Old Red Barn Co.

sand piles & mud puddles

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:37:00 +0000

We are simple folk.

Give us a big pile of sand and we can play for hours.

And re-enact scenes from Alaska Experiment.

And if Uncle Jeff walks straight through the mud puddle . . .

then Licious will too.

It really doesn't take much to entertain us.

-dana

It does a heart good

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:03:00 +0000

It does a heart good to be with family for Thanksgiving.

It certainly does my heart good.

To play cards. Make music. And see my daughters' wide eyes at the Japanese hibachi style restaurant.

To eat. And play.

And to love.

-dana

Wonky stars

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:41:00 +0000

These are for Amber for A Notion or Two. They were fast to come together and I see some for myself in the near future.

But first, Thanksgiving. May yours be merry.

-dana

Eight

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:51:00 +0000

You are eight years old today.

Eight. Years. Old.

Eight years in a blink of an eye. From soft, pink newborn to long, lean girl in a matter of moments. Good moments. Special moments. Quiet moments. Loud moments.

Frighteningly fast moments.

Moments I want to remember forever.

Because your birthday falls so close to Thanksgiving each year, your birthday celebration seems to last for weeks. One for school. One for us. One with grandparents and aunts and uncles. Three cakes. Several different gift opening sessions. And you never, ever focus on the gifts. It is more than that to you.

Of course you like the gifts. What eight year old girl wouldn't? But you like the coming together of people. The song and laughter and fun. When your friends are here for a birthday slumber party you make simple rules that you are sure to enforce. . . 1) No one feels left out; 2) No one gets their feelings hurt; and 3) Don't be nervous cause you're not at your house. Simple rules really. But so telling of your spirit.

You love to be outdoors riding your bike, jumping rope, swinging on a rope swing or playing with your hula hoop. You love hiking and blazing new trails. And building new forts and bouncy trees far up in the woods. You love to draw and create things with paper. From cards to critter homes to crowns or doll clothes. You love making up new songs and singing them just right. You have a quick wit and easily make those around you laugh. You are competitive yet gracious. Proud yet humble. Compassionate. Thoughtful. And kind.

And breathtakingly mine.

Happy birthday.

Love,
Mom

Enamelware love

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:04:00 +0000

I love old enamelware.

And I have alot of it around the house. Serving various and assorted purposes.

My favorites are the polka dots. I am always on the hunt for more. But not on eBay. Just yard sales, flea markets and thrift shops. Someday I hope to find an old European salt box. Well, that isn't the whole story. . .

Someday I hope to find an old European salt box at a yard sale price.

-dana

Gnome any slackers?

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:31:00 +0000

Upon my kitchen counter sits a bowl of jalapenos. That I grew. That I grew with the intent to can them. That I grew with the intent to can and enjoy all winter long. The poor jalapenos have been sitting in a bowl on my counter for so long that they have turned red and are beginning to dry up.

Pitiful.

At least they look cute next to the kitschy gnome sign I found at a local thrift shop.

Can you say slacker?

-dana

Scrap winner . . . and links to How To Make a Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Congratulations #7 Lindsey who said...

What a pretty way to collect and display your scraps. Mine are in a container in the closet. I may have to rethink that after seeing this idea.

Email me at danaboly@gmail.com to claim your prize.

And I've been meaning to provide links to all the quilting tutorials that I did over the summer. I'll call it the Old Red Barn Co. Guide to Making a Quilt.

Supplies You Will Need

Cutting Instructions

Sewing Your Blocks

Assembling Your Quilt Top

How To Free Motion Quilt

Binding Your Quilt

Join our continuing quilting saga at Flickr here!

Thanks for always playing.
-dana

Scraps in a canning jar just for you

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:47:00 +0000

TIME'S UP. WINNER IN NEXT POST.

I've talked about making jelly and jam here before. Several times in fact. And since I make lots of jelly and jam I have loads of canning jars in the cellar. The above photo shows the various sizes of jars that I possess. For food purposes that is.

However, I have a whopper of a canning jar that I use for fabric scraps.

It sits right by my fabric cutting table and all sorts of fabric scraps find their way into it.

And I haven't emptied in awhile.

