Chicken Party and The Pink Quilt

Greetings Friends:

Weather Report:

It has been very much spring weather here in Central Alberta.  We have had some snow showers and some rain showers, which is pretty much normal for us.  We have even had snow showers during a rain shower.  Things are really beginning to freshen up again.  No leaves yet, but there is pussy willows in the wet areas.  There is still some snow piles in the ditches and on the north side of a few buildings, but all in all, most of the muck has dried up and we have been puttering in the yard. 

Garden and Greenhouse Report:

Papa gets garden fever as soon as the snow begins to melt.  He has been inspecting his flower beds and is cleaning them out already.  I have been emptying the wheel barrows for him as he only has so many steps he can take in the day.  It is lovely to be outside again and feel the warmth of the sun on our faces.

Papa reported to me yesterday that the tomatoes already need pruning.  Since he planted them out in the greenhouse, they have doubled in size!  He also planted me some spinach and lettuce and reports that they are all up - but apparently I can't harvest them yet at the one-two leaf stage.  Funny Guy!

We keep tomatoes, long English cucumbers and assorted peppers in the greenhouse for the growing season.  It protects them from frost, wind and hail damage.

Chick Update:

The baby chickens are thriving.  They had their Meet and Greet with our Little's and their Parental Supervisory Units last Sunday afternoon.  The kids had a great time holding the babies. 

The chicks sure don't stay little for very long, though.  Already their feathers are coming in on their wings.  They will soon be at the awkward juvenile stage.  But we will enjoy their cuteness for now. 

Wing feathers already coming in.

So much to take in, whether you are 2 or 12!

After the Chick Meet and Greet, we painted wooden eggs that Papa made for everyone to paint.  Then we decorated flower shaped sugar cookies.  After all the activities, we had a Hamburger BBQ before everyone went their separate ways.  It was a wonderful day.  We always love it when everyone comes for a visit! 

We'll get to see them all again on Easter Sunday when we'll have our Easter Egg Hunt, set up the trampoline for the season and enjoy a family dinner.  I love it that our kids and grand buddies live close by and we can see them as often as we do.  We are so very blessed.

Some of the wooden Eggs painted up by the resident artists.

Cookie Decorating is pretty serious business!

The Littlest Cookie Decorator was more interesting in testing Gramma's Cookie Recipe than anything else!  Ha ha ha!

Master Cookie Decorator hard at work!

Studio News:

Now that this quilt has gone to it's forever home, I can share it with everyone.  I am in the process of making quilts for all the special people in my life, as I become inspired to make them.  Each quilt must speak to the recipient in a way that they will hopefully feel I have captured their very essence, their true self.  

This one is for MM, our honorary daughter-in-law, by marriage, once removed.  We even kept her after the divorce!  

I have been wanting to do a quilt for MM for years, but didn't know what it should look like.  It wasn't until her daughter, Little M, was over sewing one day, that she pointed to a Pink, Black, and White sample quilt I have on the wall in the studio.  She commented how much her mother would love that quilt.  I then asked her if it was the color or the style that her mom would love?  She stated quite matter of factly that it is the colors.  I didn't want to give her the one hanging in the studio as it is more of a show piece, than a bed or cuddle quilt.  I immediately went to work designing this woven version, using the same color palette and making it more to MM's clean-lined style.   

When MM saw the quilt on the guest room bed, she gasped.  She picked up the lower right corner to turn it over to see what was on the back, only to discover the label, indicating that it was made for her.  It took her a moment to register this fact, and her smile got even bigger.  I think she likes it.  That is always the reaction you hope for.     

Quilt for MM, in her favorite colors.

I am currently quilting the feminine Stash Score quilt.  I have discovered that I am more of an edge to edge, free motion quilter, than a detail focused custom quilter.  I attempted to do this one with individual motifs in each block, only to discover that I really don't enjoy this process.  Not even slightly.  Too many stops and starts.  Too much tying off.  Too much having to stay totally focused and within a confined area.

So many long arm quilters do such fabulous custom work.  I have discovered that I won't ever become one of them.  

I absolutely LOVE the piecing of the top, and I can even say that I love putting the binding on, but the actual quilting machine quilting, meh.  I won't say that I will totally give up on it.  I can see eventually attempting more rulers and custom work, but today, it really doesn't bring me joy to do it.  But hand quilting a quilt - now that's another story! 

I love to see custom machine quilting on quilts and I really study the thread dancing on the fabric.  It truly amazes me to see the fine attention to detail and the complete precision and fluidity necessary to do this kind of work.  I already know that I don't have the desire to commit to the time commitment and the patience to master this skill.  And, I am actually very much okay with that. 

Sew, I will continue to do the all over free motion, edge to edge quilting that I have become comfortable doing on my long arm sewing machine.  It works.  It gets the job done.  And I am happier to move onto the next project. 

