Changes in Farming

My BIL, Alan, loves old machinery. He recently bought an old combine...which is still working, by the way.

According to my FIL it's probably from the early 1940s. He and his brother had one similar to it in the late 40s and this one was a bit smaller than they one they had, so he thought it was probably from the early 40s.

Anyway, I thought the contrast between this combine and the one that we use today was really striking.

Wooden Pick-Ups

Pulls behind the tractor

Even though this combine had an engine, the engine actually ran the pick-ups (which funnel the crop into the machine to be cut and thrashed. There was no engine driving the machine forward, so it had to be pulled behind a tractor.

Look at all those pulleys!

The combine that we use.

Makes me glad that we live today. The "hopper" which held the grain that was thrashed was only about 20 to 25 bushel. It had to be emptied often, but of course, the yields then were a small fraction of what we get today. The "hopper" on our combine holds over 300 bushel.

I took these pictures this morning on my way over to pick up my van. Hubby was getting it ready for the trip on Wednesday.

This is what greeted me right outside the door, lol.

kittens and mommas

This is only a fraction of the kittens that we have, lol. They were cuddling for warmth early this morning.

We have six momma cats that all had kittens within days of each other. They bore 18 kittens and they all nurse whoever latches on. It's quite humorous as the momma cats can't sit down for a moment without getting mobbed by whichever kittens happen to be in the vicinity.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures of the combines. Hope you're having a quilty day!

Design Wall Monday, July 30, 2012

On my design wall this morning are some sampler blocks that I'm doing for a beginner's quilting class.

I joined it so that I could take my friend and I have been enjoying it so much! Even when you've been quilting for a while, going to a beginner's class is really fun, I think. You meet new people; you hear all about how others teach; and at the end, you have a finished quilt! What more could you ask for?

We're working from one of Eleanor Burns' Quilter's Almanac series.

August, Tumbleweed

June, Wedding Ring

May, Young Man's Fancy

April, Farmer's Daughter

March, Irish Chain

February, Road to the White House

January, Wandering Star

Last, I'll show you a practice piece, lol. I've been practicing as much as I can on my HQ Sweet 16. I LOVE her!

Make sure you check out what everyone else is up to at Patchwork Times.

Hope you have a quilty day!

Design Wall Monday, July 23, 2012

On my design wall this morning are sample blocks for the quilt I'm making for my nephew's wedding in a couple of weeks.

The bigger pinwheel block is call "Chubby Pinwheels" in the pattern which I find hilarious. The small pinwheels are 3" finished.

The pattern is called "Blue Me Away," and I think it's going to be fun...much easier than Todd's wedding quilt is turning out to be, lol.

Make sure you find out what everyone else is up to at Judy's.

Sunday Morning Sewing

I didn't feel well this morning, so I stayed behind from church and am sewing instead.

I'm currently working on my friend Julie's quilt.

She made this wonderful quilt with batiks ad black sashing and I found a variegated thread that included all the colors.

Also, this morning, I'm working on these cute bowtie blocks for my 30s Swap Group. It's been SO much fun! If you like swaps and you like 1930s fabric, you are welcome to join us.

Hope you are having a quilty day!

Tuesday Tips, July 17, 2012

Not all of us can afford a special cutting tables, so, there's a way to convert a simple table to a counter height table that's MUCH easier on your back.

These are called "bed risers" and they're usually found in the bedding section or the furniture section of Wal-Mart or Target. Sometimes, they're hard to find, but I usually find them if I'm diligent.

They're usually between $13 and $20.

When you put them under a simple table, you can turn it into a counter height table that has wonderful space under it for those little plastic dressers. (Sorry for the mess, lol.)

Design Wall Monday, July 16, 2012

On my design wall this morning is a quilt that I'm quilting for my bestie, Jo. Not only is she one of my besties, she's a sister from our Stitchin' Sisters guild.

This is a Yellow Brick Road quilt and it turned out just beautiful. Jo is going to use this as a donation quilt.

I'm quilting it with these large cabbage roses and ribbons. It's been fun to quilt.

Check out what everyone else is working on over at Judy's.

Stash Report, Week 29, 2012

Well, I haven't been counting stash much this year, but I have been finishing a LOT of quilts.

