my Pat.....

My niece is due next year and her quilt top is done. It has been done for a few weeks now. I can't seem to get motivated to quilt it. I found the perfect polka dot backing. I have the batting. The top is pressed. I have curved pins all open and ready to work... BUT I can't seem to figure out how to quilt this top. It's a simple top with many colors. I love it. I can't show it to you as my sister reads this blog and she will show her daughter who is the sister of the niece and then someone will show someone else and then it's over. I don't like the moms-to-be to see the quilt before I present it at the baby shower. I said something once. I don't do it anymore. I don't try and match the nursery (do people have "matched" nurseries anymore?) I pick colors and patterns and hope the baby loves it enough to drag it around. Except for the birdie quilt I made for bitty. It hangs in her room. That's ok cause it is all hand embroidery and it will stay nice now. I made Bitty another one to drag around. It's gonna be a while before she can actually drag it around. Bitty's name is Bitty for a reason. She is Itty-Bitty.

Anyway... I called "my Pat" this morning. She said "Nancy?"... "Nancy who?".... Oh she says I picked a good time. But I'm not sure. She told me she left Colorado Sunday night to drive back to Missouri at 9pm. They drove a cargo van 3-4 hours, stopped and slept in a Wal-mart parking lot. At some time in the early morning her hubby decided it was cold. Got up, turned on the van and then I guess he just decided to take off. With her in the back. Sleeping. They drove home. Now they have to leave again and drive the van back to KC then two cars back home. I hope she remembers that I asked her to quilt a baby quilt. I hope she remembers to show up for Redwork group on Thursday... cause that's where I will hand off the quilt to "my Pat" and then wait for the call to come get it. She's my hero. She will know exactly how to quilt it. And it will be perfect.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

eye update- I return to the dr this afternoon. This shows you what has been keeping me busy... one eye drop is 4 times a day, one is 6 times a day, one is 2 times a day and then of course add the oral med and I needed a plan....



Nancy
off to sew....

another funny one.....

Sunday Dinner....

Playing Legos, eating Pop-pop's spaghetti and for one little girl it was all about the cupcakes....

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eye update (for those that care).. Went back to the dr yesterday where she added a steroid eye drop. I am now juggleing 3 eye drops and 1 oral medication. It's no worse today so I don't have to go in to see the eye dr until tomorrow where she will again look at it and take photos. The oral med gave me a horrible headache yesterday so now sewing was done.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nancy

I was lucky enough to get a photo... taken by another parent with the Rock Stars iPhone. Not the best quality, but I will take what I can get...
Aren't they cute. And he was home by curfew...




Eye still dilated. Not sure what's up with that. It should have gone down by now. I see the Dr again this morning so will see what she says.

I did get some stitching done after all the company went home. And Yea!! for the Cardinals!!! Central Division Champs.... I was actually stitching the Cardinals logo onto a quilt for a Christmas present. Now I will have to wait to get it quilted to see how far they go.

Nancy

busy and can't see....

I am having company for supper today. Second daughter heard that first daughter invited herself for spaghetti dinner, so second daughter and family are coming today at noon for, you guessed it, spaghetti dinner. Along with my sister (Aunt Cupcake), who second daughter invited and maybe a couple of surprise guests if they ever decide to answer their cell phone.

I'm telling you, hubby's spaghetti is famous around these parts!!

Yesterday morning, hubby and I were headed off to a "meeting" around 9am. We drove right through the little town where my eye doctor is and as we were driving by, I used my cell phone to call them and make an appointment for Monday. I am starting to have symptoms of that horrible ocular herpes I had at the beginning of this year. Well, we got about 10 miles away and they called me back. "Um"...the girl says... "the Dr. doesn't want to wait to see you until Monday." "Can you come in today?" So, we turned around and went back to the eye doctor (missed the meeting AND the $50 GCard for attending) and Yea, I have once again aggravated myself and have ocular herpes. Dang it...
This could get expensive. The meds alone were over 100 bucks and that's with insurance. There goes any fabric shopping in the next week or so.

