Manual Labor

The weather last week was warm and sunny, so we gathered up our gear, the tractor and mower, then headed outside for some much needed yard work.

Picture me, dressed in overalls, ball cap, and boots, armed with a hand-held mini chain saw, hedge clippers, and a rake. Although there's no photo evidence, I'm definitely a redneck Southern woman when I need to be. Not quite the sweet little old quilt lady you're used to, huh?

We attacked prickly wild rose and blackberry vines, overgrown weeds, crabgrass, unruly shrubbery, nasty poison ivy, stubborn privet, dead bushes, and a couple of fallen trees. We stripped out all the shrubs around the house to create a clean slate for new landscaping later. 

Even though there was sweat, sore muscles, bruises and a bit of blood, overall we had a good week. We were out in the sunshine every day.  We got lots of exercise chopping, loading and dragging brush and logs. I lost two more pounds. We took our time, laughed, enjoyed the breezes and admired the fall colors. The yard looks better and Jerold bushhogged the back field. 

I'm not sure how it got so out of hand (well, maybe because we played instead of working) but it's almost whipped into shape, at least near the house. Out in the country, there's always something that needs to be done. Could be time to think about a place with a smaller yard so I can sew instead of doing manual labor.

Butterfly Joy

Butterfly Joy

Here's another scrappy project for you.  I nearly couldn't shut the lid on my box of 2 ½” squares, even though I used some a few weeks ago.  This time I decided to stitch up this Flutterbye pattern to make room.

Happy flower colors of yellow, orange, lilac, and pink combine well with sky blue, grassy green, and watery aqua. I used white, cream and gray for the contrasting pieces. 

There are two narrow borders, one in white and the other in yellow with corner designs to match the block pattern.

What a sweet summery little quilt! Butterfly Joy is 44” square. The backing is a black and white friendship themed word print. I quilted with white thread with leafy looking loops done in free motion.

I still can't get over my amazing find of $1 per yard fabric. I know I saved at least $3000 with that deal. Nearly every piece is calling “pick me, pick me to make something now.” I don't know how I managed to get all of it in my sewing room, either! The house may be leaning slightly...

Accuquilt dies used:
55409 Triangle in square 4” finished (sides of triangle)
55017 2½” strip
55059 2½” square multiple

July in Tennessee =
Hot as all get-out!

Southbound

If you need some inspiration for a quick 4th of July quilt project and have some red, white and blue fabric, this one should make you happy. My ever-growing remnant baskets provided plenty of scraps for this baby. 

I've been experimenting: mixing die elements to create different designs. Today's quilt uses half square triangles and the trapezoid section of the spool die. I sewed the triangle to the trapezoid, then sewed two together to form a 4½” square. Four of those create an eight inch finished block. 

Southbound

 

I added a 4” border of navy and white stars to frame it. Quilting in free motion with white thread moves from block to block across the diagonal lines. A double serpentine stitch on the border was added using a quilting ruler. 

Southbound is 41” square, but it could be made as large or small as you wish. I could see this vintage block in place mats, pot holders, or a tablecloth.


Accuquilt dies used:
55018 Small Value
55180 Spool

Some people done lost 

their ever-lovin' minds 

Sunday In The South

This quilt block reminds me of the Sundays of my early childhood. Cardboard church fans with colored pictures on one side and the local funeral home info on the other. Hard wooden church pews, no cushions. Dinner on the ground, fried chicken, potato salad, homemade desserts. Everyone wearing their Sunday best with hats and gloves. Porch swinging in the afternoon. A nap under a beautiful quilt.

I've been wanting to make this one for a while. I don't have a Dresden Fan die, so I had to get creative. I used the center section of the Crossed Canoes die for the fan blades. Four of them make a quarter circle. After sewing the blades together, I added a yellow triangle, and trimmed off the excess. I pressed under the curved edge, appliqued the fan to the corner of a 6 ½” square, then carefully cut away under the fan section to eliminate bulk.

Sunday In The South

The blocks set on point seem to float on the green dotted background. Calico prints in pastel colors replicate the vintage feed sack quilts that I remember. I quilted with white thread along the edges of the squares, then added a floral motif on each fan. Backing and binding are a white and green print.

Sunday In The South finished out at 41” x 46” in size. This one took longer to sew, but I thoroughly enjoyed the process. A side benefit is that I cut the whole BOB die, not just the fan blades, so I have leftover pieces at the ready for another quilt.