I gave upon the custom flowers in the rail fence blocks and went back to what I like to do, edge to edge free motion quilting!  That's what makes me happy.

My friend J and I took in the Red Deer Quilt show last week.  The members of the Central Alberta Quilt Guild really know how to put together a show.  I don't think I have ever walked away from any of their quilt shows, wishing I hadn't gone.  The quilts are incredibly stunning, they bring in fabulous vendors and there are awesome door prizes.  Every year I am blown away that the current year's show was even better than the previous year before. Just when you don't think it could be any better, they step it up and surprise you.  Congratulations on another fabulous show again this year.

It is supposed to be nice again for the weekend.  I feel like there will be some more spring yard clean up after our weekly coffee date tomorrow morning.

Oh!  And don't forget to Vote! 

Until next time, have a wonderful weekend and do what brings you joy.

Warmest Regards,

Gremlynn

The Fluffy Butts and An Egg Skelter

Good Afternoon:

Weather Report:

It is difficult to concentrate when the weather is so fabulous! It is so wonderful to be out and about - wearing a light jacket and shoes again!  I almost complained that I had to wear a hat, to keep the sun out of my eyes, if you can even imagine?!

Papa's Workshop:

Since Papa has been home, we have been teasing Wilbur by asking him if he wants to head out to Papa's Workshop or Gramma's Studio?  I have been royally ditched!  I can't even believe it!  I would like to think that he might entertain, even if only for a second, that he would prefer to come with me.  But, who am I kidding?  Gramma Stuff is Classical Music, a sewing machine and he has a nap at my feet.  Papa's adventures include Chicken poop, romping around the yard, chasing the cat, peeing on trees, working in the workshop (which might include sneaking a piece of wood to carry around or licking up sawdust) and generally "Man Stuff".  I guess I am now playing second fiddle - that is, until it is time to eat something! I am happy the two of them do so enjoy each other's company.

Wilbur in hot pursuit of Papa so he can help him do "Man Stuff"

Papa also had a wood working project for me.  I saw the cutest egg Skelter on a Chicken Page last week.  I just had to have one, so I printed off a picture for Papa to make me one.  Well, apparently, a pattern, when you are designing something that sends raw eggs careening down a wooden ramp, with switch back drops, might be a good thing?  What do I know?  He is such a patient man.  After 6 hours of drafting, designing, re-tooling, re-grooving, re-building drops, correcting angles and cracking a few eggs along the way, he came up with this:

Decorative Egg Skelter . . .

. . . And, it actually works!  

It is So Cute!  And it actually works.  If anyone is interested in purchasing a Ready To Finish Egg Skelter for yourself, please message me for more information.


Pond Thaw Progress:

Papa and I took a stroll around the property today, to survey the winter damage and contemplate spring activities.  The Pond is thawing - no sign of any fish yet, which is a good thing considering our entire stock were floating belly up last spring!  Our amazing daughter and grandbuddy picked up new fish for us last summer, to replace last year's terrible find.  Hopefully these ones made it through the winter okay.  Time will tell, but so far, so good!

The pond is beginning to thaw.  No sign of any fish yet. 

Wilbur Update:

We still have quite a bit of snow along the fence line and on the north side of any structure.  Good news for Wilbur has he still has snow and ice to munch on - not so good news for us as his feet are quite wet when he comes in.

We took himself for a bath this morning after a good brushing first.  We just love Pet Valu!  For $10, they supply a tub large enough for our boy (it's huge!), the water, shampoo, aprons, towels (we use lots), facecloth, blow dryer and a treat for good behaviour!  He is a bit spoiled though and won't eat their treats any more, so we bring some from home.  I bake him pumpkin cookies and dehydrate apples and pumpkin slices for his treats.

We then took him by the vet's office for a weigh in.  They only ever get to see him before his bath, so we thought they might appreciate a nice smelling pup for a change.  Our little buddy weighed in at 134 lbs.  He is not so little any more.

Fluffy Butts!

Papa went to town to pick up our latest Ranch additions yesterday.  32 Barred Plymouth Rock Fluffy Butt Chicks joined the funny farm yesterday morning.  They are some Cute!  Wilbur is pretty excited to have new babies to look after.  When these mature, they hens will replace our laying stock and the roosters, except for one, will be harvested.  We are having the Little's out in a few days for a Meet the Chicks party. The babies will only stay little for a very short time.  We love to share this simple joy with our Grandbuddies.   

Baby Chicks coming to their new home.

Wilbur surveying his newest charges.  He is such a great protector.