So I can't do any sewing, no applique, no stitching. I should be able to machine sew by tomorrow night. I don't have an ulcer on my eye ball this time. I caught it before it got that bad, so I am hoping it will be cured just as fast. It's exactly in the same place I had it before which is good, because that means it followed the same nerve and I only have one affected and not a new one. You know how you always get a cold sore on your mouth in the same place? That's because the virus follows the nerve to that spot. Same thing.

So I thought I would leave you with this funny video.



Tonight is Homecoming at the Rock Star's high school. I have asked and asked and he says you don't give the girlfriend a corsage. You just take a bouquet of flowers which he will pick up in town at the local discount store. (if he remembers).. Since I have the boy end of the deal, I won't get photos. And he is wearing jeans and a polo. Guess they don't dress up anymore?

Nancy

two birds with one popover....

Thank you for all the nice comments yesterday. I am so glad that you like my dribble... :- )

If I could I would make enough popovers to send you all one in the mail. Of course that can't happen, so I will show you a photo of mine and give you the recipe.




Quick Popovers -

Ingredients:
• 2 Tbs. butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Extra butter, jam, or maple syrup for toppings

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Step 1: Brush the inside of 12 muffin cups with melted butter.
Step 2: Break eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add milk and beat well. Add flour and salt; whisk in until well blended. Pour batter into each muffin cup; cups should be about half to two-thirds full.
Step 3: Bake 30 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and prick with a fork to let steam escape. Spread with butter or jam or dip in a little bit of maple syrup. You can also fill with pudding and dust with powered sugar or drizzle with chocolate. Fill with scrambled eggs and chopped bacon for a quick breakfast treat.

These are so easy that kids can make them... today at my house they did!!
I watch two kids after school for about an hour. I had the oven preheated and all the ingredients ready to go. One of them prepped the muffin pan and the other mixed the batter. Then they each poured 6 muffins. They each ate one and I sent four home with them for dessert.

The best part? They had to be very quiet with no running or jumping or screaming...nice. I'd say that was killing two birds with one popover.....

Nancy

PS I found this recipe yesterday on a blog I read. Unfortunately I didn't note the name of the blog and I can't find it. If you know where the recipe was please email me so I can give proper credit.

It pays to comment.....

I love to get comments on my blog. It's always nice to know that you are out there actually reading this dribble stuff. On that same note I try really hard to comment on all of the other blogs I follow. And I follow a lot.... too many I think. But I can't think of one blog that I read that I wouldn't miss if I dropped it from the list. I read quilting blogs, embroidery blogs, food blogs, saving money blogs, and even some that are just well reflective blogs.

A couple of weeks ago I commented on this blog. I have been reading this blog for about, oh who knows how long. A couple of months ago Cindy was the speaker at my quilt guild. She did a trunk show and lecture "What I know for Sure - Lessons Learned from Quilting". It was a very interesting lecture and I enjoyed it very much.... I took photos, but the lighting is so bad at our meeting place that all of them came out too dark to see.

ANYWAY.... I won a giveaway on her blog a couple of days ago. I won a copy of her new book and 5 FQ's. Aren't they lovely... I think there is applique in this book. In fact I am sure there is applique in this book. I can't wait to finish my bird so I can start a new project. Cause I can't start a new applique project until I finish this one...right?? right??

Edit-Did anyone notice I said 5 FQ's when we can all see that there are SIX (6) in the photo. I got ALL SIX from Cindy....






And you know there is applique in this book... Cute applique....like cute little flower pots with flowers that would make a really cute wall hanging... in applique.

Guess I better get going on that bird...

Nancy

The "A" word...

