Timing, visitors and goal met

I was wondering just how long it takes to piece one little pineapple block, start to finish.

Start to finish each pineapple, with one seam being ripped and replaced.

 

I knew it took a while but I was surprised it too that long. I admit I am pretty persnickety when it comes to piecing. I pick the fabric, trim it straight, piece, press, and trim each one. I can't stand strings and thread hanging so I trim all of those. Ok I guess and hour isn't that long then. :)

 

It took me a while to get to the sewing room today as I found things that had to be done all day until 3:35pm. That could be why I was in there until 2:45am.  Or it could be insomnia...take your pick.

 

I had visitors this evening

 

Little Girl under the sewing table on her pillow chewing a rawhide.

 

Boo under my chair



They both love their rawhide treat. Little Girl sits so prim chewing sweetly. Boo on the other hand ends up eating it and ripping it all over the room. They are so funny. Boo doesn't bark, ever. He will try to bark when they play, but it sounds like he has laryngitis. It is so funny. He feeds her dinner by scooping food out of the bowl. He is not the alpha dog by any means. He grooms her and moves if she wants the spot he is in. Give him a rawhide and let her come near and he growls like he is about to eat her up!

 

I was going to sew until I got to 50 blocks. I thought I still needed one more, but on recount I realized I was done. I have two more rounds to make it 51. But honestly I was done. That may be who I have so many UFOs. I sew my brains out until I am sick of doing them and move one to something else and sort of forget. Well maybe not sort of...

 

I am going to pull the covers over my head and pray I fall asleep, but I really am wide awake. UGH!

 

Later,

Diane

When the rat's away the wife will play...

Is that how it goes?
Or is it when the husband is gone I don't have to cook for 4 days so I can sew my brains out with no worries. LOL I think that may be better...I don't always think the husband is a rat, just when I want to sew and he wants to eat or sleep on clean sheets. LOL

I forced myself to go to bed at a decent hour last night so at 1:30 am I crawled in the bed. It was only 1 1/2 hours passed my goal time, but still pretty good.

I have been listening to Charles Dickens' book Dombey and Son, and paper piecing some lopsided pineapples. Thought I have made quite a few, it shows how small a dent I've made when you stack the untouched next to the complete and the in progress. So far I have only made one that will be thrown out. I didn't put the edge of the fabric in the correct place and didn't notice until the block was complete. But I am not too upset, only one throw away after so many...pretty good in my book.

At what temperature do you turn on the heater? This shows 67, which is already warmer than the 64 it showed earlier. I know in the summer time I would give mostly anything for that temp, but today I am chilled. Last night I slept under two blankets and my special quilt my friends gave me. Normally I wouldn't have so much on the bed, but I was alone with no one to warm my cold feet so I needed the extra warmth.

Today's agenda:
wash the dogs bedding - half way there!
SEW...on my way!
There is homemade lasagna in the fridge, chicken cacciatore leftovers. Yum! I got this recipe from Judy Laquidara. It is delicious, you must give it a try. I am all set for food at least until Joseph discovers the lasagna. :)

Later gator,
Diane

Wedding quilts and quick dinner

What do you think?
This is not exactly what it looks like. I just have the center 36 blocks complete. As I was putting them together I thought they looked so lonely and puny. So I put a border. and I liked it, but I realized I had just shrunk the blocks not actually placed the correct size.

 

 

Once I had corrected that, the border didn't look so good, so I doubled it. The image at the top is how it is supposed to look.

 

I have been working strictly on UFOs, but I am going to have to change it up soon. I have a wedding quilt to make. The son of a dear friend is getting married in July. Nothing like last minute huh?

So do you think a log cabin quilt could work as a wedding quilt? Does it look special enough?

 

 

Tonight I wanted to make a quick supper that was light. I made Asian Lettuce Cups. It is kind of like the lettuce cups you get at PF Chang's. Really good! Really fast! Quick clean-up too!

 

1T cooking oil

3c coarsely chopped shitake mushroom caps (1/2 pound) ( I didn't have any this time so it is optional)

1 1/4 pound ground turkey

1/2 t garlic

1/2 t ginger ( I only had powder and it was fine)

8oz water chestnuts- I sliced them small

thinly sliced green onions

Lettuce leaves

3T Hoisin sauce

2T Low Sodium Soy

1T Rice vinegar

2t Sriracha ( I NEVER use anything hot so this is optional)

1/4 t salt (I didn't use)

 

Heat oil, add mushrooms, saute until tender about 5 minutes or so. Remove mushrooms, add turkey, garlic and ginger; cook until browned stirring to crumble. Combine mushrooms, turkey mixture, onions and water chestnuts in bowl, stir well.

The recipe says to spoon meat into a lettuce leaf and drizzle with hoisin/soy sauce mixture. That is good too, but we prefer to mix it all together. It seems to be less messy and taste better to us.

In less than 30 minutes we went from looking in the fridge wondering what to cook to putting the dirty plates in the sink. It is that fast!

No pictures...:(

 

 

If you have any suggestions for the wedding quilt let me know.

 

Diane

 

 

 



Oh happy day!!

We are celebrating big time this evening!
My son came home from work today announcing that after 2 1/2 years of working part time he has been made a full time associate at Publix!

WOO HOO!!

How do you spell relief?

FLIMSY!! Check your dictionary, I'm sure I'm correct.

Pardon the mess in the picture. The design wall has not been moved into the new sewing room and neither has some of the "iffie" boxes and containers. Meaning, the spare room is still a mess and my sewing room has room to walk. :)

I showed this to Ray last night and he really liked it. I think it turned out pretty ok too. I probably wouldn't have chosen these color combos today but they were picked and mostly cut so I went with them. I had to pic a few yellows and only a couple of blues for one particular section of the PP. I'm not sure what I had been using for that spot, but I couldn't find any in the box that would fit it now. Maybe that is why I quit back when, I ran out of those pieces and was too lazy to cut more. Sad!  I hope it was something more forgiving.
The measurements are 63" X 69". Perfect for a small person to take a nap under. I may have the perfect small person to give it to also, but I will need to make sure.

Later,
Diane

Galaxy Star update

This is part of the blocks that are complete. I have miscounted the number of outer blocks that are needed two times now and still don't have enough. I must need a nap.
I like it so far!

Diane

Fun finds

Every time I do a deep clean/move of my sewing room I find so many things I have completely forgotten about. I'm sure I'm not the only one, at least I hope not. :)
One of the things I found this time was some paper piecing I had set aside years ago. I mean YEARS ago.

The pattern actually has a date of 1997. Now in all fairness I might not have found the pattern that exact year, but I do know it was close because I taught this as a beginner paper piecing class in my guild in either 2000, or 2001, and I had already played around with it for quite a while before doing the class.
Anyway I found the box on a day I was not feeling well and couldn't focus so I thought it would be a prefect thing to play with.
I am working on the last couple of blocks and I will have a perfect quilt for a child.

Pattern info: The pattern was designed by Mary Ann Beattie in 1997 and named Galaxy Star.

 I have looked for information on her and her designs but have been unable to find her.  Woo Hoo!! I found the pattern!
http://www.reocities.com/pcpiecers/galaxystar.html

 I do know if it weren't for her and her free patterns that I could print myself I would never have paper pieced. I made so many mistakes and had to print so many extras, there was no way to afford it if I had to pay for them. I have a hard enough time with straight forward...trying to remember that I am piecing backwards took a LONG time to sink in. The angles! OMG! Those nearly drove me over the edge.

This pattern is easy with a nice design.

I will have pictures of my progress soon. Pictures of my blocks stacked together wasn't very interesting.

Later,
Diane