Studio Update:

I got the quilt top finished and loaded onto the long arm the other day.  This was the Super Fun Fabric Stash Score that I discovered a couple of weeks ago.  I found a pattern that allowed me to showcase the fabric in 2 1/2" strips so you can still see the prints.  I wanted something fun and fairly quick to do.  After auditioning four background fabrics, I decided on the darkest pink choice.  I had contemplated adding sashings, but it just didn't suit the design.  I did add a dark pink zinger to the outer border [also not in the design], to grow it a bit and to tie in the dark pink center blocks.  I am happy with the end result.  

I am stepping outside my comfort zone to quilt it though.  Lots of Starts and Stops and tying ends and burying threads.  I usually do an All Over design, so this is a very different process for me.  You need to try new things, right?  

Quilt top Finished with pink background fabric.  The outer border is my own design.

Pattern is called Fireworks, by Kate Henderson found on page 83

Greenhouse Report:

With the weather being so agreeable, Papa also began moving plants out to the greenhouse and got it started up this week.  He reports that the lettuce and spinach that he planted as a spring crop have sprouted.  Grow, Baby, Grow!  His Grape Vines have really taken off and the Cucs, Toms and Peppers are in their permanent home for the season.  I am giddy in anticipation!

Grape cutting starts in the bottom tray.  Yay!

Bedding Plants, Greenhouse Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Peppers all in their home for the season.  Yay!

I think that is about all for this week.  It has been wonderful hanging the clothes out to dry, playing with the baby chicks and going for walks.  It doesn't get much better!

Until next time!

Gremlynn

Easter Parade, Lasagna and Super Fabric Find

Good Afternoon:

Weather Report:

There is grass in that there pasture!  It is brown, but there is grass!  The days are getting longer and the puddles are splashy.  Perfect for the returning Canada Geese.  I've even heard a few song birds already. I am not good at identifying who's who in the bird world, but I always enjoy hearing them sing.  Even the Rooster has been strutting his stuff and Cock-a-doodle-doing throughout the day.  Me thinks it is officially Spring!  Yay!

Easter Parade:

Papa loves to make yard decorations for the Little's.  He started with a few fence Bunnies and the Bunny and Egg Parade last year, but he's gone full bore for this year!  I just love his Easter Train and the Parade Characters.  I usually do quite a bit of the painting for him, but have been encouraging him to enjoy the painting process more.  Generally, I usually do the details after he paints the main colors, but he did the entire |Easter Train on his own this time.  It is so cute!  And he even admitted that he was quite happy with the results.  I'll make a painter of him yet!  How can you not smile as you drive down our lane and spy these cuties!

Easter Train at the main entrance

An Easter Bunny and Egg Parade by the front door

Just hanging out on the front gate

Hanging out on the other side of the front gate

Pondering all the chocolate eggs . . .

Another Easter Egg and Ducking Parade.  I had to take this one at night as the back light of the day blacked out the scene.

A few Cuties to great you at the front door

Kitchen Update:

The other day I had a hankering for Lasagna.  I love to have a couple on hand in the freezer for a quick meal, when you don't want to make a fuss.  I have been using the same recipe for as long as I can remember.  Basically, it is just my pasta sauce that I use as a sauce that I layer up for lasagna.  Super quick and delish.  A perfect Crock Pot Recipe!

Lynn's Pasta/Lasagna Sauce

In your crock pot add the following:

1 quart stewed tomatoes

1 pint tomato sauce

1 can tomato soup

1 can tomato paste, small 5 oz size

1 medium onion, diced

1 rib of celery, diced

3 or 4 stuffing sized mushrooms, diced

1 carrot [optional] diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 lbs hamburger - ours is frozen in 1 lb packages - which I put in frozen and break up after it is cooked thru.  Or, you can thaw and add it raw, then break up after it is cooked through.  Or, cooked first then added, if you want to.  It really doesn't matter as it all gets mashed up later.

2 garlic cloves, smashed or diced fine

1 sugar cube [cuts the tomato acidity - it is noticeable if you don't add it!]

2 tablespoons each of dried oregano and parsley

sometimes I add a tablespoon of basil

1 tsp each of salt and pepper

Crank the Crock Pot to High, if your hamburger is still frozen/raw, and ignore the Crock Pot for 6 hours.  Break up the hamburger with a "S" style potato masher or wooden spoon or something to break it into small pieces.  Continue to simmer on Low for another hour or two, if you feel it needs more time.  Often I will put it on in the morning for supper time pasta and sauce or the day before for lasagna.

If you have precooked your meat, then High for a couple of hours and Low for a couple more until sauce is to your liking.  

For Pasta sauce, serve as it is over hot noodles.

For Lasagna, I do mine with 3 layers of noodles.

First step, warm up the sauce if you refrigerated it over night.  Or let it cool a bit if you are making it all in one day.  It goes on much better when warmed.  It doesn't have to be boiling, just heated thru.

