Handmade Diva

I've Gone CRAZY with HAND Embroidery

2011-04-04T23:58:00.003-05:00

Notice the french knots in process.

Off and on, the past couple of months, I decided to sharpen up my embroidery skills.

Went crazy and ordered over 1,500 embroidery floss skeins.(as though I didn't have enough already.)

Being that those skeins will embellish most of my many upcoming future designs, the floss will not sit and collect cobwebs.

Most of these I drew freehand. The above piece is part of the teams' SUNNY project.

Notice the handmade yo-yo sun.

I finally embellished a few crazy blocks that had been sitting around for a while.

There is a small amount of machine embroidery on a some of the blocks.

Can you see the embroidered watermelon in the photo above?? Yes, that IS a watermelon.LOL

I really did freehand dras the star and the tulip below.

Are you able to see the tiny black beads accenting the red zeroes below?

This flower below will become the center of a pocket in an upcoming project.

The flower below will have an appliqued POT. This was my first idea for our SUNNY PROJECT, but then I changed my mind. (a girl can change her mind. I was planning to applique a sun above the flowers.)

I freehand drew ALL of the flowers, and then did HAND EMBROIDERY. (can't you tell?)

Beaded tulip below.

The cat and fish. Such a catch. Will the cat have such luck?

Another crazy that I finally finished.

So I made GREEN Biscuits

2011-01-24T21:53:00.001-06:00

It all began with the dough.

I was in a biscuit making mood, reached into the cupboard, and, guess what was sitting there next to the baking powder!!! (the green liquid stuff )

...so, keeping in mind all the recent talk about the green fellas, I thought that I'd have some fun and create...

...yummy GREEN BISCUITS.

Delicious they were.

The taste is the same as regular homemade biscuits.

They're just GREEN. Want some !!!

It Snowed Here On December 25, 2010

2010-12-25T20:15:00.004-06:00

First, I would like to know WHO bribed the weatherman, in order to get SNOW on Dec. 25 ??

There were light flurries sticking in some spots when I got up this morning. (Oops, I didn't get up until 12:44)

By mid afternoon the ground was about totally covered.

My beautiful summer flowers have withered away.

Yep, that's the same limb that the LITTLE SQUIRREL sat on. (See photo of him on left side of this blog)

Are those chicken footprints??? Hmmnn You might have to be from the farm to answer that question.

The YUCCA enjoyed the snow, I think.

The above photo kinda resemble the moon surface, doesn't it ??

See the squirrel nest in the above photo.

Me thinks that my farm equipment kinda got snowed under.

There's even snow in the chicken fenced area. They took one look outside, saw the white stuff and wouldn't step a foot outside.(they remained in the basement ALL DAY.

It's good that I didn't consider putting clothes outside to dry on the clothesline today.

Those are okra stalks still standing in the snow.

Hedges meet SNOW.

Yucca & Hedges meet SNOW.

Notice how the SNOW sticks on only ONE side of this tree; and collects atop the pole. Interesting weather phenomenon.

Can I get some applause please?? I posted these photos on the same day that they were taken. (an extremely rare event for me) ( All taken on Dec. 25, 2010)

Guess what HEALTHY FOODS I cooked for Dinner Yesterday !!!

2010-11-17T01:47:00.002-06:00

Last night lil ole me got into the baking mood again. This time it was baked yellow apples, and a Tilapia, Cauliflower casserole.

I tasted one of the raw apples from the bag, and was surprised at how sweet they naturally were.

In an effort to continue to respect my waist, I added very little sugar to these. The cinnamon and allspice made them taste "just right".

I made brown rice to go along with the cauliflower.

Did you notice the green onions and cilantro here? Oh boy!!! Good eating indeed.

Are you able to sight the white fish amongst the white cauliflower?? It's there, I promise.

Fresh frozen RAW Tilapia, still bagged.

The backside of the SAME piece of fish.

I think that mine did, after being cooked, have a strong resemblance to the piece on the bag. (does that mean that I'm a good cook?)

I have seen and purchased fresh Tilapia from the Farmer's Market.(still in the skin, guts, etc) The filets shown here are just easier to deal with if your mind is on quilting, sewing, knitting and crochet, and you just want to get dinner finished as fast as possible.(I would rather be crafting, for the most part)

That's my fish story. I hope that you enjoyed it.

