cozy..... and quilting

Look what we found just outside our front door yesterday morning.... we have had very cold weather, by south Florida standards anyway, in the 30's overnight brrrrrrr and double brrrrrr.  I don't know who made this cozy little spot during the night but I took a peek late last night to see if they had returned to it again and it was empty. It only measures about 4 or 5 inches across so I'm puzzled as to what was snuggled down there. Maybe I should leave a little quilt outside :)

We've been hauling out the quilts this week to cozy under and there's also nothing like a pair of warm and cozy socks when it's chilly along with a mug of hot coffee or hot chocolate. Tonight I'm going to make cozy food....a yummy old fashioned tuna casserole, mmmmmm.

I also just finished making a cozy new bathrobe to replace my old favorite that has been used up.
I wore it last night for the first time and it is oh so cozy and I will most likely wear this one until it is all used up too.

my old favorite...bye bye

Although I used to make quite a few garments, my stitching time has been devoted to quilts for many years now. I still prefer making quilts but this robe project wasn't so bad.

my new favorite!

When was the last time you made a garment for yourself? No, really.
 
I hope that you are enjoying all of your cozy favorites this time of year......which brings me back to quilting and a return to my stitch-a-long. 
The final design element for the stitch-a-long quilt is the option of scattering some appliques across the quilt.

 

I made a daisy-ish  applique using fusible web on the back of them. I made 11 appliques and scattered them randomly across the quilt.

scatter appliques randomly

I have posted the applique design for you on my website as a free download. It's a very simple design and you could draw one of your own designs too.  Use as many appliques on the quilt as you like. You can use one of the fabrics from your original choices or make them with several fabrics or a totally different fabric. Have fun with it. I will then machine blanket stitch around the appliques .......and yes this time I will do it before I sandwich the quilt!!!!!!  (see post on  8/24/2010 )
With Christmas just around the corner and with the hours I have been working I don't know how much I will get done, but I would love to see how your quilts are coming along.
Leave me your email and I will contact you to get photos of your projects or leave a link if you have a blog. I'm so sorry that it has been so long since the last stitch-a-long update. I hope you didn't give up on me :)

had enough turkey?

So...... just how many turkey leftover recipes have you been cooking up?

 I hope that everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends. We had half of my DH's step family and his older step brother had the other half. No....there's no bickering, just making the size of the gatherings a little easier for the hosting families. The family has grown with nieces and nephews marrying and adding wee ones and moving closer. It was a great day, the weather was nice and it was good to get together to count our blessings and share our thanks around the table. The down side was I so missed sharing the day with my family up north.  sob, sob , sniffle, sniffle :(
I am so grateful to Alexander Graham Bell so that at least I can hear their voices over the miles. Texting is great and convenient, but there's still nothing like hearing the voice of your loved ones.
Of course it goes without saying that we ate our fill of the Thanksgiving feast and yet as always there was leftover turkey. Last night we had turkey enchiladas and we'll most likely have turkey sandwiches again for lunch today.  We're also working our way through the leftover apple pie.

I promised on facebook the other day that I would post a soup recipe and it's NOT turkey soup.
So here is my recipe for meatball soup...it's easy and it is a favorite of ours on chilly days.

Meatball soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic - minced
2 T olive oil
4 cups water
 2 cans condensed beef broth
1/2 can of 6 oz. tomato paste (3 oz.)
1 cup coin sliced carrots
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup snipped parsley or cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup long grain rice uncooked
1 can black beans drained

In large pot, cook onion in oil until tender but not brown. Add the garlic and cook about a minute. Stir in water, broth and tomato paste. Bring to boil and add potatoes and carrots. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile combine egg, cilantro or parsley, salt, oregano, pepper, ground beef and uncooked rice. Form into small 1 inch meatballs and add a few at a time to the simmering soup. Bring soup to boil again. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add 1 can black beans and simmer another 10 minutes.
yummy ~ yummy
If you have any leftover freeze it for another day that begs for warm and hearty soup.

By the way, sorry I have not been posting as frequently. Now that I am working in the outside world I have been working on juggling up my free time between, designing, blogging, stitching and all the other aspects of my pattern business and life. Bear with me, I am also working on the next post for the tortoise paced stitch -a-long. At least you've been able to keep up LOL

itching to stitch?

I told you this wasn't going to be a hurry up stitch-a-long project.  Like you, I have a lot of things vying for my attention with many glamorous things..... such as work, laundry, cleaning, gardening, cooking, sleeping, you get the idea. Speaking of gardening I have been planting my earthboxes with the Fall crop  and now have brussel sprouts popping up and my beans are really going to town. Naturally, I took my trusty %@%*# UFO out to make a comfy spot to work. OH-OH I may have spilled some dirt.... no bother, it goes well with the car grease and paint.Yes, the quilt destruction continues.....

Now back to our Stitch-a-long project.......
I hope by now you've had time to choose your fabrics and cut it out following the directions in the last blog post.

We are going to make 2 very simple blocks. All seams are a scant 1/4".
Block 1
use 12 of the dark 4-1/2" squares and 12 of the print 4-1/2" squares to make six 4-patch blocks.
When matching up the 2 units press seams to the darker fabric. This also allows the seam allowances to "nest" together for an accurate match.

That was too easy wasn't it? I told you it was going to be stress free.

Okay let's get on with the next block....
Block 2
This is another easy one. This is a double 4-patch.
use the 2 light and 2 dark 2-1/2" strips.
Stitch a light and dark strip together lengthwise.
Repeat.  You now have 2 strip pieced units. Press the seam allowance to the darker fabric.
Cut the strip units into 24  2-1/2" segments.....

