Where I Sew

It's Where I Sew Month at Pink Chalk Fabrics! Since it's been 3 years since I last participated and I've relocated my sewing space in our home, I thought I might as well share again. Mine is nothing fancy and has a few issues I'd like to improve on, but all in all, I'm more than thankful for it and enjoy it alot. So here's a little tour around my studio.

Walk in the door, and you'll find my design wall on your left and then the desk area. You'll see that there's 2 desks back to back. That's because hubby and I actually share this room, though he likes to give me a bad time that I took over 3/4 of it. I guess that's true, but he did give me permission! Anyway, this is where I wake with my morning latte, blog, and do all my computer stuff.

Behind hubby's desk are a couple of bookshelves, and I've claimed just this one little shelf for my favorite quilting books.

Then along that wall is a nice large window where my cutting table is. That big ole basket is for scraps. Yeah, I'm not a sorter, and I canNOT seem to empty that basket!! So there's my machine set-up. If there was one thing I could improve about my studio, it would definitely be a big table to set my machine on. I think it would really help with my wrestling with quilts as I machine quilt. Though I have a real fondness for that sewing cabinet that holds my grandma's old Singer - the machine she taught me to sew on. All these years, whatever machine I've had, it's sat right on that cabinet. Just in case you're curious, my Patchwork, Please! You've-Got-Mail Wall Pocket holds my basic Aurifil threads - gray in one pocket, white and natural in others, so they are always handy. And that metal thing is an IKEA magazine rack from daughter-dear's old room. It's perfect for a few magazines, bee block instructions, and other paper patterns I'm working with. Over the weekend I was inspired by Leanne/shecanquilt's "show off corner" and hung my 2 ribbons from AQS shows. 

There's alot I like about my studio, but one of my favorite parts is my fabric storage. No longer in bins, I can open the closet doors and see everything I have. Yes there are cubbies behind that tiny wall, but hubby installed 2 lights on the other side, so I really can see in there pretty good. Can't say I totally cleaned it up for you, but you can see I keep my roll of batting, a bin of all my interfacings, extra rulers, etc. All in all, it's pretty workable.

And lastly, the ironing corner! The Noodlehead bag has all my zips, and there's my main mini wall. The silver IKEA holder in this photo holds my postcard collection - unrelated to my sewing, but they make me smile, and should give you a clue where my idea for The Postcard Quilt came from!

So that's where I create pretty much everything I blog about. It's a comfortable, happy place to be.

Linking up with Where I Sew.

Oh My Goodness!

After a super busy work week, I've spend the last couple days doing what many of you are doing too - finishing up my Christmas shopping, sewing gifts, thinking about wrapping, meal planning and shopping, and especially, enjoying family. So I wasn't really paying attention today when Kathy at Pink Chalk Studio announced the winners of the Handmade With Love Tutorial Contest.

When my Triple-Zip Pouch tutorial was chosen as a finalist in the Gifts for Friends category over a week ago, I was completely thrilled. And of course, I thought about how nice it'd be to win the category, but I really didn't think it possible. So when the emails started coming in today congratulating me, I rushed right over to Pink Chalk. Boy was I surprised to see that not only had I won the category, but THE contest. Shocked, excited, humbled - that's pretty much how I've felt ever since. 

Thank you to all of you who voted for my tutorial, for those of you that have done me the honor of actually making your own triple-zips, and for all of you who just stop by to see what I'm up to here at A Quilter's Table. It means alot.

An {herbal} Table Tidbit :: The Prize

Well we are half-way through the month-long Tuesday at the {herbal} Table feature. Just link up a recipe or a table project or something else relating to The Table. If it's herbal, great, but it doesn't have to be - 
that's just a suggestion if you want one! The linky will be open through Wednesday, August 29. Later that week, I'll choose one random winner from all of the link-ups this month. 

So here are the super fun goodies in this month's prize package for that one random winner!

First off, zipit has offered a $20 gift certificate to their shop! These are just awesome zips - the only ones I've used since I've started blogging. Zipit has super bundles and a rainbow of colors - perfect to have in your stash, so they're there when you need them!

Pink Chalk Fabrics also has given a $20 gift certificate to their shop! I consider this my 'local' online fabric store, but they have alot more than just {the latest!} fabric. Shipping turnaround is super-quick and their customer service is awesome.

And, since this is a foodie feature after, all, I'm pleased that Alice of Savory Sweet Life has shared a copy of her new book! It's beautiful, and chock full of inviting recipes "for every family occasion."  I made a yummy Cobb Salad from it the other night, and you can see I have tabs marked in my copy of what to try next!

So are you tempted? I sure hope so! Come on, share that recipe you've made, the one you want to make, those napkins or placemats you've stitched up, or tell us about how fun your last cookout was! Join in and share around the table!

Tuesday at the {Thanksgiving} Table and A Giveaway

If there's a food item that means Thanksgiving to me, it's definitely the pie. It's not even that I'm a pie-lover like some people are. And it's not that I don't totally enjoy the turkey and gravy, the sweet potatoes, and (hope against hope) those homemade rolls. It's that I care about the pie. As a former pastry chef, there are alot of pies in my past! I wish I could remember the numbers I used to bake. All I really know is that I was engulfed in them, pretty sure even dreaming about pumpkin, pecan, apple, and marionberry. The orders for them, arranged by date and time of pick-up, covered the entire side of the fridge in my baking station. Trays and trays of pies baked with the love that somehow the buyers couldn't or didn't have time to invest.

And so it's not surprising, is it? That it matters where our Thanksgiving pies come from. Not that the big warehouse store in our town doesn't make a mighty fine pumpkin pie, but to me, there's nothing like pouring the filling in that crust, placing pecans carefully on top one by one, and later, pulling that fresh-baked goodness out of my oven. And there's really nothing like having home-baked-with-love pies cooling on my kitchen counter.

It's been a right of passage of sorts in our home. My now grown kids have each taken their turns baking the holiday pies, the pride almost tangible. For us, it's a couple of pumpkin and a pecan. Though I hear from far-off places that son, who is providing the dessert for his Thanksgiving gathering with friends, will be trying pumpkin pecan together this year. Though a different take on the originals, I'm confident the love-part will still be a key ingredient.

Here's what I'll be baking up this year.

Pumpkin Pie   makes 2
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1# pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or evaporated milk
2 prepared pie shells

Mix filling ingredients in order given. Pour into prepared pie shells. Bake 15 minutes in preheated 425-degree oven. Reduce heat to 350-degrees and bake 45 minutes more until knife inserted in center comes out clean. (I usually make up the filling the night before to let the flavors meld, as they say. And then serve on Thanksgiving with whipped cream. Yum. No wonder this is a tradition. And if you're inclined to use up the extra pie dough to cut out seasonal shapes to decorate the top, well that's fun too.)

Pecan Pie   makes one
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tb. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 prepared pie shell

Mix first five ingredients in order given. Pour into prepared pie shell. Arrange pecan halves on top in rings. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 50-55 minutes. It should be a tad past golden, and jiggle slightly in the center.

Of course, cool these lovelies on your kitchen counter, stand back, and admire. While they're cooling, come back and enter today's giveaway! See all the details here, but the basics are: link up to this post to enter -  about food, fabric, story, home - anything relating to the table qualifies. The linky will be open through Friday night. Two winners will be chosen on Saturday, and each will receive a solid fat-quarter pack and $20 gift certificate from Pink Chalk Fabrics. Note to non-bloggers - just share in the comments section and email me a picture and I'll link you up!