Teacups and Pansies.....

Don't you just love pansies? They are one of my favorite little flowers. The way Mother Nature puts colors together is just astounding. We could definitely learn from her. Or maybe that is where we got our Colorwheel from!

Teacups... I love teacups probaly because I have a few vintage ones from my Grandmother In Law and from my Grandmother. And they are always filled with inspiration! (you thought I was going to say Tea didn't you)

Two of my favorite things.

 So this is what I have been working on along with my busy little farm chores!  What is your Work in Progress this week? I would love to see. Linking up with: Lee at Freshley Pieced.
Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday and Julie at 627 Handworks for Thursday Threads.
I also would like to give a Warm Welcome to two of my newest followers Aoife O'Halloran and Peggy Moreland. It is very nice to have you ladies plowing along with me! I couldn't find a link to your blogs but if you will send it to me I will add it here!
                                                  Thank yall for visiting today everyone!
                              I hope yall have a quilty kind of day filled with pansies and teacups!
                                                                              xo jan

Farmers and Consumers!

Good Morning!
 I hope yall are off to a great day today!
Yesterday morning while I was sitting outside about to eat a delicious pear, I thought I would catch up on my paper reading. Mainly the "Farmers and Consumers' Market Bulletin. The F&C Market Bulletin is a biweekly nonprofit periodical publication published by the Department of Agriculture.
The very first edition was published in 1906 in the State of Louisiana. I believe the first one in Georgia was published in 1917.  My husbands father first started receiving the Bulletin approximately 55 years ago. It used to be a weekly publication but has been reduced to biweekly by the Georgia General Assembly. It has also been a FREE publication until I believe 2008 when they started charging $10.00 per year delivered by US Mail to your door! Now that was a big uproar around here, however I believe it is a very modest amount for the wealth of information that it brings directly to you. You can also view it online now (another big uproar) for a mere $5.00 per year. These prices are for Georgia residents. I do not know what other states charge and I believe there are only 8 states that offer the Market Bulletin.   But what exactly is it all about?

 The Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin started out as basically a paper to house FREE Classified Ads or a place where Farmers and Consumers could sell or trade items to each other. Anything from seed, labor, farm animals, eggs, equipment etc... That is still the case today with the additon of other Articles of Interest, such as "How To........, or Farm Bureau happenings, 4-H fairs and competitions, college grants, scholarships and information, New Farm related businesses and fantastic, delicious Recipes just to name a few!

 There are also Special Editions that include but are not limited to:

FarmLand Edition - Biannual March and September - So if you are looking to buy or sell farm land it would be featured in these two editions.
Equine - Quarterly (for all you horse lovers out there)
Pick Your Own Fruits and vegetables- Spring and Summer list of farms and schedules.
Handicrafts - Once per month - this is my favorite!
Christmas - Choose and Cut your own tree - list of farms and schedules.

 This is the Handicraft section for July 24th edition - some of the items for sale are:
Aprons, crochet items, quilts!, corn cob pipes! yep - it says it right there!, Bluebird boxes, chair caning , rabbit traps etc.... Folks just about anything that can be made by hand , you can find in the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin.!!!  I just love the name too!

Livestock Prices!

Livestock prices are good so far as keeping up with from time to time but I watch ONLINE very closely the stockyards in our area because it is more up to the minute instead of biweekly! Are you ever interested in knowing when grocery prices are going to go up?

You can find just about any flower or herb that you want to buy or sell. I have used the Bulletin to :

1. Sell Calves

2. Sell eggs (yep Egg Money quilt time)

3. Buy/sell flowers and herb seed/plants

4. Traded fabric

5.Buy/sell Hay/grain

6. Buy/sell equipment

7. Sold my Angora Rabbits

8.Recipes (Folks these are tried and true recipes tested by Dept of Ag)

You can also find farm employment!

Folks, the Farmers and Consumers Market bulletin is a great resource for, hey, both Farmers and Consumers. Plus it's a good way to keep up with your neighbors! This month there is an article about bringing it back to a Weekly publication! Looks like I am going to have to find more time to read or see if I can't squeeze a little more outta Father Time!

Now I got a pear and a Teacup pattern waitin on me! 

