A Quilter's Table

A Win for QWERTY!

2012-03-09T13:50:00.001-08:00

Well it might have been a 'random' win (and you know I love random!) but I'm no less pleased! Have you checked out the winners of the Modern Mini Challenge? {see here}

Favs

2012-03-09T07:17:00.003-08:00

I've got a busy day, weekend, week ahead, and alot on my mind. Transition is afoot. No worries - it's all job-related, and I'll tell you about it next week. Meanwhile, I'm trying to avoid the melancholy by focusing on some recent favs over on flickr.

1. Round 2 Entry #11, 2. Solid Swoon Mini Quilt, 3. For the Love of Solids Mini Front,

4. Do. Good Stitches Asterisk quilt, 5. FTLOS, 6. Sunshiny Day 2.26.12,

7. granny square quilt, 8. Solids Swap package finished, 9. atmosphere.

So much awesomeness and inspiration!

Meanwhile, the swooning on a hop along is veering off to coinciding On a Whim and Hopscotch QALs. Anyone else joining in when they start on March 12? I'd like to but seriously need to check out the fabric stash for options, so we'll see.

Anyway, happy Friday! Hope it's a good one.

For the Love of Solids2 - Given

2012-03-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

The For the Love of Solids swap last year was so fun and gratifying, there wasn't really any doubt if I would participate again for round two. Obviously yes. And fresh from the Japanese x and + block swap, I was easily influenced to go rogue and make some solid blocks. Playing with some photo graphics of blocks I'd made for the x and + swap helped me figure out a plan for a variation all my own.

I pretty much grabbed the majority of my solid stash and got to work.

After stitching up the first little 5" block, I was encouraged.

This was one project where my design wall was my friend.

Bit by bit it all came together.

When it came to quilting, I wanted to show off the small center blocks as much as possible. So after detailing each of the small blocks, I echo-quilted around the large '+', moving farther apart with each row. After much deliberation, I had succumbed to the temptation to use variegated thread - the wonderfully colorful King Tut "Joseph's Coat" by Superior Threads - and was really pleased with the results.

As a final touch, I made pieced binding, matching up with each color in the big block.

For my small project, I used solid scraps to make a Lined Drawstring Bag made from Jeni's pattern. (Love the chevron twill tape I found at Amy Dunn's pinked fabrics!)

So there's the saga of FTLOS2 - sure hope my partner is pleased!

Linking up with T.N.T. Thursday and Finish It Up Friday.

Wild Color

2012-03-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

It happened again. Perfectly normal work day. Coworkers coming together to talk about this project or that. And I just blurt out to one of them, "I love your scarf! I have to make a quilt in those colors!"

I don't know why they look at me funny when I do things like this!

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-03-06T22:14:00.002-08:00

I always look forward to W.i.P. Wednesday - I really enjoy our checking in on each other, while at the same time keeping track of progress. So here's what's been going on in my sewing room this week . . .

Completed projects

A QWERTY quilt - This was my entry in the Modern Mini Challenge. I really had fun on this mini - you can read all about it here.

More blog goodness - a Tuesday at the Table button - always available in my sidebar.

Ongoing projects
Scrappy Depression Blocks - two more done, 11 to go.

4x5 modern Quilt Bee blocks - I've made "Three Wishes" blocks for two of my bee members, three to go. (Pattern by Jamie Moilanen from "99 Modern Blocks".)

Modern Crosses mini quilt - A new project, and I am loving putting this one together! I was debating leaving it at this (24" inches square), but decided to keep going. At this point, I'm planning on another couple large blocks and 24 small ones. (I used this tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew to get started.)

Upcoming projects
* scrappy Metrolink
* a zip pouch w/o zipper tabs - want to know this way too
* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt

* "On a Whim"
* Table runner for my cousin

* Pattern for Mango

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2012-03-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

I've told you about my cookbook collection, but I don't think I've ever mentioned the first cookbook I ever purchased. It was in April 1980, a few months after hubby and I got married. He was off skiing with a friend one day, and I went shopping. I only remember one item I purchased that day - a cookbook by Susi Anderson called Feasting after . . . work and play. Published in 1979, it was a new release then - 30+ years later, it looks very used. And it has been!

It's there were I still go for my two favorite salad recipes, cheesy bread, baby cheesecakes, and Dutch babies, among others. More often than not, I've gone to the most-loved page of all, where you'll find peppermint bars.

In my little world, they're known as mint brownies. And there's a bit of a funny history surrounding them. In my cookbook, they have a red star and the word, great!, marked in the margin. I made them off and on in the 80's, as hubby is a real chocolate and mint fan. Well in 1988 when I went to work in a bakery, I found one of their signature items was mint brownies. I would make big full-sheet pans of them, sometimes two in one day. And once chilled, they'd be carefully cut 2" x 3" and placed on a triangle of parchment paper, and plattered up, where they proceeded to fly off the bakery shelf. They were a standard - the #1 item I could never run out of. One day it dawned on me how similar they were to 'my' peppermint bars, and it prompted me to compare recipes. You got it - one and the same (except for quantity, of course).

From then on, they've been called mint brownies, and when I left the bakery and went on to other jobs, they became a favorite with my coworkers as well. Which is exactly why I made them last night.

Mint Brownies

Brownie:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
Melt butter & chocolate in saucepan. Remove from heat & add beaten eggs. Beat well with whisk. Add sugar, flour & salt. Pour into greased 9" square pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350°.

Frosting:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 heaping Tb. butter
1 Tb. milk
1/2 Tb. peppermint extract
Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Spread on cooled brownies & chill.

Glaze:
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tb. butter
Melt butter & chocolate together. Pour over chilled frosting & tilt pan to completely cover. Chill well before cutting.

I've had some requests for a Tuesday at the Table button, which you'll find below, as well is in my sidebar. Spread the word and invite others to joinaround the table.

52 lists in 52 weeks//weeks 39 & 40

2012-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

A Whole Lot of Randomness

2012-03-03T16:39:00.002-08:00

It is now safe to reveal that the quilt I made for the Little Quilt - Sew, Vote, Swap Group {see here} has arrived safely at its destination to Karin/KarinKajsa in SWEDEN! And yesterday, I received my little quilt from Tiina/Cottilello, who lives in LONDON! Lovely. As is my little quilt . . .

It is hand-quilted, and the center is from a sweet travel panel. Thanks, Tiina!

A few things of note from the hectic week past . . .

7 Ways to Keep Track of Pieces When You Sew from Nicole at Mama Love Quilts (oh yeah, and my method may have been mentioned) . . .

Several projects from the For the Love of Solids2 swap {mine included} were featured by Elizabeth of Don't Call Me Betsy, who is host of the swap. See for yourself here . . .

My daughter, Rachel of Snippets of Sweetness, posted about the St. Patrick's Day quilt she made me us. You can read her tale of two quilts here.

And the October quilt made by my do.Good Stitches Faith Circle is done!

Thanks to Des/taffyjane for pulling the Raggedy Bullseye blocks together for a fun finish! (If you look close, you just might see glimpses of my blocks, just like hubby did!)

Well, the Tangerine Tango Challenge is now closed and boy is the competition stiff! There are 25 entries in the "Minis" category {here}, and 26 in the "Quilts", where mine is entered. Do check them out here - mine's #1 so you won't miss it! Revised post when I saw my quilt in the feature here!

Lastly - brace yourself - there is a quilt-along starting up March 12 using either of Camille Roskelley's patterns, On A Whim or Hopscotch. After the Swoon storm that's been going on for months, this should be interesting. On A Whim has been on my list, so I'm hoping to quilt along, though fabric has not even crossed by mind! We'll see. Anyone else joining in?

Whew! That's a whole lot of randomness!

A QWERTY Quilt

2012-03-02T06:55:00.001-08:00

Lightbulb! I'd been mulling over what to make for the Modern Mini Challenge sponsored by Ellison Lane Quilts, and then it hit me. It was an idea I'd had for a while, but I'd never spent the brain power to pull it all together, though I couldn't seem to let it go either. We all know the asterisk block . . .

and you might have seen a pound symbol block . . .

Well what about the other special symbols on the QWERTY keyboard?

It only make sense, doesn't it?

So I went at it - piecing when I could, appliqueing when necessary. I figured out each symbol by-guess-and-by-golly, concentrating on the symbols above the numerical digits. The text fabric is Wordplay by Benartex, the brights Sketch by Timeless Treasures. I opted for no borders, and chose very dense organic straight-line quilting, overlapping in a grid in the diagonal spaces between blocks.

The challenges were in creating the various symbols, the bit of applique, and the quilting - as compact as I'd ever done. (It gave the little 17" quilt such interesting texture!) It's nothing outrageous, but an unassuming homage to the keyboard that's been a part of my life for years and years. (Thank you, 10th grade typing class!)

Linking up with the Modern Mini Challenge, Finish It Up Friday, {sew} Modern Monday, & Fabric Tuesday!

Fresh Sewing Day

2012-03-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

It's Fresh Sewing Day hosted by Lily's Quilts ~ a chance to look back on our last month's projects, as well as share about projects that really gave us pleasure.

Well, my month consisted of several bee blocks, finishing up the Solstice Star Series, and embellishing the scrappy depression blocks that have been languishing in my stash.

It's also been a month of suspense (defined in Bing's dictionary as enjoyable tension - exactly). Between my project for the Little Quilt - Sew, Vote, Swap Group, which is winging its way to its new owner; my FTLOS2 project, which I'm enjoying having hang on my design wall until shipping day; and my entry in the Modern Mini Challenge, which I can't share for a few more days . . . well, let's just say it's more secrecy than my life usually contains!

I think my favorite projects this last month were the Little Quilt {here}, which was improvisational and where I fell in love with my hera marker; and my Sparkle Quilt {here} where I, quite honestly, loved what the contrasting sashing did for the quilt. Sooo that's it for February - can't wait to see what March brings!

1. granny square blocks, 2. Another Solstice Star, 3. expanded scrappy depression block 1/16,

4. Little Quilt - Sew, Vote, Swap Group3, 5. Wild Thing folded, 6. Modern Blocks Bee - February block,

7. Star of Mystery, 8. Peek of Sparkle back, 9. "Three Wishes", 10. Expanded scrappy Depression block 3/16,

11. Two Colors Star, 12. A Tiny Bag, 13. expanded scrappy Depression block 2/16

Linking up with Lily's Quilts.

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-02-28T22:32:00.001-08:00

W.i.P. Wednesday is here again already. A busy week has left little time for sewing, but I've made a bit of progress . . .

Completed projects

Sparkle QAL - Pictures of this one have been floating around blogland (and facebook!). It happily resides at my mom's house now.

For the Love of Solids small project - see it here.

And a little redesign of the blog! Very fun!

Ongoing projects
Scrappy Depression Blocks - Two more done, 13 to go.

Modern Mini Challenge quilt - binding in progress! Can't resist showing a little sneak peek!

4x5 modern Quilt Bee blocks - My test block is done {here}, so now I need to get started on blocks for my hive-members!

Upcoming projects
* scrappy Metrolink
* a zip pouch w/o zipper tabs - want to know this way too
* Modern Crosses mini quilt

* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt
* "On a Whim"
* Table runner for my cousin

* Pattern for Mango

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2012-02-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a home that was health-conscious in a 1960's sort of way. We ate a variety of vegetables, had milk at every meal, included fish in our diet . . . but we also loved our treats. Though there was alot of baking done in our home, we were also enamoured by the convenience of pre-made snacks. Dad packed a Hostess fruit pie in his lunch every day (introduced in 1965, they were a new-fangled item!), and mom would let my brother and I choose from the huge Hostess bin at our grocery store. Nine times out of 10, I'd choose Twinkies. And yup, I took a twin-pack in my sack lunch almost every day of my childhood. Occasionally - you know, for a change of pace - I'd choose their filled cupcakes. Random: Created in 1919, Hostess CupCakes® are the best selling snack cakes in history. It wasn’t until over 30 years later that a baker added the signature squiggles and vanilla-crème filling.

Which brings us to today.

This weekend I baked up a memory.

For some reason, I'd had this monstrosity on my mind lately, something I baked up for my coworker's birthday a while back . . .

