Afternoon Nature Walk

 

The two oldest grands asked to go on a nature walk after school.  The littlest grand was with her Moma so she will have to go another day.

 

Sloan and Eva are cousins and they do act more like brother and sister!

 

Eva likes to do just about anything that Sloan is doing and so off we went around the farm.

 

Eva is learning to cross cattle guards and yes we have to be careful.  Sloan found a turtle shell inside the cattle guard....it had got stuck sometime back and didn't make it out.

 

 

They love to play down around the trees looking for sticks.

 

Eva climbed the pond dam and wanted to throw rocks into the water and watch the water ripple into large rings.

 

 

Piles of old dried wood perfect places for wild little animals to hide.

 

 

Watch this one make a big splash!

 

 

Those are robins in the top of the big pecan tree.

 

 

Eva seeing how high she can reach!

 

 

Look out for those sharp sticker weeds.

 

 

Is that a raccoon I see?

 

 

Birdhouses are all around.....we do love those birds!  Hmmm maybe not so much those pesky woodpeckers!

 

 

Proud to be an AMERICAN!

 

 

Someone was ready to head back and get a snack!

 

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

 

 



A Place to Dye

 

 

I have been working on this awesome pattern

"Pastel Tulips"  by Cath's Penny Rugs.  I have always loved her designs.  I chose a little different color selection but that is the fun of having wools to choose from.  I love having her patterns in my shop. 

 

It's been a busy week of dyeing wool and washing load after load of as-is wools.  The bins are overflowing in the shop and next will be tying up lots of wool rug yarns and mixing up dyes and watching them change from natural creamy yarns to all kinds of colors.  It's like a surprise when they come out of the dye pots!

 

 

Look at the wonderful dye room Danny built for me!   Am I one lucky gal or what!

 

It sure makes the dyeing much quicker and I don't have to worry about messing up the kitchen.

 

 

 

Wishing each of you a wonderful weekend and hope you find time to do something you love!

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

 



A New Spring Time Pattern

 

I'm teaching at a local quilt guild in February so I wanted to design a simple yet fun and instructional piece for those who want to try wool applique.  Blanket stitches, colonial and French knots, stems stitch and straight stitches will be what they will be learning.  Pinks and purples are not usually my choice but I stepped out of my comfort zone and it turned out to be a fun piece to bring a little spring time into anyone's home!

 

Happy Trails....Ginger

 

Prairie Moon Primitives Classes

 

I am going to be offering several classes this year and hosting some teachers as well. 

 

I'll be updating all the different things we will be offering on my facebook page

Prairie Moon Primitives

 

We will have Wool Applique

Beginner Rug Hooking

Locker Hooked Rugs

Pleachet Rugs

Basket Weaving

Needle Punch

Oxford Rug Punch

Piecing Quilts

Machine Quilting

Jewelry Making

 

plus lots of retreats for all sorts of fun fibers

 

It looks to be a year filled with friends old and new

Laughter

Memories

and so very much to be thankful for and treasure!

 

 

Life is but a whisper so enjoy each day!

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

 



Little Quilts

 

I like little mini quilts and I have been making lots of samples for the shop.  This is a pattern by All Through The Night and I decided instead of making it into 6 different pieces I would combine them into a little quilt.  It was a fun one and was put together very quickly. 

 

 

I have lots and lots of jars of buttons.  I like the look of them in the old canning jars.  Eva likes buttons, too.  I suppose most little girls like playing with buttons and beads.  Maybe she will enjoy doing little sewing projects...guess I better sharpen up my skills on left handed embroidery as she is a little lefty!

 

The little girls love coming in the craft room and exploring!  Buttons, beads, threads, crayons, paper, scissors, doo-dads.....who am I kidding I like coming in the craft room, too!

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

Little Old Lady

 

This little birdie sets on top of a jar!  I've been trying out applique's on lots of different things.

Jars filled with buttons, jelly beans, threads, snippets....lots of jars holding lots of things!

A simple little needle book to hold some of my favorite needles....chenille, straw, millners, embroidery, quilting....lots of needles!

 

I like little things.....little needles, little scissors, little scraps

Each day I work on some little something

It's therapy for me!

 

I listen to music

or to some of my favorite Bible scholars

sometimes I even watch/listen to Andy Griffith!

 

 

I stitch when I go work in the office for Danny..... that is in between phone calls and customers! 

I'm usually tagging a project along on a trip in the truck.

If we are at Home Depot I'm the little OLD lady sitting in the truck stitching away.

 

I've always loved making things....

I have piles and piles of handmade things!

Some I give away, some I display!

Drawers filled with hand stitched blocks, needle punched pieces, so many things.....

A lifetime of things

Makes me think of all the stacks of items found in little shops!

Handwork by little old ladies sitting in trucks waiting on little old men :)

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

 

 

 

 

Little Girls Need Dolly Blankets

 

The little grandgirls love their dolls, pretend cooking, games, and throwing balls to PaPa.  Betty loves to wrap up babies in blankets and she needs one smaller for her little babies.

 

So out came the crayons and I must admit I haven't colored on cloth in years.  But those poor little dolls need some bright colored blankets!

So with some crème colored muslin and a few crayons we are getting to work on making some bright little blankets.



 

Once it's all colored you just need to press it with a hot iron with a paper towel over the crayons to heat set the color in.