Folks, I hope yall have enjoyed this little introduction to something I like to read! Here is the link to The Georgia dept of Agriculture. Check it out. This is just a smidge of what the Dept of Agricultures Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin is all about.  I hope yall have a quilty kind of day! Enjoy some time outside and thank yall for stopping by!
                                                                               xo
                                                                               jan
I also would like to extend a warm Welcome! to two of my newest followers:
Liz @Beadqueene 
and  "a carr".
Glad to have yall plowing along with me ! xo jan

Benjamins' Quilt and the Police!

Hi yall!
 I have been happily working away this week on my new nephews quilt! Benjamin was born last Sunday the 21st and I just happened to have a couple of really cute charm packs on hand.

Modas Ten Little Things and Riley Blakes Scoot!

After all the larger quilts that I have been making, it was really nice to make one pint sized!

I really like how these two lines blend together. These two collections feature owls, trucks, cars, trains, planes, helicopters, scooters, wagons and little circles that look like marbles. All types of little boys things.

For the backing, I used an adorable puppy dog print from Joann's.

And quilted in simple straight lines.

Somewhere along the way, I decided that I wanted to MACHINE bind this little quilt for extra durability. Now I almost always machine stitch binding to the front and hand stitch to the back, regardless of the size of the quilt or its intended purpose. But I hope that Benjamin will come to love this quilt and drag it around for years, so I decided to take the plunge and machine bind it.  I was so nervous my hands were actually shaky. I kept thinking the Quilt Police were coming to get me!

 I mean I actually looked over my shoulder a couple of times expecting to see these guys:

AND the theme music from Dragnet kept playing over and over in my head while I huddled over my little quilt anxiously attaching my binding.

I attached the binding to the BACK, then folded it to the front and just sewed a consistent stitch to attach it to the quilt.

I used a matching thread on the top and in the bobbin.

I like to roll my quilts for giving with the front to the inside so it is a surprise when opened. I tied Benjamins quilt up with some teeny little red trim. I am so glad to have this little quilt finished for my nephew. I guess I can get up and unlock the door now. I don't think those two characters will be back around for a while!
  What about you? Do you hand sew your bindings or machine sew them ? Do you ever feel guilty about machine binding?

                                    Are there Quilt Police lurking around your neighborhood???

Thank yall so much for stopping by for a visit! Remember, tomorrow starts the last week of the
2013 New Blogger Blog Hop hosted by Beth at Plum and June .

Here is this weeks schedule:

July 26

Vicki @ A Quilter's Mission

RobinSue @ RobinSue Quilts

Elisa Lea @ Lovelea Designs

Elizabeth @ In The Boon Docks

Jenny @ A Note To Follow Sew

Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts

Sonia @ Fabric & Flowers

Emily @ Sew E.T.

Em @ Sewing by Moonlight

   I hope you have enjoyed yourself this week and were able to play around with a little fabric and
                                                                                thread.
                                            And I hope you have a guilt free, quilty kind of day!
                                                                                     xo
                                                                                    jan

Linking up with the following fabulous linky parties
 Needle and Thread Thursday
Thursday Threads
TGIFF at What A Hoot
Finish It Up Friday
And Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop?
Go ahead, check them out! They are fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!
                                                                            AND
I would like to give a warm welcome to two of my latest followers;
                                                      Esther at ipatchandquilt
                                                                      and
                                                      JB at A Note to Follow Sew
I am so glad to have you guys plowing along with me! xo jan
                                                                        

W.I.P. Wednesday....

 I have a new little nephew that was born this past Sunday! His name is Benjamin and he is so adorable!  I dug around in my stash and came up with these two charm packs.

"Scoot" from Riley blake and modas "Ten Little Things. I wanted to make a simple patchwork.

I just love combining these two collections. I think they go well together and I have had alot of fun arranging and rearranging these sweet charms.

I have some baby blue Minky that I would like to use for the backing. I have not used minky before and I am a little intimidated. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for sewing with minky?

Also I would like to say a great big Thank you to Kathy Gentry of   Just Quilt It!  .I won a tulip fabric basket from Kathys "Say it with Flowers" blog hop giveaway!

 I received my Tulip Fabric basket last week and have put it to good use. I love it , so Thank you Kathy!
  And I also wanted to say Thank you to Mdm Samm of Sew We Quilt. A couple of weeks ago I won a Gingham bundle from Riley Blake in the "Tammy Bag" Blog Hop.

