Creative Homemaker

Through many of the Farmer's Wife blogs I have read, not many have discussed the organization method that appealed to me.  I have a tendency to start a project and then fall off the bandwagon, so to speak, for lack of proper organization.  I know this will be a long term project for me, because I am hand piecing the blocks--sort of a challenge to myself to see if I can do it.  I'm no Jane Stickle , by any means, but I can dream, can't I? The colors I chose were scraps from the quilt I just finished, and I'm quilting now.  It's a queen sized bed quilt made from The Charlotte line by Debbie Beaves of The Violet Patch, (RJR Fabrics 2008.) Another gorgeous piece is the rose floral near the center of the case, it's  Heaven on Earth by Ro Gregg, Northcott, Quilt for the Cure #2761.  I couldn't find a year on the selvage, sorry. That will likely be my border fabric, it just sings to me! I pulled out all my fabrics and lined them up in this v...

No, Bear hasn't given up becoming a full-time Lutheran pastor. No, we aren't moving and buying 50 acres. (Although that would be lovely!) I've sipped the tainted kool-aid, I've jumped off the deep end, I've begun something for which I should have my head examined. With all I have going on in my life; 5 kids in the midst of 5 grade levels of homeschooling, the numerous--like 25--projects already in UFO status, I've begun another. I'm participating in the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along, FWQAL. The flickr group currently has 962 members.  Sounds mildly cultish to me. It may take me years, but I'll plug along.  Following the winding path, walking toward the light, and stitching long hours into the night when I should be doing other things. My sister, Silver, made me this precious binder cover for which I shall store my secret stash of templates and instructions. Oh, and since these are all templates, I'll be working on this as a carry-alon...

Last year when my father-in-law, Pop died I knew I wanted to create something out of his shirts.  He was such an amazing influence on us as a married couple.  I lived with Pop and Nana while Bear was in basic training and Gadget boy was only 2.   I learned to love my in-laws very much during that time and respect who they became in my life. Pop was such a frugal man. He regularly shopped at yard sales, but brought home only what he knew he could use.  He regularly repurposed items--old wood, old tools, wooden handles, etc.  Tape, wire and staples were what held much of his surroundings together.  So when I thought about how I would recreate a quilt memorial in his honor, scrappy became the method. Nana, Bear and I stood near his closet as we pulled clothes out and scanned them all.  His shirts were plaids, beiges, yellows--homespun and earthy--just like he was.  I took a dozen shirts and about as many ties.  On the way home fr...

This has got to be the Easiest. Recipe. Ever. One 6 pound package of frozen chicken One jar of apricot, (I used peach) jam One package of onion soup mix, Knorr or Lipton, (I actually used a Tastefully Simple package of Onion, Onion mix from my friend Denise .) Dump the chicken in the crock pot, shake the soup mix over it all evenly, and warm up the jam and pour over the mixture.  Cook on low 4-5 hours.  I'm turning mine on high for an hour or so and then turning it down because my chicken is frozen. I'll announce the verdict later.... Dinnertime: I was curious to find that the jam did not stay gelatinous.  It completely liquefied as it cooked in, under and through the chicken. I lifted the chicken out carefully and poured the remaining sauce into a pan and thickened it with about 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch.  I poured just a bit of it over the chicken to glaze it. The verdict: Bear said nothing, which is typical.  Gadget boy loved it, true to fo...

I've been "occupying" my sewing room a lot these days and getting projects accomplished. I have an old mason jar full of slips of paper that I pull each time I finish up a UFO.  Each piece of paper has an unfinished project on it.  When I pull a paper, I must work on that project until it's finished.  Sometimes that is a joy, sometimes, it's a real pain, but discipline is good. I have to purchase a few things for the latest one I pulled, and there will be a post on that later, it's possibly the ugliest quilt EVER! But it will be loved, and worn, and drug around, and that's what quilting is all about.  Making something wonderful for someone you love.  Just a little hint about what's coming soon... Polyester and fur. Oh my!!