Yeah, that would be a Hostess Cupcake Cake. {recipe found here} It was a big hit, so when I saw the 'regular' size home-made, I just couldn't resist. I made them this time as a fun experiment. I'll make them next time because they're so good! Note to self: pour a tall glass of milk!

Chocolate “Squiggle” Cupcakes (adapted from The Food Network)
Makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes
12 cupcakes from 1 recipe Betty Crocker's Devil's Food Cakemix

Filling
1 tablespoon softened butter
¾ cup marshmallow creme

Ganache Topping
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy cream, warmed in a saucepan

Squiggle Topping
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
milk

Prepare cupcakes according to directions, using a ¼ cup of batter for each cupcake. (You’ll have some leftover plain cupcakes.)

For the filling, combine the marshmallow and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until well combined and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip. When the cupcakes are completely cooled gently press the tip into the top of each cupcake. Gently squeeze to inject the cupcake with about 1 tablespoon of the filling. Set aside.

For the ganache, place chocolate chips in a bowl and cover with warm cream. Allow to sit for 3 to 4 minutes and then whisk until melted and smooth. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture over each cupcake and spread out using the back of a spoon to cover the top. Allow the ganache to cool and set for at least 10 minutes.

Finally for the swiggles, whisk confectioners sugar with milk (The original recipe called for 2 to 3 Tb., but start with alot less. You don't want your drizzle too runny.) Use a pastry bag with a thin tip to decorate the top of each cupcake. (I used a zip-lock freezer bag with a tiny hole cut in one corner.)

You know next time I'll be trying THESE!

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 38 and A Tiny Bag

2012-02-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

Since making the largest drawstring bag from Jeni's pattern, I've been wanting to try some of the other sizes. (You can purchase the pattern here, though one size is offered as a tutorial here.) I decided to do double duty, and make it in all solids as my small project for my partner in the For the Love of Solids swap. Funny thing, with the pieced front, it took as long to make as the big bag {here}! And I realized after I finished that the cute ties aren't really solid, now are they?

Who, Me?

2012-02-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

I was a little taken aback when I got an email from Marcia at Marcia's Crafty Sewing & Quilting Blog a few days ago. She told me that she'd just awarded me The Versatile Blogger award. Apparently, "when you consider nominating a fellow blogger for the Versatile Blogger Award, consider the quality of the writing, the uniqueness of the subjects covered, the level of love displayed in the words on the virtual page. Or, of course, the quality of the photographs and the level of love displayed in the taking of them. Honor those bloggers who bring something special to your life whether every day or only now and then."

Well, to be acknowledged for any of those reasons is pretty cool, so Marcia, thank you.

There are actually rules involved in this Versatile Blogger award business:

Thank the person who gave you this award and include a link to their blog.
Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.
Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

Well then . . . surprise, surprise, thanks to January of Sew Sew Go, I was awarded the Liebster Blog award yesterday! The Liebster showcases deserving blogs that have less than 200 followers. (Cutting it a little close there, but it was January's call!) Each recipient then passes the award on to five other bloggers.

As honored as I was to be acknowledged, I have a character trait that makes this difficult . . . I worry about hurting people's feelings. There are so many of you that I enjoy chatting with regularly and I truly appreciate EVERY one of my followers and visitors - even those without blogs! But I don't want to be a party-pooper either. So, in the spirit of affirmation and all, I select the following as recipients of The Versatile Blogger award.

a little gray - Jessica has such a great eye for color and pattern - I love what she creates.
Blue is Bleu - Audrie makes such beautiful things! And I totally enjoy her 'conversations with the Hubs' posts!
Charm About You - Lucy lives in the United Kingdom and shares such a variety of fun stuff on her blog.
City House Studio - Michelle and I seem to have similar tastes and I enjoy seeing her take on things.
Crafting... - Heather just plain makes lovely quilts. I love that the first recipe she ever posted on her blog was for my Tuesday at the Table.
Felicity Quilts - I get alot of inspiration from Felicity's creations. Lovely stuff.
gemini stitches - Kirsten lives in Australia, links up with Tuesday at the Table sometimes, and always has several projects in the works!
Grace and Favour - Carla has a fun feature where she shares from her Moda club, and just creates lovely quilts.
HoosierToni - I love how Toni shares about her life on the farm. She's a Tuesday at the Table regular, and I enjoy how she tells tales about her boys - so sweet. She's a mighty fine quilter too!
kiss kiss......Quilt - I'm fairly new to Nicke's blog. I love her photography, and how she shares about her family and her quilts.
Mama Love Quilts - I 'met' Nicole fairly recently, but I've learned alot from her and been so inspired by her work!
Quiltycat - I confess I adore Nichi's blog name, her occassional cat pictures, and that she lives in Italy. All that aside, I really like her stuff!
Sew Sew Go - I enjoy January's matter of fact way of writing, and she's really good at sharing process.
she can quilt - Leanne inspires me with her work! She goes above and beyond every time.
The History Quilter - I love how Susan shares about daily life and cooking, as well as her quilting. Plus I enjoy her podcast. Plus she's a regular contributor and encourager at the table.

And as recipients of the Liebster Blog award:

Billy Button Design - I'm one of Erin's newer followers. I really like her style.
Jeliquilts - Kelly is a fairly new blogger - I love her header(!) and all the other projects she's stitched up!
Katie Mae Quilts - Kate keeps me chuckling with her sense of humor. I love it.
Modern Cozy - Darcy is a foodie too, and I love that about her. She also does some awesome quilting!
Unconventional Katie - Katie is working towards a degree in art and textiles, so she shares a bit of both on her blog.

As for those 7 things to tell you about myself . . . I feel like you know alot about me already, so the following may seem somewhat random!

I have a home-ec degree (that's what they called it back then!), but my first job out of college was as a computer programmer in the aerospace industry. Go figure.
We've delved into Enneagram where I work (personality types). I'm a 7 with a 6 wing. Confusing stuff.
When I started quilting, I had a goal of a quilt on every bed in the house. Met that. The other day, daughter dear counted up how many quilted items are in our house. Kind of funny, but yikes.
I love capri and sandle season. Opening Day is April 17 according to my co-workers.
Allergies prevent our home having a cat, and that is truly unfortunate, IMHO.
The Pacific NW gets a bad rap due to the rain, but personally, I don't mind it. I go without a coat if I think I can survive, and I never use an umbrella.
I used to bribe hubby, daughter, and son with Starbucks cards to get them to help write the family Christmas letter. Bad mom, huh?

Ok, there's more than you probably wanted to know! But do know that I really enjoy being in this quilting/blogging community with you. Versatile? Liebster? Whatever, you're a winner to me!

Charms and Other Charming Things

2012-02-25T17:22:00.000-08:00

I waited until after the mail came today to write this post, hoping against hope that my mini quilt from the Little Quilt - Sew, Vote, Swap Group would arrive. Alas, it did not. But I do have a stack of charms from the 4x5 modern Quilt Bee fabric swap to show you.

It's hard to even describe what a fun array of fabrics these are - all colors commonly used in the modern block swap. I plan on putting them to use right away in this round's bee blocks.

Anyway, on to the photos I promised you this morning . . . I'm not one to yell from the rooftops, "It's my birthday!" But that doesn't mean yesterday wasn't. And I went to sleep last night feeling very pampered. An afternoon of shopping with my mom, a homey meal with our family, and a skype exchange with my son left me feeling quite content. There were lovely gifts, too, of course, but I'm pretty sure you are most interested in those of the quilty variety, yes?

First was a jaw-dropping beautiful "Cinch It Tote Bag" made by my friend Sharon. I was so shocked when I saw it, as I had pinned this pattern to my Pinterest board just this week! And to top it off, it was made in some of my favorite fabrics! (Remember this?) Awesome.

There was also a coordinating zip pouch inside. More awesomeness.

Side note - Sharon's been accepted into the do.Good Stitches charity bee, and is waiting to be placed in a circle. I'm secretly hoping she's placed with one of you! That would be so fun to have that connection!

Needless to say, I was pleased when my daughter walked into the house last night with a fabric gift bag. It's not that I hadn't received one before - she's been making them for a while now (see here, here, and here). But this one was different. Adapted from Pink Penguin's Reversible Patchwork Bag tutorial, it had a fun green chevron star on the side from thought & found. Darling.

And of course, there was something very cool inside - a St. Patrick's Day mini quilt!

I love that it has some blue in it, as dictated by the darling focus fabric.

Oh, and did I mention it was hand-quilted? Yup, that's my girl!

All in all a fine day indeed.

Gratitude

2012-02-25T08:01:00.003-08:00

I hope to be back later today with some pictures I think you'll enjoy, but I really wanted to start the day by expressing my thanks to Dan Newsom of danjnewsom. My niece's husband, and a graphic designer based in Nashville, he was kind enough to create my new logo, which I am delighted to add to my blog today. Thanks so much, Dan. I really appreciate you sharing your talents with me!
Random fact that my family will enjoy - I initiated the logo conversation with Dan on his wedding anniversary a few weeks ago, and we completed the project on my birthday! Fun.

Cool

2012-02-24T22:33:00.000-08:00

Today was an awesome day, starting off with a sweet shout-out from Carla over at Grace and Favour! We've enjoyed comparing projects and all for a while now, and I'm glad I've been able to provide some encouragement. Do head over and see her amazing Farmer's Wife blocks - some of my favorite ones out there, using lots of Terrain! Thanks, Carla!

I do have a little block to share - my test-block for the 4x5 modern Quilt Bee.

It's called "Three Wishes" and is by Jamie Moilanen from 99 Modern Blocks. I think it's a keeper, and hope my hive-members do too.

A Sparkle or Six

2012-02-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

I hopped on board with the Sparkle QAL back in early January, got my blocks cut out with the rest of the group, and then promptly lagged behind. I confess it sat like this on my sewing table for a full month.

And then last week I was reminded that the link up of finished quilts was going to be today! Yikes. Considering I had planned on a mini Sparkle with just six blocks, I got to work piecing up the blocks - which I really enjoyed - and then an afternoon sewing with daughter dear provided just the right incentive to get the blocks sashed, a back pieced, and binding picked out. Oh, and I decided to try contrasting sashing, using the Northcott Colorworks in Pearl that I had picked up at Over the Rainbow. For me, it added just the right something extra to set the blocks off.

For quilting, I decided to use my hera maker to make a sweeping curve across the quilt, and then echo that throughout. My curve's sharpness on one side made it a little hard to replicate over and over, but in the end, I'm ok with it.

Predictably, the weather was down right stormy yesterday afternoon when I wanted to get pictures. Though the wind did provide a quick peek of the back - simply pieced with some Kona Artichoke and a wonderful piece of Kate Spain's Verna I found in my stash. I was pleased to discover it, considering how nicely it pairs with Terrain.

Anyway, I was patient. And eventually the lively Sparkle was still.

Linking up on the Sparkle QAL Finish posts at In Color Order and Canoe Ridge Creations, at Thank Goodness It's Finally Finished over at Quilter in the Gap, and also on Happy Quilting's T.N.T. Thursdays with my try at contrasting sashing and curvy quilting . . .and also with Finish It Up Friday, {sew} Modern Monday, and Fabric Tuesday!

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-02-21T22:46:00.000-08:00

There are lots of odds and ends to report on for this W.i.P. Wednesday.

Completed projects

Hometown "Wild Thing" - This comfy cozy took longer than it should have, but finally it's done!

Solstice Stars Series - My five blocks are done and they were each so fun to do. I loved Faith's post about quilt top layouts, and am now debating what direction to go next.

Little Quilt - Sew, Vote, Swap project - Loooved working on this little one that is now winging its way to its new home.

Ongoing projects
Sparkle QAL - Hand-stitching of binding IN progress!

Scrappy Depression Blocks - Three down, 13 to go.

Modern Mini Challenge quilt - let's just say I've started.

4x5 modern Quilt Bee blocks NEW - I've chosen a block, now to get sewing!

Upcoming projects
* For the Love of Solids small project
* scrappy Metrolink
* a zip pouch w/o zipper tabs - want to know this way too
* Modern Crosses mini quilt

* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt
* "On a Whim"
* Table runner for my cousin - starting with this bundle.