Not only did Mdm Samm send me an 11pc Fat Quarter Bundle of  the small

Gingham check from riley blake, but she added as a bonus a huge gorgeous set of Charm squares of Tokyo from Red Rooster Fabrics and a spool of Aurifil thread which I was delighted to receive!

So Thank you very much Mdm Samm. And if you are looking for a blog hop to participate in you should check out Sew We Quilt. Mdm Samm announces upcoming hops on her blog and you can sign up there. I will be participating in two upcoming hops. The "Be A Hexie Queen" blog hop Aug 21st-28th and the "Pin It" pin cushion blog hop Sept 10th-17th. I am excited about both of these hops and will be having giveaways on both. Remember you have to be in it to win it, so be sure and come by during those hops.!

And now I would like to extend a warm welcome to two of my latest followers:

Peggy Moreland

and

Where's The Fabric?

It is very nice to meet yall and I am very happy to have yall Plowing Along with me!

Things have been really busy around the farm lately. We have been building fences, hauling hay and Railroad cross ties, weaning calves and putting up squash and banana peppers!

So I haven't had alot of time for sewing but I just couldn't resist working on this sweet little quilt.

I look forward to hearing your suggestions about the minky and seeing your

Work In Progress.

I am linking up to the fabulous  Lee at Freshley Pieced. for W.I.P. Wednesday!

Thank you Lee for hosting this midweek linkup!

I hope yall have a quilty kind of day!

xo jan

Back to School Civil War Finish! Woohoo!!

Good Morning!
 I hope that this day finds yall in the shade! That is certainly where I am this morning.

Contemplating a quilt finish. I realize that I had shared my Back to School with Pam Kitty Love Civil War flimsy on  facebook but had not shared it here. (yes, I finally bit the bullet and joined facebook)

It measures 68x82". I made mine 12" blocks instead of 8" blocks. I like large blocks in a sampler.

I used one of the black prints for the cornerstones. I really enjoyed using the black prints in this quilt. Which brings me to my next decision. Should I go with the red or the black fabric for binding?

                                                          I am 90 percent sure .. the black.

 Here is a better picture where you can actually see the entire quilt.
(I need a taller clothesline.)

I had so much help on this quilt last week that I just didn't know if I would finish on time!

Yall know I love Churn Dash blocks!

And I am in love with the large floral for the outside border. This print reminds me so much of my grandmother, Radah Belle and my Aunt Topsie.

Not every block is perfect, but I love it anyway!

I believe these two love it too as they will not stay off! I guess this fabric is named appropriately.

Afterall it is made from the Pam Kitty Love Collection.

So what do yall think. Red or black for the binding?

And Hoorah! I am linking up with:

Needle and Thread Thursday!

Thursday Threads!

Finish It Up friday

and

Can I get a Whoop, Whoop!

Richard and Tanya finish fridays

Also I want to give a warm welcome to all my new followers, the latest being:

Samantha Kirk

and

Angela @ Hillside Hobby Quilts!

I really appreciate everyone that takes time to visit and follow along with us. I am going to start adding a few links and names of new followers to the bottom of my posts. I may not can add everyone, everytime but I would like to give a shout out as often as I can!

Also, here is tomorrows schedule for the New blogger Blog Hop :

July 19

Karen @ Little Birdie Quilting Studio

Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures

Katie @ Snuggle Up With A Dish From Karma 

Alison @ Making Happyness

Ella and Nesta @ Ella & Nesta's Little Room

Adrienne @ Chezzetcook Modern Quilts

Nicole @ Modern Handcraft

Aylin @ AyliN-Nilya

Kelsey and Amanda @ Everyday Fray

Try to get by and visit these talented ladies and show them some bloggie love!

 I hope yall have a quilty kind of day. Stay in the shade and contemplate for a while and let me know what cha think 'bout the binding!

xo jan

The Winners Are.......And a story 'bout kittens.

