Doing It My Way...

 

 

 

Showing the back of a quilt so the hand quilting is visible.  Why? You may ask.....well, I have come to realize that these days large quilting stitches and machine quilting is so very popular.  I am seeing both ways being done on quilt blogs and hearing the same from friends.  Even at our last state fair we attended the quilts were almost all machine quilted! The patterns and colors were wonderful but I wasn't thrilled with the machine quilting on any of the quilts.

 

Now, if you're a machine quilter or like that look, please know I am not knocking you, nor those who like the look of large quilt stitches.  As the saying goes, "to each their own".  I'm just saying that for me, I don't favor that look.

 

Being a simple country girl with an old fashion heart I like to stick with tradition.  The large quilting stitches are fine for a prim look but they don't represent my idea of quilting. 

Perhaps, it is because I am a self taught quilter that I feel this way.  It took me many years and lots of practice to be able to make my quilting stitches small and with each quilt they are getting better!

 

So, I guess it's just a matter of personal choice.  I love the look of hand quilting.  I like the feeling of accomplishment when a quilt is completed and I see all the small stitches.  Yes, I know machine quilting is so much faster but I'm not in any hurry. 

 

Everyday the world seems to spin just a bit faster around me.  Hand quilting requires a slow but steady pace.  It allows me time to relax and let my mind wander where it may as I work to a goal of finishing the quilt.

 

So in spite of what may be popular or the latest fad, when it comes to quilting I will continue to enjoy doing it my way! Ü

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

Blessings,

Sher



What A Find!

   

 

On our way to visit Mom, I saw this glider rocker at the end of a driveway at the roadside. Of course having always wanted a glider rocker I asked Hubby to quickly stop!

As we did a woman came out of the house carrying a piece of paper, when she neared us I told her I was just about to come to the door and ask if they were selling the glider and she said she had just made a sign for it saying it was "FREE", she was carrying the sign in her hand when she walked out of the house. I couldn't believe my luck with this find. The cushions are in perfect condition and the only thing wrong was the glider mechanism needed a bolt replaced. 

 

We got it home and I wiped it all down and shampooed the cushions (hubby gets antsy about used items from people we don't know) and left them outside to dry.  I still need to use some lemon oil to bring out the shine of the wood. Love the scroll work on the back and on the lower sides of the glider! 

 

I think this glider is a great find and now all that's needed is to find a place for it in our little house, (the wooden rocker in the corner behind the glider was a first anniversary gift from Hubby many years ago) once I find a good place for the glider it will be time to just sit back, rock gently and relax! Yep, my lucky day!!!

 

Thanks for visiting,

 

Blessings,

Sher 

Starting to Pick!

 

The start of raspberry picking has begun! This is the second container picked from our small raspberry patch with many more to come as the days go on and they are oh so tasty! 

 

Tomorrow we'll be going to a local fruit and vegetable farm where we will pick blueberries. Yum, my favorite fruit! 

We actually are growing a few blueberry shrubs in our backyard and this is the first year they have produced more than just a few berries.  Never having grown blueberries before I didn't realize the birds were even more eager than us to eat the berries, they took them off the shrubs before they were totally ripe!  Next year we will cover each bush with screening to keep the birds from dining first, but will be sure to leave some for them to feast on afterwards. 

 

It's another humid day here, just picking the fruit to nearly fill the basket with raspberries had me dripping with sweat, ugh!  As I've said before, I can take the heat but not the humidity which also makes breathing difficult.  We may get a passing shower or quick storm sometime today but we doubt it will do anything to lessen this high humidity we've been having all this month. Whew!

 

Hope it's cooler or at least a bit less humid where you are.  Enjoy the fruits of the summer, they don't last for long! 

 

Blessings,

Sher

Fun Tag Sale At Gable House Goodes

 

What a fun time hubby and I had at the Gable House Goodes tag sale held in Rome, NY!

 

I was able to meet Misi and she is such a warm, kind and generous lady! She personally showed me around her sister's wonderful gardens and oh the beautiful pool with waterfall in the backyard, it was just awesome!  I met her sister quickly (sorry, I don't remember names well) and also one of their sweet dogs! 

 

The tents with wares from Gable House Goodes was filled with so many goodies, it was hard to choose as I was buying a little something for myself and for my dear friend Sher Carter (Old Crow Farm) LeRoy, KS. as well.

 

Hubby found a few items for himself and we left very happily with our goodies!

 

Thank you to Misi and her Sister for holding this sale, it was so nice to meet in person! 