Barbara Mandrell and I have something in common. No, it isn't the perky blonde hair, it's not the flannels shirts, and it's not that we are both fans of Roy Rogers. The thing we have in common is that we've both been "something" when that "something" wasn't cool. There is a trend today on the blogs that I read to be "all vintage!" and "back to basics." I've done that for years, folks. I don't need Food in Jars or Creative Canning to tell me how to process and can our harvest. I don't need Passionate Homemaking to tell me the benefits of baby wearing. I just did it.  I made my own baby sling and wore my last five babies until I could no longer empty the dishwasher without fear of them toppling out of the sling and into the dishes. I did it because "hands free" is practical.  When I could set the baby down, believe me, I did.  I have always done homemade crafts for gifts. ...

My Homeschool Mother’s Journal Because I recently came across this blog, I've been excited to start a journal of our homeschooling days, more than just the checks on the boxes in our teacher’s guide; this will give me a better feel for “are the kids getting it?” “Did we deal with attitudes today?” “Did anything sink in?” Maybe those questions will not be answered, but it is my hope to get some sort of feel for those things. Today, Reformation Day, we read through the Martin Luther chapters of Hero Tales.   This was out of order according to the teacher’s guide for Exploring Countries and Cultures. But I felt one day out of order was important enough because of the holiday.   I hope to make things as relevant as possible for my children.   I want them to know the “why” behind what we do. I printed out coloring sheets for the Luther Rose, Reformation Day and the Luther Rose but I had read-alouds and coloring sheets to do with discussion questions afterwa...

Our homeschooling adventure continues on Thursday, the first of September.  We homeschooled last year, using Rod and Staff Curriculum.  It was difficult for me and I'm not sure the kids really enjoyed themselves.  I heard them stammer when people asked how they like homeschooling.  If that doesn't reflect a dislike, I'm not sure what does. This year I've done some research.  When you begin a venture not knowing what lies ahead, you often don't have many questions because you don't know what questions to ask.  But this year I feel more prepared.  I knew what they did not like and what did not fit our styles of learning and teaching. Armed with this knowledge, I embarked on a search for the curriculum that would fit us better.  I really wanted Sonlight, but the cost is prohibitive.  I had heard good things about A Beka, but it's more of a school/classroom environment, which is the reason we didn't like Rod & Staff.  I stumbled...

Hi, I'm MaryLu and I'm a quilter. (Hi, MaryLu!) My blog header's "mission statement," if you will, says "I'm just trying to make something beautiful with the scraps I'm given." Sometimes that means the situations that life throws at me, sometimes it's more literal.  I've been given lots of scraps lately and I've tried to file them into their appropriate categories, here in my studio and in life.  Here is my peaceful place, where I go to think, unwind, create in (relative) peace and quiet. I just picked up this entertainment center at Goodwill and found that it fits perfectly in this little nook in my studio. On it, I keep baskets of fabrics sorted by designer, or by use.  It also displays some of my most treasured things. Each basket is full of specific types of fabric.  And then there's my Go! cutter.  It's wonderful for quickly making a pile of scraps into usable pieces. Sitting atop this cabinet keeping watch over thin...

I just set up my Etsy Shoppe. I'm spelling it the Olde way just because I like all things vintage. I'm featuring sewing items, vintage sheets, (isn't everyone?) pincushions, and handmade sewing accessories that reflect an earlier, simpler time. I often wish that I were Ma Ingalls, or Anne of Green Gables; but not really, I rely on my modern appliances too much for that. So, I try to incorporate a bit of the nostalgia and whimsy here on my blog and in my Shoppe. I have a few pincushions listed there and a queen sized quilt. The quilt I will showcase here as well. I'll also be setting a link on my sidebar to get to my Etsy Shoppe, (once I figure out how to do that of course!) This is the quilt: It's a queen sized Thimbleberries pattern, made with Marine Corps and military fabrics. There are several machine embroidered emblems and icons that represent Marine life and patriotism. It's machine quilted on my DSM in an all over stipple pattern with scrolls, stars and r...