* Pattern for Mango

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Comfy Cozy Wild Thing

2012-02-21T07:11:00.000-08:00

Wild Thing is done. For some reason, it was one that asked to be washed and crinkled up right away, so it is comfy cozy.

I quilted in-the-ditch around the pinwheels, with some straight-line in the borders.

The gray in the Hometown fabric was echoed for the borders and backing, and one of the word prints was my obvious choice to bind it up.

In the end, my wild thing has become quite domesticated, as was proven yesterday, as my little granddaughter grabbed it from my sewing table, wrapped herself in it, and proceeded to drag it around the house. Clearly docile, just the way I like it.

Tuesday at the Table

2012-02-21T06:54:00.001-08:00

After a hectic and long work week, hubby and I headed out last Friday afternoon for one of our favorite close-to-home get-aways - Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Usually we just wander through, beginning with the hand-crafts, on through the flower, fish, and vegetable stands, and then usually to the Italian grocery. Sometimes we stop in at Market Spice or the original Starbucks, always at Sur La Table, and occasionally at The Crumpet Shop, never really knowing what we'll end up bringing home when we start out. For some odd reason, this visit turned out being all about cheese.

For one, there was a brand new "tasting room" for local Mt. Townsend Creamery. We'd had some of their cheeses before, and for that reason alone, we knew we had to stop. In reality, it was a very small store-front, but there was a healthy array of cheeses available for tasting.

We settled on two we'd never tried before - Off-Kilter, a scotch ale washed cheese that we had on burgers last night, per Mt. Townsend's website recipe (yum!); and New Moon, that we'll try in chicken quesadillas later this week.

Well after that tasty stop, we decided to head on over to Beecher's Handmade Cheese, a cheese-making facility and shop right there in the market.

Again, we chose a cheese new to us, their Flagship Reserve. Not sure how we'll be enjoying it, but maybe I'll try a recipe from Beecher's Pure Flavor, which is where I got the soup shared below.

Buying locally produced products like these cheeses is really satisfying. What's local to you that you enjoy? Inquiring minds would like to know.

Tomato-Cheddar Soup
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium onions, diced
1 28-ounce can + 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree
10 ounces white cheddar or other semihard cheese, grated (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft, but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cheese and cream and stir until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.
When served at the market, this soup is topped with fresh cheese curds, with a fresh breadstick alongside. Next time I make it, I think I'll top it with croutons.

A Table Tidbit

2012-02-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

I was reminded today that the table can be a shopping cart at the grocery store. With a latte for me and the smallest Starbucks cup - with a straw and filled with milk - for my granddaughter, the two of us started off on our first grocery shopping trip together. A quick stop at the bakery provided what was still, thankfully, grocery store tradition - a free cookie for the little one.

I had forgotten how much I must have taught my children at the grocery store. As my granddaughter pointed out veggies, I named them for her. As we passed by the dog food, she "woof-woofed", and then we wheeled slowly by the cat food, examining the kitty on each package. As we checked out, I thanked her for her help as she reached from her seat in the cart to put items on the conveyor belt.

What we shared at the grocery store today wasn't a meal, but it was certainly a time of refreshment, of sharing, of encouraging growth - many of the best qualities of time around the table. And boy, did I feel fed.

A Little Quilt

2012-02-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

Perseverance is a good attribute to have if you are a quilter. So, I have discovered, is being able to keep a secret.

A month ago, I made a mini quilt I'm very fond of, but have been obliged to keep it under wraps for a bit. It was a creation for the Little Quilt - Sew, Vote, Swap Group. When I came across this flickr group before Christmas, I was intrigued. Basically, you make a mini quilt, do not post in flickr (or blog about it, for that matter), but send a pic to the swap mama who posts everybody's projects. THEN everyone votes on their favorite entries. The person whose quilt gets the most votes gets to pick which one they want, and down the line it goes. The secret continues for a bit as we are all FM'd who to send our quilt to. Talk about suspense at every turn!

Anyway, my mini is winging its way to its new owner today. I'll let you know what quilt I get (and believe me, I have my fingers crossed!!). In the meantime, here is my entry:

It happens to be one of my favorite things I've made, and honestly, I was kind of sad to send it off. I love the color combo, and it contains some of my favorite fabrics. Wonky isn't something I've done alot of, but I thoroughly enjoyed it on this small scale. And I confess, I am most proud of the quilting.

I tried this wavy line on a previous project, and it just didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. But with my little hera marker, I was able to mark in the curves to my liking, and I love the result.

Backed with a stash find, it measures about 24" square.

So the secret's out on this little one. Very fun indeed.

Linking up with {sew} Modern Monday, little quilt monday & Slash the Stash!

Saturday Randomness

2012-02-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

I keep meaning to share a little postscript from my quilting retreat {here and here} . . . our visit to Over the Rainbow - an online quilt shop near where we stayed.

They open by appointment, which was pretty cool. We opened the door to the 'shop' and saw this:

And everywhere we turned, there was another row of this:

Talk about overwhelming! All the bolts were arranged by manufacturer, many still wrapped in plastic or very high up! Ie. we just walked up and down the aisles seeing what we could see. Where my friends found a new pattern and chose fabrics for their projects, I just looked for some stash basics. Think Benartex Word Play and Michael Miller Quatrefoils. Plus I found a new solid that looked fun to try - Northcott Colorworks in Pearl - a gray a tad lighter than Kona's Ash.

Anyway - fun times, which actually got even funner after check-out! We were each told we could pick five 'scraps' from their large ~~bin~~ pile. That's where I found this:

and this(!):

Since the 'remnants' of Outfoxed were a yard each, I ended up paying $5 total for them and the Heather Ross. I thought that was a good find and a good deal.

Anyway - more randomness - I read about a technique for finishing binding corners that was new to me {here} and a thought-provoking post about 'too much inspiration' {here}. Thoughts??

Lastly, last night was Friday Night Sew-In, and I was able to finish up my blocks for the Sparkle QAL. I had lost track of time on these, until Megan of Canoe Ridge Creations mentioned the link-up for finished quilts is next week! yikes.

Part of a Whole

2012-02-16T06:53:00.000-08:00

My x and + infatuation began with this simple block made with an awesome tutorial by Amy of badskirt.

It was four months ago, weeks before the Japanese x and + block swap started. And the real reason I made this little guy was finally revealed on Tuesday by Rachel of Stitched in Color. {see here} Yup, my block went into a Thank You quilt for Rachel, who created and runs do.Good Stitches {a charity bee}.

(You can see my block in the lower right-hand corner of this picture. . .)

a Quilt I Couldn't Make

The quilt was finished and bound by Hollie of Undercover Crafter, who tells her story of the project here.

signed by Anna Maria Horner

I confess, I think the finished quilt is pretty awesome, and I was honored to be a part of it.

Rachel's Quilt

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 37 and A Winner

2012-02-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

I've seen lists like these around blog-land, so I was kind of excited to see this week's list assignment.

currently:

listening: morning silence
eating: too early, but soon - a glass of V8 & some fresh mozzarella
drinking: double sugar-free vanilla nonfat latte in my "Good Morning" mug
wearing: my slippers & jammies & my granny's flannel jacket
feeling: sleepy but waking up
weather: dark & chilly 38-degrees
wanting: a slow morning at home
needing: to go get ready for work
thinking: thankful
enjoying: reading quilty blogs

A change in focus - I just read through the link-ups to yesterday's Tuesday at the Table post,enjoying the treats and projects, and touched by the stories . . . I have randomly chosen a winner:

And it's Hueisei of Love is Sew it! She lives in Malaysia(!) and created this fun little mug rug for her husband for Valentine's Day!

Source: loveitsewit.blogspot.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Congratulations, Hueisei! I'll go order your gift certificate, which will come to you via email!

Thank you all for linking up and celebrating the day with me! I hope you'll consider linking up again soon and sharing from your table!

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-02-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid my W.i.P. Wednesday report today is a bit of a repeat from my quilting retreat post, so I tried to share some different shots of my projects.

Completed projects

do.Good Stitches February blocks - These little blocks are pretty popular these days, so it was fun to give them a try. Using Blue Elephant Stitches' Granny Square Quilt Block Tutorial, I made blocks for two of the three baby quilts the Faith circle will be making this month.

For the Love of Solids Swap - My large project is now done. It's been a very gratifying process!

Ongoing projects
Hometown "Wild Thing" - Had hoped to have this done by today, but still working on hand-stitching the binding.

Solstice Stars Series - Star #4 is done. I'm sad that the series is soon over!

Sparkle QAL - No progress. Again.

Scrappy Depression Blocks - Adding to the blocks I received in the Scrapbuster Swap last summer. One down, 15 to go.

Upcoming projects
* For the Love of Solids small project NEW
* Modern Mini Challenge quilt - yikes, the deadline's not that far off! NEW
* scrappy Metrolink
* a zip pouch w/o zipper tabs - want to know this way too
* Modern Crosses mini quilt

* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt
* "On a Whim"
* Table runner for my cousin - I at least have the fabric now!
* Pattern for Mango

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2012-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

Back in my days as a pastry chef, I led a very seasonal work-life. There were coconut cakes for Easter, marionberry pies for the Fourth of July and of course, pumpkin and pecan for Thanksgiving. There were overwhelming orders for fruitcakes and steamed cranberry puddings for Christmas. And for Valentine's Day, there were cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.

cookie cutters from my collection/Valentine's quilt by my daughter Rachel of Snippets of Sweetness

I was pleased to bring my Linzer Hearts recipe to the bakery, where it became a customer favorite.

Source: gourmandistan.com via Debbie on Pinterest

And the essential Shortbread Hearts, which I occasionally dipped in chocolate, like Martha does. But more often, I piped them with French words of love, per the owner's request. . . je t'aime beaucoup. . . mon amour . . . je t'adore . . .

Source: marthastewart.com via Amber on Pinterest

I remember wrapping up leftover tidbits of cookie dough to bring home and bake off for my family. I'd pack the cookie hearts in little cellophane bags, tied with a ribbon bow. And in they'd go into their sack lunches. A sweet holiday indeed!

Linzer Hearts
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups shelled walnuts, finely grated
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

1. Cream butter and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Sift together the flour and cornstarch. Add to the butter mixture and blend well. Thoroughly mix in ground walnuts. Gather dough into a ball, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 4-6 hours.
2. Roll dough out t ¼ inch thickness. Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter (about 1 ½ inches long), cut out cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Chill cookies for 45 minutes. If dough gets too soft while cutting out cookies, gather up and chill for a little longer until you can roll and cut out cookies.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F . Bake cookies 10-15 minutes until evenly lightly browned. Remove and cool on a rack. While still warm, spread half the cookies with raspberry jam, using about a ¼ teaspoon for each. Top each cookie with one of the remaining cookies.
4. Sift the remaining confectioner’s sugar into a bowl. Press top and bottom of the cookies into the bowl of sugar to coat. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Shortbread Hearts

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Cream butter and confectioners' sugar together until light.

2. Sift flour and salt together and add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla and blend thoroughly.

3. Gather dough into a ball, wrap in wax paper, and chill for 4 to 6 hours.

4. Roll out chilled dough to 5/8-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch-long heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar. Place cut-out cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and refrigerate for 45 minutes before baking.

5. Preheat over to 325°F.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until just starting to color lightly; cookies should not brown at all. Cool on a rack.

Makes 20 cookies.

Recipes from from The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins

For a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to use at Pink Chalk Fabrics, link any post (or flickr photo) containing a recipe, a Valentine-y quilt project, or your own "table-talk". {details here}

What Day Is It?

2012-02-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

In 1986, everything changed. Before, as February 14 approached, the obvious thought was, "Valentine's Day!" But over the last 26 years, first and foremost, it has been son's birthday. Oftentimes, the celebrations got combined, but other times Valentine's Day got eclipsed totally by the more important family occasion. Undeniably, son is worth celebrating!

