I’m doing a little series of posts that feature old blog posts. I have been going back and looking at them. It’s been fun. I started blogging in June of 2009…WOW. Over ten years. I’m so glad I’ve kept the blog as a diary of sorts…today I’m telling you about things I was working on in August of 2012.
Not a lot of sewing happened. It never does in August. The gardens are busy. School starts…and Kramer, my husband always took vacation time in August.
I did manage to work on my Nine in the Middle quilt. It’s a Bonnie Hunter quilt from the book Adventures with Leaders & Enders: Make More Quilts in Less Time! (This is $2.99 in the Kindle version)
I was chugging along on sewing my Pineapple Crazy blocks. I managed to get 18 done that week. That was a lot!! Here’s a link to the book with the pattern: String Fling: Scrappy, Happy and Loving It!
I was also gearing up to sew a Moda Bake Shope project with this jelly roll.
I finished up my mini quilts for the Quilt Square Quilt Along…
I was patching Karl’s childhood Harry Potter quilt that I tied for him.
I told the story of how I came to buy my long arm. You can read about it all HERE.
I did a sewing room tour of my small space. You can read about it HERE.
I remember being SO-SO embarrassed to have to do this. Moda Bake Shop, who we were working with so much at the time, asked their designers to do sewing room tours. BLAH. We were living in an old farmhouse that we lived in as part of my husband’s wages. We had no control over the space but I made due. I was sure all of the other designers were going to have fancy spaces.
I felt very uncomfortable showing my space. I’m sure all of you who are sewing in a space you can’t control can relate. But…I did it. You can read about the tour and see my sewing space from then HERE.
August of 2012 is when I first started my “Ask Jo” posts. This was one of the questions… Annie M asks: “BTW, please tell us about the quilt pattern on the wall behind your pretty daughter and the quilt.”
I decided to include this in this current-day post because this is a question I still regularly get asked. The quilt is one of my all-time favorites. The pattern is from Country Threads. You can find it in their book Civil War Remembered. HERE is a link to the book.
I purchased some Purple Hyacinth Bean Flowering Vine Seeds
Crops were bad in 2012. It was so dry and hot. The guys were busy and made corn silage in August. Typically it doesn’t happen until mid-September.
Since we moved to town, people always ask me don’t you miss the farm and peace and quiet. NOPE…I don’t. It wasn’t peaceful and quiet. The yard often looked like this. Of course, there are a few things I miss but for the most part…I love where I am at.
There was an updo happening at the farm house that year…
They poured a spot for a fire ring. I really enjoyed that and actually miss having a fire in the evenings.
I was busy in the garden. This was the onion harvest. We had purple onions too.
I was making salsa…
Kalissa had her annual salsa party at our house.
Kramer, my husband took some time off work. We went to Oronoco, MN for their Gold Rush days.
We went antiquing in Wisconsin and crossed the Mississippi via the ferry in Cassville, WI.
Kalissa was our only kiddo left at home. Karl was headed off for year two of college…
It was Kalissa’s senior year of high school.
We went to our annual family picnic. It must have been cold that year because we were all wearing coats. I am on the far right. I still have those shoes…These are my siblings.
Kayla was getting married in the fall and we all got together and made the coursages.
I was berating myself for having such a messy work desk. It’s about 50% better now…but still bad. Somethings don’t change.
I was complaining about having to do paperwork…something else that doesn’t change. I miss that calculator. It was a good one.
Are you ready for a good funny story? I was reviewing this book on my blog. You can read the review HERE.
You can find the book HERE. It’s only $5 now.
The book was filled with a variety of projects from quilts to wall hangings to needle books…and even cross stitch.
In the blog post, I showed this picture from the book and wrote…
“I don’t cross stitch anymore…it’s too taxing on my eyes. For anyone who does, this little sampler is cute.”
HA!!!! This old dog picked up cross stitching. Ten years ago I didn’t think I ever would. HA!!
Well, that proves that some things actually do change…my messy desk and hating paperwork. That has stuck but me and cross stitch, we’re good friends now.
That wraps up the happenings at the Kramer house in August of 2012.
I enjoy these “blasts from the past” posts. I like seeing the farm pictures – very impressive and all that salsa! Oh my! I didn’t take the time to go to some of the links, but plan to do that later. I am sure as you review these past posts, many, many memories are reviewed.
I totally enjoyed your look back! Thank you for sharing!
I like your blast from the past posts. I’ve been reading your blog only for a couple of years so it’s all new information to me.
Your 2012 sewing room was good. Big? Fancy? No, but it’s what you could do at the time. More important is that it worked for you at the time.
The older I get, the less fancy, everything matches, just after cleanup session sewing rooms impress me. Don’t get me wrong – I mean they look nice! But now I’m far more interested in seeing if the rooms work. And you don’t see that in photos of rooms just after they’ve been through a cleaning up and clearing out session. I’ve gotten far more working, storage, and organizing ideas from those with small rooms or an odd corner. Yes, I’m trying to encourage people to show their sewing space as it usually is. Yes, I’m guilty of showing my room only after a cleanup :-)
I loved your blast from the past. It was so much fun seeing the farm pictures. My husband and and I farmed for 8 years in Howard County. I don’t miss it now. I’m finally going to visit family in Chester and plan on visiting the Stichery Nook. I assume I won’t meet you but still love seeing your blogs. I’m not a quilter but I sure do love to cross stitch! Have a great day.
Hey Barbara,
Let me know when you’ll be at the Stitchery Nook. I might meet you there if I don’t have kiddos here that day. We lived in Chester for a year. My husband worked for Nagel/Souhradas. My family also lived there for a time, Ruth and Lucian Schott.
I love your farmhouse sewing room! I wish that I had one, even if it is small. My sewing room is one long wall and half of a short wall in my bedroom. I did finally organize my fabric in labeled shoe boxes stored on a wire shelf unit in my closet. That is except for the fabric that has exploded on every flat surface when I try to pull for projects. I sometimes have to move things off of my cutting table (old desk) to use it. But it works for now.