The Birds...

Fall is only a day or so old but the birds have been gathering for the better part of a month now.  It's the first sign for me that summer is coming to an end and my favorite time of the year is beginning.  Hopefully, fall will last a long time - well, we know that won't happen but I can dream, can't I???

My friend came to visit the other day...her favorite color is orange so I think fall is her favorite time also.  Right before she got here, I heard this tremendous noise - squawking to be more accurate.  I looked out the window and the tree was alive with blackbirds and they were making their voices heard!

Look at all the noisy birds!!!

Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds (1963), forever impacted my life and influenced my fear of millions of squawking birds...I fear they will attack me and so I stayed in the house until they flew away in silence.  I will forever remember the look on Tippi Hedrin's face when the birds attacked her.  (big shiver...)

Otherwise, I love fall - the flutter of the falling leaves, pumpkins, farmer's markets and the crunch of acorns.  Time to go for a drive and see the beautiful colors of the trees...

Take care,
Bonnie

Wrapped Coaster Tutorial

I love making stuff out of unusual things like clothesline!  So today I thought I would show you how to make a set of coasters using clothesline and fabric.  I  have been making bowls, purses, hot pads and coasters using It's a Wrap by Susan Breier, for a few years now.  She has written a second book, It's A Wrap II.  I find it so relaxing to make these items - I think you will too once you make a couple of coasters. 

Supplies for 4 coasters approx. 3 3/4" - 4" dia.:
1/4 yd. fabric (I used Batik fabric)
approx. 16 ft. of cotton clothesline
pins
thread
sewing machine with a zigzag

1.  Cut about eight 7/8" strips across the width of the fabric - selvage to selvage. 
2.  Cut four lengths of clothesline 48" long.  You can vary this length depending on how large you want your coasters.  Double the recipe and make hot pads!

To begin this project, pull out the middle fibers of the cord and cut off about 1". 
Pull the outer fibers back over the inner core.  This helps taper the end of your cord.

Begin to wrap the clothesline with a fabric strip, overlapping fabric as you wrap, holding the strip 1/4" above and behind cord at the angle in picture.  Begin wrapping so you can fold the extra fabric over the top edge of the cord - see picture.  I pin the end and continue to wrap the cord with fabric until about 1 1/2" of fabric is left.

This is my setting for the zigzag stitch - Susan suggests a 1/4" zigzag. 

Begin coiling wrapped clothesline and secure with a pin.  Make sure its as tight a coil as you can make.  I wrap the entire fabric strip down around the cord using tension to keep it tight and secure with a pin once in a while.  This will take some practice but it will be obvious if the fabric isn't wrapped tight enough.  Some people use glue to secure it in places but it isn't necessary - just work with tension on the fabric as you wrap, securing it with a few pins.

Place the coil under a see-through presser foot if you have one and zigzag across it to secure the middle.  Note that the cord is always to right of the foot. 

Begin zigzagging between cord edges, securing one side of cord
 to the other as you keep turning the coil. 

I line up the middle red line of the foot between the cords as per picture.

When you need to add a strip, lay it behind the attached strip.  I pin it together on a diagonal and continue to wrap the rest of the cord.  Secure fabric at the point of adding a new strip and then once every 6" or so with a pin.

Continue zigzagging until there is about 2" of cord left...trim the inside cord fibers as you did in the beginning, then continue to wrap 1/2" or so over the end of the cord and trim off the rest of the fabric.

I use a pin to hold the tapered end to the coil as I sew and then zigzag around the outside edge of the coaster to finish the edge.  Make sure you catch the very edge of the tapered end but if there is a little fabric not caught in the stitches, just carefully trim off the extra. 

This is a good beginning project - I like making smaller projects when I'm learning a new technique.  It's a good way to find out if you want to make more!  I like using batiks...the thread count is higher and the fabric frays less.  The last step is to trim threads if you want to, otherwise leave them for a rustic look.

I think you would enjoy this craft and It's A Wrap by Susan Breier has other great examples to inspire you!

Take care - let me know if you have questions!

Bonnie 

Old Friendships...

Today I spent three hours with old friends.  You know those friends that you laugh so easy with, that you reminisce about old times with and that you never want to leave.  Twenty five years melted away and we were young again, reliving those happy, overwhelming, and loving days.

Together we raised our kids, sang around campfires (one even melted a tennis shoe that got a little too close to the campfire), went to family camp, taught Sunday school together, wrote Vacation Bible School curriculum (from scratch), shared recipes, made crafts except for Carol (now she's scrapbooking!) and supported each others dreams. 

Today family pictures were passed around and new ones were taken at the restaurant halfway between.  I miss them already...it was difficult to say goodbye.

