hens and chickens and homespun plaids

I have always liked the plant above, hens and chickens, and this year it is one of my favorites because it can take the extreme heat that we are experiencing early here in Oklahoma!

Here's a little quilt I made years ago with some homespun plaids.  I still have lots of homespuns in my fabric collection that I use from time to time.  They are great for a guys quilt : )

piece,

elizabeth

a week of patriotic little quilts

Here's another one of my little patriotic quilts:

I have gotten my moneys worth out of the flag fabric : )

piece,

elizabeth

red, white, and blue

Here's a cute little embroidery that I like to set out around the 4th of July : )   It is appropriate for anytime of year, of course!

piece,

elizabeth

another little 4th of july quilt from the past

Here's another little quilt that I made a while back for the 4th of July.  I will have a little show and tell all week with these little patriotic quilts : )

piece,

elizabeth

chicken vegetable soup and a little quilt

My husband, TR, and I have been on a healthy diet kick(we also wanted to lose some weight) and chose the 17 Day Diet as a guide.  We have been successful losing some weight, but more importantly, creating some great healthy eating habits : )  I am sure soup doesn't sound like a summer meal, but we have this soup often and change it up with the vegetables that we have on hand from the farmer's market or the food store.  We have always enjoyed many soup recipes in the winter, but this one is working out just fine for our summer routine.

 The 17 Day Diet Chicken Vegetable Soup recipe can be found in Dr. Mike Moreno's book along with other great recipes or here.
I don't make it exactly like the doctor's recipe, so here is how I make it:
First I saute in olive oil... onions, celery, green/red/yellow peppers, carrots and garlic(whatever you have on hand)
Next I add my chicken stock/broth and half head of chopped cabbage(let this boil a bit)
Then I add diced basil and garlic tomatoes and original rotel(you can always use fresh tomatoes and jalepenos) and all the other vegetables that you desire at the moment...the sky is the limit : )
Add diced cooked chicken and season to your taste.  Simmer and enjoy!
(cooked chicken can be grilled, baked or rotisserie...I have made each way and they all make a great soup)

Remember, I am not a cooking blog, so I am just sharing something that I like to eat and not trying to give The Pioneer Woman any competition....LOL.

Here's a little 4th of July quilt that I made several years ago.

piece,
elizabeth

another farmer's wife quilt block

I made another quilt block for the Farmer's Wife quilt-along and decided not to remake the other block after a few comments telling me that they liked the block as it was!  The bright pink geranium  is from my front porch.  It is one of the flowers that my mother, a farmer's wife, would choose each year to plant in her flower pots.  She was also fond of purple petunias : )  This picture is a bit blurry because it is so windy....I will get a better picture on a calmer day. 

 Now here is my second quilt block:

Now I only have 109 quilt blocks to go.......

piece,

elizabeth

oops

I made my first block for the Farmer's Wife quilt-along and it is going to be so bright and pretty with the Summer House fabric.  I did, however, make a mistake on my first block!  The pictures below will show you my error.  I am going to keep this block and make another with the same fabrics, BUT I will put them in the right direction next time : )  Also, I  haven't made 6.5 inch blocks in a while, and I forgot how exact you need to be with the quarter inch seam so that the block will come out exactly 6.5 inches unfinished.  There is no room for error : (  so I have to go slower and pay more attention....LOL.

Anyway, this block is the right size, just the wrong layout!  I will begin again tonight.

piece,

elizabeth

moda's summer house by lily ashbury

I found the fabric I want to use for the Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt-along.   It is very bright, cheerful and refreshing considering the heat we are experiencing in June!  I think most people are going for a scrap look, but this Layer Cake of Summer House caught my eye while I was in Colorado at a shop in Salida called Fringe.  Now to get to cutting and piecing some of these 6 inch blocks so I don't get too far behind everyone else : )

piece,
elizabeth

farmer's wife quilt-along

I have decided to join the Farmer's Wife Quilt-Along hosted by Amanda and Angela.

I got the book last week while I was in Colorado.  My sweet mother was a farmer's wife, so I am enjoying reading the letters that accompany the blocks in the book.   I haven't made any blocks yet, so I will be a few blocks behind.  I will get started this week and show you my fabric choices and the first couple of blocks as soon as I get settled from my week away from home : )

piece,

elizabeth

swap blocks

I received my May block from Leona and it looks so good with all the others!  This is going to be a bright, fun quilt one day : )

And here is the block that I sent Leona.  She ask for a logcabin quilt block in aqua, red and white.  The picture looks a bit green, but the solid is a light aqua.

What fun this block swap adventure has been!  I look forward to many more gorgeous quilt blocks : )

piece, 

elizabeth

swap block received

I received my June swap block from Linda in Georgia and it is soooo pretty!  The colors look like summer and it goes great with all the other blocks that I have received : )

piece, 

elizabeth

postage stamp quilt top

I finally finished all the sewing for my postage stamp quilt.  There are 529  2 1/2 inch squares.  I didn't make mine as large as the quilt along quilt because I didn't need a large quilt, but this will make a nice picnic quilt or baby mat/quilt.  I am so happy to have this done and now I am deciding if I am finished or if I need to add a border or two.  I will give it a little time to decide and then figure out how to quilt it : )

piece,
elizabeth

swap blocks

I heard from Linda today, and she received the block I made for her and she liked it : )  She ask for
a block with rose fabric and I had was so happy that I had some in my collection!

 I like the way this block turned out, so I may have to make a quilt using this pattern with the other rose fabric in my stash.  

piece,

elizabeth