Edit: If you are visiting from the "Pets on Quilts" contest please scroll down for my photo entry - also please visit my home page for my blog entry about the Pets on Quilts contest!
This is my first year and I wasn't sure about the entry process so i kinda goofed - anyway - Good luck everyone - It really is the Bestest Show On Earth!
xo jan

Hi yall!
 First off I would like to say a great big huge THANK YOU to everyone that visited my blog for the New Blogger Blog Hop. I enjoyed meeting everyone so much. I believe I managed to respond to every comment so I hope that I did not miss anyone.  I received alot of super, super, sweet comments and I enjoyed reading all of your stories that you shared with me! I am really looking forward to getting to know each of you in the near future.  I found ALOT of new blogs to follow too!  I received alot of questions and emails during the hop so I will be posting answers to some of those inquiries, especially regarding the farm. And thank yall so much for all the love on my Giant Churn Dash!

That was one fun quilt to make! I hope if some of yall decide to make one that you will let me know! I would love to see it. I am already planning a second one!

Now I promised a couple of gifts, so here we go; I finally figured out Mr Random and I know my hubby is glad to get his hat back!

For the Moda Charm Pack of Sakura - The winner is:

trish johnsonJuly 14, 2013 at 1:41 AM

I love your giant churn dash! I grew up in rural Colorado where barn quilts are quite popular, and your post brought back happy memories of country life!

And for the Five Fat Quarters of Sunshine Sweets is:

sharpieJuly 12, 2013 at 2:41 PM

Pleased to learn more about you, Jan! That's quite the wild crew you've got with you on a daily basis ;) Love your tractor stamp block! Because of you I've added "postage stamp" quilt to my wishlist ;)

Yay! Congratulations you two! It is very nice to get to meet yall too and I hope you enjoy your gifts. If yall would please email me your mailing address I will get your gifts sent out to you!  (my email is in the sidebar)
I would like to say Thank you to everyone that entered my giveaway! Remember,(this is going to be so corny) "You have to be in it to win it!" (told ya , way corny)

Now I would like to leave yall with a couple of pretty photos and a story:

My hubby and I found these two little characters and their two other brothers/sisters and Mama thursday will be three weeks ago. We were down at the old home place working late that thursday when we saw the mama laying in the dirt road.

She was almost gone. She was extremely hungry and dehydrated. She was so dry we couldn't tell she had kittens. It was almost dark and as the place where we were is very very isolated ( nearest house a mile away) and the coyotes were already yapping, we brought her home. She ate 4 times that night before I went to bed ( she got sick from eating so fast I guess). I put her in a bathroom with a litter box, food and water. She never made a sound all night. Just went to sleep. I checked on her four times. The next morning, she had milk in her bags! OMG... I panicked and off we went back to the old home place road to hunt for kittens. I was crying so hard just thinking about the possibility of kittens out there. We put her back out exactly where we found her. She walked around the truck a few minutes, then headed down the road. Then my hubby, god love his ever loving soul, said he would follow and for me to wait with the truck. Well to make a long story short, two and a half hours later and 3/4 mile down the road he found them in a clearing off the side of the dirt road in high grass. The blow flies had gotten to the kittens! It had rained hard the night before. The mama wasn't there to clean them up, so the flies had attacked. This is really gross, so don't read the next sentence if it will bother you, but the kittens had maggots on them.  I freaked out. My hubby cleaned them the best he could and loaded her and the kittens in the truck.

We took them all home and to the vet. He cleaned them up and dewormed them. He said the flies had got them because the mama wasn't there to clean them and it had rained on them. They were approx 4-5 weeks old. I thought well here goes my quilt money, but hey they are worth it. He charged me 20 bucks. I hugged his neck and took them home. I have found a home for all but the one with the black dot on his nose and the mama. They are 7-8 weeks now and doing great. It has been a juggling act because I already have two cats that do not like her or the kitten. Keep your fingers crossed that I can find the mama and last kitten a home! I can only assume someone threw her and the kittens out.
They sure have enjoyed my churn dash quilt though.

Now one last picture before I let cha go:

  What's up???? This little character kept watching me today through the window while I was mending my hubbys shirt. (We've been stringing barbed wire and he tore his shirt.. twice..)  I turned my head kinda sideways to look under the pressure foot and he turned his head the other way. He was mocking me!  One of my point and shoot cameras was sitting on the desk beside me so I took this through the glass. He was quite hilarious and not the least bit frightened. A blue jay landed in the Grancy Greybeard beside him and he flew off. Maybe he was waiting for me to throw out some yarn.  I usually cut small pieces up and often find the yarn in nests.