Stay in touch and cherish your friends,

Bonnie

She Lived Each Day...

The only picture I have of Bev - this one shows her concentration to the minutest detail.  It's how I remember her walking around the barn matching the colors - creating her "visions" as she called her little vignettes.  (She'd probably hate this picture but I love it!)

Bev was a quiet person filled with dignity and creativity.  She worked with us at Farmgirls diligently, loving each minute she spent in the barn.  We had to remind  her to go home but she always stretched the time limit we gave her.   One day she said to me, "Okay, Mother!" in her soft manner and laughed.  She gave and got lots of hugs.  I last saw her a week ago today - she was in so much pain but still hoped to fly to the UK but only if she felt better.  It was not to be.

Bev lost her battle with cancer today.  The news hit us hard...she worked with us to set up the sale only a week and a half ago.  How can it be that she is gone so quickly?  Her hope was to fly to London to see her new grandbaby last Tuesday but pain sent her to the hospital.  And then life support and now she is on her way to a better place without pain and no more chemo.  Her body and soul fought until it could fight no more.

We already miss you, Bev.  You taught us many things about living and decorating and patience and determination and friendship.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you, your family and friends.

Take care,

Bonnie
  

Like I Really Need to Begin Another Project!!!

Some days it seems like I am in school again...only now I'm sitting in front of  my computer following crafty blogs and Pinterest getting ideas and learning the latest techniques.  It's just like magic...you only have to search and you will find!!!

I've been wanting - really wanting - an old dress form.  I made the mistake of ordering a new one from Joann's and when it came, it was red.  Now I might do a redo but right now I have another idea from a great site The Polka Dot Closet.

I ordered two forms and stands one Sat. and they arrived the next Friday!  Then I got out the Mod Podge and printed some sheet music that I had stamped with cool stamps on calligraphy paper.  Then I tore the paper up and coated the back of the paper first and then pieced it on my form.  I put a coat of Mod Podge all over the form and before it dried I applied a coat of Walnut Ink to age it.  The calligraphy paper helped give it an aged look and the ink finished it off wonderfully.  I am pleased with my first project of this size.

So easy and not that messy! 

I'm going to change the lace on the bottom
 but otherwise I think its so cool!

So now I have one for sale that I'm using to display jewelry and the other one I will do for myself.  I'm thinking of using sewing patterns that I stamp with fun stamps.  Maybe I will do prairie points along the bottom - showing off my quilting skills.  Well - they aren't very difficult but will look cool if I use the right fabrics.

That's all for today, folks!  Doing a little gardening, went to a few sales and decided which treasures to paint or Mod Podge or chalk paint or.... 

Never a dull moment but we are still tired and recovering from our fantastic sale this past weekend.

Take care,

Bonnie

A Winning Week!!!

What a great couple of days we spent out in the barn...not only was the sale a huge and I mean, huge success but the day was filled with laughter and friends and just good fun.  Both days the weather was gorgeous - not too hot or too humid.  A few rain drops today but the rain didn't even cover the sidewalk in front of the barn.

And now I have my favorite uniform on - a light quilted vest and a light flannel shirt.  I love the coolness of the air tonight - it will be good sleeping tonight after a couple of weeks of long days of moving furniture around and walking many miles back and forth between our pole barn, house and new barn getting things ready for the sale.

I have to say that we have the nicest, funniest customers.  Some come from as close as across the road and some travel miles to see us.  Two new friends stopped in on their way from Superior, WI to shop in St. Cloud, MN.  We just happened to be between the two cities.  Yay!  What fun ladies - we hope to see them again soon!  Superior is approximately 90 miles from here!

We must celebrate one of the accomplishments of one of our Farmgirls.  Farmgirl Barb won the Gedney Pickle Sweepstakes prize at the MN State Fair this week and we sold many jars of her Bread and Butter pickles in the last two days!  Congrats to her!!

My private pickle stash!

So all in all - we are celebrating our successes and resting up for a few days.  And then we begin again - the hunt is on for more items to get ready for the October sale.  Hey - I thought we were retired!

Take care,

Bonnie

A September Sale!!!

Nothing starts off a new month like an occasional sale in the country!!!  We beat the heat this time...the crew got everything arranged and beautiful yesterday missing the heat and humidity today.  YaY!

I took a couple of pictures to show you - its so fun to decorate in the fall!  The colors are so warm and fun.

An oak corner cupboard with great fall wreath
 made on a picture frame!

The fall harvest table including homemade pickles!!!

A great find - a waterfall bedroom suite - so sweet!

Well - I still have a few things to finish before I can go to bed.  The sale begins at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning - supposed to rain until noon.  How ever could we have a Farmgirls Country Sale without rain????

Take care,
Bonnie