Tuesday, June 26, 2012

I've Been A Very Busy Girl

I spent the weekend cutting my new fabric lines, folding it, photographing it and listing it all on my website. It has come to my attention that Benartex is out of most of the Wintersong line at this time so I got some up there to fill the void, so to speak. I don't have much but it's something.

Take a look~~
http://www.prairiegrovepeddler.com/Other.html

I have a few panels from the Wintersong and Rustling leaves lines also for sale on there. I have been cleaning and organizing, with all of the heat going on, what's a girl to do anyway? Tomorrow will be 97, followed by 102 on Thursday, 101 on Friday. Yep, it's summer in Mid-Missouri.
On the bright side, our corn is tasseling, our tomatoes are growing big but not quite ripe yet, zucchini and cucumbers are being eaten, and our watermelons are as big as a grapefruit. All is well with the world I guess. We even have peaches on our little peach tree.
We have a fishing trip planned soon and a little r and r. Time for a good book.

Anybody reading something I need to know about? I'm looking for my next read.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Another Hot Weekend

I assume everyone got their Bee patterns already, in fact, I think most of you have emailed me a thank you. The eight overseas packages just went out Monday so they are on their way.




I have been laying low this week, pampering my knee. I twisted it last week and it is popping and grinding with every move. I know, that doesn't sound good to me either. I saw my orthopaedic doctor and I have a brace to wear for 4-6 months! I think the brace bothers me more now!




There was the most beautiful waxing crescent moon last night. The weather in mid Missouri has been extreme- no rain and high temperatures. We were tempted with a wonderful storm yesterday and it was a county away, then it dissipated! Completely! That's just wrong!








Friday, June 15, 2012

The Bees are a Comin'....

I just had to update that giveaway from 2 weeks ago and there seems to be some confusion to the winners and there are a LOT of them. That free pattern you got in the mail was suppose to come to you.....REALLY! It's funny how many didn't know they were getting it and called or emailed me this week to tell me I made a mistake!

It was in the BLOG!

I just finished addressing the last of those envelopes , btw, and the overseas ones will go to the post office on Monday. There were quite a few and I don't want to guess on the postage for all of them! SOOO..... if you didn't get your free "What's All The Buzz?" pattern yet, it's still coming!

It's not a mistake! Really!

Monday, June 11, 2012

A Rainy Day in June

My garden is so happy today- it's pouring rain outside. We haven't had rain at my house in over 3 weeks and there are cracks in the ground already. This time last year Missouri was getting flooded. What a difference a year makes huh?
I woke to thunder and it was pouring! Who-hoo! No watering the garden today.
I forgot to Blog yesterday- I know, I'm getting old. There was so much other stuff going on and I just forgot. We did draw 2 names though- for the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazines.
The winners are:
Eileen from Houston, TX and Velda from Bridgeton, MO. Congratulations ladies!

I wish I had a bunch to give out. I am cutting the fall and Wintersong fabrics this week. Next week we'll do a drawing for a sample bundle so stay tuned.

Is anyone doing anything special this summer? We go on a fishing trip each summer but I haven't thought past that. My grandbabies will all be there this year so I am looking forward to that. I just kept my grandsons this weekend and out of the mouths of babes- my 4 year old grandson Nathan and family went to SC to visit their daddy in the Army recently. He is doing basic training for the Army Reserves for 6 months.

Nathan was so sad to leave his daddy there when they came home. Nathan told me "the only way the Army would let his daddy come home" was if Nathan leaves him there. He said then the Army would get done with him. He was so sad when he talked about him but it was so cute the way he said it! Kirk comes home in about 5 weeks.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Gold Fabrics, Bees & Winners

What a lazy week! I didn't get much at all done and I have no excuses except for the weather. I can blame it on the weather! When it's hot, I don't feel like working. When it's cool and breezy like the last few days- I want to play even more. I guess it's that summer thing- you know, when the kids are out of school and everyone seems to get into vacation mode.

