My First Quilt

      Over a year ago, like 2 years ago, I bought a Mennonite home ec book to learn to sew.  Sewing machines were giant evil monsters with giant evil fangs to me.  This was mainly due to never really having a good and proper lesson, and having a broken machine.  (pun intended) Sew, when dad bought me a used machine b/c the older one wouldn't work, I decided to try and learn again, as it wasn't broken that I could tell.  I read and followed the first book to make my first project, a small and simple quilt.

 Here is the square

       It's a log cabin design.  Each fabric is sewn to the previous and cut in a mathematical sequence allowing for quick and easy assembly without having to check oneself every stitch.  It was so easy, I got to where I enjoyed it a great deal and would spend hours at a time in the craft room with TV playing on my Kindle just sewing away.
     
 I placed all the squares out, asking Arlis for his advice.

It's good I did ask for his advice.  I rotated each piece one rotation and went to the next.  This turned out to be...

 See it?  Look closer-it's a swastika.

 Arlis, "So, this book is Mennonite?  And therefore German?  And you're blonde?  Bwa ha ha haaaaa!!!"  All jokes aside, I took his design advice, and did the following.  I also sewed four more squares.

 And then four more.  Some of the squares were different sizes, and there are tucks and creases where I lined up the strips.

 I wasn't about to pay for batting, and my wool needed carding.  A carder wasn't in the budget just yet.  But a huge amount of really thick felt like material went on sale for $1.50 a yard.  I bought a BUNCH!

And then sewed it to the back of the quilt.  It was very difficult to do this as the material was stretchy.  It turned out uneven.  But only if you look for it.  I made this to be used, not framed.

 I used mom's quilt hoop to comfort knot the quilt.

 I used matching colored threads for the knots, which I just happened to have.  That was cool.  It also turned out to be geometrically perfect, even cooler.  You can see how you just make loops or sew from each place to the next making sure two strings in each area are about a half inch apart or so.  Each knot area needs to be about 3 inches apart or so.

 You then cut through each loop or straight stitch.  (Don't forget the other side)

 And then tie a square knot on BOTH sides.  Here you can see how it all matched up.

 Here is the back side.  See how it's all geometrically cool and stuff?

 DONE!

 I had plenty of fabric left over, so I wanted to make pillow cases.  After much debate, we decided to go with accent pillows instead of cases.  I changed the square pattern to make it look better as a single.  The pillow was a project in the second book.  It's a cover over a basic stuffed pillow.  Arlis, "It even has snaps and everything."  I was real proud of myself.

 And here it is all together.  I'll make a second pillow once the chickroom becomes my craftroom again.  Dad used the quilt and said it was fine, but he did need an extra blanket.

     I went through a bunch of thread, bought a bunch of new things, and had to take my new/old machine in to get repaired.  But I now feel pretty good with a machine.  I've learned to basic sew, roll cut, comfort knot, and when to give up and take the machine in.  I have a self-healing mat with a roller and a new pair of shears.  It's a real shame that I bought all the good stuff after I cut all the quilting strips out and wound up with crooked stitches and different sized squares, but the point of this exercise was to learn after all.

Here's Your Sign-take 2

I already have the next post planned, just not finished. So I thought I would post another-humorous-list of events from work.

Questions and events that ACTUALLY HAPPENED at work.  (If you don't know where I work, you might not find it humorous.  Suffice it to say, we are open 24/7/365 and I work electronics mainly)

(Call in) "Will you be there tomorrow?"
              "Me specifically, or someone in general?"
              "Yeah.  Are you open tomorrow?"
               "Yes...Yes we are."

"Would you hold these while I go do some more shopping?"

An individual that is...let's put this delicately...hyper "I need to get all this now.  I'm going to rehab in 12 days.  They won't let me in the army otherwise.  I mean, I'm not a druggie or an addict or anything, I got hit by a grenade and so I have to go to rehab.  I'm annoying you now aren't I?  I'll go."  Leaves and comes back.  "Can you watch this for me?  I have to go do some more shopping?"  This person left merchandise on my counter, visited several departments and made several different purchases.  He refused to use just one register.  I personally checked him out more than once and carried his merchandise to a separate register so that he could buy it all at once where I was told that he needed to buy it at my register because it had to be separate.  He bought 2 phones, had a new one in his pocket, and I really don't know the rest.  I think I've blocked the memory.

Upon seeing a Clearance balloon floating on the ceiling over the wheelchair stall in the bathroom, I went to look.  I cannot describe what I found.  One colleague described it as "Someone missed."  Another as "It looks like one of your cows has been in there."  It was a bit grainy in appearance and HUGE.  Oh, and not where it should be.  This became the sight-seeing tour of the work place.  Men were venturing into the ladies' room to see the sight of amazement.  I laughed at one coworker's reaction so long and hard I cried for half an hour.  The cleanup man started to vomit, and to prevent further mess, a different man had to clean it up.  I've heard there are now pictures of this event.  If I find them, I'll let you know.