Well yall I sure have enjoyed spending this time with you. There are still 2 weeks after this past week of the New Blogger Blog Hop! I have to say this has been an amazing experience and I have loved meeting so many wonderful people.
Here is the current schedule and the remainder of the schedule:
July 12

Karen @ Karen, {Novice} Quilter

Anne @ PlayCrafts

Rachel @ Let's Begin Sewing...

Jan @ Sew And Sow Farm

Anna @ Quilting Along The Grain

Cath @ Wombat Quilts

Sarah @ {no} hats in the house
Christen @ Love by Hand
Julie @ 627handworks

July 19

Karen @ Little Birdie Quilting Studio

Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures

Katie @ Snuggle Up With A Dish From Karma 

Alison @ Making Happyness

Ella and Nesta @ Ella & Nesta's Little Room

Adrienne @ Chezzetcook Modern Quilts

Nicole @ Modern Handcraft

Aylin @ AyliN-Nilya

Kelsey and Amanda @ Everyday Fray

July 26

Vicki @ A Quilter's Mission

RobinSue @ RobinSue Quilts

Elisa Lea @ Lovelea Designs

Elizabeth @ In The Boon Docks

Jenny @ A Note To Follow Sew

Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts

Sonia @ Fabric & Flowers

Emily @ Sew E.T.

Em @ Sewing by Moonlight
Please take a few minutes and visit all the wonderful new bloggers. They have some incredible quilting and stories to share. There may even be some giveaways! And remember"You have to be in it to win it"!!
xo
jan
UPDATE: Hey yall - well I just thought I had Mr Random figured out. For some reason the numbers are there in my draft but disappear when I publish. If anyone knows why my numbers within Mr Random are falling off, kindly enlighten me! xo jan

Almost Wordless Wednesday!



What I am working on while we are working in the fields. Also this friday will be my day on the
New Blogger Blog Hop hosted by Beth at Plum and June. Here is the rest of the schedule:

July 12

Karen @ Karen, {Novice} Quilter

Anne @ PlayCrafts

Rachel @ Let's Begin Sewing...

Jan @ Sew And Sow Farm

Anna @ Quilting Along The Grain

Cath @ Wombat Quilts

Sarah @ {no} hats in the house
Christen @ Love by Hand
Julie @ 627handworks

July 19

Karen @ Little Birdie Quilting Studio

Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures

Katie @ Snuggle Up With A Dish From Karma 

Alison @ Making Happyness

Ella and Nesta @ Ella & Nesta's Little Room

Adrienne @ Chezzetcook Modern Quilts

Nicole @ Modern Handcraft

Aylin @ AyliN-Nilya

Kelsey and Amanda @ Everyday Fray

July 26

Vicki @ A Quilter's Mission

RobinSue @ RobinSue Quilts

Elisa Lea @ Lovelea Designs

Elizabeth @ In The Boon Docks

Jenny @ A Note To Follow Sew

Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts

Sonia @ Fabric & Flowers

Emily @ Sew E.T.

Em @ Sewing by Moonlight
                                                I have met so many new and inspiring bloggers!

I have been woking on a new to me project especially for this hop and I will be having a great giveaway! I hope you get to stop by for a visit and be sure to go by and meet some of these great new bloggers!

xo

jan 





Oh my darling, Clementine!

Oh my darling,
Oh my darling,
Oh my darling Clementine,
You are lost and gone forever,
Dreadful sorrow, Clementine!



Clementine Fabric Collection  - Dear Stella Designs

In a churchyard on a hillside,
Where the flowers grow and twine,
There grow roses amongst the posies.
Flowers for my Clementine!

I have no idea if the song was inspiration for this line of fabric or not. But I thought it was appropriate!
I love this little line of fabric. ADORABLE! No idea what I will use it for, but thought yall might like a close up look at Clementine!
Oh my darling,
 Oh my darling,
Oh my darling Clementine,
...............
Enjoy your day!
xo
jan

Linking up with Fiona at Finding Fifth for Sunday Stash and Sunday Stash report atPatchwork Times