Always Something

Ha! The city recently changed the zoning regs and we can now raise chicken! The bummer is that rabbits have been thrown into the same mix. On our lot size we can raise a total of 8 chicken, rabbit or combination thereof. I have wanted my own chicken for the last...well...probably around 24 years. Okay, most of my life. :-) Today, I bought 4 chicks. They are all supposed to be female but I wouldn't be surprised if one ended up being a rooster.
All 4 are different breeds and all 4 have names. Now we're gearing up to look for a couple laying hens and I'll probably purchase a few more chicks "just in case".
Isn't this such a sweet face. So feminine.

She's a keeper

On Wednesday evening, late evening...oh say 9pmish Emma engages me in a little conversation. I was sitting at the sewing machine fixing up a dress. It's one of those that is mostly done at the fabric store where all I have to do is sew it closed, hem it and add straps or sleeves. She's decided it's her Strawberry Shortcake dress. At any rate, our conversation goes something like this:

Em: "Mommy? Are you a good Mommy?"
Me: "I don't know Emma. What do you think?"
Em: "Yeah, you're a good Mommy. You make me happy and excited."

At that moment I stopped sewing, gave her a peck realizing that my heart had just melted yet again and decided that she was most definitely a keeper.

Where's my Whimsy?

Last Saturday, in the midst of food born illness, I treated myself to a jelly roll of Whimsy. Believe me when I say treat. In general I buy most of my fabric from Joann's as 9.50+ a yard for fabric is above my budget. At any rate, yesterday evening I opened up my jelly roll and began piecing together a new quilt. Just something kind of unplanned. I LOVE the whimsy line. I had all of my strips divided into light and darks and had them sitting across a chair. This evening when I came back into my sewing/computer/classroom to begin working on my blocks, to my dismay ALL of the dark strips are missing. All.of.them! My husband and I have gone through the entire 1200 sq ft of this house trying to find them. The neighbors probably think I was extremely weird when I was outside with a flashlight going through the garbage can.
I asked the kids about the missing fabric and was informed that Jonathan couldn't have done it because he was working on the truck with his Dad. Emma didn't do it either because she was watching a movie. That left the dog who said "grrrr" and ate them.
Seriously, I'm fighting tears. I've been in an emotional way and this is the icing on the cake. My whimsy is missing.

ETA: It's now morning and all is not lost. Whimsy? Hiding in the darkest corner of my room under my pajamas which I tend to keep in a basket. Go figure.

Honey

Meet Honey. This little Scotty is on her way to TN as a birthday gift. She'll guard, snuggle and care for a little girl that I'm too far away to do in person. Happy 1st little miss Ella. xoxoxo

Pattern courtesy of Allsorts

Happy Camper

Happy Camper. Yep. That's what I am. My "On the Road to Spring" (button on the sidebar) is finished. My left thumb has been pricked way too many times but it doesn't matter. Anything for love right...or an obsession right? I'm so happy with the simplicity of this quilt and finally figuring out how to have a nice smooth binding. Can't wait to spend an evening in our Serro Scotty, reading a book and snuggled up in the blanket. Too bad she won't be road worthy until next year. Until then, I'll sit under the blanket working on a sock or some other bit of stitchery all the while dreaming of being out in the woods.

Binding

I've always been disgusted with the binding job I do on the quilts. I may be perfectly
happy with the quilt itself but somehow the binding has been...less than satisfactory. I am SO glad that I decided to join the Road to Spring quilt along (button on my sidebar) because I finally got it! I saw what binding was supposed to look like and how to go about doing it. Sure it takes time but there is nothing like recovering on the couch from food sickness with a husband waiting hand and foot on you all the while staying warm from the quilt your are binding. In the end you have a special bond with the quilt. A little more love was stitched into it. I do believe binding is now my favorite step rather than dreaded. I'll be sad to leave this quilt behind but will have a fondness for it knowing that it was my "first". It is the one that finally has it all (I'm ignoring the bad stitching length on the quilting bit and telling myself it will look much better once washed and crinkled a bit).

Lost

Somehow I managed to lose a month. I've been keeping busy although not busy enough. Over the last month I finished Jonathan's birthday quilt (pictured above) and completed a quilt top for the "Road to Spring" quilt-a-long. My husband thinks the quilt is a bit busy and while it may be, I love all the little bits of "camping" from the fabric line. It reminds me all the time that summer is on it's way. :-) Speaking of summer and camping, we have a super fun new-to-us project. More about that later. Let's just say my mind has been all over the place decorating this thing with fun vintage finds (so they haven't been found yet) and color schemes. It's my "someday farm".