Yay for lots of progress!

I have a quilt top and back finished! And the batting and thread with which to quilt it! And quite possibly the binding fabric as well, unless I change my mind... which is likely... black is just looking too harsh. And speaking of how it looks... pictures! Not only did I take some, but I uploaded them so I can share!

First... some pictures that are a bit old and should really be of a now-completed quilt and hopefully it will be soon... especially since it's a gift for Melissa. She's already seen the top which has since been signed by the members of the mom's Bible study we were in together before she moved and the names are now all embroidered (an idea I borrowed from her!). I just need to finish it off so I can mail it to her at her new home in Colorado! Anyway, pictures!

This is the semi-assembled top. The overall design is a charcoal grey cross edged in a scrappy strip and the the rest was a solid light yellow, where the signatures are. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the finished product and post it!

Next...

A fun little mug rug for Dex to bring into work and keep on his desk...

And...

The original sketch for my solid quilt design, followed by...

... the plan! I actually drafted a scale version to make sure I cut all the pieces the right size and such, although next time I need to remember to write the measurements I need to cut, not the finished product! I also think I need a bigger cutting mat (hint hint, Mom) for those bigger sections of fabric. It's a little tricky having to fold the fabric to fit on my mat to cut to size... but I managed. Here's some snapshots of the process...

The first two are the color combinations for the front and back, respectively, the third is my pile of strips and other fabric. I thought it was kinda pretty! And now... 

... the finished top! I really like the way the greens work together and with the grey, the blues could use a little help. They just didn't gradiate as well and had more grey tones, especially in this picture! It looks a bit better in person, but not quite as well as I would have liked. But I think Two has already tried to claim it seeing as he was hugging it and wrapping himself up in it. I'm not sure it will be his, however, seeing as the back is much more feminine.

Those are the little pieces of the back waiting for me to sew them all together. And...

... the finished back! I must say I'm a bit in love with this side. The pinks and yellow just work so well together! The solid colors came from the Dusty Kona Cotton charm pack, the grey is the Kona Medium Grey and yellow is Kona Daffodil. The print is an Anna Griffin I have been hoarding in my stash and it was just too perfect not to use. It's pretty much a crib-size quilt, 36" by 44" or so. Now I just need to pin it all together (I even got batting today!) and quilt it.... which is now my dilemma. I got a grey thread to use, but I cannot decide how I want to quilt it! I really like the large pieces of negative space, but they're too big to not quilt at all. And I'm not sure I want the grey thread on the yellow fabric, either. I've also been thinking about staying with a very geometric design versus a more organic theme to soften the overall look. There's also the potential issue of not having a walking foot yet! I've done a little free motion straight line quilting (if that's what you would call it) and it's worked ok, but I'm falling far too much in love with this one to mess it up! Another dilemma I am now faced with is this... I planned on binding the quilt with black. Just plain old stark black. Now that it's all together, I think it's probably a little too stark and harsh. But it would also act as a very nice "frame," which is where I got the idea in the first place. The last problem I have is naming the quilt. So far I've only really come up with "Hermaphrodite" and "Androgyny" because the front is rather masculine while the back is quite feminine. I don't particularly like either of those names, and I think it needs one.

This turned into rather long post, but I had a lot to share! I hope you enjoyed!

A new chicken dinner

Last night I came up with a new way to use chicken that turned out quite well, I think. I had gotten boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pineapple and zucchini, but didn't really want to make a teriyaki dish again. Instead, I made some quinoa using a new method, which also turned out well, and a stir-fry/saute type of dish that I made up as I went along. I put quinoa and water (no special ratio) in a pot, brought it to a boil until it was transparent, probably about 10 minutes, drained it and let it sit in the warm pot, covered, until I was ready to serve. I cut up the zucchini, pineapple and chicken into bite-sized pieces, then heated up a large pan over high heat with some olive oil. I then added the chicken with some salt and pepper, stirring and cooking until I couldn't see any more pink, then added the pineapple. A couple minutes later I tossed in the zucchini, let it cook for a bit and decided to add some extra flavor. I thought a splash of tamari, a little mirin, and a drizzle of honey would be good. It was, but it needed something else, so I added some powdered ginger and cinnamon. I let it cook for a while to boil off as much water out of the sauce as I could without overcooking the chicken or zucchini. When I thought it good, I served it over the quinoa! Quite easy, tasty and definitely healthy! It's a keeper for sure. And the leftovers were great for lunch, too!

Some work...

So I made those cupcakes, and meant to take pictures along the way, and completely forgot to do so. They were yummy and cute! Maybe my friends took some at the party they'll share with me... I did discover that the best means for filling cupcakes (at least this particular recipe) was to cut out a small cone with a knife and then spoon in the curd filling. I didn't bother putting a cap or anything back on, just iced carefully over the exposed yumminess. Depending on how well they were received, I may print some little cards for myself and start taking commissions for various baked goods. It'll be a while before I actually go into business for myself, but I love baking, so I figure I can do so for friends and acquaintances who ask.

I also managed to make some space on my crafting desk and started my solids challenge quilt! I love the progress I made and need to go acquire the grey and yellow fabrics I need to continue, but that won't happen today... I can't decide if I should post sneak peek pictures of it or if it should be a surprise when completed. If I wait, I'll include progress photos with the final product... any opinions?