Warmin' the Walls/Missouri-Made Mondays

My seemingly endless pile of scrap fabric was dented a little this weekend.
The frugal penny pincher in me saved these batting pieces, and tacked them together.....

Pardon the strings attached, but you won't see them inside a quilt.

And I may or may not have ever mentioned one of the greatest inventions ever in a sewing machine......

The Walking Foot. I will explain more later on this add-on that didn't come with my machine.

There are still things that are best done by hand.......

Like basting together the layers. I love it best when I have a small enough quilt that I can do this on the table rather than on my knees. Too many knee surgeries make for much tenderness when you have to crawl around to baste. Just sayin'.

Maybe my quilter friends out there will give a miraculous suggestion on saving the knees??

Masking tape helps guide my stitches when I don't feel like drawing lines with quilter pencils. And I can reuse the tape a few times when transferring it to the rest of the quilt. 

Binding tomorrow evening while waiting on the election results.

Please remember to Vote! 

In the words of Missouri's own Mark Twain:

"Politicians and diapers must be changed often,

and for the same reason."

How You Slice It/ Tasty Thursday

 We still have some apples from the Bushel of Love from Mother.

So decided to do some down home Southern cookin' for my babies.

A little sugar and a little spice make for a restful sleep.

Spice being cinnamon.

 This is the beginning stages of cooking....

4 cored, sliced and peeled apples

1/2 stick butter (Not Margarine)

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons of Cinnamon

 

Heat well for around 10 minutes.

Check for tenderness with a fork.

We like ours sliced in thick chunks.

 

Here's the After.

This will melt in your mouth,

guaranteed.

 

But wait,

there's more.

This leftover goodness will harden and you'll have a crispy hardened treat, much like candy.

But don't save it too long.

See more good food blogs by clicking this Tasty Thursday link.

 

 

 

Throwing a Curve at the Curley Q

This is my all time, favorite dipping sauce....these days.

I have loved many and am down to but a few.

Sauces, that is.

It's for my French fries, tator tots, and tonight, it was for

Curley Q's.

 Want the recipe?

You'll need

 1 Cup Mayonnaise (don't use the Miracle brand)

 

 

3/4 Cup Barbecue Sauce. I highly recommend

Kansas City Style.

 

Mix and spoon it on your plate.

 

Hope you'll make it a  Tasty Thursday.

Hopscotch Quilting and Missing Lane

My lastest Etsy creation on Katy Trail Creations

Special thanks to the girls, Morgan (who loves my cookin!) and my youngest daughter Kirsten.

 Yes there's a great meal in the works for their help :)

 

Speaking of Meals,

Pardon my absence from the Tasty Thursday posts. We had a tragic loss in our lives and I just didn't feel like cooking from the stash of recipes.

In short, just because the hurt is still deep, we had an 11 year old tragically killed in a tractor accident. He had been one of our daycare 'kids' and his younger brother just left for Kindergarten last month. The family was like our own.

Please say some prayers for them. There is nothing more needed when there's a loss of a child.

This was our Lane one Fall weekend back in 2011 in Florence, Missouri. He came to greet us while we were having Rachel's Senior pics taken. He had just been out with his dad deer hunting. His home is just down the road in this picture and I know his home now is in Heaven and our forever in our hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

Minnie Dear

The weekend after I finished the A to Z Challenge, we had a yard sale. A fellow Green Ridgeon stopped by and while flipping through one of my antique books, he found this letter.

Here are some of the books. Antique books are further down the table.

This is the letter

Let me say, this lady was "peppery".

(The underlined words are exactly as the author penned it.)

And she appreciated the company of her niece.

 So much so that she's ribbing her a bit to visit more often.

I can definitely see my Great Aunt Lois firing off one of these letters to her nieces.

Hope you enjoy!

