LaVieEnRosie

And lest I forget...

I have two "thank you's" to make... and since they are both equally deserving, this is in alphabetical order.

First, to Camille of Thimble Blossoms fame.  

Camille posted here a little while back and after exchanging an e-mail or two, she mentioned that she had made a quilt using my Summer Wind pattern.  When I mentioned that I would love to see a picture of it one day, she posted the pictures of her quilt on her wonderful blog, Simplify. 

It's beautiful.  Absolutely, take-my-breath-away gorgeous. 

Now I expect to see versions of my patterns that are better than the original... but really, this is kind of embarassing.  Not to mention, a bit depressing.  I mean, it isn't like her fabulous photography doesn't already put me to shame... put a lot of us to shame!  I am so looking forward to her tutorial on that.  

If you take a moment to go over, be sure to wish her a speedy "get well".  She's had a nasty cold the past few days.  She needs to get well so she can get back to creating beautiful new fabric and quilts. 

And make sure you read down to the entry on Treat ~ those chocolate chip cookies really are the BEST ever.  (What?  You think I wasn't going to make the chocolate chip cookies?  Mom's got patterns to pack!) 

 

And to Moda Lissa ... the President of my fan club.  (It's a lonely job...)

If you read the Jolly Jabber a week ago, you know that I sort of picked on Lissa a little bit for getting me into the Schnibble thing.  I suppose I was over-reaching just a tad to suggest that it was pestering when she was really just offering me more fabric ~ in the form of charm packs.  Kind of makes me a little ungrateful, don't you think?

And she still thinks I deserve a fan club? 

For those of you that read her blog, she really is as nice, as generous, as enthusiastic, as supportive and as full of energy as she comes across there.  Yes, she'll  convince you to do things that you're not sure you're ready to do... Schoolhouse... but she's usually right.  

She'll even help you find stuff you didn't know you needed until you saw it... like these wonderful soaps. 

   

When she wrote about them, I just had to have one.  Or four.  (I am a TOTAL perfume-girl ~ perfume, potpourri, scented candles, bath gels... if it smells good, just wrap it up and let me know how much I owe you.)  

Trust me, they smell fabulous!  The only problem is that I may need to order more so I can have some to actually use and some to just keep looking so pretty in their little packaging.  (Right... like you haven't bought two of something ~ fabric! ~ for the same reason!)

Hmmm... maybe Lissa is trouble after all. 

 

 

What happened...

... to my week?

I wish I could tell you that I got to spend the whole thing sewing but that wouldn't be the case.  I would suggest some sort of "conspiracy theory" where the "goddesses" are out to disrupt my life, but that wouldn't be the case either.  It seems I've just had other stuff to do.

And I know you know what kind of "stuff" I mean... those never-ending, ridiculous laundry lists of little errands, tasks, chores and such that need to be done but don't let you feel like you've actually accomplished anything.  It seems kind of sad when I have to think of this as a major accomplishment...

   

I pressed my Aviary fat quarters. 

WARNING ~ This is kind of a long post as I hava a lot of catching up to do. 

Okay, so I did get a little more done than that.  I got these cut out last night and I even made a block!  And, no, I haven't got a clue as to what I'll call this quilt.  Right now, the working title is "Tweety"... not because I like it but because when my Mom would ask what I was working on, it sounded better than "the bird quilt".

Working on this quilt has also reminded me of a character issue that I'm always a little disappointed to realize I have.  

Hi.  My name is Carrie and I'm compulsive.

   

Cut and ready to sew.

    

Sewn and ready to press.

By the way, the first picture is of the other side of my sewing table.  My machine is on a large dining room table purchased specifically for my sewing.  For many years, I didn't have a regular set-in sewing table and I got used to the height and angle, and it is now what I prefer.  Anyway, that is some of the "junk" I keep handy.  I still haven't lit the candle ~ probably has to do with almost setting a quilt on fire while trying to sew the border on at 1:30 in the morning a few years ago.  The little flying pig was a gift from a lovely lady, Dr. Deanne Happ, in a workshop at A Touch of Amish a few years ago.  She brought it to class and kept it  by her machine.  When I told her how wonderful I thought it was, she gave it to me.  I always think of her ~ and her kindness ~ when I see it. 

