Thursday, September 29

*from NC to FL

Today I am cruising along, having a pretty spectacular day.  We got a bale of hay delivered from the hay farmer next door, free of charge which will be used for bedding for various animals in the barn.  The temperature was pretty much perfect for many hours today especially the ones that I chose to be outside working.  Cleaning and errands were taken care of at an early hour. I finished my best friends apron so I can get it in the mail by Friday afternoon for an early week delivery to her in the North Carolina foothills.   Relaxed a bit.   Later I was able to get dinner all prepared and cooked for my beloved who would be home after a long hard day at work. He arrived home, with a box from the mail in hand.  The status of my day went through the roof.

You see, my adopted mother lives in North Carolina (where I just moved from after having lived there for 24 years) and I miss her. I miss the time we spent together quilting in a class she led. I miss the mornings I would pop over for some breakfast.  A bowl of cereal with fresh fruit, a cup of hot coffee and great fellowship. I miss the smell of her house, of her. So this past week, I wrote a silly note to her.  Because I have such a poor memory I can't remember exactly what I wrote but something along the lines of; I miss you, I miss the smell of your house. Can you please send me something, anything, a scrap piece of fabric - anything that has resided in your  house that has the Wendie smell on it.  I meant it, but didn't expect the level of grandeur of what I received in today's mail.

Upon opening it, I cried. Wouldn't you? Everything about this box was precious. Each thing added had a special place with me.

This apron is amazing. It smells just like Wendie's home and Wendie. I LOVE it. God has blessed me abundantly with my relationship with Wendie and I thank Him upon every remembrance of her. She noted that this apron was made about 25 years ago and she used it yearly during apple sauce making season, pear preserve making as well preparing many a Thanksgiving dinner in her home.

She noted that it was tattered and even torn in a few places (and it is) but suggested that I could wear it while doing barn duties. Oh my, I am gonna cry. If you know me, you know how I sentimental I can be. I don't know if I will ever wear it down to the barn. I almost want to put it in a sealed bag so I can have the smell of her house for a long time.  

 The yo yo's are to inspire me to get my own yo yo's going for a quilt pattern she shared with me and her other adopted quilting daughters not long ago.  Sweet. These are made with Kaffe Fassett fabrics, one of her favorite designers.

 Ah, the banana bread!  This was always present at quilt group, this or strawberry bread. Isn't it so thoughtful of her to have included all these things?

and lastly... fig preserves. She wrote: Eat slowly and sparingly. Who is she trying to kid! These will be gone in no time flat!  She knows how much I LOVE her fig preserves, they taste like none other I have ever tasted. Thankful for this Titus woman in my life too!

What a great ending to a great day!  Thank you Lord!

~Lynnie

*national sewing month project #9

One of my dearest friends sent me a cut of this delightful fabric you see here in these apron creations!  The fabric has watering cans, apples, pears, grapes, baby chicks, strawberries, flowers, roosters, and lady bugs. It is simply adorable. I have wanted to make an apron from it since I got it in the mail a weeks ago.  

My dear mother-in-love gave me an embroidery machine and this week I played!  I played hard!  I had fun and I think we might have a problem. I may need some intervention!  After sharing with my BFF the fun I was having experimenting with this fantastic machine (Singer Quantum XL1000) I decided to go off and make some matching aprons as she suggested! We are best of friends which makes us sisters and we both have chickens.  Hence the wording on our aprons: The Coop Keeper.  Once again, I simply used an apron I already had as a guide to create my own pattern, I am pleased with the way these turned out. They are made from quality quilters cotton and should last a long time whether used in the kitchen or in the yard while handling chicken feeding duties.

 I have had these chickens cut out for another project but decided to use them here instead!

 Me and my crazy hair and the two aprons that I was able to piece together for Franziska and myself to use during our animal feeding, barn working chores.


Henry had arrived in from school just in time! I was able to get him to stand in with me for a picture of both aprons. Thanks Robyn (for the fabric cut) and thanks Mom (for the machines)!
~Lynnie

Wednesday, September 28

*out and in

This has been our first summer on the Gulf Coast, the summer has been no hotter than we had become accustomed to in North Carolina. The humidity now, is a different story. I have never been one to perspire, however this past spring and summer when I would go out in early morning to work in the  vegetable gardens, my brow would be dripping with sweat and I attribute that to the humidity.

I have to confess I got a bit giddy again a few minutes ago when I heard that the early morning temps this weekend are to dip into the 40's.  The time is coming... time to be out with the summer weather and in with the fall weather.  I have laid my welcome mat out, how about you?

