your Christmas going? The weather hasn't really been cooperating but I'm not going to complain that it's been too nice to catch the spirit of the season.

I am making cookies today. I'll just crank up Bing Crosby on the stereo. Who do you think sang Christmas best? And is there such a thing as stereos anymore?

~b

roly poly

 Dakota Man turned out a roly poly Santa for me to paint

between trips to my little sewing sweatshop.

The entire house looks like an artist studio (which is something I've always wanted).

There is alot of detail painting here along with 100's of touch ups.

And don't you love the bowl he also made?

Life is good...

~b

binding

 There is nothing better than binding a quilt in the winter.

The backing is a soft fleece which adds to the warmth of the project.

~b

Post Card Friday

 

December 

~b

Heaven and Earth

 Thank you Thank you...

I received this book in the mail today.

It's been named book of the year by numerous book sellers.

And that cute little gnome on top of my book?

Dakota Man made them for all our female guests

 to put on my Thanksgiving table.

Thank you Thank you!

~b  is for book

legal

With Thanksgiving over I consider it legal to do all things Christmas.

Consider this your Christmas license.

~b

Post Card Friday

Tonight's bread selection is Cinnamon Rolls.

~b

 

Take One:

I like to make a test pie the week before Thanksgiving...

not because I need to practice but because I'm craving pumpkin pie.

Some things are just better enjoyed alone.

And then in a bold move I painted a piece of my pie before I ate it.

 We are having beautiful fall days here yet, the leaves are still falling.

Dakota Man enjoys his days out in his woodshed with a small fire going in his woodburner.

I've been hiding out in my little sewing sweatshop with Christmas music going.

We are both looking forward to having the whole family here for Thanksgiving.

~b

secrets

The doors to Santa's workshop are locked.

There are big secrets going on around here.

 You will need a special key or Santa's special code to get in,

 but that's unlikely to happen as Mrs. Claus is the keeper of the keys.

~b

Post Card Friday

I may be alittle biased but I think Dakota Man's handmade wood items are just beautiful.

I always look forward to what he is making next...

Worm holes, knots, cracks and all the imperfections of wood.

~b

in need

 It's been crazy at our house the last two weeks...go go go.

I like to think it keeps us young.

 I did manage to finish up this baby quilt. 

Not too long ago our youngest granddaughter asked me if 

I thought I had enough quilts 

so I will give it to her to donate to a family in need.

~b

November

The months sure do roll by quickly.

~b

 

Scares

 Happy Halloween!

I'm still working on homemade pizza...I just think Papa Murphy's is hard to beat.

I started another quilt. I know...no shock here. It's a civil war design.

Dakota Man made this bowl that didn't pass inspection 

so I had him turn it into a jack-o-lantern 

and it's pretty dang cute.

Want a good scare? Read the book on the North Dakota Wolf murders.

~b is for Boo!

snow

 The first snowfall for the season 

called for apple cider doughnuts this morning.

~b

Friday Post Card

 

• "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." – Henry David Thoreau
• ~b

 

I dug out my tote of old felted sweaters to sew and knit these slipper sox.

They were really an experiment for me, a learn-as-I-go project.

They would be super warm in a cabin in the snow but not really a camper in Texas.

~b

DIE ERMORDETE FAMIELIE

 A book recommendation for you...

Daughter Knit and Pearl lent me this book.

If you like real life murder mysteries you will will enjoy this book.

Enjoy? When eight people are murdered in North Dakota enjoy may not be the right word.

Seven family members and a young boy that was working for them.

The eighth member of the family was left alone crying in her crib for two days

 until a neighbor finally looked in on them.

This abandoned farm was the scene of the murders.

When daughter knit and pearl said they would be pheasant hunting in the area 

I sent her exploring and to get me some photos. Morbid right?

The family headstone reads...DIE ERMORDETE FAMIELIE

(The Murdered Family in German)

Buy or Borrow the book!

~b

sawdust and paper

 Dakota Man came across a great way to use up 

all the sawdust leftover from his projects.

He made himself a sawdust log maker.

He used what he had buying only the plastic pipe.

You fill the pipe with your 24-hour soaked sawdust and paper

 then use the press on the left to squeeze the water out.

We always have lots of shredded paper to get rid of.

Reduce Reuse Recycle

The darker logs are sawdust only and the white ones have the paper in them.

He discovered the paper and sawdust combined make a more solid log.

He will burn his sawdust logs in his woodshop fireplace the next couple of months.

~b 

Friday Post Card

~b