Ready to Sew...

I haven't sewn these block together yet, but I did lay them out on the guest bed. This won't take long now! I'm shooting for Thursday to sew them together. Hope that works out!

I've been doing a bit more hand sewing - nothing much to show. This week has been busier than expected.

Mickey is doing better, thank goodness. We kept him on a very bland diet for a couple of days. Last night I made him a batch of homemade dog food in my Instant Pot. This is a first for me! Never thought I'd see the day that I'd be making dog food! But it didn't take long - some chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc. He's getting old and I think his digestive system may be getting sensitive to the crunchy food he's been eating. He had his first serving this morning and loved it!

I'm going to freeze most of this and get it out as I need it. Yes, he's worth it!

Today we're headed to Montgomery to run a couple of errands. Have a wonderful day!

Sleepy Sewing...

Another Bring Me Flowers block completed! Yay!

Another Bring Me Flowers block started! Yay!

Yesterday I also did a grocery pickup, baked two loaves of whey bread, prepared a meal to freeze for later cooking in the Instant Pot, and did a load of laundry. Whew!

And then last night, right at bedtime (of course!) Mickey started having stomach issues again. Ugh. Another sleepless night for us, so we are both tired today.

I was hoping to sew together all my Spiderweb blocks today and finish the top, but we'll see...I'm currently in a fog!

Enjoy your day while I am napping.

Sneak Peak...

Here's a sneak peak at the new project I began this week - are you intrigued???

We are all sleepy today; in fact the only one well rested is Cooper. Hubby and I were up most of the night with Mickey, who seems to have had a stomach bug. He whimpered all night and we took him out often. We tried to tag team his care so we swapped off every couple of hours.

Happily, he feels better this morning. I fed him some pureed pumpkin for breakfast and he's finally sleeping. It's been one of those weeks for dogs - Cooper had to go to the vet a couple of days ago because he has Pink Eye. I've never had a dog with Pink Eye. His eye is getting better, too.

Whew! There will be a LONG nap for me today!

I hope to put the final touches on the latest Bring Me Flowers block later today, if I'm awake enough- haha!

More Hand Sewing

For someone who just bought a new sewing machine, I've done a LOT of hand stitching this week! I finished these three little flowers last night - they still need a good pressing. This block is getting close to being done.

I feel the momentum shifting in Bring Me Flowers. I'm getting close to the end and I'm stitching more on this. I hope to finish this block today and make templates for the next one.

I've also started a new English Paper Piecing project that I'm very excited about but can't share just yet...

Yesterday it was well over 80 degrees! I sat out on the front porch and read for quite some time - ahhh.....

Have a great day!

Fun Day

Yesterday Hubby asked me if there was anything I wanted to get out and do. Yes, indeed! I've been wanting to go to the Jan Dempsey Art Center here in Auburn to see the exhibit of Flavin Glover's quilts.

And so we went. Did you know Flavin also makes stuffed animals from old jeans?

Flavin lives in Auburn and is a member of our guild. She talked to the guild about her stuffed animals once a couple of years ago. They are really PACKED with stuffing - very firm. And so cute!

And of course her log cabin quilts are amazing!

The quilt above was Hubby's favorite.

One thing I found interesting (and wouldn't have noticed had not a friend told me about this ahead of time) was that Flavin embroiders her initials and date on each quilt. She uses matching embroidery thread so it's hard to spot. Hubby had a good time looking for the initials on every quilt!

And yes, I did a bit of sewing. Another Bring Me Flowers block is progressing!

Enjoy your day!

A Shopping Spree

WHAT??!! Yes. I know. Yes, I did.

I really did need want another machine. I LOVE my Bernina - really love it! I keep it parked in it's table here at our cottage. I don't like to move it around or take it to the lake or to a retreat. It's a homebody.

I've been taking my very old Pfaff when I need to take a sewing machine with me. But it's so heavy! I've decided to eventually park it at the lake house. It will be a homebody there.

I've been in the market for a lighter weight sewing machine to travel with me. Today I got this Viking Emerald. I'm so happy! I haven't even taken it out of the box yet, but I will tomorrow. It was right in the low price range I was hoping for. I'm thrilled with my purchase!

I may have made more purchases of fabric, etc., but I'll wait to share those later.

