I have been gone for awhile I know, but canning, a couple of funerals/deaths, and customer quilting has kept me from being too much at my computer. I do have some Fall decorating photos and some finished projects for you today though.
First of all, I have been waiting since February for this specific post. Now I know that was almost 9 months ago, but I have a very specific 'Whatcha Working on Wednesday' post. I have a dear aunt who remembers EVERYTHING, and she remembered that I was looking for an antique corn cob drier. She set out and found me one, and I have waited all these months to dig out my dried indian corn to display on it. So I did just that this morning - I 'finished' getting these two elements together, the corn and the drier. With gratitude, the first photo above is for my Aunt Lynn. I just love it!!! Thanks to my FA (favorite aunt)!!!! Here is a shot from a distance:
Do any of you remember the tutorial from Jenny at Taylors*Farmhouse*Attic? She gave a GREAT tutorial on making your own redware plates. I did take some time over the last few weeks to get mine done. I did 5 total and they did take a while to dry between each coat, but I am so happy with them! I found .25 cent plates at the Goodwill and used the colors she listed. I really, really, like they way they turned out. Can you spot the one on the mantel above? (It looks so cool displayed with the corn cob drier!) See if you can find each of the remaining 4 that I made in the following photos. I thank Jenny so much for that tutorial!
Next, I have been in such a Fall decorating spirit, yet I want to get a quilt done that I have been thinking about for some time. This is a kit from Wisconsin, and oh, how I would love to work on it! The colors SCREAM autumn, and it actually is a quilt commemorating the Battle of Antietam during the Civil War. I can't wait to start this one, but it is gonna be awhile!
And speaking of quilting, did you get your 'hot off the press' copy of Quilt Sampler yet?
Isn't it one of their best? My very favorite shop listed was this one:
This semi-annual magazine I wait for with baited breath, just like each issue of Country Sampler. One of the other shops highlighted in this issue is Tammy Tadd's in Sycamore, Illinois, and I have visited that shop also. Such a surprise to see some of the shops I have visited be highlighted as being among the Top 10 in the country. I need no excuse at all to visit a quilt shop, and you gotta admit, each shop is unique and oh, so, inspirational! Some shops are cozier than others, but all are definitely unique!
Any canning going on out there? I did bing cherries earlier in the summer, and some carrots, and am now starting tomatoes. It really is more like a soup base, 'cause I add carrots, celery, and onion to my stewed tomatoes, but it is sooooo YUMMY in the soups that I like to make this time of year. Canning is also what I am working on today. This is a small batch ready for the pressure canner.......
I leave you with one of my favorite photos of my pumpkin doll. She doesn't have a name, although I would love some help in naming her. Does she look like a Hilda? Maybe Zelda? Or even a Tilly? Ugh - I am not good at naming things some times.....
'Whatcha Workin' on Wednesday' is just that - WORK! But it is such a blessing to work. Saturday I am going high into the mountains of Idaho for a quilt show. The colors should be breathtaking, so the work needs to get done before then. Hope this September day finds all of you in good spirits and enjoying your daily labors!
Shanda