Okay...  back to my compulsiveness quilt. 

When I piece, I like to get all the units finished so that I can make all my blocks at one time. 

And to explain why the pieces are stacked the way they are in the first picture, when it comes to cutting long strips, I don't cut one at a time.  I cut up to four pieced strips at a time.  The trick is to stagger the strips so that the seams are not on top of each other. 

And, you have to be brutally honest with yourself ~ if the pieced strip isn't perfectly straight, this doesn't work.  I cut those strips one at a time ~ and yes, no matter how careful I am, it seems like there is always one that has kind of a funky side to it. 

 

I also keep a second ruler on top of the strips on the side I'm working toward.  It helps keep the stack from scooching as I cut. 

With all this done, I should get to finish the blocks this week. 

And even with all this sewing, I did get to make dinner last night ~ another Martha Stewart recipe, Sausage and Bean Casserole.  It's a quick version of a French cassoulet. 

 

This is the second time I've made this and I really like it ~ it's a nice comfort-food sort of dish.  I have made a couple of changes though... natch.  (While I'm not one of those people who can create recipes/dishes on their own, I do like to tweak other people's recipes.)

First, I only make half the recipe ~ it is still a lot!  I also substitute chicken sausage for the smoked polish sausage.  I use a Chicken Andouille sausage from Trader Joe's because it has some "kick" to it ~ it makes the dish a little bit spicier than the traditional.  I also add a can of diced tomatoes and reduce the amount of water by half ~ a 1/2 cup instead of 1 cup.  And instead of just making bread crumbs according to the recipe, I used a crusty loaf of bread and used a knife to cut thick slices and big crouton-size cubes.  That gets put into a big bowl with a little bit of melted butter and tossed until the bread is lightly coated with butter.  Half the cubes go into the pre-heated oven ~ same temperature ~ for about 15 minutes until they start turning a golden brown color ~ lightly-toasted.  When the recipe says to add the bread crumbs, add the faux-croutons.  I did this because I wanted the bread to maintain its texture a bit.  With the liquid in the dish, the bread softened a bit but it wasn't "mush".  The rest of the buttered bread chunks went on top of the dish as per the recipe. 

Congratulations to everyone who read this far... I  bet you thought I would never finish. 

Wish me luck... if I get to sew today, you might get to see a quilt by next week. 

Beautiful day...

 

The Fat Quarter Shop is having a givewawy of a Schnibbles quilt kit!

What?  You thought I meant it's a beautiful day because of the Presidential Inauguration today?  Okay, it is... and having just heard the U2 song being played over the coverage on television, that's where I got the idea for the title. 

But back to my purpose for posting ~ the Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber has a post by a "guest writer"... moi.  And to get you to visit in spite of that, they're giving away a kit for one of the new Schnibbles!  You'll also get to see a little bit of what I'm working on right now and in the coming month.  A sneak peek!

And make sure you do it today ~ the winner will be announced tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21st!

As for me... I'm spending the morning watching the Inaguration.

I almost forgot...

I wish I could say that I spent my Saturday sewing but that wouldn't really be the truth.  I have been busy doing all the "prep work" that seems to go into some quilts.  I pressed the fat quarters for one quilt, pulled scraps and made some cutting notes for another quilt and spent some time trimming up the four-patches for another. 

And I made plans for some of the changes I'll be making in my workroom.  But more on that another day ~ it is definitely a work in progress and it's still a very, very long way from being anything I would willingly show anyone.  :)

 

I used to organize things by project but since I have a few that I will never actually make, this isn't working for me anymore.  The funny thing is that the first thing anyone says when they see my workroom is that it looks amazingly organized... of course, that is after the wide-eyed gasp.  Shock and awe... that's the state of my workroom... for now.

