Thursday, September 08, 2011

bartering

You probably all know, but I love a good barter. This may be the best one ever.
I traded this quilt....
for all of this! :)

You see, this spring I made a new friend at church, and she lives out in the country. She a large garden space, but since her kids are grown and gone, she doesn't need all the space. I have a small garden in my backyard, and I was looking for additional space. My children are all still at home and are always very hungry. :) Anyway, she and her husband graciously hosted my garden this summer. That whole counter full was what I picked just in one day! It's not surprising that I'm making salsa again (the third batch this year so far). I'm so thankful for a bountiful harvest!!! Gardening sure satisfies the farm girl in me and it was fun to work with my kids and my friend, too.

The quilt was something that I was just finishing up this spring about the time we were planning our gardens. When I saw her super cute house for the first time (blue with red shutters) I knew I was going to give the quilt to her as a thank you. It was a perfect match for her and she was delighted. So was I. :)

You know the best part? We both think we got the better end of the deal. Just the way a good barter should be!

71 comments:

Candace said...

Congratulations on your awesome harvest! Our garden did horrible this year....and we had planted everything we needed for homemade salsa. I love that quilt too, I think you both got great deals.

Kimberly said...

Oh, I love me a good trade too! I know you'll both enjoy your end of the bargain!

Jill said...

Excellent trade! It's always great when everyone comes away satisfied!

Brooke said...

Oh, your friend is lucky. Consider this a standing offer to come do your gardening in Texas. :-)

Kim with a K said...

What an excellent trade!!!
It's wonderful to hear that both of you were super happy!

trish said...

That is awesome!! What an amazing trade. :0) I actually have a category on my blog specifically for bartering. I LOVE to barter. :0) Check it out if you can. :0)
My most recent trade was 3 pieces of old barn wood for two homemade loaves of bread (I grind our own wheat) and we too feel like we got the better deal. I can't wait to post on it. :0)
Have a great weekend and enjoy your delicious vegetables.

Suzanne said...

I never find anyone who wants to barter like that! Next up, I'd love to see a photo of all of your salsa jarred.

Di~ said...

OK, I'm not usually an envious person, BUT! I want your energy, I want your quilt(s), I want your vegetables, I want your cute kids, I want your stash, I want your skillz AND I want you to be my neighbor, oh and I want to come to Colorado in November! Wanna Barter???!!!:)

Sara said...

So are you already plotting your menu?:)

Alisa said...

That is super! I too love a good barter.

Jane said...

Awesome barter!
I have an overabundance of ingredients for salsa as well and was wondering if you could share your recipe!
I'm always looking for a new salsa!
Thanks!
Jane
p.s. I did't comment on your new sewing space, but it is so inspiring to me! I really need to organize!

Mama Urchin said...

Oh wow! Looks like it's a big garden!

Nancy said...

I LOVE a good barter...

Andrea said...

That is such a wicked deal. I'd be pleased too! :-) Although, I have no idea how to can food. I know how to open canned food. But not can canned food. LOL

Deborah said...

Awesome deal! I love to barter.

Frogdancer said...

Your last line?

So true.

Unknown said...

Oh wow! I love all your garden veggies! My garden only produced for a month or so this year and then everything died. So... I've been dependent on the local farmers markets.

Great trade!

Beth said...

What a great barter! I think you both did well.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful blessing! I think if you're both happy, you both got a great deal!

Winona said...

Love this story and that you both think you got the best end of the deal. Makes life happy. Enjoy those veggies.

Donna S. said...

Awesome for both of you!!!

Angela {fussycut} said...

How fun! Good for you. :)

Karee said...

I can almost smell the delicious aromas in your kitchen! And I am sure she is petting her new treasure.

Denise said...

I love a good barter. A friend in my quilt guild & I recently bartered...she would teach me to quilt on her long arm, if I would run an online shop for her. Like you and your friend, we each think we are getting the good end of the deal!! Enjoy your veggies!

Anita said...

Man, I really want a garden! It's just too stinkin' cold in our neck of the words. I planted a packet of zucchini seeds and all I got were 2 wimpy looking plants that only gave me a couple of pretty blooms.

thea said...

I am so jealous .. I haven't tried gardening for about 25 years. Maybe next year.

Wendy said...

Wow! What a great harvest! I agree I think you both came out on the good end of the deal! I love bartering....

merrily row said...

Great story, great harvest, great trade.

Thank you for an uplifting read.

Jen said...

What a Great trade! I totally would have felt that I got the better end of the deal too with all the fresh veggies. You really can't get much better than home grown veggies! Congrats on the green thumb.

Dawn said...

What a wonderful barter!! I'd love to find someone to trade fresh veggies for a quilt... I'm terrible at gardening!!

Nicky said...

Perfect trade - but what will you do next year? She is going to end up with a lot of quilts if you keep it up!

Anonymous said...

Wow!! That's a huge bounty you've got there!! What a generous gesture on both of your parts. I bet she loves her quilt!

Seams Sew Creative said...

Amazing harvest! Here in AZ we are just planting since its been a blistering 110+ heat! Love the quilt too :)

Sarah McG said...

What a fantastic idea! And wow, how well your garden did, very impressive.

Coffeebean's Dailies said...

Wowzers! What a great barter! What a great bounty! Congratulations! The food looks amazing!

Sadie said...

This post really made me smile. It reminds me of a sense of community, friendship, charity and helpfulness that many people seem to have lost.
Enjoy your bounty!

Maria said...

What an awesome trade.

Contented Caroline said...

