Category Archives: Inez’s Clippings

A Week in Autumn/Inez’s Clippings

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Big changes came this week in our weather. And boy were we ready! The children couldn’t get enough of the outdoors. I am right there with ’em!

Jacket weather at last!

I even found an appropriate clipping from grandma and I’d bet she loved this time of year just as much.

It wasn’t unexpected this year but much anticipated.

In the past, I have had several Persimmon Reports. The first in 2011, followed by 2012, 2013, and after skipping a few years, I resumed after enough requests from family and friends in 2017 and last year. There’s only so much you can say about winter predictions with a persimmon so I’ll keep it simple. Remember this is not scientific.

  • Fork = Mild winter
  • Knife = Cold Cutting Temps
  • Spoon = Lots of moisture whether it’s rain or snow, you’ll be getting your fair share.

Drum roll………. For the Winter of 2019-2020 ……….

  • The Fruit
  • First Find is a SPooN!
  • For a total of 3 Spoons

With the exception of the dud seed in that last pic, you can expect much moisture this coming winter. I do hear your groans and I apologize profusely. Grab your shovels and snowblowers or have that extra cash handy to pay the neighbors kids to shovel for you.

For me, it means I will have to be pretty creative in helping children expell all their wiggles. Prayers as well as suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

Speaking of creativity, I was gifted a cute lil’ pumpkin this last week as well as a bounty from a neighbors community garden.

  • Season’s first pumpkin! Thank you Jenny!!
  • Thank you neighbor!!

There were enough beans to share with my mother! And I did snap them ahead for her ’cause that’s what you do for you mom.

Leaving you this Sunday with a photo of the Katy Trail. May your week ahead bring you much sunshine and wonderful autumn days!

The Katy Trail- Sedalia, Missouri
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Herdin’ ’em Up/Inez’s Clippings

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Word association will be my attempt to meld a post with this week’s clipping. I struggled with this one but I loved the clipping enough to work with it. Maybe you’ll appreciate the humor and maybe not. Living rural will give you an edge for sure so, city slickers, just know that running over a cow is not an option. Enough said I think.

My ‘herd‘ of projects is becoming a bit excessive so maybe if I share some, or plans for some, I’ll get more finished just for accountability’s sake. I can hope at least.

I’ll begin with the quilt that should be finished by now—if we had a little cooler weather it would have helped. Hand quilting is so much more appealing when it’s going to keep your lap warm. At least all that’s left is this small section and the binding.

  • Hope to finish this tonight!
  • Western Wedding Ring (lap-size)

This one is actually finished thank goodness! Called Mini Sunbonnet Sue Months of the Year. I did not piece this quilt. My dear hubby found it on eBay for a steal. All I had to do was finish the hand quilting portion. And here is where I’m going to insert an explanation for those who don’t quite understand. There is a difference in construction definitions when I say (or a quilter says) they ‘Hand Quilt’. This refers to the stitching you see all over a quilt. When someone says they “Hand Piece”, it means they have sewn all the portions of the quilt by hand, not on machine. I Don’t “Hand Piece”. lol I’m way too busy for that. Hand quilting is my thing and I like the way it looks with hand stitching rather than machine stitching over the top of a quilt.

  • Finished!
  • Copied the pattern in case I want to applique another.

And on Friday my dear youngest daughter informed me we needed a baby quilt done by Saturday at 1 pm. There was only one way that would happen and she agreed to participate and assist. Thank you Kirsten and glad you got a lesson in this form of quilt assemblage.

  • The ties
  • Self binded quilt before ironing.
  • Daughter trimming up
  • Machine stitching the self-binding.

And something I’m preparing to do is use up some spare quilt blocks in a fun way. Mini quilts are my latest endeavor and much more do-able in a short amount of time. They will mostly be machine quilted for those who are wondering. I simply have too much to do to hold onto all these forever.

Vintage blocks from auctions, gimme's from mother & aunts, as well as my own creations.
Vintage blocks from auctions, gimme’s from mother & aunts, as well as my own creations.

The one I’m keeping for display for myself is this one. Funny how I got a memory of it come up today on FaceBook.

  • mini quilt and stand for displaying
  • 1 year ago today

So I’m a little behind on stuff as you can see. Had a set of custom bowl cozies picked up this morning and yes I do take some orders. Within reason.

