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H2H Challenge: Done & Delivered

These are my 2 quilts sent to Green Fairy Quilts' Charity. I eagerly made my quilts back in April and May.  It was a good thing because I knew there would be little time to piece and quilt this summer on the farm.  July 31 is the deadline to get our quilts finished.

If you missed several of my Hands 2 Help posts in the past few months, you can find out all about the challenge over at Sarah's Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

I would like to thank Sarah for graciously organizing the challenge for Green Fairy's charity.  I have met so many wonderful quilters from all over the world and boy have I learned some great ideas and techniques. The reward has truly been mine!

This quilt was made from fabrics sent to me by my H2H partner: Jacque, from South Carolina.

This one was made from fabrics in my stash.

 

Sarah is hosting a linky party today on her blog for all the H2H quilters. There were 47 active participants making 60 quilts.   Head on over Sarah's to see all the challenge quilts!

My Nirvana~

High Desert Summer . . .

 . . . less quilting, piecing and sewing . . .

more working on the farm . . .

Everything that is not a crop has to be mowed repeatedly all summer; because that is the best way to prevent fires.  Living 30 miles from the nearest volunteer fire department, means we are in charge!  Our closest neighbor is 2 miles away.

Come on down to the house and I will show you around.

Sitting under the apricot tree, here are a couple of views from the side door which faces all the farm buildings. Ripening wheat fields are peeking up over the hill behind the truck. Harvest is only 3 weeks away.

Wheat storage bins, cleaned, vacuumed and ready for harvest.

Looking back to the house under the apricot tree.

I didn't plant this tree, it just grew.  Back in the day, I used to home-can lots of fruit and my kiddos would sit on the fence (no longer here) and eat the fresh fruit I brought home from the Utah orchards.  I always blamed my youngest son for spitting out an apricot pit right here.

Apricot tree and dwarf apple.

I am certainly glad he did, we have really enjoyed this tree!

Almost everything in the yard are perennials.  I like to plant things that take care of themselves.

I decorate with old farm tools, implements and miscellaneous items.

This is a barbed wire wreath I made over 30 years ago.  Still looks brand new!  heh, heh....

Little ceramic birds sitting on an old broken down fence.

The old milk separator makes a great planter.

As we walk around the side of the house this rock path takes you to a little surprise as you go through the gate. 

Grape vines look at home on the old fence and beyond, you can see them hanging over the deck top.

 Grapes in the corner.

As the path curves around, you come to the "heart" of our yard.  

See how shady the deck is with grape vines? We have dappled shade all day long. There is too much snow in the winter to have a solid roof. The vines are bare in the winter and the lattice style roof allows the snow to fall through.  This way, we get the winter sunshine in the kitchen/dining room windows.

Then the rock path leads out to a fire pit. It is partially shaded by 2 cherry trees. Sometimes Idaho evenings are too cool to sit in the shade. I watched the shade pattern for about a week before I designed the rock patio. 

Incidentally, with the exception of one day when our daughter and son-in-law were here helping, I placed every rock, every stone, every bucket of sand and plant by myself.  It took me about 6 weeks in 2006.

Twenty years ago I planted these 2 trees with a hammock in mind.

This is the best part of the day . . .  

. . . this . . .  is my Nirvana.

Table Topper

This is a Kim Diehl pattern that I have been wanting to make for a couple of years.  I hardly ever make anything for myself anymore, but about 3 weeks ago, after looking at this project once again, I just decided to take the time and finish this.

 Pieced . . . and ready for machine applique.

 I love this fabric with the "distressed chipped paint" background.

 Quilted and machine bound.

   Scrappy red binding.

 It's new home in my dining room!

I am so glad I took the time to make this.  I love looking at it every time I walk into this room!  Now, I have a winter table topper I want to make.  Wonder how many years that will take?

I am linking up to Confessions of a Fabric Addict for a Whoop Whoop Friday.  Come on over to see what others have finished this week.

Cowgirl Baby Quilt

A while back, I found this cute quilt pattern over on Shiner's View.   Her pattern was for a larger lap quilt, but I made this one using only 9 blocks.  It made a 40 x 40 quilt.  Perfect.

I needed a baby girl gift for Saturday and I have been wanting to try this pattern. This family lives on a ranch . .  . so I dug out my Riley Blake "Wanna Be A Cowboy 2" cotton fabrics by Samantha Walker. "Wanna Be A Cowboy 2" comes in 3 color ways: this pink/brown, or a blue/red, or a cream/brown.  

Matching flannel backing in the "Cowboy Quotes" fabric. I found the perfect binding in light pink and brown left over from a previous quilt. I love bias stripe bindings.

~Yee Haw~

Window With a View

This is the view from my sewing studio.

Looking out on Black Pine Mountain.

Once up a time . . .

 . . . the King was working up in the upper fields.

On his way home one afternoon he noticed a cluster of wildflowers growing beside the road.  He put his tractor in park and climbed down the dirty dusty steps to pick a handful.

You see, he wanted to bring them home to the Queen, knowing how much they would please her.

She was pleased indeed!

She put them in fresh well-water in her special heart shaped vase. They sat on her windowsill for several days while she reflected on living with the King for 36 years and then after that--happily ever after.

You see my friends, some fairy tales are real! 

T-Shirt Quilt

A quilt from high school football and baseball shirts, jackets, warm-ups, and one lone sweatshirt.  This young man plays college baseball and will finish up his senior year this fall.

So many different fabrics: baseball jersey, nylon windbreaker, sweatshirt, cotton, t-shirt, mesh football jersey... 

When I cut out the nylon, I tried to iron on the same light weight interfacing that I use on the t-shirts.  However, it just puckered and wrinkled the nylon--so, I pulled it off.  The nylon fabrics in the blocks are not stabilized.  I was worried that they would not quilt up easily, but they worked just great.

Nylon block:

 Sweat shirt and football jersey.

I love this pantograph for masculine quilts.  I use it a lot!  It's 

'Square Spiral' by Karen Emerson.

Purple Heart Quilt of Valor

This was made by Mildred in CA.

This is her 133rd QOV!

  I am honored to quilt this for her.

Purple Heart

 

Eagle and words are machine embroidered. 

 

Three different background fills...

...pebbles

...meander

...swirls

 Wonderful to see several fabric companies are making QOV fabric lines.

 Mildred's machine embroidered label...

...and her presentation case for a Purple Heart Marine.

Destination: Medivac unit in Afghanistan.



As I worked on this quilt this 4th of July weekend, I was reminded that we are indeed the