A quick Halloween idea

I made this in less than 5 minutes.

I bought a package of orange tissue paper at Wally's world for .97 cents.
Cut each sheet in half length wise. You will have enough to make 16 Jack o jars, if using quart fruit jars.
Use black construction paper to cut out the eyes, nose and mouth. Stick on with double stick tape.
Wrap tissue paper around and fold on the bottom of the jar.
Insert a tea light candle (that's what I had on hand, or votive but then you're gonna have to clean the jar.

Light and your done!

Happy Halloween!

Somebody has a birthday today!

That's right, today is my son's 31st birthday.

Hard to believe I can have a son that age.

And just to get you into the holiday spirit, here he is sporting his costume last year.

Happy birthday son!!

A quilt top finished

I had a fun two days creating a quilt out of 6 embroidered blocks for my friend Roseann. Her mother had finished the blocks for her.

It's amazing when you keep track, how much fabric goes into a quilt. Even with these large 17 square in inch blocks I bought 6 3/4 yards of fabric. I had enough to cut the binding already. My remaining amount were not enough to make a complete 1/4 yard. In fact the bind is just by inches enough.

She will now give it back to her mother to have it hand quilted! Lucky girl. My next project won't go near as fast. I have to create two wall hangings using some photographs.

Happy sewing!

Come draw with me

Do I have any volunteers to come and draw with me today? I am tracing some embroidery patterns.

Here is my first attempt to copy a pattern. It's taped to my patio door.

This is a series from Lynette Anderson Designs. It's actually a free download of 12 Noah Ark blocks. Visit her at Noah's Ark for your free copy.

Here is my primitive attempt (remember we are in hard times) to make my own version of a light box. Like my pink extension cord? It's one the husband doesn't carry off! Last week when the Direct TV service man was here they even joked about it. I guess BT pulled it out for him to use.


The box is from our entertainment center. I used a defective window for the glass. It's one we replaced and for some reason kept the damaged window in the attic. Cost for the light box is $0.00. You can't beat that.


Here is a closer look at the pattern, Over the River and through the Woods.... It's by Crab Apple Hill Studio.

So if anybody has free time, give me a call.

BREAKING NEWS:

LUND, Sweden, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Drinking a lot of coffee reduces the size of many women's breasts, a Swedish researcher finds.
Helena Jernstrom, an oncologist at Lund University in southern Sweden, said that the effect is the result of a gene that about half of women possess, The Local reported.
"Drinking coffee can have a major effect on breast size," she said.
Jernstrom became interested in the subject because of research that has shown that large-breasted women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, while downing at least three cups of coffee a day reduces cancer risk. She decided to look for a correlation directly between drinking coffee and breast size and found one.
Her study tracked 270 women. Jernstrom's results were published in the British Journal of Cancer.

I don't know about you, but no more cappuccino latte, mocha's, espresso, foaming java for me. It's now VODKA!!!!!

The first chill of Autumn

Ahh the fresh crisp weather of fall. Saturday morning we got up and a few coals were still hot in the fireplace from Friday night's fire. BT added wood and I kept it going all day. In the afternoon I put a ham bone in the dutch oven and hung it from the crane. Later I add the ingredients for pea soup. Yumo!

Before bedtime I pulled this quilt out of the closet and added it to our bed. This is a log cabin I made using 304-four and a half inch squares, many years ago. I made it out of scraps from the days when I did craft shows and sold hundreds of dressed rabbits. My favorite Aunt hand quilted it for me.

Sunday we went to Immanuel Lutheran Church at Honey Creek for their fall Turkey and Sausage dinner. Lori and the boys met us there. Here is Alex enjoying his blueberry cheesecake. Brady down his cupcake so fast I didn't get a picture.

Later in the day we went on a search for hickory nuts. We didn't have to walk far before we found plenty. Way more than the squirrel's can eat.

A one point we walked deep into the woods for where we found many more hickory trees.

Jeremy and Lori stayed for dinner as we all pitched in to make dinner. BT even got the dessert out....Oreo's in Halloween style, orange centers.

I made Cranberry Salsa from Behind My Red Door's blog. It was surprisingly good, my only comment is I think next time I would add a jalapeno pepper.

In closing please visit Pumpkin Patch Primitives for your chance to enter a give away!