Arizona Diamondback Fans
Arizona Diamondback Fans

And last for this round up but definitely not the only project going on is this quilt that hubby (again) found on eBay. Lots of quilters make tops but never get them completed. This is where I’ve found a niche and I’m gladly taking time to Hand Quilt this one. It is also hand pieced and my admiration goes out to the lady who created it. You only get a peek though 😉

Calling it 'Precious Moments' for the fabric used throughout.
Calling it ‘Precious Moments’ for the fabric used throughout.

I’m a bit long-winded this Monday as you can see. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!

Uncle Neal/Inez’sClippings

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This little clipping reminds me of the time I was letting a table of preschoolers use scissors. The plan was to ‘feed the monster’, a shoe box decorated with a monster face with an opening for his mouth in which the children were to put paper ‘cuttings’ into his mouth. Cutting with scissors is such a huge developmental milestone and it is not something that comes naturally.

But for one little boy(we’ll call him Abe), cutting was his strength. Abe was so into the activity that he started growling to the monster. Happy to encourage his imagination, I went along with it as did the other children around the table. After all, our scissors were safety scissors so not worried about them cutting their clothing and we had much prior discussion on never cutting hair. Much to my surprise, Abe reached across the table and snipped the finger of one of the little girls, creating instant screaming and panic. He had succeeded in snipping her finger enough to warrant a phone call to the parents as I wasn’t quite sure amid the bloodshed and extreme tears whether it needed stitches or not. All ended well. Thank heavens mom was a nurse.

These days, we feed the monster with torn paper.

Sharing some of my week in photos to finish off this week’s Inez’s Clippings. Have a wonderful first week of autumn!!

Addition

Just as I was about to hit Publish on Monday morning, I got a phone call from mother. My uncle had passed overnight. Only son, brother, bachelor, uncle, cousin and Vietnam Vet to the Hunter clan. Before we lay him to rest this morning, I found an additional clipping in the Inez stash and I wanted to share it. I visualize her and her loving personality with her only son as I read it. I have posted about Neal before here. Rest in Peace Uncle Neal!

Exceeded the Stop Limit/Inez’s Clippings

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“When life gives you hands, make Hand Made!”

Grandma Inez always had a project in the wings. The trait has passed down to my mother. And, yes, I’m right behind them. I’ll entertain you this time on the ‘clippings’ page with a few pics of how the handiwork commenced.

First and foremost, I have finished the Soccer Jersey quilt! So pleased on how it turned out. I considered just tacking it in the corners but in the end I took the plunge and line-quilted it. So glad I did as it will hold up much better to numerous washings. Tying quilts is an option too if you want to try this at home and don’t trust your machine with the slippery fabrics; after all it is an obstacle for some machines. Thanking my lucky stars for the Bernina about now.

  • Stitch in the Ditch quilting
    Stitch in the Ditch quilting
  • The dining room table serves me well in large projects
    The dining room table serves me well in large projects
  • Turning up the hem to bind the edge
    Turning up the hem to bind the edge
  • Zig zag corners, my choice
    Zig zag corners, my choice

A small comment to WordPress administrators….Allowing me to caption all photos is important. Much is missed by the readers who skim over the blogs. And I get it, people are busy. But the above option is much appreciated. So now, please allow this in all photo entry styles!! I’m getting a headache over this nonsense!!

Back to the quilting….. This quilt is for friends who have extended so much help to my eldest daughter during her years at KU when mom and dad are 2 hours away. I have a little clipping from grandma that I think they (& hopefully you all) will appreciate that has law enforcement humor. FYI, we are stauch supporters of our law enforcement community.

Miles Per Hour
  • Quilt completed
    Quilt completed
  • Back view
    Back view

Thanks for checking in on another Inez’s Clippings! Have a wonderful rest of your day!

‘Miss’ Understood/Inez’sClippings

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‘Miss’understood

With a ‘little miss’ in the hubby’s engine we are taking it nice and easy this weekend. Sharing a few photos. If you need me, I’m sewing. No stress allowed.

  • Tie method #1
  • Tie method #2

An apron using a Pinterest pattern find is hopefully a hit for the Fall craft show season.