But that's not why I am posting today.  I've gotten a couple of e-mails asking me about the "aging" I mentioned for a couple of the tuffets.  I incorporated a couple of things I learned from Virginia Cole of Galloping Pony Studio to get the look I wanted. 

First, make a block without a foundation ~ I made a little double-nine-patch like the one shown here.

 

Quilt the block using a thin cotton batting ~ something like one of the Mountain Mist cotton battings, Hobbs Organic or Quilter's Dream Request.  Stitch all around the outside edge ~ about an 1/8th inch from the edge ~ and trim the excess batting and backing. 

 

Then get the block completely wet ~ you can use a little bit of soap to wash it a bit if you like but it isn't really necessary.  And, yes, sopping yet.  Soaked through.  Batting and all.

 

Wring it out.  Use a towel and roll it up.  Squeeze it as much as necessary to remove as much excess water as possible.  Wad it up tightly in a ball.

 

With a really hot iron, start pressing the block dry.  Do not try to straight it or iron out the creases or wrinkles ~ you want those in there!  Press it on the front and back, then wad it up again and start over. 

 

Keep wadding and pressing until it is dry.  Then trim it again and square it up as needed.  My finished block shrunk in size about 1/2" after the "aging" process. 

 

After that, you can use Distress It! to put some age spots on the piece.  Or you can use sandpaper to add some wear spots along the seams.  Some folks even use heat ~ an iron, a lightbulb, or a flame ~ to put scorch marks in spots.  And, no, I haven't tried that one, I've just heard about it. 

Depending on the fabric you choose, you can make "vintage pincushions". 

And since Lisa asked, this is the Artichoke Chicken Pasta I made last night.

The recipe comes from an old Thimbleberries book by Lynette Jensen, I think it was titled Country Christmas or something like that.  I first had the recipe when I was in Wisconsin a few years ago at the Country Sampler.  Jeanne made this and I loved it.  A friend found the recipe for me ~ I forgot to ask Jeanne for it ~ and I've been making it ever since.  It is terrific to prepare ahead of time and leave in the refrigerator until you need to bake it.  

I do make a couple of changes though, I substitute low-fat mayonnaise, low-fat sour cream, fat-free evaporated milk, reduced fat cream of chicken soup and reduced fat cheese for those listed ingredients.  The taste is just as good, if anything, I like it better than the full-fat version.  That's a little rich.  And this is very good with leftover turkey at Thanksgiving. 

Artichoke Chicken Pasta

3 cups cooked diced chicken or turkey

1 can artichokes in water ~ drained and cut up

1 tsp. minced diced onions

¼ tsp. Tabasco

¼ tsp. marjoram

1 – 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

1 – 13 oz. can evaporated milk

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 – 12 oz. package bow-tie pasta, prepared according to package directions and rinsed under cold water

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

 

Mix all ingredients reserving ½ cup parmesan and 1 cup cheddar cheese.  Place in a greased 9” x 13” baking dish.  Sprinkle parmesan and cheddar cheese over the top.  Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until hot and bubbly.  Garnish with paprika and parsley.  Makes 8 to 10 servings. 

 

 

 

As "comfort food" goes, this ranks right up there. 

 

One of those days...

There are days when I wish that whole cloning-thing had been perfected.  That way, I could have a couple of extra "me's" to get everything done that needs to get done.  Not that another me would be a good thing... twice the fabric in the house?  Twice the make-up and perfume?  And, no, I am not going to share ~ "she" would definitely have to get her own stuff.

I haven't gotten to do any sewing today but I am waiting for UPS to deliver a quilt top that is on its way back to me, and I'm trying to get some kind of inventory of patterns done, which means cleaning out the garage... oh, and I have to start figuring out what we're going to do for a couple of classes later in March.  With any luck, the UPS man will also be bringing me a box of Bella Solids from the Fat Quarter Shop.  It's for a quilt I've been noodling around for a couple of months.  

