Country Raggedy Quilt

This raggedy quilt was a fun project to put together last week. This is a simple quilt with instant gratification.  I didn’t purchase any new fabric for this project; both the squares on top and the flannel ‘lining’ that you cannot see were fabrics that I already had on hand.
 

This quilt, in fact, garnered one order to make a double/full-size bed and I expect more will follow.

The top are all random cotton fabrics; prints, solids, batiks and a host of others and the ‘lining’ is also of various cotton flannels. 

Putting it together is the fun part; effectively, it is self-quilted.  ALL of the seams are sewn ‘on the wrong side’ and are about 1 inch deep.  All of the seams end up on the outside, and once all are put together, each seam in clipped up to, but not through the stitching, every ¼ to ½ inch apart. 

Once all the seams are clipped, and it does take a while, the entire quilt is washed and dried repeatedly in an automatic washer and dryer. This process is what makes all the seams “raggedy”.

I used bits and pieces of the remaining cottons to sew a binding then ended up being 2 inches deep, finished.

Click ABOVE on the button "Cat-Fur-to-Kitten-Britches" to see the finished quilt.

 © 2013 Cat Brennan

 

Pi in the Country

March 14th ... seemingly an ordinary day, but to the MATH world, it's very important!
March 14, 2013
03-14-13 or
3.14
It's Pi Day!!!
I'm sure you all remember this from math.
The Greek letter for pi is π ..
Mathematicians keep telling me that Pi are square (π r²)  ..

But I know they're wrong .. My pie are round.

...

If you're the sharp crayon in the box or just want some cheap entertainment, head on over to this place just for fun. It's your very own site for pi.  If you don't want to click on this link, go to www.pi.org

Enjoy your pi day, whether you live in the country, or simply wish you did.

© 2013 Cat Brennan

♥♥ Heart to Heart ♥♥

     I would be remiss if I didn't post something this week.  So, Happy Valentine's Day.  Only God knows how many love songs have been penned for this thing we call
L O V E.  "Love makes the world go 'round".   

And now abideth faith, hope, charity(love), these three;
   but the greatest of these is charity (love).    I Corinthians 13:13

     Love can conquer fear and can stand alone.  The absence of Love can leave a person lost and hopeless. But, the presence of love..."Ah, sweet mystery of life...".  "Love is a many splendored thing...".   "Love me tender...". 

     This is one easy holiday to meet head on, that is, if you have a brain in your head. Husbands and/or boyfriends, Do NOT believe her if she tells you, "Oh, just a card will do," in answer to your questions regarding what she might like for Valentine's Day (or, for that matter, Christmas, her birthday, your anniversary or any other gift-worthy day). You WILL regret it. Go straight to the jewelry store, the candy store and the flower shop, and don't hold back.  This is NOT the day to be frugal.  A good dinner out at a very nice restaurant would also score lots of points.

     Ladies, your mission is slightly different; he probably won't give a rip about a card, so if he tells you that all he wants is a big ole bag of Jelly Belly© Jelly Beans, any flavor, then hop on in to your favorite candy shop and get him a large, mixed selection. If he asks for these jelly beans, Do NOT buy him artisan (read that expensive) chocolates or 'a potted plant' for his office. 

     Other gifts on this  day can be onerous for some people, but it doesn't have to be.  Grab a sponge, red tempera* paint, a pair of scissors and some card stock.   If the sponge is stiff or dry, wet it then blot out as much of the water as you can. Then, cut out a free-form heart shape (if you don't trust your free-form abilities, then draw one on a piece of scrap paper, trace onto your sponge, then cut it out. 
Once you have your sponge heart, dip it (light touch here) into the tempera paint and start heart stamping to your heart's content (try saying that fast 3 times).   If you're going to stamp something wearable or anything that will go through the laundry, use a fabric-type* red paint; follow the directions so the paint will remain through washings.  Different sizes of sponge hearts can produce a plethora of trims; a very small heart can 'dance' across some nice paper and the matching envelopes for a quick, thoughtful set of stationary.  Do the 2-step around the hem of a T-Shirt, or an apron.  A few hearts scattered onto white squares can dress up pot holders, tea towels, luncheons napkins, place mats or table runners.   Your imagination is your only limitation.

     Have fun with kids or the grands and help them make cards to give.  Cover the entire room in 'industrial-grade' plastic drop cloths and let them display their crafty and artistic nature.  They will have a blast with some of these heart sponges, but you know they will need a gallon of paint in at least 4 different colors. But, I digress.  Red construction paper, white, silver and gold doilies, a quart of school glue, safety scissors and they're good to go.

     This is a fun holiday to play around with any and all of your friends. No sweetheart on your horizon? So what??? Grab 3 of your besties, stir up a pot of  soup, some grilled cheese sammy's and add a bottle of lovely red wine or mix up some Cosmo's. Make your own party, play cards of Scrabble© or put a puzzle together. Make your own fun.

     One more thing: I love you in Spanish: te amo is probably 'text book' proper, but ordinary folks usually will say te quiero...and be sure to roll those 'rrrrr's, Baby!

     Have a fun and happy Valentine's Day, whether you live in the country, or simply wish you did!

© 2013 Cat Brennan

Serve Your Country

     Just a shorty this time. I want to encourage you to vote. It's not only your right, but it's your duty.  Never think or say that you can't make a difference!
     Who would ever have thought that this young upstart, this new America, those rag-tag colonies could ever defeat the Royal British Army and Navy? They were a huge and old country that outfitted an experienced army.  And yet, a few men made the difference.
     It is that difference that gives you and me the right to vote.  All of the lives that have been given in too many wars make it your duty to vote; to tell them that you appreciate the lives they gave.
     If you didn't vote early, please vote on Tuesday.
    You will notice that I haven't offered any political preference.  That's not what Cat's Country Place is about.  The only preference that I offer is that I love my country, these United States of America.  
     Betsy Ross is a favorite heroine of mine; she is credited with having crafted the first flag, Old Glory, the Red, White and Blue.  I think we could have been friends.
    God bless you and God Bless America.

