Lovin' It!!!

The cooler weather that is :) The temps are in the 70's, the humidity is low, and my energy is through the roof!!! Wonder what I can accomplish today after working 8+ hours outside the home?

I have a quilt that has been in the quilting stage for quite a while. Hmmmmmm, maybe I can really put a dent in that tonight! We'll see. Keep you posted - pun intended ;)

Cake and Gift #3

My granddaughter, Julia, is celebrating her 5th birthday tomorrow!!! It seems like yesterday we welcomed our first grandchild into the world and now she's getting ready for Kindergarten. She is a true little girl who loves her princesses and her ponies, so she requested a Princess Pony cake for her birthday. I could have bought the pan for this but just as for my grandson's first birthday, I couldn't justify buying a pan to use only once - soooooooo I created my own using the photo as a guide. Certainly not perfect by any means, but......

I want to thank my friend Holly for the inspiration for my granddaughter's gift. She had made a Puppet Theater for her grandson which was fabulous. I loved it so much and knew that Julia would love it too, I had to go in search of a pattern for my granddaughter. I think she'll be happy with it - what do you think?

Thank you Holly for inspiring me!!! Miss you!

Cake and Gift #2

Cake and Gift #2 was for a Baby Shower for my wonderful friend Ashley. Anyone who knows Ashley knows that she loves giraffes and food!!! There was a wonderful turnout today to help celebrate the upcoming birth of her first baby. I took care of the cake, the veggie tray and I also made a Watermelon Baby Buggy for the food table. Everything that everyone brought from the favors, to the food, to the decorations, etc., was amazing. She'd gotten some wonderful gifts and has a great start for this new baby to come home.

This is the gift I made for Ashley. It is a large flannel quilt that has been appliqued and machine quilted.

Very Excited!!!

First time offered at The Farmer's Attic!!! Wonderful patterns which recall the past through historic textile and traditional needlework skills. Patterns are developed by the North Country Needlework School and provide hours of old-fashioned occupation, bringing back the quiet rhythm of earlier times and reinforcing the enduring values of home, tradition and craftmanship.

Each Sophie & Her Wardrobe patterns include high quality, clear, concise and fully illustrated instructions. Also included with the main pattern is a little something extra to compliment the doll or clothing created. For instance, in the photo above is Sopie & Her Everyday Clothes. Included in the pattern is Sophie (an 18" doll), her dress, pinafore & pantalettes as well as Sophie's own little doll!!!

Also available is Gabe, A Doll of the American West. Gabe is an easy to sew 18" doll which is inspired by the home-made dolls that travelled across our continent with the children of the 19th Century Westward Migration. Included with Gabe is a pattern for his shirt and overalls.

These dolls are sure to become treasured heirlooms

for years to come.

For more information and other patterns that are available, please click on the photo above.

The Birthday Boy!

Happy 1st Birthday Donny boy!!!

You are Grandma's buddy and I love you!!!

The little girl is my Granddaughter Julia,

who is turning 5 on the 28th!!!

They are both the apple of their Grandma's eye!!!

Cake and Gift #1

Here are pictures of Cake and Gift #1. These are for my grandson's 1st birthday which is June 15th. Shhhhhh, don't tell him what he's getting - it's our secret :)

Now, be kind about the cake. Remember, I am an amateur. Thanks so much to my talented husband who helped me with the pattern. I didn't want to spend money on a cake pan I would probably only use once, so we designed our own cake and cut it according to our own pattern.

The cake was made completely dairy free which uses some lemon juice and water for flavoring. Now, we aren't big lemon fans and my husband isn't a big cake fan, but this cake is delish!!! The recipe is a little involved but oh so worth it. I'm thinking about putting the recipe on the blog as a tutorial one of these days because of all the steps involved. We'll see.

The quilt is a preprinted panel which I backed with heavy duck cloth to withstand the wear and tear I'm hoping this will get over time. I love it!!! I quilted it using nylon thread as to not detract from the quilt and the stitches literally disappear into the quilt. We went to Toys R Us for the cars which I think are just right for little hands. I'm disappointed though that they didn't have a school bus or a train to ride the tracks.

Okay, be honest! What do you think?

History Lesson

In the 1600’s to the 1800’s, courting candles were used by the man of the home to set boundaries for his daughter. When the daughter’s suitor came calling, the father lit the candle in a sitting room where the couple conversed. When the candles burnt to the metal at the top of the candle holder, it was time for the suitor to promptly leave. However, the father could change the height of the candle based on how comfortable he felt about the suitor. Also, the father could immediately snuff out the candle or add a second candle depending on what he deemed necessary. The courting candle served as a quiet, yet firm reminder to the suitor to end his date.

Rich or poor, the courting candle was used by fathers from all economic backgrounds. It taught daughters to respect their parents’ judgment. The candle also taught the suitor to defer to the father’s ability to judge a man. Although it may sound like a crazy notion by today’s standards, the courting candle served as an important boundary line in the family and social fabrics.

For ordering information, please visit

The Farmer's Attic

Sew much to do...

No that's not a typo! I have been busy, busy, busy working on gifts for babies and birthdays. Can't wait to show you pictures of what I'm working on. For now, though, you'll have to be patient ;0)

Oh, and for the next three weeks I will be baking and decorating one cake each week for babies and birthdays. I'm kind of new at cake decorating. My husband is enjoying it since I'm making test cakes before I actually make the real thing. I'll show you pictures if they come out okay. Wish me luck!!!

In between everything, I work full time. What am I thinking?!?

Shop Reopened

Willa of The Old Cupboard Doorhas reopened her shop at Etsy. You can find some of her fabulous painted creations by clicking on the photo above. Make sure when you stop over and visit, you "heart" her shop.