Fixin' and Paintin'...

Pansies have such
 cute little faces!

Two beautiful days in a row - the 70's in MN the end of April is just the best!  Good for our souls here where we usually have 6 months of winter!

We've been on a buyin' binge which is so much fun but reality hits and we have to fix and paint the treasures we find.  Sometimes it just takes me forever to get going - just get off my chair by the computer and go out the door and across the driveway to the carport area where I work on my stuff.

So I began today to look again at what needs what and what color it should be.  Once I slap some paint on something - I get the bug and actually its so much fun to change the look of something.  Of course then both Hubby and I feel like the object is ours and we can elaborate on embellishments to give it some of our personality.  Scary...

Here's a before and after of a little metal table we got last night:




Cute!

CUTER!!!

I couldn't get a good picture - the sun and gloss of the paint kept shining through!

This is the cupboard/hutch I got this weekend:

As you can see, the top is on its side but won't it be cool
 when I paint it - maybe red instead of vivid coral!!!

I will use my new sprayer on this project - its not huge but big enough!  We're pretty sure its a marriage of two different pieces but its way interesting.  The top does fit in a groove that runs along the back of the bottom piece.

Tomorrow we are on another buying trip - be still my heart!  My friend always has fantastic stuff!!!

I'm bound and determined to get my quilt camp stuff put away tonight but boy, could I take a nap.  Lots of fresh air today.  I need to plant my pansies tomorrow too.  Thought I would plant them in one of my vintage wheelbarrows...its in the shade part of the day so they should thrive even in summer.  They will live with the dianthus that made it through the winter in the wheelbarrow in the shadow of my crab apple tree.

Dianthus are so pretty and smell so good!
They are like mini flat carnations!

Take care,

Bonnie

Stitchin' Chicks Quilt Camp April 2012

The end of another successful quilt camp.  5 days and 4 nights of creativity and laughter and good eats!  Even though I had thought I would be learning more about my embroidery machine (machine needed to be repaired), I finished many projects and received orders to make more things.

It is amazing to spend almost a week with friends from all over the area.  The sharing of ideas and techniques is so much fun...some of the same stories are told at every camp and we laugh just as hard each time.  Now this time we've had vigorous discussions and they haven't been about politics because we can't go there and keep peace.  So day 2 was differences of opinions on TV shows, day 3 might have been book favorites or not, and then day 4 - can't remember - symptoms of this age I've reached.  But we know that nothing that is said will change our minds anyway!!!

So in an hour its back to normal life...tomorrow I get my sewing machine out of hock or the hospital.  Going 60 miles to pick it up means I get to shop at T.J. Maxx and eat at Panera.  Yay!  That would be my reward for making that trek.

Now its time to get very serious about getting those Farmgirls Country Sale projects created, fixed, painted, and priced!

Hope you are beginning a wonderful week!

Take care,

Bonnie

Making Flower Embellishments...

This fabric is a poly knit and from my Mom's stash.
I never thought I'd find a use for it but I love polka dots
 and my Mom so I hung on to it.
I love to know that my Mom bought it and touched
it as I form it into flowers for my projects.
I will make a flower for my girls and for my sister as a remembrance,
Lesson:  Don't be too quick to get rid of stuff!

I have a difficult time not making crafts in a production line.  I have learned not to make 12 of everything I make but I just decided that mass producing embellishments is okay.  Well – according to my rules its okay.

On Wednesday, I leave for Stitchin’’ Chicks Quilt Camp again – YAY!  Last Tuesday I took my sewing machine in for its annual check up.  It’s been a year in my custody so it needed a good cleaning and tune up.  Or so I thought…come to find out it was more serious than that.  The patient is still at the hospital awaiting a transplant/part.  So when I couldn’t make her free motion quilt, it wasn’t operator error.  It would be comforting to find that out except I need to have her home to take her with me on Wednesday!!! 

I digress…anyway while I wait for the call to retrieve her; I have taken over the kitchen island again where I am getting ready for camp.  It’s time to cut that perfectly lovely fabric into little pieces so I can sew them back together again.  When I’m not being destructive, I am making embellishments for things I will be making next week.

Flowers are flowing from my hands…

The round rosettes are coiled strips and then glued to a circle of canvas.
I will use these on the top of one of my ruffled totes.



This is the process I use when making the open roses...
cut a 3" or 4" strip, fold in half, run a gathering thread along open edge,
and then gather, twist and secure with stitches or glue on a canvas or felt circle. 
I add a pin back so they can be removed and worn separately.  Wa la!!!

I bought a painter’s drop cloth to cut into totes and other things like journal covers and may use it to reupholster a chair or two.  So much to do and only 6 weeks left until our June Farmgirls Country Sales!!!

So back to the production line…

Take care,

Bonnie

Life Takes You To Unexpected Places…

Love brings you home! 

I have wanted to put words to walls for quite some time.  To say the least I have an eclectic home…which means I have lots of stuff in every room.  I needed a place that didn't look too busy already.