Valentine's Day or birthday - either is great cause for celebration around the table. I expect a more-than-usual number of you might be posting sweet treats tomorrow, or Valentine's Day projects. Link up on tomorrow's Tuesday at the Table post and you'll have a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to use at Pink Chalk Fabrics. Feel free to link a post sharing a recipe, a Valentine-y quilt project, or a story from around your table. If you've done such a post recently, link that up. And non-bloggers, feel free to link up a flickr photo. I'll choose a random winner on Wednesday. This'll be a short-notice, short-run giveaway in honor of love shared at the table.

Source: flickr.com via Lina on Pinterest

A {secret} Finish

2012-02-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

So I finished my For the Love of Solids2 large project this weekend. This involved finishing the quilting,

my first try at corner hangers,

inaugurating my new quilt labels(!),

and quite a few hours spent on pieced binding - time-consuming, but I thought it was worth it with this mini's design.

The final reveal remains pending . . .

Linking up with {sew} Modern Monday, Fabric Tuesday, and Finish It Up Friday.

Home, Sweet, Home

2012-02-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of the good wishes on Thursday, as I headed off on my quilting retreat! We had a great time and have already picked out a date for next year, which is cool!

Meanwhile, before I doze off on the couch, I thought I better give you a progress report! And yes, duh, I took way more projects than I had time for. But, let's focus on accomplishments:

1. Finished For the Love of Solids2 large project!

(More in tomorrow's post, though full reveal has to wait a big longer . . . )

2. Got Wild Thing quilted, and binding made and stitched on - now time for some hand-sewing to finish.

(totally planned on some fmq, but just wasn't ready on a project this large,

so did some in-the-ditch twice through each pinwheel)

3. Made the latest Solstice Star.

4. Made three Granny Square blocks for do.Good Stitches' February project. These were really fun to make. We'll be making three baby quilts, each on different backgrounds - one on aqua, one on snow, and one on peony. That's why my blocks have different solids - they are for two different quilts.

5. Finished one of my Scrapbuster Swap blocks - a long-time w.i.p. I'm using this block as inspiration

and adding to each of the Scrappy Depression blocks I got in the swap.

My first 'test' block turned out like this:

Well, that's what I got done! Not bad, considering there was relaxing to do, eating, visiting, fabric-buying - you get the drift. All in all, a lovely quilt-til-you-drop get-away weekend!

The BCQ

2012-02-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, I was a pretty new quilter. And I met some women that had been quilting together for some time. And they invited me to join them and we all became fast friends. Back in the day, we'd get together once a month to sew, and we'd go on retreats now and then and sew and eat and laugh and sew some more. Somewhere along the line, we named ourselves The Basket Case Quilters. But somehow things changed, life got even busier, and we rarely quilt together any more and we haven't 'retreated' for a very long time.

SO you can imagine my excitement . . . we are going on a weekend quilting, eating, laughing retreat TODAY. We'll be taking turns cooking, visiting Over the Rainbow fabrics (an online shop open by appointment), sewing late into the night, and basically relaxing and catching up. Good times ahead.

I've packed *way more than enough* projects to work on, not knowing what will strike my fancy.

1. Hometown "Wild Thing" top complete (quilt & bind), 2. Quilting Indeed (finishing quilting & bind), 3. Fabrics cut for Sparkle QAL (piece, baste, & quilt), 4. Scrapbuster Swap blocks returned (expand blocks + make 1 more), 5. Star of Mystery (make new Solstice star!), 6. Granny Square Quilt Blocks (make3 blocks for do.Good Stitches), 7. Patchwork Wristlet (try tutorial w/o zipper tabs), 8. Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day! (try tutorial again, making a smaller size), 9. metro link (start another scrappy quilt),10. Not available (fabric stack for my cousin's table runner)

Priority are #1 and #2. Actually, #1 through #6. Though I'd really like to start #9. Hmmm. Choices, choices.

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 36 and Some Favs

2012-02-08T06:24:00.000-08:00

The 52 lists in 52 weeks assignment this week is "My goals for February." Yikes. I'm kind of living day to day lately, so my list is short and sweet.

*write the house 'to do' list I mentioned in this post*
*get organized at work for an upcoming transition*
*finish "Wild Thing", FTLOS2 (need to come up with a small item too), and my scrappy depression block quilt and figure out this round's 4x5 block*
*set a date with a friend to celebrate our "same month" birthdays*
*sewing time with daughter dear*

Meanwhile I thought I'd share some of my current favorite projects out there in blog-land. Truly fun and inspiring, in my humble opinion!

Awesome, yes?? I'm impressed!

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-02-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

W.i.P. Wednesday is here again . . . I've sure had fun with my current projects . . .

Completed projects

Modern Blocks bee - the February block for Alix is Boxed In by Faith Jones. Pretty fun in Malka Dubrawsky's new line of fabric.

Ongoing projects
Hometown "Wild Thing" - The top is done! In fact, backing is pieced too, and the whole thing is basted up! Please - if you have quilting ideas, I'd love to hear them - hope to start quilting this yet this week!

Solstice Stars Series - The third star is done! These have been really fun!

For the Love of Solids Swap - I must say, I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project! I had an idea pretty early on, and am loving how it's turning out! After oodles of encouragement on flickr, I started quilting with variegated thread (King Tut Joseph's Coat).

Sparkle QAL - No progress - hopefully this weekend!

Upcoming projects
* scrappy Metrolink NEW
* a zip pouch w/o zipper tabs - want to know this way too NEW
* Modern Crosses quilt - just because NEW
* Scrappy Depression Blocks - I have a plan and fabric chosen to execute a finished top!
* do.Good Stitches February blocks - We'll be making three baby quilts using Blue Elephant Stitches' Granny Square Quilt Block Tutorial. Kind of excited to try these.

* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt
* "On a Whim"
* Table runner for my cousin
* Pattern for Mango

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2012-02-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons to love Italy. And one kind-of-small-in-the-big-scheme-of-things-but-pretty-cool- anyway reasons is they serve Nutella with breakfast. Like every day.

I was a Nutella fan before I ever went to Italy, but noone had actually served it to me. Like, I don't think I've ever eaten it outside of my very own home. But in Italy . . . yum.

So I was pretty tickled when Susan posted on facebook Saturday that the next day, February 5, was World Nutella Day! What choice did I have but to whip up some nutella goodies to celebrate. Daughter dear happened to be over for a bit, so she dove it, nutella-lover that she is, and we baked up some cupcakes from bakingbites.com, a recipe adapted from Donna Hay, a popular Australian cook and author.

Nutella Frosted Cupcakes
10 tbsp (140 grams) butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups (200 grams) sifted all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Nutella, approx. 1/3 cup

Preheat oven to 325F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.
Cream together butter and sugar until light, 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don’t worry if the batter doesn’t look smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.
Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be 3/4 full, if you’re not using a scoop. Top each cake with 1 1/2 tsp Nutella. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the nutella.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 12.

They came together quick and easy - each one topped with a dab of nutella . . .

which was then swirled in (though the batter was thick and nothing swirled too well) . . .

but in the end, they came out looking good, self-frosted and all. In actuality, they had more of a muffin texture than a cupcake, but were tasty just the same.

Though in my humble opinion, the very best nutella recipe of all is a very, very simple one . . .

Take Heed!

2012-02-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

My friend Heather over at craftingdotdotdot had a real bloggy scare today. Her blog just up and disappeared! Thankfully it returned after a short while, all in one piece thank goodness. Heather's done her research and though she doesn't really know why and how this happened, she does have a really helpful suggestion: back up our blogs!

Be sure and read Heather's post {here} and then go back up both your blog and your template. Here's what you need to know. If you happen to be using the newer view than this blogger tip (like I am), just look around in 'settings' and 'template', and you'll find the same tools. It only takes a few minutes.

I feel better now. Thanks, Heather!

Random

2012-02-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a new week! In spite of good progress, I've no new finishes to show, so I thought I'd share some randomness.

I recently read an interesting article about sewing trends on Sew, Mama, Sew - see here. It's always a bit amusing to realize you're part of one - or more!

I've also seen some good info about ways to hang our quilts. I'll be considering these methods for hanging sleeves: here and here; and this one for sewn-in corners. Any thoughts?

And, there's a fun event over at Ellison Lane Quilts, starting today - a modern mini quilt challenge.

This challenge has an interesting schedule - a couple of weeks of blog-hopping with inspiration and tutorials and such, another couple of weeks of sewing time, and then the link-up. See the complete schedule here. Let's say I'll see how things go, but I really enjoy making minis, so I would like to join in the challenge. Anyone with me?

I had several questions following my Something's Fishy post regarding flicker-explorer. I did learn that photos chosen by explorer are sometimes dropped, picked back up, etc. Even with that info, it's kind of curious why your number would fluctuate between applications at a given point in time, but I guess my conclusion is - it can happen. When you use "Scout" at bighugelabs.com to make a 'poster' of your explored pictures, there is an option to 'include dropped'. In doing so, I was able to see all my photos {here}. And for those of you interested in the flickr widget on your blog, you can easily create it using 'Profile Widget.'

In writing this post, I discovered my in-progress project for the For the Love of Solids was selected.

I've really been having fun with this one, and am soliciting opinions on using variegated thread. Here's a little swatch of a test run. (Thread is King Tut "Joseph's Coat.")

Well, enough randomness for today! Have a great one!

A Journey in Time

2012-02-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

Susan of The History Quilter posted today {here} about her most recent podcast, where she talks about signature quilts. I plan on listening to her podcast this weekend, but I also wanted to show you and Susan the signature quilt that I happen to have!

Though obviously this quilt has been in our family for a long time, I didn't know about it until a few years ago when I visited my cousin in southern California, and she was showing me around her home. She ushered me into the guest bedroom and said - "Do you remember this quilt? It was grandma and granddaddy's." Honestly, I had never seen it and had never heard about it.

Then one day a few months later, unexpectedly the quilt arrived at my house!

Every Churn Dash block is embroidered with the names of families, including my grandparents, dad, and uncles.

In the center block is embroidered "Escondido Free Methodist Church." Considering my granddad was a pastor for many many years, I assume this quilt was a gift from his congregation in Escondido CA.

Susan's post, and bringing the quilt out to show has prompted me to write an email to the church and see if by any chance they have any history on the quilt. Alot to hope for, but worth a shot.

Backed in a big floral print framed by a solid green border, it has a fold-from-the-back binding, and is obviously hand quilted. The piecing appears to have been done by machine. The quilt shows some wear, especially along the edges, but overall is in very good condition.

So there you have another fine example of a signature quilt. I'll be sure and report if I hear any more about its history.

Something's Fishy and A Winner

2012-02-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

Within moments of each other I opened several different applications tonight, and found {very} conflicting data.

Exhibit #1: What tipped me off was that the flickr widget on my blog has been alternating 'explore' numbers. This is what it looks like right this minute. (6, right?)

Exhibit #2: For some reason, it had been fluctuating since Tangerisk hit explore last week. So I decided to check out flickr-explorer again, and found this! (9 pics, right?)

Exhibit #3: On I went to see what a Scout poster would look like from bighugelabs, and I found this!! (8 pics, right? But it shows my two latest blocks, no Tangerisk, and only one Supernova!)

Please tell me you see the discrepancies here! I count 11 different 'explored' pics overall, but nowhere are they all together. Has anyone else run into this or have any explanation for it?? Just weird, IMHO.

Enough of that - it's time to choose a winner of my One Year give-away.

You are not going to believe this. I can honestly hardly believe it myself. With hubby as my witness, Susan of The History Quilter, you are #36 and the winner. Susan commented . . .

SusanFeb 2, 2012 05:32 AM

Congratulations again on your 1st year of blogging. You are one of my go-to blogs when I have a chance to read and now every Monday evening is a dinner made with the intent on entering into Tuesday at the Table. Although I have not embarked on it yet, my newest quilting adventure will be learning how to free motion quilt during two classes I will be taking later on this month. So excited to branch out and try new things! Again, Happy Anniversary! :)

Susan has been one of my biggest supporters, and for sure, the main encourager behind Tuesday at the Table. She introduced me to quilting podcasts (check hers out here), and though a busy mom, wife, quilter, and student(!), has become a regular follower and a special friend. I'm pleased as can be that she is the winner of my One Year give-away.

Thank you all for the affirmation and friendship expressed in your comments. I am feeling blessed to be on this journey together.

