Tuesday, June 24, 2008

It's a flimsy


I went ahead and did it anyway. I'm still not sure I like the green polka-dot. It is bright for sure!
Blessings and happy quilting,

Monday, June 23, 2008

Feeling Better



I am feeling better. I was very lazy last week and now I have to get busy. We had guild meeting Saturday. Jeanne and I were hostesses for refreshments. She brought the fixings for yogurt parfaits and I made banana muffins, iced tea, and orange juice. It was nice to see everyone and see their show and tell. I took the pink 4 Patch Stacked Posies to show. They want me to have a class and show them how to do it. Yup, it's contagious. Can't even get near one I'm telling you; so look out!




Here's a picture of the 4PSP I'm making with the fabric I posted sometime back. I showed my Wednesday group the method of 4PSP using that fabric. This weekend I sewed the blocks and then I tried a different setting. I need some comments. What do you think? My husband tells me he's not sure. He thinks I need a lighter color to border the blocks before I put them with the polka dots. I like this setting but I'm thinking that the kaliedoscope effect is getting lost. Maybe the green with pink polka dots needs to go and be replace with a lighter color. Please, please give me some insight!
I plan on putting nine of these blocks together and bordering with focus fabric for a baby quilt. I have 51 more blocks and will probably make another baby quilt and throw.
I hoed in the garden this morning for a few hours. We got a tiller but the grass grew too quick and the tiller is having a hard time with the grass. So I will do it the old-fashioned way. Hoeing and pulling. I am making progress. Only half of it has a lot of grass in it anyway. Good exercise for me! I am going to sew some more of the blocks after a shower -- ewwww! and I'll see you later.
Blessings,

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

A Pasta Salad Recipe

I found this recipe in The Best of Concho Cookery produced by The San Angelo Standard-Times which is a cookbook I got while we lived in San Angelo, Texas. This cookbook represents a twenty-five year gathering of winners in the Concho Cookery Contest sponsored annually by the San Angelo Standard-Times copyrighted 1982.

I have changed up the original to our liking so I will list the original and then my changes. Okay.

One Dish Salad

3 cups cooked rice, cooled (I use pasta--elbow, or twists)
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives (I have used the diced version)
1 pkg. frozen sweet peas, cooked accordeing to pkg. directions (I'm not a fan of these so I omitted
the peas)
1/4 cup chopped pimento
3/4 cup coarsely grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped red onion (any variety will do--the red is pretty)
1 8 oz. pkg. sliced ham, cut into strips ( had our ham from our hogs and diced it and I have used diced chicken and it is equally good)
1 cup cheddar cheese cubes
1/2 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix (save the rest for the next salad--no worry--you will probably make it again real soon)
1 cup mayonaise ( I use Miracle Whip) or you can use a lighter version
Tomato wedges (I'm not a fan of tomatoes in pasta salad--soggy)
Lettuce leaves (if you want to be fancy)
I also added chopped celery, red bell peppers(kinda a duplicate with the pimentoes I guess), yellow bell peppers or green bell peppers.

Toss the first eight ingredients in a large salad bowl. Stir the Italian salad dressing mix into the mayonnaise. Add to salad and mix well. Chill. Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with tomato wedges. Makes a big bowl and is perfect in my opinion for a hot summer evening meal.

If you make this and like it please leave me a comment. If you make changes, let me know I might like YOUR changes.

Blessings and happy quilting,

Monday, June 16, 2008

It was a "Mason" weekend!





We had DGS Mason this weekend so his mommy and daddy could do the activities they each had to do. He is on the move now. So there was picking up somethings out of his reach. And we played ball. They have been playing with him at home. We were so amazed at him. I have lots of cabinets doors he wanted to check out. I use big rubber bands on those that have knobs that meet each other. It always worked for DGD Aimee. He's a boy! He figured it out. His dad is an engineer and his grandfather is a diesel mechanic; do you think I have my work cut out for me?!


Yep, he just pulled the doors open wide enough for him to get his hand in and commenced to extract. Like I said DGD is no dummie for sure and this tactic worked real good for her but he is another story. This will be a plus when he is older and I "need" him to help figure out a problem. We had "surprise" visitors this weekend. On Saturday morning we found two young raccoons in our hedge by the patio. And later DH looked up in the tree beside these hedges and saw another one. They're gone now. I don't know WHERE they have gone. DH sure didn't want them in his barn where he stores his feed. Max found a mole and killed it. It was on the patio Saturday morning, too. Good boy! I just wish he would scare that amardillo away that is digging holes all in the yard at night.
I demonstrated the 4 Patch Stacked Posies pattern at my Wednesday group last week. It was fun showing them my addiction. You think it's contagious. I sure hope so. Hee, hee. I wasn't feeling the best in the world. I went to the doctor this morning--urinary tract infection. I used to get them all the time in my twenties. I could've lived without this one. I am drinking water, cranberry juice, taking my meds, and posting. I will live. I will live. I will live. Keep saying it long enough and I will convince myself.
Thanks goes out to Patsy again. She is responsible for the signature. If it wasn't for you, Patsy, I wouldn't know how to do anything. Now can you could tell me how to do the linky thing so that when people click on your name it would take them to your blog? Sure would appreciate it. Hugs.
Blessings and happy quilting,

Monday, June 09, 2008

Finished!



Here it is --ta dah! All quilted and bound! And you know what I've already cut out another 4 Patch Stacked Posies before I have completed the Rose 4PSP and the Flower Box. Bad quilter! Shame on me, I know. I told you I was addicted. These are the two fabrics I am using and in the next picture are two blocks laid out for sewing. There's lots of purple in this quilt; although, you may not can tell it by the phot0. Anyway, I have cut two different size blocks. The individual squares above are cut 3" and the larger ones I have cut are 5 3/4". I will sash them with Kona Bone and a pretty purple fabric I found. I am thinking of giving this to a lady in my Wednesday group for a house warming present. She loves purple. In fact, her new bedroom is painted purple. Would my husband die or what?!
Never fails--if we have the water going in the garden it rains. A nice shower of rain just came and I had just turned off the well right before it started raining. Last time we had the sprinkler going we got an inch of rain and it was lightning and raining so hard I didn't turn off the well until it was over. I'm not complaining; mind you, we need this rain very badly. I can't wait for fresh squah, etc. etc. My daughter got her squash in several weeks before we did and she is enjoying fresh squash now. A friend of ours is harvesting fresh blackberries. She doesn't have as many this year because we didn't have as much rain. My oh my aren't some people getting massive amounts of rain and flooding? Seems like if they aren't getting tornadoes they're getting floods. And if they're not getting that then they're getting the heat.
Okay, I need an idea for the label to put on the Pink 4 Patch Stacked Posies. Got any ideas just leave a comment or email me. Thanks. I need all the help I can get.
Thanks goes out to Patsy. She told me how to get the Quilting Bloggers badge on my blog. I told you I need help! LOL Speaking of the Quilting Bloggers, that is an amazing site. I absolutely love reading other bloggers pages about as much as I love the 4 Patch Stacked Posies. If you haven't listed your blog be sure and go by and do it.
Blessings and happy quilting,