Farm Update ~ Winter into Spring ~ 2018

At the end of last summer,  an eighty something row crop farmer told my farmer, "Well, I made it through another year!"  We felt a little the same way, having completed the hay season.   The last day we baled I was so tired that night I couldn't go to sleep for a while.  The rains were just right last summer for the meadows to produce grass for more than one cutting.  The farmer says we put up 1400 round bales of hay; that's a lot of grass and more than enough to feed the cattle for a year, but it's always good to have extra in case next summer is dry.

Of course row crop farmers can call an end to their harvesting "another year", but with chicken farmers it's "what goes around, comes around" with no noticeable beginning or ending to a new year.  We have just finished the first flock of chickens for this year, having had to keep them for eight weeks, longer than any we have ever raised.  The company wants a larger bird; I suppose consumers demand larger portions to eat.  When we first started raising chickens they rarely weighed as much as four or five pounds in six weeks times; however the word obesity was rarely heard of either.

Because of my cataract surgery last spring, we didn't have much of a garden, but by late summer we planted peas and I froze enough for the winter.  A lot of our fall and winter weekends would find us getting in firewood for the furnace.  The farmer took the tractor and dump trailer to the edges of the fields and brought in logs which he sawed into usable lengths, then split them with an attachment on the front of the BobCat.  I loaded the pieces onto the bed of the side by side and brought them to the house to stack.

In December, the farmer was sick; he thought he had the flu but it wasn't anything like I remember the flu being.  He continued feeding the hay and helping in the chicken houses then spending the rest of the day in his recliner.   Much of the Christmas joy was lost because we both felt bad for a while.  On the 21st of December we had been married for 57 years.

The Christmas card from our older grandson and his wife announced that we would be great grandparents in July, and since their "reveal" party we know the baby will be a girl; our first.

 The month of January was mostly very dry but we did get about two inches of snow and around 10 inches of rain fell in February.  Although everyone thought we had a really cold winter, I didn't think it was too bad.

I stayed busy in the sewing room too;  two aprons,

 

  two quilt tops, one large top and one baby top 

two baby quilts,

and two crocheted baby blankets.

The quilts and tops were all made using scraps; however, not to worry, I didn't use near all of them.

And now spring is upon us; robins are scratching through the old leaves, buttercups are waving in the March winds, and the cattle are searching for every little sprig of green they can find.  We'll start a new flock of chickens in two weeks and then only a short span of time until it'll be back to the hay meadows to start "through another year".

Charlotte

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and a Happy New Year to my blogging friends!  Thank you so much for the kind words you have left in your comments.  The past three years I have chosen projects to make each month: doll quilts, aprons, and hope chest additions.  This year I don't plan to work on specific projects since it puts a lot of pressure on me to finish each month and sometimes it's almost impossible to meet a dead line. 

The final hope chest addition is a Christmas apron made like a vintage apron I have had for a long time.  The pattern was cut from brown paper, wrinkled and smudged.  I made a few changes to the shape of the skirt; rather than having points this one is straight across the bottom and I left off the holly leaves.

After tracing the drawing for the face with a hot transfer pencil, I ironed it onto white fabric, embroidered the features, then appliqued it with a blanket stitch to the skirt of the apron.  I made my apron from green fabric, thinking the read hat would be more visible.

This is the vintage apron.  Overall, I wasn't too pleased with my green apron.  First, the face seems too large for the skirt.  Second, I wish I had used a pattern for a full apron with no gathered skirt.  But, it does have a little holiday cheer to it; they can't all be winners!  (No pockets in this one either, Ernestine :)

Now I will focus on putting the flying geese units together and put them on the quilting frames for a winter's work ~ after Christmas.

Charlotte

Hope Chest Item for May

You knew there'd be an apron for the hope chest, didn't you?  The body of the apron isn't as yellow as it looks.  I call this color, spring green, because it was the same color as the new leaves on our willow oak; a favorite color of mine.  (I tell you, there isn't a place in this entire house where I can take a good picture of anything!)

Did you have a good Mothers Day?  Our daughters, sons-in-law, and two grandchildren came for lunch with us.  One son-in-law cooked for us -- what a treat!  I think I'll make an apron for him!

Charlotte

2013 Apron Review

So, here we are, the last day of 2013!  Sometimes when I look back, I wonder, what did I do that was worthwhile this year?  I did very little quilting, and no gardening; however, I did rake hay and I worked with six batches of chickens, and I made aprons!  I kept my promise to have twelve aprons; I made eleven of them. 

A blogging friend suggested that I show the twelve.  Will it be boastful?  I surely hope not, so here they are:

January ~ ripply half apron

February ~ child's apron

March ~ half apron with attached dish towel

April ~ vintage crocheted half apron from the farmer's great aunt

May ~ from a vintage pattern

June

July ~ half apron with quilted potholder corners

August ~ gifted to a dear blogging friend who likes big pockets :)

September

October

November ~ mother/daughter simple aprons

December ~ applique from Lee Prairie Designs

 

Whew!!  I put several yards of thread through my new machine in 2013!  Wonder what will be next?

 

Have a wonderful New Year!!

Charlotte

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December Apron

Did you think I could make twelve aprons in one year?  Here's the last one for this year, but there will probably be some show up now and then next year too, just because I love to make them.

Last summer, Carolyn (www.leeprairiedesigns.blogspot.com) sent one of her apron patterns to me.  Also included were three applique patterns for the apron(s).  I waited until I had ordered the perfect fabric from Connecting Threads to make this butcher style apron, then I chose to use the "Merry Christmas" applique.

