Out of the Blue

Published!

It's been a lovely week, beginning Monday with my birthday and a surprise arrival of the newest issue of Irish Quilting Magazine which includes a feature about Out of the Blue. Wooo hooo! Naturally, I had to take it to work that day and show everyone I know, most of whom do not quilt and probably weren't as suitably impressed as I thought they should be. Just one of the drawbacks of being a manager in the aircraft industry, huh?

The day got even better if that was possible when I received hand-picked roses from a coworker....I'm crazy for flowers and color. These actually stayed fresh on my desk for several days.

Birthday week (because who can handle having only one day to celebrate?) continued with wonderful gifts and greetings from friends and family.  I wish I had saved the message left on my cell phone from my brother, Major, and his family.  Across the years, the four of them have left me purposely off key renditions of Happy Birthday on my messages. It's nearly painful to listen to....dang! I should have saved it and publicized it here.  Next year....

My last gift arrived today, from my in-laws, Jimmie and Genevieve.  They spoil us rotten and my mother-in-law picks out the most perfect gifts.  I returned home this afternoon, having dropped off a quilt with my quilter.  It's for my newest pattern, and has a matching table runner, which I will quilt myself, here at home.  I had the runner stretched out across the dining room chair as I opened my gift.  The first two items out of the bag had me squealing for joy! Look at these, with the runner in the background. What a perfect match! Definitely have to work them into the pattern cover when ready to photograph.

Mmmm.......wonderful week.  Maybe I should have a birthday month? I need some new flowers on the desk.....

Interruptions

 

 This is one of the things that causes me sewing delays.....Woodrow. 

I've actually got three different, no, scratch that, four different quilt projects going on at the moment. This evening, looking at my sewing room, the clutter and turmoil was too much, so I cleaned a bit.

Breath a sigh of contentment. It's always so much nicer to work in a clean space. Woodrow, fondly nicknamed Woody, obviously feels the same, as he came to join me, choosing his usual spot on the cutting table. You would think with the HUGE portion of the cutting table I cleared for him he would be happy, but as usual, he goes straight for the one spot where I have piled all my work.

Seriously, I had already moved him to the yellow mat once, dragging a remnant clipping from the trash can to entice him to stay there and play. Then I turn around and find him as pictured. If that wasn't bad enough, then he discovered the pins buried below him. I found him scraping them from the magnetic holder and actually trying to eat one! At that point, it was time for both of us to take a break and come up here and blog a bit with a cup of tea.


You have to admit, though.......it's hard to say no to this face.

Dresden progress

 

I could swear it was just a couple weeks ago that I made the decision to do the Scrappy Plate Club at Bunny Hill Designs. Wasn't it? Where has the time gone? As I get each of the club email updates, I love all the beautiful blocks popping up on Anne's blog as well as her Flickr group.  I admit it. I'm jealous....and not nearly as productive as some!

That's not to say I haven't been working. Considering I started with the pile of scraps below, I'm rather pleased with the results, thus far.

I had never made a Dresden Plate before; they are quite addictive. Before starting, I ordered my ruler but was too impatient to wait for its arrival. After some figuring with pad and pen, I started cutting blades that first weekend. I pulled different lengths of scraps from the laundry basket above, pressed, layered and cut them to 4-inch widths.

 

Stacked scraps cut to 4" widths and marked for cutting

 

 Next came cutting............

..........then there was sewing........

And at this point, I think things went a little crazy and that's where I sidetracked. I mean, I was making so much use out of my big scraps of fabric, next thing I knew I found myself looking at this.


Uh huh. You guessed it. I'm almost embarrassed to show you. That's the bottom of my trash can. But afterall, look at all that fabric! Next thing I knew, this was happening.

And then it got really crazy, because I found myself completely entranced by these teensy weensy blades!

 

They were so tiny and cute! What to do with them? Hmmmm...........that's when I started eyeballing an old covered button from one of my grandmother's pillows, tee towels, odd rolls of ribbon.  The ironing board became an embellishment playground.

 

This is one small glimpse into my world of sidetracked adventures! I'll be back soon to show you where both the miniature and regular blades have progressed to today. Oh! And if anyone would like a tutorial for how I did my blade measurements prior to the ruler arrival (which I really do love my ruler!) or for the smaller Dresden Plates, let me know.  I could post that here.

 

Spring

Spring seems to have hit central Kansas, at least for this week. The way our weather changes, we could have snow by next week, but for now I want to enjoy every minute of this! With the temperatures so nice, I left the patio door open this morning. I was working in the next room, when a constant, quiet hum finally drew me back to the patio. Our pear tree had went from buds yesterday to full bloom this morn! And the bees are living it up.

I can't really blame them. Everything is starting to green up and look beautiful. Even my red wagon full of sedum is going strong.

And of course, we wouldn't want to overlook all those other happy green growing things....

Those look like a weekend project!

Scrappy Plate Club

Anne Sutton is offering a free block of the month at her blog for Bunny Hill Designs. Oh my gosh! I am already addicted to these little Dresden Plates! Until yesterday I had never made one, but at 2am this morn, there were 150+ of those little Dresden blades neatly lined up on my table awaiting assembly.

What are you waiting for? Get over there! I'll add some pictures soon, but I still have another 150 blades to make.

Welcome 2012!

 

I love the way a new year feels.....full of promise, hope, unbroken resolutions (smile)! How many goals have each of you been planning for 2012? I promised myself that as 2011 came to a close, I would focus on what things I had accomplished, a more positive approach. Hmmm....let's reflect. What would I put on that list?