One day when I was ordering something at Amazon for a friend, who doesn't compute, I found this saying made by Wall Decor Plus More.  Ok - I had to have it!

It was pretty easy to put up and
I didn't really need the masking tape!

Our little entry vestibule with an old painted mirror seemed like the place for this wonderful saying.  It seems like the perfect place…so you see it leaving home and coming back!  I angled it because I like things angled.

I love, love, love it!!!

I embroidered quite a few towels recently and now I’m going to my sewing room to embroider the edges…I had hoped to sew rick rack to the edges but my edging didn’t match the Turkey red thread I used so I’m doing a decorative stitch with matching thread to finish off the towels.

We‘re praying for the Texans who are under tornado watches today...my friend, Steph, posted some pictures and the skies looked very angry.  We sure hope there are no lives lost.

Take care,

Bonnie

Just a Simple Table Runner...

I really am finishing a project a day but not getting the post/pictures up!  While this is a Christmas runner, I will be making more for spring.  I bought this kit a few months ago and dragged it to a couple quilt camps and got it completed at our last quilt meeting.  It takes very little sewing time and turns out pretty cute - right?

I'm going to make one similar to this one using non-holiday fabric but with the typewriter key theme.  Love those typewriter keys whether in fabric prints or charms for jewelry.

This runner is about 40" long so its a nice length to display holiday or spring tablescapes!

I wanted to paint today with my new sprayer but that didn't happen...maybe on Sunday.  "My Girls" and I are going to our annual WOW weekend at the AmericInn in No. Branch.  WOW stands for Women Only Weekend.  This is our third year and it seems like all three of us look forward to this time together...no hubbies, no kids and no job interference!!!  Just girl talk, shopping, laughing and of course, good food!  Yay!

Take care until next week!  I'm outta here!

Bonnie

You Just Can't Have Too Many Totes!

I've seen this kind of tote in many blogs and on Pinterest.  I had these ruffled trims left from my shop years ago so I thought I'd make my version of a ruffled tote bag.

I almost sold it before I got a picture of it so I could show you!  I'm thinking I will make more for our June sale!  Just kind of a summery addition to your spring/summer wardrobe.

And would it really hurt to HAVE to buy a new outfit to go with your new tote?

Enjoy your day - we are enjoying such extraordinary weather!  I hope July isn't 108 degrees...

Take care,

Bonnie

Old Spoon Pinkeeper

Sometimes an idea lays around for a while before it is acted on by this Farmgirl.  I have been in love with old silver and silverware my whole life.  One of my prized possessions is my Mom's silver Cracker Keeper.  It has been in her family for probably 100 years.  I feel so lucky to be the caretaker of this family heirloom.

I digress...anyway I have been making necklaces and wind chimes from old silverware for a while now.  In reorganizing my sewing room, I uncovered another silverware idea!



A nice old spoon, an oval cutout (stuff it!),
and a little doily (kinda hard to find so I crocheted my own!)

So cute and handy!

It's a pretty simple project.  It has good weight to it and sits quite nicely on the arm of a chair or where ever you may do your handwork.  Wouldn't it be an lovely gift if you use one of Grandma's spoons? 

Take care,

Bonnie

It's a Miracle!

I haven't posted on this blog for so long and people are still reading my old blogs!  When I couldn't get into this blog a while ago, I created a new one...Meandering...My Journey.  Today I finally figured out what was wrong with my computer, fixed it and now I can get back into this one as well as my newer one.  I have a difficult time getting one blog post created but I'm going to try to treat each blog differently and see what happens. 

I haven't thought this process through yet but it intrigues me.  Right now my thought is this one will be for talking and thoughtful words.  My other blog will be craft/business focused.  We'll see.

Well - I've been so stressed today with my computer stuff that I'm too tired to evaluate much more!  I'll be back to straighten things out.  You'll be the first to know what will be where!

Yay!!!

Kitty observing Condor coming right at her!
Kinda how I felt while I tried to figure out
 why my computer hated me!!!

Take care,

Bonnie

Decorating the Outside!!!

Today seemed like a good day to finish decorating so I put on my winter coat and braved the cold winds! 

We have Juniper, Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce, Norway Pine, White Pine, Jack Pine, and Arborvitae in our yard.  So I began my pruning adventure and lopped off lower branches where I could and thinned the others like the Spruce where I could just take a piece of a layer.  I just gather what I like and start arranging in my window boxes and my wheelbarrows.  I still had a small stash of winterberries from our Christmas sale - I love the little touch of red!

Our little Christmas doggie in the window!

Love the old bird houses...sometimes a bird will come
 and visit but won't move in!

Even gargoyles get some decorations!

and our Christmas goose nests in one of my old wheelbarrows

I wonder how long before he gets covered in snow!

Now I feel better - I almost ran out of time to get this project done.  No snow in the forecast so my family will be able to see my little outside vignettes on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas to all!

Bonnie

A Few Vintage Quilts...