I did get the stems stitched in place - BOOM - another Bring Me Flowers block completed!

Oops

I finally got the vase made and I stitched this block together. OOPS. Something here is not correct. I looked back at the instructions...took it all apart.

Yes, that's much better! I'll add the stems today and cut out the pieces for the next block. Have I mentioned lately how much I love this quilt? So much fun to make!

It was 80 degrees here yesterday! I should have gotten outside, but I didn't. Today I will for sure.

Enjoy your day!

Trimming Blocks

Somehow I never got around to stitching yesterday. I had planned to hand piece last night, but I was tired and just vegetated in front of the television. But I did get these blocks trimmed, so that's something anyway.

... a lovely bucket of trimmings!

Let me show you my newest Instant Pot accessory. I bought a yogurt strainer on Amazon and used it for the first time. It works so well to strain out the whey and thicken the yogurt.

Look how thick this yogurt is!

Here is half the whey I ended up draining - a LOT of whey! So of course I had to research what I could do with the whey and I found a recipe for Whey Bread. The recipe gives instructions for proofing the dough in the Instant Pot. What fun!

It worked! This is the easiest bread ever to make!

Here's my crusty loaf.

Of course I cooked dinner in the Instant Pot, too.

I'll definitely make this bread again, though I may use less salt in the recipe next time. 

Have a great day!

Accuquilt!

What a busy week I had! Lunches out, dinners out, meetings, workshops, and a quick trip to Birmingham! Oh my!

Friday afternoon I rushed back from B'ham and went straight to an Accuquilt workshop taught by an Accuquilt educator - Niki and sponsored by Stitch Therapy, our local quilt shop. Since I've owned my Studio for 10 years or so I wasn't sure I'd learn anything. But I did!

Niki did such a great job of explaining the different cutting systems and giving tips.

Niki also brought several quilts cut with the Accuquilt. I loved this one!

I stayed after for another workshop for the shop employees. Which leads to my next news! I'm going to be leading the new Accuquilt Club at the shop! So excited about this! We will meet monthly and I'll be sharing tips and ideas to make the most of Accuquilt cutters and dies.

I recently got my first Qube. A Qube is a set of 8 dies designed to work together to cut many different quilt blocks. When I say MANY, I mean MANY! I have a book (more later) that shows 72 different blocks that can be made. BUT wait, there's more!

There are really many more blocks that can be made with a QUBE - I learned how at the shop employee workshop. My Qube is for 12" finished blocks. I love it so much that now I want another Qube - trying to decide between the 6" Qube and the 8" Qube. (There's also a 9" Qube.) Oh, the possibilities! Did you know that die cutting with an Accuquilt is 90% faster than cutting with a rotary cutter?

This cute car was across the street from our house yesterday. Don't you LOVE it????

Maybe I'll sew later today??? I hope so!

Lucy Boston Quilt

Yesterday was a BUSY day! Hubby and I had to go to a meeting in the morning, followed by an afternoon and evening puppy sitting two of our 'grand dogs'. AND I had a quilt guild meeting last night.

There were so many gorgeous quilts shared, but this Lucy Boston quilt was absolutely stunning!

I wish you could see this in person. The fussy cutting and the quilting are amazing! I love the colors she used.

It's a bit difficult to see in the photo, but here are all four dogs together yesterday. Little Mickey is hiding under the dining room table - hahaha!

Today is another busy one - I'm making yogurt this morning. There is an Accuquilt official educator in town and I'm going to a workshop all afternoon. Yes, I know how to work my Studio 2 cutter, but I'm sure I'll pick up some tips. I LOVE my Accuquilt!

Have a good one!

Spiderweb Quilt!

Yesterday I machined sewed...all day long! Yippee! And look what I got done! I finished making strip sets, cut triangles, and made the remaining 9 half blocks. And then I sewed the halves together to make all 25 blocks. BOOM!

I was hoping this quilt would make a dent in my Kaffe Fassett fabric, but it didn't. Haha!

I can't wait to sew these blocks together to see the entire quilt, but I don't think I'll do it today. I'm in the mood to hand stitch so that's what I'll do!

Enjoy your day!

Chunks of Scraps

I made some chunks for my scrappy quilt - here's one.

And here's another. These got stitched in place onto the mother quilt.

