Miss Lynne – Page 19 – WanderingFoxFarm

January 16, 2013February 21, 2014

3 Days and still raining

Well still raining and certainly missing my partner in poop scooping especially as it has gone from those nice firm beans to a mush ( I know more information than you wanted )

I am sure the Alpacas are bored not really being able to get out and about although it is not phasing the chickens at all. Still getting my eggs every day. Thanks girls.

I read an article that says the average age of eggs in the supermarket are 2-3 months, no wonder my day old eggs taste so different.

I have not left the property since Rob left and I am getting a little stir crazy. So I guess I should make the effort to get out over the next few days. I actually feel pretty safe here, having said that although I am not worried about 2 legged problems, I have semi convinced myself that every snake, spider and other predator watched Rob and the dogs leave and are now plotting their attacks on me and my animal family.

January 14, 2013February 21, 2014

And the rains came

Rob was up at stupid o’clock this morning so that he could drive back up to NY and clear Atlanta before the traffic started. He will be really busy this week packing up the rest of our stuff. I have been busy unpacking my sewing things and as you would expect, the one thing I cant find is my sewing bobbins and needles! I am thinking maybe Rob hid them to make sure I clear the rest of the boxes before I start sewing again.

Weather is still really mild here today but this morning it was raining like crazy — which has made everything muddy. It does not seem to phase the Chuck’s much but the Pacas look pretty bored with it all.

Text from Rob at noon and he is already at Roanoke, making great time

January 13, 2013February 21, 2014

The same but different

We always found it amusing that the British did not exist as a cultural food area at the supermarkets in NY but the Irish did, whilst a very small selection it did allow us to occasionally buy Branston Pickle, Robinsons lemon barley water and Walkers oat cakes.

Now we have moved to Georgia we have realised we were aligning with the wrong group. We went out shopping today and spotted an Indian/Pakistani store. It was loaded with Heinz baked beans,Ovaltine, Patak sauces and all the makings for a decent curry. All the flavours of home.

Another benefit of having the extra animals is that it give us a legitimate reason to spend a long time looking at all the bits and pieces at the Tractor Supply Store.

I bought a book on home preserving ( ready for the garden we will have this summer) and Rob got a book about weird inventions people have made to make their farm work more interesting.

Posted with Blogsy by Miss Lynne

January 13, 2013February 21, 2014

2 weeks in and routine almost there!

Sunday morning week 2 – Its been really fun so far. Rob moved down to Georgia on 28th December and I was left in snowy New York as we still had family staying. On the Saturday I took them back to JFK, which was a very interesting experience as it was snowing quite heavily and we passed a number of cars that had spun off the road. Thank heavens for good tires, all wheel drive and 5 years of practice. Although I have to say I was really worried about getting back home and not being able to make it up the drive. Thank goodness Bob our very wonderful plow guy had cleared the drive enough for me to get up to the house.

Alana - no fear and not feeling the cold — Alana – no fear and not feeling the cold

After a solitary New Years Eve and threats of more bad weather to come, I decided to throw as much as I could in the back of the car and drive south. Took me two days but I drove into Douglasville and the the start of a new chapter on Thursday 3rd January. Not sure who was more pleased to see me, Rob or the 2 dogs but suffice it to say I was clearly a welcome sight for everyone.

Lacey - truly this is her happy face ! — Lacey – truly this is her happy face !

Cagney - are you sure that skunk is not real — Cagney – are you sure that skunk is not real

So here we are – still have most of our furniture up in NY but we have the basics ( sofa and a bed) and the can’t do without (Computers, TV, Sewing Machines, Spinning wheel, fabric etc)

My office come sewing room is fantastic – I have tiled floor, 3 double windows and a patio door and I can see out over the back and front yard. It is really nice to work in and the dogs spend a lot of time just laying at my feet.

We have a pretty set routine dogs get let out for a run and fed first, then off to let the chickens out. We have 6 so far each one a different heritage breed. They are so much fun and so easy to manage. I just check their water and food then throw down some scratch ( its a mix of corn and seeds and seems to be like candy to these girls) They then spend the rest of the day on a tour of the house looking for bugs and generally having fun. So now I am ready to go and feed the Alpacas, they have a mineral supplement and as its still Winter we also put out some hay for them, check their water and we are done. Back to the house in time for breakfast and still only 8 am.

