tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86357866222563747002023-11-16T08:23:49.730-08:00Being a House MamaA journal of this Mama's adventures in crafting, cooking and life in general!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-58963362807639791982011-07-31T11:56:00.000-07:002011-07-31T11:56:18.197-07:00International Quilt Festival!This weekend was the 2011 Long Beach International Quilt Festival. I went to the preview night on Thursday, and spent a good part of the day there yesterday (Saturday). It was incredibly inspiring, I managed to get some pretty good stuff and I had a lot of fun with my quilty friends! We had lots of talks about what was and wasn't a "modern" quilt, which ones weren't actually quilts at all, the projects we only dream of being able to accomplish and those we'd like to try and make our own. I am quite inspired to try hand quilting, and have pinned down what I want to do for some projects that have been floating around in my mind. I met the wonderful Carrie of <a href="http://such-designs.com/">Such Designs</a> who was so incredibly friendly! She was kind enough to give me the pattern for her Wonky Little Houses pillow, the perfect pillow to use my treasured Tufted Tweets! I got the chance to hear Jake Finch of the fantastic new <a href="http://generationqmagazine.com/">Generation Q Magazine</a> talk about what she's seen in the quilting world in the last few years and what she thinks "modern" quilting is all about. She had some great quilts to show as examples of some of the main characteristics. There's just such a wonderful energy when a lot of people who love their craft get together to celebrate it, and now I just want to hop on my machine and create! I'll leave you with some photos... ciao!<br />
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It was a lot of time in the car, but it was nice to see Dex's family and we saw a lot of cool-looking rocks and snow! There was a lot of snow left in the passes in the Rockies; at one point near Vail it was still over the picnic tables and trash cans!<br />
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But back to crafty and foodie stuff!<br />
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When we got back from our trip, it was time to get ready for Two's third birthday party, which had a robot theme. I had been planning on making a regular cake to shape like a robot, but with only two square pans, it would have been a little tricky. I finally had the idea to do brownies with piped whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. So this is what it looked like!<br />
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It was yummy and the kids all liked it! We also had "nuts and bolts," a mix of Cheerios and pretzel sticks with M$&M's, "memory chips," really just veggie chips, "robot fuel," aka fruit salad, "liquid robot fuel" (lemonade with frozen strawberries), and "high-octane liquid robot fuel" and "liquid robot fuel enhancer" (iced tea and sweetener). The kids got to "build" their own robots with stickers and crayons on paper bags to make puppets. I think everyone had fun, and the birthday boy certainly seemed to enjoy himself!<br />
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Finally, my latest sewing project has been to finally finish the quilt for Melissa that was started last fall. I chose to back it in Kona Grape Mist and quilt it with free-form wavy lines. It's almost half-way finished, but with my machine starting to sound unhappy, it's on hold until I get some machine oil and give it a quick cleaning (which hopefully will be soon!). What it looks like right now...<br />
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Next project to finish is the quilt I have for my sister and her husband which was supposed to be their Christmas present this past year, and I may see if I can submit it for Project Modern, too! We shall see... that's all for now! Ciao!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-69393719443989403592011-07-25T13:42:00.000-07:002011-07-25T13:42:24.667-07:00Updates! Part 1...So, I finally uploaded pictures to my computer from the camera, and since there are photos from Easter, I'll start there!<br />
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I made my mom's super delicious cream of carrot soup followed by roast leg of lamb and various veggies, and this is how the soup and lamb turned out!<br />
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Yum! I'm pretty sure everyone went back for seconds on the soup (I think I had at least thirds), and it's one of those great recipes that's actually really easy to make (especially with a decent immersion blender) and is rather elegant and impressive.<br />
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And of course, my happy little guy with the bunnies his Nana (my mom) made him... he's gotten a bunny from her each Easter, the last two she made.<br />
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Next up... the placemats I made for the LAMQG's Urban Home Goods Swap we had in May. A few shots of the process followed by the finished products...<br />
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They were inspired by the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70174983#/90112017/">curtains</a> my partner had from Ikea, which have a tiny bit of magenta in them, a great little extra pop of color. I decided to do all solids except for the one vine print, and the big diagonal bit of brown in the middle was a happy accident since they were all different widths and none of them were big enough for a placemat. The crazy zig-zaggy quilting just felt right for him, the design and my mood, and I stuck with the white thread so it would pop a bit. It was a good thing the colors weren't perfect for my dining room, otherwise I would have had a hard time parting with them! He seemed to really like them, especially the crazy quilting, so they were quite the success! I ended up getting a fantastic pillow from the swap for our orange couch...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEide_Yo6gUEi6vjlSqYobf9hvkDfjW6frkec4WlCMsuUGHP7z02oHfp-JqcqVbFj2_basENqTzs0n9iboRZgeYaNNQg3ijRIhH_Vpsz1Co_7jNT8ki1WePR3ZSaNv8IOXAuYfjxXcWmtjL3/s1600/DSC02478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEide_Yo6gUEi6vjlSqYobf9hvkDfjW6frkec4WlCMsuUGHP7z02oHfp-JqcqVbFj2_basENqTzs0n9iboRZgeYaNNQg3ijRIhH_Vpsz1Co_7jNT8ki1WePR3ZSaNv8IOXAuYfjxXcWmtjL3/s320/DSC02478.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjLmMtDVd9a45v6r2_lNddGRObLdkfxUhYzD9RnthhNV_ILUvMlYnTro52A6uFI8jj8gUFxwR5Bsa80AJu9L61iGc12vvEYoKtdqZBsZpaB8psVHFVXQzfi7sprCWitAzQ5keSJy5ehP5/s1600/DSC02480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjLmMtDVd9a45v6r2_lNddGRObLdkfxUhYzD9RnthhNV_ILUvMlYnTro52A6uFI8jj8gUFxwR5Bsa80AJu9L61iGc12vvEYoKtdqZBsZpaB8psVHFVXQzfi7sprCWitAzQ5keSJy5ehP5/s320/DSC02480.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I think it looks great and I absolutely love it... and that's a good stopping point before this post becomes too long to read! I'll try to continue tomorrow... ciao!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-60200439860013506722011-07-20T09:07:00.000-07:002011-07-20T09:07:44.022-07:00Apologies...I'm sorry it's been a while since I posted anything... again.<br />
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I'm sorry this isn't going to be much of a real post because I <i>still</i> have not uploaded all my photos.<br />