I have been a quilter for 10 or so years and I have done piecing, paper piecing, machine applique and machine quilting. I have bound and turned, flipped and pressed. I have cut circles, squares and triangles. What was left?

ap⋅pli⋅qué   /ˌæplɪˈkeɪ/ [ap-li-key] ,verb, -quéd, -qué⋅ing. –noun 1. ornamentation, as a cutout design, that is sewn on to or otherwise applied to a piece of material. 2. work so formed. 3. a decorative feature, as a sconce, applied to a surface.

Yesterday, I took my first class in Applique. Suzanne Marshall came all the way to my little quilt guild in the country. We were entertained at her trunk show. (her hubby is hilarious) At one point he said he would be a happy man if he was fondled as much as her fabric!! LOL Suzanne is a self-taught quilter. In 1976, her family needed some "covers" and she took herself off to the library and checked out her first quilting book. The rest seems to be history. I don't remember what year she said she started doing hand applique, but she is a master. She showed many, many examples that we oohh'd and aahh'd over. Frogs seemed to be a theme for good many of them, but she has also used Turkish carpets and photos from old books that she checks out of the library. Please take the time and go through her website by clicking on her name. I would have taken some photos (with permission of course) but the light in our meeting room is horrible. I was really thinking of knocking down one member and stealing her battery operated Ott Light. (did you know they made battery operated Ott Lights?) I want one... even though I have two electric ones, the way we were arranged I didn't have anywhere to plug it in. ANYWAY.... back to the post. Four of the guild members brought lunch for everyone and we had wonderful taco salads and dessert. (Hey Bev, don't forget to send me that recipe for your zucchini bread YUMMO) Then class started. We were told to bring scraps of fabric for a blue bird, flower, grass and leaves. Um...what did I take? black and white prints...LOL My bird will be all black and white and then I have some orange for the flower.

This is my pattern. Go ahead, click that photo and make it bigger. Do you see the word written on it? uh huh....EXCELLENT... Let's pause while I toot my own horn here... Suzanne Marshall wrote EXCELLENT on my pattern. (deep sigh) I asked her a question about what to do next and she looked at my little bird and said "But you have appliqued before." "No", I said. "This is my first class on applique" She said "no!". Um, yea... I don't applique.. She wrote EXCELLENT on my pattern. Yes, Suzanne Marshall that is famous and has award (and money) winning applique quilts wrote "EXCELLENT" on my pattern.



Ok, pause over... but I am still glowing...


Here is my bird. Well, what I have done of my bird. See? It's all black... I will finish this and then I will most likely make it into a pillow top.



And what do you get with any class you take? HOMEWORK.. She has challenged us to 15 minutes of hand applique each day for 6 months. Then if you don't like to do it, you can stop. I don't think this homework is going to be hard.. I think I like this "A" word...

Nancy

Design Wall/Workbench Monday.....

Well, here it is another Monday. I don't have a lot to show for the last week. This is block 4 of a LQS BOM. And no, that isn't my design wall. that's my kitchen/breakfast room floor. I have the block down here and I decided not to walk upstairs, hang it up on the design wall and bring it back downstairs just to pack it up to take to quilt guild today.



I still haven't done anymore from last week's design wall.. You can see it here. It is still on the wall in the very same position. Oh well, I have until Christmas to get it done...

On the other hand....hubby has been sawing and gluing by leaps and bounds...



This is my dresser (photo taken last night). I love it. It will have 6 drawers and a huge 36 inch tall mirror. I can't wait for it to get finished.