I Hand Quilted an Irish Chain Quilt for my Grand Daughter

2010-11-08T00:18:00.007-06:00

Well, finally it's FINISHED.

When her mom told her that the quilt could be an heirloom that she could leave for her children; my granddaughter replied: No, I want you all to bury me with this quilt.

Honestly, that is what she said. She's only 9 years old. We were all surprised that she could think that way, and had become attached to the quilt so quickly.

This was a most soothing job; and the first project that I completed on my new quilting frame.(shown on a previous post)

Actually, the quilt top itself was completed a while ago; and I decided recently to turn it into a quilt for my grand-daughter who most resembles me.

(The other GD will get hers soon.) I completed most of the quilt in my home; but,

after I decided to spend a weekend with them,

and then realized that I would not have the quilting process

finished by the time I wanted to take off towards their home,

I decided to pack up the needles, thread, fabric, and even the sewing machine, and even the chickens,

and did the final completion at their home.

By that point, I really no longer needed the frame, because

I only had part of one border left to do.

So, at their home, I finished the quilting process,

and then sewed the scrappy binding pieces together,

and then sewed the double binding strip around the quilt.

I handstitched the folded over binding around the quilt.

The butterflies and bird were hand embroidered by me.

I hope that you have enjoyed viewing these photos. They were taken late in the evening, and didn't turn out as well as I had hoped for.

Been baking again - Lemon CUPCAKES and a Lemon CAKE

2010-10-03T15:33:00.002-05:00

I admit that I'm a little late in posting these photos, being that I made these goodies a week ago today. -But it's new to you. LOL

I began by setting some of my basic ingredients out to become room temperature. After mixing the ingredients, I realized that I had enough dough to make a few cupcakes as well. I did not use a recipe.

The lemon cake, above, almost done.

The cake is done.

Needless to say, the muffins were super delicious, and didn't hang around for too long. Lets's just say that they were all gone by mid-day the next day. (no, I didn't eat them all)
The cake was, also, delicious. We ate most of it without any topping. (naturally lemon flavored wins)

I'm usually disappointed with store purchased cupcakes; and will be making more of my own.

My new Hand Quilting Frame / Hoop Stand

2010-09-16T00:42:00.001-05:00

I usually handquilt with the "quilt sandwich" placed on my lap. Suddenly, it hit me a few days ago to go and purchase a quilting frame/stand for a, perhaps easier job.

I love to handquilt; and after all these years, my brain just, out of the blue, realized that I needed a frame/stand. I don't have enough room to accommodate the large frame type that would fill an entire room like what my grandmother used to use. I still have very vivid images of hers, and my little self sitting there rocking the needle with her, the grown up.

This frame is very adjustable.

By the way, I took a screwdriver and put all of those sticks and screws together. It was very scarry at first, and my immediate thought was that I would never be able to do it, and that I should just put it aside until I could get hold of my ex-husband, but then...

...the DIVA in me took control, and I realized that I did NOT want to wait for a chance to catch him; and that I would want to throw something on the hoop and give it a workout within the next few days...

...so, I put my smart DIVA brains into action, studied the assembly guide, and , after a few trials and errors, I had the new toy all together. WHOOLA !!!

As shown in the photo above, the hoop size is 18 inches.

Luckily, my brains realized the need for a new toy on a week that Hobby Lobby was offering a 40% off coupon; therefore...

...I printed a coupon; jogged/drove on down to the famous craft store, and picked up the only one that was left. (yes, I did call first to make sure that I could use the coupon, and to know if they had any in stock)

So 99.99 minus 40.00 equals....hmmnnn, you do the math. Did I save a bunch or what???

Yes, by looking at the photo on the box, I was concerned, that the stand might be weak, wobbly and flimsy; and asked the cashier about their return policy just in case. To my surprise, the stand by itself is very structured and strong. Will let you know how it goes when I land my first quilt sandwich in its hoop.

I Made Cinnamon Rolls Last Weekend

2010-08-31T22:36:00.001-05:00

Yes, I love cinnamon rolls; and decided to get into the kitchen this past weekend and cook up a few. Surprisingly, they rose, and came out better than I was prepared for. They are absolutely delicious.