I had a big lot of fabric come into my  stash, but some of it is for the backing of a customer quilt and the rest is for the backing of quilts that I plan to finish right away, he he he...the best laid plans of mice and men!

I bought four lovely yards of this batik (on the bottom) to back a wonderful sampler quilt that my fellow Stichin' Sisiter, Julie finished. She's been waiting patiently and this is the next quilt to be finished!

I also bought four yard lots of Sassy to finish up the two Jelly Roll Race quilts I finished last week.

I think the Sassy goes with the quilts quite well!

Looks like it could all be from the same line!

So, I brought in thirteen and a half yards this week. Naughty me. :-)

But, I have plans for it all, so I guess that's good.

Make sure you check out how everyone else did this week over at Judy's!

Have a quilty day!

Another Jelly Roll Quilt

I've made another Jelly Roll Race quilt with Batiks. I think it turned out kind of cute.

I didn't used to be a big batik fan...until I worked with them.

They're SO wonderful to work with.

They don't fray. They don't slip. They're nice and crisp. Just a dream to work with, I think. They're a GREAT beginner fabric...except they're expensive, lol.

What are you all up to today? Hope you're having a quilty day!

Design Wall Monday, July 9, 2012

On my design wall this morning is a Jelly Roll Race quilt.

I've been working on Jelly Roll Race quilts for a bit now. I've done several.

I start with a Jelly Roll that I am able to buy at a reasonable price and then I make them up. They're quick and fun and they turn out so nice!

Also, I thought I would like to show you my master list. It's full right now.

This is the list of all the things that I need to get done...all the things I'm actively working on right now, lol,

I'm really fighting the feeling of being overwhelmed, but I'm doing pretty well, I think.

I'm REALLY loving quilting for others and I'm learning fast.

Always remember, if you don't have a local longarmer, I'd be happy to work for you!

Make sure and check out what everyone else has been up to at Judy's blog and have a quilty day!

Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to everyone! I hope you're having a nice day. I hope that we all remember, on this day, and every day how blessed we are to live in this country.

Thank you to all military personnel who fought and died to attain and maintain our freedom.
It's also the birth date of my favorite person...my mom!


The older I get, the smarter she gets. I'm not sure how that works, lol.


She was a young 19 when she had me and thereafter, had three other children in three years. How she was able to raise us up, I'm am only now beginning to appreciate.


Not only that, she later had two more boys and raised them up as well.


And we're all awesome people, so there you go! She must have done something right.


As for my activities today, I'm home with my little boy and hubby has the girls in Mandan for the big Fourth of July parade there. They are planning to bike ride in the park and probably eat lots of candy, ice cream, and other stuff that I don't usually allow them to eat, lol. Then this evening, they'll go to the symphony on the capital grounds and later watch the fireworks.


I'm home with the new puppy and the goats who are due to kid any day now.


I have started a customer quilt and I'm also finishing some blocks for a block exchange.


Have a quilty day!

Tuesday Tips, July 3, 2012

Has this ever happened to you? You're tooling along sewing together about 75 strip sets and when you get to the end, you realize that you ran out of bobbin thread about 70 strips back!

OR

EVEN WORSE!!!!

You've just finished sewing together a row with about a bajillion matching seams--which you spent 15 minutes pinning carefully (and removing the pins as you go, of course--when you get to the end and discover you ran out of bobbin thread after the third seam???????

UGGH!

I KNOW you're supposed to "hear the different sound that the machine makes when it's out of bobbin thread." he he he

The person who said that OBVIOUSLY didn't have four kidlets running around. ;-)

Well, I came up with a way to make sure that never happens to me again, and if it drives you crazy when that happens, maybe this will work for you too.

I usually piece with a cream colored thread. Anyway...I load about 10 bobbins with my cream piecing thread. I fill the last one only about 3/4 full. I put a full bobbin in the bobbin case, and then the 3/4 filled on on my spool pin.

It's fairly obvious when the top thread runs out, lol. Then, I take the bobbin from the bobbin case and put it on my spool pin and put a new bobbin in the bobbin case. That way, I always have more thread in the bobbin case than I do on the spool pin and I NEVER run out of bobbin thread.

It is somewhat inconvenient to have to thread the machine all the time, but it's worth it to me.

Let me know what you think.

(This is a republication of an old post, but I thought it would be good to republish.)