First layer:  put a couple of scoops of sauce on the bottom of your greased baking dish and spread it out to cover the bottom.  Place Raw/uncooked lasagna noodles directly onto the sauce.  You don't need to buy the special "ready to use" noodles for this, just generic Lasagna noodles.

Top this with a layer of the following blend:

1, 500 ml Cottage Cheese [not dry you need the moisture]

1/2 cup fresh or dried Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 cup of wilted, chopped spinach [I freeze mine in 1 cup portions for this purpose, then thaw to use]

For a large Lasagna, you will probably use the whole blend.  There is enough here to divide among my three small 9x9 pans.

Add a second layer of raw/uncooked noodles [seriously]

Top this with a layer of sauce, then your favorite grated cheese.  [I used a cheddar/mozza blend this time].  Make sure you completely cover the noodles with the sauce.  The secret to this method, is the noodles have to be completely covered or they won't soften.

Add the third and final layer of noodles.  Completely cover with sauce and more cheese. Sometimes I will add Feta to the very top for an interesting twist.

From here, I cover with foil and freeze 2 of them.  They are the two with the parchment paper liner pictured below, so I can take them out of the baking dish when they are frozen and store them in Large ZipLock Freezer Bags.  I will pop them back into the pans to thaw and bake when I want them.  This keeps my 2 9"x 9" pans free.  

The bottom pan was covered and refrigerated to be baked up the following day. This allows all the liquid to meld into the noodles.

Or, you can go ahead and bake it now, when you make it, as the sauce is warm and it will do it's magic.

Bake 350 for about an hour.  Sometimes I cover it, sometimes I don't, depending if I want the cheese to brown up.  Test for noodle done-ness with a knife.  Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving to allow things to firm up.  Reheats beautifully, if you have any left overs.  

3 Lasagnas, 2 for the freezer, 1 for supper

Lasagna baked for dinner.  Delish!  

Studio News:

I was rummaging thru the Super Stash and came upon this adorable collection.  It too was from many years ago.  This time the Fat Quarters are cut Canadian [20" x 22"] and the coordinating yardage was in meter cuts.  What a Score!  10 fat quarters and 2 pieces each 2 meters and the green purse fabric is 3 meters.  I am assuming that the purse fabric must have been intended for the backing.  

Much looking thru books and online netted a fun pattern that will show off the larger print.  I auditioned white, yellow and pinks for the background color.  My first intention was to use the White, but boy, it Jumped!  Too Loud!  The Yellow was okay, but the darker of the 2 Pinks that I was also considering, really spoke to me.  Project is currently under way!  Yay!

Fabric Stash Score!  This is just too adorable!

Making Strip sets from the 10 fat quarters that I cut up into 2 1/2" strips

Background fabric will be pink.

Auditioning Pinks.  I chose the one on the right.

Auditioning White and Yellow.

First Block assembled.  I like what I am seeing. 

And that is what I have been up to this week.  It was foggy for about 6 days.  Foggy and snowy, but the sun has finally decided to join us.  The birds are singing.  The snow is melting.  All is right in our little corner of the world.

May all your seams be straight - unless you want them curved - then may all your seams be curved!

Until next time.

Regards,

Gremlynn

Spring Cleaning, Story Time and the Simple Life!

Good Morning:

Spring Cleaning:

It appears that it really is Spring!  Sincerely so and not just a teaser.  After 6 long weeks of extreme cold and snow, the days got brighter and the red stuff in the thermometer took a trip up the tube - over night! Seeing the snow melt away, hearing the birds singing and stepping over the puddles, puts a real Spring in my step.  I even hear the geese honking overhead - that's always a very positive sign!  With the arrival of Spring, brings about Spring Cleaning.  There is nothing like powering thru the winter build up that will put you into a Spring state of mind any quicker.

Our first Spring Cleaning project was my very much neglected and the "I'll deal with it later" storage and laundry room.  In total, these two adjoining rooms measure 90 square feet.  The same size as a 9' x 10' bedroom.  How is it possible to:  make 4 large, green garbage bags of trash, 1 large green garbage bag of rags for Papa's workshop, 1 box of "missing" and "that's where that went" items also for Papa's shop, a pile of paper which fills a Banker's Box, that needs to be shredded, another pile that needs to be filed and a laundry tote full of items that are heading to the local auction house?  Utter insanity I tell you!  I cannot believe that all of that was what we had in this little space!  A job that we thought might take 2 hours, actually took over 6.  But the space!  I can't believe how much space we now have in these 2 little, adjoining rooms.  I could have a party in there.

With the sun shining and it being so warm out, the Spring Cleaning moved into our bedroom.  All the bedding was removed, put through the washer and hung out to dry.  The mattress was vacuumed and turned.  The quilt was aired out.  Everything smelled so amazing when we climbed back into bed at the end of the day.  It smells of summer.  Nothing brings sleep quicker than line dried bedding.

