FFA Quilt -We've Depended On Them and We'll Have to In Our Future

*Happy to know this quilt is going toward a very well deserving individual.

Future Farmers of America (FFA).
Regardless of how our plants are grown, our milk is distributed, and our protein is contrived; it takes an old-fashioned farmer or a new generation farmer to feed us, our country, and the world.
I didn't like it at all when my mom moved to a farm when I was in 7th grade.
Looking back, however, I've come to appreciate what my mom and stepfather did to help our economy and our society.
I don't think I would have as much appreciation for the work our country farmers do if my mom didn't make me come live with her and my stepfather.
As a teacher, I've come to appreciate what some schools are trying to do to develop those students who have a love of the land, the crops, the agriculture in general. One of those ways is through the Future Farmers of America (FFA).  I've known a number of local school districts who have supported this for many years, and I'm happy to know that the school district where I live is going to support it in the upcoming years.

Many rural farms have been threatened with extinction because of very low prices for their products. We need to come together as a complete society to vocalize our need and expectations for non-GMO crops, healthy alternatives to what our children are being fed, and to continue to support the local agencies that understand and provide "GOOD" food for our communities.

FFA.  The current generation of students who are willing, who love, and who are committed to continuing the very base of providing food for our country.

FFA. It starts with the younger generation of kids who want to make a difference.  If you care about where your food comes from, if you want to build a sustainable lifestyle, if you care about the nutrients your family is getting, then you need to learn, understand, and support what the FFA is doing for you.

I was very excited when I saw that Riley Blake designed an FFA  panel and coordinating fabrics. The fabrics are vibrant and he captured the true meaning of FFA and the future of our country.

I love the colors and designs created for this quilt. 

Just look at these statements that reflect the goals and philosophy of the program. 

 

The gold jacket. 

As far as the quilt goes, the strips below will be placed on the back of the quilt.  

It came together with borders and binding.

Sewing on the binding.  

Final photos around the town.  Below is Jack Miller's Tractor and Truck in Schoharie, NY. 

I loved making this quilt. Part of my growing up years was on a dairy farm. I didn't much like it at first, but I've come to understand the importance of what farmers of all kind do to serve our society.

Lessons Learned:
1. Forward stitch, back stitch, and secure quilting stitches to the max.

I'd love to hear some feedback about this post. Enjoy your summer crops, the local farmstands, and the farmers who make it possible,

Southern Recipe from Daughter in the South - Low Country Boil

A few years ago, my daughter, Shannon, introduced my family to a
classic southern mess of dinner. It's a delicious mixture of seafood and homestyle ingredients suitable for summer outings, casual dinner with friends, or a family meal with the taste of the south.
It's called a Low Country Boil. She created it and dumped in on a pile of newspapers and brown bags.  It tasted really good and I've wanted to make it ever since.

Today was the day. I found a simpler and less messy version  on Pinterest because I am fond of not reinventing the wheel.  Once I found a suitable recipe, I dove into the process.
Check this out at damn delicious:
https://damndelicious.net/2017/02/13/sheet-pan-shrimp-boil/

The basics are boiling new potatoes, or a small mixture of them,  for 10-13 minutes or so. Add the corn during the last five minutes.
Put everything else on a non-stick pan and brush the butter, garlic, and Old Bag seasoning mixture over everything. Put in the oven for approximately 12-15 minutes.

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Serve with a green salad and bread and I guarantee you everyone at your table will be satisfied. I love the textures of the different foods. The pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil lends itself to an easier clean up than dumping all that food on newspapers and paper bags.

Thank you, Shannon, for a "delish" dinner.

Lessons Learned:
1. If you are a shrimp lover, add more to this recipe. :)
2. The potatoes and corn might get a little overdone if you add time to the suggested time in the recipe.
3. Go to a restaurant when you are visiting the south and try an authentic Low Country Boil dinner.

A northerner trying the southern ways,

Finally Finished! 13 - 12 Month Embroidered Onesies

I just love these 12 months embroidered onesies. There are so many cute baby items these days. I wish they were around when my kids were babies. 

This is one of those projects you work on a little bit at a time, put away and do something else, get it back out, put away, get back out. OK, you get my drift.
This project took so much longer than I wanted it too! It was a huge learning curve for me. I switched machines in the middle and had to learn to use a new machine by myself. I consider myself a type A, perfectionist sort of person, so whatever I did, I wanted it to be "SALE" worthy.  I believe I met that goal.

The first thing was to choose onesies that would meet a variety of sizes of infants. Even though my own kids are adults, I remember that certain brands of clothing did not fit my kids according to their age.  I consulted a dear friend who is a new Grandmom and who worked with me to determine the best combination of brands to hopefully guarantee a nice fit for each month.  These onesies are a combination of Gerber and Carter's onesies.  If you look at the picture below, you can see the difference in size of the onesies labeled for the same size. This is after prewashing both brands.

I selected some fun colors for the applique part of this project. Later on in this post, you'll see some of the fun color combinations of thread and fabric.

I began by cutting out a template of the pattern I used and then cut the fabric from the pattern.

 I hooped a sturdy stabilizer.

Then sprayed it with 505 adhesive. The company wasn't kidding when they said it does not gum up the needles. I love this product.  

I marked the onesie I was working on. And clipped it with hair clips, of all things.

 Thread color to match fabric? I love doing this.

Below is what I made in my first sitting. I created these on the Brother PE770. A wonderful, affordable, machine to learn on. 

I've since upgraded my machine to a Brother Dream Machine. I have a dear friend who helped me with that decision. I only wish she received a commission for my purchase. I love machine embroidery and applique that much I decided to upgrade and learn as much as possible before I retire; hoping this will be an additional income. 

Below are two types of scissors that are a must-have when doing embroidery work. I like the curved applique scissors (top) and the curved machine embroidery scissors (bottom). 

Now this project did not come without headaches. I did three of the monthly designs over. I chalk it up to learning about the materials, machine, and threads.

I've included a newborn onesie with this set.

All of the onesies are backed with a very soft adhesive liner. This is to prevent scratching baby's belly and chest with the inside of the embroidery.

Lesson's Learned:

1. For me, I don't like to take so long to finish projects. I need to focus on start to finish for each project I start.
2. I love the 505 adhesive spray. I ordered another can while completing this project.
3. This project was totally time-consuming and not really what I want to do. They say you learn by doing... and, yes. I did so.
4. I just love the onesie ideas for baby pictures. I just can't see myself creating these because of the time it takes.  (Sorry friends, this is a one-of-a-kind for me. :)

Do you know anyone who spends time creating embroidered onesies? I'd love to get feedback from them. Send me their contact information if you can.

Happy newborn to One-year-old baby monthly birthdays.