Model of the day

And an actual model never hurts sales any. In this installment of Inez’s Clippings, May the Pies Ever Be in Your Flavor!!

Pepper Chicken/Inez’s Clippings

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It’s Sunday and time for another one of Inez’s Clippings. Grandma was often the butcher at the farm. It was nothing for her to head out to the chicken barn and grab a good looking hen (or rooster who was guilty of being too ornery) and take care of business –all the steps including plucking the feathers and readying it for the dinner table. I was never privy to learn the method as I was not considered old enough. I can honestly say I’m ok with that 😉 I saw enough meat prep of all kinds to satisfy my curiosity.

On a recent doctor visit, I was told to eat less red meats in an attempt to lower the cholesterol. I’m guilty of being an honest to goodness carnevore and his instructions are going to be tough. After all we live in the middle of the Farm Belt and I reitterate the fact that meat is my favorite staple.

So with all that in mind, we used up some garden produce this weekend, starting with some lovely sweet bell peppers in a Pepper Chicken dish. Chicken is on the ‘good’ list. As long as it’s not deep fried.

The step-by-step photos are in the slides below. Notes: #1-We double recipes sometimes so we can have leftovers and use up extra summer vegies. #2-The link for the recipe is here. #3-The recipe states beef and as I stated above, we substituted chicken. #4-Another difference is we added julienned celery. Crunch is important….to us at least.

  • Our rice is cooked in beef broth. Chicken or vegetable broth works too. FYI the beef broth is cholesterol free
    Our rice is cooked in beef broth. Chicken or vegetable broth works too. FYI the beef broth is cholesterol free
  • Mushrooms are sauted first. This is not on the website's ingredient list.
    Mushrooms are sauted first. This is not on the website’s ingredient list.
  • Adding the peppers and onions next.
    Adding the peppers and onions next.
  • The sauce is whisked and ready to add later
    The sauce is whisked and ready to add later
  • Vegies removed temporarily to cook up the chicken
    Vegies removed temporarily to cook up the chicken
  • Reintroduce the vegies and add sauce
    Reintroduce the vegies and add sauce

To keep this gluten free, it’s important to watch soy sauce, oyster sauce and spice labels.

Plated Pepper Chicken Stir-Fry

Thanks for dropping in this Sunday!

Sleep Deprivation/Inez’s Clippings

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Sleep deprivation is a thing for many people. In our home, it happens to a couple of us—present company not included. I happen to think that my job is one of those that helps you get a good night’s sleep after the day is done. I am thankful for that. This is not to say that those who have sleep trouble aren’t working hard enough. A good night’s sleep is a mystery to many as apparently it’s a challenge to successfully treat.

You have to admit that Grandma’s clipping below is pretty cute.

I just love Grandma's sense of humor!
I just love Grandma’s sense of humor!

This weekend while everyone in Sedalia and the surrounding area is at the Missouri State Fairgrounds (working/riding rides/seeing a concert,eating corn dogs and cotton candy), I’m here at home working on a project for some good friends. They have recently moved but we have a common friend (our daughter) who will transport the project for us once it is completed. In short, I spent Saturday cutting soccer jerseys.

  • Tools for the project
    Tools for the project
  • I started with this blue and also used red.
    I started with this blue and also used red.

Of all the marking tools I’ve researched, I found these are the best for quilting. Just don’t use the orange. For some reason, it doesn’t wash out the best. As a daycare provider, ask me how I know this. 😉

  • Cardboard template with center point marked
    Cardboard template with center point marked
  • Outline made
    Outline made

Hard to see in the second pic, but I’ve pinned the opening closed prior to cutting.

  • Measuring the length
    Measuring the length
  • Measuring the width
    Measuring the width
  • Cut 2 blocks at once for a saving time and for accuracy.
    Cut 2 blocks at once for a saving time and for accuracy.
  • Centered and Cut
    Centered and Cut

Some factors to consider when making someone a jersey/t-shirt quilt is that the shirts are not replaceable. For this reason, it’s taken me some time and contemplation on how to best begin. If you have a project someone has requested, definitely do the homework first so there are no regrets later. As in carpentry, measure twice, cut once. Don’t let it deprive you of sleep.

Block Cutting Complete
Block Cutting Complete

Stay tuned for the completed quilt in an upcoming post. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!!