And since Mom has been packing patterns ~ no wonder my brother is her favorite child <g> ~ I did make some cookies.  One of my managers at Williams-Sonoma brings these into work all the time and they are my favorite.  Actually, they are everyone's favorite as they are different from any other oatmeal cookie I've ever had.  They're very chewy and full of nuts and dried fruit.   

   

At least 10 hours before you’re going to make your cookies…

In a large bowl, combine the oats and oil.  Mix well and cover.  Leave in refrigerator overnight or for 10 hours. 

4 cups of rolled or old-fashioned oats ~ not quick or steel-cut

1 cup of vegetable/cooking oil ~ canola works well

 

The next day…

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla until well-blended. 

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

 

 

Add the oat mixture and stir until combined.

 

 

Add:

 

2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar ~ use the one you prefer, or use a combination of the two

1 tsp. salt

 

Stir until well-mixed and thoroughly combined. 

 

 

Add:  4 cups total of whatever combination of nuts and dried fruit you choose ~

·         Do not use more than 1 cup total of nuts.  Walnuts are recommended but pecans are also good.

·         Dried fruit ~ at least 3 cups of any kind of dried fruit, alone or in combination with others, including raisins, cranberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots, dates, apples, bananas… whatever you can find and stir into the mixture.

 

Stir until well-mixed and fruit/nuts are evenly distributed in the oat mixture. 

 

 

Using a medium-sized scoop ~ about 2 Tbsp./1 oz. size ~ put batter/mixture onto a baking pan lined with a Silpat or Exopat.  (And, yes, a silicone baking liner is recommended so that the cookies won’t stick to the pan.  Parchment paper, baking spray and non-stick pans are not recommended.)

 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes and then remove them from the baking pan.  Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.  When completely cool, store cookies in an air-tight container. 

 

Note:  Stir the oat mixture before you scoop it onto the baking sheet.  As the mixture sits, a little bit of brown sugar liquid/syrup will want to settle at the bottom of the bowl between batches.  For the same reason, scoop the mixture onto the baking sheet right before the cookies are going into the over.  Don’t let them sit for 10 or more minutes while another batch is in the oven. 

 

My favorite additions are walnuts and dried cranberries or dried cherries.  I also love using a blend of dried berried from Trader Joe's called Golden Berries ~ it combines golden raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries and dried blueberries.  My Mom wanted dates, dried apricots and pecans so before adding all the dried fruit and nuts, I divided the oat mixture in half and added 2 cups of "stuff" to each half. 

 

The cookies don't flatten or spread much while baking, they are going to stay in more of a mound-shape. 

 

And just in case you might think that baking cookies and chocolate goodies for my Mom might persuade her that I really should be her favorite child... not a chance.  She just laughs and blames me for making her fat. 

 

Tonight it's Grissom's goodbye ~ I'm going to miss him.  I like Laurence Fishburne and I think he's going to be an interesting change but I confess that I'm more sorry Kepler was shot, I really liked him.  I'm going to make one of Lynette Jensen's recipes from an old quilt book ~ Chicken Artichoke Casserole.

 

And maybe I'll even get to sew for an hour tonight... wish me luck!   

About that tuffet...

Yikes!

I have read all the wonderful, funny, and poetic posts, and I appreciate all the comments, suggestions and recipe recommendations.  Thank you!  And I’ll get to some of that in a minute… first things first!

After printing out all the comments and making “entries” for everyone, I asked for some assistance in doing the actual drawing.  No, Rosie wasn’t any help.  She just nosed her way to the bottom of the bowl in the hopes of finding a biscuit.  No treat, no interest.

So Mom did the job.  She said to make sure you knew that because her eyesight isn't very good, there wasn't any chance she could read a name and make a biased choice.  So from this, she chose...

  

And the winner is…

:

:

:

Before I get to that… really, did you think I was only going to make one tuffet?

