Kick in the pants

sooo...

still loving the sunrise on our back porch!

maybe i have been missing from blog world for a while. it is hard to know sometimes what i want to do.... i have actually been busy with projects & family.

really, i have.
 
there are times i just can't decide which direction to go. and, sometimes most of the time, this causes me to get little done.  *sigh*

yesterday, a friend reminded me that she hasn't seen any updates on my blog... thus, she gave me that 'kick in the pants' i needed. :)

here are some photos of what has been going on at our homestead....

a new messenger style bag i have started making!  made 3 already.
just love that they are small and easy to carry.

my largest floorcloth order to date! 
a beautiful 6'x8' which now resides on cape cod!

last year we planted some strawberries...
but this year we got our first 'crop'!
yummy!!

we harvested our first honey from a hive that swarmed in the fall.
we didn't harvest it until early spring
(thus the snow in the background, haha)

i hope to get back on track and keep adding new and interesting ideas, projects, trips, etc...  but, this is a good start! can't wait to share what quilts i have worked on lately, what's growing in the garden, travels we have taken...

happy monday!

~ julie

charley harper sewing

i am not a native ohioan.  but, i have lived here for about 20 years now! time flies. but, i digress.  after living here for that long, it is amazing how much i do NOT know about this state... and one of them was the artwork of charley harper (read about him here.)  that is until a week ago when fabric based on his artwork arrive in our shop.  i wasn't sure if i would like it or not based on pictures... but, it is lovely.  and fun!

ok, that bear just looks great with the charley harper pillow, right?

i spent the day yesterday designing a pillow covering with the bank swallow blue fabric.  i think it turned out wonderful!  i am going to work on some additional ones today also using the bank swallow fall with has beautiful red, yellow, and grays.  i used a linen background with a simple off-white/black polka-dot.  the back is envelope style using a blue crossweave fabric.  i can't wait to start on the next one!  you can see the whole line of fabrics on the birch website.

my daughter & her husband's guest room :-)

my daughter and her husband arrived last night at 2am (after driving 9 hours from south carolina!) for the holidays... i added the new pillow to their bed.  loving it!

i hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving, hanukkah, and start to the christmas season!  what a wonderful time of the year!  (our farm is covered in snow already... i am stressing because it sure feels like we should be opening christmas presents and sitting by the fire... and my presents are not even near ready! yikes!)

happy wednesday!

~ julie

back into the swing of things

after a long hiatus from my blogging, i am back!  a new format and simpler design will be following soon.  i hope all my peeps out there will continue to follow along with my adventures on 'the farm' and what creative things i am up to.  as thanksgiving is right around the corner & christmas following close behind... it is time to get busy planning, decorating, and making! seriously, i need to get busy!

here is one of the pillows i made two years ago...
i am feeling the need to make more this year as gifts! 

i have quite a few interesting facts to share with you about what has been going on around here... so, make sure to check back on monday!  

welcome back! and...

happy thursday!

~ julie

in the meantime...

i had hoped to have pictures of our bees posted by now... but they are all on my husband's iphone which he rarely leaves laying around for me to swipe them off of, so, i will try to get those on here soon.  they are busy finding the first blooms of the season though!  i am anxiously awaiting our honey this fall. 

and... in the meantime...

front of the newest handstitched quilt.  so bright and cheery!

here is my newest quilt just finished and put into my etsy shop.  i am telling you, i am soooo in love with these kantha style quilts.  i have 2 more that i am working on now, along with another quilt i started back in september (the move in the fall threw me off on completing this one).  hoping to have it done by the weekend for a friend who is getting married saturday!  wish me luck!

anyway, lots of hand quilting with lovely perle cotton and fabric from MoMo ("oh, deer" collection).

aren't these deer fun? 

spent the morning out mowing the back on our 'new' riding lawn mower.  it is fun to ride around mowing... i am sure that will wear off by the end of the summer though. *smile*

my sweet son is behind there... on my newly mowed grass.

happy monday!

~ julie