Ooh, I like this one …
If you’re not situated in the snowiest place on earth,
then you may be wondering where—and when—it’s going to snow.
Let me gaze into my crystal snow globe …
Photo by David J Laporte via Flickr
What do I see?
I’ll admit I’ve taken a shine to weather watching (my hubby’s fascination has rubbed off, it seems). I even offer a Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge for Weather.
And, yes, I do love a good snow.
So, according to Snow-Forecast.com, my neck of the woods may get some flurries soon.
How about yours?
photo by Thduke via Wikimedia Commons
Horse House for sale by owner horse:
It’s true, Willie Neighson, the horse, is the unusual realtor on this farm for sale.
Willie says,
“I’m not a hero …
I just want to help my current owners move closer to their kids.
I’m just like you.
I put my shoes on one hoof at a time.”
photo, http://rarehatch.com/blogs/stories/80146755-why-you-can-now-email-a-horse
That’s right … Willie would love to sell his 20-acre Tennessee “instant farm” to you. “Hay… Hey, I want to make this easy for you. I heard you want to own a farm. Well, why not this one? It includes a pond, gardens, a barn, and best of all … me, a horse.”
Willie and his owners have made a cute informational website where you can tour the farm, order a “from the farm” package of homemade goodies, e-mail Willie (he even has his own personal e-mail address), attend a farm workshop, camp out overnight, and even buy the farm online with just one click!
Check it out at http://rarehatch.com.
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … SuZan Brown!!!
SuZan Brown (imascholar2, #4394) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner & Intermediate Level Cross-Stitch Merit Badge!
“I learned how to cross-stitch several years ago, so I taught two of my daughters how to cross-stitch. My oldest daughter made me a sampler as her first cross-stitch project.
For my Intermediate badge, I learned about different fabrics: even-weave linen, aida. Basically you can cross-stitch on anything that is woven, even a gunny sack is a candidate. At this point, my favorite is 14-count aida.
This year, I completed a sampler cross-stitch on 14-count aida. When I first started cross-stitching, the changing of threads would make me so nervous. Now I have learned to relax and enjoy the process.”
Grannie sits in her oaken chair,
Firelight flits o’er her silvery hair,
The silent children around her sit,
As she pieces her patchwork coverlet …
The Chimney Corner by Joseph Clark via WikiGallery.org
These lyrics from a traditional song called “Patchwork” are among the gems tucked in The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt by Carrie A. Hall and Rose Good Kretsinger. Originally published in 1935, this oldie but goodie is the kind of book that sentimental quilters covet.
It’s neither glossy nor glitzy. It doesn’t knock your socks off with colorful photo spreads or tutorials. What it holds are sweet scraps of history.
Some woman sewed these points and squares
Into a pattern like life’s cares.
Here is a velvet that was strong,
The poplin that she wore so long,
A fragment from her daughter’s dress,
Like her, a vanished loveliness;
Old patches of such things as these,
Old garments and old memories.
– Douglas Malloch
Peppered with tidbits of poetry and prose, the book features hundreds of black and white images of full quilts and patches with the name of each pattern, making it a handy guide for modern quilters seeking to identify the patterns of an antique quilt.
“Over a period of years, Mrs. Hall has accumulated a collection of more than 1,000 quilt patches, both antique and modern, showing practically every design and motif of design ever created in America,” the book’s jacket reads. “This collection, which she has entrusted to the Thayer Museum of the University of Kansas, formed the inspiration for her book.”
Who knows? You might even discover a spark of design inspiration from yesteryear.
Although it’s out of print today, you can still pick up a used copy of The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt from many an online bookseller for under $10.
The sun has such a pretty quilt,
Each night he goes to bed,
It’s made of lavender and gold,
With great long stripes of red.
And bordered by the softest tints
Of all the shades of gray,
It’s put together by the sky,
And quilted by the day.
– Laura Coates Reed
Photo by Anna via Wikimedia Commons
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