I cooked three, that's right, three cookie sheets full. Shared two with the grands. I look forward to cooking more soon. I made them totally from scratch.

Fresh garden pickings

2010-08-22T18:58:00.000-05:00

I collected these delicious vegetables from my garden recently. They were so fresh and delicious. Everyone should try gardening at least twice. With the right technique, you'll love the results.

This was a delicious and healthy dinner.

2010-08-19T13:53:00.000-05:00

I have got to become better on this blogging thing. Time passes so fast between my blogs. I have every intention to update in a couple days, but before I know it, a week or two or more has passed.

I enjoy blogging; and must learn to do it more often, or- to SLOW TIME DOWN. Hmmnnn. Which feat is the easier !!!

Anyway, the above photo shows a delicious and healthy dinner that I had a few days ago when it was too hot to cook. Loved the broccoli and the sweet and sour chicken. It was better than I had expected; therefore, I had to blog about it. Frozen, but delicious. It was cooked/heated via microwave, of course.

My country VEGETABLE garden Part 2

2010-07-24T18:40:00.003-05:00

Boy, did the week go by fast. My original plan was to add this part 2 a few days later than the part 1 post. Guess I'd better become faster, or something. It appears that a VAMPIRE took a bit out of this tomato. Never mind, he has since ripened. Part is in my stomach; and the other part is in the refrigerator. I cut the vampire area away. (couldn't let a fresh garden tomato go to waste). Will post photos of this tomato in its ripened stage in a later post.

The rain has really helped the garden the past few days.

The barren area above is where the eggplant and a few others did not grow.

I love the look of this little tomato.

For those not familiar with chicken life, when they emit a fresh lose pile, the flies see it as dessert.

I hated using fertilizer, and only applied one application.

Oh, no I don't put grape juice in my garden. Guess what's in that jug ???

My Country Vegetable Garden Part 1

2010-07-14T13:14:00.006-05:00

I did good, well, compared to last year. I planted my garden a few weeks earlier this year than I did last year. I am one of those people whose schedule is so full that I sometimes must make time for the important things.

I hope to get the onion planted this week, provided I'm able to find them. (stashed them somewhere)

This weed reminded me of a corn plant; therefore, I allowed it to grow. (it's an early country life flashback, my grand-dad used to plant corn)

I planted a row and a half of lettuce. Only three survived despite constant watering. Blame it on the drought/lack of rain.

My chickens peck the turnips every chance they get. Don't know who's winning, them or the worms.

Sadly, this sweet pea has died since photoed three days ago. I watered and pampered, still didn't help.

The only surviving pea above is not doing well either.I planted an entire row. They didn't live last year either. Couldn't blame it on the chickens this year, they are fenced; and are only out when I allow them.

The sweet potatoes are growing from cut up sprouted potatoes that I had purchased to cook and eat.

I think that I saw on some cooking show that some cultures cook and eat the leaves. I might look for one of those recipes and try that.(grew up with them and never knew that the leaves were edible) The things that we learn on todays' TV.

I would be totally shocked if these actually produce those round yellow balls before the Fall season.

I planted yellow squash and zuchinni. But these might be cucumbers.(I have a written layout, but didn't reference it for this posting. Oops)

This is the end of part 1 of my garden of 2010. Part 2 is coming shortly, with totally different photos.(but of the same garden)
Oops, I misspelled cantaloupe.

Story of the LEMON TREE and the ants.

2010-07-03T18:49:00.000-05:00

My lemon tree before the dirt transplant.

Oooh. I don't like ants on my plants. A while back, I noticed an increasing number of ants on, in, and around my lemon plant; therefore, I had to take action. This plant was grown from a single lemon seed that I pushed into the soil; having no idea that a plant would actually grow from it.

Ants were on the leaves.

Ants were on the stem.

After removing from bucket, and before the ants dirt was shaken out.

Can you see the ants?

The anty dirt is back on the earth for remixing with "old soil".

With most of the ants shaken out, the plant is laying on the ground, waiting to be planted.

Freshy planted in "new dirt".

A young plant. Yet so many thorns.

I couldn't resist pinching a leaf just to smell that vibrant lemon fragrance.

