2020 Quilt Round Up

 I always like to look back on the year and round up all the finished quilts in one spot. Last year I finished 14 quilts. That sounds like a lot, but many of them were waiting at Jackie's and just needed binding so I really didn't make 14 quilts from start to finish. I think we can all agree that 2020 was an unprecedented year, but I really didn't spend any more time in my sewing room than usual either. I may go weeks and weeks without a stitch and then I find a day or two and treat myself to a good, long sewing session and in the end, it all adds up...one stitch at a time. 

So here's my 2020 parade of quilts with links to the accompanying post

1. Color Box Quilt - saving this one for a gift

2. Take Me Out to the Ballgame - this went to a dear friend's new grandson and our girl's childhood friend's first baby

3. VFW Donation Quilt - this one was donated to the VFW for a fundraiser

4. Amish Farm Baby Quilt - this one's stashed away for future grandchildren. 😉

5. Bloom Where You Are Planted Quilt - It's hard to beat a simple patchwork quilt - I'm always drawn to them and I'm keeping this one

6. Gender Neutral Baby Quilt - this one was given to a coworker couple of our girl's as they welcomed a sweet baby - they waited to find out the gender: it's a precious boy.

7. Stars and Bars QOV - I'm giving this one to a friend of my folks' who spoke at my mom's service. He's a veteran and I thought a QOV would be a nice way of thanking him for his service and friendship.

8. HST Baby Quilt - this one was a donation quilt

9. Jungle Baby Quilt - this one was going to be a donation quilt for a banquet fundraiser, but since those are not taking place right now, it has been added to my baby quilt stash.

10. The Bear Necessities  - another for the grandbaby stash. 😉

11. Diamond Dash - this is a donation quilt

12. Buckaroo Cross - I put this one back for a donation quilt as well. I think it'll make a good donation quilt for the WRCA Foundation - Working Ranch Cowboy Foundation 

13. HST Baby Quilt II - this one is a gift 

14. Southwestern Quilt - and this one is a wall hanging in one of the bedrooms

Now I'm off to cobble together a list of quilts I hope to tackle this year. Seems us quilters always have a long list of those!😉

A Southwestern Wallhanging

Last fall I finished another old UFO, but life has directed me away from quilt-y endeavors and blog post writing has taken a back seat so today I'm playing catch up. Years ago, I saw this photo in an old quilting magazine and loved the design. 

There was no pattern, but it was a HST challenge so I sketched it out and pulled fabrics from my stash, drawing from the pillows on the bed:

I chose 4" blocks and once I broke everything down, it turned out to be a 12 x 14 block setting. I worked everything out in EQ7 which I never use because I don't like sitting at the computer, but I fumbled through it and it helped me visualize the individual blocks:

                                                       

I don't really make wall hangings, but I like the way this turned out.

When I started it, I had installed a rod across a wall to hang it, but since then I have painted the wall and I haven't put the rod back up. I now have a quilt ladder there so I'll have to reconfigure things, but I hadn't painted when I finished piecing it:

And yes, I know the 70's paneling needs to go, but we would need to sheet rock and that is NOT happening  during this drought. You might be wondering what the drought has to do with sheet rock. Running a ranch during a multi-year drought means running it on a shoestring...make that half a shoe string so painting was the only option. 

This little quilt finishes at 58" x 62"

                                             

I am trying to use things from my stash so this quilt gets a solid backing 

with a brown sketch binding:

The southwestern pattern Jackie quilted across it gave it such great texture:

I took these photos back in October when we were still soaking in a green yard

                                

                                              

OK, enough with the quilts - we're ready for supper                     

                           

Celebrating a finished quilt with a nose bump

Back in the Saddle

 Oh, my goodness - ya'll are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for all of your incredibly kind comments and your prayers  - they mean the world to me - I am so touched that you take the time to stop and visit and leave your dear notes. Your words have brought me to tears. Thank you for sharing your stories, experiences and advice. My sincere condolences for those of you who have lost loved ones. I'm slowly working my way through your comments. I had a comment from one reader - who showed up as anonymous but signed her name - Susan - I'm sorry, I have no way of replying back to you - know that I have added you to my prayer list. If you wish to, please shoot me an email: Desertrancher@gmail.com. Despite the fact that our country is in chaos, you are all a beautiful example of the kind of folks that truly make this world a better place. Thank you for being kind.  