With the forecast for the mid to high teens, the windows are also on the to be tackled list for this week.  Who knows?  I may even take a swing at our walk in closet - that might be a quick "2 hour" job too!

Puppy Love:

One thing I really love about Facebook, is when the Your Memories come up.  It's like having a journal of the highlights of your life.  This week marked the 2nd Anniversary of Wilbur joining our Funny Farm.  I still remember our trip to pick him up.  We met his breeder parents at a halfway point between their farm and ours.  We each travelled 6+/- hours to our agreed upon meeting place.  It was an emotional day as he was the family's favourite pup that year.  We didn't have a name picked out for him yet as we wanted to meet him first.  They had been calling him Piggy because of the noises he makes and his tuft of hair on his forehead.  When Husband gave him his final, emotional and very long hug before handing him over to us, we decided right on the spot to name him Wilbur.  Wilbur, after the little Pig in Charlotte's Web, as a deference and respect, to his first family.  We love our 130+ Goof Ball and cannot imagine not having him our lives.  He has filled a hole that we didn't even know existed.

He has got to be the happiest dog I have ever seen!

Baby Wilbur on his trip home with us.  What a face.  He had our hearts at first sight.

Our Little Boy today.

Story Time Quilt:

A few weeks ago, I came upon an Alphabet Panel and some coordinating fabric in my stash, whilst in search of a new project to begin.  I wanted something simple and therapeutic to do.  Upon finding the panel, I remembered a Demo Day that we had at the shop several years ago, where Margo from Wonderfil Threads spent the day teaching us thread embellishment.  This panel just begged to be thread embellished!

I started embellishing the letters and images.  A quiet, peaceful pastime.  It was while looking at the embellished blocks, that I realized that this would make a cute Story Time Quilt for my Daughter in Law's Day Home.  Now I have a purpose for this quilt.

Once the blocks were all embellished, I decided to cut them all apart and add sashing.  It needed to be big enough for the little's to sit upon during story time.  Something about the size of a picnic blanket.  As I was deciding how to do this, I discovered that the fabric was cut into yards, not meters.  This alerted me to how long this fabric had been in my stash!  It has been many, many years since I have been shop hopping south of the border. 

I am thrilled with the finished project, as are the little's for whom it was intended.  My DIL put the quilt out on the floor and immediately one of her little guests grabbed the basket of books and sat upon it to read a story.  Warms my heart.   

The Finished Story Time Quilt.

Label on the Story Time Quilt.

The Simple Life:

When people find out how big a garden we grow and how much we freeze, dehydrate and can, their common reaction is utter shock!  Why would you do all that work when you can just buy it at the grocery store?  That takes so much time!  Isn't that a lot, for two people?  Actually, to be truthful, we absolutely enjoy it.  It gives us a great sense of pride knowing that 85% of what we consume, we have had a first hand input on its production.  Besides this, neither of us really likes to go shopping, so everything we grow here, is one less thing to have to go out to get. 

Also, what we produce we know, with absolute certainty, how it was produced and what exactly is in it/on it.  I have become so sensitive to chemicals/preservatives/additives that I have adverse reactions to a lot of commercially produced products.  In fact, it is a very rare occurrence when we even eat out any more.  I have had to many unhappy side effects after a meal out.  It just isn't worth the risk.  I didn't even realize how bad I felt until we quit buying commercially grown/processed foods and going out.  We still go out occasionally, but truth be told, it is rare indeed.  I would honestly just rather have people over and prepare the meal myself.  

The other aspect/bonus of what we do is mealtimes have become super simple.  Just today, I realized that we didn't have a soup made for lunch.  Off to the cold storage for a quart of chicken in stock, a pint each of tomatoes and Romano beans, the pantry for dehydrated onions and peppers, to the freezer for a handful of chopped celery and to the spice drawer for some thyme, salt and pepper.  I literally had a pot of Chicken, Bean and Tomato Soup, simmering within 5 minutes. No fuss, no mess, no prep.  Dump the jars into the pot and toss in the ready to go extras.  It doesn't get any simpler than that!  And I know for 100% certainty what is in it.  This doesn't work for everyone, but it certainly works for us.  And we're very willing to do the work to enjoy the Simple Life we both love.

I wish you all a wonderful day.  Enjoy the sunshine!

Warmest regards,

Gremlynn

Dare we Hope . . . Might it Really be Spring?

Greeting from No Regrets Ranch,

OMGosh!  It actually feels like Spring ~ dare I utter the word!  We are still piled high with snow, but it is melting.  It truly is.  And it is warm.  You can walk outside in a light jacket or a vest.  It feels so wonderful to sit on the front step, in the sunshine and savour a cup of coffee.