...and this is the dirt pit that was left after I dug the dirt for the lemon tree.

Lets have WATERMELON but not the seeds

2010-06-25T00:25:00.002-05:00

Well, actually you can have the seeds in this great project. As part of our team's project, we're making watermelon themed items. I decided to make an apron. Ok, I'll admit that I cheated a little; as I used a fabric panel to create my project.

However, I did use my imagination, as I extended the EXTRA LARGE pocket with complimentary red, black and white fabrics.

As you can see in the above photo; I added lining to the pocket for extra durability. The nice apron can be purchased in my QUILT SALAD SHOP by clicking on this link in my Etsy shop. The apron will fit a slim to medium sized adult.

Will be nice for cookouts in any season. Great for watermelon lovers.

That ole puddy cat had an eye out for my girls. - The cat that wanted some chicken.

2010-06-06T00:46:00.003-05:00

A little bit ago, the girls were out for their daily graze, when along came a "wise" ole puddy cat that thought that he/she might try some luck at catching a few larger sized birds. Ah ha.

Well, the girls cautiously ignored that puddy TAT and went about their business retrieving their daily supply of worms/grub.

So after a while, and perhaps after loosing faith, that puddy TAT set his/her eyes on perhaps a rabbit or some other curious interest out in the thickets.

The above photo clearly shows that the girls clearly was not afraid of the TAT/cat.

The moral of the story is: pick on someone who is afraid of you, or worms are more important than fear. LOL

Rhodie is picking fresh grass above.

After the worm/grub findings, the girls bathed, ramshacked my landscaping,

...and then conversed about that awesome partial semi cirle above them.

Hmmmnnn, could that be the moon, or a UFO !!!

Spring was springing in my yard

2010-05-22T21:44:00.003-05:00

I love this ivy.

Oops. I'm a little late in posting these. As they were taken in my yard on March 6, 2010 as spring was springing in my front yard.

The succelents above have grown so much since this photo above.

Shooting myself for taking so long to post these. Can you say "was busy elsewhere" !!

These plants grew beautiful lavendar blooms.

I think the above photo is a wild onion.

**More updates sooner. I promise.**

We really did have SNOW in the Southeast USA this year. Great photos

2010-04-04T23:20:00.003-05:00

These photos are late, but great.

I've been busy trying to get a lot of my raw yarn made into fantastic wearable big rasta hats, so that my yarn supply is mostly depleted by the end of the year.

These photos were taken on Feb. 12, 2010; but I'm just getting around to posting them. Enjoy them.

Perhaps they will give you a cool feeling amidst these rising spring/summer temperatures.

I can't remember how many inches we had, but it stuck on the tree limbs.

My back yard enjoyed the winter wonderland.

Only one of the chicken dared venture out into the "whiteness". The others took a look, said NO THANKS, and turned around. This girl is obviously tasting the snow. (Can't remember her reaction to it)

I hope that all of the cold weather killed most of the mosquitos.

My wonderful landscaping went to the snow.

I'm not sure of how the Yucca plants, tropical plants, felt about all of the snow. I did notice that several of them fell over.

Bon appetite/snow photos.

How about OMELET !! This egg was laid just FIVE MINUTES ago

2010-03-07T23:11:00.003-06:00

Well, it was at the time of the photo taking; and it was laid by Ms. Fancy on Saturday March 6, 2010 in the afternoon. (all of these photos were taken today) I noticed her missing from the crew, then went searching for her.

I found the lady sitting at ease on the nest. I then kinda stood close by waiting for her to "give birth".

Fancy, the white chicken, had a few drinks of water immediately after the delivery.

When the new delivery arrived, I rushed inside and came out with the camera all loaded to shoot.

After "giving birth", Ms Fancy rejoined the rest of the crew, well except for Rhodie.

Rhodie was in a world of her own, hunting for worms and other great delicacies.

She looked up after I called her.

I love comments, so jump right in here. Who knows, one day I might have an OMELET giveaway. My chicken love being free range.

Rainy flood days and my landscaped front lawn

2010-02-28T20:54:00.001-06:00

We've been having a lot of rain the past few months; and a great deal of it sits/lays/stands in my yard for several days. I decided to photo a bit of the drama, and share with you.

