Christmas Horses ( or chore time on Christmas Day)

Event though we think we are on vacation... the animals do not agree, and they still demand to be fed, and worked , and given some attention to..... So while my Nephew and Brother in Law were training some of the colts.... I attracted them....

He thought I had food!  He was orphaned when he was 3 days old, and I think... he doesn't remember that he is a horse, and he comes so close!  ( he also tries to eat your jackets.... just beware... he is still being trained about that!)

Working the colts in the round pen.

My Nephew needs to get 30 rides on him this month,

and this was ride 3 on this colt.

He does a lot of ground work before getting on them,

and it totally pays off

He had this colt stopping and backing really good after only 3 rides.

Then we have to head out and feed all the mares.

The mares stay in closer pastures during the winter so they can be watched more.

but!!  They like to go over the ditch ( for water) and play hide and seek

so we drive the truck towards them,

and then they come running to our side.

Goof balls

Most of all the young colts were born in May 2019

but somehow this mare escaped the breeding program

and her baby was born in September (above)- so she is special ;-)

I was still in the truck and this one wasn't sure what to make of me

She didn't know if I would feed her from the seat, or if she should ignore me!!

and this one just made me laugh!

She sorta has an attitude right??

I wish that I would have taken my big camera this day...

It was just beautiful and sunny out - but, All I remembered was my cell phone.

And they are not too bad, but you know... I just love that big camera!

Hope you all Had a Merry Christmas!!

We took a special trip to Denver to see a Special Santa's Helper.

This year, my Horse Shoer got into the act,

and you know - he is pretty much family - I have known him forever and a few days,

so it was fun to get our photo with him

You can learn more about them at Come to the Source sale if you want. If you are into blood lines - they are all Blue Valentine and Joe Hancock Horses... and they are hard working horses.


Linked to:
Our World Tuesday

Patriotic Eagle is now.... a Top!!

Happy Friday!!
I hope you all have had a wonderful week and!
maybe even had a special Christmas Dinner ( or two!)

and maybe you even have a Finish to brag about???

This is my Finish... It is just a top - but hey - that's a finish of a stage right??  I really like how this one turned out - I sorta had the vision in my head.... but the colors really make that Eagles Flag pop! 

( okay that is my opinion... ha ha ... maybe you don't agree!)

and you will note!  I have a trusty Quilt holder back in my life.... I actually have 3 of them for a short period... kinda makes me wish I had more finishes to photograph......

Alright! It is your turn - Link up your Finishes... and please provide a direct link so those slowpokes like me can go to the direct post ;-)

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Linking to:
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIF Friday at Anja Quilts
From Bolt to Beauty

A Quilt of Valor Finish... for Finished (or Not) Friday!!

Happy Last Friday before Christmas!!!

This means - you are ready, you are done, you can sit back and have some fun.... or at least that is what I keep telling myself ;-)

Welcome to Finished (Or not) finished Friday!!

This is my Finish for this week!  I kinda like it! I love Eagles, and funnily enough - before I took this photo an eagle was flying overhead , but he wouldn't land for me! *sigh*

This is a Quilt of Valor

We still have snow on the ground from our Thanksgiving Blizzards

and in the afternoon when the ice on the roads ( dirt roads on the backside of the ranch)

has turned to water..... your white car gets REALLY dirty!

( just thought you would want to know)

Now it is your turn!

Link up your direct post

and it would be great if you included a link back here 

so that others can see all the good things!!

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Linking to:
Confessions of a fabric Addict
TGIF at Home Sewn by Us

Patriotic Eagle .... a Panel

A way long time ago.... but at least it was in this year... I showed you some panels that I had purchased for Quilts of Valor....

Here is where I am on this one:

I think I know where I am going with it.... you better stay tuned to see if that is really where I end up going with it!! .... right?

I am really starting to like these panels for the Quilts... I have always admired what others can do with them.... hadn't really thought much about what I could do with them.....

linking to:
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts


What I made Monday

WQAL Finish!!! And! it's Friday!

Happy Finished or Not Finished Friday!!

I am a little happy... I have a finish!!

Remember our little Winter Quilt a Long? Well - I just couldn't stop!!
I went ahead and found a Backing , loaded it and Quilted away.

It was kind nice to do something quick and fast in Between all the Client quilts for Christmas.

I took this photo first - and it sorta made be dizzy, between the geometric of the quilt and the shadow lines - shew.... Crazy!