The chickens are giddy and actually beginning to lay a few more eggs lately.  They are all clamouring to get outside as soon as we open the coop and actually want to stay out there.  They won't even be coaxed to go back into the coop much before 7:30 in the evening, when they want to go in to roost.  It is lovely!

I have even been wearing short pants these past few days.  After my shower the other morning, I was about to pull my jeans on, when I thought, Nope.  I don't want to wear long pants and socks today.  Went to the closet and pulled out a pair of capris.  It felt so good!  It really is the little things, isn't it?

Mr. Wilbur has been enjoying the warmer days, only because he and I are out for walks again.  Gramma has been a real wimp this winter.  We are both enjoying the fresh air and the good walks.  And we're both sleeping much better for it!

Out for a stroll on a bright sunny day.  

Wilbur is still very happy to have as much snow as he still does to lay in and munch on.  I have never seen a dog so thoroughly enjoy winter as much as he does.  And the Colder the Better for him!

Papa has been home for his 2nd full week now, after taking a leave of absence from his work.  He will be off for a few months, as he awaits his call in for a surgical procedure, then has his recovery time.  He wasn't sure if he could handle being home full time, but I'm thinking he is really liking it.  We have been having breakfast together and a couple of coffee breaks throughout the day.  He has been puttering and resting when he needs to, then off to putter again.  He isn't standing on a cement floor for hours on end which is certainly helping with his condition!  He has been out in his workshop and prepping in his greenhouse. He has several hundred plants already started.  He is chomping at the bit and ready for spring.

Greenhouse cleaned up and ready for the transplants.  We keep Tomatoes, Peppers and Cucumbers in the greenhouse all season long.  It protects these delicate plants from hail, wind damage, early or late frosts and other unpleasant weather we often experience out here, on the Alberta Prairie. 

Just a few of his plant starts for this year.  :)

The other day, when getting potatoes from the pit, he found a cabbage that he thought we should get used up.  This cabbage had been down there for over 6 months and was as crisp and as fresh as the day he put it down there.  We made coleslaw with part of it and used the rest over the next few nights in a couple of different suppers.  It was awesome!  Who says you can't keep produce over the winter in Alberta!? 

Cabbage from the pit after over 6 months of storage.  Crisp as the day it was put in there.

The cabbage in a stir fry.  Yum!

We ordered this year's chicks this week.  We are hoping to get them in the next week or two.  Our current brood are getting on and it is time to replace our laying hens.  As we had never had layers before, we opted for a hybrid bird for our first run at it, when we purchased this flock 2 years ago.  They have proven to be actually very easy to tend to, but being a hybrid, they will only produce eggs for a couple of years and won't reproduce true.  We do get fertilized eggs from them, but there won't be any sort of guarantee as to what the offspring will be and how those birds will produce.  Already we are experiencing a downturn in egg production [winter months aside] so sadly, it is time to replace them.  They have been bred to produce eggs quickly and don't have a long production time.  We knew up front that we would be lucky to get two years out of them.  Which, is a perfect length of time to make sure you actually want to continue keeping hens for eggs. 

We enjoyed keeping them enough, that we have ordered a heritage breed this time.  The breed we chose is the Barred Plymouth Rock, which is a dual purpose bird.  The hens, when they begin to lay, will lay for several years more than the hybrid birds, just not as often.  We will keep one rooster, harvest the rest of the roosters, when they get big enough and keep the new hens for egg production.  By getting a heritage breed, we will be able to collect their eggs for when we are ready to incubate and hatch our own chicks.  And, by using a heritage breed, we should be able to become self sufficient with our flock.  One more step in our homesteading lifestyle quest.  

They have been a wonderful source of meat, eggs and entertainment with their antics.  Who knew I would get so much enjoyment from chickens?  I never would have called that one, ever! 

In the next few weeks, once the snow is gone and we have pasture again, Papa will buy this year's steers.  We had Herefords last year.  We have tried several breeds over the years and have decided that Herefords are the breed we most like working with.  We have never been disappointed with them.

Studio News:  I got the Story Time quilt, quilted this week.  Now for the label and binding.  It is going to my DIL's daycare for the little ones to sit upon during story time.  I was surprised to find this panel and coordinating fabric in my stash recently.  The coordinating fabric was cut in 1 yard pieces.  I can't remember the last time I had been fabric shopping in the US.  This fabric was probably 10 years old, at the least!  I am happy to say, it has been make into something wonderful and will be enjoyed and happily used at it's final destination.  

Story Time Quilt on the long arm.  I opted for an all over Square meander.  I chose to use Fireside Minkee as a backing and a 100% polyester batting.

The Story Time quilt top, piecing done.  Ready to be quilted. 