:

:

:

That would be like going to the quilt shop and buying just one fat quarter… that’s just wrong. 

:

:

:

I made a couple...

 

... or four. 

And the winners are…

Linda Caldwell ~ Posted at 1/11/2009 at 5:45 pm

Kathie ~ Posted at 1/12/2009 at 2:46 am

Becky S. ~ Posted at 1/11/2009 at 3:36 pm

Sandy in Nebraska ~ Posted at 1/12/2009 at 6:24 am

:

If you will leave a comment on this post, I will e-mail you to get your mailing address. 

Now… about those crushed walnut shells.  I had to chuckle when a couple of you wrote that you had seen ~ and even bought ~ them from a quilt shop at a rather inflated price.  That is how I first came across them!  I bought two bags at a quilt show about 10 years ago, a 2-cup bag was $3.50.  The shop had some wonderful little wool pincushions and their samples were filled with the shells.  (I think they sold more bags of crushed shells than kits.) As it was with a few of you, the ladies in the shop were very cagey and non-specific about where the shells came from, although they assured me that they would be happy to ship them to me if I ever needed more.  After using them in a couple of pincushions, I wanted to find more but couldn’t remember the name of the shop and nobody I spoke with knew anything about them.  So… I did what any 21^st century person would do!  I went to Google!  That’s when I found out that they were commonly sold as bird litter and lizard litter.  Five years ago when I made my chicken pincushions, a 5 lb. bag cost about $6.00. 

I have to confess that I found myself being a little impressed with the shop who sold me the walnut shells.  I admire and respect their entrepreneurial initiative in packaging up and selling bags of the walnut shells, that takes time and effort, and they are doing business with information that I don’t have.  But a 500% mark-up?  That’s a bit annoying and I’m sure it’s part of the reason why I’m so happy to share my source with everyone. 

About the chicken recipe ~ recipes!  Yes, Martha’s and Ina’s recipes are “surprisingly” the same.  I don’t know whose roast chicken recipe came first, but I do know that they are/were good friends and wrote forwards for each other’s cook books.  (And both of them probably swiped it from some nice little old French woman living in East Hampton!)  And to Debbie, thank you for the suggestion of Giada’s recipe.  I’ve printed the recipe and the next time I make roast chicken, that’s the one I’m going to try. 

To all of my fellow 24 fans ~ can you believe I had to work last night?!?  My manager is very happy that I have a DVR otherwise he would have had to put up with a lot of whining and sulking last night.  (The really bad news for me is that we did markdowns last night and that wound up costing me more than I made by being there.  Who knew that there were a couple of items that I didn’t really need but suddenly couldn’t live without when it only cost $9.00!?)

Three last things about the wonderful comments I received...  First, THANK YOU!  I appreciate every one of you taking the time to stop by, read my blatherings and post a comment.  As I've written before, you've made what once seemed like a scary proposition into a lot of fun.  If I could make a tuffet for everyone, I would...  

Second... To Camille ~ yes, you can join in!  I love your beautiful quilts!  Bloom and Mama’s Boy are my favorites… although, really, I love them all! 

Third... To Amy who wrote the funniest and most fabulous poem.  I love it and look for something in your e-mail box.  I need an address...

Until tomorrow...

Tuffets and sundry...

 I keep getting asked questions about some of the particulars with making the tuffets so I thought I would share some of the more common inquiries. 

What's in the tuffets?  Some of you are already well-acquainted with crushed walnut shells but it seems that not everyone knows where to find them.  I get my bags in the bird aisle at the pet store ~ PetCo, PetsMart, etc. ~ and this 7 lb. bag costs about $10.00.

 

I recommend having some kind of large storage jar or canister, something with a secure lid/top.  You'll also want to have a funnel, a cup meausre of some sort ~ a 1/2 cup size is perfect, and some kind of small tray with a lip/edge.  I use a quarter-sheet baking pan.  The benefit of the tray is that it catches all the loose pieces that will inevitably fall out or spill while you're filling the pincushion.  Trust me, when you use a tray, you won't spill any shells... skip the tray and you'll have a huge accident.  