You might know that yours truly did the landscaping.

Does this remind you of DARK SHADOWS ???

2010-02-13T22:59:00.003-06:00

You remember it, I know. The scarry gothic soap opera where men could actually wake up dead.

We used to rush home from school to watch every weekday evening; and it would then have us afraid to go to sleep at night. We just knew that a vampire was lurking in the closet, or in the dark. Still gives me chills sometimes. Boy, I used to love that show.

Just an old chair that sits in my backyard

2010-01-23T23:57:00.000-06:00

There's nothing fancy about this chair. It just sits in my back yard as part of the decoration.I love the grayish coloration/discoloration that it has taken on. It has a sister, and I'll post them both sitting together on a later blog post.

Oops, guess I'd better apologize for this being my first blog update of this year (2010) Shame on me.

So you wanna know what I feed the girls (chickens).

2009-12-31T00:40:00.004-06:00

Only four of the girls are in this photo.

When the girls aren't out grazing for grass, sand and dirt, I feed them this fantastic corn, wheat, barley mixture.

My guess is that they much prefer grazing. They can hardly wait to get out in the yard everyday. I usually gather from two to five eggs daily. I think that they like laying fresh eggs for mommy.

I wonder what lives in this ALMIGHTY tree.

2009-12-21T01:07:00.000-06:00

This tree just stands there along side the road. I was curious one day, about what might be living in there, and decided to take photos.

Could there be snakes living in there?

How about oppossums, skunks, frogs, bugs. Does any of the aforementioned live in trees?

Iffin I ever see anything come out of there, I hope to have my camera nearby, and will be able to surely photo it for you.

Four Needleturn Appliqued Cardinal Red birds

2009-12-05T22:25:00.001-06:00

Following up on an earlier voting project click here, I have now finished the needleturn applique for four red birds. I made four totally new birds, and will use the original bird for some other project. I'm hoping to get this projec finished before the end of the year.(I'd better hurry)

Winter Wonderland Team Giveaway.10 HANDMADE Prizes to be given away.

2009-11-28T22:49:00.000-06:00

This is just one of the lovely HANDMADE items that you will be voting on.

Click on this link to go to the voting page. Go to the teams' blog to vote. Enjoy yourself. The sidebar on the left shows some of the prizes that will be given away. Vote today.

Chenille Look Pink Bears Hand Tied Quilted HOMEMADE Baby Crib Quilt

2009-11-28T11:18:00.003-06:00

Click here to purchase and/or view photos of this lovely quilt.

Apprx. 57 x 40 1/2 inches (144.78 cm x 102.87 cm)

Hand tieing this little cutie took many hours. It is pretty in pink for a little girl. The bears color is a direct match to the border color. Just b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l.

The quilt is machine washable on a warm or cold gentle cycle. The fabrics are good quality cotton/poly. New medium loft polyester batting is inside of the quilt. It will be a joy for the little tot for many years to come. Neat for baby shower, also.

An interesting spot in the road

2009-11-19T03:49:00.002-06:00

I was out and about with my trusted camera, after a nice rainy day, and came across this fairly large "hole in the pavement" and thought that I'd just make it a star. So now you see it, and can comment if you'd like to. I love comments. I wonder will the city EVER repair it. Hmmnnn.

I wonder does any fishes live in there. Of course, not!!

Fool's GOLD or what !!! What would you do??

2009-11-17T02:53:00.002-06:00

What would you do if you were to find a lot of GOLD in your back yard?

1. Sell it and donate ALL of the proceeds to a charity? (not hardly)

2. Secretly keep it a secret from your family? (that's a thought)

3. Share measured amounts of the gold with neighbors and family? (yeah,right -well most likely)

4. Call all of the neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers, and lay the gold out on a table, and let them do their pickings. (do I look crazy)

5. Leave the country, and secretly buy a private island, and tell your family that you have a very contagious disease? (now that's a plan)

I found these wonderful rocks in my back yard while clearing area for my garden this past summer. Just got around to photographing them recently. They have such a beautiful and realistic looking gold texture. Oh how I wish.

Tell us what you would do with your GOLD find.

Pink White Yo Yo Flower Zippered Lined Fabric Wristlet Pouch Clutch Cosmetic Bag Purse

2009-11-16T04:09:00.002-06:00

Click here or on the purse to see full purse, more photos, and/or to purchase.

