First snow 2013

Last evening we had a bit of snow and it was so pretty.  This being the first snow for us in 2013 and it will be gone before noon today as we are to be 55 degrees this afternoon.  Thankful for the much needed moisture!

Baby blanket

Knitted baby blanket in the works...so soft and sweet.  An easy pattern to knit anywhere.  Love being able to take my WIP along with me wherever I go.

Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Homemade Flour Tortillas

Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Homemade Flour Tortillas: I had been told that tortillas were easy to make..and now I know that they are! Fresh flour tortillas really taste better that store-boug...Saving this recipe...look so good!

Wedding quilt is done and delivered!

I had the thrill of giving the newlyweds their wedding quilt yesterday.  It has taken me a year to make and hand quilt it...so sad.  My only excuse is I am getting slow in my old age...HA!  They opted to not have a guest book at their wedding but quilt blocks instead, to be signed by all their guests.  Going with the colors of their wedding, yellow, grey and purple and choosing courthouse steps pattern this quilt evolved.  Having never read all of the Blessings everyone wrote on the blocks, they enjoyed reading them. This Granddaughter has many many quilts I have made her over her 24 years and she still seems to embrace every one I give to her.  Love that.

Lighted crochet hooks!

I am liking the idea of this pie...called a "sampler" pie, it has 1/4 cherry, apple, blueberry and peach all in one pie!  Has to be like a 12" size and 2 pieces per flavor would work.  Love it!  Also..how great is this.... lighted crochet hooks!  Sure do hope someone out there is also working on lighted knitting needles.  Yellow you say....Oscar de la renta crochet on the runway. Yellow looks to be a popular spring color this year.  Well January 2013 is gone...out of here in a flash!  I have just completed that wedding quilt for my Granddaughter Hannah and her hubby Ben....I have had that quilt in my quilt frame for over a year.  No possible excuse that I can come up with other than I must be getting terribly slow in my old age....  They will be here on Sunday for super bowl and I will give it to them then.....pictures will follow...smile. In January I have also knitted a sweater, just using scrap acrylic yarn trying out a new pattern...I just hate using the expensive yarn until I feel confident I can actually knit a new pattern.  The sweater is done, just needs to be sewn together so that too will follow with some pictures.  I am so ready for springtime and Kansas is still in a drought.  Living on the farm here in Kansas and our sole source of water being 2 wells, it is always in the back of my mind to conserve our water.  I am ever mindful when doing dishes and have switched from rinsing my dishes under the faucet to having a pan of water to dip them all in as I go.  Bath water has been cut to a minimum, you just don't know how much longer this drought will last. People talk about a 10 year drought and we sure hope it isn't that long for us.  So here we are embracing fabulous February and starting next week I hope to be moving my sewing room from a north bedroom upstairs to a sunny south  bedroom up there.  Lots of plans for February on the sewing front...lets see what I can accomplish!

New inspirations

New year... new inspirations...so many of mine come from pinterest.  Who ever dreamed we would have so much at our fingertips, to inspire, follow and explore.  One of my Facebook friends posted how would you explain this internet we have today to someone re-born from the 1950's?  My Grandmother would simple be amazed...all the recipes and patterns would just floor her.  Mr. Outdoors and I feel so lucky to have lived in this time frame...heaven only knows what is in store for our great and great-great grandchildren, it's going to be awesome!  I have a couple of projects to finish from 2012 and then it is onward for my new projects I have rolling around in my head.  # 1 is jean quilts, they will be tied and I have a bazillion pairs of jeans that friends and family have given me for this project.  #2 is a lady of the lake quilt, having admired this pattern for years I think it's time I got on with it.  I do have 7 quilt tops ready to be hand quilted that I will work in every now and again.  Then there is my knitting...ahhh what I love...I am still in the infant stages and have started yet another sweater that hopefully this time will work out.  I somehow have a renewed confidence in my ability so am anxious to see how the sweater ends up.  Knitting is a great evening pastime for me...so enjoyable.  Wondrous Wednesday!

Welcome 2013!

Happy New Year! 2013 has arrived, wishing for good health and happiness for all.  We have had quite a year, having lost our brother Bill over the holidays definitely has changed how our Christmas was observed.  Leaves us with heavy hearts.  Mr. Outdoors and I ate our black-eyed peas today,ushering in that good luck they are noted for. I had forgotten to buy any peas so Mr. outdoors rushed out to buy us some before the day was over. Brother Bill was a decorated  soldier and trooper and had the 21 gun salute given at his funeral and the flags were at 1/2 mast in his honor, taps were played and all three of his children spoke ever so sweetly of their Dad.  So onward and upward we go into 2013, we've had our good luck peas so i say "bring it on".