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The projects I have completed since my last post... a set of placemats for the LAMQG Urban Home Goods Swap. It was a good thing these were not in colors that really go in my dining area, otherwise they may have never made it to Andrew. I've gotten Melissa's quilt about half-way quilted, but stopped there because my machine sounds like it needs some oil or something and I haven't gotten to pick any up yet. I did make up a list of all the projects I'd like to finish in the near future, and there are at least eight quilts and an additional five or so just sewing projects... I will try to get up some photos of everything, and to make more progress on all those projects! We also had Two's third (gasp!) birthday party, which had a robot theme. I ended up making brownies for cake served with homemade vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and M&M's. I did take pictures, so I'll post those up as well. It was a fun little party that the kids all seemed to enjoy.<br />
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Well, that's all for now. I just wanted to make sure you all knew I was still alive and working!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-87407643964670418722011-03-14T13:24:00.000-07:002011-03-14T13:24:12.533-07:00A finished project!!!So, I finished my lovely Sunshowers quilt for the Solids Challenge a week ago, brought it to the LAMQG meeting last Thursday (where we also had a wonderful talk from the amazing Jacquie of <a href="http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/">Tallgrass Prairie Studio</a> fame) and am finally uploading my pictures of the final product! I am hopefully going to add a label eventually, and it still needs to be washed (that can't happen until Saturday... more on that later...), but it's done! I am quite in love with it, as is Two, who claimed it for his bed. I'm not sure he's going to get it, but he's wanted it the last few nights and it's hard to refuse... but anyway, pictures!<br />
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This was supposed to be a "sneak peek" but I didn't get it up...<br />
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And the front and back...<br />
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A detail of the quilting (not too close so you can't see too many of my mistakes!)...<br />
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I didn't want to quilt too much because I loved the negative space. I suppose I could have done more, but I like how it turned out. I think I need to try doing my binding the more traditional way and at least some of it by hand because if you look at it, it's pretty sloppy looking. The same with my quilting, but that might be as much a symptom of not having a walking foot as laziness.<br />
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Other exciting news! I won a group of 5 charm packs of Kona solids by Robert Kaufman from <a href="http://www.sewmamasew.com/">Sew, Mama, Sew!</a> They were delivered on Friday and I literally giggled and skipped all the way from the door until I had the box open... luckily I was home alone, so no one saw me get so giddy over solid fabric!<br />
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Aren't they pretty?<br />
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Now for some griping... Sunday morning, for whatever reason, Dex decided to go ahead and start a loaf of laundry while I was showering. But that wasn't the real issue. The washer finishes filling up and starts trying to agitate. I say try not because my lovely husband put too much laundry in or something, but because the motor was making an awful grinding, whirring sound. The agitator thing wasn't moving at all, no matter how much we tried to help it (I was wondering why the last load I ran seemed so wet...). This washer is an older machine, something my husband had bought from a friend who had gotten it from someone else type of thing. It's been meeting our needs, so we just haven't replaced it. Well, a new machine is now on the way, but it won't be delivered until Saturday. A week with no washer... sigh... but I'm looking forward to getting a new, high-efficiency front-loader that hopefully won't try to eat some of my more delicate clothes like the old one did from time to time. It didn't help my morning much that I was trying to go to Mass and ended up walking in during communion when I thought I was a few minutes early. The whole daylight savings time had just not made it onto my radar...<br />
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Done with the complaints! I'm looking forward to getting some more quilting done and finding out who I get to make something for in the guild's next swap - a "Urban Home Goods" blind exchange! It should be fun!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-2637955802987298812011-03-04T13:08:00.000-08:002011-03-04T13:08:43.064-08:00A name!So, I haven't really gotten any more quilting done on my solid quilt... but as I was folding it up to free the guest bed, I came up with a name! I was thinking, "Hmm, this side is really sunny, and this side is more rainy and stormy... that's it! 'Sunshowers!' I have a name!" What do you all think? Based on what you have seen, is "Sunshowers" a good name for this quilt?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-62915272948501235432011-03-02T21:02:00.000-08:002011-03-02T21:02:23.400-08:00More progress!The last couple of days have been pretty productive, especially for my Solids Challenge quilt! I decided to just go with my original black binding, and figured out a design to quilt that I'm now absolutely loving, and have it more than halfway quilted! And despite not having a walking foot, it's looking pretty good so far. I'm also trying a new-to-me technique that I'm pretty sure I read on a blog somewhere out here in the blogosphere, I just can't remember where. I used painter's tape to mark my straight lines for quilting! I've been stitching on either side of the 2" tape I have and it's been great. I should have taped first, then pinned, but that's a lesson learned for next time. Some pictures!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJfw70GADoD3XNljd3WI946vtR2odATEzFzh3PvtP23QkAHcLs03k7NnPQYewQYQ_2kyOs7JdmZyUbWk_dYBd601MsS9Qlx98CQq7yFSNIe6WHK8QnKn_oYwnsd60rt_T8qmZ4-AcJDti/s1600/DSC02009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJfw70GADoD3XNljd3WI946vtR2odATEzFzh3PvtP23QkAHcLs03k7NnPQYewQYQ_2kyOs7JdmZyUbWk_dYBd601MsS9Qlx98CQq7yFSNIe6WHK8QnKn_oYwnsd60rt_T8qmZ4-AcJDti/s320/DSC02009.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back with the black binding added</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UX6JaQBM9ouY0N-sre79yEFUYlhKHWJQ0xsgWbwTCQ-LV5qMKy_PcYc44R_Stc4m4WruAQx3zU9DiZUnxqL9e5BVs5t5vmRkNVromCYXIuQnUcXTNnqBfgws0nvmfdRq6ffm82IP7ft_/s1600/DSC02015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UX6JaQBM9ouY0N-sre79yEFUYlhKHWJQ0xsgWbwTCQ-LV5qMKy_PcYc44R_Stc4m4WruAQx3zU9DiZUnxqL9e5BVs5t5vmRkNVromCYXIuQnUcXTNnqBfgws0nvmfdRq6ffm82IP7ft_/s320/DSC02015.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The black with both front and back main fabrics</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vHeAlPL7jFkizJ9OLQ31v7Sw7M0MkKaRBAjeM97pEkQoMsNbuyMptRXzTFx7lvIiCrIjvXazcYrTlxEZYaHx1M8gN3P7lTa-1rAoh8CnAaAUZy14pyie4TjC7IxGOnv1nSxgJZhIZfv2/s1600/DSC02031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vHeAlPL7jFkizJ9OLQ31v7Sw7M0MkKaRBAjeM97pEkQoMsNbuyMptRXzTFx7lvIiCrIjvXazcYrTlxEZYaHx1M8gN3P7lTa-1rAoh8CnAaAUZy14pyie4TjC7IxGOnv1nSxgJZhIZfv2/s320/DSC02031.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painter's tape as quilting guide</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKmnfT-HvDZgQBsGXcn-eyXckWCjA7nN40ID40xSprlaaCtTlZHDvRKK8DBioz0tDIarkSkEjfH_nfJX9M95Zq_NEkUfM72dDIiWBTeB503HFxLJuFgYDDuHkhLAHfLq1HBSOVbXMMQYS/s1600/DSC02018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFKmnfT-HvDZgQBsGXcn-eyXckWCjA7nN40ID40xSprlaaCtTlZHDvRKK8DBioz0tDIarkSkEjfH_nfJX9M95Zq_NEkUfM72dDIiWBTeB503HFxLJuFgYDDuHkhLAHfLq1HBSOVbXMMQYS/s320/DSC02018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partially quilted back</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzTxTBjsnJKu0vpZUrgD0zrcrYn0JreGOZbUawDlszI4VRSaYSEHZMldpHvAV38V4vPh_ALT2AXWZRYMncCE-GjEJMdYo44naE9-Dyp-NlEyglAAXFAoOoxkcTLh_DwC55FCoVJ-hhd4R/s1600/DSC02038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzTxTBjsnJKu0vpZUrgD0zrcrYn0JreGOZbUawDlszI4VRSaYSEHZMldpHvAV38V4vPh_ALT2AXWZRYMncCE-GjEJMdYo44naE9-Dyp-NlEyglAAXFAoOoxkcTLh_DwC55FCoVJ-hhd4R/s320/DSC02038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With one set of diagonal quilted lines</td></tr>