Here are a few pictures I took around the property this week, things I wont see much longer this year.  The summer season brings such beauty and will soon go to sleep. I shall miss the colors of summer, but as for the heat - I shall like a little break.


Precious is ready for some cooler weather as well, not freezing mind you, just cooler.


What are you doing to enjoy the last days of summer feeling weather?

~Lynnie

Tuesday, September 27

*national sewing month project# 8

I like any quilter, love to purchase new quilting cottons for my stash, but I also like to be thrifty and use my scraps for useful projects. This week I finished up a little table runner that I had started a month or so ago.   Last year around this time my BFF and I made a few table runners for the fall season using these same fabrics.

I used the remnants to make flying geese units for the little table runner.  The flying geese pattern is pretty simple to make and creates an interesting pattern. Check out this tutorial    or this one  on how to piece this block.  Many rulers are also sold specifically for the flying geese block. 



It now resides in my mother's RV that sits on our property.  I have a few other finishing touches to do to her RV for her welcoming fall stay!



~Lynnie

Monday, September 26

*national sewing month project #7


I have been saving strips of fabric for some time now, and some has been given to me as well.  These strips have been used to make wrapped clothes line baskets for gifts and now will be used to make some hot pads for kitchen pots. Each hot pad is made with high quality quilting cottons, double lined with batting  and finished with a decorative stitch in the binding.   These blocks sort of remind me of a log cabin block - sort of.  I learned about this particular block through a fellow blogger who pointed me to Magnolia Bay Quilts. MBQ's has a tutorial on how to use your scraps to produce this block. Check it out!

Personally, I love this idea. And I am excited about using up my scrap cuts to design some cute and funky hot pads, something that might have once been thrown out now hopefully being used for redemption. 



These will soon be available to purchase through my etsy shop or a friends and the proceeds will go directly to a family who is adopting again for the third time, bringing a child home to his/her forever family.   These and other creations made with my hands will be available to call your own or pick up a few for a small gift for someone you love.




 My heart is stirred for the orphan. My hands are busy.  May my little contribution along with others  be a help in bringing another child into a loving caring home. 

~Lynnie

Sunday, September 25

*scenic Sunday



“Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life”  

-Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758

 

 

shared at Snap & Share

Thursday, September 22

national sewing month project #6

The past few days have looked like this...


and when this happens, you might find me doing this...

or this...

and today I chose the latter.  I had some fabrics left over from the table runners that my BFF and I made last fall and while I am in the midst of making another runner using Flying Geese pattern, today I belted this out. I love it!  I have made three Log Cabin quilts in my quilt making career and I do love this pattern.  I decided to lengthen the Log Cabin block by adding a half square triangle and trimming it to the correct size needed.




 The binding is scrappy, I used the pieces that were left over from when I pieced the Log Cabin block in the center of the table runner.  I hope your having a great day!  I am off to listen to some great music by some great artist and start some soup for dinner!

Tuesday, September 20

*on the run!

Our beast of a dog, Frayja the great dane, is finally considered full grown and no longer a puppy.  We still see puppy behavior out of her from time to time though, but she is asking for a break since this month marks her as no longer a puppy.  While there was a time that we were a bit concerned about her eating habits (too little), she has really developed a healthy appetite.  She started out at a mere 16 lbs at 7 weeks old and has grown into her full grown status at 118 lbs.

She continues to be more and more attentive to our commands and obeys most of the time.  Erilyn Farm would not be the same with out her, so say Eric. Actually, I know this may sound silly to some of you, but she has really enriched our lives and I am glad we added her to our craziness.

These things she will do upon command: sit, stay, wait, hand shake, and give kisses. She loves to fetch and run like the wind.   You can see this displayed in the photos below. These were captured from an afternoon of throw and fetch!  Note the dust she stirs up as she gallops out to get the ball.  Enjoy.









The end. (sorry I suppose I couldn't resist)


~Lynnie

*gifts galore

Our boys were loved on and doted on while visiting family in Georgia.   My sister, Bridgette, sent these to me the night they were feasting on a Low Country Boil and various fried seafood plates as well.  I almost got in the car and drove 6 hours to have some of those shrimp!




Isn't the bond of a close family the best gift ever? Having grown up in small town Georgia with many relatives close by, I knew what it was like to have family. I can say I was very blessed in that way.  Aunts, Uncles, first cousins, second cousins, third cousins, grandmothers, were all within the same county, some just around the corner.  Our children do not have the same story to tell, but closeness in the family is something they experience as well.

