Velcro Puppy

 

My sleep schedule has been all messed up this past week. Overtime and I've been coming home, falling asleep watching TV and then waling in the middle of the night. So I've been working on my quilt for a couple hours. That pattern continued Saturday only I didn't go back to sleep. I stayed awake until I finished the binding. All done!

After realizing I wasn't going to come back to bed, Sargeant came out and snuggled net to me. He doesn't mind being covered by whatever quilt I'm working on. Of course, as soon as I took this photo he went from deep sleep to looking at me. Food? Need me? Getting up? None of those? Then back to sleep.

As I type this he's snuggled next to me. A big sigh announced he was going to another level of sleep. In a few minutes I'll be ready to head to bed. He'll follow, of course. That's what a velcro dog does ... stick to you like velcro! I wouldn't have it any other way.

Blockbuster Month 2

 

I took a break from sewing on the binding on my Floral Fantasy quilt. I was working last Saturday and unable to attend the presentation so paid to get the block. Picked it up Saturday and had the chance to get Jean Biddick's new book and get it autographed by all the Tucson folks who are represented.

With this second block I have more clues on how the blocks will be designed. The theme is movie stars so the blocks are stars. Fabrics are batik and colors look like jewel tones (blues, greens, purples).

I picked up a few more batiks Saturday. My design concept is to use my spinning sun fabric fussy cut in the center. For the star points I'll use another yellow (I have several). Blues, the fuschia and purple, and perhaps some green will be my other colors. As I continue designing I'll plan to use one to three similar fabrics in the blocks, though the similar fabrics may vary from one block to another. It will be consistently scrappy!

I'm enjoying this very much. It gives me a chance to work on techniques in fabrics and a color palatte I like. I'm also getting some Electric Quilt 6 practice as I recreate the blocks and play with various color combinations.

Cabbage Casserole

Dinner tonight - very easy to make!

1 cup boiling water
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice, uncooked
1 14-oz bag of coleslaw mix with carrots
1 pound Jennie-O Italian seasoned ground turkey
1 tsp chopped garlic (I actually use about 2 Tbsp minced from a jar)
1 tep (or more to taste) Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning
1 can heart healthy (low salt) condensed tomato soup
1/2 soup can water

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Spray a 2-qt covered casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Add rice and the 1 cup boiling water. Cover.

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and add the coleslaw mix. Stir-fry until limp then add to the casserole. Don't stir yet.

Brown the ground turkey in the same skillet with the garlic and seasoning. Spread over cabbage in casserole.

Mix soup with water then pour over the casserole. Mix gently. Cover casserole and bake for 55 minutes.

Makes four 2-cup servings, approximately 350 calories.

Adapted from a recipe published in Everyday Cheapskate.

Enjoy! Easy and healthy!

Cat Approved

 

I've spent almost all of Easter Sunday, from about 5:30 am, working on my Floral Fantasy quilt. Finished quilting all the blocks (99) and a bit over one quarter of the border. Tucked a casserole in the oven (it will soon be too hot to use the oven!) and am now collapsed on the couch watching The Amazing Race. Hopefully I can stay awake for Undercover Boss. If not, the DVR is set.

I'm on track for getting the quilt completely finished by next Sunday. Mizzy Paws has definitely adopted it as hers. She can snooze on it until I call "Bed! Bed!" and she'll come running to collect her spot on the pillow next to mine.

Wishing everyone a blessed Easter!

-- Joanna

Adventures in Embroidery

 

I can remember my grandmother teaching me to embroider but it has been a long, long time since I've done more than a quick stem stitch. So I really am having to shake off the rust!

I did manage to finish my first test block. Not perfect but not dreadful either. By the time I quilt it and add some bling it will definitely be passable!

Sneak Peek

 

For the past three weeks I've been spending much of my non-work time designing and then cutting and piecing a quilt for a possible class this summer. I finished the top tonight and am relaxing (ie collapsing) and watching the end of the Xavier-Kansas State game (2nd overtime!) I'm pulling for Xavier since our new University of Arizona basketball coach, Sean Kelly, came from Xavier. How proud he must be of his former team!

Next task is to start thinking how I will quilt my quilt.

Sadly, Xavier lost. Terrific game though.

March Blockbusters

 

I've been immersed in creating a quilt for a class I plan to teach this summer. Nothing to show right now (it will be revealed when the class schedule is published). I took a hour diversion to create this block, the first in the new series. Meets the first Saturday of the month and, as most monthly block programs go, bring the previous month's block in and et the next month at no cost.

I missed the first meeting so missed the demo. Rules say that at least some of the provided fabrics must be used in the block. I enjoy this more than the blocks where everyone is given all fabrics. This allows more creativity.

In this, my first block, I used the provided fabrics to surrond the sun in the center and the blue/green in the outer corners.