Fantastic - good old-fashioned bartering, like the old days when cash not even mentioned - if only more of this could be done - imagine walking into your local supermarket and trading a trolley load of goodies for a quilt. If only everything in life could be so simple.

Timi said...

"We both think we got the better end of the deal. " I love tis part!!! :o))

Linda said...

Holy Buckets! Quite literally, LOL! Congrats on an awesome barter. :)

I planted tomatoes, lettuce, radishes and strawberries this year. The tomatoes and lettuce have kept J in salads for lunch for most of the summer. Radishes didn't do that well, I didn't thin them enough or something. Had a few in the spring. The strawberries did ok, too. It was the first year for them, so I hope they will be better next year. The tomatoes have been the best we have ever had. I think it was partly the hot humid summer we had this year, and partly my brother's tips for growing them.

sonia said...

I agree that you both win. I would love to have a productive graden (hopefully next year) and I think that a quilt is the very best present you can give or receive!

Angela Nash said...

Wow! I can't believe how may acorn squash and cantaloupes you have. I really would not have thought you could grow them so far north - expected that they needed a more moderate climate. Such a wonderful harvest, your friend shared some excellent dirt with you!

Terriaw said...

What a cool trade! I love the idea. Such a great way to get access to a bigger garden of goodies. You're going to have so much fun with that huge pile of fresh veggies. Enjoy!

Jessica Christensen said...

Nice! I traded a quilt for family photos. Same thing -- we each feel like we got the better end of the deal. But look at all your lovely produce! I have envy. It looks great! So, so fun. I think there's a little bit of a farm girl in me too.

The Little Shop of Stitches said...

What a great story! Way to go!

Eileen said...

OMG that is wonderful. I think you got the better end of the deal.

Erica Childs said...

We have an earthbox garden and I've started to can salsa with our veggies. Still looking for a great salsa recipe. Which recipe do you use?
Thanks,
Erica
ericakross@me.com

Renae said...

Completely agree that a good barter is where both feel like they have slightly taken advantage of the other person.

Good for you on your barter!

jeri said...

Yay for bartering! This summer I quilted something for my sister in return for a time share stay in San Diego for my sons grad school art show!

KristaKay said...

YOU are amazing! I love reading your blog every day and seeing what you are up to.

What a great blessing for both of you. Quilt for your friend, harvest for you and the family. Enjoy!

Kelli said...

Great Story. Way to go on the barter.
Lucky you!! Enjoy your bountiful harvest.

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Most excellent. You both won!

Michelle said...

Great trade!

Kari Nitzel said...

Looks like it was a win-win situation - Good Job!
I am looking for a good salsa recipe to can, are you willing to share yours?

retstickan said...

Nice trade! Noticed the label by the way, youre not from sweden by any chance?

Doris said...

That IS the best part, and y'know, as a condo dweller (3rd floor no less!) I could use a friend like her!

deebriese said...

I love the way you quilted this what method did you use? Just beautiful as usual!

Clair said...

What a lot of vegetables!!! Bartering is a great thing.

Vinnie Boombahts said...

Hey all you Barterers out there. Soon you'll be able to become a "Goombarta" at BARTERBING BARTERBOOM!!! Be on the lookout.

Andrea, the little collector said...

I LOVE your definition of a good barter! Synchronicity! (Hmmmmm...spell check doesn't like that one. Am I making up words again?)

So sorry about your straight line quilting frustrations. Wish I had some brilliant suggestions. Trust me, I have a whole bushel of sympathy. Enough to fill (and overflow) your counter for sure.

Deanie said...

Alternate where you BEGIN stitching from one side of the quilt to the other side. In other words, don't start your stitches from the same edge. This should help.

Karen said...

What a great idea. Your veggies look wonderful!

Erin said...

I like your style! I just bartered quilting services in order to get my daughter some piano lessons and just bartered a quilt to have our family pictures done! I feel like I am getting a steal, but I think the ladies I bartered with feel like they are the ones who got the steal!

Mama Pea said...

That is fantastic. I suck at gardening. So, I'd have to barter for someone to actually grow it for me! I think you're right....a good barter should involve both people thinking they got the better end of the deal. We have a HUGE garden space. We only planted about 1/8th of it this year, and almost nothing came up. I got one squash. And about 6 sunflowers (which was pretty good, because we only planted about 6. LOL).

Sandra said...

Great bartering deal.
last year a friend of mine bartered a really nice raggy quilt with a local photographer in exchange for some graduation pics for her daughter. I wish I could find someone to barter something awesome with me... :)

Anita D. said...

What a lot of veggies. They look wonderful. Is that a Herman-sized zucchini I see there? And cantaloupes?

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

What an awesome trade !~! Barter is Best; produce looks fabulous. Autumn threatens with fallen leaves clogging stairwells already here in Nor Claifornia.

Michaela said...

O.M.Gosh, is that a zucchini in the back?!? What a great haul!

Daniel said...

Wow that is so nice that people can help each other out like that. I started bartering a few months ago and I absolutely love it. I think it gives more of a personal touch than just selling stuff. You get to know people and hear new things. It's so easy too nowadays. I alwats go on Barterquest.com and you see immediately what you can trade!

leigh said...

I always have the same trouble when using my walking foot. But I think it might be MY walking foot, so I ordered a different one - hoping it works better. (A friend had the same problem, switched walking foots, and has had some good luck with it.)

Good luck! It's so frustrating because it seems like everyone else's straight lines turn out perfectly!

Annemieke said...

super trade!
and love the way you wrote about this,

groetjes
Annemieke