Another Snow Day!

       So....tomorrow is spring....in some parts of the world!  Not in northern Minnesota!  We are buried under several feet of snow!  I'm thankful that we don't have to go anywhere...unless we want to!

This is the view out my back door this morning!

 

The paths out of this place are getting very narrow!  Yikes!

 

The poor deer are so hungry they come during the day to eat...they're so skinny!

 

They watch us...we watch them...they know who feeds them!

 

This is the view out my sewing room window...can you see the giant flakes on the glass?

So....what do I do on a snowy day?

 

I dig out my molds from 1985...and....

 

I make lots of Easter candy for my grandkids!

 

 

 

 

Aren't they pretty?  The little eggs have rice krispies mixed in...yummy!

I think my little ones will think their Nana is a genius!  

If you live close and you want to borrow my molds...come over!  It's a great snowy day project!

So...last year at Easter time, my Mom died and our entire family gathered in IL to say goodbye.  Easter will be always be a reminder of that special celebration of my Mom's life...and her wonderful journey into heaven!  I have this special Christmas plate from Mom...that I coveted for years!  I always dug it out of her cupboard at Christmas time and we'd put all the goodies on it...so I was excited to bring it home and continue the tradition...Christmas is over, but I just noticed it didn't get put away with the Christmas decorations, so I have to share it...

 

Isn't it cute?  Every Christmas, this little girl standing on the plate will remind me of past Christmases...happy times...and she will be a part of our traditions...and someday get passed down to my daughter!

So...I used her(before I put her away) to show some of the new little candles for the resort gift shop...

 

Teeny little 1 oz. travel tins of soy candles in many different fragrances!  Aren't they cute?  Perhaps I should just keep this little girl plate out and use her for display this summer...is that allowed?  Sure!!

And here's the larger version of these little candles...

 

Each bright color is a different fragrance!  I got them HERE.  She also makes soaps and lotions...I will sell some of those in different fragrances too!

And the new clothes are starting to arrive in the mail...

 

Here's a bright green fleece vest that's new this year...

 

And a hot pink jacket with soft plaid lining.

The UPS man delivers frequently this time of the year...a gentle reminder that summer is coming...regardless of what it looks like outside!

Happy Spring!

 

Easy Peasy Baby Quilt

      Don't faint...yes, I'm posting 2 days in a row!  I love blogging, but sewing and grandchildren have kept me too busy at times to blog...and these topics are my favorite things to write about!!

     I just had to share this quilt I made last week!  My cousin and I saw this idea in a quilt shop in Wichita, KS, in January.  They sold the pattern, but you know, when you're a sewer/quilter, it's a challenge to try and make the quilt without buying the pattern...that affords you more money to spend on fabric!  So...I did it!

     You start by deciding the size quilt you'd like to make.  I used flannel fabrics and cut my strips 7" long by the width of the fabric...most flannels will be 42-45" wide.  I cut 8 strips twice...you will use one strip for the front and one for the back.  Lay each strip out, matching the 2 strips with wrong sides together.  I did not use batting at all in this quilt, but if you choose to, you would cut your batting an inch narrower than the strips.  When I had each "set" of strips laid together, I did a wide zigzag stitch the entire width of the fabric strip.  This just secures the fabrics together so they're easier to sew all together later.  Then sew all the strips together with 1/2" seams, with the 4 seams on the top of the quilt...that will be the front of the quilt...see below...

This is all the strips(doubled) sewn together...this is the back of the quilt.

This is the strips(doubled) sewn together and showing the front of the quilt.  See the raw seams on top?

If the outer edges of your quilt are different lengths...you might have to even up the edges by trimming with your ruler and rotary cutter.  Then...you stitch a 1/2" in all around the outside edge of the quilt, laying each seam open as you stitch.  You sit down with your quilt, covering your lap, and snip all the seams about 1/2" apart...even snipping the outside edge of the quilt.  Be careful not to cut into your stitches...I found these scissors that helped with the snipping...

 

They are called Easy Action Rag-Quilt Scissors!  Appropriate name for their use!  You can read about them HERE.  I bought mine at Joann Fabrics when they were on sale...regular price is $20.  You don't have to have these scissors, but you need to use a very sharp pair that clips that 1/2" seam well.

Here's what the quilt looks like after you have snipped every seam...

 

If you look closely, you'll see that I cut about every 1/2" but I did not measure...just eyeball it!

When everything has been cut, throw your quilt into the washing machine and dry it...all those cut and exposed seams will appear to "ruffle" and it's cute!  See...

 

and see...

 

Washing it again will ruffle the snipped seams even more...and here's the finished blankie...

 

All ready to be given to a new baby born into our church family!

Makes you wanna have a baby, huh?

March...In Like a Lion??

       So....we can only hope that the snow we have right now is the "high mark" for snow this month!

 

There's about 3-4 feet of snow...but who's counting!

 

We think the little ones who inhabit this home must have gone south for the winter!

 

No footprints close to the playground!

 

One swing buried...not much action this winter!!

 

Remember the bench under the sign?  It's buried...along with the sidewalk

to the lodge!  

 

Carpetball, anyone?

 

The pool area is well-insulated with snow!

We do still get visitors in the winter....just not "paying" guests!  

 

Sam came up with 3 of his 4 kids...he "invented" a skiing stroller and Olivia loved it!  

Monica was getting a ride on Daddy's shoulders into the house after fun outside...

don't worry, Mommy, she really did have her hat on almost the whole time!

 

I finished an Olivia blanket for Olivia while they were here!

 

I even attempted pigtails in this little girlie's hair...pretty funny!

 

Monica and Jill having their tea party...I love the chaos in the background!  It means

there are grandchildren in the house!

 

We found this little beauty sleeping at the top of the stairs one night...right before we went to bed!

She had snuck out of bed and fell asleep watching us from upstairs!  Poor cold baby!

 

We foolishly thought our Blackduck basketball days were over...grandson, Calvin

plays on his Bemidji team and they played a tournament in Blackduck...

 

I'd like to tell you how he got the ball and went up for a shot....but remember,

he's only in 3rd grade...and his baskets will be many in years to come!  We still

had fun watching him learn to play!

And another of our favorite things to watch in the winter....

 

all the deer coming in to feed almost every evening!  

That's our winter so far!  

More to come, but we hope not much more snow!