Last friday, two friends and I took off for Hannibal to visit a not-so-local quilt shop. Someone should have told me not to take the long cut...We took the windyiest and hillyiest road, although it was very pretty with all the greenery and the river running next to us most of the way. I thought we would NEVER GET THERE!! It took us forever. I was overwhelmed. Hickory Stick is one of the Top 10 shops chosen this year by Quilt Sampler magazine. Click HERE and you can see 10 photos of the shop. I would show you my photos, but bad blogger that I am I forgot to take the camera. We shopped and I got the makings for a Christmas present, then we headed down to a Tea Shop for lunch and then we shopped again. I got backings for two quilts. That's all. I tend to shop for fabrics for a particular project and not just to have on the shelf.
We were smart and took the quick way back, well as soon as we found the highway we took the quick way back. I kind of got a bit lost. Not really lost, as I knew where we were the whole time, but just not how to get to where I wanted to be (and no sis, I still don't want a GPS!) I knew I needed to go west and then south and we were going west, but didn't turn south quite fast enough. ANYWAY!!! we did finally get home....
Now while you are reading this I am at quilt guild taking my first needleturn applique class with teacher Suzanne Marshall. I hope I am a good student.
I'll go put the camera in my car right now... Maybe I will have some photos to show you tomorrow.

Nancy

PS-a personal note to my sis....I'm the best daughter. 2nd daughter is driving in today to see GG at the hospital.

Yummy Jelly Rolls ....

There is nothing better than a good jelly roll....hot from the oven and then a nice creamy cool center.... No, I didn't make this one. I have never made a jelly roll.



BUT.....

Tomorrow I plan to purchase a jelly roll.This kind of jelly roll. This kind of jelly roll I can handle..



Because I want to do some of THESE... It's Jelly Roll week over at Missouri Quilt Company. I happen to live in Missouri, but if you live in Alaska or Arkansas or New Mexico or New Zealand you can still read this blog and watch some great tutorials and enter to win a jelly roll. And you will get your choice of jelly roll....all WITH NO CALORIES...... How about that!!

Go. Now. Don't. Wait. Do. No. Don't. I want to win... So how about you go over and watch all the videos. But don't enter to win the jelly roll. Ok? Yea, I know you aren't gonna listen. Your gonna enter, aren't you. Well. ok.. I will just keep my fingers crossed...

Nancy

pssst....wanna know a secret???

9 Aussie Designers in one place....

Free patterns......

Go HERE and check it out...

and add it to your google-reader or your bloglines or your RSS feed or whatever you use to keep up. This blog will be worth watching.

Nancy

Design Wall Monday.....

This is my design wall today....



The OU blocks are my current project (well, along with a baby quilt that needs backing, and quilting and binding and I have NOTHING in my stash that will work). Best SIL number 2 is a HUGE OU fan and this will become his Christmas present. If I ever figure out how to finish it. I have all the 8in squares cut and am trying to figure out if I want a white border and then black sashing. I am headed that way, but since this is as far as I have gotten it would be easy to head down another road. Any thoughts?
Best SIL number 1 (numbered as to when they joined the family)is also getting a lap quilt and his has a baseball theme... just so you don't think I play favorites...

Those little triangles down there on the right are leftovers from a BOM and need to be trashed...

The other little star block was a trial. THIS pattern has a different and fun way to make those blocks from charms. You get one block from two charm squares. I had pinks and lavenders for this quilt. Very cute, but now the baby is a BOY! So I am back to the drawing board. Well, actually I am past the drawing board stage and have a quilt top.... it just needs quilting and binding... oh and a backing which I will get this Friday when two friends and I head to THIS SHOP...


And this is hubby's design wall... He is building a dresser for me. It will match the headboard and side tables you can see here..



of course this is just the carcass as he calls it. It will have 6 drawers and a 3ft mirror... and I can't wait to see it..

VW just called. Those dang dash lights..the one that looks like a seat with an airbag came on last week and I took it in this morning. It will cost a pretty penny to get it out of hock this afternoon, but I guess it is a safety issue. Dang bumper sensors. This will cut down on the shopping Friday...dang it...

Well, off to do something...not sure what...maybe some stitching today as I am having tummy troubles. Oh wait. I have some bean bags to make. "Someone" asked me to make them some beanbags for some kind of bean bag board game (say THAT 3 times fast)... and then while I'm at it, can I make a set for some friends of theirs...so I need to get those done today..or tomorrow...

