Pumpkin Update

Looky what I found. Pumpkins!

Also we can buy canned pumpkin through Amazon. One of my followers was more educated than myself and she informed me. Now I need to inform you that you can buy canned pumpkin. You can buy a single can or a case. So if you really need it, here's a source.

After finishing up the couch cover, I did get some quilting done on the Bunnies. I also took out some quilting. I thought it competed too much with the feathers. So I took it all out yesterday.

What do you think? I can see that the corner feather, doesn't quite make the curve. I may take that out also.
While I'm quilting, I see all the places that look wonky or weird and I think it looks like Crap, with a capital "C". Then I put it away and come back 2 days later and I'm mildly surprised and pleased. Can you see the wonky places?

There's one weird feather right in the first curve. Would you take it out and redo it? I really need to know, or I won't be able to sleep tonight!

Take care, Brandie

A Great Weekend

This weekend I had a great time. Why? I massaged the economy! And the best thing of all, I found stuff! I am not usually so lucky to find stuff. I'm a bad shopper, unless there are racks of all the same stuff. I feel overwhelmed by thrift stores and the like. Hubby is always so good at finding things, so I usually send him in first and he will text me if he sees anything I might be interested in. And that is exactly what happened this time. I dropped him off at "Ross" and went shopping elsewhere. He called and said "You're going to want to get over here. They have some of the pumpkins that you love." I finished up my shopping really quick and scooted right on over there.

And looky here. Can you all see what I bought? Orange was my color that night! I know you can't miss those cauldron pumpkins. Who cares that I already have 2. The big one was only $18.99 and the little one was $11.99. Who can pass that up! And the sheet set, a walloping $30, discounted! I don't know if I will use it in the normal fashion or if I cut it up into a quilt. Either way, I needed it. I had a lot of fun buying orange. I may be hiding a love for that color and am suppressing it. But not for the next couple of months!

Now that Hubby and I are will the only ones I cook for, on a regular basis, I've decided to start making all our bread. I really do love to cook and bake. I just don't like being fat. So it's really hard to do any baking without eating it all. These days I only bake if I know I can feed it to someone else. But I love to bake! There was a compromise, bake bread. I know what I'm eating if I make it myself and I can't help but think my bread may be lower in calories. This time I decide to bake them in loaf pans. I've found that it's really difficult to make sandwiches out of the artisan loafs. Even if it is easier to just roll and fold it on a pizza stone. But I'm really happy with the way they look and taste, coming out of the loaf pans.

I've made 2 different kinds this weekend. A light wheat bread, you know, one that is not so heavy that you can use it as a doorstop. And a pumpkin wheat loaf, the darker one on the left. Now the wheat loaf is beautiful, light and soft. When they first come out of the oven, their crust is oh-so crisp and chewy. I love it! Now the pumpkin wheat is just the best! Chewy, light and moist. So this brings me to another problem. Did any one you know that there was a pumpkin shortage last year? Well I didn't. And now it's coming to get me. There is no canned pumpkin puree to be found! I use pumpkin in many things and now I may have to go without! And I just discovered this recipe and now I'm going to have to go without this wonderful bread! What's a girl to do?

I may have to plant my own pumpkin patch. And I will have to start baking or roasting pumpkins. Now I just need to find some pumpkins. There seems to be a delay in the pumpkin shipment in my area. Or something. Maybe it's just too soon. Either way I just wanted you all to know that any canned pumpkin that you have is precious. We may have to start paying a Kings Ransom for our canned pumpkin. There was talk at the grocery stores that we may not have any for Thanksgiving. What would Thanksgiving be without pumpkin pie? It would be against my religion, that's what it would be!

So guard that pumpkin with your life and I be back for more tomorrow.

Take care, Brandie

P.S Anyone looking to clean our you pantry and needing to get rid of any pumpkin, send me an e-mail and I'll gladly adopt your cans. This may prevent me from raiding local pumpkin patches late at night.