But it is chuck full of good stuff. Stuff that I've been saving in hopes of making a string quilt. But . . . well . . . I've got loads of projects waiting to be done and a string quilt is at the bottom of that list. Besides, I think 500 posts here deserves some sort of giveaway.

So, I'd like to send said scraps onto one of you. Leave a comment here and I'll pick a winner by random draw on Monday, November 16, 2009. One entry per person. International entries welcome.

As I stated in my last entry, this weekend our youngest is having a birthday slumber party. Here at our house. I am hoping that the comments you leave will distract me from the chaos that will be 12 little girls tearing my house apart.

Good luck!

-dana

A bunch o' stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:13:00 +0000

I have a bunch of random stuff to share here today. Maybe bullet points are in order.

- Round 4 of the Old Red Barn Co. quilt along on Flickr is kicking off. Heidi has taken the helm this time and by the fabric requirements and cutting instructions already posted, it is sure to be a great one.

- The photos in this post are the fabrics that I have chosen for this quilt along round. I've been saving them for something special and I think this is it.

- Speaking of the Flickr group, we are almost to 1,000 members quilting along. Hot diggety dog! That is alot of us quilting along and offering support. I visit that place dozens of times a day to look at the latest photos in the photo pool and give and receive support from quilters across the globe. You should totally check it out.

- This post marks my 500th. 500? 500? How did that happen? I will be putting together a giveaway to celebrate so keep a look out. I'll shoot for Thursday.

- I ordered a birthday cake for a birthday slumber party that will take place at our house this weekend. (Note to self: Locate and safeguard noise reduction headphones. STAT!)

Let me repeat. . . a birthday cake for a birthday party. Last night at dinner we were talking about it and Razor asked, "What does it say on the cake?"

::blink:: ::blink::

I said, "Happy Retirement Marjory!"

He said, "No really. What does it say?"

I said, "Congratulations On Your successful Erectile Dysfunction Surgery Frank!"

- I crack myself up.

-dana

P.S. Sorry I said erectile dysfunction. It will never happen again.

Good training

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Over the weekend we took a road trip to deliver and finally meet one of our wholesale buyers for Old Red Barn Co. Kate and her uber-cool dog Bella own and operate a gift shop in Black Mountain, North Carolina called Mountain Spirit Gifts. We've been doing business with each other for awhile and figured it was time we met in person.

The girls loved Bella. She could do the most amazing tricks and the entire drive home was spent with talk and plans on how they were going to train Harpo and Scout to do the same cool stuff.

Kids think that puppies should sit when you say sit. Because they should just know what that means. And if they don't sit when you ask them then maybe it is because they didn't hear you. So they yell it. Sit!

Razor explained that you have to show them what to do. You have to teach them the command. Razor said, "Licious, you have to show them what lay down means."

So, Licious fell to the ground and said "Lay down! Like this!!"

Something tells me it'll be awhile before our puppies know all the tricks that Bella does. Call it a hunch.

-dana

Truman & Harpo till the end

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:32:00 +0000

I've told you about Truman before. He's a little beat up but the sweetest little (well, ok, BIG) thing you ever did meet.

And Harpo loves him to death.

Truman and Harpo will be buds until the end.

Or at least until Truman is tired of being licked and slobbered and jumped on. And bitten. And pulled. And breathed on.

I am soooooo with you Truman.

-dana

Sneak peak

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:00:00 +0000

When did high school seniors get so pretty? They certainly didn't look like this back in my day.

-dana

Note to self: Must remind Razor to begin digging moat around house this weekend.

More quilting bee blocks

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:01:00 +0000

Grandmother's fan blocks. For Allyn.

I wonder if I can keep them and say they got lost in the mail.

-dana

Major understatement

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:05:00 +0000

To say I love my latest quilt is an understatement.

To say that I merely love it would be like saying that chocolate is kinda good.

Or that my husband likes Mizzou football.

Or that I probably won't make caramel apples for the entire second grade again.

To say that I love this quilt is a major understatement. Sort of like saying it would be cool if they reprinted Flea Market Fancy.

Or that it is kinda weird to have a photoshoot with a quilt.