Nancy

giveaway alert....

Celebrating 1000 sales in 6 months at Etsy.... with a giveaway....

Click HERE...

Magic...

Does today feel magical to you? Apparently there are many that believe that today's date is special....

09-09-09

If you add them together 9+9+9 = 27 and then add 2+7 you get 9.

Today is the 252 day of the year. Add them all up....2+5+2 and yep! you get 9.

Do you normally just use the month and date? 9+9 equals 18 ...and 1+8 is 9

According to numerologists..Hans Decoz in particular, the number 9 is the number of completion and finality, also the number of sympathy, love, selfless sacrifice and morality. Wow, that's a lot of pressure on one little number. I have always wondered about numerology and astrology. There are many that read their horoscopes every morning and set their day by what it says.

My horoscope today says...


"You could be highly motivated to take care of those you love and shower them with your affection as ardent Mars continues moving through your nurturing sign until October 16. But it's crucial to be clear about what you are doing with illusory Neptune now also in the picture. Losing yourself in a fantasy can be delicious, but not if it overflows into your real life and confuses your behavior with unclear motives" Horoscope from HERE

It seems I need to "shower my family" until Oct 16th. Are you kidding me? That's a long time to be nurturing... And I don't know how to get "illusory Neptune" to listen to me. (and exactly what does illusory mean?) Do I email him, yell real loud, leave a note on the counter? Of course I could just "lose myself in fantasy" and sew..... Yea! that's what I will do...

Nancy

Speaking of....

I love to sew. I try to sew each day, it doesn't always happen. I'm thinking that's why they call it "try". Sometimes I sew for myself, sometimes I sew for family, for gifts, for friends, for friends of my grown children...and so on.

Yesterday I spent a good part of my day talking on the phone and sewing. Who was I sewing for? A new designer. I am one of her test sewers...or as Linda calls us, Stitching Diva's.. Pretty fancy huh??

This is all I can show of my secret sewing ... ( I had to get permission first!)



I realize it isn't a lot, but there is some more sewing to be done and then pattern reviewing and I have already made some changes for her...LOL Seems like every pattern I have some "suggestions" for her. Sometimes she even listens.. My first job out of High School was in a publishing department of a vending machine company. I worked with three gentleman that wrote the instructional manuals for repairing the machines. I learned to proof-read, follow instructions as written (even if I thought I knew how to do it) and correct language. All the things that help me help Linda..

We spent the rest of yesterday doing mundane Monday things. Balancing the checkbook, cooking pork steaks on the grill, doing a little retouch painting, watching the Ghost Hunters marathon (unless I get the remote and then we watch "Chopped").

Nancy

As Linda would say.....

Just as my hobby is quilting, my hubby's hobby is woodworking. He isn't really truly happy unless he is building something. Our house is full of furniture he has hand made. He has made chairs, desks, cedar chests, picture frames, clocks and a couple of months ago he decided we needed a new bedroom set. Remember the nightstands he made? They are now finished and in the bedroom.

And look what joined them this weekend....

It started with this... a simple pencil drawing.



It progressed to buying lots of these....



and finally this weekend, I got this...

TA DA......







Isn't it the most beautiful headboard you have ever seen? My hubby is very talented isn't he? Next up is a dresser for me. He already has his pencil sketch done and some of the wood was purchased last night.. then we celebrated at Culver's...YUM...

I think I should make a new quilt for our bed. What do you think? Any ideas on color or pattern? I can get new curtains so that shouldn't be a consideration. The walls are painted a very very light lavendar. It won't be repainted...

As Linda would say....I am spoilt...

Nancy

weekend...

How is the big weekend going for you so far? In the US, this is Labor Day weekend and officially the last weekend to camp, have BBQ's with family and friends and school would start on Tuesday. In most places here in the states, school has already started. The Rock Star (need a new name as there is now no band and he traded a guitar for a keyboard) started school on Aug 18th, so this is just a nice long weekend for him. He also lucked out at work and has Sunday and Monday off... Not sure how that happened. He is low man on the totem pole, so you would think he would be on the schedule..

