Challenge Progressing!

The "Egrets" are so beautiful hanging around here! DH took these great photos,I just had to share!

A while back I showed you the 4 "pine tree" blocks as a start of a challenge . Well, after much agonizing I came up with this "wall hanging" or "table runner"( I think I am leaning to the "wall hanging"!) The final backing,binding,etc is yet to come! I made the border of the "jelly roll" fabrics that the challenge committee furnished and also added some "stash" fabrics to meet the length I needed. Then after measuring "twice" I still came out some goofy size and so not all border squares are of equal size. I just like it anyway!!! It definitely is "my" color palette! I still have 2 months until "show time"! Hope you can click on the photos to enlarge them!

FabricArtPostcard

Saturday was a "somuchfunday" at our LLQG llqg.org "Skills Day". Our "resident" expert Leslie piecefulmoments.blog.com
gave us instructions on making the FAP's. We had a potluck lunch and sewed the day away and came away with some really neat FAP's. This is my creation. The background is a scrap of DH's jeans and I fussy cut the rest . I did a blind hem stitch around them and scribbled a "rope" effect outlining them. To keep the relaxed look I "pinked" the edges and then just overcast one time around. I backed it w/plain muslin for the message area.

I am on a "roll". This is addictive...(the good kind!)

Valentines Cream Puffs

Hope your "V"day was special! As I wrote in my "V" day blog I was trying a new dessert! NO ONE ever told me that you needed muscles to make Cream Puffs. I followed the directions in the receipe and when it came to beating the mix w/a wooden spoon I about quit and wanted to throw the whole thing out! I also didn't expect to have the pile of unused dough from the inside of the "puff" that made room for the filling. But, I perservered and you can see the results. Then afterward I asked myself how come I didn't use my wonderful Kitchen Aid mixer. I think the name implies alot at this feat.....AID! But, when I make a new receipe for the first I follow the directions. Then after that I will improvise if I think of a easier way or taste better or both!!!! So....my only regret is I didn't use real whipping cream to make the filling. Or at least wait until just before we ate them to fill them w/the "sqirt canned whip cream"....it lost its "whip" by the time we ate them. I did put them in the refrigerator to keep them cold. DH was thrilled anyway and so ended a great day, with great eats and another cooking lesson learned! I love a challenge!!!! Where is that Rachel Ray w/her 30 min. tips!!! LOL I think I'd better get back to sewing. Tomorrow is gonna be a fun sew day w/LLQG llqg.org .

We are going to make FAP's! I need to get the car packed up!!!!

Blooming!

Here it is "V" day! DH gifted me w/another lovely heart necklace, this time it is a Amber one.

I pile them all on and wear them for the "V" week! I fixed him breakfast, he usually fixes his own but, I thought, its "V" day! I can put up w/the onions, fresh garlic,precooked frozen turkey "snausages" and salsa mushed into a egg beaters,topped w/Mexican 4 cheeses and wrapped in a low-carb tortilla for this one day! It only takes less than 10 minutes! I then asked him what he wanted for dinner!!! What was I thinking??? He would have gladly taken us out for dinner,but,I just wanted to do this for him. So... it is NY's and homemade polenta and salad and CREAM PUFF'S. The first 3 items are no challenge! I'll update on the dessert later as I have never made them before!!!


I wanted to share the progress of my "birthing" of a Amyrilla that my #1 sister gave me for Christmas. The reason I call her #1 is that she is the oldest at 78 and #2 is 77 and we just numbered us as a fun jest. I am now #3 ,the youngest!!! I was #4 until our #3 sister passed away at age 48 in 1984, of crones disease. So, then I was given her number. Silly, yes, but that is us....we love to laugh over the sillyest stuff! Well, I am wandering......again! If you have ever been gifted with a "Christmas bulb" you will understand (hopefully) the anticipation of watching the rapid growth. I kept it in a cooler room to slow it down until I put the decorations away and then moved it to a warmer room. WOW! When it started there was no stopping the rush for bloomtime! These photos are in a span of two weeks. I am not showing you every one as I don't think the blogg space for all of them is available!!!!! LOL

Hearts and Snow!