Accuquilt dies used: Crossed Canoes BOB 55181, 6 ½” square 55000, 6 ½” HST 55001, and 2 ½” HST 55018

Effie's Butterfly Garden

Effie's Butterfly Garden

I've done a series on my husband's grandmother, Granny Rose, her quilts, and my reproductions of those designs. Until now, I only had one of my own grandmother's quilts, a wedding gift. Recently a cousin sent me some old family photos, including a few pics of Granny Hill's quilts.

Effie's Butterfly Garden is my version of one of them. I made my block simpler so that I could use Accuquilt dies and sew it up more quickly. Her quilt and my block are pictured below. I may do another take on the design later using her kite piece.

Effie Hill quilt

Kaye's version

Vintage style 1930's and 1940's small floral prints, like the housedresses she made and wore, are featured with a natural muslin contrast in each block. Backing and binding are a larger floral print. I quilted with beige thread using a walking foot in serpentine lines that intersect to make simple flower petals.

I remember Effie Hill as a strong, independent woman who raised six kids during the depression. She lived and worked hard all her life on a farm in rural middle Tennessee. She grew a garden, cooked and canned, and somehow found time to sew and quilt. I surely must have inherited some of her sewing DNA.

Accuquilt dies used: 55010 5” square, 55735 2 ¼” x 4 ½” chisel, and 55147 2 ¼” half square triangle. I cut the 2 ¼” square from a strip, using the end of the chisel die.

I am thankful 

for the strength 

that lives in my veins. 

~K. Azizian

Tomato Soup & Crackers

Tomato Soup & Crackers

It seems that I may be on a food theme for naming quilts this year. I've used the tomato colored fabric again, this time for a 45" square lap quilt.

I finished this one back in February, using 4” blocks set on point. The neutral tan and beige fabrics were mostly scraps from other projects, with a few new solids tossed in. The back is one red/beige block surrounded by cream strips.  Machine quilting is free motion twists.  This one is currently displayed on the wall in our living room.

Tomato soup sounds good for this week, since it may be chilly. It's comfort food that I remember from childhood. I think we just had red bud winter with dogwood winter not far behind. In Tennessee, these mini-winters usually start in late March or early April, and only last a couple of days.  I believe they're coming earlier this year.

Strawberry Winter: late March

Redbud Winter: early April

Dogwood Winter: late April

Locust Winter: early May

Blackberry Winter: mid May

Britches Winter: late May

(after this one you can wear cotton britches)

☀  ☔

If you can't be in awe of Mother Nature,

there's something wrong with you...

Southern Cross

Southern Cross

I love my latest quilt creation! I was playing around with log cabin blocks and my ever expanding scrap collection when I came up with this clean and colorful design. It was quick to piece and fun to quilt.

I used a specialty machine quilting stitch in black to outline the crosses, then continued the pattern outline with white quilting thread. Black and white gingham binding made the perfect frame.

The finished size is 36” square, but it could be stunning as a full size quilt. Wouldn't it be nice as a larger single block pillow cover, or done in various prints of the same color on a light or dark background? I will definitely be using this block again.

I just need some time

in a beautiful place

to clear my head.

Nanner Puddin'

Something this delicious just has to be a Southern thang. It's been a staple dish for pot luck suppers and Sunday dinners on the ground since at least the early 1900's. Originally made entirely from scratch, a quicker alternative came along when Jell-O introduced instant and cook-and-serve puddings.

What's not to like about vanilla pudding, vanilla wafers and bananas layered in a Pyrex dish, topped with either whipped cream or fluffy meringue?  In the summer, I make it cold with instant pudding and Cool Whip for a sweet creamy treat.  But in winter, I'm partial to the warm, gooey cooked version with a pretty golden meringue. Either way, nanner puddin' doesn't last long around this house.

Life is short, eat dessert first.

I'd give up desserts, but I'm no quitter. 

 

Odds, Ends, and Junior

First and foremost, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won yesterday at Pocono! Although I'm not as wildly passionate about him as I was his Dad, he is my favorite active NASCAR driver. Second win of the year gives him a shot at the championship in this new format. Go Junior!

88 - 88 - 88

While we were camping last week, the deer apparently knew we weren't home and planned a raid on the smorgasbord of flowers in our yard. Massive hosta are reduced to stalks; my favorite roses were nibbled down to nubs. Of course they didn't bother the wild ginger or poison ivy. They have the whole woods, why do they need to graze up next to our house? 

Wittle do dey know dat I have my Elmer Fudd hunting hat and shotgun all weddy to twack dem wascally critters down...Wevenge will be mine!