Here are my girls - doing an imitation of a "push me pull you" — Here are my girls – doing an imitation of a “push me pull you”

Look at the lovely fiber ........ I mean Alpaca — Look at the lovely fiber …….. I mean Alpaca

Really - it's raining and we may be boys but we are not looking our best — Really – it’s raining and we may be boys but we are not looking our best

Early afternoon we have to check the Pacas again and also scoop the poop. Feed the two barn cats, feed the dogs and go check if the chickens had gone back to the hen house, if they have then we shut the door and we are done for the evening.

Yesterday we drove out to Bremen and visited a couple that instantly became good friends, they have a larger farm than us, many more Alpacas, 2 guardian St Bernards, Chickens, Bees, fiber business and are just in the process of planting vines. I felt tired just thinking about it all ! Anyway you should go and check them out, this is their web site Wake Robin

April 9, 2012February 21, 2014

Pay It Forward – note at end!

It has been a roller coaster few weeks, I blinked and March was gone. I had a job offer last week in February and started right away.Spent the first week out at Head office in Minneapolis, week three included a trip to Florida and last week I was back in Minneapolis again.

I treated myself to a new sewing machine to celebrate the job, I bought the Pfaff Creative Sensation and I am very happy with it. One of the first things I did was create a stitch index (I got the idea from a Craftsy.com class) It took a long time given how many stitches there are on the Sensation but was well worth the effort. I would never have guessed how some of them would have stitched out from the image on the screen. I strongly recommend that you do this. The way that I did it was to line the fabric with iron on interfacing then run through the stitches. I then took 2 sheets put them back to back and used my serger around the edges. I wrote the stitch number against each one with a sharpie.

Other than that I have not had a lot of time to sew on my machine. I did try out the embroidery attachment and made a nice block to put in the center of my wall hanging.

with all my travel I have been trying to focus on projects that I can carry with me. To that end I tried some hand quilting on my 12 days of Christmas small quilt.First time I worked with wool batting as well. I quite like the puffy feel that it gives.

I have also been knitting a lot I have knitted this shawl and I am on my fourth pair of socks

Now to the leader of this post – PAY IT FORWARD – today in the mail I received a parcel from Joan at Moosestashquilting.blogspot.com. Last year I had signed up to be a part of this and then I forgot all about it. I was so thrilled when I saw what was inside. it was this great tile trivet with the cute pizza cover and a great towel with the embroidery and last but by no means list the fixings to make a pizza Smile

I would like to keep this going so all you “crafty” people out there. Please leave me a comment if you want to do this and I will randomly select a name. All I ask is that you also do the same and pay it forward.

February 29, 2012February 21, 2014

Quilting in Vermont

Last Monday was my birthday and I was amazed when I found that DH had actually been listening to me when I was talking about the various gadgets that you can use for spinning. He had gone out to White barn sheep and wool and bought me a Niddy Noddy (used to create skeins of yarn after you have spun them) Who would have thought it.

As a token of my gratitude I knitted him some socks (my first pair) I started off with two circular needles and knitting both at the same time but by the time I got to the heel I decided to just knit one at a time using the magic loop method.

I don’t think he was as impressed with them as much as I was, but then again nothing compares to his beloved Marks and Spencer socks.

Wednesday I drove up to Vermont to begin a quilting retreat. The GPS in the car decided to have some fun with me and took me up the 9W to Ticonderoga with the intent that I should catch a ferry over Lake Champlain. It would have been a pretty stupid thing to suggest normally but as the ferry only runs in the summer it was even more ridiculous. I ended up with an extra hour of driving at the very least, my only compensation was the lovely scenery as I drove around the lake on my way to Vergennes. I quickly got settled into my room at the Strong House Inn and went down to the purpose built sewing room to introduce myself to the rest of the group. There were 9 of us in total all being led by Alison Dea Bolt ( also know as “right off the bolt” from her articles in Quilters Newsletter and Keepsake quilting)

As you can see they have a great sewing space there and we quickly settled in for an intense round of sewing interspersed with many food breaks and a shop hop around the local quilt stores on the Thursday. All of the group produced some great work and some (Cathy and Patti) were extremely prolific and obviously worked in sweat shops in a prior life. Alison has been working on this quilt for nearly two years, it is all paper pieced and it is very intricate, a really stunning design.

Just the borders to get added and it will all be done. A true labor of love.

I was still trying to catch up on my Patriots in Petticoats but I did manage to squeeze in two very small blocks made with my Debbie Tucker Lemoyne Star tool, this ruler works on star bocks from 3 inches ( the size I tried ) all the way up to 12 inches. There are full instruction with the ruler but also there is a great you tube video that takes you through the process step by step.