I am trying to find my footing again - and ranch life is keeping me busy. Thursday was a town day. I had a long list of errands to tend to as I hadn't been to town since December 2nd. We're weaning some calves and I had to cook for a crew on Friday. 

I spent 7 hours in town and still didn't get everything done, but that happens a lot and I just start a new list when I get home. One of these days I'll figure out that if I'd just go to town more often, I wouldn't have such long days when I DO go, but I'd rather do just about anything besides go to town. I always have to give myself a pep talk on town days and after being away from the ranch for so long, my hermit tendencies are fierce.

I dropped the crew off on the south side of the ranch Friday morning. We trailer out about 45 minutes from the house and reach the drop off point as the day dawns. It was such a pretty morning

                                                           

Just a small crew of 5 yesterday

                                   

Thankfully, I didn't have to fix them breakfast, but I did cook for DH - it was 21° and I wanted him to have a good, hot breakfast before he saddled up.

I gave myself some grace and just fixed a big old pot of taco soup with Fritos and cheese 

and I baked brownies to serve with ice cream for dessert.  I'll go in to work at the Sale Barn on Monday and then I'll have 2 more days to cook later in the week, but I finally got all of the Christmas decorations packed away and set the rest of the house in order and I'm hoping to slow things down a little this weekend. They're forecasting snow, so maybe I can sneak in a little sewing time. I've been wanting to make a laundry bag for dirty clothes on road trips for some time:

It's good to be back in the saddle for a little bit.

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

This is where my soul is restored:

Time to Rest

 I have struggled about sharing so much of what's been happening around here this past year and I'm sorry if I've shared too much. I think of my blog as a journal and although I don't share everything, I have always loved to write and I find it a cathartic form of expression. 

I promise to get back to my ranching-cooking-quilting-Skeet posts soon. I'm missing them, but presently, life is directing my time elsewhere.

My mom passed on December 29 after a 7 month battle with Sarcoma. I am so grateful I was able to be with her for much of that time and that she is no longer suffering. She was 81 and she had a good life, but as those of you who have walked this path know, it's still not easy. Mom was strong-willed and independent and she fought until the end. I, of course, don't believe it's the end, but a person's relationship with the Lord is a very personal thing. 

DH had driven down on the 24th and I was so grateful for his strong, steady presence. 

We had a quiet Christmas day. Friends brought us dinner and we played Cribbage over coffee in the morning and over supper in the evening

and we just sat with mom and each other. He drove back to the ranch on the 26th and then made a return trip to Texas on the 31st - his birthday. Our girl and her fella drove in on the 31st and our boy flew in on the 1st. Mom's service was on the 2nd. I had asked a good friend to officiate and that sweet man gave the most wonderful eulogy. He is a man of great faith and he and his dear wife's love for God touched me greatly. 

The kids and DH really stepped up and pitched in wherever there was a need without being asked and before I even knew there was a need. Everyone headed back on Sunday, but we soaked up some much needed time together:

DH said I needed to come home for a while. It was going to take 2-3 weeks for the death certificate to arrive and there is nothing that can be done without it. I had been in Texas for a month and on call 24-7. Sleep had been almost non-existent. He knew I needed to come home to decompress and refuel. So come home I did. Oh, how I missed these desert skies

DH has been batching for a long time and housekeeping was in order, but the first order of business was to climb into the feed truck with DH and bounce over dirt roads, across miles of pasture with crisp, clear blue skies and fresh, desert air, in search of cows to feed:

I needed a dose of this too:

Being home is the best medicine for this weary heart.