"Will my kid's friend like this?"

 "Do you have that thing on TV?"  This question is asked VERY often.
"What thing in general?"
"You know, it's on the TV."

"Do yuns have that yarn that yuns make scarves from?"  (one of my personal favorites)
"You're going to have to be a little more specific."
"Well, you were out the other day.  Do you have it in now?"
"Um...we have several different types.  Could you describe it a little maybe?"
"The one you were out of.  If you go out there and there's an empty spot, then that's it."

"If I bring back my TV, can I get it at the sale price?  Because it wasn't that cheap when I bought it."

Here's your sign.

My drive to work

My drive to work one cold morning.  Normally, it's much better than this, and I have often wanted to leave really early and pull over to take pictures but never have.  So bare in mind this is while driving....rather fast I might add...

Click on a photo to get the full size if needed.

 How many hay bales does that bus eat each year?!

 Now there's a fun driveway-yeesh!  (On the left)

 This is one of the really pretty spots.  Naturally, there are no icicles to speak of today.  You can still see a pitiful few though.  On pretty days, you see waterfalls and HUGE amounts of icicles.

 Some weird growth I've often wanted to explore in someone's pasture.

 Cattle trail to the water.

 That brick house is a little out of place here if you ask me.

 These last two are part of the quilt trail.

 

Real Rodeo

As you may know, we went to a rodeo not too far back.  Now, I always thought many of the things done were cruel to animals, and in fact, many people are cruel to animals.  But many parents are cruel to their children, spouses to each other, and owners to pets.  This doesn't mean all parentage, marriages, and pet ownerships should be abolished.  We do not sell animals to those wishing to use them for roping practice.

We went to the Lone Star rodeo.  They were real good to their animals.  There were one or two riders I was unhappy with, but I just didn't photograph them.  To me, showing pictures of cruelty is just as wrong as doing it yourself, even if your agenda is to "educate" the public.  Everyone knows what it looks like and how to stop it by now, so stop pretending and acknowledge that you are only trying to shock everyone else and claim your 15 minutes.  Now-my spiel is over.

There was quite the crowd:

Everyone was waiting for it to start:

The "ringmaster' did a real nice speech about America with a flag procession, and then the riders rode the ring.  I was touched b/c being of a non-traditional religion makes me realize just how lucky I am to be as safe as I am to practice it.

  This real pretty girl did a few stunts:

 I want you to notice something.  Below is a picture of roping calves.  They have been fitted with padding to protect them from rope burns.  Now, rodeo animals are very well taken care of.  It's the idiots that misuse animals in the practicing at home that causes so many of the abused situations.  It is the contestant that smacks his horse or uses a harsh bit, not the industry itself.  In fact, the bulls were obviously very well cared for.  Once a rider was thrown (save one bull), the bull stopped and went away.  They are trained to throw off (not much required there) and then to leave the rider alone.  If I were to go out and get on Fargo right now (it's been done) he would throw me off and then walk away.  It is not mean, it's funny.  This rodeo was a good one.

I got to use my new camera that day.  Some of the pics are blurry b/c I used the high speed sequential setting which made it at 4-5MP, not 14.  The following pictures are just what I believe the best ones to be.

 Yes, these two are out of order, sorry.

Mock Spring

It was but 40 degrees outside, but the sun was shining.  And a few residents were bathing in its welcome warmth.

But that's not what really got me to get the camera out.  I was hanging laundry when I heard an angry hen.

Li'l Hen was pacing the outside of the coop.  Sure enough, there was a line forming.  

Li'l Hen had already laid hers, now it was Silvia's time.

And Speckles was waiting, impatiently I might add, for her turn.  So I went in, put my feet up, unpaused Downton Abbey, took a bite of my stale clearance cookie and a sip of tea.  It was then I heard the "I laid an egg!" cackle of Silvia.  Trust me, it is a loud, unmistakable cackle announcing to the world that a new egg is warm and tasty in a now unprotected nest.
So, knowing what I would find, I took the camera out to find...

 Li'l Hen scavenging cow pies, and...


Speckles taking her turn.  Over a dozen laying boxes and nests and they have to fight over this one.  Weird chickens.

They sure have grown

Remember the chicks?

Those cute little balls of fluff raised by the amazing Delta?

Who grew and grew?

 And then we lost the white one and Delta...

Well now they're grown.  (The white one is Silvia, and the other two are two of the chicks)

And as it turns out, all three survivors were pullets.

And now they're hens.

The two small eggs are from the new hens, and the bigger(normal sized) one is from Silvia.  (They'll get bigger as they get older).  Their eggs are starting to get some color now too, like the Marans girls we had.

So....eggs anyone?