Fave 5 Friday

Today my 5 favorite pictures are all about sewing. Enjoy!

My design wall. On the top, more progress on my Hometown Heart & Home quilt (sorry the giveaway on my LQS blog is closed). On the bottom, my Little Apples HSTs and blocks that have started arriving from the 3x6 & 4x5 bees.

Sherbet Pips demo quilt for my work is finished!

I learned how to use the longarm this week. So far, I've only learned to use programmed designs, but there's a lot to that too. You don't just set it up & let it go. Well, maybe a little. :) Hopefully soon I'll be able to learn more detailed & free motion quilting. That's what I'd like to do for my sister's wedding quilt.

The lovely Amy (needledfig) taught me how to crochet yesterday. We had a great lesson on all the basic stitches. She made them so easy to learn. In return I showed her how to do hand piecing, which is how I'm doing by Farmer's Wife Quilt. I think I got the better end of the deal. :)

I was so excited about my new skill that I found a tutorial for granny squares and made this fun little thing. There are definitely some problem areas, but I'll get it eventually. I also started a cowl for winter, but when I got to my 4th row (of 145 stitches!) I realized that I had, in fact, gotten it twisted. Blargh!

I designed a flannel charm pack scarf this week (so stay tuned for a tutorial soon). Sorry about the goofy self portrait. Jake was supposed to be my model, but it never happened.

Lindsay from Lindsay Sews posted this charm pack on Flickr to swap & I jumped at the chance! I am such a fan of Tula Pink. I love all her whimsical designs. I swapped her a Hometown charm pack & one of my fun little sketchbooks. This charm pack is going to become kitchen goodies. I am in desperate need of new oven mitts & have super ugly pot holders, so soon I will have beautiful bug-y decor in my kitchen instead! :)

Thanks for visiting! If you'd like to join the party just post your 5 (or so) favorite pictures from the past week. Be sure to mention that you're linking up here & there's a button on the sidebar if you'd like. Then come back here and link up. It's as easy as that!

Fave 5 Friday

Well this is week 3 of my Fave 5 Friday linky party & I'm trying to get it posted in time for more people to participate this week. What a novel idea, huh!?! :P

If you'd like to play along just create a blog post with your 5 favorite pictures from the last week (or so). If they are pictures you've found online please be sure to credit them accordingly. I now have a button (See? On the right), so go ahead and grab it, add it to your post to link back up to my blog. Then come back and link up your post. It's as easy as that!

Here are my favorite from the week...

I love sunrises on the prairie!

I love how the early morning light turns everything a beautiful fire-y orange.

The sunsets are pretty amazing too! Jake got this picture when he was checking water & the windmills the other day. Pretty nice office, huh?

On Sunday we went up to Devils Tower for a cowboy music/poetry gathering. We met up with friends we hadn't seen in a year & met even more Facebook friends this year. It was such a beautiful relaxing day, we took the dogs & I brought some hand sewing to work on.

Today, Jake had a dentist appointment so I went with him down to Torrington, which is about an hour drive. While he was in the dentist chair I went downtown and found some more fabric-y goodness. I'm going to use these to make more sketchbooks. These books will be going with me to Sewing Summit (for sale or swap)! :)

I also visited a used book store in town and found these.

I'd have to say it's been a pretty good week. Can't wait to see what you all have been up to!

Fave 5 Friday

Sewing Fun!

I don't think I've shared this with you yet. I made this picture holder wall hanging for my friend Bree who just had a handsome little boy last month. The beads in the lower left say "Goose" which is what they called him while she was pregnant.

I also made her this really cool Obi Wrap (from the One Yard Wonders book) with a scented rice bag. I used lavender & rosemary essential oils to scent the rice.

Another amazing quilt from the Neversweat Needler's Quilt Show in Dubois, Wy.

An awesome pillowcase I made with Heather Ross' Far Far Away III.

Close up of the band.

And for you foodies... homemade walnut pesto. YUM!

Fave 5 Friday link party:

Post your 5 favorite pictures from the last week (or so) & link up here. Easy peasy!

I still haven't figured out the button completely, but if you would like you may use the Fave 5 Friday picture I have at the top of the post. Just be sure to link the picture to this post.