It is time to link up your finishes - Remember to PLEASE use the direct link to your post, not just your blog name - some of us don't get to the post until Saturday or Monday and you have already added another post, so we don't see the Finish ( or Not) Finish ... we have to search....

PS - it'd be great if you would provide a link back here on your blog too - that way everyone can ohh and Aww!

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Linked to:
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIF Friday

Winter QUILT A LONG Hour 5

Happy Wednesday!!

WINTER Quilt A long Hour 5    

Before we get into this clue – I would like to thank Liz Broussard for this pattern. She designed it for her QOV group and allowed me to use it for us. I changed the colors a bit, and tried to break it up into a fun step by step – that kept you guessing.   Thanks LIZ!!!!

So you now have 2 pieces made (Hour 3 & Hour 4) – and it is time to make Piece 3…

You will use all the rest of your pre-made blocks from Hour 1 and hour 2

And you will lay them out like this!

Stitch them all into rows – and I put a safety pin in the top left corner – and labeled it Hour 5.

I am going to assume you would like to solve the mystery?

And put the whole top together?

It goes

Hour 3 piece

Hour 5 piece

Hour 4 piece

Here is mine all finished up ( okay not quilted yet…. But it is in the cue)

Here is your WQAL 5 PDF


Hope you had fun with it!! and maybe got another Quilt finished!!

Vacation Photos

Way back in October... we went on a small quick little trip, and I was searching my photos to see what more I had besides the Elephant Seals..... and to my sadness - I had not downloaded all of them!

Me!! Who lives with her camera!!! How can that be?

So now I am going to share with you... and they will make me happy, as today - when doing my chores, I am still climbing over piles of Crusty snow, and we have had a few days of dreary fog.... so the beach photos will make me happy!

we went on a Whale Watching trip, and cruising thru the harbor was so fun, it was such a different perspective that walking the harbor walks.

Don't those boats just look so cool?

They are all docked in the water and they have to take little dinghys out to them.

This is the Powerplant

( I don't think it is in operation any more - but I didn't think to check)

It looks different from the water side

and they have a Huge Population of Sea Lions has grown immensely.

They were decreasing in Population along the California Coast 

and in 1972 a Marine Mammal Protection act was passed and the population has grown

It was less that 87,000 in 72, and now they count them at over 250,000

I love how the congregate, and they don't really care that we went by.

Posing

This is my Titanic Photo

Except I was not brave enough to hang over the edge

I feel that someone ( ok my husband) might have pushed me over!!

After our Cruising we headed over to the Dunes for some hiking - It was awesome!

I'll have to show you those later - we found tide pools and little sea animals!!
Enjoy your Monday - See you Wednesday for Hour 5 of the Winter Quilt A long.....

Finished or Not Finished Friday

Oh my dears~ I thought I had this ready to go, and then I woke up and it hadn't gone!! I forgot to hit Publish!!! I am so sorry!!

Welcome to Finish or Not Finished Friday!!!
I have nothing exactly close... but ....I did get on side of the border sewn onto this:

So there is hope that all 4 borders will be done by the end of the Weekend....

Let me see the Beauties that you have been working on!!!

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Winter QUILT A LONG Hour 4

Winter Quilt A long Hour 4

You will be building 4 more Rows –

Here is the Layout – Maybe mark this one in the top Left Corner as Hour 4 when this piece is finished?

Easy Peasy right?

Here is the PRF File

Winter QAL Step 4 PDF

If you are stitching along - feel free to leave your Blog link in the comments section so we can check it out!!

An Eagle Panel Top

I LOVE eagles... and I might have purchased a few panels with them on it....
But I am not always quick at using panels - which is kinda dumb - they make an excellent start on a Quilt of Valor.... Sigh.... I am slow to learn sometimes...

So this is where I am on this panel.... It just needs the final borders!!

I have the side borders laying next to it, and the same fabric will be the top and bottom borders too

A few of you had asked how I would make this one

So I put a 2 1/2 inch gold border

then made the piano Keys 

They were supposed to be 10 inches wide....

and then I put another 2 1/2 inch gold

and then the Navy Stars will be the last

and it will finish at 60 x 80

 This last week we had TWO major blizzards that shut our state down, this photo is not that.

but it is sorta how we felt - like wave after wave of snow coming while we were trying to out run it!