The windows are open- the cool breeze is coming in and it feels so nice this morning. The only thing I have to contend with is, well, that I'm sneezing. Ah-choo. It is allergy season. By the way, I am doing the allergy drops from my ENT and I can honestly say they seem to be working already. I started about 4 months ago and my allergies aren't nearly ad bad as they were. The drops are so much easier than shots. First of all, I do them at home and only go in every 3-4 months so none of those weekly co-pays. Secondly- it's painless! They say after 2 years of drops that my allergy symptoms will be virtually gone. Check with your local ENT if you suffer.

Drum-roll please- The winner of the gold fabric bundle from Benartex and What's All the Buzz? pattern is Lisa from Maryland. Congratulations Lisa!

I have to say I am never good at picking winners, in fact, I want everyone to be a winner but unfortunately I only have one gold bundle of fabric. When the fabric finally comes in, I'll do another drawing for several bundles. It should be shipped in a month or so. For now- I appreciate everyone who entered and I want to send you all a free What's All The Buzz? pattern. If you entered and put your address in the email, I'll send you a free pattern this week. Thank you for following my Blog. Some of you have been with me since the start.

If you haven't seen the last post about pumpkins- check it out. I give instructions for pumpkins made with cotton quilt batting. Just a head up- later this summer, probably starting later in July or early August, we will have a special for the pumpkins and here's how it will go:

Make some pumpkins using the method I described with fabric, felt, batting, whatever and finish them any way you want, with sticks, grapevine or even cinnamon sticks.
Send pictures to me at pgpeddler@aol.com with your name and address.
I will post the pictures with first names on the Blog on a regular basis and let everyone vote on the best look, most creative, and so on. Winner(s) will get a big bundle of my fall fabrics. Does that sound fun? Start making those pumpkins soon. I'll re-post the instructions at a later date.

Congratulations-you're all winners this week! Just be patient with me- there's a LOT of envelopes to address. I'll do some each day so give it a week or so to get them.

THIS NEXT WEEK- we'll have a drawing for two (2) of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5.


To enter:
Email me at PGPeddler@aol.com by Saturday, June 9 at midnight, with 100 in the subject line.
Put your name and address in the body of the email.

UPDATE: I corrected the email address- sorry about that! Also- the allergy drops go under the tongue... EASY!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Is it Fall yet?


I am SOOO in the mood for fall already. I know, I know, summer hasn't even started but I have been making some fall craft projects and I want to display them! PLUS, I LOVE making fabric pumpkins. This was one of my craft original patterns released in 1996. Wow, that was a long time ago. These pumpkins were such a joy for me to make. I had a huge kitchen back then and I would cover all of the counters with black trash bags and paint these pumpkins to my hearts content.

One year, I offered free models to all of the quilt shops that carried this pattern. I literally made hundreds of them from felt, wool, chenille, fabric and batting. Yes- quilt batting. Cotton batting from Warm & Natural. It made the best pumpkins.

Want to know how to do it?

1. Cut a rectangle from batting, say 9" x 18" wide. Too big? try 6" x 14".
2. Fold in half and sew the two short ends together, one seam in the back.
3. Hand-gather one open end with string, floss, pearl cotton or linen thread, pull tight and knot several times.
4. Turn inside out and stuff with poly-fli until firm, but not too firm.
5. Hand-gather the top and knot several times.
6. Using a long doll needle ( say 8") and a long piece of the thread you used in #3, go in and out from the center top to the center bottom to pull the center in tight. Knot again.
7. Then proceed to go top to bottom around the outside of the pumpkin to create the veins, pulling tight each time.
8. Knot the thread each time on the center top which will be covered by the stem later.
9. Mix orange paint with water, coffee or tea and slop it on using your hands (pre-manicure not post). It washes off your hands eventually and I would remove your rings first!
*** Using coffee or tea makes the colors separate once dried and gives a wonderful aged look.
Make different sized pumpkins from cotton batting, muslin, or chenille and paint each one a different shade of orange. Mix colors- it's fun!
My husband went int the woods and cut old knarly grapevine for me to use as stems. He sut them about 2"-3" and I hot glued them to the center top, covering the knots.
It makes a wonderful fall decoration and costs so little for so many, a small package of batting, a bottle of paint, some stuffing.