 

After piecing the top for the tuffet and sewing it to the backing ~ more on those in a minute ~ turn it right side out.  I have a short, fat bamboo knitting needle ~ a size 12 ~ that I use for poking out the corners.  Then press the pincushion to secure the edges ~ paying special attention to the opening.  If those seam allowances are pressed along the "seam line" before the pincushion is stuffed, it makes stitching the pincushion  closed a lot easier.

 

Using the funnel, fill the pincushion to the desired amount.  The tuffets I made for the pattern each took between 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 cups of shells.  As you're filling it, use the bottom of the funnel to scrunch the shells a bit, it helps make the fill a little bit tighter... and the pincushion a bit more "filled". 

As to the degree of "fullness", that's a personal preference but I stuff mine pretty full.  If nothing else, they will settle just a bit after they are stitched closed and relax a bit.  Getting the shells to stay in the corners is also very hard, so after filling the tuffet, pin it closed and "test" the fill.  It is going to be just a skosh less-full when it's completely finished, so you'll want to err on the side of just a tiny bit more full than you might think is perfect.

As for stitching it closed, I use a double-thread and I take a lot of little stitches.  And I stitch it closed in one direction, then make sure its secure by stitching it again in the opposite direction.  Then it gets scrunched a couple of times to get it to feel just right.  

About backings for the tuffets, felted wool is my favorite because that little bit of stretch in the wool means that I can stuff the cushion just a smidge more than with anything else.  Of course, color is also a major consideration!  If you have a gorgeous piece of velvet, tapestry or other upholstery fabric, definitely use that!  Flexibility... that's very important here!

One last thing... a while back, I mentioned something about giving away a shop pack when the patterns were all finished.  Hmmm... they were finished and started shipping a week ago which means I'm kind of late...

Anyone who leaves a comment on this post by midnight on Monday night ~ a little less than 33 hours from now ~ will be entered in a drawing to win a set of the new Schnibbles patterns. 

 

And you'll get that little tuffet too. 

I'm off ~ less than 4 hours until "24".  Jack's almost back... finally!  I'm getting goosebumps. 

Saturday...

When I got up this morning, I figured this was going to be one of those days when I didn't get to do any of the things I really wanted to do.  I was on the schedule to work and since it was a Saturday night, finding someone else to cover it for me didn't look promising.  On top of that, my ear hurt with the beginnings of some kind of "I think I'm coming down with something" kind of earache. 

Then I got a call from one of my managers letting me know that unless I really, really, REALLY wanted to come in, I could have the day off as they were cutting a few hours from payroll.  Woohooooo!!!  Funny thing that... I don't remember having much of an earache after that. 

So I got to stay in all day ~ in my pajamas ~ and sew.  And listen to movies ~ Pride and Prejudice is just ending.  

Do you remember my mentioning Birdseye, a quilt I was working on?  It was a while back.  The thing is, I had put the parts away because I wasn't sure that it was working for me.  I loved the blocks but I started to panic that all the black was making everything too dark.  Did I mention that I used a black Jo Morton print for my "primary" fabric in the blocks?  The rest of the quilt is very scrappy.  This is one of my blocks...

 

After getting a second opinion on my in-the-works quilt, I am proceeding and should finish this particular quilt in another week or so.  I promise to show you pictures when its done because this will probably be published before Spring Market. 

I even got to bake/cook today!  I have a roast chicken in the oven for dinner and because my Mom has been really busy the last two days packing patterns, I also made something chocolate. 

 

Martha Stewart's Crispy Chocolate-Marshmallow Treats!  Ohmigosh!  These are really good ~ even better than I would have guessed.

