Country Living With Emma

Earbuds might sound like an odd choice for tool of the week, but I literally use them every day. They allow me to listen to content and learn new things while I'm going about my day and doing chores.

The hand quilting class went so well that they want to do another one. I didn't get as far with the actual stitching as I wanted to, but that would be due to my talking too much. (That's a surprise, I know) For the next class, we will do a lot more stitching and a lot less talking. At least that's my goal.

This is a crazy time of the year in my work so podcasts have been few and fastest between. Hopefully, I'll be able to get more consistent. The hand quilting class that I'm teaching is Saturday. I'll report back on Monday!

Spoiler alert: THEY ARE WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Different needles have different purposes. Here's a short explanation of which needle you should use for specific tasks. 

Using a levain, basically a subset of a starter gives more control over the baking process and the taste of the bread.Making a Levain

It's Friday, it's hot, and I plan to stay in as much as possible this weekend. There's still plenty to do though. 

Flossie shares her experiences during the Battle of Britain during WWII.

I'm still dealing with the aftermath of the fire ant/ hornet attack from Saturday. Basically, I'm walking around with an ice pack on my arm. This is a prep I don't think I've heard mentioned. Making and keeping ice is ignorant for now than just keeping drinks cold. Blue Gel Ice Packs

We had breakfast at church on Sunday, so I made Pigs in a Blanket with exactly two ingredients: Crescent Rolls and Eckridge Breakfast Sausages. The hardest is doing the math!In other news, what are the odds of getting bitten by fire ants AND stung by hornets on the same day on the same hand? Spoiler alert: they're not zero. At least they weren't murder hornets.

Catching up on what's going on at the property. 

The headlines in 1938 sound eerily similar to today. 

In this new world of AI and digital everything, it is still vital that we keep physical documents and create new ones ourselves through journaling or keeping a diary.

The humble Mason jar is more versatile than I can say! How do you use them?

I'm back from a whirlwind trip to Amarillo. I can't lie...I much prefer my area of Texas, even with the humidity. 

I started out to talk about hand quilting, but it ended up being more generic. Here is a link to Esther Miller's hand quilting videos:Hand Quilting

Catching up on what's going on in the country.

Irrigation is a requirement this time of year in Texas. Hose splitters make that process easier and more efficient. They are not all created equal.Hose Splitter I Like

One of my sweet coworkers made a zippered pouch for my birthday last week. This is a great beginner project, and she did a fabulous job!

This is a very handy tool, particularly when preparing food for the freezer. Bag Holder

Not everything is the end of the world, but it can still be a problem. For example, our power outage last week was caused by a snake in the substation. In addition to the activities in the Middle East, there's a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico and/or America. Fairlife Milk was hit by a cyberattack last week, and Coca-Cola has shut down production. TEOTWAWKI may never be our problem, but high gas prices can seriously affect our lives.

It's Friday, and I have an exciting weekend ahead! Well, exciting might be a little too strong a word. What's on tap? Gardening, chores, and quilting!

There are many options for marking a quilt for hand quilting. Here are some links:Hera MarkerSewline PencilChalkSticky Lint Roller

Good morning from Texas! It's raining and the weather today will be cool. We will not see 90 degrees until Friday. We can always celebrate that!

On Fridays, we usually look ahead to the weekend and what I hope to get done!

Here is the recipe for Irish Potato Farls

Today, all tools and appliances are designed and created to save us from ourselves. In the 50's, they were designed to work. One of my favorite appliances/tools is my 1952 red Chambers Range. Below are some links to see how they work.Tina Cooks - FacebookTina Cooks - YouTubeThe story of the Chambers Range

I was off work for the last week, busy doing things on the property. Here's what I did on my staycation!

I've been gone most of this week on a work trip. Time to get stuff done this weekend. Plus, I'm planning a personal quilting retreat staycation!

This is the last episode of Allie's story and the last episode of the book,  "Texas Tears, Texas Sunshine".

Making fruit butter, i.e., apple butter, is a great way to get started in canning and food preservation.

These are so handy and I really like how little space they take up when they are flattened.

Yes, I really did get this monstrosity of a quilt basted! 

Quilt Progress:Top is doneBacking is sewn togetherPlans for the Weekend:Starch & Iron backBaste quilt

Some of my earliest episodes are about learning to do sourdough. Here are some websites that I have found to be helpful:Farmhouse on BooneAmy Bakes Bread

Completing my current quilt project has necessitated using a rotary cutter, mat, and ruler. These really haven't been around that long. I was an adult when the rotary cutter for fabric was first created. That makes me feel old!

One issue in my life I have never solved in nearly 70 years is underestimating how much time it's going to take me to get something done.

It's Friday, and my big goal for the weekend is to get my Civil War BOM quilt basted and ready to take on the road next week to start quilting. 

Allie and her family settle into life on the prairie. 

We're starting a new series about things you can make yourself. Our first entry is mayonnaise. 

The lowly steam iron may seem like an unlikely tool of the week, but I used mine a lot this weekend while working on my Civil War BOM quilt top. A good iron is essential for sewing. There actually was a water sprinkler cork stopper on ebay! Here's the link:Sprinkler Cork Stopper

In short, it depends. Some produce is more cost-effective than others.

Allie is another West Texas pioneer. She and her husband built a homestead on the Llano Estacado. 

I love hand sewing tools and this one should save my finger from endless pricks when hand quilting. Needleslide 

A recap of the weekend. What's happening in the garden and in the world.

Typical Friday chat about the coming weekend, quilting plans, and more about the Women's Institute.

Mary and the cowboys complete the castle drive and end up in Coolidge, Kansas. 

We can always learn more about how to navigate our current time in history by studying how people coped in challenging times in the past.

Cooking from scratch is probably the first skill that we think of when we talk about self-sufficiency. Clearly, if we can't feed ourselves, we're in trouble. A good set of kitchen knives goes a long way in developing cooking skills. A really good knife set can be super expensive, but there are some less expensive options. Cuisinart Knife Set 

It's hard to stay alert to threats, cyber and general, all the time. Now is not the time to relax.