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So you can definitely see in these pictures that there's been a little bit of pulling without a walking foot, but I figure once it's been washed, it'll be harder to see and it's not that bad. I also realized as I was taking the last picture that I put the top and back together upside-down. I meant for the pink stripe to be on the left side with the floral on the bottom and the green stripe to be on the bottom, but that's not how it got put together. Oh, well... It still looks pretty good!<br />
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Some of you may be wondering why I already have the black binding on and why it just looks like a big border. The answer is that I "self-bind" most of my quilts, bringing that extra fabric from the back to the front, folding it under, and machine stitching it down. It's a really quick method, and pretty much the only way I've finished a quilt other than turning and tying my very first one. It might be "cheating," but I don't really know another way to do it that wouldn't take me forever. And it usually looks just fine. I'll show you what I mean when it's done, and if I can, I'll add photos of the process.<br />
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So that's that! My quilt is nearly finished, and I have a whole week until my deadline! Imagine that...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-17127565430282601422011-02-27T21:48:00.000-08:002011-02-27T21:51:31.706-08:00Yay 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!<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.weshallsew.blogspot.com/">Melissa</a>. 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!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DE7gE6kB0dn6LrAaf_FJpuUmu_0B8mH2XPrEcH5_yFvPAGjSGeFT3OtPf9OvB4REaEtke-xZBpoOgN5lAOabIx4OO3i9rtFO1ojYQdxnyIwChFFVYoUAo_dvaJH_mlghhNT0uxX9l3JA/s1600/DSC01915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DE7gE6kB0dn6LrAaf_FJpuUmu_0B8mH2XPrEcH5_yFvPAGjSGeFT3OtPf9OvB4REaEtke-xZBpoOgN5lAOabIx4OO3i9rtFO1ojYQdxnyIwChFFVYoUAo_dvaJH_mlghhNT0uxX9l3JA/s320/DSC01915.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>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!<br />
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Next...<br />
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A fun little mug rug for Dex to bring into work and keep on his desk...<br />
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And...<br />
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The original sketch for my solid quilt design, followed by...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6mxtjJAnWnFyB6qJq8gkI6u29juNkLQ5F-TXFPou_aKtxltglPP8LVMkW0ewh6_wn8Upimc-GY1fq0nlKOwBaxObgXHUnIAQ4AKoQFi5tEnL8FoDB0aRgarEyIsz7Ag_tF0_L5sZV3q1/s1600/DSC01982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6mxtjJAnWnFyB6qJq8gkI6u29juNkLQ5F-TXFPou_aKtxltglPP8LVMkW0ewh6_wn8Upimc-GY1fq0nlKOwBaxObgXHUnIAQ4AKoQFi5tEnL8FoDB0aRgarEyIsz7Ag_tF0_L5sZV3q1/s320/DSC01982.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
... 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...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhNx6wSWRRukhtj4a48Et9Jl2LIdhKkT-9sSSI4JehGgUxn1F949ietguRNFaa40GovHha9-HrDaXzQTH46XvexzSE4SR4P3Cu12-7crjeQkmF3lBAJ6MzzGI-nJ7pnj0PeF_vqWfb-e0/s1600/DSC01976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhNx6wSWRRukhtj4a48Et9Jl2LIdhKkT-9sSSI4JehGgUxn1F949ietguRNFaa40GovHha9-HrDaXzQTH46XvexzSE4SR4P3Cu12-7crjeQkmF3lBAJ6MzzGI-nJ7pnj0PeF_vqWfb-e0/s320/DSC01976.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eQvbiDplZPJyTb-hiVszpliW5q_TYTJ5L_-3p6ejGgy2c8csm74c3TWG0Tyd5tOCpp80x3LNmYAvV9au8DF2knnKbTsfF5f4iUqHDucjT62HCqQDNZd6pTkhuu-sE7F81kUL4MehNuXR/s1600/DSC01981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eQvbiDplZPJyTb-hiVszpliW5q_TYTJ5L_-3p6ejGgy2c8csm74c3TWG0Tyd5tOCpp80x3LNmYAvV9au8DF2knnKbTsfF5f4iUqHDucjT62HCqQDNZd6pTkhuu-sE7F81kUL4MehNuXR/s320/DSC01981.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>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... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbN9UAanN0g8SIggGISFQguvptb2xpVT9hz6Xv13wzOY4fx7lnj9dXjGnQVzFSlyIDekLtSZ6KGvOlaij2_Al3T9JQ9k8O3543CB-WY4VrIkN6nEu5_impDUd93dxnX9DMUDqmb2yh3Y-P/s1600/DSC01997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbN9UAanN0g8SIggGISFQguvptb2xpVT9hz6Xv13wzOY4fx7lnj9dXjGnQVzFSlyIDekLtSZ6KGvOlaij2_Al3T9JQ9k8O3543CB-WY4VrIkN6nEu5_impDUd93dxnX9DMUDqmb2yh3Y-P/s320/DSC01997.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
... 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.<br />
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Those are the little pieces of the back waiting for me to sew them all together. And...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6S5YxbR1OcI6OQ8npAb4zHL0wyBDAeqFAULhxw0pRyMKl3jwNY6D7YXgbneG57kFIBALfTa_ABqgDyiOCgHrnLGA9j8fvTT0cFCkrUG4gOG6ECqixxIynR12xejW3lD1Ll9TCBALwJPa/s1600/DSC02003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6S5YxbR1OcI6OQ8npAb4zHL0wyBDAeqFAULhxw0pRyMKl3jwNY6D7YXgbneG57kFIBALfTa_ABqgDyiOCgHrnLGA9j8fvTT0cFCkrUG4gOG6ECqixxIynR12xejW3lD1Ll9TCBALwJPa/s320/DSC02003.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
... 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.<br />
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This turned into rather long post, but I had a lot to share! I hope you enjoyed!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-4703625562993605562011-02-24T16:03:00.000-08:002011-02-24T16:03:46.246-08:00A new chicken dinnerLast 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!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-70420673350223129202011-02-12T17:03:00.000-08:002011-02-12T17:03:07.401-08:00Some 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.<br />
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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?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-85313344623508118022011-01-19T12:04:00.000-08:002011-01-19T12:04:41.837-08:00oops...Wow, I've been absent from the internets for a while... oops! Part of that is I haven't had too much that I've felt needed to be posted since very little craftiness has been happening. Of course cooking has been, with just a little bit of experimentation, but nothing so spectacular I felt it needed to be shared... until now! This past weekend we had a baby shower to celebrate the anticipated arrival in March of a friend's second daughter. I made the cake and it was a huge hit! I didn't get any photos of it, but a friend did, so as soon as I get one from her I'll post it up here. It was a basic chocolate cake (using <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-cake-recipe">KAF's chocolate cake</a> recipe) with a raspberry curd filling and whipped cream icing. It was delish! I don't think there was a single crumb left on the cake stand! I even got asked to make cupcakes in the same combination for an upcoming birthday party... I may need to actually go into business for myself!<br />