 Monday last week I moved all the Momma Cows to a close up with a barn pasture - and we were so glad we did. ( I would love to tell you I am psychic.... but that might be stretching it!)( and PS Thanks to BETH!! for telling my my physic was ummmm bad!! ha haha )  and Monday night by 7 pm all the roads were closed, and the pastures were getting snow!!

Tuesday everyone was at home ... our road was closed all day!
and Friday Morning another storm hit - and by Friday night.... all roads were closed again... so crazy!!

I really like days like that.... when no one needs to get anywhere! I like having PJ days ( sorta - we just layer up the coveralls over them haha)

Now the Thanksgiving holiday is over... back to work!


Linking to :
Oh! Scrap
Design Wall Monday
What I Made Monday
Mid Week Makers

Urban Log Cabin top !!

Welcome to finish or not finished Friday!! The after Thanksgiving edition!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.... we ate to much !! ha ha!!

but Prior to cooking for the big day!

I got this top put together!

I am so happy!!

It is the Urban Log Cabin pattern from Atkinson Designs

In Kaffe Fasset prints and

and Crazy Kaffe Border!!

and!! We are in the Lions Club, our Kersey Lions is providing S'more Kits for our Holiday Parade - and we were going to make them at our last meeting - but a Blizzard sent us scurrying for home.

Little and Middle Bit put the kits together and we are ready for the Parade!!

Alright!! your turn!! what is Finished ( or not) for you this Friday??

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Linking to:
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIF Friday at Kathleen Mcmusings

Winter QUILT A LONG HOUR 3

Happy Almost Thanksgiving!!
Hope all is good - we went from sunshiny and dry to a Blizzard in a day and all the roads were closed, and it! Was! Awesome!!!

We got over 12 inches of snow at our place and we loved it!!!! 
Of course - everyone was home and safe, and the roads were closed by the state..... so we couldn't leave!!!

On to our next step!!

WQAL Hour 3

So all your pieces are now cut and stitched… It’s time to start….. Rowing!!!

I use my design wall most of the time, but sometimes I find it easy to just stack the pieces according to the photo and start stitching the rows together…. Your choice –

You will be using 2 of your Red/Light squares, 6 of your light squares and 32 of your Navy/Light squares for this step….

Here is how it lays out!

So this hours assignment it to lay out these 4 rows and stitch them together –

Then set this piece aside…. And go eat some Turkey….

WINTER QAL Hour 3 PDF file

I do not know if this video will work - but these are my kitties - and I was working in the hay shed, cleaning up the spilled hay and they were terrorizing my rake!! It cracked me up!

Finished ( or not!!) Friday

Puppy says

WHAT have you Finished???

( he knows that all I have Finished is Client quilts this week!! ha ha)

So link up - show me the finishes and Inspire me!!
You all know my Bucket list grows each week right??

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Winter Quilt A long HOUR TWO

Welcome to Hour TWO of the WINTER QUILT A LONG


Now... just a preface - this is an hour of My stitching... you may be ( and most likely are) faster, or you may only have 10 minutes at a time... but it will get done and you will relax.... and feel the stress of the day go away.... ( okay that works for me!)  

and ps - Please read this a few times before trying to tell me there is a mistake... Yes - I know we all make them, but I do try to read and re-read and so far.... ( knock on wood) no mistakes ... but you all did make my heart rate go up... that counts as my exercise right?

Winter Quilt a Long Hour 2

*You have a Light - 7 inch square pile and a Navy -  7 In Square pile left – there should be 32 squares in each pile…( we cut them in hour one)

*You will continue stitching Half squares –

*Pair a 7 inch light with a 7 Inch Navy

*Draw a line diagonally in the center of one of the pieces –

*Stitch ¼ inch on either side of the line

*Slice on the line

*Press – & Voila – you should have 64 more 6 ½ inch Half Square Blocks ( in addition to Hour1)

And that took me an hour…. 

Ps – someone asked the size of the quilt – 60 x 72 ish

Here is a link to the PDF file  Winter QAL hour 2 PDF

Raptors... and quilts

My Design wall is actually empty at this moment!! I am kinda of excited - its a blank slate, a new start... or .. time to get close to a finish.... I love it!!

And it's also that gifting time... so I do have to keep a few things quiet... which we all know how good ( not) I am at that! ha ha

I follow a Blog by Snowcatcher - and her Photography is AMAZING!!! I mean drool worthy!! She posted the other day about a Calendar that she had created and showed some of the photographs in it... and I was blown away

So the first thing I ordered for ME!!!  Was a calendar!!  It arrived this weekend and it s GORGEOUS!!

