August Heat

The summer is going by way to fast for me and I can hardly believe August is half over already! Local schools start here this week and it just seems too early for me! When I was a kid, school started in September, right after Labor Day. I am busy with my own school work and will be really happy when I finish my current class- Financial Management. It's the hardest class I've had to date, I can say that, and I don't like it very much. Besides the papers and summaries to write, there are quizzes to study for each week. I just had the mid-term test last night. There's also presentations and group work so I'm feeling a little overwhelmed! This too shall pass.... I know. I have four more weeks of it.

Pumpkin contest is underway, I have a few photographs already. Send your pictures to pgpeddler@aol.com and we'll vote on them.

I have recently listed more finished fall quilts and runners on my Etsy site. The link is on my home page at www.prairiegrovepeddler.com I am listing more fabric bundles and other goodies on eBay next week. If you are in the market for supplies or gifts, take a peek. I'll post a link when I get them on there. It's cleaning time! Out with the old to make room for the new!

Pumpkin Contest

It's HOT! and getting hotter so it's time to start thinking about fall. I am thinking about a contest of sorts with pumpkins. Fabric pumpkins.

Rules:

Make 1 or more fabric pumpkins using the directions below out of fabric, wool, felt or batting(painted).

Finish them any way you like, using cinnamon sticks, grapevine, moss, real leaves, whatever.

They can be aged or even spray painted! Lets see how creative you can be.

Take a picture and send them to me in an email at PGPeddler@aol.com with your name and mailing address included, just in case you win!

I'll post pictures in September for everyone to vote on so start soon.

Winning areas are Best Pumpkins and Clever Finishing.

The winner (s) will receive a bundle of my new fall fabric. I know everyone is busy so if I get no entries, I'll do a drawing for the fabric anyway!

I'll repeat the directions again for them below.

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-fil 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 cut 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.

Mid-Week Ramblings!

The heat wave finally broke after 11 days. Today will be in the 90's which is much better than over 100! No rain in sight though, Mid-Missouri just keeps missing it. We have corn (somehow) and tomatoes now so all is well with the world. My motto for today...

So I need more company to keep my house clean I guess!

My Yorkie Toto got fleas when we boarded her while on vacation. We had used Frontline only to discover that it wasn't working. Needless to say, we had to fumigate the house and the dog. Poor little girl, she turned into a flea magnate everywhere she went! So much excitement at our house!

My son returns from the Army Reserve training this week after 6 months away. His wife and two boys are overwhelmed with joy at the fact that he's coming home. We discouraged him after high school, opting for college instead. I guess he never got it out of his system and joined anyway. We look forward to the homecoming this week.

I have been listing lots of fabric on eBay and selling it all. Such a good feeling to finally be cleaning house. I've sold all of my civil war fabrics and hand-dyed cottons. Most is what's left of my retail shows since I don't plan to do any more of them. I'm getting too old to be carting fabric and patterns in and out for set-up. My shoulder's are abused from years of pulling carts!

I've been reading blogs a lot and I always find some interesting things to read. I have been posting them on my Pinterest boards. If you are on Pinterest, check out my boards called Great Ideas and For the Home. Both have some good stuff on there. My username is prairiegrovegrl and I'm listed under Cheryl Haynes. If you need an invite to join, email me at pgpeddler@aol.com and I'll add you. www.pinterest.com.

Happy Independence Day!

It's HOT! Day 6 of 100 degree temps officially. My car says we've had a lot more of them than 6! It's pretty unusual for us to have a lot of days this hot, especially in a row. We finally got our first vine ripened tomato and we are fighting over it. There's plenty more to come but that first one is a gem. I've got watermelon chillin', steaks and chicken ready to be b-b-q'ed today. We've got a big ole' birthday cake for Austin who just turned 18 last week.

I'm going to sit back and read today. I finished the Hunger Games Trilogy and enjoyed it. My 13 year old granddaughter Madi just read Divergent and Insurgent and loved them so I thought I might tackle those soon. I also got Ice Within the Soul by my high school classmate Shawn McKelvie. I think it will be next.

I have been selling off fabric on eBay, just right and left. It's a good feeling to let go. I don't plan to do retail shows anymore with my bad shoulder so I decided it's time to remove all retail sale items from the premises.

Here's a link if you wanna see..... Craftrgrl eBay

I still have books and notions to list also. My fabrics are almost all gone.

I guess it's the lazy dog days of summer now. Other than Accounting class, I am slowing down too with the heat. Reading in the A/C seems to sound better all of the time.

I hope you all have a great holiday today with family and friends.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!