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I think I also made a really yummy chicken dish with brussel sprouts a while ago I meant to post about, but now I don't remember exactly what it was :-( It probably started with bacon and I know I used a little cinnamon, which I think may now be my favorite spice to use in pretty much everything! I plan on making tourtiere, a traditional French-Canadian (with its roots in old France) pork pie, this weekend for dinner and a second for a friend who had a baby recently. I'll try to remember to take pictures and post about it! I haven't had any in a long time, and I remember it being absolutely delicious, so I hope this recipe (yet another KAF!) measures up...<br />
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As far as crafty stuff goes, I have had one card swap (with another tomorrow) and some basic card-making. I also helped a friend make a new bag for his tent, which was supposed to be an test of his newly-acquired sewing machine, but we found a couple of big flaws that need to be fixed. Not being able to wind your own bobbins is just annoying and getting stuck in reverse makes even straight stitching difficult! Sadly, I haven't done any quilting since my last post, meaning I did not finish my Project Modern quilt, or the strippy quilt I've been working on for a while now... it's a little frustrating! I need to spend some time cleaning up in my craft room so I can actually work in there and leave projects out. I think that as I put away Christmas decorations I'll be able to get a lot of the random stuff cleaned up in there, too. I really want to finish that quilt! And now I have another, at least crib-sized, quilt to make for the Guild! We have an all-solid challenge going courtesy of Robert Kaufman. The company <i>gave</i> us charm packs to use! I may also try to get to the second Project Modern challenge (a monochromatic quilt!) if I feel I have the time and creative energy to do so... I love the idea of a quilt in just one color, so even if I can't have it done by the end of March it may become on of my projects.<br />
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Ok, this turned into a rather long post! Happy New Year (rather late)!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-46402172069223562022010-10-26T11:29:00.000-07:002010-10-26T11:29:58.102-07:00A little progressI started sewing strips together for my Project Modern quilt! I'm hoping it will come together pretty quickly and not get slowed down too much by other projects I have in the works. I've also got some big baking plans coming up, including an apple challah bread and chocolate croissants... both will be a first for me and I'm a little nervous about the croissants. It's just a long process. I think I might make a test batch this weekend to make sure I know what I'm doing before I make them to bring to share with friends. I know they'll get eaten up in our house! And there are always the friends and neighbors who are willing guinea pigs... I just need to find the chocolate sticks locally... off on a chocolate treasure hunt!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-53079676777012087942010-10-18T16:14:00.000-07:002010-10-18T16:14:20.384-07:00Progress, of sorts...So I haven't made any progress on my Project Modern quilt, but... I made an entire baby quilt in around 24 hours! Here are some pictures of its creation...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkvwfUyCNSb5V-aE4G_SGJGUSSZZ4-wHw0A7YvY2BRr7NH2lC_CwO0DeZ7TvcH1MCRRT311IrMR2xt4u2dxXMIx2t_eU_sxD3RGbOwql0usjueKdjmx4-b2iTlKO9Gfikx-PFhCkQCuBt/s400/DSC01844.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top, no borders...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkvwfUyCNSb5V-aE4G_SGJGUSSZZ4-wHw0A7YvY2BRr7NH2lC_CwO0DeZ7TvcH1MCRRT311IrMR2xt4u2dxXMIx2t_eU_sxD3RGbOwql0usjueKdjmx4-b2iTlKO9Gfikx-PFhCkQCuBt/s1600/DSC01844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLa2SCPGi5TzkmmHM2VZiX1zmWeoELTnPSMYu-aTJvsk_lWGuGJ3xrLPvqdR_RPwHdqX2UtQ4AiPB2LMJJKbqkXg486q-yd4Rk019qlazOFL8cIWuziFPjax2EhPCzm_hdkgqKQru5X8X/s400/DSC01846.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top and bottom borders added...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLa2SCPGi5TzkmmHM2VZiX1zmWeoELTnPSMYu-aTJvsk_lWGuGJ3xrLPvqdR_RPwHdqX2UtQ4AiPB2LMJJKbqkXg486q-yd4Rk019qlazOFL8cIWuziFPjax2EhPCzm_hdkgqKQru5X8X/s1600/DSC01846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblWtqOCUZf3-jg3JJySFgr2D61JUQbI8q9NVcK9P32qNajV0AN6samdAwpEKE4jAivH2UrtWFmDjh8s7Ibday60GcHOUQnvr-oWl2bWvHSN36biPRYMuYJtUOzko1YcFMAuf4U_e62XP4/s400/DSC01848.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Borders done!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbv5UIKbjsoou3AwaUk1TRoKv-B1RzG05JFfmGnGYEVLu716tu4W_-7L2tiuHihiqqrO4DSgT_mpW5PT28fg7McinIrl7x157SHJ-hH8smKGc36mEGfuxO_sZAipakKrc4nD4thdD3ceI/s400/DSC01852.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandwiched, pinned and ready to be quilted!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JOfCX4T1pFhauKOiRrEykiJGxSkHe97Vgn2binWA1AgBXHRujVtY_VRTTCgugER-ELz7y4C_SzMYfK4I7hVwfOgOpc3PZuKD8uFaCdgMMh4IgfcYp7c4lenn01sjcfSwyMboqZZoTdsG/s400/DSC01854.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half-way finished with the quilting...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnf0K-eac2SBHqALZ1X1hp3PVMYjDU1Ha9Li1q7wewWHCDHY8tnHqpRN4t0s_N1WLDnR1wsLUgfwvETbzGxFu7Tb21g1dvt9cbYp5FmT9LMtCavVWE_-tQnGxSvtC-D5aVDPWFO8B-iBt/s640/DSC01866.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnf0K-eac2SBHqALZ1X1hp3PVMYjDU1Ha9Li1q7wewWHCDHY8tnHqpRN4t0s_N1WLDnR1wsLUgfwvETbzGxFu7Tb21g1dvt9cbYp5FmT9LMtCavVWE_-tQnGxSvtC-D5aVDPWFO8B-iBt/s1600/DSC01866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_21lm8ClIZqmxWrvtxXIhUI6c_gfx09HlNTaLTYDn3pl-3rgmkHMDFL3pKvDfzgsg8MxEUmxDDvnthy1WKjpIc5fXEhRKwn8X3PPN9mOG2_5lVV0hU4KRtdL7qE28t7mZTrwSflGCIa10/s400/DSC01868.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plain back...</td></tr>
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<br />
I used three flannel prints for the top with solid blue and pale yellow for the border and back. This was very much something of an improvisational quilt, I just started cutting strips of fabric, then started sewing them into bigger strips, then pieced those together! I really liked how it turned out, I even teared up a little when I gave it away... but I know it will be used! I still have a little of all the fabrics, so maybe I'll use them in something for Two when I get the time...<br />
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I've been doing a decent amount of creative cooking and baking, too! Last two Fridays ago (has it really been that long since I posted?) I made a couple of 9" deep dish pizzas topped with tomatoes, lots of cheese, sweet Italian sausages, peppers and onions. I actually thought to take pictures! Here they are...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLMxfIK5O46L2bbje2tyj8AuqwYj0TTdBqd4UnGfBAUgOS-Zs5UpBk-nh-zQAuA3fzzSsFn6LxKQgKTMDiZbV_DobssX8eHW65OsiqPiOLLGvYMOfIw_7Wc4i3vSgh4NRmuC-fJfBcIrZ/s400/DSC01827.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pizzas!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLMxfIK5O46L2bbje2tyj8AuqwYj0TTdBqd4UnGfBAUgOS-Zs5UpBk-nh-zQAuA3fzzSsFn6LxKQgKTMDiZbV_DobssX8eHW65OsiqPiOLLGvYMOfIw_7Wc4i3vSgh4NRmuC-fJfBcIrZ/s1600/DSC01827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcKZe-CpWzLLxIQYkqE1VV95uLZz15g-HcFEHoy_KXoX2VmvzPgsHw0Wy1hAExC9sc6RMHD1mJLvnm7YUY-Q_Bi9-WgpPzketCniPP2KgUlox9YfjbJn67cbAxMAc6sdPQqXRhPkafPAL/s400/DSC01829.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice, deep dish with layers! (And a very happy Two in the background)</td></tr>
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<br />