Today is the first day of real snow at our house.  We probably got 10 inches.  So Mr. J spent a lot of time snow blowing our driveway and of course, a path to the new barn.  I haven't quite wrapped things up in there yet - takes me a while to get back out there after our intense days surrounding our sales.  But it is supposed to warm up this week with Thanksgiving being about 52 degrees!  So that will be very nice for every one who is traveling to a great dinner some place.

A while ago I decided I would feature my vintage quilts on my blog.  So I took a picture of four of them.  I'm not sure that this is the best way to show them but for now I will show you how I display them in my home.

MY hubby makes these quilt ladders and supplies a local shop.  I love them because I can take them out of the quilt cupboard and display them a little better.  It's always good to unfold and refold quilts differently so they don't develop permanent lines that will weaken them.   

I bought all of these quilts on ebay sometime in the early 2000's.  They are all forties quilts except for the red and white one that is a variation of a Red Cross quilt that was given to soldiers returning from WWI by the Red Cross c. 1920.  I'm not sure of the names of the patterns but the red and white is a diamond in a square.  I had this quilt appraised and the appraiser called it an economy patch variation - I like diamond in a square better.

The top quilt is a four pointed star and the fabrics are so interesting - some large prints and others are smaller - visually very interesting.

The third one down on the ladder is some kind of Dresden Plate I think - I can't find it anywhere in my quilt books.  Again the fabric is wonderful and the old green and lavender colors in the appliqued circles are bright and light up a dark room.  I've heard that is why those colors were used.  The lighting wasn't very good in the olden days and those quilts really brightened a room. 

The aqua and white is a nine patch and snowball combination.  This was a top that I bought and had quilted.  The fabric is very crisp and has a bit of a shine like a polished cotton.  My favorite green color - it was called a mint but is a little duller than mint I think.

I will add more quilts to this blog as I research them a little more.  I have to figure out how to hang them up so the whole quilt can be appreciated. 

I do love my quilt collection.

Bonnie

New Blog

Because I can't view my current and past blogs, I've created a new blog called, Meandering...My Journey at http://www.bbonnieblue2.blogspot.com/

So I hope you join me over there - I'd hate to lose you!!!

We'll see if this works, no other fixes have worked!

Thanks and I hope to see you soon!

Bonnie

P.S.  Brother - all of a sudden my posts are visible to me again.  After I created another blog...go figure.  Well - I guess I will try and keep posting on both for now and see what happens next!!!

Irony...

Somewhere is hiding my last post...can't view it - can't feature it on Facebook.  Hmmm...so I'm trying again on a different subject.  Never mind - I think I tricked Blogger and it finally published and I couldn't Preview but caught the address and was able to get it on Facebook!!!  You have to be conniving I guess.  We'll see how this one goes or if it goes!!!

Anyway after I got home from my 5 day quilt retreat last Monday - Yay!  5 days!!! - Hubby announced - the bath tub is completely plugged up and the heat doesn't come on. 

So workpeople were here last Monday cleaning, unplugging and tearing down the furnace.  Good news is - floors, etc. are clean and tub drains.  Bad news...furnace will be costly to repair so we opted to replace.  Darn! 

When "they" talked about the opportunity to replace, "they" commented that it would only take a day.  Now "they" are telling us how busy "they" are and it might be sometime this week.  Urghh...

Running electric heaters = costly.  Not running electric heaters when its 40 - 50 degrees = chilly.

So all last week no heat at home but we had hot water that drained down the drain in the tub.  Yay! 

We planned a weekend at the lake to go to Oktoberfest at Ruttger's.  The festival was great - so many vendors selling so many crafts.  No really many funky Christmas things though, which is what I was looking for.  But at the cabin, we had heat!!!  Yay!  But no hot water...darn!..until Saturday night and we went home Sunday morning.

Irony.  Off to cuddle with Hubby and Honey for warmth.

Take care,
Bonnie

Hello! I'm back!!!

Oh well - its been a few weeks since I've posted something - anything!  I guess I've been on sabbatical. 

I did participate in a five - yes, 5 day quilt retreat!  It was so much fun.  Usually we go for four days but we extended our October retreat.  Yay!

My little great granddaughter is one year old today!  So while at quilt camp I made her a couple of things.  I made her pillow case and bag that match the quilt I made her when she was born...remember the Crawling Baby quilt with the matching diaper bag.  I made her a little fabric ball too with kitties peeking out for her to see.  And you never have enough catchall's for sewing stuff so this little item wraps a coffee cup and is so handy!

Tote with matching pillow!

Raggy ball and sewing catchall!

This Halloween wallhanging has been in the works for a couple of years now...so I completed it - finally!!!  Now to find a place to hang it up for the next week.  It was so much fun to make but I never got it quilted and bound until this weekend.  Walla - fini!

Crazy Halloween wallhanging made with a charm pack!

There were a couple of other things I completed and a couple of things I almost completed.  Always a stack of UFO's - I find that comforting...never bored, always something waiting for me.

Now to get ready for our Holiday Sale Nov. 11 and 12!

Take care,
Bonnie