The first gift to go under the tree!! I am so excited - and you have to go check her blog post out ..the photos - oh man!! you will LOVE them!!

https://www.snowcatcher.net

Oh and I saw this on FB the other day... Can you relate?

Happy Monday!!


Linking to:
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Design Wall Monday at Small quilts and doll Quilts

Decorating for Christmas... and Finished ( or not) Friday

Does the title scare you a little?  

Sorry - My family thinks you should not decorate or start listening to Christmas music until Thanksgiving is over... but this year... I am already starting ---- sort of!!

My friend found the cutest cactus Christmas tree.. and we all got to talking .... 

I started thinking about maybe a Blue and Silver(white) themed Christmas...

And I don't really decorate much ( mostly because I hate putting it away)

Then I thought - what if I got all of my Blue quilts out, and started throwing them on the couches? I mean it would be like the decorations are sneaking up on us right?

Would you believe..... I have exactly ONE Blue and White quilt.... THAT IS IT!! Who knew this?

So there you go! I decorated for Christmas!!!  Ha Ha!

( and now I am pulling Blues to make more Blue quilts!)

Here is what I actually got done!  Do you remember Flags for Sue? This is one of the tops I made from those blocks - and NOW!! it is Quilted!!  Ready to be bound - which is perfect - we have awarded almost all of our Quilts of Valor, and now we need to get busy finishing more!

I believe at last count we have awarded 22 of these quilts now - so cool to Honor Sue this way - and so neat to spread it out,.... makes me think of her each time I work on one!

Its your turn!!

BRAG about your Finishes or your Not Finishes....
Please make sure you use a direct link - that way... I can go directly to the post you want to brag about!

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Linking to:
Can I get a whoop whoop
TGIF Friday

Winter Quilt A Long - Hour ONE!

Welcome to Hour ONE of the WINTER QUILT A LONG
Whoot Whoot

Now... just a preface - this is an hour of My stitching... you may be ( and most likely are) faster, or you may only have 10 minutes at a time... but it will get done and you will relax.... and feel the stress of the day go away.... ( okay that works for me!)

We have a Navy Blue, A Red – and the Light Blue is my Light.

I am going to do everything based on the yardage, but will give you the number you need if you are going scrappy. Scrappy will take you longer to cut, but don’t laugh – I am doing a regular and a scrappy version….

Step 1:

With your Light :

Cut 2 strips width of Fabric (wof)  6 ½ inches long.       Sub Cut those to 12  -   6 ½ inch squares

Next you need   54  -   7 inch squares of Light

*If you have 40 inch fabric you will need to cut 11 strips of 7 inch wide fabric

 – and sub-cut that to 54 – 7 inch squares.

*If you have 42 inch fabric you need to cute 9 – 7 inch strips of fabric

 - and sub cut into 54 – 7 inch squares

Step 2:

RED:

You need 12 – 7 inch squares

*if you have 40 inch fabric – you need to cut 3  - 7 inch strips wof, and sub cut into 12 – 7 inch squares

*if you have 42 inch fabric – you need to cut 2 – 7 inch strips wof and subcut into 12 – 7 in squares

Step 3:

On the back side of the red – draw a diagonal line.

Pair them with  12 of the Light Squares and stitch ¼ inch on either side of the line.

Cut along the line, and press

-          You will now have 24 light/red half squares

-           

Step 4:

Navy Blue:    You will need 42 – 7 inch squares of Navy blue

*if you have 40 inch fabric you will need to cut 9 wof strips and subcut into 42 -  7 inch squares

*if you have 42 inch fabric you will need to cut 7 wof strips and subcut into 42 – 7 inch squares

Take 10 of these Navy Squares, Pair them with a Light.

Draw a line on the diagonal, stitch ¼ inch on either side of the line.

Cut along the line and press them

You know have 20 Navy/Light Half squares

And it is time to go have your dinner….

Your Final Count for This step:

Light:               12 - -6 ½ inch squares

Light/Red       24 - - 6 ½ inch half squares

Light /Navy    20 - - 6 ½ inch half squares

Ohya!! Need a PDF - here you go!!
Winter QAL Hour One PDF

See you Friday for Finished ( or Not) Friday!