And I also decided pretty much on a whim to try out the <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-stout-cake-recipe">chocolate stout cake</a> recipe from King Arthur Flour. That was pretty good, too! Rich and heavy, but yummy! No pictures of that, but I made it! This last Friday I made thin crust pizzas again, they're so good! Saturday night I tried out Emeril's recipe for <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/polish-pierogies-recipe/index.html">pierogis</a> that turned out pretty well. The recipe didn't halve well, so I just made a lot of them and froze a bunch to save for another night. I also tried out KAF's <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/bacon-cheddar-chive-scones-recipe">bacon cheddar scones</a> Sunday morning. The recipe called for chives, too, but I didn't have any on hand, so I just left them out. I just made a half recipe of mini scones and they were pretty great! So a lot of baking going on here! And some temporary insanity with quilting! Hopefully I'll have more progress to post, soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-6263097432987414682010-10-07T09:39:00.000-07:002010-10-07T09:39:49.074-07:00Some progress...I actually spent some time with my fabric and rotary cutter yesterday! I got the little guy down for his nap (in my bed... sigh...) and heard pleas coming from my crafting room. So I set up my laptop with Glee, heated up the iron, and starting cutting strips for my Project Modern quilt. I think I'm going to be able to use some strip piecing to speed up the process. I'll take some pictures of all my lovely strips at some point, since plain black and white strips are so interesting... I also set up a new stash storage in the closet that I think will work really well. I got a hanging shoe shelf thing from Target, and it's the perfect size for fat quarters! Now my (still pretty small) stash has moved from its sad little box into the closet where they can breathe and yet be protected!<br />
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And... I got a picture of the cute little bag I made for Two's friend! She has been loving it. That makes me so happy! I so love making things that people can use and enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQf94BrT-qbUp7DJABGJPPJUCPv7aU1PS8YsqjVyCU_KM9tQAnttKdI8l4LGfuSd3eQ3aCJ4XGmgZBjlGPF5tocCzilSdtvK3Yw-l58tT0WGx9mfrMk2YYFqv9-7Q4agKdl05yQ2xgCs0/s1600/Oct+2010+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQf94BrT-qbUp7DJABGJPPJUCPv7aU1PS8YsqjVyCU_KM9tQAnttKdI8l4LGfuSd3eQ3aCJ4XGmgZBjlGPF5tocCzilSdtvK3Yw-l58tT0WGx9mfrMk2YYFqv9-7Q4agKdl05yQ2xgCs0/s400/Oct+2010+022.JPG" width="205" /></a></div><br />
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As you can see, it's definitely handmade, but the quirks are part of what make these things great, right? I had hoped to make it reversible, but that just wasn't in the cards... it's about the size of a small kid's backpack, and it ended up with just the one strap. She wears it across her body, carrying her things around with her. So cute!<br />
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I haven't done much interesting baking or cooking in the last couple of days, either. I found a whole bunch of new recipes I really want to try over at <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/">King Arthur Flour</a>. They have a very reasonable pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) recipe, and those are a favorite in our house! Tomorrow night will be my first attempt at making deep-dish pizza, using their Chicago-style recipe. All the reviews are great, so we'll see how the guys like it!<br />
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Monday night I was able to go up to downtown LA with my friends <a href="http://weshallsew.blogspot.com/">Melissa</a> and <a href="http://myfirstquilt.blogspot.com/">Kelly</a> and met up with all the lovely people of the LA Modern Quilt Guild! It was so awesome! My first meeting just happened to be the one year anniversary for the guild, the first in the country! I'm going to have to go every month now, there was just so much inspiration in the room. And I won a great door prize! A circle cutter and slotted cutting guide. Not bad for a first meeting... and now I have no excuse to not try circles! One may end up on the back of one of the now two quilts in progress... I'm hoping to get them both done soon! The black and white one has to be finished before the end of November, and I'd like to be able to send the other off for a Christmas present. And there are, of course, other little things I'd like to get done... it would be so awesome if I could just spend all day up in my crafting room as my job! Maybe someday...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-63271817463078915722010-10-04T08:31:00.000-07:002010-10-04T08:31:29.350-07:00Sigh...So I still haven't gotten to do much crafting, but I have been able to do some cooking. I haven't even talked about the fantastic pizza crust recipe I tried out! I had found the recipe a while ago, and finally decided to try it, and I think it will now be a Friday night tradition. The <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pizza-crust-recipe">King Arthur Flour pizza crust</a> recipe really is fantastic! I love King Arthur flour, especially since they are fully employee-owned and from Vermont! They have excellent recipes, various products, and, of course, flours! But back to the pizza! The recipe suggests letting the dough rest in the refrigerator for a few hours, which I did, and I used a preheated pizza stone in the oven with the crust on a sheet of parchment paper to let it go into and out of the oven easily. I got two nicely thin and crispy crusts out of the recipe, the second of which I froze as dough. They also give tips on freezing a pre-baked crust, but the ball of dough just fit better! It turned out great, too, though! So after I pre-baked the first crust, I took it back out, spread out some roasted red pepper tomato sauce (yes, from a jar), covered it with an Italian blend of cheeses, then covered it with some mild Italian sausage broken up into bits, peppers and almost-caramelized onions I had cooked down earlier. It was so delicious! The second crust I topped with cheese, sausage, genoa salami, fresh mozzarella and a little more cheese. The boys loved it!<br />
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Last night, I made a "Tess Creation" that turned out really well! I had frozen ravioli (one package of mushroom medley, one of butternut squash) to cook, and didn't think that tomato sauce was necessarily the best topping. So I melted some butter in a skillet over really low heat, added some chopped garlic with a little salt and let it soften, then some walnuts so they could toast a little. Lastly I added some frozen petite peas, let them heat up, then poured it all into the food processor to make the sauce. I pulsed it until it was almost smooth, adding a little olive oil, but still had some texture. I mixed with the drained ravioli and served. I forgot to add the parmesan cheese, I had, but it was still fantastic! Dex's two friends who came over both really liked it, and one even said it was the best vegetarian meal he'd had! I didn't really mean for it to be vegetarian, it's just how it turned out. I bet some prosciutto would be delicious with it, too... hmm... this is definitely a creation that is sticking in the repertoire and will be tried with variations... yum! Oh, and I made apple crisp last night, too! One of my favorite fall desserts! The recipe my mother has always used is my favorite, of course. It doesn't have any oats in the topping, just flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, little bit of salt and lots of butter... it's sooooooo good! I made two pans, the second of which is being baked to bring along to my first Modern Quilt Guild meeting! I'm really excited for that, too! I may even try to finish up that quilt top to bring along... we'll see!