 

Next, grab your favorite floss or thread and mine just happens to Valdani black and add some of your favorite stitches.....it's like doodling on cloth with a needle and thread!

 

Easy enough even a kiddo could have fun making their own little projects!

 

 

Happy Trails......Ginger

 

Basket Making!

 

We are offering a wonderful Basket making class by Pauline Asbury from right here in Oklahoma!   She is one talented lady and can teach from beginner to advanced students. 

Come join us on January 28th from 9 am to 3 pm ....you will go home with a finished basket!

 

Pauline brings everything you will need  and I will be making lunch and dessert!

 

If you are interested in attending the basket workshop just email me at

prairiemoonprimitives@yahoo.com to sign up!

 

Space is limited to 15 students

 

 

Happy Trails.....Ginger

Wool Applique It's Addictive

 

I love the feel of pulling thread and needle through fabrics.  I have always LOVED handwork even as a small girl.  Now don't get me wrong I was the biggest Tomboy probably around town.  But when it came to handcrafts I was in love with making something, anything, including mudpies!

 

For a few years now I have loved applique and my favorite is wool applique.

 

I put it on all kinds of things, bags, boxes, pillows, mats, wood, whatever.....

 

You can make pincushions, patch a sweater with a little flower, bags, penny rugs, add it on a hooked rug....you get the idea the possibilities are endless.

 

 

Miss Molly keeps a watchful eye late in the evenings as I keep on stitching. 

 

Have you tried wool applique?  

 

Happy Trails......Ginger

Sitting Room

 

 

Every evening I spend time in this room!   I'm not much on sitting still for very long but put a needle of any sort in my hand and I can sit for awhile.  I love the feeling of making something with my hands.  Even doodling while on the phone at work fills up the pages where call backs for Danny to make fill in around their names.  Needless to say I have to make him a list if I can decipher what I wrote to begin with.

 

This week will bring warmer temps possibly up to the high 60's and then they are calling for rains and icy cold conditions later in the weekend!  Snow.....then sunny warm days,....then icy cold winds with possible freezing!  Makes for Oklahoma winters and lots of people with coughs and colds!

 

 

We are hosting lots of different retreats in the upcoming months so if you want to see all the updates follow me on facebook PrairieMoonPrimitives


Well,  time to find that comfy chair and get to stitching!  Hoping your enjoying some time spent doing what you love.

Happy Trails......Ginger

 

 

 



Pleachet Rugbee Rug Needle Retreat

Pleachet is the technique!   RugBee Rug Needle is the tool.   Laura Jane White is carrying on a family tradition created by  her Grandmother,  Laura Elizabeth Johnston.   The early 1900’s fiber art is fun, fast, and easy….no sewing involved!

Make rugs, chair pads, and trivets of any size in six easy steps.  Free your imagination and creativity and “Pleachet Away.”  Join new or recycled fabric strips with the RugBee Rug Needle and our 100% cotton carpet warp.  Our unique needle is pointed on one end for easy loading of fabric with a crochet hook on the other.  Come join us and create your own family heirlooms. 

With this retreat you receive a Pleachet Rug Needle, Pleachet Instruction Book and DVD, 100% Natural Cotton Carpet Warp, 1 yard of precut fabric.   We have options for just taking the class and going home in the evening or come stay at our retreat center and enjoy working late into the evenings and enjoy our comfortable retreat center.   Meals are provided and prices will vary on the option you choose.

 

I met Laura while I was vending at Silver Dollar City and she was another craftsperson demonstrating and vending there as well.  Her technique of Pleachet was created by her Grandmother and she is working hard to keep this beautiful way of making rugs, chairpads, etc passed on to many others.  We will be hosting a retreat here at Prairie Moon Primitives and Retreats April 7th-8th.   If you are interested in attending or getting more information just contact me at prairiemoonprimitives@yahoo.com or visit my website at www.prairiemoonretreats.com

Happy Trails.......Ginger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Year Brings New Goals

We have closed out another year here at our little farm.  Our grandkiddos are growing up just too fast for me.  Miss Betty Rae is our youngest and she will be 3 years old in March.  She is keeping right up with Eva Mae and Sloan.  They each have their own personalities which makes them mighty special. 

We have farm chick days twice a month....one Wednesday and one Saturdays.  We have ladies who quilt, rug hook, Oxford punch, needle punch, applique, knit and scrapbook.....

Carolyn made this scrappy rug!  She gets a lot done and does many different things in fiber.

We offer basket classes by a local OKC lady "Pauline Asbury.  She does classes for beginner to advanced students.

We had 36 ladies come for our Christmas party....we played dirty Santa and Left Right Center plus everyone brought a dish and we sampled lots of good eats!

WE held our first scrapbook retreat and they made cards, jewelry, and did scrapbooks, too.

Farm Chick days are fun days just to gather and enjoy each other's company, eat lunch and a little dessert and work on projects.

Well with 2017 here I am setting some goals for myself.  Blogging more this year is one of them.  I want to offer some free little doodles, do some simple tutorials, keep you informed on retreats we will be offering and share some of our farm days!

Life is busy but it's good to slow down and cherish friendships, spend some quality time with family,  have a few quiet times stitching, and of course I really need to focus on studying and reading my Bible more.

This year is sure to bring some happy days and some days that will bring me to my knees but I will take one day at a time and rejoice in whatever comes my way!

Wishing you and your family a Happy, Healthy, and Joyous New Year!

Happy Trails.....Ginger