Poor, Potatoes and Molasses

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Usually this is a Sunday post but due to the amount of stuff I needed to catch up on this weekend, that was not gonna happen. And I’m still behind. So Monday it is for another installment of Inez’s Clippings.

Play on words
Play on words

Part of my ‘to do’ list this weekend was harvesting some tomatoes. Po-tatoes are still in the ground and waiting for the hubster to take time out to dig them. I hope our new method of the adding a board-raised bed works. (fingers crossed).

Bunny watching
Bunny watching

The 4-post boxes in the background mark the beginning of the potato boxes. Notice our piles of compost ready to be tilled in for the gardening season are keeping the girls from pouncing on the little bunny. He has remained that tame throughout this year. So far he only wants my clover in the yard.

Mid-stage of potato growing.
Mid-stage of potato growing.

This was our first attempt at this sort of potato growing. The jury is still out on how much or less we will acquire. Hoping for a bumper crop. Speaking of a bumper crop, I have a tomato weigh-in for you….

1 lb. 10.5 oz.
1 lb. 10.5 oz.

A small dinner plate will do for this one. And yes, I get my gardener genes from Inez’ side of the family 😉

The Water Dipper/ Inez’s Clippings

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First the clipping….

The Water Jug

In case you are unaware, a “Hane” is a piece of iron attached to the collar of draft horses pulling a wagon. Water jugs were the way to transport water back in the day before the beginning of the Convenience Store. No water bottles, Tervis’s, Thermos bottles, etc. And everyone shared from the same container. Germs? No there were no germophobes in existence. At least not in our neck of the woods.

But we didn’t have a water jug per say. We had a metal dipper. It hung by grandma’s sink and anytime you needed a good swig of water, just grab it and fill it up. That fresh well water pumped right to the sink was ice cold and always hit the spot. Ice cubes? Nah. The only time you needed ice was in your tea or when you were making ice cream.

I searched high and low for a photograph showing that enamel covered metal dipper. After all, the kitchen was always the gathering place for the women folk. We kids knew exactly where they’d all be hanging out. But I only found a couple photos of the kitchen and they’re not taken at the correct angle so you can’t see the infamous dipper. But I want you to see the photo I found anyway as it shows a Norman Rockwell-ish moment in 1969 with my mother reading and Great Grandma sitting while resting her feet. In the kitchen with no tv, no radio, no cell phones, no computers. Just togetherness.

My mother Eileen and Great Grandma Hunter
My mother Eileen and Great Grandma Hunter

Daily Smiling/Inez’s Clippings

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I don’t know if my grandmother ever contributed any stories of her own to newspapers while teaching back during her teaching days, but I definitely know from my own personal experience that kids can and will say things that make you smile on a daily basis. It’s probably why she was drawn to cutting out the ‘funnies’ from the newspapers.

Before I share Grandma’s clipping for this week, I wanted to share a bit about our week during storytime. As a regular activity, we talk about stuff related to the story of the day and I have kept track of several of these over time. This past couple weeks, we had an Insect Theme goin’ on and the question I posed to them went like this….

“If you found a beehive on the ground, what would you do? Why?”

  • Owen(age4) “Put it back up–Because the bees will be sooo happy”
  • Hunter(age 4) “Go in the house–Because they will sting you.”
  • Owen yes we have 2 Owens (age 4) “Don’t be around it–Because they will sting you”
  • Bella (age 2) “Be afraid! –I don’t know & my daddy afraid & my mommy afraid!”
  • Jonathan (age 2) “Run away to my house, no a different house–Because I don’t like bees!”
  • Miles (age 5) “Scare it away — Cause I don’t like bees.”
  • Hudson (age 5) ” I would pick it up and put it back and wait for more bees to come back — I don’t know why”
  • Ben (age 7) “Leave it alone & walk around it — So I don’t get stung.”
  • Sawyer (age 7) ” Leave it alone so I don’t get stung and walk off”

So to reassure everyone out there, we had further discussion of how to handle this situation and also about the benefits bees provide to our environment. In addition, I just want to say that the next generation is going to be OK. They have empathy, caring hearts and are wonderful little people! So, if this didn’t make you smile, maybe the funnies coming up will…..Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!!