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-46390012014435302042010-09-29T13:50:00.000-07:002010-09-29T13:50:41.553-07:00Catch-up!I haven't gotten too much crafting, or baking, or interesting cooking, or much else done in the past few days. I did create that little backpack (turned into more of a shoulder/messenger bag) and wish I could share it, but I forgot to take a picture of it before I wrapped it up and gave it to the little birthday girl. She loves it, so I must have done something right! I may have to start taking orders from some of my friends, too! That could be a lot of fun, I just don't think I have time to take on too much else. I've been trying to catch up with housework on top of taking care of the little guy and everyone, but with our two really ridiculously hot days (I'm talking over 100 outside, 91 downstairs inside, no A/C hot), I fell even more behind and now have to play catch-up with the chores. Yuck. But, I need to get things back in order and just have maintenance chores so I can get started cutting and piecing my Project Modern quilt in addition to finishing the strippy quilt. I think it's going to need a name. That will probably just have to wait until it's done, and it has less of a deadline than my laundry basket does... yes, my inspiration for the first Project Modern challenge is my laundry basket. The basic design isn't likely to change any more, but I may play with the orientation and coloring of it. Right now it's going to be more or less completely black and white. And I'm kinda liking that. I'm also toying with the idea of doing a little piecing on the back. I've been falling in love with a lot of quilt backs with just one small pieced area, so I may include, that, too. Just have no idea how or what! Maybe mostly black with one asymmetrical white stripe? Hmm..... first, chores!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-19567172474021778542010-09-23T19:23:00.000-07:002010-09-23T19:23:25.641-07:00New goodies!So, Two has a birthday party to go to on Saturday for one of his "friends". She's turning two. I decided yesterday that it'd be really nice to make her something, like a little backpack. It has now become, in my mind, a quilted, reversible backpack with buttons. In my mind, it's adorable. So of course, I didn't have the fabric in my stash to make it, so I needed to run out to the store. This, of course, is potentially dangerous for the bank account. So I made myself a list. Two fabrics for the backpack, two fabrics to make a quilted, reversible trick-or-treating bag for Two (I've never made or worked with pre-quilted fabrics, so I thought that would be a better first project), four buttons for the backpack, binding to hide the seams in both projects, and possibly some fabric to make myself an apron. One apron really isn't enough. I mean, what I am supposed to do when it needs to be washed? So that was my list. And I walked out with pretty much only that. And thread. And pipe cleaners. Oh, and an accent fabric for the apron. So not too bad, right? These are the fabrics I chose...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1dZXmi-GDINWgLU3lkuwRdmQURCDaJnL-lWYm3OOvhqQmr4ghEHGorOGUJhMPOmfMv7cdE2qZC6fv9qweeDIE__c5mumtpf4fiieqTWOO-qEGJqimhcfou575ry8wIQP4Uv64nIklEdC/s1600/DSC01823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1dZXmi-GDINWgLU3lkuwRdmQURCDaJnL-lWYm3OOvhqQmr4ghEHGorOGUJhMPOmfMv7cdE2qZC6fv9qweeDIE__c5mumtpf4fiieqTWOO-qEGJqimhcfou575ry8wIQP4Uv64nIklEdC/s400/DSC01823.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Aren't they great? Obviously the jack-o-lanterns and harlequin print are for the trick-or-treat bag. The cherries (with a button) and polka dots are for the backpack, and that awesome coffee print is the main fabric for the apron with the dots as an accent. I'm thinking a couple of pockets, the neck straps and a waistband if I got enough of it.<br />
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When I got home and got Two to take his nap, I started to get all set up to pre-quilt his Halloween fabric. Then I discovered I did not have any empty bobbins (this possibility had crossed my mind while in the store...) or bobbins with black thread. If I was just sewing, not an issue, but this is supposed to be reversible! So, I had a little stall in my plan. I guess I need another bobbin or two... because of course I need one for the red thread for the backpack, too! I guess we have to go back tomorrow... just for empty bobbins!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-67650228001315781592010-09-21T18:43:00.000-07:002010-10-04T08:32:27.719-07:00Project update and yummy food!So it's Tuesday, and I haven't posted anything since Friday, and a few experiments and projects have been conducted. The sugar cookies were quite delicious, but I ran out of time to ice them for the block party, so they're just sitting unfrosted in the cookie jar, slowly getting eaten.<br />
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Sunday I decided I wanted to try something new for dinner. There are so many beautiful apples available right now, I thought I'd make something with apples and pork, since they go together so well. I ended up with some ground pork and the inspiration to make my own version of a meat pie. I began with some apple-honey cured bacon (six slices of bulk from the meat counter), rendered it down and removed it from the pan. I added in one and a half sliced onions and two diced apples (I used one Granny Smith and one Jonagold) to let them caramelize and cook down. I let those cook for at least half an hour by themselves in the bacon fat. Then I added in the ground pork (about a pound, I think it was) and three diced yukon gold potatoes. I added in some cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, rubbed sage, salt and pepper (I think that was all... I just went with some classic apple and pork spice pairings!) and let the meat brown up. To help soften the potatoes and create a little gravy I added in some chicken stock, then some apple cider and a little flour. I don't really measure much as I'm cooking, so it's all just what looked good to me at the time! I put it all into a homemade pie crust (bottom and top!) and baked it at 375* for about 30 minutes, until the crust was golden. I then let it cool for a few minutes to let it set up and dished it out. It was delicious! Even our friend who does not like fruit (!!!) really enjoyed it! I was happy there were enough leftovers for the three of us for lunch on Monday and not just for the two of them! This is definitely a "Tess creation" that is going to stay in the repertoire! And if I may say so, the crust was perfect! I'm glad I went ahead and practiced making my own... I think it's a good skill to have!<br />