We started off our weekend on Friday with me doing the regular payday errands. Grocery store and stuff. Hubby was off so he was in the workshop most of Friday.

Today we drove down to the local mall and got the "boychild" (how is that for a new name?) some jeans for school. He is so much easier than the girls were. He checked on line and found the jeans he wanted, found out who had them and we went and bought them. DONE..in less time than it took to drive there. We even happened upon a "denim sale" at Macy's so we got $10 off one of the pair of jeans. SCORE!!

Then, I helped hubby make some spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Yes, this is what hubby does the best... He uses an HUGE amount of hamburger, italian sausage, two kinds of garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion, oregano, parmesan cheese (block and shaker),vinegar, sugar and who knows what else goes in there. Then I made the meatballs. Well, I didn't really MAKE them. He dumped everything in the bowl, I mixed them and formed them and then fried them. He told me to fry them black... he likes them crunchy, I don't like them like that, so I did the first batch his way and the second batch my way. We will see if it makes a difference in the end since they all go back into the sauce before serving anyway.

Doesn't this look good?




<

And yes, he's a guy so you would normally expect the kitchen to be in disaster mode after all that chopping and cooking, but no....he cleans while he cooks. In fact, if you aren't quick he will wash the utensils you are still using..LOL

BTW, that's my dish drying, his were all dried and put away..



Tonight we will go to Lowes and get some more oak. He finished a project and is this very minute drawing plans for the next project. I will show photos either tomorrow or Monday. Not sure when his latest will be available for show. And while we are in town, we will eat dinner out...

Oh, what about the spaghetti sauce? That's for tomorrow. Our oldest daughter and three of my grandkids are coming to dinner. She called and said she would bring them in if Dad would cook his sauce... talk about bribery!!

Poor little Bitty is sick with bilateral ear infections and also has Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.. She is so sick...her mouth is full of sores and she will only eat soft, cold food. I drove out Wednesday night and stayed with her all day Thursday and I got her to eat some yogurt, some applesauce and two glasses of milk. She did nap good for me and she didn't have a fever, but she was miserable Thursday night after I left and was back at the doctors on Friday for a script for "Magic Mouthwash" to kill the pain. It's a combination of lidocaine and maalox and something else.. She can't really teach her to swish and spit (she is only 19 months old), so she uses a syringe to coat her mouth. It seems to be helping and she ate a hotdog last night and had some pancakes this morning. Needless to say, she won't be having spaghetti tomorrow. I will have to make her something else, which I will do happily as long as she eats something...

No sewing until Monday at the earliest..

Nancy

I aim to please....

Pat asked if I could please fan out the fq's so she could get a better view, and Linda wanted to know why she had to "sit upside down" to see them. The kiddos that I watch after school went home early yesterday (yea!) so I got out the camera and did some photographing.....

Here's the browns.... Aren't they pretty?



And the blues...



These are very unusual colors for me... I tend to be drawn to more modern prints or brights or black and whites... Not these muddy, dull (to me) colors. But I think they will look nice using this pattern...



What do you think??

Nancy

are these what you call reproductions? civil war?

more than one....

Last year Bev and Veronica took me to the Hickory Stick for the first time. It is a quilt shop near where we go to retreat.... I was overwhelmed and after spending about an hour ogling all the pretty samples, kits, FQ's and bolts... I bought one fq. yea...one...fq...
It has been "the joke" for a year. ha ha...Nancy bought a fq... yea well...

NOT THIS YEAR....




This is what I purchased this year. ...20 fq's all bundled up just sitting there on the sale table, and these cute little scissors for my travel bag.

So no more joke....

I bought MORE THAN ONE!!!

Nancy