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 35 and Another Star

2012-02-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

When Kellie at get the words out posted her list for this week, I kinda went, "Oh no." Our list assignment is "People I would love to meet." Honestly, I don't know who most of the people on her list are! {so oblivious} Anyway, I'm not really into meeting famous people. I like the idea, but when I've had the chance, I've gotten all nervous and tongue-tied. (Of course, the most famous people I've met are Alton Brown, the Pioneer Woman, and Rick Steves, plus a handful of Seattle chefs.) Anyway, my list is short, and in alphabetical order - Heather, Leanne, Lindsey, Marci, Nicole, Susan, and Toni. There are others, but meeting those women would be a pretty big deal.

The Solstice Star Series by Faith of Fresh Lemon Quilts has been really enjoyable, and I make block #3 last night, again with my DS blues and greens.

Here's my first three blocks all together . . .

And just a reminder - today's the last chance to comment on my One Year post and enter the give-away for some of Malka Dubrasky's new fabric. You can find the post here. I'll be back tonight to choose the winner!

Fresh Sewing Day

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Fresh Sewing Day hosted by Lily's Quilts! It's a chance to look back at what we've accomplished in the last month, as well as share about a project we really enjoyed.

I was kind of surprised at the number of blocks I've made in January! Most were x and + blocks for the flickr swap. I really had no idea how much I would enjoy making them. Scrappy, unexpected, and fun.

1. Whirling Star, 2. Modern Blocks Bee - January block, 3. Ribbon Star, 4. Japanese x and + block, 5. Japanese x and + block, 6. Japanese x and + block, 7. Japanese x and + block, 8. Japanese x and + block, 9. Japanese x and + block, 10. Japanese x and + block, 11. Japanese x and + block, 12. Japanese x and + block, 13. Japanese x and + block, 14. Japanese x and + block, 15. Japanese x and + block, 16. Japanese x and + block, 17. Japanese x and + block, 18. Japanese x and + block, 19. Japanese x and + block, 20. Japanese x and + block

As far as projects go, it's been a mixed bag. Between the placemats, baby gifts, and drawstring bag, I used four new tutorials - all of which I'd use again. I enjoyed adapting Modern Halves by using scraps, and just now realized Elizabeth's original had a border, where mine does not.

1. Color Block Placemats, 2. Terrain zippy, 3. For baby, 4. "Tangerisk" for Tangerine Tango Challenge, 5. Scrappy Modern Halves quilt complete, 6. Lined Drawstring Bag (laundry size)

Tangerisk, my entry for the Tangerine Tango Challenge, was good fun. I started on a whim, with one block on my mind - the asterisk. I'd been wanting to try it for a while, so just dove in, cutting into my stack of tangerine and orange, and stitching up five blocks, all a little different in style and fabrics. I stared at them a while and then randomly framed them. Figuring out how to place my odd-sized blocks together was the hardest part, and I confess to some skepticism with my compulsive creation. But once I had them surrounded by some Kona Tangerine, I kind of liked it, and immediately knew how I wanted to quilt it - follow the lines of an asterisk, of course. Definitely.

Linking up with Fresh Sewing Day!

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-01-31T22:18:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've already showed off all my progress since last W.i.P. Wednesday, so thanks for bearing with me as I list my w.i.p.s.

Completed projects

Lined Drawstring Bag made from Jeni's pattern - see here. A fun, quick project! Couldn't be happier with it.

Scrappy Modern Halves quilt for Scrap Attack - What fun to see this one come together! (full pic here)

Ongoing projects
Hometown "Wild Thing" - Blocks all are trimmed and I've started to sew rows together.

Solstice Stars Series - The second star is done!

For the Love of Solids Swap - Still confirming color selection, but I've drafted a pattern idea. Made one little ole block to test the waters a bit. (5" finished size)

Sparkle QAL - No progress. Kinda got wrapped up in Modern Halves. Worth it.

Upcoming projects
* Scrappy Depression Blocks - I have a plan!
* do.Good Stitches February blocks - We'll be making three baby quilts using Blue Elephant Stitches' Granny Square Quilt Block Tutorial.

* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt
* "On a Whim"
* Table runner for my cousin
* Pattern for Mango

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

One Year

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm very fond of the word "journey": suggesting travel or passage from one place to another. We're all on journeys, aren't we? I certainly feel like this past year of blogging has been a sort of journey for me. Began somewhat hesitantly, just wanting to participate more fully in the online quilting community, my journey has brought me to a place of increased proficiency, connection with new friends, and expanded vision. My quilting has gone from being a hobby to a source of calm and keen pleasure, and blogging has helped make that happen.

Quilt-alongs, swaps, and bees have all been components; flickr has become a frequent companion; and affirmation has come through comments, "explores", features, and of course, conversations with you. My circle of like-minded quilters has grown from several to hundreds. And the joy I find in creating has grown exponentially.

I've appreciated the forum for sharing my love of the table. Though comparatively a smaller portion of my blog, it is no less important to me, and I'm grateful for those who have joined me around the table.

When it comes right down to it, I have you to thank for this year of growth and creativity. It's you that have spurred me on to projects I never could have imagined before. It's you that have encouraged me to be myself, that my craft has value. And it's you that have affirmed my journey itself. Thank you.

Will you join me in a little celebratory give-away to mark the one year anniversary of A Quilter's Table? It's a pleasure to offer this little bundle to one of you. After mulling over all sorts of fabric choices, I finally chose some fat-quarters of Malka Dubrawsky's new line, A Stitch in Color, which says 'modern' to me and represents stretching and growing. And I can't help but throw in my new favorite tool, a little hera marker - you need one!

Just leave a comment telling a bit about your quilting or crafting adventure. I'll choose a random winner some time Thursday. And again, I truly thank you for sharing the journey.

Tuesday at the Table

2012-01-31T01:00:00.000-08:00

I sat down to a different kind of table yesterday....at a church potluck.

Okay, so this was the 'food' table - 24 feet of table - laden with the requisite green salad, quite a selection of jello salads (and Cool Whip!), a big ole crock-pot of Swedish meatballs, and then came . . . the "hot-dishes" (Minnesotan for casserole, according to the Urban Dictionary).

Being somewhat of a food snob, I confess to some skepticism when it comes to casseroles. I like to know what's in things. But I was brave, filled my plate, and sat down to a table of three other women and three little girls. My favorite part of the meal was when another little girl squeezed in her chair to join her friends. Potlucks are definitely all about the socializing, but of course, also about the food. And what you see on most potluck tables is plenty of comfort food.

One of my favorite comfort foods is meatloaf. Of course the real reason to make a meatloaf is the sandwich you'll get the next day. yum. I recall meatloaf being one of the first things I learned to cook. Back then, I followed the recipe on the seasoning packet - pretty much hamburger, seasoning, cubed bread, milk and an egg. These days, I tend to make one of two recipes:

Minis, when I want quick and easy . . .

Source: myblessedlife.net

and what hubby refers to as "bacon meatloaf" when I want real down-home with lots of leftovers.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com

Either way, this is comfort food for me.

Monday Finishes

2012-01-30T06:31:00.000-08:00

Jeni of In Color Order recently shared a drawstring bag pattern that I've been wanting to try, so when my mom mentioned she could use a laundry bag for traveling, it was the perfect chance. (You can purchase the pattern here, though a smaller version is offered as a tutorial here.)

I'd had this purple triangle print in my stash for a while (by Brandon Mably, a designer with Kaffe Fasset), and mom and I both loved it for this project. The bag was easy and fun to make, and I'll definitely be making more in other sizes. I think the 'yoke' detail of Jeni's pattern really adds to it, allowing for fun contrast.

After posting a pic of the Modern Halves completed top yesterday, I was surprised how quickly the quilt came together once I got to my sewing room last night.

I debated about the binding for a while, thinking bright color was certainly in order, but in the end, settled on a dark gray to frame it all. While I love the scrappy look of my version of the original made by Elizabeth of Don't Call Me Betsy, I realized soon after starting that my scrap basket wasn't full of enough long lengths of fabric. So I got as far as I could from my scrap basket for each block, and then went to my stash to finish a few of them up. I especially like how the vertical lines are so pronounced when the colorful halves were re-pieced together. My version will make a nice lap-quilt, finishing up at 54" square.

Linking up with {sew} modern monday, Slash the Stash, Fabric Tuesday, finish it up Friday, and Scrap Attack.

Wordless Progress

2012-01-29T11:32:00.001-08:00

Modern Halves top complete, a photo by flickrdeb50 on Flickr.

Truly Random

2012-01-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share the creative blocks I received from the 4x5 modern quilt bee, quarter 4.

Nice, huh?? I still can hardly believe that they came not only from around the U.S., but also from Canada, Australia(!), and Morocco(!!). Amazing. So I have 12 modern gray and orange blocks from the first two rounds of the 4x5 {here's my first set}, and will be going one more round, this time as a caretaker. Cool.

A really nice surprise was realizing that two of my pics of Tangerisk made flickr explore! Must say, that's always pretty exciting.

1. "Tangerisk" for Tangerine Tango Challenge, 2. sneak peek, 3. Dead Simple Quilt, 4. Kaleidoscope complete!, 5. Mini-Swoon II, 6. Supernova!

Have you heard about the Simply Charmed Blog Hop? Melissa from Happy Quilting got a group of quilters together, and beginning February 1, there will be Valentine tutorials each day. See all the details here.

I ended up trimming quite alot last night - charm squares for the 4x5 fabric swap . . .

Sketch White and Black Screen by Timeless Treasures & Nature Elements Candy Pink by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics, per my assigned colors of black and pink

. . . some of my Hometown blocks . . .
and my Modern Halves blocks! Don't get too excited - I just slashed and starting placing them randomly on the design wall . . . (phone pic!) . . . but this is going to be one brightly colored quilt!

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 34 and a Whirling Star

2012-01-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

In addition to this week's list, I got star #2 in the Solstice Stars Series done last night. The Whirling Star is, uh, paper-pieced. Not my speciality, and I pieced it with about 30% of the seams being ripped out and stitched again (operator error!). I'm not super happy with the fabrics I chose to use together, mostly due to the last of contrast in the center "cones". But it looks good with the Ribbon Star from last week, so all's shining bright.

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-01-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

W.i.P. Wednesday's here again and I've had fun on a variety of projects.

Completed projects

For baby - You can see the baby goodies I made here, if you missed them.

Tangerine Tango - Whew! "Tangerisk" is done and entered in the challenge. See more pics and read about my process here.

Japanese x and + swap blocks - made one last block, and labeled 10 up and sent swapping. So I'm done for this round.

Ongoing projects
Hometown "Wild Thing" - All my blocks are done! Now I need to order some fabric for borders and backing. I think I'm going to go simple and solid. (pattern by Thimble Blossoms)

Modern Halves scrap quilt for Scrap Attack - I've finished 18 blocks and that's going to be it for now. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to find enough scraps large enough to make blocks of each color, so I'll make a nice little quilt with what I have. (pattern by Elizabeth Dackson of Don't Call Me Betsy here)

Solstice Stars Series -Star 1 is done; Sparkle QAL - all cut out. Posted about them here.

Upcoming projects
* Scrappy Depression Blocks - I have a plan!
* For the Love of Solids Swap - I am stalking my partners mosaic, am mulling over options, and may order a few more solids.

* do.Good Stitches January blocks - cancelled; taking a break in January . . .
* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt
* "On a Whim"
* Table runner for my cousin
* Pattern for Mango

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2012-01-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Hubby came home from the grocery store the other day with something that wasn't on the list, but the second I saw it, I knew what he had in mind. Long story, short - in our house a bag of frozen mixed berries says, "smoothies."

When son was still living at home, he was a real fan of Jamba Juice, our local chain smoothie shop. The three of us would often go together when we were out and about, and occasionally on the weekends, I'd try whipping up my own versions at home.

For Christmas, I got a nice new blender. Back story - I've kind of had a history of getting a new blender every few years, always on the lookout for the perfect one. Well this new one is by Waring, with a square glass jar, and a simple on/off switch. I've kind of been eyeing this one a while, as I remember it being very close to the one my mom used when I was a kid. (And what I most remember her making with it was milkshakes! We even had milkshake glasses!) I digress . . .anyway new blender + bag o'frozen fruit = smoothies on Saturday.