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In non-cooking news, I made some decent progress on my quilt. I decided I needed a couple more strips of pieced strips, then I had the revelation that they did not need to be placed vertically, but could go horizontally! I had been struggling with how to form the top with only three strips place vertically and still have it large enough, I made two more and still couldn't make it work in my head, and then I just turned them and voila! I really think this is going to work out wonderfully! Here are some pictures of how it's going together...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHExtmuEuc-YXN7E9Xles62tbFWZApMxEWWQoS84Ccr0WoFLsEke2dvcVks4oWJoGmkQInNpO_h7NArSWBj618Qi4L1DF79iEVSkiOTMDp7qvN2rwwHlzRoMye4ATfeAA7s9wqkVyplEMP/s1600/DSC01813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHExtmuEuc-YXN7E9Xles62tbFWZApMxEWWQoS84Ccr0WoFLsEke2dvcVks4oWJoGmkQInNpO_h7NArSWBj618Qi4L1DF79iEVSkiOTMDp7qvN2rwwHlzRoMye4ATfeAA7s9wqkVyplEMP/s400/DSC01813.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three original strips</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeu4kGzck5YadreNqH5rofS12GCpvdY4BIzYRCG55umuHVvxXAKR0hH3FWDWAqN2RxsfUbCke08ZiMMfU76SpikjkXQF99PylfkHTBnoIrT7k-j9VEgPa-N8JVTFB_ny6j7_CkSTjgW-E/s1600/DSC01817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeu4kGzck5YadreNqH5rofS12GCpvdY4BIzYRCG55umuHVvxXAKR0hH3FWDWAqN2RxsfUbCke08ZiMMfU76SpikjkXQF99PylfkHTBnoIrT7k-j9VEgPa-N8JVTFB_ny6j7_CkSTjgW-E/s400/DSC01817.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The five current strips</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7CJgeDoc0OvvsLDyWFkyO2e0YK-ESo42Zjx3M5R6QyAJBEj23PDPHjVKiCVY9vUIEpfoPdXpDxafhVxSvI4UtAw9YGg1RWcSlhHLmVcYkaTOaz1ROkkluAWA_EH55U5mnifAPX7eZ15X/s1600/DSC01821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7CJgeDoc0OvvsLDyWFkyO2e0YK-ESo42Zjx3M5R6QyAJBEj23PDPHjVKiCVY9vUIEpfoPdXpDxafhVxSvI4UtAw9YGg1RWcSlhHLmVcYkaTOaz1ROkkluAWA_EH55U5mnifAPX7eZ15X/s400/DSC01821.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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This is how I plan on piecing the strips together, with solid charcoal grey. I may end up needing to make some more scrappy strips to make it as large as I want it, and the side sashing is going to be the same grey. Each stripe is 5.5 inches, so roughly 5 inches finished. As is is right now, then, the finished main part of the top will be 55 inches long. I haven't measured the width yet, but I'm thinking it will be a good "lap" quilt to keep on a couch, right? Any criticisms or comments are welcome and appreciated!<br />
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Well, I think I may go try to get some more work done up there! I'll update more progress as I go!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-73682077468336690732010-09-17T16:13:00.000-07:002010-09-17T16:13:50.946-07:00Ah, Friday...So the baking bug has hit me the last week or so. Tomorrow evening, we're having a block party and I need to bring a side dish (I'm going to try out a pasta salad with kidney and green beans), but I think I'm going to bring some cookies, too. Or I might just keep the cookies for us and our friends... we'll see. The dough is in the fridge chilling right now. I've been wanting to try the sugar cookie recipe and icing techniques my mother in law introduced me to that she learned from one of her friends who typed them up beautifully. The dough tastes really good! I can't wait to see a finished product. I'm trying to decide what shape to use. Basic circles with pretty designs? Rockets? Fall leaves? The leaf cutter I have is a bit on the big side, and I only made a half recipe, so I'm leaning toward smallish circles... any input or ideas would be appreciated! I'll be sure to take a post photos of the finished product!<br />
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Also, yesterday was the first card swap my group held of the school year! I got some great cards from all the ladies in the group. I may take some pictures to put up to share, for sure of the cards I made and perhaps of some others. I have some ideas for other cards I'd like to make, and those will definitely go up to. If I think of it, I'll take photos to show my "process" which is rather organic and haphazard. Most of my friends think I'm somewhat insane for how I work. I rarely have a plan in place before I start, if I do at all, it's just the colors or stamp set. So yes... that is what I'm thinking about right now... sugar cookies, and cards... oh, and the quilt I have in progress.... I'm working on trying to figure out how to finish it, or at least the next step toward finishing... I still need to take and post some photos of the progress I've made... perhaps later today or tomorrow.... ciao ciao!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-26156987414964310342010-09-15T20:58:00.000-07:002010-09-15T20:58:02.673-07:00Happy Day!This morning the mom's bible study group I'm part of started back up again! It was so nice to be back with that group of ladies, and Two had a great time playing with his friends again! It's wonderful to have those two hours of adult time while he gets to play with the other toddlers!<br />
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In crafty news, yesterday I finished up that set of cards for my mother in law, so I should be getting those off to her soon. I think I'm going to make some more of the "hello" cards to bring in to mom's group (part of what we do is send cards off to people in the community) and make more of the "merci" cards for the monthly card swap I participate in. That starts back up tomorrow morning, too! It's great to have some sort of schedule again, the routine helps keep me on top of everything. I got to spend some time working on my quilt in progress during naptime today, too! Now I think it will actually turn into a lap quilt, nothing too big, but I would like to make it a more useful item than just a table runner. And it's going to be a gift for someone, I won't say just in case they're reading... I'll post some pictures of progress later on, probably tomorrow at the soonest.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-19080100019148472342010-09-13T08:03:00.000-07:002010-09-13T08:03:36.110-07:00Long weekend...It was a long weekend, and not in the good way... I ended up not going out to Beverly Hills Friday night, which was a bummer and I was a bit disappointed. The little guy had a rough weekend with a lot of not sleeping well or taking his naps, so I didn't get that time at home to recharge and take care of the things I like to do. I did, however, get to do some baking! I love having a bread machine to do all the work, and my guys love to eat bread, so I made a loaf of buttermilk bread. I also made some super yummy chocolate cookies. I've been using the same recipe since I was given a Klutz Kids cookbook when I was 9 or so, and it's still one of the best I've ever eaten! Two dozen were baked last night, one of which got sent in to work with Dex to give to a friend for his birthday, and there's still dough in the fridge to bake today! There are only four left, really, so I need to bake some more. They just disappear so quickly! I thought I'd give a little update even though not much was accomplished this weekend. Hopefully it will get better today...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-86500625690988553822010-09-10T13:05:00.000-07:002010-09-10T13:05:04.532-07:00Purse!Yes, this is my second post today, but I just have to share this!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmufXCtmlgb74sr3f1PUo71p_-HYRx0gmVtq3MlTAs7nH0xA-mWbO0EL4Kdbb6bStzChs6p0xjmzhbS1hOPP4CSJevFZDftB4tpUiBMi5ZiahCAI-YPW_g9I38L0E5kcie8mIoxCdIdqKY/s1600/DSC01754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmufXCtmlgb74sr3f1PUo71p_-HYRx0gmVtq3MlTAs7nH0xA-mWbO0EL4Kdbb6bStzChs6p0xjmzhbS1hOPP4CSJevFZDftB4tpUiBMi5ZiahCAI-YPW_g9I38L0E5kcie8mIoxCdIdqKY/s400/DSC01754.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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I decided I needed a new purse for this evening since I'm going to the Beverly Hills Fashion's Night Out event and decided to just go ahead and make one. This is what came out of that decision, using Kona charcoal grey and white fabrics. I rather like it! It's a little messy inside...