1. Finally achieved my goal weight after 30 years of not having done so.

2. Did a complete "clean sweep" of my home and cleared out EVERYTHING that did not get used.

3. Organized my closet to color coordinate all of the "same-size" clothes I now own (no longer ranging between four sizes, including the "someday this will fit again category).

4. Exercised a minimum of five out of seven days per week.

Okay, I've got to stop. I can't even make it past four on that list, since those are all huge fibs! Well, pretty much. I have not achieved my goal weight but my sister and I did join Weight Watchers recently. It's helped us focus on our new year mantra of "eat well, live well, do good."  God has blessed me with a very healthy body, thus far in my life. Amazing when I think of all the crazy diets and exercise regimens I have made it endure through the years.

My doctor even made the comment last month, looking at my annual physical lab results, "If you could bottle and sell this, you would be a very wealthy woman."  She explained how all my "numbers" were exactly where they should be, low when it was preferred to be low and so on.

It made me stop and really think. When we're healthy, we have a tendency to take it for granted. Having lost my dad and brother both to cancer, and helping my mom settle into a nursing home this past year as her Alzheimer's progresses, I know that health is something that can be stolen in an instant.

That being the case, I guess my New Year's resolution for 2012 will be to live a good life....as Oprah says "your best life" (and you know if Oprah says it, it has to be right).  To do that, I do want to accomplish those four things on the list above (I say those every year), learn to be a better listener, friend, manager, sibling, daughter, designer.......learn to be more forgiving of what I consider to be my failures, which often is just a lack of time, but frustrating all the same when I can't "do it all."

I hope that 2012 will bring you closer to reaching all your goals and dreams. Hey! The ball just dropped in Times Square on the television - Happy New Year, everyone!

 

Inspiration...

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands..."  1 Thessalonians 4:11

Wow! I think I found my new year resolution. Isn't it beautiful? I love it when something hits me out of the blue like that. I think that's a good start for a Monday, wouldn't you agree?

Snowman Poop

This is one of my favorite holiday snack recipes - Snowman Poop! Okay, I admit, normally around our house we just call it peanut butter popcorn, but I have been known to bag it at Christmas and attach this poem: 

Heard you were naughty,

so here's the scoop.

All you're getting for Christmas

is Snowman Poop! 

Last week I made two batches, enough to fill 20 quart sized bags. My husband was good enough to do the stirring and deliver the bags to our American Legion Women's Auxilliary. The group was sending holiday gift boxes to enlisted personnel. One of the girls asked for the recipe at that time, so here it is. This will make approximately 28 cups when complete (depending on how much you eat as you mix it). 

• 3 - regular size bags microwave popcorn (lite, regular, butter, etc)
• 1 - 20 oz package almond bark
• 2 cups of peanuts (more or less, your choice)
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

You'll need two bowls to start, one to mix in (my bowl holds 32 cups) and one to put the popcorn in as you open each bag.

This is an important step. You need to empty the popcorn into this first bowl, so the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom, otherwise, if these get into your mix, later they look like a peanut and will cause serious dental damage or pain. Reach in and sift the popcorn through your fingers and into the big bowl, leaving these unpopped kernels behind. 

Next, melt the almond bark, preferably in a glass container, because this cleans so easily in hot water afterwards. I melt the bark for a few minutes using the defrost setting on my microwave. This seems to work well and doesn't overheat or burn the contents.

After melted, mix in the peanut butter, then pour over the popcorn and start stirring. If you're on Weight Watchers, this should count for some sort of activity points, because you're really going to work some arm muscles. Add your peanuts and continue to stir until everything is coated.

 You can either use cookie sheets or, as I do, lay out some wax paper then spread your popcorn mix on it, and allow it to cool for a few hours to let the coating dry. Enjoy!

Tis the season.....

Is it only me or is anyone else looking at the calendar and wondering where 2011 went? I hope all of you are further along than I am with the holiday shopping and decorating. At least I have the excuse that I have been working fast and furious in the sewing room. I only have a few projects left to finish, wrap and then a big sigh of relief.

Autumn Table Runner

Friday, I had my car serviced which meant I was confined to my house whether I wanted to be or not (smile)....I wanted to be. It was the perfect excuse to make a new table runner to add to the fall decorations I had put up around the house. I used Fat Quarter Table Runner VI, pulled some stash fabric, and a few hours later was happily hunting for the camera, so I could share it with you.

I don't know why it took me so long to use this fabric - I love these little prints!

And what would Halloween be without a black cat thrown into the equation? Meet Woody, just one of the many strays that has made his/her way to our house and refused to leave. This one happens to be something of a show off and loves to pose for the camera. Seriously.

I live in the small town of Sedgwick, KS, and am surrounded by talented women. There are so many artists here, whether it be in the kitchen, garden, sewing room....just a walk around the neighborhood finds inspiration. Much of it is found traipsing across the alley that divides my back yard from my dear neighbor, Mary. I found her sweeping cob webs from the front porch. Sheesh! At my house, I would pretend they were there as part of the Halloween decorations!

I think the "Mary, Mary....how does your garden grow" originated in her yard. Spotting her lovely pumpkins was the motivation I needed to do my own fall decorating earlier in the week.

Wandering around her porch and yard, photographing my new runner, Mary obliged with the appropriate oohs and ahhs we quilters love to hear upon finishing a project. She invited me in, and my camera was out again, clicking away. I fell in love with this scrappy, little Halloween book made by her friend Linda.

Do you see what I mean about being surrounded by talented women?

I keep asking Mary to come decorate my house. Any time. No need to wait for a holiday. We've been neighbors, hmmmm........17 years? Still waiting :)