 

Quality Control... wouldn't want to poison Mom.  <g>

And speaking of Martha Stewart, since I didn't have to work and I was going to be here, a Perfect Roast Chicken is in the oven now.  I admit it, I never liked roast chicken.  Dry, a little tasteless... what was the appeal of it?  I sure couldn't say.  But since my Mom liked roast chicken, I kept trying new recipes and methods in the hope of someday finding one that I considered edible.  This is the one ~ it is outstanding!  I often make two to ensure that I have lots of leftover chicken for salads and other dishes. 

One last thing... is there anyone else out there who is counting the hours until Sunday night's "24" premiere?  As of right now, Arizona time, I have less than 23 hours until Jack is finally back!  I'm getting goosebumps... 

Play day...

Come on, admit it.  The best reason to take a quilt class is to spend the day with friends and other quilters.  That you get to fondle fabric, learn something new and actually make something, well, that's just a bonus!  The cherry on top of the sundae that is your day.

And it sounds better than saying I played "hooky" today. 

A terrific quilt shop opened in far north Phoenix last Spring, and it has quickly become one of my favorite places.   

  

The shop is owned by two very nice ladies, Dee and Whitney.

 

 

Yes, that is an actual fireplace in the corner! 

 

This is the view toward the front door ~ the quilt we were making in class is the Blazing Star with the gold border hanging over the door. 

The class was taught by the very talented, very kind and very patient Pat Grago.  She made a beautiful quilt and then she came and had to put up with Judy, Sue, Louise, Barb and Denise.  I, of course, was perfectly behaved and followed every direction quickly and without question or hesitation...

Not buying that, huh? 

Okay, so I like doing things my way... and really, templates?  Hmmm... not if I can help it.  And you've got a very sharp object held to my throat and you're bigger, stronger and faster than I am.  MUCH bigger.

I do wonder though... why is it that the very first question my friend Ginger always asks when she knows I'm taking a quilt class is, "did you behave yourself?"  She would suggest that it is because she knows me well... I think she's "projecting" and/or she's secretly hoping that I will someday expose an actual flaw in my character.  <eg>

Now, about that quilt... this is what I made today.

 

Don't look too closely... it is a little wonky and it seriously needs a good pressing.  It's been a little while since I've done y-seams and the first few always come out a little funky. 

I am going to make my quilt a lot scrappier with a couple of different backgrounds, different accent triangles for each block and a scrappy border instead of all gold triangles.  Oh, and I think I'm going to make 16 blocks instead of 12.  Did I mention that I like to do things my own way?

It's back to "work" tomorrow... I've got to pack more patterns and I have some sewing to do tomorrow.  And I promise a couple of pictures of what I've been working on next week. 

2009? Already?

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was a teenager and thought that the year 2000 seemed forever-away.  Maybe it was just yesterday... my mind isn't what it used to be. 

So what's new?

Life here is getting back to normal... whatever that is.  I am taking a quilt class tomorrow with some friends, just for fun ~ and I'll tell you about that tomorrow, I promise.  

I've been doing a lot more cooking... last night's dinner was Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.   

     

Easy to make and very, very good.  I've made this  before and my favorite thing about it is that I get two dinners with the work of one as half of the recipe goes into the freezer to be baked another night.  And, the picture is Martha's, not mine. 

I have been doing some sewing and I promise I'll show you some of what I'm working on when I finally get to some new projects!  I actually have a couple of things planned, including quilts for two classes I'm doing later this year.  Some diagrams are done, fabrics have been chosen... and that's as far as I've gotten.  So far. 

I have also made some "resolutions" for the new year... thought I prefer to call them "goals".  Most of them are the same old/same old that we all have ~ exercise more, eat better, take better care of myself, etc.  I was thrilled to see that so many of the "experts" are telling us to eat more olives!  Now I just need to find the expert/doctor who will tell me that chocolate is the secret exlixir of the gods and that broccoli causes cancer. 

I am going to get better about taking pictures so I have something interesting to show you ~ I even got a fancy new camera to help me along.  Now if I can just figure out how to turn it on...

I'm off to pack the mountain of stuff I "supposedly" need for class tomorrow... wish me luck!