I also washed up a rag time quilt this past week.  These quilts are a great way to recycle denim jeans and use up left over scraps from other projects.  I make these for picnics and fire pit use.  I never add batting or a filler for these scrap buster projects as they tend to get too heavy.  Besides, they also tend to get liberated from my house more often than not!  Ha ha ha!  It is wonderful that they are so popular that everyone seems to want one! 

Scrappy Rag Quilt ~ recycled denim backing and two different left over flannels for the top.  All washed and dried and ready to be used.

And, that wraps up this week's high lights.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Until next time!

Gremlynn

Hair Care and Science Fair

Good Morning:

Hair Care:  I have been cutting my own hair for decades.  Not that I haven't had some good hair stylists over the years, it sort of just happened more out of necessity. 

You know when you have a great stylist, and she has a life outside of doing people's hair, then suddenly, she isn't available any more?  She moves, or has a baby, or retires, you know - has a life outside of hair styling. . . . .   And there you are on the hunt.  Again.  Looking for someone who can handle your head and doesn't leave you with something that needs more than the 30 seconds you are willing to commit to maintaining it?  Or gives you a treatment that causes your hair to break off in chunks and leave a right mess behind?  We all have a story.

It was after a particularly bad experience, that I realized that I couldn't do any worse if I had done it myself.  That, and I just got tired of trying to find another new stylist. 

And so, with scissors in hand I began with a simple trimming to clean up some dry ends from the clearly gone wrong treatment and freshen up the bangs.  And it actually looked quite good. 

Then one day, I got really, really brave and went short.  Really short.  I'm talking Uber Short.  And it was liberating. 

No more waiting two weeks for an appointment.  I could trim on a whim.  And so, began my foray into personal hair maintenance.  I always figured that if it was really bad, that it would grow back and I could wear a hat, if need be, until it did.  Saving time and money and I have no one to blame but myself for a bad hair cut! 

Weather Report:  I can't believe that it is still as cold as it is outside.  I read in the paper today that this has been the coldest February in 40 years!  I wouldn't doubt it!  And now that it's March, we actually expected that maybe we would get more seasonable temps, but nope, not yet.  Makes for some pretty guilt free sewing, it does!  Ha ha ha!

Sewing Update:  I have been continuing with the Thread Play on my Alphabet Panel.  It is turning out sew cute!  I have been enjoying the process.  Still don't know if I am going to make it into a wall hanging for my DIL's daycare or as a floor quilt for the little ones to sit on or cuddle with for story time. 

Panel without [left] and with Thread embellishment.  What a difference a bit of thread can make.  Look at the texture!

I recently finished 3 quilts for three young folks.  I didn't want to make a whole, embroidered label for each quilt, so I opted to just make a quick notation right on the binding.  Super easy to do with your sewing machine if you have a built in letter library.  Or do by hand embroidery, after the binding is applied.  Gets the job done in a quiet way.  I believe that it is important to label every quilt to give it a provenance.  It honors the maker and his/her time. 

Sometimes you just don't need a whole quilt label.  An effective way to label your quilt.

Science Fair:  One thing about living relatively close to your grand-buddies, is you get impromptu visits, lots of sleepovers and requests for assistance occasionally.  

Recently our middle grand buddy asked Papa if he could help him with his Science Project.  The theme is Simple Machines.  Of course, Papa would be delighted to help.  So, after a sleepover, the two set upon some brainstorming to come up with a project that said student could design and build himself, with supervision and guidance from an experienced assistant.  

Brainstorming at the kitchen counter.

They explored planes, fulcrums, simple screws, levers and pulleys, among other options.  With much deliberation, our buddy decided on a pulley system.  Off they went to Papa's Workshop to continue with the plan and begin the project.  

I headed out to my studio, figuring that they would be occupied for several hours, then I would head out to check on the progress.  I was just finishing up what I was doing, a few hours later, when the younger of the two comes storming into the studio, wanting to know if I wanted to see what they had made!  

I couldn't believe that they were done already.  This, and I had totally missed it.  I guess it was probably just as well as the two men had a marvellous time cutting out wood, drilling into the bricks, then gluing and screwing it all together.  I would have probably only been in the way anyways.  

They had fun and our buddy learned a lot in the process.  He was so very proud as he had me pull the strings to lift the different bricks and proceeded to explain why they got lighter and lighter with each pulley added.  

Now he just has to write up his report before presenting his project to his class.  He was exceptionally pleased with himself and his project.  And in the Grand Scheme of Things, That is All that Matters.  

Keep warm and enjoy your day!