** - ** - **

You never know what you'll see at the campground. People watching is one of our favorite activities. Some sights and sounds are indescribable and cannot be revealed. This trip included rednecks, unruly dogs, and questionable wardrobe choices. I'll leave you with this one. Picture a medium height, slightly chunky man with a beer belly, sporting a straw cowboy hat, wearing a form fitting green tee shirt with bright blue and white Hawaiian print knee length swim trunks, clomping down the path in a pair of cowboy boots, guzzling a beverage from a pink can coozie.  

No, he wasn't my guy, and yes, I was afraid to snap a photo.  

One Woman's Trash is Another Woman's Treasure

Last week I mentioned yard sales, and one of the longest ones begins this week. The 12th Annual Highway 52 yard sale goes for over ninety miles, from the I-65 Orlinda and Portland exit (117) all the way to the Overton/Clay County line east of Celina, Tennessee. The dates are this Friday, May 20 and Saturday May 21, but you'll find a few people setting up on Thursday and staying open on Sunday if the weather is good. Last year they reported over 800 sellers.

The many stores and businesses on the route have sidewalk sales, weekend specials, and food. When you're in Celina, be sure to stop at Ain't That Nice, a wonderful shop on the square. I bought these pretty cobalt blue dessert dishes there last Friday while we were camping at nearby Dale Hollow Dam.

People bring everything, and I mean everything, out to sell during this event. In the past I've seen fine antique furniture, stoneware crocks, delicate lace, glassware, videos, 8-tracks, farm implements, plants, plumbing supplies, cars, rusty old tools, mowers, chain saws, wore-out tires, thousands of knick-knacks and enough clothing to dress everyone in the state. There have been a few piles of rubbish and moldy smelling stuff that I thought should be hauled to the dump instead of to a yard sale! Oh well, you just never know what people might be looking for.

Most things are priced fairly, some are extremely expensive, and other stuff is dirt cheap. I've found some great bargains, including an old wooden ironing board ($5) and a brown Bakelite AM tube radio ($8) that looks fabulous in my spare bedroom.

There are clusters of sellers at crossroads, in towns and more populated areas, but of course there are gaps along the way with none at all. Be aware of signs for other sales down the side roads, too. Take plenty of cash and change, a hat, sunscreen, chigger spray, an umbrella, some water and snacks.

It will take longer than you think, because of the slow traffic. Take a friend along to spot the good sales so the driver can keep her eyes on the road. People & kids dart out and drivers slam on brakes to snag a good parking spot. The shoulders are wide from I-65 to east of Lafayette, but after that it's narrow till you get into Celina. Have fun and be careful...see you out there!

For more information: http://www.tn52.com/tn52_yard_sale.htm

Useful Notions: As you shop yard sales this year, think about how you can use things for something other than their original purpose. The old ironing board I bought is now a plant stand on my back porch. 

 

“You can tell a lot about a person by what they sell at their garage sale. What kind of books they read, what kind of music they listen to ...” ~ Wynetta Wilson

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

White Shoes, Straw Hats, and Southern Traditions

Here in Tennessee, you just can't get away from Southern traditions. And why would you want to anyway? Even those that are outdated bring back wonderful memories and make for interesting conversation.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, the day we Southern girls bring out our white shoes and spring finery. Women all over the South were decked out in light dresses of pretty pastel colors like dyed eggs in a basket. Little girls had satin bows in their hair and sweet ruffles of lace on their socks. It wouldn't matter if it was raining, or cold, or snowing, the Easter outfit would be worn, even if you had to toss a white sweater over it on the way to church!

Southern fashion rules dictate that white shoes, sandals, pants, dresses and skirts should only be worn on or after Easter. That also goes for certain fabrics like linen, seersucker, dotted swiss, chiffon, and voile. The only possible exceptions are your wedding gown or if you are in a tropical climate on vacation. 

 

Although I didn't make an Easter dress this year, I did whip up an apron to wear with my white jeans and sneakers. Here's to straw hats and spring days, in honor of Southern ladies everywhere.

By the way, Southern tradition says no straw hats or bags until Easter. Hats haven't really made a comeback, although a few ladies can and do wear them on occasion. I mean, other than in the garden or to the Steeplechase or Derby. Caps with logos don't count. Last week my mama came to visit wearing a cute black fedora. She looked pretty sassy for a woman of a certain age, but then she always has.

So from now until Labor Day, all the above items can be worn without fear of being talked about in whispers. Of course, if you have visible panty lines or your bra shows through your blouse, we'll probably whisper about you no matter what color you are wearing.

Useful Notion: Embrace the best old Southern traditions, like pretty spring dresses, strappy sandals, chocolate Easter bunnies, and sweet ice tea. Tell stories about the silly ones, and be bold enough to make some new ones.

“All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!” 

– Lucy Van Pelt

^^^^^^^^