 

It was a fun day!

 

Blessings,

Sher  

 

 

 

Just A Bit Of Hooking...



 

Since it's been much too hot and oh so oppressively humid I decided to do a bit of rug hooking on this barn rug which was started some time ago.

 

Using only the wools I have on hand and my largest #6 cutting wheel I've been slowly working on this rug.  Hubby drew the pattern on a whim since at the time I couldn't decide what design to hook and I knew I wanted it to be an original pattern. 

 

I have a real fondness for simplicity and handmade items.  This rug when completed will be displayed on an old paned window that sits in front of the fire box of our faux fireplace.

 

While posting the picture I noticed my grass isn't even on each side of the barn.  H-mm, maybe one side has a hill and the other side is more level, I don't know.  It's either that or I need to hook a bit more grass on the right side of the barn?

 

Rug hooking is not my forte, I'm much more comfortable with hand quilting.  Still, it's nice to do some different crafting every once in a while!

 

Hope the weather isn't as hot or humid where you are as it here, whew!  I thought this was and "old fashioned summer" as some folks exclaimed but isn't "old fashioned summers" more heat than humidity??? Either way there are still joys this summer like our hometown celebration, parades, picnics and going to the lake to watch the boats ferry in and out. I like to just watch the waves crash against the rocks along the shoreline and feel the breeze.  Again, simple joys that make sweet memories of summer!

 

Thanks for visiting

 

Blessings,

Sher 

A Hazy Summer Morning...

I took this picture this morning and already there is a haze in the air. Looks to be another hot, hazy and humid day here on the knoll once more.  The flowers look prettier when the sun is shinning on them but in the morning they are blocked by the shade of our oak tree.  See the sweet horses in the field? They belong to the farm next to us and we enjoy watching them run in the pasture.  This morning they were already out grazing and grubbing in the field.  Sometimes they come to the fence for a bit of attention and we are  always happy to oblique! 

 

With the cold start to spring we had here in NY, flowers and veggies are finally catching up.  Our raspberry shrubs are full of ripening berries and looks to be a promising harvest!

 

Are you following Butternut Basin's Blog Hop? Today was "Crabapple Hill's" turn to share a free craft pattern and recipe. I was happy to find her recipe for "Raspberry Pie" which I'll try as soon as enough berries are ripe, m-mm can't wait!

I followed the blog hop last time Butternut Basin offered it and enjoyed it thoroughly and this time is no exception.  Wonderful free craft patterns and recipes as well as getting to know what each designer enjoys about summer.  Check it out if you haven't already!

 

While I don't enjoy the hot, humid weather we've been having I do still like summer.  It brings back favorite memories of years gone by.  Times shared with family and friends in the country home I grew up in which is a few miles "just around the corner" (which it actually is!) from our little house here upon this country knoll.

 

Memories of playing baseball with neighborhood kids, riding our bikes, swimming, camping out in tents consisting of a blanket strung over a clothesline, playing board games and Jacks, occasional trips to the drive-in with home popped popcorn eaten out of a large brown paper bag.  Going to the volunteer firemen's field days to ride the rides and share a treat of cotton candy or fried dough.  Helping Mom can tomatoes and pickles from the gardens, staying overnight at the farm next door and watching the milk truck amble up the long driveway in the early morning hours and watching the cows as they left the barn from milking and followed one another out into the pastures once more. Simple pleasures for sure but one's which bring memories that I treasure. Each year as I grow older those memories grow fonder!

 

Remember to take time to enjoy the summer while it's here.  To this day one of my favorite things to do is to sit under a large shade tree in our yard and just enjoy the outdoors.  Sleeping on sundried sheets, harvesting fruits and veggies we've grown ourselves, gentle breezes that softly billow starched white curtains at the windows, seeing the fields filled with wildflowers, big fluffy clouds against a blue sky, quilts airing on the clothesline and just making time to enjoy these little things that make up the joys of summer in the country. 

 

I hope you all make time to create some memorable summer moments to share with loved one's and friends!

 

Thanks for visiting

Blessings,

Sher 



Special Hanger Safari Style....

 

Not the best picture but the safari quilt is finished after quilting around each of the border spots. I wanted to have a special hanger for it instead of a plain rod.  So hubby and I came up with the idea of using a simple dowel rod (painted) and adding a wooden animal to each end to tie in with the safari theme of the quilt.

 

Having finished the hanging rod I can now call this entire project completed!  

 

Thanks for visiting.

Blessings,

Sher