Childhood fun

Remember those days when you made tents over the dining room table with blankets? Or use the cardboard boxes that the new electric dryer came in for a hide out? How about being a ghost, with holes cut for the eyes, made from an old sheet? Playing jacks on the front concrete porch. Mixing up poke berries and dyeing sand. Pitching a tent in the backyard and playing with a flash light on the ceiling until you fell asleep? Oh the joys we had as kids.

Well the above pictures show the boys making their cabin from Grandpa's scrap pile. The little one said "Grandpa leave this here for all the time." Even Bentley the 82 lb black Lab had to check it out. We should have realized how much fun they would have and had them move it to somewhere beside in front of the barn door. The big drive-in the barn door. Oh well they say they don't stay little long. Maybe by the time the snow flies they will have found something else to play with.

Over at Happy@Home, she showed a picture of what I am guessing is her childhood stove. I just had to show a picture of mine. Looks like mine was used more. It was all those soda crackers we cooked in Pepsi. Right Roseann?

Here are my Moss Rose china dishes. Luckily a few years ago, Mom found me a few replacement pieces that had gotten broken.

Ah! this is dish cabinet my Daddy built for me the Christmas I was about 5. I had seen him building it. He told me it was for Santa. So Christmas morning when I saw it near the tree with the moss rose china on it, I said "Oh look, Santa put my dishes on his cabinet!

This is the washer that I washed all my doll clothes in. Then wring them out before hanging up to dry.

In closing I just wanted to remember my front flower bed from this year. After all the frost tonight will probably do it in.

(Sorry this isn't lined up correclty, it's a blogger problem!)

Restoring a 50 lb Little Giant Trip Hammer - 1901 model

Me painting the hammer

Close up of the side view of the hammer

The side view


Front view

Oh the things we don't do for those we love. It was just a few night ago that I helped BT move this 1800 lb. hammer onto the wooden platform. Yes just the two of us moved it from the floor, to the 4 inch high platform. Luckily we did it without being killed. Had it fallen on us, I seriously doubt that either one of us could have lifted it off unless a lot of adrenalin kicked in.

This has been a fun project. From the bidding on EBay, to travelling to Nebraska to bring it home. It is almost 100% complete now. An electric motor will need to be added. Check back here to see what it originally looked like. You've come a long way baby!

Fall is coming

We took a boat ride today. the weather was so gorgeous! I thought I'd show how the river banks are starting to turn colors.

Even Bentley enjoyed his boat ride.

I love a good Barter

I know there aren't many of us quilters who like to mend, or alter clothes. But this is always a deal from a friend I can't resist.

You see she works for a book distribution center. They make and sell children's books. It's a major corporation. I just can't say the name.

Every school year she ask me to hem school pants for her granddaughter . This year the granddaughter's Mother also brought along some pants for herself to hem. Both of them are on the short side and today's pants are always way too long.

So here is the loot that she gave me. It included the first 12 books in the Magic tree house series. 3 computer games, one of which is a story by Dr Seuss. 2 Dinosaurs, 2 Halloween key rings that scream (they for sure will go home with the boys), and 6 books they can read. And for me a Gift card to Hobby Lobby! What a deal. We both were happy, her for getting all 22 pairs of pants hemmed and me for what the boys and I took in.

On a funny note, today we had a Satellite repair man at the house. I had to work, so the hubby stayed home. He was in bed when I left. He never makes the bed. Did I tell you never? Tonight when he was showing me the new TV system in our bedroom, I turned and saw this....

He said I knew how anal you were about not having the bed made and I didn't want the repair man to see it.

I couldn't believe it...and neither will my kids when they read this! I love you BT!

Oh one more thing

Here is the quilt top that was in the bag I got at the auction. It was with the crochet table cloth and the ?double wedding ring hand-stitched quilt pieces (all 103 of them).

A 4-H Saturday

Saturday morning we picked up the boys and took them just a very short distance from our house to a Cole county 4-H day.

Our son Jeremy, ( the little boys Dad) was giving the trapping demonstration. The farm where this was held was absolutely beautiful. It had a large lake with 4 bridges across it.







The little boys on one of the bridges.









The boys watch as their Daddy gives the trapping demonstration.








GOT FUR?

Jeremy working

Bow and arrow shooting

Target shooting

The 4-H group

A collection of furs

Friday Auction!

It's very unusual for our area to have auctions during the week days. This Friday was an exception. An out of town auctioneer came for a house hold estate sale.

