We went to the fair. I love fairs. It may be because I grew up in Box Elder County on a dairy farm and it was one of our few entertainments out in the country. I won quite a few blue ribbons at the Box Elder County Fair for artwork, penmanship, and a sheaf of wheat (grown by my father but bundled up by me). I love the creative art displays at the fair and enjoy seeing the animals. I would like to enter something in the fair, but I haven't created the right thing yet. When my children were little, I would take them strollers and all to the Salt Lake County Fair and the Utah State Fair. I hope there will always be a fair for the atmosphere, the freebies, the how to do its, the artistic displays, and the embroidery machines!

TO COMPOST OR NOT TO COMPOST

I like to compost. It think it is just one of the many earth friendly things that are out there that I can do.
This is what you do: You take those peelings and spoiled fruits and vegetables you have and mix them with last year's rotting leaves and let them become compost. Here's the problem. What if there is a snake in your leaf bin, all curled up in the warm, soft, moist, rotting leaves? What if when you reach in to get some leaves to add to your compost bin, that you don't see him because his wonderful coloring blends in so well with the leaves? What if you spot him later only inches away from where your hand had been? Will you (or will I for that matter) ever reach your hand into that bin again? And how can one make compost without rotting leaves?

Flowers, flowers everywhere

I went out and wrote down the names of all my perennial flowers for those who wanted starts and I was amazed at how many there were.
Here is the list: black-eyed Susans (gloriosa daisy), iris, echinacea (purple cone flower), dianthus (sweet william, pinks), coreopsis, buttercups (two varieties), heirloom hollyhocks, poppies (papery orange ones), campanula (bell flower), daylilies (orange--my mom called them corn lilies), forget-me-nots, feverfew (chamomile--Peter Rabbit's favorite),  lamb's ear, hens and chickens, phlox (tall and creeping), creeping Jenny, columbines, grape hyacinth, sweet woodruff, salvia, sedum (stonecrop), dragon's blood, and daisies ( a few were added to the original list).
I've heard back from some that their transplants are doing well. It's fun to share the things that you enjoy!

Aprons

I have a collection of apron patterns and I'm always looking for new and different ones. I have made some for wedding gifts and birthday gifts. It has been fun to find fabrics that go together and make them double sided. Here are five I have made. I have collected yards of fabric and am anxious to make more aprons when I find the time.

Appliqued and Emboidered Quilts

My first creative effort at quilt making was the elephant quilt I made for the Hogle Zoo in 2001. It is the one done in shades of green. I started making denim embellished quilts in 2002. I have made 3 or 4 and have 3 more ready to sew the tops together. I made one for each of my children. I made 2 pieced appliqued quilts for my 2 grandchildren. I designed the quilts and drew the animals. I really like the idea that each square is created and then they are pieced together. This allows me to take the block with me wherever I'm going and work on it. I didn't think I would like quilt making, but it can be very creative. I have many more pictures of these quilts and others I have done which I will add later.

Garden Tepee

I designed this tepee after watching a TV show describing how to do it. I sent the idea and a picture of the tepee to Organic Gardening Magazine and they printed it. The form for the tepee consists of a round board with holes in it that PVC pipes go through. The pipes are drilled with holes where the twine is attached so the plants can climb up. We planted morning glory, birdhouse gourds and even cucumbers. We planted it for two or three years and then we had deer come and stay and they would eat it, so we stopped putting it up. This photo was taken at the end of the season in a year when our deer friends weren't around to prune it. This year, 2008, the volunteers came up and we have enjoyed the morning glory along the ground even though we haven't put up the tepee since the herd of deer have been overwintering here.