© 2012 Cat Brennan

Season's End

I brought in the last of my produce this evening; a basket of ripe and green tomatoes, alon with a few sweet banana peppers from my wee garden.  I cleaned out most of the debris and put away the containers until next spring.

I'm going to enjoy a few ripe tomatoes and most likely will slice and freeze the rest.  There are many, but, I'm only one person, so it's all good.

I'll thin slice the green tomatoes, dredge in flour and freeze in layers.  Once they're frozen, I;ll put them in freezer bags to have fried green tomatoes in the winter!  Woo hoo! !

I've learned a few things. Next year, I'll place only ONE tomato plant in each of the containers. If I try for squash again, I'll put them in an ugly container so that it doesn't get stolen. Yes, you read right. I purchased a pretty, apple green container for my squash.  It was plastic, probably intended for icing down cans of pop or beer, and someone stole it from my patio!  They didn't get much as I had drilled holes in the bottom for drainage, and when I did that, the bottom cracked!

I will also put the squash in a sunnier location from the get-go. Having grown up in New Mexico where shade is at a premium, I wasn't prepared for "lack of sun shine" being a problem.  Sure enough, it is out here on the east coast!

I hope my lavender will bloom next year beyond a few spikes.

That's it for now. In a couple of days, I'll post pictures of the small quilt wall hanging the East Coast Family (plus three grand children) made for daughter, sister, cousin, aunt and mommy, Greta.  More on that next time.

Have a wonderful rest of your Country Weekend!

© 2012 Cat Brennan

Country Garden

   My wee container garden certainly didn't rival big agriculture, but it was a pleasure being able to play in the dirt this past summer. Most of the food items are done - there are still a few tomatoes on the vine, and the peppers are still producing, but they're all just about finished for the summer. I have O N E little zucchini on the vine that may or may not feed one person, but
it's there!  For some reason, someone swiped one of my garden containers .. the larger of the two that held my squash. I expect they thought they were getting a lovely container to ice down their beer. It was the ONLY container that I actually purchased, other than a couple of small plastic buckets. It was an apple green, plastic tub from Big Lots.  I'm not sure it served anyone, though. I have punched, poked or drilled holes in all of the containers for obvious reasons - drainage. When I drilled the holes in the now-missing container, the bottom cracked. That wasn't a big deal for me, as I wasn't going to move it or use it for anything other than growing plants, but if it was taken for a beer cooler, the culprit got nothing. As my mama used to say, "Such is life."
   I expect the two varieties of lavender to survive the coming winter, along with the mums, rosemary and hens and chicks. I'll 'bunch' them all together near the outside wall of my apartment, and with the shrubbery in front of them, all will be well.
   Two years ago when we had such a huge snowstorm, the heavy snow served as a blanket that kept out the extreme cold temps.
   See the picture of a few of the sweet banana peppers in various stages of turning red, with a partial frame of fresh-cut basil? Aren't they beautiful! I love the colors and that basil is so very fragrant. 
   I didn't have a lot of luck with my New Mexico Chile Peppers; they weren't very prolific, but a fun experiment.  Next year, I'll put that in a larger container.
   For my family and friends out west, sun is not an issue for you. You plant anything anywhere and it has sun. Not so, on the east coast.  I do have afternoon sun in my garden area, but even parts of that are not in enough sun. This was a difficult truth for me to learn. Next year . . .
   It's almost time to put all the garden to bed and look to getting ready for the holidays.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner.
   Would love to hear about your gardens as you wind down the season.
   Happy Country Living, whether you live in the country or just wish you did.

©  2012 Cat Brennan

Country Toh-may-toh - Toh - mah - toh

However you want to say it, homegrown is best.  Actually, I almost never buy tomatoes in the grocery store anymore. I would rather do without than eat the hot-house, plastic-looking, chemical tainted orbs that have next to no taste.  Once in a while, I do pick up an organic variety, but not often. 
     My niece in Albuquerque ruined me for anything less than the best; aka home grown tomatoes.  She and her husband have a garden in the North Valley and that's where I got my home-grown-tomato taste buds.
     My wee garden is doing okay. I'm still waiting on the squash, the New Mexico Chili is coming along and I have quite a few sweet banana peppers. At the suggestion of a dear friend, I did go out and play honey-bee; helped out the pollination of the flowers with a little brush.  I'm hoping . . .
     Although I haven't had a huge crop, the small tomatoes I have had have been delicious.  They are a nice dark red inside and so sweet.  I just finished a BLT (minus the L).  Whole wheat toast - bacon - mayo and a home grown tomato. 
     The variety that has worked best for me this year is a Better Boy; I would love to get my hands on some heirlooms - maybe next year.
     My dad often cooked for us on the weekends. He and my mom both worked during the week and they shared the chores.  He was a 'man before his time' .. I never heard about women's work and mans work in our home. If the pipes froze in the winter, and Daddy was at work, Mother went out to heated up the pipes.  If the dishes needed washing, Daddy knew what soap and water were for. 
     One of my dad's inventions was Bacon and Cottage Cheese on Toast; don't growl until you've tried it!!  It's almost as good as a BLT!
     Another of my favorite 'snacks' in the summer is a small bowl of Ice Cold Cottage Cheese with diced tomato on top.  Earlier in the week, I enjoy some homemade Chicken Salad with tomatoes. 
     I'm going to miss my fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes when winter sets in, but in the meantime . . .