Fave 5 Friday

French Knots!

Evening tea on the patio.

Striped binding.

Whimsical quilts. Seen at the Neversweat Needlers Quilt Show in Dubois, Wy.

Smoky sunsets.

I'm am trying out my first linky party. Hopefully this works. If it does, post your 5 favorites from the week & link up here. :)

*It looks like it worked! Hooray! Hopefully next week I'll have a button. Looking forward to seeing everyone else's faves*

Fave 5 Friday & A Giveaway!

Niobrara County Fair Ranch Rodeo

Last weekend the county fair kicked off with a ranch rodeo. There's no team roping, barrel racing, or bronc riding in these rodeos. Well, there is, but it's in a different form than the PRCA rodeos. Instead they show off the skills that cowboys & ranch hands use day in and day out. And since most of them do this for a living it only makes sense. :)

They cut cows from the herd to load on the trailer (a LOT harder than it sounds, see how many hands are on one cow to keep her separated in the picture above?), roping cows for branding and doctoring, and a wild stampede race. There were other events, but I can't think of them right now.

Treasures by the corrals...

...Wild rhubarb!

Jake brought me some flowers the other day. We've got wild sunflowers lining the county road right now. So beautiful!

The clouds were so amazing the other day. I got several pictures (SOOC) & they look like paintings.

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh yeah, didn't I say something about a giveaway in the title? OK, I've been meaning to do this for a few weeks now that I have over 200 followers! I am giving away 1 charm pack of the winner's choice from Lickety Stitch Quilts. This is not a sponsored giveaway, but since I work there it's easiest for me to get stuff there. Plus I get a bit of discount. ;)

To enter:

*Visit Lickety Stitch Quilts pre-cuts page & tell me which charm pack you'd love to win. That's it! Easy peasy. :)

The giveaway will be open until Sunday, August 14th.

Fave 5 Friday

Today's post is all about RAINBOWS! I have always loved rainbows. They always make me smile. I also love seeing things in every color of the rainbow. Enjoy!

OK, I know that's 6, but can you blame me? :)

Fave 5 Friday

If you're looking for the giveaway go here. But be sure to come back once you have. :)

Yesterday Jake took me with him to check water in the pasture to the west of the house. Here's some of my favorite views from the drive.

The picture speaks for itself.

We've got some fabulous sand dunes on the property. But as the boss says, great place for a rattler den. Scary!

I love this water tank. So ingenious! And "green." :)

Some of the young bulls & heifers decided to come say hi. Such a tough guy, huh?

I finished my Misfit Doll Quilt! The battle is over and I have won! Bwahahaha! :)

I hope my partner likes it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Fave 5 Friday

It's Friday again. Here's my favorites from this week.

Gorgeous full rainbow. Too big & too close to get it all in one shot.

Jake was taking family photos the other day. Just like kids, can't get them to sit still & look at the camera. :)

Hartville, Wyoming. Beautiful little town in the mountains.

I saw this coming home the other day from town. It spits out asphalt to fix roads, but the first thing I thought when I saw it was Firefly! Seriously, doesn't it look like Serenity?

This is the mini I made for a fellow Firefly fan for a FMQ mini quilt. Hope she likes it! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Fave 5 Friday

As most of you know I was in California for a long weekend to visit family & go to my sister's master's graduation. What I forgot to mention is that we were also celebrating her engagement! So this week's Fave 5 Friday is dedicated to my family and my future brother-in-law.

Wendy with my future brother-in-law, Mike.

The first of 3 planes it took me to get to Long Beach, CA. There were only 19 passenger seats! (Don't mind the cute lady with the crazy eyes. I was trying to snap the photo before she stood up. Didn't quite make it in time.)

Sister right before getting hooded and becoming "Master Wendy." :)

My brother (and Wendy's twin), Brian, with his lovely lady, Maria. She also graduated this week, but several days after Wendy & I just didn't want to be in the city for that long. Congratulations Maria!

And what's a (mostly) sewing blog without at least one sewing picture. These blocks were made for our Quilts for Smithville tornado victims effort. If you like to help visit our Flickr group or visit this post to see what we're doing.