Transcription:







Minnie Dear,

I tried and tried to get a note to you for the last week or 2 (but no soap). So as bad as I hate to, here goes my last stamp wasted might as well say. But these Males around here just won’t, will not, have not delivered my important letters. (that’s letters not litters) So I’ll try another kind of mail for my letter that is!

It’s a shame you didn’t get my letter I wrote the nite dearie brung home your picture I wrote such nice things about you. I was sure you’d keep it for a keep sake. I’ll probably never be in that mood again. Too bad isn’t it. But just to make you feel good I’ll say your picture was just (to to). Don’t you think that’s real kind of me to say such a wonderful thing about you? Huh Say, how’s Louise? I like to went nuts worrying about that. Nitwit Dorsey told dearie she was in the Hospital but no one knew what was wrong with her. I wrote you a note on Mon. but Gaylen said you all weren’t on the bus so I had Ernie to stop by when he went to town. I guess she got rid of that Fish Bait but I bet I get kilt for that but it such a good joke I could help getting it off on her. Haha. I guess it wasn’t no joke to mama but tell her to for give me my inside little joke. Wasn’t any worse than worms tho. I guess they rested enough. I suppose you ladies, I use the word loosely have your new Easter outfits. Well I have my fits . I don’t know if I can think of a new one or not. I believe I already tried them all. And wasn’t any of them work on /Lover Boy/. I ironed this morning and I’m just about tuckered out. Deacon’s lying under my seat crying can I go down where daddy’s at. Over and over, he & Grandpop are building a bridge down back of the barn and I guess Deacon thinks they need a Boss. As if they don’t have any.

Have you got your washing machine working yet? They sure save a lot of work don’t they! Brother R. was suppose to wire your house this week.They just haven’t showed up yet. Won’t it be nice when It all get lit up with bright lights that is. Say why don’t you drop over some nite or if Gather will let you and you don’t have a date come and stay one whole week end Can’t you? I wish you would be for school is out because if you don’t I may never see you again. Say that might not be bad at that hahaha

Course (bein) Spring and all I guess you’re pretty busy poor!dearie. I guess he’s getting old instead of his fancy turning to love. All he thinks about is weeds & grass. He made him a power lawn mower and can’t wait till he can try it out (poor me) Well  better stop. I think I have my three cents worth don’t you. So, so long and bye bye.

Your ever lovin Aunt

Nonie

Beatitudes of the Banjo

Beatitudes of the Banjo
Blessed is the banjo; the players who are mistaken for being eccentric.

Blessed is the banjo; the famous people like Earl Scruggs, Pete Seegar, Steve Martin, who made it Cool!

Blessed is the banjo: For the endless hours of practicing to get it just right even after being 'sent to your room for the noise'.

Blessed is the banjo: You can make any song banjo-friendly....just wait and see.

Blessed is the banjo: May the teachers all get to Heaven.

Blessed is the banjo: Your audience is awesome!

Blessed is the banjo: Your mothers and fathers are teaching babies a new language of Love.

Blessed is the banjo: Short fingernails are your fashion accessory.

Blessed is the banjo: It's the most original American Instrument.

Link to the AtoZ Challenge Here

In Love With My Lil' Piece of Americana!

I went to the Saturday Night Auction and lookie what I found! My mother doesn't even know yet!!! It's a little dusty in these first couple of pics.

And here's the inside....

 

The machine was stored fully threaded and with fabric under the presserfoot. Thanks 'somebody'!

Inside the drawers it even had the original owners manual and all these parts that were options in the manual. Somebody loved this machine.

Hope I can continue the love.

Here we are at last with it cleaned up at least 1/2 way. I took some Pledge Revitalizing Oil to the cabinet and a damp towel to the metal. (Not the machine itself.) I'll get some Car Wax for the machine as I'm told by a good friend, Osage Bluff Quilter, not to use household cleaners on it.

 Last step is a belt.

And to answer anyone curious enough,

I Have used a treadle machine before.

Thank you, Grandma Hunter!