What a difference a day makes – this is the view from the sewing room on Thursday and here we are with completely different view on the Friday Thankfully we only got a couple of inches and by the Sunday and my return trip home; all the roads were clear and I was able to enjoy the scenery once again on my way back ( minus any detour to a non existent ferry)

February 16, 2012February 21, 2014

Starry Starry night

It still amazes me the amount of stars we get to see in the sky while we sit in the hot tub at home. There is so little light pollution here, you would never see that many in the UK.

We still don’t have any snow here, we had about 4 inches in January but it was so warm the next day it all disappeared. The dogs were pleased to see it at last but the birds…. not so much

The following weekend we went hiking out at the Mohonk, no sign of snow but some of the paths were so covered in ice they were impassable. it was nice to get out and blow away the cobwebs .

This is a view of the lake with the Catskills in the background, stunning isn’t it. It still brings a broad smile to my face when I think how lucky we are to live over here.

The past two Tuesdays we have been skiing at Hunter, even though there is no snow in the area, they have great snowmaking facilities there and as long as the weather is cold the slopes stay in good shape. They also have a great deal, half price lift tickets for locals.We can be there in an hour.

So lets talk quilting, I know there has been a lot of buzz about the twister template and I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. I decided to try the little mini template. You start off making a quilt top using 2 inch finished squares and the top starts off about 20 by 30, then you use the little template to cut the twister squares and join those back together. I ended up with a quilt that is about 8 by 12.

Its very pretty, I would not have made this using such small pieces any other way but I am not sure I would make another one this way either as it was heartbreaking to start with something so large and end up with something so small.

It was one of my sisters *0th birthdays and so I made a log cabin wall hanging for her. The center of each block is a picture put on to photo fabric, that took a long time to get done correctly I wanted them to all be a good size and the same color tone. The border is also pieced. It was a lot of fun, I hope she liked it

I have also been working on a couple of projects that will end up as classes at Quilters Attic. First I have finished the Duck says Quack top

it’s really nice lots of texture to it. I then moved on to a wall hanging, this one has English paper piecing and machine embroidery. I love the bright colors in it, it makes me smile when I look at it

I am also working on an E reader using the clover template. I have also been knitting at the wool shop I have had a couple of lessons around spinning, one using the drop spindle and one using the spinning wheel. It’s a lot of fun, very relaxing but my yarn is a lot thicker than I am hoping for. I guess it takes lots of practice.

I went there one Sunday for a class called contemplative knitting, it started with a little yoga and then we sat and knitted a shawl whilst music played in the background. It was very nice and relaxing. I have since finished the shawl with a 6 inch fringe on each end.

I am currently trying to knit socks two at a time on circular needles, it takes quite a bit of concentration but like most things I guess I need to practice. I am also preparing for my quilt retreat in Vermont next week.

Foot note … I have won a award. This is awarded to blogs with 200 or less followers.

Here are the conventions for getting the blog and forwarding it on

Liebster Conventions:
*Thank your award presenter on your blog {thanks Patti} – done
*Link back to the blogger who presented you with the award – done please click and go visit Patti
*Copy and paste the award to your blog – done
*Present the Liebster Award to 5 blogs that have fewer then 200 followers that you think deserve to be recognized – done
*Let them know by leaving a comment on their blog – done

Here are the 5 blogs I enjoy (excluding the ones with hundreds of followers)

of quilts and other musings

January 9, 2012February 21, 2014

A Duck Says Quack

Hard to believe its January 9th already, still no snow although the temperature is dropping. We are always getting birds of prey in the garden but this one was so involved with the animal he had caught, he did not notice us. Unfortunately I only had my camera phone with me !

Went to see “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” great movie but not for the impatient. It was slow to get started and was very understated, exactly as it should be. Great performance by Gary Oldman. We would give it 9/10 but only if you like that sort of thing.

We have also been enjoying some free downloads from Amazon.com. I have been watching seasons 9 and 10 of “Midsommer Murders”. It is a British TV cop drama but most of the photography is from Bucks in the UK all around a lot of the places where we used to hike. Its more a trip down memeory lane that anything else.

I have been running a few times and one of my longest was 6 miles so I am pleased with the progress I am making. I ordered some new shoes for running on the trails, I got Asics again as I really like them, they have a thicker sole with more traction and they are waterproof.