Here is another cute handmade wristlet purse that I've just listed in my Etsy shop. It's great for a gift item. Well made and good quality. The yo yo is made with Aunt Grace retro reproduction fabric by Marcus Brothers. The center of the flower is stuffed applique with black french knots.

It's Reindeer Season. Is Rudolph Male or Female ???

2009-11-14T21:54:00.002-06:00

Rudolph or just another reindeer

Click on the deer, or the link to go to my Etsy shop to purchase the brooch.

I don't know Rudolphs' gender. Oops. Haven't gone to the search engines to try and find out, and don't know whether the search engines know. Do you know? Take a guess and comment here.

I did hand embroider this cute reindeer brooch that can be worn by male or female humans. Great as a gift, or keep it for yourself.

The HOLE with no bottom - The bottomless pit.

2009-11-11T03:29:00.001-06:00

I discovered this hole in my back yard a few months ago. After a while, I decided to test the depthness just out of curiousity. I took the water hose and poured water into the the hole for about five minutes, and the hole never filled. I looked around nearby for a possible exit, but never found one. Therefore, my only conclusion is that the hole is extremely deep. I wonder whether it was dug by a chipmunk or what type wiseguy creature!!

I'm baffled. My grandson, also, tried filling the hole. No luck. Therefore, it has been deemed "the hole with no bottom".

Speaking of UFO's. I have many to finish

2009-11-08T02:35:00.007-06:00

This will be a beautiful clutch. Notice my handstitching in red and green floss.

Here is just a small number of the UnFinished projects that I have lingering around my sewing room.

The pin, needle and thread is still in this one.

If I were to photo them all. I'd be taking and posting pictures for quite a few days.

So take a look at what I plan to bring to fruition in the very near future. I promise. Come hell or high water.

Notice that most of these, have zippers.

The above project is a pretty pink and purple purse that needs the lining, strap and pockets inside.

Did you notice that most clutches have the retro yo yo's that I made.

The above one has some machine embroidery.

I think that this one will be cute once finished.

A beautiful red handknitted purse. Has to be lined and straps added.

WHEW!! I'll be glad to get these finished and listed for your buying pleasure.

So now you see SOME OF what I've been up to. There's plenty more to finish.

Ms. Laetoli is now a new "mom"

2009-11-07T23:25:00.003-06:00

Now Ms. Laetoli, the smallest of my six hens have become an egg mom. It happened Oct. 27, 2009, but her mom, me, became addicted to Twitter and didn't update this blog properly.

Laetoli is a South American breed that is known for laying colorful olive, or blue toned eggs. She's Americuana.

When I found the egg in the nest, I knew that it had to be Laetoli's because of its white but blue green tent.

Below she seeks food, worms.

We will always remember that she began laying in the FALL, because of the leaves.

Laetoli and Fancy have a new mom talk here. See, Fancy had laid her first egg the day before.

Hand Applique Needleturn Red Cardinal Bird

2009-11-03T01:25:00.015-06:00

This is a block that I needleturn appliqued a few months ago. I'm just not sure of which type project to use it in. I would love to have your VOTE. (see the upper left side of my blog to vote)
Would it look great on the flap of a messenger bag?

Should I make a mini quilt with it?

Should I applique it to a tote bag?

Can you notice the difference in the color of the wing and the birds' body??

I guess I'm full of questions on this one.

Looking back to younger days -and growing older -a chicken story

2009-11-01T02:31:00.072-06:00

Now that the girls are all grown up and have become "egg moms", I thought it would be nice to reflect back to their baby days. I felt that my blog followers, and potentially new followers would enjoy these.

They are between 2-3 weeks here below and above.

Queen is grooming herself in this photo.

They are between 12-14 weeks in the photos below.

Having a dirt bath.

Here they are feeding from my garden. They were still on the starter food mix.

This is Princess at about 12-14 weeks old.

They are 12-14 weeks in the photo below.

Fancy lays her first egg.

2009-10-28T03:15:00.009-05:00

Well it finally happened. Ms. Fancy decided to become a grown up mom and give her mommy, me, an egg.

She laid it on
Monday Oct. 26, 2009.