Basically, when I make smoothies, I also scour the kitchen for random ingredients, so if there's just a little orange juice in the carton, in it goes, or a lone banana, same thing. My basic "recipe":

milk and/or juice
frozen fruit or fresh
a tub of yougurt
a splash of (usually) almond flavoring
I start with liquid on the bottom, then add everything else, stirring, tasting, adding along the way.

When using fresh fruit, I'll toss in half a dozen ice cubes at the end. Another great idea is when you have bananas you don't use, throw them in the freezer - they are a great add to homemade smoothies! Really, any assortment goes. Some are better than others, but they're all healthy, tasty, and a nice treat that's kind of special.

This probably won't be my last blender ever, but it is the one of my dreams.

Tangerine Tango

2012-01-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

When I was first perusing palettes for my entry in the Tangerine Tango Challenge, I came across this by Design Seeds.

Source: twomoreseconds.com via Debbie on Pinterest

I loved it, but obviously, there are too many colors for the challenge, so I settled on the center three - the red-orange "tangerine" of course, orange, and a yellow-orange. Yellow in any form isn't really my normal choice, but when I saw this color wheel, I felt better.

Source: fromthebluechair.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Somewhat unknowingly, I had chosen color wheel neighbors! That I could live with.

As for a design, I had decided early on that I wanted to try the asterisk block, and just started making asterisks in a variety of sizes and fabrics. I tried to use unique components in each block, like a pieced asterisk, a pieced background, 'arms' in different fabrics, etc. Once I had five blocks, I put them together, and came up with this:

Clearly, the 'blank' spots needed filled in, so fill I did, and soon had this:

For quilting, I decided to start with a big ole asterisk in this block, then echo-quilted between each set of arms.

The fabrics include a variety of tangerines and oranges, a background of KONA Tangerine, and accents of yellow-orange shot cotton. The back consists mostly of a Denyse Schmidt tangerine print, and the binding is 1001 Peeps Jewels in orange by Lizzy House. Though my intent was to enter the mini category, the finished quilt measures 30 1/2" X 35", so I'm entering it in the "quilt" category of the challenge.

I'm not usually one to name my quilts, but for this one I have chosen a name . . . Tangerisk.

Linking up with {sew} Modern Monday, Fabric Tuesday, and Finish It Up Friday.

A Revelation

2012-01-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

Last night I puttered in the sewing room a bit, making up one last x and + block (for now). I'll get 10 in the mail to Sarah today for swapping.

And I cut out fabric for the Sparkle QAL.

But mostly, I quilted. First I basted up my Tangerine Tango top. I mulled over quilting patterns, and finally came to a decision. So on to marking. I usually dread this part. Between the choices of a marking pen that doesn't mark well, or blue painter's tape that doesn't stay put, I prefered neither. So I was pretty excited I had a new option to try!

Nicole of Mama Love Quilts had just posted about her use of a hera marker. {rush here}

I kind of remember hearing about this little tool before, but I had no idea how amazing it was. Basically you just make a mark on your quilt with the rounded end of the tool, and voila! The mark is easy to see throughout the quilting process, but not visible when you're done!

It worked like a charm marking up my quilt top, and my quilting was done in no time!

Do be sure and visit Nicole's blog- she does some amazing work! I'm so glad we got connected!

Linking up with Friday Night Sew-In.

Random Yet Again

2012-01-20T16:13:00.000-08:00

It only seems fair to report back on the starching and folding/rolling topics from last week:

Starching: Yes-7, No-6. Those that do it swear by it. I may just have to give it a try . . . in fact I bought a can today.
Folding vs. rolling: Folding-6, Rolling-2, and Flat-1. So I'm with the majority here.
Thanks to all of you who shared in the comments!

In other randomness . . .
Do you know about Bing Translator? Every once in a while I get a comment that isn't already translated. I got one earlier this week, and went straight to www.microsofttranslator.com, copied in the comment, and voila! Instant translation. I had a clue, but I didn't even need to know what language Elena's comment was in.

There were a couple of posts by Rachel over at Stitched in Color this week that I found especially interesting - one on the history of those scrappy x and + blocks some of us are obsessed with, and one on how to hang a mini quilt. I think I'll be trying her casing method next time around.

I got my first block in the Solstice Stars Series done, and am really glad I decided to dig into my DS stash for these. Very fun.

And speaking of fun - my mom was "snowed in" with us this week, and what a treat it was to have her doing all the pressing as I stitched away on a variety of projects. A long-time encourager, I think she enjoyed being a part of the quilty action. And I can thank her for helping me settle on fabric choices for the Sparkle QAL.

So getting that cut out is one of my goals for Friday Night Sew-In. Later!

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 33 and The Weather

2012-01-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

This week's list is right up my alley! Recipes I need to make . . .

Meatloaf
Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Tara on Pinterest

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
Source: foodandwine.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Crisp Flatbreads with Honey, Thyme and Sea Salt

Source: smittenkitchen.com via OrangeOnOrange on Pinterest

Lasagne Soup
Source: afarmgirlsdabbles.com via Nikki on Pinterest

Curried Lentil Soup

Source: eat-drink-smile.com via Debbie on Pinterest

(while working on this post I actually made this one and it's a keeper!)

And since I've had some requests for pics of our Pacific Northwest weather . . .

I know it doesn't look like much, but 'we' aren't used to the ice and cold temps, and with our hilly landscape, things get dangerous fast. The roads are ice rinks, there are power outages, and apparently the Governor has declared a state of emergency. Meanwhile it's snowing {again}.

For Baby

2012-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist sewing up some baby goodies for my friend, Marci, who is due any day!

Daughter dear suggested a bapron. A what? New to me, but the tutorial for this baby apron was fun and easy to follow. {here} Love Jess' blog name - Craftiness is not Optional - so true!

Wouldn't you know that the day I started on these burp cloths, Marci posted a similar project. {eek!} Considering I had already purchased the supplies, I forged a head. Can't have too many, I'm sure. I used this tutorial {here} by Cluck Cluck Sew. I liked how nicely the bound edges finished them off.

And lastly, I made a travel changing pad, based on an Amy Butler pattern in this book. I used this pattern to make a couple for grandbaby a year ago, and they have worked and washed really well. But the book has since gone missing, so I just used one of grandbaby's as a template, and that worked just fine.

All in all I had great fun trying the new tutorials and doing something a little different than my norm. The fabric line, btw, is Backyard Baby by Patty Sloneger for Michael Miller Fabrics. I thought it was really cute without being too babyish. And now that Marci has received the box of goodies, I can show them off and publicly say to Marci, "Wishing you the best!"

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday . . .

A Table Tidbit

2012-01-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

News flash! "Snowed in" according to Pacific Northwest standards, so headed to the kitchen. Tried a recipe I'd pinned on Pinterest and I'm here to say Cinnamon Bubble Buns are delish!!

Source: sprinkledwithflour.com via Rachel on Pinterest

This was my introduction to Sprinkled with Flour, and I'll be checking out her site, that's for sure. Love her byline: If you're not ready to fail, you're not going to learn how to cook. - Julia Child

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

W.i.P. Wednesday's here again - another week of working a little bit on alot.

Completed projects

Terrain zip pouch - Made for a friend's birthday and always a fun, quick finish.

Ongoing projects
Hometown "Wild Thing" - 15/42 blocks done. (pattern by Thimble Blossoms)

Japanese x and + swap blocks - Of the 12 blocks I made last week, I already swapped 5 with a flickr buddy. I did make 3 more, so I have 10 in-house. I think I'll send them all off to swap and then start making more to keep.It'll take 80 or so for a quilt, so I've got a ways to go. (tutorial by badskirt found here)

Modern Halves scrap quilt for Scrap Attack - Still plugging away, I've finished 11 blocks, and have 3 more cut out. (pattern by Elizabeth Dackson of Don't Call Me Betsy here)

Tangerine Tango - Almost forgot to get this on the list! A snowy afternoon last weekend gave me a chance to get started on it. The top is now done, and backing and batt cut out. Just need to start quilting.

Upcoming projects
* Solstice Stars Series quilt block tutorials - begins today! NEW
* Sparkle QAL - begins tomorrow NEW
* Put together Scrappy Depression Blocks
* For the Love of Solids Swap - signed up and waiting to get my partner!

* do.Good Stitches January blocks - cancelled; taking a break in January . . .
* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt
* "On a Whim"
* Table runner for my cousin
* Pattern for Mango

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2012-01-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

I credit two women with teaching me to cook, one imaginary and one real. I didn't know the one was made-up until I was a young woman, and I confess it was a shock. It was Betty Crocker whose cookbook was the first I ever consulted, kind of the cooking Bible in my childhood home. It was there our family favorite cookies were found; it was there I looked up unfamiliar food terms, techniques, and table settings; and it was there I looked for recipes to create exciting new things. 'Born' in 1921, her first book published in 1950, Betty's picture changed over the years - and I was in disbelief that they would mess with such an icon! After all, besides her book, her baking mixes were staples in our pantry, and we grew up saving her coupons. In fact, the silverware in my drawer right now was purchased with them. And as you knew I would, I have my own well-worn orange cookbook on my shelf.

The second woman, thank goodness, is real. And that would be my mom, who shared Betty with me in the first place. I don't remember ever being told to get out of the kitchen, but was welcomed in to watch and learn and share. I was given beaters to lick after cakes were mixed up, running commentaries as I watched her cook, and a stool to stand on until I was tall enough to reach the counter. I learned from her that cooking was a way to care for those you loved.

Eventually, I was applauded as I made jello parfaits, filled angel food cakes, and other creations of my own choosing. And finally, one summer when mom and dad were working full-time, my brother and I in high school and fully-capable, we were pretty much handed the "keys" to the kitchen. Back in the days where we could take a signed, blank check to the grocery store and buy what our self-created menu required, come home and have a nice dinner ready for our family.

I still consult Betty occasionally, but it was mom I quizzed last weekend when I decided I'd make a pea salad for the pot-luck we were going to. After all, mom IS the queen of pea salad! And I think, with her expert advice, I made my best one ever. Thanks mom - for the pea salad, of course - but also for the years of mentoring and sharing in the kitchen and around the table. And by the way, Happy Birthday!

Mom's Pea Salad
2 bags frozen peas (10 oz. each), cooked just a couple of minutes in boiling water
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
two cheeses - a white and a yellow (I used cheddar and jack), cubed
green onions, sliced thinly
cocktail peanuts
bacon, crisp and crumbled
seasoning salt and pepper
sour cream (I use "light")
mayonnaise (I use "light")

This is more of a guide-line that a true recipe - but it's like mom told me. Combine the peas, cauliflower, cheese, onions, and pepper. Stir in equal amounts of sour cream and mayo, per your taste. Season with seasoning salt and pepper. Top with bacon just before serving.

Random

2012-01-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

While the (seemingly) rest of blog land is caught up in swooning-along, I thought I'd join Jeni of In Color Order and Megan of Canoe Ridge Creations in their Sparkle Quilt-Along. I like that they are giving fabric requirements for a variety of sizes. I'll most likely be doing the mini, and am thinking of pulling out some of my Terrain fq for the occasion.

I was also excited to see Faith of Fresh Lemons tell about a series of quilt block tutorials she's starting, called Solstice Stars. These look like cool stars to have in our repertoire, no? Faith will post the tutorials on Wednesdays, January 18 through February 15.

There have also been a couple of posts that made me curious about what you do - one about storing quilts, here at Tallgrass Prairie Studio, and the other about spray starch at Amy's Creative Side. I'll be up front and say that mostly I fold my quilts when not in use, and I do not routinely spray starch anything. I would find any discussion on either of these topics very interesting. (And, surprise to me, my buddy Heather of Crafting . . . is being featured over at Amy's today. Do check it out here!)

Daughter dear shared with me a way you can see what from your blog has been pinned on Pinterest.

Here is my code -

http://pinterest.com/source/aquilterstable.blogspot.com/

- basically, substitute your blog's name for mine.