I came up with this layer cake in my stash - I have two of these. I think I'll use white as the strips for that Periwinkle Quilt I showed yesterday.

By the way...the find the Lasagna Soup recipe HERE!

Instant Pot? And Periwinkle Quilt Pattern

Are you wondering if I'm still loving my Instant Pot? YES! I now plan all my meals around it - I cook everything in it! This is a lasagna soup I made Sunday evening. It tastes just like traditional lasagna and only took minutes to make. SO GOOD!

Last night I cooked a whole chicken (in only 25 minutes). While I deboned the cooked chicken, I cooked brown rice in the leftover broth (in only 4 minutes). Then I added the chicken back into the pot. The broth made from cooking a whole chicken in a pressure cooker is so rich and tasty!

I typically select 3 recipes per week to make in my Instant Pot. We have plenty of leftovers to make it through the entire week.

Are you old enough to remember getting your first microwave oven? I remember the excitement of a new tool to cook faster. Well, that's the way I feel about my Instant Pot!

Yesterday I woke up with a severe headache and didn't feel like sewing. Or reading. Or anything. No worries, I'm fine. I started sneezing and realized it was a great big allergy attack. I even determined the cause: someone had given me a lovely candle. I never even lit it, but it gave off a strong, yet pleasant, aroma. That was the culprit. The lovely candle is now sitting outside until I gift it to someone else. It cannot live here, unfortunately. 

All that was to explain that spent some time yesterday on Pinterest. Typically my Pinterest time is spent looking for new pins. Yesterday I actually went through some of my own quilting boards. I found the pin for the above pattern HERE. This quilt is made from layer cakes (10" squares). I happen to have a few layer cakes in my stash (of course, I do!). 

I'm thinking I want to make this! So I may dig out the layer cakes today and figure out a fabric to use for the thin strips. 

And since I feel so much better today, I plan on sewing!!!! Yay!

Quanky

         

So by now you have probably heard of this new word - hangry - meaning explained above.

I have decided to invent my own new word: QUANKY, meaning is irritable as a result of lack of quilting.  I've been quanky lately - until yesterday I had not sewn in a few days!

But I finally got back at it and have this block almost done - just need the vase section and stems.

Hubby and I have had a very social weekend. We went out to dinner Friday night with some neighbors - we went to a new Italian restaurant and it was so good. Veal Piccata for me was delicious!

Saturday night we attended our neighborhood Mardi Gras dinner. Jambalaya, Red Beans and Dirty Rice, chicken, vegetables, salad, garlic bread, King cake, cheesecake were served along with lots of beads and masks to go around. Another fun and social evening. We have become quite the social butterflies as of late. Haha!

And this is the paint-by-nunbers kit I'm working on. Do you think I'll ever finish it? I hope so because I've already ordered another one!!!!

Enjoy your day!

Paint By Number

Okay....a non-quilting post. Did you do paint-by-numbers as a kid? I loved them!

Is it weird that I have done original watercolors, but still want to paint by numbers? Then call me weird! I got this kit and it's definitely not the kind I did when I was young. This kit is VERY detailed and elaborate. Love me a challenge!

Here's another shot so you can see the size and detail. By golly, that's a LOT OF spaces to fill in! But I see it as hours of relaxing, peaceful enjoyment.

Any guesses on what the picture is????

Carolina Lily

I made a start on the next Bring Me Flowers block - this is a fun one, isn't it? I hope to finish a couple more of these today and be ready to put the block together.

We are puppy sitting our grand-dog, Sammy, today. He was neutered last week and needs to be watched so he doesn't lick his incision. Cooper loves having him here! (FYI, Cooper is on the left in the photo.) Yes, Cooper shared his bone...

Enjoy your day!

On Ringo Lake - Christmas Version

I know I said I would not sew anymore on this quilt until retreat, but I decided to make one block and to decide on the layout. This way I can just sew at retreat and not make any decisions there - haha!

I decided to use a plain sashing for this quilt and save Bonnie's sashing pieces for the border. So I went ahead and cut all the sashing pieces out of this fabric so they'll be ready. I've packed all these pieces back up, ready for retreat.

I want to do the same for the other On Ringo Lake quilt pieces - figure out the layout and make one block.

It's rainy today - blah! - so a good day to hand stitch and maybe watch a movie. Have a good one!