She's a proud new mom.

I noticed that she was following the pattern of the others when they were about to lay their first egg; wandering by themselves. I then noticed her sitting on the nest for about an hour or more. By the time the newborn was delivered, it was to dark to photo, but I got a great picture today. These are her first photos after becoming a new "mom".

One of my newest projects -Red white and Blue mini quilt

2009-10-24T01:51:00.009-05:00

I got this gem finished a few weeks ago and is just getting around to listing it. It is listed for sale on my website. Click on the quilt to view more photos and /or purchase.

There's no place like homeHand Quilted WallhangingWall Applique LandscapeHouse Art Quilt

2009-10-17T22:40:00.014-05:00

This is for sale on the handmade site called ETSY. Click here to view the complete description and/or purchase this lovely landscape quilt.

~~This quilt is apprx. 24 x 18 inches (60.96 cm x 45.72 cm)~~

This is a pretty and unique, and one of a kind new landscape appliqued wallhanging quilt that I made using my own imagination. I hand appliqued most of the components on this gorgeous gem. Notice the mailbox, near the driveway, at the lower corner; just as in real life.

The golden string of beads.

2009-10-17T00:21:00.008-05:00

The golden string of beads will come to life eventually.

I'll make this story short and "antique". LOL. I purchased this container of a continuous string of beads more years ago than I can exactly remember. (at least 20) At that time, of course, I, as most crafters do, had great plans to cut the string of golden beads into various as needed lengths, and use them to embellish many wonderful handcrafted items. Well !!!

I found this container last week while looking through some long lost stacked up crafting boxes.

One point worth mentioning is that the store from where this item was purchased has long, long ago gone out of business. (but I still have THEIR beads and still maintain the strongest intention to use them in some gotta have hot new items)

Mind you, that my family would have long ago thrown them and much of my other crafting supplies out to the curb, were it not for my constant rebelling.

Moral of the story is: Never leave your noncrafting minded family in charge of your long lost crafting items; for one day for sure, you will find those long lost items and make NEW PLANS to bring them to life once again.

Who picks a peck of pickled peppers; and who has bragging rights???

2009-10-14T01:06:00.014-05:00

ONLY the first photo here on the plant is a pepper in my garden.

This is a story about how I thought that my garden grown peppers were kinda long until the neighbor brought some over that a co-worker had given her. Just take a look and tell me if I can brag about mine or not !!!

All peppers below were given to me. Dig the unique shapes.

My larger ones are about 3 inches, oh but lookee at what the neighbor brought.

Speaking of Okra - have you ever seen such an odd one ??

2009-10-14T00:45:00.008-05:00

This is the oddest that I can remember ever seeing. It's still in the garden-haven't picked it yet. Wonders would it taste different than the other okra ??????? Inquiring minds wanna know. Who would like to do the taste test??? LOL

In re an inquiry about the size of my okra

2009-10-14T00:24:00.009-05:00

Lucky me for keeping records of almost everything. After the inquiry about the size of my okra, it wasn't difficult to find the answer to poster, Timeless Beauty's question.

I kept the empty seed packages for all of the vegetables that I planted in my garden this spring. Even though most didn't grow well, I know exactly what I planted and where. I have a map that I didn't post here, showing what went where. Even though when I did the planting, I had never imagined that I would have finally set up my blog, and that someone would inquire about one of my plantings. I love the inquiry, makes me feel like a real gardener. LOL

As shown in the photo, this particular okra grew to about 4 inches. (or 3 inches if you don't count the stem). I pull them before they grow too large and become hard. (Some are smaller when pulled, however, as is shown in the previous post.) The variety is Clemson spineless. I don't know if you are able to read the info on the back of the package, but it says 'best when pods are 4 to 5 inches long. It, also, states that they grow to 7-8 inches long. I would imagine that they would be too hard by then.

I smiled as I passed the egg section while shopping yesterday.

2009-10-09T13:50:00.010-05:00

Yes, with my babies giving me the freshest eggs on the planet, I can say goodbye to store eggs for a while. Two of the six are laying steadily. A third is laying soft shelled; will be glad when she learns the trick of the trade and hardens up.
(The white egg is the last of my store bought eggs)

The beads have no connection to the eggs; just thought they looked cute together.