Lastly, do you ever have pre-cuts languishing in your stash, not sure what you should/could do with them? I've been thinking about creating a list of patterns that are pre-cut-friendly. Feel free to mention any patterns you know of that would be perfect for charm packs, jelly-rolls, etc. I'll compile our joint offerings and post the list next week.

Enough randomness for one morning - hope you have a great day!

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 32 and Some Modern Day Quilts

2012-01-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

So there's this week's list. And in catching up on my blogs this morning, I see that Modern Day Quilts is one today. If you are interested in seeing a bunch o'great modern quilts, take a peek at the archive here! I confess it's great to see some of my friends' quilts posted there and, um, one of mine. Oh, and speaking of birthdays, be sure and wish a happy one to Susan of The History Quilter. She posted such a precious post this morning. Wishing her the best.

Show Off!

2012-01-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Just thought you'd enjoy a quick peek of the Color Block Placemats I made my coworker - on her dining table! Don't they look great in real life?

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-01-10T22:27:00.000-08:00

Here it is, W.i.P. Wednesday again. It's been a week of working willy-nilly on several projects at once. But progress is progress!

Completed projects

Color Block Placemats -My first finish of the year! If you missed the post, here it is.

Modern Blocks bee - Finished my block for this bee's first month here. Alisha is going to have one beautiful bliss-ful quatrefoil quilt!

Ongoing projects
Hometown "Wild Thing" - Only 6/42 blocks done, but the rest are all cut out! (pattern by Thimble Blossoms)

Japanese x and + swap blocks -This flickr swap runs through February 18. Twelve blocks done so far . . these little guys are addicting! It's been fun rummaging through my scrap basket to put these together. (tutorial by badskirt found here)

Modern Halves scrap quilt for Scrap Attack - Working through my stack of colors, 5 blocks are done, with another orange, green, and purple one cut out. (pattern by Elizabeth Dackson of Don't Call Me Betsy here)

Upcoming projects
* Put together Scrappy Depression Blocks NEW
* For the Love of Solids Swap - signed up and waiting to get my partner!

* do.Good Stitches January blocks - cancelled; taking a break in January . . .
* A Christmas quilt to coordinate with my tree skirt NEW
* "On a Whim" NEW
* Table runner for my cousin NEW
* Pattern for Mango - hopefully in early 2012!

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2012-01-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

Since I work in a fairly large church, the Christmas season is crazy busy, so our staff decided to postpone the annual Christmas party till after the hub-bub was over. So over the weekend, we gathered for our traditional potluck and gift exchange. Considering there were nearly 30 of us there, that meant quite alot of potluck dishes coming to the party. So I was a bit surprised when I sidled up to my friend "M" at the kitchen island, and saw she was arranging a large array of appetizers that she had brought. She saw my reaction, and blurted out, "I'm celebrating! It's two years since my procedure, and I want to share all of my favorite foods!" wow. There was a huge sushi platter(!), crackers and chipotle dip over cream cheese, barbecued pork with mustard and soy and sesame seeds. . . along with a bottle of Champagne.

Of course I knew what she was talking about. Two years earlier, she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, given just months to live. I had been at a small gathering just two Christmases ago, where a mutual friend, in their deep shock and grief, asked, "What if the doctors are wrong?" To which M replied, "They aren't. I've had lots of tests that prove them right." Except that when they went in to do surgery a week later, all the doctors and all the tests had been wrong! Instead of doing major surgery, a routine procedure was done to fix M's problem. It was a real-life miracle.

So I stood there with M Saturday night, snacking and just enjoying her presence. And it hit us both hilarious when she accidently bumped me and my wine glass sloshed all of its contents on and down my (favorite) shirt. I tell ya, I'll take a good sloshing from a walking miracle any day.

Now I know, believe me, I know, that miracles don't always happen. But when they do, it's a perfect time to gather around the table, even if it's an island in the kitchen, and celebrate.

First Finish

2012-01-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Yay! I have my first finish for 2012! The set of eight placemats that I started before Christmas is finally done.

The pattern, Color Block Placemats, by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Fransson!, was part of the Holiday Sew-Along at Sew, Mama, Sew! I really enjoyed pulling from my stash to make these scrappy, adding one purchased fabric - some KONA Crush in Natural. I ordered it on a whim, just because I was curious what it was like, and boy do I approve. It just seems to add some nice texture to the overall look and feel of the placemats. So chalk one up for the 2012!

Linking up with {Sew} Modern Monday, Fabric Tuesday, and Finish It Up Friday.

Tangerine Tango

2012-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

Honestly, when I heard that this year's Pantone Color of the Year was Tangerine Tango, several thoughts went through my mind:
1. Pantone really exists and isn't just a name for color options on my computer?
2. There's a color of the year? Really?
3. If #2 is true, then why orangey-red tangerine now? (I kind of thought last year was a very orange year. Apparently 2011's color was honeysuckle, a reddish pink. Can't say I noticed. Did you?)

Source: thedecorologist.com via Janae on Pinterest

Anyway, all of this brings me to . . . the Tangerine Tango Challenge. It's sponsored by Ali of a2(w) and Erin of Two More Seconds, and you can find all the rules on their sites, on in the flickr group.

At first I wasn't going to play along, worried that I'd have too much going on, and I did really overdose on orange quite a bit last year, remember? But I got sucked in when I started seeing all the lovely tangerine/orange fabrics popping up in the flickr group, and it IS the color of the year after all. So I'm planning on entering the 'mini' category, and have been gathering my fabrics together.

My stack consists of (l-r): Kona Tangerine, a DS Daisy Mae swirl, 5 Half Moon Modern fabrics (chevron, scissors, big dots, little dots, leaves), Lizzy House Outfoxed Jewels in orange, Heirloom Citrine Blockprint Blossom in Amber, Michael Miller dots in orange, Metro Living in orange, Pool Side Sketch in orange. Really, the DS and Outfoxed prints most closely match the Kona. Do you think the others are ok? Still mulling over my selection . . .

So stay tuned. Anyone else joining me in the tango??

Modern Halves and Modern Blocks

2012-01-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so several of you recognized my scrappy blocks yesterday from Elizabeth Dackson's new pattern, Modern Halves. Good going! (You'll find Elizabeth at her blog, Don't Call Me Betsy.) Huge difference though - Elizabeth made her quilt out of the mod and amazing Half Moon Modern fabrics, while I am rummaging through the mountain of scraps on my sewing room floor.

I actually started with a charm pack I got in my stocking.
{thanks sis!}

There are two charms of each color, so I'm planning on making two similar but different blocks of each color, using the charm squares as the centers, and scraps as the bars. I'm being adventuresome and just working down through the stack of charms, so you saw orange and lime yesterday, and here's lavender today. bad lighting - it looks so much better in person!

So that's been fun. Also fun is my first block for the Modern Blocks Bee! Alisha is up for January and sent out a fun little bundle of Bliss, and asked us all to make her a Quatrefoil block by Solidia Hubbard. (We're all using the book, Modern Blocks.)

I've been in several bees, but never one where someone sends me fabric to make the block of their choosing. Needless to say, I was very excited, and just had to make my block as soon as possible! Ta da!

O'fer Scraps

2012-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

There's alot of talk about scraps going around! (That there's my basket o'scraps second row down on the right!) It never even dawned on me until I started blogging and seeing other folks' scraps, that there might be organized scraps! Me, I toss them in the basket and dive in as needed.

1. we have scraps!

Or, I just dump them all out and dig through them, like I've been doing this week, since I heard about the Scrap Attack. Basically the goal is to make a quilt mostly of scraps, finishing by the end of March. This year. It doesn't matter when you started, so feel free to pull out a scrappy w.i.p. to finish up. Check out Stitched in Color for all the details.

I actually have two scrappy projects going. One I've mentioned already - the Japanese x and + block swap. I managed to get one more block made, and honestly, I don't expect to finish this quilt in the next two months - it'll be a continued scrappy endeavour for a while, I'm sure.

But I do hope to finish my second project on time for the Festival of Scrappiness. I'm going to be a bit sneaky and just post the two blocks I have done so far. I'm curious if you can identify them from a recent new pattern floating out in blogland. I'll fess up if I need to, but I'm pretty sure you'll figure it out.

Anyone else joining the Scrap Attack? And if so, whatcha doin'?

W.i.P. Wednesday

2012-01-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

It's been fun seeing the blog community 'come alive' bit by bit since Christmas. I've been keeping up my w.i.p. Wednesday posts to stay motivated, but in doing so, I've got nothing completed to show today. After nearly a week out of the sewing room, it feels good to ease back in!

Ongoing projects

Color Block Placemats - I gifted two placemats for Christmas, and the recipient was so pleased. I've since finished three more, and just quilted the last of the remaining three tonight. So now I'll be binding for a bit, but the end is in sight. (pattern by Oh, Fransson on Sew, Mama, Sew!)

Hometown "Wild Thing" - I'm excited to really get going on this quilt! Minimal cutting is needed, seven quick seams, and a block is done. 3/42 blocks complete. (pattern by Thimble Blossoms)

Japanese x and + swap blocks -This is for a flickr swap that officially starts on January 7, and runs through February 18. They are a fun little block to put together, and I plan on making mine from my scrap basket. (tutorial by badskirt found here)

Upcoming projects
* Scrap quilt for Scrap Attack NEW

* For the Love of Solids Swap - signed up and turned in my questionnaire! NEW
* do.Good Stitches January blocks - cancelled; taking a break in January . . .
* Modern Blocks bee - got my fabric today for January and I'm very excited!
* Pattern for Mango - hopefully in early 2012!

* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2012-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I shared about the unique Sea Salt Superstore located in my town. I was fortunate enough to find some new salts to try in my stocking this year - thanks Santa! Anyway, we have another unique store that opened up not long ago -
The Root Beer Store!

Now I confess, I'm a Diet Coke girl when it comes to pop/soda/coke/whatever you call it. But it's been fun to take a mixed six-pack to a couple of Christmas gift exchanges. And, when friends came over last week for a casual post-holiday gathering, our easy and fun dessert was - you guessed it! - root beer floats.

Sprecher's Root Beer, shown in front here, is apparently the most popular root beer, nation-wide, according to the store clerk. The Frostie's Vanilla Root Beer, shown on the far right, is the Root Beer Store's most popular product. Who knew?!

We had a fun time choosing a root beer for our personalized floats, and of course, they were all mighty tasty. See, fun and deliciousness around the table doesn't have to be formal or gourmet. Just gather round, and it's bound to be a good thing.

Root Beer Float
vanilla ice cream
root beer

Spoon a couple of scoops of ice cream into a tall glass. Tip the glass slightly and slowly pour in the root beer, stopping for the foam to subside as necessary, before adding more root beer. We like to serve our floats with a straw . . . and preferably, a long-handled spoon.

Source: simplyrecipes.com via Debbie on Pinterest

To the Finish!

2012-01-02T14:44:00.001-08:00

Over at Quilter in the Gap, Rhonda has a pretty clever linky going on. Who among us hasn't been giving some thought to those 2011 projects that are still hanging out waiting to be finished? I know I have. Though not many, I'd really like to get these done in the next month or so. So I'm joining in the Finish-A-Long and will be working at completing the following projects:

At the top of my list is finishing up the Color Block Placemats I am . . . um . . . making my coworker for Christmas. 2011. The good news is two were done in time to give her before Christmas, and she loved them! The not so good news is the other six. But by now I have two more done, two ready to bind, and two that still needed quilted. Progress, but.

Project #2 is putting together the scrappy depression blocks that I swapped in the Scrapbuster Swap last summer. I have 15 blocks, and I have no idea how I'm putting these blocks together into a quilt. But I need to figure that out. Don't want them going too stale in the fabric closet!

Last on the list is Wild Thing by Thimble Blossoms. It's been on the list for a while, and yahoo! I have one block made! But after seeing all of the Hometown goodies Heather at Crafting... had made {my personal favorite here}, I really wanted to work with these charms from my stash!

So that's some of what I'll be working on the next little bit . . .

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 31

2012-01-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

I really thought I was going to get away with it - not making new year resolutions. But wouldn't you know, when Kellie posted the list assignment for this week, it was, of course, "What are your resolutions?" For some reason, the word 'resolution' sends a wave of 'prepare to fail' through me. So I'm going to list goals - things I would like to achieve.