It just so happened the deceased lady was best friends to my Aunt Faye. Aunt Faye was my quilt mentor. She was a very generous and giving person. When I saw the pictures on the auctioneer's web site, I knew it had an Aunt Faye Quilt listed.

I was at the sale about 30 minutes before it started. The house sold first, then the Jeep Cherokee and then some of the furniture that was not removed from the house. Including the bedding. Luckily the one quilt I was interested in was on the first bed sold.

And that is how I became the owner of another Aunt Faye quilt.

Dresden plate right?

I stayed for 5 1/2 hours. I would have stayed until it was over, but unfortunately I had a hair appointment and I just couldn't cancel at such short notice to the hairdresser.

My son showed up at a great time, just after they started two bidding rings. He bid and won 4 antique folding wooden chairs for me, with a picture frame thrown in. Cost $5.00

I also won a big aluminum roast for the son.

Another great buy was a shopping bag with a full size bow tie quilt top in it. It also included a crochet table cloth which I gave to my sister without even taking a picture! The best thing in it was 103 of these pieces.

CAN YOU HELP ME OUT HERE?

Are they for a double wedding ring?

If so how many do I need?

Most of them are tacked together in pairs of 2.

Now for the part to make you wish you were there. I bought a shopping bag with a quilt top, quilt blocks and huge crochet table cloth.....cost $25.00. (I will try to take picture tomorrow of the quilt top.)

The last thing I bought was a big basket with tons of embroidery thread. Of course once again I gave it away to my Mom before I took a picture of it.

There were two binder rings of small plastic envelopes with thread in each bag. All were numbered and colored coordinated. The basket also had several pairs scissors, including 2 small gold bird looking embroidery scissors. The was a set of 12 quilt blocks, all cross stitched with the thread and instructions included. 2 or 3 of the blocks were finished. Several pieces of cross stitch fabric, some homemade lace or tatted lace, and a nice piece of linen and 1 piece of upholstery fabric. Such a buy for $12.50

It was such a fun day, I wish I could have stayed till the end. But you know a girl needs hair color once in awhile!

Girls shopping trip to Branson

Gabby Garmin did a wonderful job getting me to and back from the Branson hills. You won't believe me but I was so busy shopping that I only took 2 pictures the whole 3 days!

I won't bore you will all the details but here are some of the highlights of the trip.

Monday

* Arrived at Branson Landing at noon. Ate at Shorty Small's before and after visiting most of the 80 plus shops.
* Got our hotel room and purchased tickets for The Twelve Irish Tenors.
* Arrived at the Quilts and Quilts Shop . 1 MINUTE AFTER THEY CLOSED.
* Got isle seats, third row from the stage for the Tenors show.
* I had a tenor on his knees singing to me in the isle. He then kissed my hand!!!

Tuesday
* Was having breakfast at the pancake house by 9:00 AM (not that it was a highlight, too chatty of a waitress high on caffeine)
* Purchased tickets for Breaking up is hard to do. A Neil Sedaka musical featuring his songs.
* Shopping at more than 55 shops at Factory Merchants Outlet.

* It was Senior Tuesday. I got an additional 10% off all my purchases.
* Getting to shop at the Quilts and Quilts Shop. This store had the biggest collection of patterns, and fabric that I have seen in a long time. Luckily I came out with only one piece of fabric and one embroidery pattern.

* Getting a yard and a half of Pendelton Wool for under $10. I will make myself a cape/ponco out of it. It usually sells for about $60 a yard!!
* Shopping at another 65 shops in the Tanger Outlet Center.
* Dinner at Olive Garden.
* Getting front row seats at Breaking Up is Hard to Do.
* Watching Rita getting chosen for a skit in front of the stage.
* Not enjoying myself being called upon to dance with a singer in front of the stage.

Wednesday
* Enjoy fresh made spice cake with creme cheese icing for breakfast!
* Shopping antique and craft shops until lunch time.
* Meeting Rita's husband Bob at noon and eating at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill.


At 12:30 we said our good byes. R & B headed for Arkansas and I went north. I stopped in Marshfield and had a great time visiting with Cousin Teresa. She is a very generous person, like her grandmother was. She shared 3 antique pieces with me and sent me home with a bag of old family photos. Thanks Teresa!

I arrived at home just as BT had gotten out of his jeep from work.

And so I leave you with the one photo I took of Rita, playing a game at Breaking up is hard to do play!