And this is all that I collected from my FARM/garden today. The egg was laid about 2 hours ago from this posting. I pulled the okra about an hour ago. This is as fresh as you can get.

Have you ever eaten RAW OKRA ???

2009-10-04T13:05:00.020-05:00

(I will be showing other goodies from my garden in my next post)

Well, I never had until last night. Somehow the thought occurred in my mind to sample it, so I did. The flavor is surprisingly sweet and not bad at all. A little slimy, but that's the makeup of okra. Take a look at my okra photos.

I grew a row in my garden, and have been enjoying the few that did produce. Last night I made black eyed peas, and used the ones in the photos in the peas. I've always loved peas with okra. Some of my family doesn't like it that way because the slimminess is more pronounced than when okra is fried.

Can you spot the okra in the photo below ??

What's the red in the photo? Try taking a guess.

Whole okra, and headless/tail-less okra. My family always cuts the heads and tips before cooking. You've probably noticed that the store packs usually contain the heads and tails (well the packs that I've purchased does).

Chaka lays her first egg

2009-10-01T00:33:00.009-05:00

Chaka stands near my okra in the garden.

Chaka is no longer into terrifying bags, she is now the mom of her first egg. I noticed that she constantly strayed away from the rest of her crew that day, 9-29-09; and was seemingly in her own world, and was looking for a nest. Well, by about 4:30 pm, Chaka decided to just quietly sit and release her first egg in front of the house.

I sat, watched, and waited, then picked the egg up while it was still warm. Being that she is of the Black Giant breed, I was surprised that her egg was quite smaller than Queens'.

...And this is QUEEN

2009-09-30T23:59:00.010-05:00

Queen is a Golden Comet breed. She is the first of my six hens to lay me an egg. I purchased these six girls in April 2009, when they were about 1 1/2 weeks old, from a local pet and feed store; and have loved and cared for them every since. They are about 6 months old at this writting. I am the only mom that they know. I have realized that because, they were born in incubators, they will never know what it's like to have a real momma chicken mommie. I love these little ladies very much. I, however, do wish that they would be a bit more obedient, and stop ruining my landscape.

She's busy digging for worms below.

My first three eggs from Queen

2009-09-28T03:02:00.001-05:00

Black Bag Terrorizes Beautiful Black Giant Chicken Chaka

2009-09-23T23:11:00.006-05:00

Well, you might say that I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, in the southeast U.S.A., along with my trusted camera. It happened on a nice cool day in late August 2009. As I was photoing my new line of lunch bags in the FRONT yard, all hell broke loose in the BACK yard.

My six teenagers (chickens) emitted the familar loud warning sound that I hear when a suspect (dog, cat or whatever they feel unsafe around) enters their territory. Upon hearing the panicky distressed sounds, I immediately picked up a stick (I keep several in strategic places for times like this so to always be prepared to fight off the enemy, a dog or cat) and ran to the back yelling, without seeing a single thing, "get away, get away". -For I just knew that the biggest dog in town had encringed upon the territory of my precious little angels . (They do have a secure area, but when they come out to graze, I constantly monitor them.)

Well, when I finally reached the back yard (it seemed to have taken half an eternity) all that I could make of the scene was that my lovely Black Giant teenager, Chaka, as in Chaka Khan, had somehow gotten one of her legs caught in a black plastic bag, and was fluttering about, and running in every direction, with the entire team of six squaking to the top of their gizzards, and more frightened than a chicken should ever have to experience. How the bag got into the yard, I will leave for Kojak to figure out.

Now, of course, she would not stand still and allow me to remove the bag; but I did manage to capture several photos of the event. Any attempts to approach her, and she would take off again with "her" bag trailing. Upon realizing that I would not be able to rescue her, I returned to my photo session. About 5 minutes later, I returned to the back to attempt another rescue of her from the bag, and was pleased to find her just fine and grazing with her flock again. I will never know for sure exactly how she managed to remove the bag. A day or two later, I did find the bag in the lower yard, mostly shredded and caught on a small stump. My guess is that the bag somehow, during her running session, became caught on the stump and WALA, Chaka became free.

Might I add that I borrowed my story from our Quilts and Heirlooms Team blog.