-dana

Recently overheard

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:52:00 +0000

The other day Licious, my seven year old, said:

"Nature sure makes beautiful things."

I replied:

"Yep."

And she continued:

"I mean, nature never gets it wrong."

Smart, smart girl.

-dana

Problem solved

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:08:00 +0000

This is what the driver's seat in my minivan looks like. It is the result of years of abuse. Mostly due to sitting on it with a wet swimming suit from the pool in the summer I believe.

Not very pretty. To say the least.

I have been to every auto parts store and big box discount store in a 200 mile radius looking for something cute to cover it with. I've even trolled ebay and etsy in search of the perfect cover.

Then I had a light bulb moment. . .

I quilted it very heavily with horizontal and vertical lines. And it is being kept in place with that rubbery stuff that you use under area rugs on hard wood floors to keep them from sliding. So far so good.

And very cute to boot.

-dana

We did the Mash

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:58:00 +0000

It was a graveyard smash!

-dana

Reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:10:00 +0000

I think I say this every season, or family schedule shift, but it takes me awhile to find my groove. To figure out how to arrange my day to get everything done that I want to get done.

The girls went back to school at the end of August and here I sit in late October still trying to figure it all out. How can I workout, take care of the puppies, have a clean house and laundry, blog, craft, make soap, pick up children, run to clogging or Girl Scouts depending on the day, look over homework, cook dinner, mow the grass, and stop and breathe?

Some days I feel like I've got it all down. And others . . . well . . . not so much.

Lists help. So my list for this weekend includes quilting my Flea Market Fancy quilt, going to our school's annual Halloween bash, making some apple pies and Pumpkin Putz cookies and hiking with the kids and dogs.

Wish me luck.

-dana

Winter in October . . . say what?

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:16:00 +0000

Over the weekend we planned a hiking trip with some friends. Grown ups and kids frolicking in the woods enjoying the peak fall color. We couldn't wait and the anticipation was killing us.

The trailhead was just a little further so we stopped at this lake to eat. And let the dogs and kids run around. What in heaven's sakes is at the top of that mountain?

Must have been a freak thing because there isn't snow anywhere else. That I can see.

Right??

Wrong!

We found our trailhead and hopped out of the car into this.

Of course the kids were ecstatic. As were a few of the husbands.

Mine included.

The poor pups were thoroughly confused. And I can't say I blame them.

-dana

Tug and pull

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:44:00 +0000

I walk the puppies at least three times a day.

99% of said walks are up in the woods behind our house. Hence, no leashes.

However, every now and then we venture out into the world as a family and Harpo and Scout need to be on leashes.

Sheesh. Teaching a dog to walk with a leash is painful. Torture really.

And they always manage to go where I don't want them to.

Thanks heavens for the woods behind my house.

-dana

Bonfires mean only one thing

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:01:00 +0000

Bonfires mean only one thing at our house. And although a large majority of them happen in the fall, bonfires in and of themselves do not mean fall.

And although a bonfire is often the result of a hard day of yard work around these parts, this family does not define bonfire as yard work.

Rather, bonfires mean s'mores.

And because of this fundamental truth, I love bonfires.

-dana

I had hoped

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:25:00 +0000

I had hoped to get the top done, the back pieced and my quilt sandwich made this weekend. Two out of three ain't bad.

-dana

Stop right there mister!

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:41:00 +0000

Oh.

My.

Word.

I guess it is enough to make me forget her running off while we are hiking. Or her ability to selectively hear me. Or her penchant for finding disgusting things to eat in the yard. And then kissing me with her stinky breath.

Her brother is no slouch either.

-dana

If you quilt . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Please say you'll join me. Click on the image above for information and details.

Thank you.

-dana

My husband. He's special.

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:36:00 +0000

And I really mean that. He is special.

But, he is also special . . . if you know what I'm sayin'. Like special in the way that means he is a little off his rocker. You see, a few weeks ago he and some buddies decided to go for a bike ride.

And not just a few miles. Oh no siree!

One hundred miles.

Cause it seemed like fun.

Fun I say? ::blink:: ::blink::

I hate going for a hundred mile ride in MY CAR!

He's special all right. And I love him much.

-dana