running right along with the reds...

i'm late the the RSC19 linky party today- we were butchering our pig! we raise about 12 pigs a year, and 2-3 of them are for the family. over the years we've learned to butcher our own- bacon, hams, linked sausage and all! when we first moved to our little farm about 11 years ago, we sent our pigs to the butcher, and got them back frozen in little packages, labeled and in a box ready for the freezer. 

we've *always* butchered our own poultry- the meat birds, turkeys and even the old worn out laying hens. i wasn't too keen to learn how to butcher a pig, but.... Dave really wanted to do it, so about 9+ years ago, we dove right in! we bought a DVD from somewhere online (like askthemeatman.com or something like that...) our first time butchering (breaking down) the hog, we set up the little portable TV right at the end of our stainless steel counter... then we pressed play, watched the first couple steps... then pressed pause and did just like the professional butcher....

play... pause... cut, cut, cut. play... pause... cut, cut, cut.

now, after 9 years or so, and about 20 pigs, we can do a pig relatively easily and painlessly. i don't think we even turned on TV (or youtube) all day! we're not professionals by any means, but we're confident beginners, and know just what cuts and seasonings we like in our hams, bacon and sausages. (here's the book we use for all our sausage recipes- it's also full of other great info, too, if you're interested in that sort of thing...) 

anyway- little C (who's the oldest grandson at 2yo) walked in this morning, all ready to help Pap cut up the pig! within minutes, he was set up at the work table with a big piece of fat, and a {butter} knife and fork. he proceeded to saw and sort meat with Pap for over an hour! (we worked inside boning small pieces of meat at a time, and then putting it back outside in the 20° weather to cool off and stay safe.) Behind C you can see his little brother L (10 months old) and our youngest daughter, B who is 11. 

now: on to the RSC19 reds! i finished my isosceles triangle quilt this week. it measures 68" X 82". i know the picture isn't the greatest- sorry! my triangles are 6½" per side. i cut my strips WOF at 6½" and then used my triangle ruler to trim them to the right size/angles. (if there is interest, i can do a *tutorial* next month on how i do it...)

this quilt will go in to our church sewing group- Scraps to Wraps and will be tied and donated locally when there is a need. i'll piece the backing, and also cut the binding from my stash. then when we have a need brought to our attention, it will be ready to go with minimal fuss. 

i happened to also have this completed quilt here at my house, and since it's primarily red i thought i'd share it today too. the pattern is called Friendship, and it was pieced by me and quilted by my friend Karen. it's also a donation quilt, and will be mailed off to the MCC quilt sale in Nebraska next week. 

(these postcard patterns are available at my LQS for about $2. i'm a pattern junky when it comes to these things {have you seen how much quilt patterns can cost these days?!} and i have a whole stack of them in my sewing room, just waiting for a pile and inspiration to collide...) 

and: welcome to all the new RSC19ers! i've noticed a bunch of new quilters/bloggers have joined in the RSC fun this year! welcome, again! i don't post here on my blog as much as i might like, but you can follow me { jlcap69 } over at Instagram. i'm more active there... and be sure to click over to Angela's at soscrappy and see what everyone else is stitching up this weekend!