It was such fun to make!  Thank you, Carolyn!  Isn't it nice when talented blogging friends share their patterns and ideas with us?  To see more of her work visit her blog; she makes sweet things!

Now, what to do in 2014....

Charlotte

November Apron

The apron(s) for November comes as a mother-daughter pack.  Get ready for help cooking the holiday meals by encouraging a little one to cook with you.

One of my sisters-in-law makes fabric gift bags each Christmas and I repurposed my bag into aprons using the printed fabric.  

Although aprons made like this are usually considered clothespin bags, the big pocket would be great for holding a potholder or the end of a kitchen towel.  I've used this pattern, Simplicity #E2079, several times.  It takes very little fabric and the bias tape binding is the most costly thing about making it, unless you can make your own tape, which I do.

Looking for a simple gift to make for Christmas?  Why not surprise a little granddaughter with her very own apron?

Charlotte

October Apron

Well, I'm back with the tenth apron(s).  My how time flies!!

This is the pattern I used for this month,

and this was the first apron I made using the pattern.  I liked it a lot and it was "so easy"; however there were two things I wanted to change: I don't like ties at the neck, and the neck bands seemed too flimsy just using one thickness of fabric.  I had seen aprons like this on Pinterest where the neck band was one continuing piece and the apron was slipped on over the head.  So I tried both, doubling the neck band fabric and cutting it in one piece.  Liked it so much better!  Here are the results:

one for spring,

one for fall.

This pattern uses a lot of bias tape, but I have a bias tape maker gadget so I can make my own tape to match the neck bands.  I believe the tape maker will pay for itself after about two aprons.  The pattern is from Simplicity, number A1536, and I do believe it's my favorite to make, so far.  Only two more to go, then I must come up with something else for next year.  Ideas?

Charlotte

September Apron

Did you think I'd make it this far into the year posting an apron each month?  I've had so much enjoyment making these; it's almost sad to think there's only three more to go this year.

 

Made up in a brown cotton print for fall, the apron is very simple, a good one for a beginner to sew.  I learned to make one continuous strap which feeds through side facings, forming an adjustable neck strap and back ties, eliminating the need for ties at the neck.  I like that.

 

I used this 1971, well-worn pattern,

 

 

and appliqued the rooster to give it some character.  Don't you think he looks like the Kellogg's Corn Flakes rooster?

 

Just for fun, I'm adding a child's apron, made much the same way except it ties at the neck,

 

 

has a big double pocket, and is reversible.

 

 

This would be nice for helping in the kitchen, or for carrying crayons, etc.

This was a free pattern from

www.modabakeshop.com/2012/06/reversible-childs-apron.html

I bet you know a little girl who would love to have one of these, so dust off the machine and get started!  You have less than four months until Christmas!

 

Charlotte 

 

 

 

August Apron

The August apron gives good coverage as a full apron.  It is made from a beautiful blue cotton print purchased from Connecting Threads.

There are two big, spacious pockets, and it ties at the neck and waistline.

The apron was made by the Simplicity pattern, number 3949. 

My precious second granddaughter modeled the apron for me; she didn't want to show her pretty face.

Charlotte

July Apron

How about a red, white, and blue apron for the 4th of July! 

 

(I don't possess good photography skills, plus the wind was blowing rather strongly this morning)

Just what makes this apron special?  Look closely at the blue corner triangles; they're quilted potholders!

 

 

They can be made from purchased quilted fabric, but I quilted my own.

 

 

It went together like any other basic half apron except for the hemming.  The quilted corners were too thick to turn under for a hem, so I bound the sides and bottom of the apron just like I would a quilt.

 

The instructions for the apron came from a site offering many free apron patterns:

www.tipnut.com

 

How safe would it be to use potholders attached to your apron?  I don't really know, but I would be very careful if I were cooking on a gas stove with an open flame.

 

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Charlotte

 

 

One Apron a Month? No Way!

I know, I know ~ there's only suppose to be one apron a month, but I just couldn't wait to share this one with you:

 

This is a child's apron, and what little girl doesn't like cats and the color purple!

 

Aprons made like this used to be called clothespin aprons because of the big pocket in front, but since most little girls don't see their mothers hanging clothes with pins anymore, why not use it for crayons, papers, small dolls, etc.  I've used this pattern several times; it's so easy to make, you'll probably see more later on in the year.

 

Charlotte

June Apron

 

The June apron is another one from my Denise Clason book, Sewing Vintage Aprons.  It is a "full" apron made in a blue cotton print, trimmed with black bias tape.  There are ties, sewn into a side dart above the pocket, to fasten the apron around the waist and the neck straps fasten with buttons; it will give good coverage.

 

Somehow this apron, and the print,  make me think of the farmer's grandmother;  I seem to remember she usually had on an apron when we would visit her.

 

To quote Ms Clason, "Sew an apron for yourself...bring back the nostalgia of the past...bring out the inner chef in you as you make your own memories..."

 

Charlotte

May Apron

Can you believe it's time for the May apron, the fifth one! 

 

This apron gives good coverage: crossed in back, buttoned forward shoulder line, and a big, generous pocket.  It is made in a soft green and pink cotton print, with edges bound in pink homemade bias tape.

 

The copyright date on the pattern envelope is 1971.  It appears to have been used more than once.

 

 

Only two pattern pieces are needed to make this one, so it might be an easy "first" apron for someone to make.

 

Charlotte