Another lost day

Yesterday was a non sewing day. I had a dentist appointment after I talked to you all yesterday morning. Then I had to wait for for paper work to turn in for my bio-mom. That was a waste! Then I was stuck behind an accident that seem to take up the whole road, even though the was just one car and no people. Still trying to figure that one out? Me too. I made it home just in time to have lunch with my Hubby and then I was off again with his sister. We went to a professional photographer with the twins. My job was to hold, feed, change, cuddle, or whatever, while the other was being posed with Mom. It was a very interesting time. Unfortunately, I didn't get any shots of the girls!
Then I was running again to make another appointment, and I was late. Argg! Then I had a bored meeting, yes you read that right, boring! And of course with all that running around, I forgot any hand work that I had sitting around. Again, ARGG!
I didn't get home till after 9:30, almost time for bed. A whole day without a stitch! How depressing! If it wasn't for the twins, I would have had a terrible day.
But I do have a couple of pics of my Simple quilting on the Homey Bunnies. I do plan on doing a feathered something on the outer border to make up for the simple middle. Or I'm just making excuses and I'm really, really lazy! (oh by the way, this quilt needs a much better name, HELP)

I need to finish up the leaves. This was the most time consuming task. Going around all those corners isn't easy. The quilt gets all bunched up and at times I can hardly move it around.
But I've set a goal for myself to finish these leaves today. And maybe I'll start on the outer border. I would love to have this done by next week, but I'm recovering a love seat for my Daughter. I know this will take most of the weekend. There is a incentive to this, I'll have more space in my house for another project. But more about that later.
Have a wonderful weekend, don't do anything I wouldn't do (which leave you all pretty much open for anything).
Take care, Brandie

A bag for treats

We did finally get that predicted rain, hours later. It was a nice little shower. Just enough to get the ground wet and wet my plants. That's always nice, when there's just one less chore for me to complete.
Still working on "stitchin & ditchin", almost ready to do some actual quilting. And some mending got into that pile. What was I to do? I was using the same color thread, so I felt that I must finish my mending. What an unglamorous job! But my son loves the look of very worn jeans and every time I fix a rip, I tell him this is the last time, next time we will have to throw out these jeans. He will argue and fuss and tell me that they look better now, then they did new. Weird! But lets look at the most exciting thing I did yesterday. I finish all my bags! Hurray for me! Really they weren't that big a deal, I'm just glad to check another thing off my list.
For several years now, I've been having a BIG Halloween party. It was a good time to see everyone and it gave me an excuse to bake some goodies. And the best part was, giving away all those goodies and them not going directly to my middle. Well as you know, my own children have grow and 1 has jumped out of the nest. The other needs to be pushed, but that the worst job and I don't want it. So in this case and this case only, I may be a bad parent. I just want my Boy on his feet first.
So anyway, last year I told everyone that I was done with the party and someone else (BFF) would have to take over. Then, I received a call from my Niece and she said that they wanted to come up for our Halloween party. She'd been looking at last years posts about it and wanted to be included. So of course I very joyed and started planning and letting everyone know. And now we all just have to wait till the end of October. But I'm getting ready and part of that is the treat bags. As you can see, I have one for Parker and Hailey.

And my twin nieces, Harley and Kimber.
Last night my SIL called and asked me to go with her and the girls to take pictures. I'm so excited, because I haven't seen the girls in over a month. I'll try to get a pic for you all, so you can see the twins. I have been texted pics of the girls, but it's just not the same.

So I don't know how much sewing I'll get done today, but I'll be back to tomorrow with some more pics of the Bunny quilt.

Take care, Brandie

Clean Closets, a good thing

Yesterday I felt like I accomplished quite a bit. Not only did I get some sewing done, I cleaned out a couple of closets and did some yard work. I don't know about you, but when I can check things off my list, it makes me Happy. Now if only I could gather the strength and the courage to clean out my shed! I think I was inspired to clean up by my Pack Rat of a Daughter. I have always believed that everything has a place, and if it doesn't, you need to ask yourself how badly you need it. But we all have to live with someone else and they don't always think or believe the way you do. Hence, messy closets.
I did manage to get about half of the stitching in the ditch done on the "Homey Bunnies". But I won't subject you to looking at it one more time as it looks just the same, except for the sandwich and thread. I'm still thinking on a quilting motif around the outside border. I'm doing something simple in the middle of the quilt, so it doesn't take away from the applique.
Also today, I'm going to try to get some Halloween bags made for all the new additions to my family.