Last Wednesday I went to an embroidery guild in Hyde Park NY, they are a great bunch of ladies very friendly and I had a really nice time. They are into all things needle based, so there were knitters, rug hookers and doll makers there as well. There was also a presentation by a Diane Johnston, Diane makes collectible teddy bears. They were adorable but some were so small it must have been a nightmare to stitch.

On the way back I called in to White Barn Farm to buy some wool. A lot of people have been sporting these twirly scarfs and the yarn comes in a ball but is a piece of already knitted fabric about 2 1/2 inches wide. you then knit along one edge of the yarn turning every 5 stitches. very different but it knits up quickly.

I have been working on my 12 days of Christmas and I have completed the top. I just need to quilt and bind it. It was a lot of fun ans good practice on getting accurate cuts and stitches.

I helped out in the quilt shop on Saturday (Quilters Attic). We were so busy, I was cutting fabric constantly. Biggest problem with this being I get to see all the fabric up close which makes me want to buy most of them.

I have started on a new quilt, that will hopefully be a class and then I will send the finished result to the UK. It is a Smith Street design called “The Duck says Quack” . the center is a collection of machine appliqued blocks and then the border will include 12inch square pieced blocks. I managed to complete these blacks on Sunday, they are so darn cute!

DH created a top to go on top of my ironing board so that I have more room to iron fabric yardage. Its really great and he used velcro straps to hold it on so that I can use the normal board when I need to.

I have also been tyding up my fabic stash, once it’s completed I will share some pictures although even I am surprised how much fabric I have!

January 3, 2012February 21, 2014

FFFreezing

The temperature has dropped significantly today and with the windchill it is in the mid teens. Definitely a good day to spend in the sewing room.

I decided to make the quilt for the January challenge from my fave Yahoo group (small quilt group). It is from one of Kathleen Tracey’s books Prarie Children and their quilts. Once I started I wanted to complete it, although I did make it with 4 blocks not the 9 that are in the book. I was really pleased with the way it turned out. I also think that the decorative stitching added some nice texture to it.

I still had time for my day 10 of my 12 days of Christmas. Going to miss this daily block once it’s done. I might have to start my own daily block.

I finished the binding on my Autumn quilt last night, so I have put it on the bed in our guest room. Tonight I am knitting. I have been knitting blocks from Nicky Epstein’s book “Knitting Block by Block”. I am using Berroco Ultra Alpaca and I have completed 14 blocks. When I get to 21 I am going to make them into a cardigan that is pictured in the book.

Tomorrow I am up early and going to have a look at an embroidery guild that meets on a monthly basis. I will let you know how I get on.

January 2, 2012February 21, 2014

Happy New Year

Managed to get a few more runs in before the end of 2011, including one very funny one for anyone watching! I think I mentioned that Gil had made me a special lead to run with the dogs, well new years eve I decided to give it a go. Lacey my labrador mutt thought it was great fun and took off at full tilt. I was running as fast as I could calling for her to slow down to no avail. After about a mile and a half we unhitched Lacey and added her to Gils group ( so he now had 5 dogs on his lead) and I tried with just Cagney. With Lacey in the forward group, who now decided to run backwards so she could make sure she was not missing anything, Cagney was pulling to catch up with them.

All was resolved by running with Cagney and me in the lead with Gil and the gang behind us. I think I am going to have to take the girls to training classes though and teach them to walk and run alongside me. Maybe they think they are Huskies!

Still no snow here as as you can see from the picture and surprisingly mild so far. New years eve I cooked a lentil curry and a chicken curry followed by a chocolate lava cake. Gil and Sara brought some great garlic shrimp, homemade guacamole and I had also made some red onion relish and Indian style mint sauce. Add a few skinny margaritas, some good music and you have a recipe for a very nice evening.

I have been busy sewing the past few days. Still working on my Cotton Theory 2 quilt, 21 blocks quilted 4 more to finish off then on to the connectors. If I have any new years resolution this year, it is going to be to finish that quilt.

I am still following on with the “12 days of Christmas” at Temecula Quilt Company. We are up to day 9 now although I may change the fabric I used in block 1. I will make that decision once I see the final layout.

As a break from the Cotton theory I also started on a foundation paper pieced block. I am going to make 9 blocks each will be 3.5 inch finished. I have created them in EQ7 and I have trees, leaves and log cabins. Here is the first block.

Last and by no means least – I just found out I was selected as the final Blog of the Week for 2011 by the American Quilter’s Society. Woo Hoo and welcome to any of you that have found this blog via the AQS. I hope you will stick with me.

Happy New Year