After spending all weekend determined to finish the "Scrappy Hearts", I reduced the size of the finished mini to 13 1/2" square. Thought it looked better and the other hearts can be incorporated into some other "hearty idea"! Meanwhile we woke up to "silent snow"! What fun, while still in my jammys & robe, I quickly put a hat on and moccasins and dashed out to capture the "aura" before it disappeared. Our first words were: "how come this didn't happen on Christmas Day!"!

New Challenges

These are my new challenges for the start of 2008! The LLQG Challenge asked that we choose a pattern and make 4 blocks with a minimum size of 9 1/2" to a max of 12". I thought okay, they gave us some charm squares and 2 1/2" strips of several nice colors that I really liked. We could add fabric if we choose. I was in a quandry as to what pattern I would choose and then just brought out that little folding block pattern gizmo that told you how to cut for different size blocks!!!! Cool! I love trees and was drawn to that pattern. I looked in my stash and found the marbled beige batik and started the process. Next month at the February meeting the members will vote on whose blocks they like the best and there will be a "PRIZE"! Then we will be given more fabric and have until May to finish the challenge . We can choose whatever we want to do w/them!!! Another round of voting and another prize!!! How fun is this??? I am not in the "make New Years Resolution" mode. However, I want to work from my stash as much as possible this year. So far, so good! Another project is the foundation pieced Mini Scrappy Hearts that consist of all scraps, even the white is odds and ends. I made a couple at a fun "sew day" recently with my special quilty friends and I still have the borders to add. I find it so cosy and restful these rainy days to focus on these "fabric creations"!!! When going through the box of red scraps I found 3 blocks of these already made!!!! I forgot about that last class! Oh well, I must have given someone the finished project.....You can never have too many hearts!!!

I actually even cleaned a couple drawers and amazingly found "stuff" I didn't need to save. Like receipts from 2006 and 2007 fabric purchases.....shredded those....get rid of that "evidence"!!! LOL! Why do we save those "free patterns" that come w/magazine subscription offers???? Just can't throw anything away that could be a "potential" !!!!! Bits of ribbon, from gift wrappings!!! Quilt photos I take at shows and retreats that need to be put into my quilt photo albums . All that is for inspiration!! Actually it does inspire me!!! Reminds me of the quilters I meet and the events that surrounded them that was just "to much fun"! More finds like family photos and wonderful cards given during the year. I just can't get rid of anything!!

Happy 2008!

The last month of the year is always filled with joy! We enjoy Christmas celebrating the birth of our Lord! Now it is the year 2008 and today is the Epiphany! We attended a early Mass on New Years Eve and then had a scrumptous dinner at the local "Blue Wing" without reservations and were seated in the absolutley gorgeous dining room of the adjacent "Tallman Hotel". We stuffed ourselves on Beef Wellington and local wines. We deserved it!!!! I kept saying to DH: "Are we really in our town,we live only one mile away we coulda walked here...not"?? Our town is only 1 & 1/2 blocks long but has these really classy "joints". I am dragging my feet on taking down the "celebration" decoration. The tree went out a few days ago as it really needed to! But the rest is going to slowly get back in its containers a little every day! Yesterday was a wonderfull day at LLQG http://www.llqg.org/ ! Saw dear friends and guild members I have not seen since last year!!! We were entertained by Joe Cunningham aka Joe The Quilter ! Dashed to the "lqs" for a " fix". My dear friend Leslie (aka) Pieceful Moments (see sidebar for access ) gave me a early Bday gift of a beautiful 'neckerchief' in my favorite colors. Yesterday was cold and very little rain during the day. But it poured last night and the hills around us are 'kissed' with snow! Some beautiful Egrets have taken up residence in our field. I think all this rain has the underground critters floating to the surface and make good 'fodder' for them! Life is good so far for 2008! Yesterday our baby turned '40'! Eeek... he was this county's New Years first born 40 years ago! (Yes, we recieved nice gifts from local merchants)! I am also showing you the progress on the mini fan quilt. The next step is the quilting! I hope 2008 is starting off to a good start for all of you!!!