Until next time,

Gremlynn

Cold Weather Activities

Greetings:

I just saw a screen shot on someone's Facebook page the other day about how cold this February was.  The whole, entire month was in the deep freeze.  We usually get a few cold days, followed by a bit of a respite, then back into the deep freeze and the cycle continues.  This year has been exceptionally cold.  Even for me.  I don't tend to complain about the weather since there is nothing you can do about it anyways.  It is weather, after all.  But, as I write this, I am thankful for the sun streaming into my studio, just not so stoked that it was -35 C again last night.  My winter walks have been sporadic, at best this year.  Not so good for the mental and physical health, but the days are certainly getting longer and now that it is March 1st, the end is in sight.  I think we are all very much ready for Spring.

Speaking of cold, why is it always the coldest day, or night as in this case, of the year that the furnace has to quit, or the septic tank freeze up or the power goes out?  The other night, Papa noticed a faint beeping noise at 2:29 in the A of M. He sat up in bed and asked if I heard it too?  Off to investigate. The gas fireplace was running.  Weird.  It is on a thermostat, but the that is set to 60 degrees Fahrenheit as we don't use it often.  The house was cool, but not cold.  We like our bedroom on the cooler side, so we hadn't noticed the temperature had dropped.  When we built our home, we put it in as a back up heat source.  This is odd.  Off to investigate the heating system.

We have a boiler system that runs glycol, with each section having its own pump.  The one for the furnace suddenly quit.  -45 C with the wind chill and the furnace decided to take a break.  The good news is the fireplace is running, so the house won't freeze up.  The better news is the pump for the hot water and the in-floor heat in the basement are both still working.  He shut off the pump for the furnace for a few minutes to check on something else.  Several minutes later, he flipped the switch to turn it back on.  We went back to bed as there really wasn't anything we could do at this point.  We'll deal with it in the Real morning.  About 5 a.m., I heard the furnace running.  Apparently the pump just needed a break in the extreme cold.  Papa spoke with a plumber buddy later that day and found out it happens occasionally.  Could be anything.  We now have a back up replacement pump.  Just for good measure.  All's well that ends well.

So because of the extreme cold, I have had a wonderful month in the studio.  And in the kitchen.  There's nothing like a good, old fashioned cold snap to bring out the baker in me.

Last January, in 2018, I started a sourdough starter.  Making bread with it has become a bit of a passion for me.  I just love the flavor and texture of this loaf.  The recipe I am using makes a really soft crust, perfect for Papa, as he prefers a soft crust.  This bread keeps well and stays soft where most of the yeast breads I have made over the years need to be used pretty quickly as they tend to dry out.  This one freezes beautifully as well, so it is a great product for us as we don't go through it that quickly.

We were planning a family dinner and I thought a rustic, traditional sourdough loaf might be in order.  Well, I found the most amazing YouTube video on just this.  The channel is "ilovecookingireland".  The baker had some great tips that I had no idea about!  I made up a couple of loaves and am extremely happy with them.  And Papa, who prefers a soft crust, had to admit that this one was pretty fine as well.  Win Win.

Rustic Sourdough Bread in the oven.  It rose up beautifully!

Rustic Sourdough Bread cooling.  The crust is actually darker than the picture shows.

Is there anything finer than fresh bread, butter and jam to have with your afternoon tea?

And the Studio news.  I have been busy making kids quilts as of late.  I am a little behind on a few, so I have used the cold snap as an excuse to get them done.  I love doing kids quilts as they tend to be quick and are always cheery and colorful.  I was also thrilled when putting the binding on one of them, that my almost empty bobbin got the job done.  How often does this happen?  I am usually about 3" too short!  Only a quilter would appreciate this.  Ha ha ha!

Boy's quilt with quilting mimicking the circles in the prints.

Can you believe it!?  This was what was left on the bobbin after finishing the binding!

And the past couple of days have found me snooping through my stash looking for inspiration.  I happened upon an Alphabet panel with some coordinating fabrics.  Cool!  I love embellishing panels with thread play.  It really kicks them up a notch. 

Several years ago, when I had my shop in town, we had a threaducator come out from Wonderfil Threads for one of our Demo Days to teach those who attended how to embellish with threads.  It was a great day and I, among those who attended, really took a lot away from it.  

You start with a panel or really any fabric print that you want to decorate, and press it well.  Cut an appropriate sized piece of medium weight interfacing to put underneath.  Bobbin weight thread in the bobbin, an embroidery needle in your machine - my favorite is Schmetz 90/14 Gold Embroidery, some fun threads in different weights and play with some of those fun stitches on your sewing machine.  I have a little Flower that I love to use and a French Knot, as well as a triple stitch.  The process is very therapeutic.  Very Zen and meditative.  And the end result is show stopping.  It is one of those processes that you don't want to be in a rush to do.  Just enjoy the process and the rhythm of your machine.

Thread Play on a Pre-Printed Panel.

Until next time, have a great day and Sew On & Sew On!

Regards,

Gremlynn