My husband's parents made it a point to visit as often as possible, which usually turned out to be once a month during the years that our boys were growing up.  We too, made visits to Georgia to spend time with both sides of the family.  Both of our boys have a deep love for their grandparents.  Due to different circumstances Henry hasn't had as much time with his grandparents as Robby did by this age, but I think he shares a very similar closeness.   Grandparents and family members to me, are very important. They can really play an important part in your children's lives.   They aren't the parents, therefore they see things a bit differently than parents do.  Grands can be the cheerleaders, another listening ear, a mouth of encouragement, and safe arms for hugs.  

This past weekend our boys drove to Georgia to visit their grandparents.  I cannot even express what this time meant to our oldest son.  He is 24 years old, and treasures his grandparents. He misses his Grandpa Sanders tremendously (he has been living in Connecticut for several years now due to an unavoidable job transfer).

Upon the return of their visit, some tangilbe treasures entered our home: sewing machines (really embroidery machines), a family heirloom chair, a family heirloom Hamilton Greyhound Wagon, a monster rocking chair, empty EGG CRATES!

 No, you are not seeing double, there are two Singer XL1000's.  YUM.  A gift from my dear mother in love!  I can't wait to get some time with her to learn how to use the embroidery side of this machine! Wonderful things to come, I am sure.  I  have seen her work , I know what these machines are capable of!

 Beauty. Beauty because of it's history. Not my history, but my dear husbands and his family. We are really glad to have this in our home.  If I understand this correctly this was the seat of my dear husbands Great Grandmother Bessie.  He recalls her having sat in this chair in the home of his grandparents in Pennsylvania when he was a child. That fabric is true vintage fabric, and I love it.

 The seat in its original state was caned, but as long as Eric can remember, the seat has looked like it does presently. He does not want to change anything about it.



I love the fabrics that were used to make the pillow seat, as well as the covering (the red print).  


I have always adored this chair. Can you see the layers of paint, wear and tear on the legs. The history.

 This rocker, is beast. Ok. I am sure that word is no longer "in". But it is, beast! Just sayin.
(can you tell I have a teen?)


Can you say pickers?!  
So this is a Hamilton Greyhound Wagon, from the1940's - 1950's.  At least that is when they were first made.  When my husbands father was a little boy living on his family's farm in a little town near Gettysburg Pa, this wagon came to him by way of a hand me down.  It was surely loved and used for many years by him and his siblings as well as all the grands that came thereafter.  Many years later Eric's grandmother would use it for sitting potted plants in on the porch or in the yard, I plan to do the same.  My dear father in love said that it once was on a farm and it is now time to return to a farm - thanks. We are so glad to have a piece of your history sitting on our farm! 

My mother and father both sent back a cooler full of treasure as well.  Fresh shrimp. Creamed corn for the freezer. Brunswick stew. Freshly boiled peanuts.  Garden grown sweet potatoes and much more!

The best treasure of all is the people in my life. My family.  Over the years times have been what you would call rough, but I know that God paints the tapestry of my life, our lives. And it really is a beautiful picture,  the darker areas of my picture, only highlights the shining moments. 

~Lynnie

Sunday, September 18

*chick-inn news

 We have an assortment of egg sizes, colors and contents!  Small, medium, large or extra large? Usually we have a super large egg every couple of weeks and these larger eggs normally will have a double yolk, which is a rare happening in young hens. It has something to do with their immature ovulation process when they are still young layers. 
 The white egg is from one of our Buff Leghorns, previously know as "Goldie, but been renamed to Mrs. Trump or her sister Rebel.  They are the smallest of our hens, but two of the most fascinating!

 Just thought I would give you some perspective of the different egg sizes that we collect daily around here at Erilyn Farm.

 Surely the one who laid this egg walked around and talked about it for hours.  Seriously, once our hens have laid an egg, some of them will walk around and cackle so loudly for a period of time.

 mmmmm... meat.  That's all I got to say about that. (Lori, Kathy... are you still with me?)

Lucy is just glad she isn't a rabbit. She is so glad that she can daily produce something for our homestead. She is thrilled that it is not her body we are looking for at the end of a given time.  Lucy, your safe! Keep that egg production up girl!  (Since mid June, we have collected 1021 eggs)
~Lynnie

shared today at homestead revival 
& farm girl friday blog hop