Another month almost completed

I am having a hard time believing that August has almost come to an end.

I have been busy canning produce from the garden. Tomatoes are producing very well, along with the cucumbers. Even though I have only used one head of dill from our garden and have had to get dill from others who have been so nice to share. The cabbages are finally ready to eat and we have been enjoying those.

I finished making the quilt I started for my mother last December, it is for a queen bed. I dyed a single piece of fabric for the log cabin blocks, with the exception of the centers. After the fabric is dyed, I start cutting strips and sewing the blocks together. The borders are dyed with the same dye. I used a Blue, Yellow and Red for this quilt. This is the second quilt I have made using this method. I hope to dye a few other pieces this summer using different color combinations.

Still need to get the iris I dug up in July back in the ground. AND we had some wonderful moisture the first weeks of August. Over 10" total from all the thunderstorms here at our home. It was needed!!! Of course the weeds are making up for lost time now. All of the flowers loved the rain, humidity and cooler weather and have never looked better. The pastures are green, unusual sight for late August.

It's August 1st !!!!

Hard to believe that the eight month of the year has started!!!! I have been canning and freezing produce from the garden, so I guess it is time for August to be here. To date I have canned 10 pints of salsa, 7qts. of stewed tomatoes and 7 qts. of dill pickles. The cabbages are slowly making heads. Timing was a little off there this year with them. Just as long as they produce some large heads for kruat by the end of Oct., I will be happy.

To the right, one of my favorite daylilies blooming in the flower garden. They are carrying the gardens at the moment. Along with the cone flowers and rudebeckia. I have started digging the iris as some are in jeopardy of wasting away, too much shade where they are currently planted. I am going to tear up two of the flower beds and replant them within the next few weeks.

It is warming up

I do believe July is officially here due to the heat, some days anyway. It has been an interesting spring and summer, it has been on the cool side. Everything is a little behind. The corn is a week to 10 days behind, last year it was a week head. I did pick some tomatoes from the garden yesterday. We are still harvesting wheat. Hopefully it will be done in a few days.

I purchased an embroidery module, didn't plan on it but, I now have one. I have been a little frustrated with the entire thing. One thing I have learned is that Bernina software and Vista don't like to play together at all. No one told me that at the store where I purchased the thing that these little problems exist. Live and learn that stores only want to sell their wares, win trips, etc. It took several long phone calls with OESD to get it up and running. But the little teddy bear above is the first thing I have made with the thing. I need to stuff him yet and sew up the back. Now I will have to decide on using rayon or poly thread. Leaning toward rayon at the moment.

I think it will be enjoyable when I get the bugs worked out.

July is here !!!!!!!

Can you believe it??!!! It is July 6th already and we have less than 6 months to go before this year, 2008, is over. Not sure I have much to show for the last 6 months, not near as much as I had planned on having done, but that is normal.

Wheat harvest is underway. Hoping it goes well and everyone stays safe. The corn is still growing slowly. We really haven't had many hot days, but the last few have made up for it. We received some blessed moisture last week. Still way behind in that category.

Still working on journals in Sue B's classes from Two Creative Studios that I started 5 and 6 weeks ago. Haven't made much progress in that arena either. I would like to get some of the papers made today or journals, either would do. I will have to see how that works out.

I am still cleaning the sewing room as well. I can't figure out why I am always cleaning things and putting things away or trying to find a place to put something away, but I never seem to get anything completed. Something is wrong here.
Uncovered the quilt I am making for my mom. Hmmmm, her birthday is coming up shortly, maybe I should get it done for that? I started on this one before Christmas and did well for a long time, then Christmas happened, then taxes right after the first of the year, then the remodeling project, starting plants in the greenhouse, then Paducah, then planting all those little plants into pots and hanging baskets, the garden and yard and now harvest and still the garden and yard.

I did get a new computer, not sure all the internet troubles were related to the old computer though as I am still having trouble. The test will be the posting of photos on this blog, couldn't do that on the old one. I will have to take some photos to post too. Another thing to add to the list.

The Internet

I have been having computer problems and I was suppose to get a new computer. As with all things new in this category, nothing ever works out the way it is suppose to. The old computer is still here, sort of, as all it is doing at the moment is powering the wireless router. I have lost all e-mails from the past week and that account is non-existent at the moment. Hopefully this too will be resolved shortly. I do not like change when it comes to things like this simply because it is a pain in the butt!!!!

I have been sewing this past week. Need to do much more in that area. The journal classes are not going so well since I have not been home much this past week and I can't access the last lesson, due to the e-mail difficulties. I did find some fun papers and found some great sale items while in Denver this past weekend. I also keep thinking I should be using at least one of these journals I have made.

The garden has finally taken off as it is warming up. There are 3 baby zucchinis setting on, along with numerous tomatoes. The cucumbers in the garden are slow as are the green beans. We have been eating English cucumbers that are grown in the greenhouse. They do not like the Colorado climate outside the greenhouse.

I have gathered some flowers and have pressed them. I believe they are dry enough to use in the paper making at this point. I have wanted to do this for some time so will attempt it soon and post the results. I would also like to do some dyeing this week, it has been months since I have dyed anything.

That's enough

I have decided that it is time to clean off the top of the desk. I also need to back up files on the main computer. I have decided these two jobs go hand in hand. I get distracted with the cleaning part and don't pay attention to the computer and it has time to slowly do it's thing without me impatiently clicking on the mouse. Right now it is not co-operating, which is very typical. The desk is doing much better. I would say that I do know more about the computer since it doesn't like to do much of what it is suppose to and have to figure things out on occasion to make it work. Not anything very deep, complex or involved, but a few things.

I have also been busy on several other projects. The journal class is moving right along. Journal 1/ 2 is now completed. Lesson #3 was posted Friday and it is now Tuesday. So need to get on that and back to the wedding dress quilt project. I also need to clean the counter off in the sewing room and find a few things that I could not find last night when looking. Fortunately it had not been that long since I used them and remembered that I do have it someplace down there.

The outside garden is growing. The tomatoes are slowly issuing new growth and are still setting on those little tomatoes. Squash, beans, cukes and dill are all up now. We had our first cucumber on Sunday, it came from the greenhouse. One of the cucumber plants in the greenhouse has a 'cable' stem. Will try to remember to get a photo of it and post it. Very interesting. Something didn't get read correctly when that thing started growing. Hmmm, reminds me of the computer.

Back to work on this desk/computer project. It is something that I need to finish, as quickly as possible too. Both drive me crazy.

Almost Summer

It is hard to believe that it is the 12th of June already. I guess that is what today is and the year will be half over in 18 more days. That is what is really amazing to me!!! I told someone if I am ever knocked unconscious not to ask the date or the day. I won't get them right. I am lucky anymore if I know what year it is, I put '07 on a check the other day.

I am having technical difficulties when posting photos. They all end up at the top of the post and then I can't move them. One of those things I will have to work on as time goes by. I originally had three photos on here and now have one. I was doing good to get it down.


To the right is a photo of the journal I made in Sue Bleiweiss' mixed media journal class. I used batik fabric for the cover which is the fabric with the squares on it and you can see it on the tags. The lining has the floral image stamped on it. The tags are made by fusing fabric to card stock. These are kept in pockets or envelopes on the signature pages. I did sew the signature pages into the journal. I do like this method.

I need to start working on the next one as our third lesson will be posted tomorrow. I am also taking her other 12 week journal class and it started last week. The best thing is that I can use the journal I need to make for both classes this week. Wasn't that thoughtful of Sue?. Several of us are in both classes. So more journals to come and hopefully I will figure out this photo business.