Hardy Homesteader's quilting project

The Hardy Homesteader's group has been hosting an educational event every year for over 20 years.  It's an all-volunteer organization made up of many people in our community.  Some were raised here, some re-located here long ago, we got here 6 years ago... And some who get involved are area newcomers.

Here's a few pictures from last year's event.

Blacksmith's tent

Our group focuses on keeping the "old timey" skills alive.  One way we can do that is to have a public demonstration focusing on all the trades and crafts we can.  All the displays are set up by the volunteers.  The food being made is available to all - with only a donation box in evidence.

Biscuts baking

There's biscuts and gravy.  Freshly churned butter... Jam... beans.













 Lye soap making is always interesting to the people who come to visit.

Lye soap making

There is hot water in that big kettle.   And lye is made from wood ashes.

The recipe is available for anyone who wants more information.  People are encouraged to take a sample.






Dutch over cooking is always a favorite pastime at the Homesteader's.  Some of the Bushwackers set up their wagons, get they're fire started and put their dutch ovens to work.  Dang, it smells good!

Dutch oven cooking

 My husband Johnnie, friend Gena, son Joshua and I have a display for spinning and weaving.  We have a good time.  My husband and son make drop spindles.  And then he usually manages to give them away while we're there.  We both love the smile it brings to someone's face when they've learned how to spin their own yarn!

Gena weaving on a triangular loom

Gena made that shawl she has on.

It's woven from a merino/cashmere bulky yarn.  I crocheted the edging around it to give it a more finished look.

The fabric on this cool loom is warped AND woven at the same time.

I've woven a lot of shawls on there!

John and Josh

John and Josh get the spinning wheel set up.  The laundry rack is what we use for our display.  Both blankets displayed in this picture were hand spun, hand dyed and hand woven by me.  I love those blankets.







A group of the ladies get together during the winter and work on a quilt.  This quilt is raffled off as seed money for the following year's event.

2012 Quilt

Here's the ladies who worked on last year's quilt.  I'm 2nd from the right.

We have a great time making the quilt.  Lots of talking, laughing and sewing.  And not much swearing at the sewing machines either!  That's amazing, in itself!






We had our first quilting meeting last Thursday night and decided to make a more modern looking quilt.  It took a lot of time to piece all those 5-inches squares together last year.  So we thought we'd use 12-inch squares this year.  But, how many squares do we need for a queen sized quilt if we use 12-inch squares?  I found this handy chart this morning.


The picture of the quilt we had in mind had about 6 blocks across.  So, we need to make 16-inch squares.  Geeze, that was easy.  I wish I'd had this handy little card last week!