Arrange the segments into 4-patch sets and stitch. Make twelve 4-patch units

I like to chain piece when making multiple 4-patches......

Combine these small 4-patch units with 12 of the print 4-1/2" squares to make 6 large 4-patch blocks.
Note the correct placement of the darker squares.......the block on the left is the correct setting.

Okay, that's it for now. I don't want to stress anyone out LOL
I'll post more stitching in a day or so.

In the meantime, if you have the time check out these fun links....
The 2010 contest winners for extreme pumpkin carving
My friend Sue's Zentangle creations
Fun, inspiring, and fresh quilting by Laura Wasilowski love her stuff!
Very cool Halloween decor at Poppytalk
and last but not least, my friend Kathleen's blog.

Keep smiling, it keeps everyone guessing........
 

Featured designer at Quilters Showcase

Hi all, just wanted to let you know that I will be the featured designer for the next 2 weeks over at the Quilter's Showcase blog. Hooray! I had an interview with Kathleen that will be shared as the feature continues. They are also doing some giveaways so you'll want to get in on that. Kathleen will also be linking to the Stitch-a-long so you can find it here or on the Quilters Showcase blog.
She is also stitching up one of my favorites but I'll let her share that with you.
This quilt is from my Bar nine pattern and the pattern is included in the first giveaway.....

I'm heading into the studio for now and tomorrow I will be posting the cutting instructions for the Stitch -a-long with Linda.  I hope you get busy picking out your fabrics!

Fabric shopping or stash busting?

Need some good reasons to go fabric shopping?

Reason #1...... I need fabric to join in on Stitch-a-long with Linda.

Reason #2 ...... because it's Friday (fill in the day of your choice)

Reason #3 ...... I heard there was a sale (there's always a sale somewhere)

Reason #4....... the fabric I have doesn't fit anymore

Reason #5........ I need one more fabric to go with the others I'm using in the Stitch-a-long with Linda

Reason # 6....... to help stimulate the economy

Reason # 7 ...... because it's there

Reason #8 ....... I don't have enough fabric (only if you can say this with a straight face)

Reason #9 ....... I need to go buy some thread, so while I'm there.....

Reason # 10...... I better stock up now while the weather is good

Reason # 11.... there's some great links posted here.......

Fat Quarter Shoppe, Stitchin' heaven,  Suzannes quilts, Ericas, Country Crossroads,
Cotton Patch quilt shop, Quilt Lovers Hangout, Sew Studio, My Quilt shop, quiltshops.com
Jo-Ann's fabrics, pink chalk fabrics, glorious color.
That should get you started......
If those reasons don't help, you can also dig into your fabric "stash" a.k.a. "collection".
The quilt top that we'll be making in the Stitch-a-long is going to finish around 40" x 60" and it uses at least 7 fabrics so it doesn't take a whole bunch of any one fabric. It's an easy to make design and so it's a good project for beginners or a stress free, quick project for more experienced quilters. The yardage you'll need is listed below. To help get you started I'll show you the fabrics I'm using from my "collection" and why I chose them.
I chose this print "focus" fabric because it has a good variety of colors in the print.

We'll be making two sizes of 4-patch units in the quilt and so I chose a light and a dark to go with the larger print.....

We'll also be making some strip pieced units and I chose another 4 fabrics for those. I like to vary the scale and visual textures in my fabric choices to add interest. I also like to add a very light fabric and a dark fabric instead of using all mid-tone value fabrics....

So here are the fabrics I'm going to use..... I'm not sure which one I'll use for the binding yet.

Here is another "collection" I pulled together out of my stash that I may use when I make this quilt again.

 I hope that gives you some inspiration to begin gathering or buying your fabrics for the Stitch-a-long!

Here's the yardage you'll need for the Stitch-a-long with Linda quilt top. Have fun shopping!

*yardage is based on 44" fabric width

1-1/4 yards of a print focus fabric 
1/2 yard of a dark (I'm using the red)
1/4 yard of a light (I'm using the pink & white check)
1/4 yard EACH of 4 other fabrics  (I'm using an orange print, 2 greens prints and a pink dot)
Buy another 1/3 yard of one of the fabrics for your binding.
 Fabric needed for the backing is 1-3/4 yards
*There is also an optional step in this Stitch -a-long that will require another fabric that will contrast somewhat with the rest. You'll need about 3/4 yard.

how to traumatize a quilter - day two

Did you really think I was going to stop at day one???? (see my August 24th posting if you missed day one of how to traumatize a quilter)

I find this is becoming a very cathartic experience. Today I also began the process of starting anew by choosing the fabrics for the quilt that will supplant the %#@* quilt.

In the meantime my DH was helping out his nephew by working on his truck. I think they put new rotors on or something to that effect. I'm usually the go-fer for my DH when he has a big project going on. In this case he had a helper but I wanted to contribute somehow so......

,

I let him borrow the %#@^* quilt to lay on while he worked on the truck.
I figured it would be much more comfy than the concrete driveway- don't ya think?

Hmmmm, not sure if that grease is going to come out.  Now ask me if I care- LOL
I am feeling more liberated by the day!
Do you ever feel the need to liberate yourself from a bothersome project?????

 I returned to my studio and continued pulling some fabrics from my stash. Here's what I have so far....

If you want, you can stitch along with me as I go.  It's a great stash busting project and you'll have a cozy little quilt in time for the chillier days ahead or to donate to your favorite charity. If you're worried you won't keep up, rest easy. I have a lot going on right now and this isn't going to be done at a lightning pace. I'll  be posting the yardage needed this week.


Next I'll be cutting the fabrics and...... who knows what else!