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLGAnU5N1L8tDj4REtPSM1Uw3XkYklIfKRZcrpr_KAmqgBSlz8uT3CvZnjk_7ZrRf_zMahqQa6YHBh230sp-GKluYAJ3YgoIfdmf1Ic1hljcTCOy4b4kxPHu9-lys9O1hu9hdNDizGinY/s1600/DSC01756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLGAnU5N1L8tDj4REtPSM1Uw3XkYklIfKRZcrpr_KAmqgBSlz8uT3CvZnjk_7ZrRf_zMahqQa6YHBh230sp-GKluYAJ3YgoIfdmf1Ic1hljcTCOy4b4kxPHu9-lys9O1hu9hdNDizGinY/s400/DSC01756.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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... but that's ok. If I had planned it a little better I would have turned the lining and such, too, but not bad for a morning's work! The only thing I really can't think of from what I have is some kind of closure. I really do not want to use velcro, so it may not really close at all for now. Maybe in the future I'll find magnets or something, but not by tonight. The other thing would be a strap of some kind, but I'm not liking anything I have around. It's good enough to use for tonight as is. I just had to share!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-82413192918780329262010-09-10T08:44:00.000-07:002010-09-10T08:45:11.777-07:00Projects...It's been a couple of days, so this is going to be a long one!<br />
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First off, here's a photo of a skirt made with the same pattern I plan to use as the base for my new skirt!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XM6IP3OEcR-L7jPurGOQW6Wj2XfhHp5Z_ocRjhcgt_lzPOjUVYasxCEHsyBOHNUIJkSKt11dR1UB06OdFutvNgXbmpLuTNGf4-XtVMK92UYKJJq6kuuLSw9hhmXnL15WTVIGUnwFwsX0/s1600/DSC01705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XM6IP3OEcR-L7jPurGOQW6Wj2XfhHp5Z_ocRjhcgt_lzPOjUVYasxCEHsyBOHNUIJkSKt11dR1UB06OdFutvNgXbmpLuTNGf4-XtVMK92UYKJJq6kuuLSw9hhmXnL15WTVIGUnwFwsX0/s400/DSC01705.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Second, this is a set of cards I've been working on to send to my mother in law... and maybe make enough to keep some for myself or stock up for a future swap or who knows! I just really like the way they look... (It's the "Chic Boutique" stamp set from Stampin' Up!, using their Real Red and Not Quite Navy and the new scallop border punch)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuj8CaHoynzOJ6LcXmJEwu77bTPzudkfy2UZTbrGVhpywh-PRFaFUAz_v2ZGNOLBG4yp3toOBP7QqA2H_WYEJYk-CHIx9GPmB9Fbxqb4xG38iivTr0ewA8TXA4MBuNxoeGBiISZKh7yrK/s1600/DSC01745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuj8CaHoynzOJ6LcXmJEwu77bTPzudkfy2UZTbrGVhpywh-PRFaFUAz_v2ZGNOLBG4yp3toOBP7QqA2H_WYEJYk-CHIx9GPmB9Fbxqb4xG38iivTr0ewA8TXA4MBuNxoeGBiISZKh7yrK/s400/DSC01745.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUERUDoSB2wfAdpFGdLHpZ8VX9N-G_EM2ZRCqEmeR7lKG5RAbFhjE4AK_rxHZozC-L_D_XBE6AVl0yO-oET8RQpt9Dw8XnOlut3d8nuphqy7OHr-Jio0uhvcqEstTHx2_rIcSwaDecdlD7/s1600/DSC01746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUERUDoSB2wfAdpFGdLHpZ8VX9N-G_EM2ZRCqEmeR7lKG5RAbFhjE4AK_rxHZozC-L_D_XBE6AVl0yO-oET8RQpt9Dw8XnOlut3d8nuphqy7OHr-Jio0uhvcqEstTHx2_rIcSwaDecdlD7/s400/DSC01746.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Third, I made some pretty yummy calamari last night! Dex wanted fish or pasta, and I wanted something fairly quick and easy along the lines of Italian food, so I opened up the cookbook my father got for me in Boston's North End to the seafood section and decided to try the Calamari with Fresh Tomato Saute, with zucchini to add more veggies. I was also missing a couple of herbs so I just left them out. This was the first calamari I've ever made, and other than all the chopping prep, it was really easy! I tossed in some fresh spaghetti to finish it and everyone loved it! Well, Two really only ate the pasta, but that's to be expected from a two year old!<br />
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If I get a chance today, I'm going to try to finish off those cards and make some more progress on my quilt creation. It's really making me feel like it wants to become a table runner, I think, so we'll see how that works out! Tata for now!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-76359373216702656632010-09-06T14:27:00.000-07:002010-09-06T14:27:03.966-07:00Fabric!!!I really love the new fabrics I got Saturday from the LA Fashion District! I am going to try to finish the project I'm working on before I start anything else, though. So, I promised pictures! Here they are!<br />
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The fabric on the left is for a skirt, from the Drawing Room line by Anna Marie Horner, the purple grouping is Tufted Tweets in Orchid, the red, black and white is from the Poppy Lane collection and then there are the solids. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheZgRXVg2cbPEoiBkqPYVFo8vl5aTx1Ixu8gPVX7i2oD5GKhPox0UE0Ua5go_2CwkW8JVGEJdFQO23x-6Oy8B1orAk6tRVGFaJ1zomSIEptslxHEbEprLQiculdDRFm54UvJUGD3dhZ8z/s1600/DSC01699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheZgRXVg2cbPEoiBkqPYVFo8vl5aTx1Ixu8gPVX7i2oD5GKhPox0UE0Ua5go_2CwkW8JVGEJdFQO23x-6Oy8B1orAk6tRVGFaJ1zomSIEptslxHEbEprLQiculdDRFm54UvJUGD3dhZ8z/s400/DSC01699.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjid8sew_UgmdZXmQG-IyaAxXoq3dvr_Opdg2N7-tw3NgxDRQUAJUA1Aa4mXS03WLPksewCeyD9pfBkwyOCRcQB_76S_YCWHhv5m_rnr1FArZIlcllCvi_oCG4jGGNEn2s5xZCScZHuobH6/s1600/DSC01701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjid8sew_UgmdZXmQG-IyaAxXoq3dvr_Opdg2N7-tw3NgxDRQUAJUA1Aa4mXS03WLPksewCeyD9pfBkwyOCRcQB_76S_YCWHhv5m_rnr1FArZIlcllCvi_oCG4jGGNEn2s5xZCScZHuobH6/s400/DSC01701.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This is a little gift bag I whipped up yesterday morning from my stash for a friend's birthday present. I thought it turned out pretty well, especially when I filled the top with tulle strips instead of tissue paper, it was really cute!<br />
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I'll keep you all posted on what gets worked on next!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8635786622256374700.post-74772224547936096122010-09-04T20:51:00.000-07:002010-09-07T16:54:46.339-07:00A very successful day!Today <a href="http://www.weshallsew.blogspot.com/">Melissa</a> and I went on an adventure to the giant Michael Levine fabric store in LA's Fashion District. That store is a dream. There is so much fabric!!! I found the fabrics I was looking for, and was able to restrain myself from getting more than I had planned, other than picking up some really great fabric for a new skirt. I had been considering making a new 50's style dress for myself, but the 2.5 yards needed for the skirt was much more reasonable in my mind than the 4.5 for the dress. I just knew I'd obsess over trying to find it again if I didn't get it today, and it was a lot less than just buying a skirt in a store! I'll take some pictures of my new treasures to post sometime in the near future, as well as one of the skirt I'm going to be making (I've made two from this pattern already) with my fabulous new fabric. I also found some great tiger "fur" to mail to Nana, my mother, who wants to make Two's costume for Halloween this year. It's a lot harder to find than you would think!<br />
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This evening, I decided Two and I should make some "cookies" for our friends' puppies we're going to go visit tomorrow. Yes, I let my two-year-old little boy"help" me in the kitchen for the first time. He had a blast, we made a big mess, and there will be two very happy pups tomorrow! I wish I had gotten some pictures while we were working, but Daddy was busy elsewhere and Mommy's hands were just too messy... oh well... I'm sure there will more opportunities to get pictures of my little man working in the kitchen.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597875677462415819noreply@blogger.com0