Apparently, if you wait to long, everyone else buys the really cute Halloween fabric. So this was all that they had left, that I liked. So tomorrow, you'll see these fabrics worked into bags.

Weather channel says it might rain here today, another reason to be sewing.

Take care, Brandie

The Tree House

This weekend was a long and tiresome one. We all pitched in and help my Daughter move. It wasn't fun! She has moved into a studio, that is above an older house, meaning 12 foot ceilings, translated to many, many stairs. Her landlord called it "The Tree House". Unfortunately I didn't get as many pics as I wanted and I forgot to go back and take more after the move was complete. All I have to say is, That girl is a Pack Rat! This is a view of her deck, going down.

We rented a U-haul and we still left some things behind. She will have to pick up these things later.
Granted, we didn't fill the truck, but we came pretty close. She has been collecting several antique pieces over the years. I was making sure that there wasn't boxes all over them. otherwise we could have packed the truck even more.

So this is the main room, also know as the living room / bedroom. Tiled floors and large windows to let in a lot of light.
This strange little green room is or was the stairs to the house. She came by yesterday to relieve me of a 3/4 used can of paint and painting supplies. She says this green has got to go!
The cute little bathroom. There is even a large built in cabinet in the bathroom. But the angle was bad so I didn't get a pic.
Across from the bathroom were more built-ins. Sorry the landlord still had stuff in our way.
And to the right of the bathroom, more built-ins. It may be small, but this place came with a lot of hidy holes. Perfect for a pack rat!

Later this week I'll try to take more pics. Hopefully she will be more moved in and you all won't have to look at her boxes. I'm just glad it's over. I still have sore calf's from all those stairs, but Thankful that my back is alright! We all left that night with strong advice, "Don't move again"!

Tomorrow I'll have more sewing to sure with you. Today I'm kind of taking it easy with some quilting.

Take care, Brandie

You found a What?

I live a very rural area. It is not uncommon to have wild life in our front or back yard. My end of town is near a canyon where most of the animals come for, and others just decide to make our yard home.
Yesterday I was so worried that I wouldn't have anything to show, again. I had many errands and I felt like I was home for a minute and then I was off again. One of days when you just wish the earth would stop rotating, just so you could catch a breath. I must have visited every store or shop in our town (a slight exaggeration) and every gas station. The gas station part is true. Apparently at my normal station, the power had gone out and so they were turning us all away. Arggg! I had waited till I was on "E" and I was afraid to cross town to the other station and to top that, I left my cell phone at home, on the charger.
So After hours of running around and shopping, I arrived back to my clean house. I was carrying groceries through the dining when I spotted a bankers box on my buffet table. I mumbled something about "those boys!" and looked inside.
Let me tell you I was not prepared for what I saw. A turtle?! Now I'm not scared of turtles but that didn't stop me from screaming. I assumed the boys just had paper work or something normal. Not a live critter.
Well if I had my cell phone I would have known all about it. Apparently Hubby was walking between the house and his offices (converted garage) when he nudged a "rock" and almost kicked it out of the way. He than noticed it was moving, so he picked it up and caught himself a turtle.

This is "Lucky". On yet another trip, I took it to the pet store and was told it was a "red eared slider" and a female. They didn't think she had been outside too long as she wasn't under nourished. Her shell was a little sun bleached but she has no chips or cracks or damage of any kind. Where did she come from? We have no idea. Where did that "Dog Who Lives Outside" come from? We don't know. Maybe we have animal signs around our yards that communicate "Food and Love". You know, like the hobo's use to use.

We put up more signs, the last signs didn't do any good, but hopefully we will find Lucky's people, or she's just part of our family now.

Have a wonderful 3 day weekend. See you all next week!

Take care, Brandie