Of course, I've been reading everyone else's goals for days now, and that's good. It's given me stuff to think about. But when I read Kelli of Small Town Stitcher claim her 'word for the year' as balance, well that struck a real chord with me. That's what I want too, for sure.

Goals for 2012
~ I want balance as it concerns my health. I feel like I've let grief get the best of me the last few months, as far as my nourishment goes. You know I love good food. Sad thing is, I also love bad food. Am I an emotional eater? You bet. It's time to eat like I care about the body God gave me, and like I want to be around for a very long time, healthy. I'm going to try to nix the white sugar and flour better, and be wiser about snacking. Oh, and boy does my portion size need an adjustment. I may decide to follow 'a program'. I'm not sure yet, but what I've been doing hasn't been doing me any good.
~ I want balance in my house. Not that it's awful or anything, but it's time to go room to room and just clean out a bit. I honestly don't need 'super clean', but I do need tidy, and I'm just feeling the need to make a good thing better.
~ I want balance as I pursue my quilting and blogging. One look at my mosaics of last year's projects tells a story - I spent alot of time in my sewing room. Now most of that was my relaxing time at the end of a very full work day, but still. I want to be more thoughtful about what I do. Don't get me wrong, this hobby keeps me settled in a great way, and I hope and plan on sewing plenty. I have bees I'm excited to be in and a list of quilts I want to make this year. And I love blogging and want to change mine up a bit and make it better. I want to expand my quilty horizons - to continue to be challenged and learn new skills, and keep sharing my quilting with others. Thoughtful - I just want to be more thoughtful.

So there you go. That wasn't so awful. A short list, but an honest one. It actually feels good. Now it's time to move forward.

Good-bye and Hello

2011-12-31T12:58:00.000-08:00

In saying good-bye to 2011, I close a year that has been a huge step forward as far as my quilting goes. Starting a blog 11 months ago today was a brave adventure for me. Putting myself out there in the quilt blog community was a big deal, but oh has it been rewarding! And fun!

It has been a year filled with an immersion into the world of flickr, quilt-alongs that have been truly inspiring, and a variety of swaps (and there is such a variety!) Blogging has spurred me into production-mode, learning new techniques, experimenting with new fabrics, just in general thinking about the process a whole lot more!

(14 minis, 13 lap quilts, 5 full-size quilts)

Though I've got a ways to go in the skills and confidence departments, I am pretty pleased to have dabbled in free-motion quilting this year, and have finally been able to quilt some larger projects myself. I enjoyed hosting a swap with my daughter, Rachel, of Snippets of Sweetness, as well as posting my first tutorial.

(5 pouches, 7 table runners, 4 mug rugs, a pincushion,
a sewing machine cover, a tree skirt)

I have been a part of two bees this year - the 4x5 modern Quilt Bee and do.Good Stitches, which have both been such fulfilling groups to be a part of - and participated in other assorted block swaps.

It was an unexpected honor each time one of my projects were featured, and I found it so affirming. But without a doubt, the best part of this year has been connecting with new friends who have encouraged and inspired me, and plain added joy to my days. They invited me to be myself, to share my other interests beyond quilting, and it was at their prompting that I made Tuesday at the Table a regular feature.

As far as moving forward, I'm not totally sure, but am still in the process of thinking through some goals. 2011 was bursting with new experiences, expanding quilting skills, and pure delight in creating. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and am so grateful to all of you who joined me on the journey. And honestly, that's pretty much what I hope to be able to say again at the end of 2012.

Linking up with Fresh Sewing Day and The Year in Sewing!

Good Mail

2011-12-29T20:17:00.000-08:00

Good mail is the best! You know - cards from people you actually know, purchases from your favorite online quilt shops, bee blocks from far-away places and swap packages from partners unknown. Oh, but I bet you agree, the very best good mail is the unexpected!! And what a surprise it was to receive this patchwork travel sewing kit from Marci of Marci Girl Designs!

This was a total surprise, and totally appreciated! I'll give you a little tour . . .the "front", including nice long ties to keep things all bundled together . . . love all that Bliss and the uber sweet monogram!

The inside, with special places for needles, thread, scissors, and other sewing goodies . . .

And, here's the darling little sewing kit all packed up!

Marci used the tutorial {here} by Amy of lots of pink here! It is impeccably made and I love every little detail!

So far it has only gone so far as the couch, but oh was it handy as I hand-stitched last night. I know I will enjoy using this little kit alot! Thanks so much, Marci!!

A Table Tidbit

2011-12-29T11:33:00.000-08:00

My lower lip pouted out instinctively. We were dropping son-home-for-Christmas-from-far-away at the airport this morning. Some, though small, consolation was the breakfast we found on the way back home.

We had to wait for a table, standing in a cramped aisle-way, though I enjoyed our environs enough not to be bored. There was the crowded bakery counter with inviting baked goods and a busy barista making coffees non-stop. I loved when the waitresses shouted orders down from the elevated dining room.

Finally seated, I ordered one of those coffees myself, and immediately was warmed, inside and out.

I glanced around the dining room as we waited for our food. Situated in a "shabby chic" Victorian house, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable. The crowd was eclectic, with one young woman wearing both running shorts and floral rubber boots, a hip dark-haired guy with the biggest white glasses I have ever seen. And then there was the large group seated nearby, multicultural, multi-aged, from a grandpa-type to a crying newborn. Throughout our meal, laughter came from the group often, hearty, and loud.

Breakfast was tasty and bountiful. And at the end, all I can say is I felt better as I walked out than I did when I walked in.

photo by Hi Spot Cafe

Blogger's Choice

2011-12-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

A verrrry interesting little competition is going on over at Quokka Quilts, in conjunction with Fat Quarter Shop. I'm sure you've seen the "Blogger's Choice" fat quarter bundles available at FQS, yes? Well here's a chance to make your own! There's judges and everything! The competition runs through January 15, and the winner will win a half-yard of each of their bundle fabrics. Sounds pretty cool, huh? See all the details {here}.

So, here's my bundle . . .

And just for the record, the fabrics are:

Primativa Charcoal Rustic Florals by Jane Dixon forAndover Fabrics

Super Orange Playful Pin Dots by Gudrun Erla for Red Rooster Fabrics

FloraTangerine Feathers by Lauren & JessiJung for Moda Fabrics

Muslin Mates White Swirl Vine by Moda

Primativa Tangerine Diamond Delight by Jane Dixon for Andover Fabrics

Primativa Charcoal and Plum Wavy Reed Stripes by Jane Dixon for Andover Fabrics

Lost and Found Gray Medallion Dots by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake Designs

Whitewash Charcoal Scallop Dots by Meg Hawkeyof Crabapple Hill

for Lecien Fabrics

Oval Elements Crocus byPatricia Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics

Nature Elements Charcoal byPatricia Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics

Bohemian Soul Plum Laceby Patricia Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics

Hyperreal GardenCashmere Illusion by Patricia Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics

Kona CottonTangerine

Kona CottonCerise

Kona CottonAsh

W.i.P. Wednesday

2011-12-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest W.i.P.s . . . I actually am surprised I have anything to show, considering a super busy work week last week and Christmas, of course . . .

Completed projects

Zip Pouch - I got it done in time to give for Christmas. What a fun, quick finish.

do.Good Stitches December blocks - Yay! I got these Wavy Prism blocks done and in the mail. All of us in the Faith circle were asked to make two blocks, though each block is made up of four paper-pieced sub-blocks. This should be a really interesting quilt to see come together.

Wrenly hst zig-zag quilt - Finally . . . got this quilted up and bound on Boxing Day. This project has been a long-term w.i.p., so glad to have it done before the end of the year. I asked hubby to take some pictures after it was washed, and he didn't quite get how the design went, so here's some nice sideways views. ;-)

Ongoing projects

Color Block Placemats - I gifted two of the placemats for Chrismas, and the recipient was so pleased. The remaining 6 are cut out and in progress. (pattern by Oh, Fransson on Sew, Mama, Sew!)

Upcoming projects
* do.Good Stitches January blocks
* Japanese x and + swap blocks - starts in January!
* Modern Blocks bee - starts in January!
* A scrap quilt
* Hometown "Wild Thing"

* Pattern for Mango - hopefully in early 2012!
* A light box
* Quilts for siblings #2 and #3

Well, that's it for now! I think Lee's official W.i.P. Wednesday link-up will start back up next week, so that's something to look forward to!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday . . .

Tuesday at the Table

2011-12-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I figured I owed you a glance at this year's Christmas Day menu.

There were several "keepers" in the trying of new recipes, so I'm anxious to share those with you. Sorry, in the busyness of the day, I didn't get foodie pics, so thanks go to pinterest . . .

Praline Bacon - Kaelin of the plaid scottie mentioned this in the comments of last Tuesday's post, and it went over great. I may chop the pecans a tad finer next go-round, as they tended to fall off the bacon . . .the recipe Kaelin suggested is by Amusing Ma Bouche.

Source: open.salon.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Cranberry Mimosas from RecipeGirl - I enjoyed this twist on the traditional. We floated a few tipsy crantinis in ours, which added to the fun.

Source: recipegirl.com via Dana on Pinterest

Bite-sized Baked Brie by Joy the Baker - My grocery store didn't have the popsicle sticks, so we did without those. We did make these up on Christmas Eve, and popped them back in the freezer. Then the bites went right from freezer to oven when we needed them on Christmas Day - worked out great. We had strawberry jam on hand, so that's what we used.

Source: joythebaker.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Chocolate-Almond Bark with Sea Salt - This was a last-minute creation, and made a great Christmas Eve hostess gift and addition to our holiday table . . . pretty much made up of my favorite ingredients!

Source: epicurious.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Mac n'Cheese Gnocchi from Noble Pig - We made this especially with our kids in mind. Hubby 'cheated' and made the sauce the day before, then while we were putting out our Stocking Snacks on Christmas Day, he put the (uncooked) gnocchi in the crock-pot, stirred in the sauce, and it was hot and ready by dinner time.

Source: noblepig.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Though our 'tradition' makes for a busy and food-filled day, it helps to have our menu posted on the fridge, and to prep as much as possible the day before. Having numerous cooks in the family does not hurt either, and definitely adds to the fun!

52 lists in 52 weeks//week 30

2011-12-26T15:04:00.001-08:00

This week's list is all about yesterday, Christmas Day. I just saw the topic today, so my list will be in retrospect . . . a list of memories in the making . . . a reminder of what I have and what yesterday meant to me. And it meant alot, so this is from my heart . . .

What is making you happy? - What made me happiest of all was that both my kids were home for Christmas. That topped any wish list I may have had, and I imagine it always will.

What is going on? - A busy day beginning with brunch, then on to gifts, adding more family and our nontraditional "stockings in the afternoon" tradition, followed by dinner together.

Who are you spending the day with? - When I woke up, hubby and son-home-from-Minnesota were in the house. My mom arrived shortly after, followed by my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Later in the day, son-in-law's mom and grandma joined us.

What are you thankful for? - I am thankful to have known and shared life with a man who added such joy to our days. The fact that John, "Papa", is gone from us now continues to feel foreign. He would have loved our time together yesterday. He also would have read the Christmas story to us, from Luke 2, and I am thankful for a mom who is faithful and brave, and in her reading of the story yesterday, we heard the message loud and clear as ever. I am thankful for a husband who is a partner and lovingly shares in the burdens and joys of every day. I am thankful for a son who helps plan meals, celebrates the table, and cares and loves deeply. I am thankful for a daughter who "gets" what life together is all about, and who is so thoughtful and generous and goes the extra mile. I am thankful for a son-in-law who smiles and nods at just the right moments, and who has grown to be such a cherished member of our family. And I am thankful for a little granddaughter who is such an amazing gift to us. We laugh heartily together at her silly antics and smile across the room at each other at the utterance of her new-found words. She toddles into our open arms with a grin on her precious little face. We see already that she is learning by watching us, and so we joyfully share with her our traditions, our stories, our table, our faith, and our love for each other.

"Buttermint Flurry" ~ a special gift from daughter dear