What I did today

Of course it still needs to be quilted and bound. I sketched it out on Monday, bought the fabrics on Friday, drew the plan Friday night and finished the top today. It 36 x 48. Just big enough to get this idea out of my head and into fabric. It is all Kona cottons. As usual I can't remember the actual color names.

I'm not having much luck with the long arm lately so who knows when it will be truly finished.

Sad

We had to say goodbye to my sweet Evie this morning. After a five month illness she was tired.

We'll miss her a lot.

My Sis Has an Etsy Shop!

I am very excited that Sherie has finally taken the plunge. Go see her awesome creations, you won't be sorry. Where did she get her logo? Jessica of course!

The Ongoing Series of Silly Bags and a Skirt

I don't know why. I'm just that way.

I modeled this after a bag I bought made out of a polyester fabric. I like it, it's light and pretty but it's not lasting. I've already snagged it. My version is smaller, the straps are longer and I put the snap straps so I can roll it up for storage. It's about 17 x 15 so, for me, just about right.

I didn't have enough fabric of either choice so I added the solids. On the first one, I added the extra fabric along the way.  For the second, I got a bit smarter. I sewed the green onto the white print and did the embellishment sewing down the seam. Then I treated it as the complete piece of fabric it now was, laid out my pattern and cut. Super simple.

I wanted to get home early enough to have You Know Who take photos of me modeling it.... that didn't happen.

Last but not least is a simple skirt I made for my M-I-L. Hope she likes it. It's the same style as my toile skirt. Perfect for summer, I'm thinking I'll make more.

Fabric, a Birthday and a Car Show

I received my special fabric from Amy Schimler on Friday. I love it. The owls are big, about 7-9 inches tall. I've had it laying across my old wingback chair and I'm thinking.....yes.

What follows is mostly for my FIL. If you hate cars, stop now.

Yesterday was You Know Who's birthday. He asked to go to the Retro Classics Car Show that happens here every year at the Messe. We'd not been to the new messe location so didn't quite know what to expect. The place is huge, with enough parking for everyone. We enjoy the classic German and American cars the most. I was playing with my 50mm lens and using no flash. With the crowds, that meant a lot of close ups. Or maybe I was just into grills and hood ornaments......

I think I should put this curtian in the Mini, no?

They also had a few people selling odds and ends. Some were interesting, some could be considered politically incorrect, still interesting though.

This olive tree has to be at least 100 years old. It was very expensive.

I think I want these chairs.

Later!

I said I didn't think I cooked anymore......

That's what I wrote on Adrienne's blog the other day. I really should have said I don't use recipes much anymore. I don't have time. Funny, back before working outside my home, (yes, I did, in fact understand at the time how great that was) cooking was an everyday event. I liked it, I planned for it, most days it was relaxing. In the summer I would start at about 4:30 down in at our grill and by the time you know who came home, dinner would be done, I'd have read a couple of chapters in my book and made most of the people walking by out apartment want an invite for dinner. Now, I drive home somewhere between 5 and 7 wishing I had a cooking fairy. Sometimes the Doner Kebab man is my bestest friend. Most nights though I do cook. It's just that is simple. No frills. Poor you know who...... Then there are some nights that I'm in the mood for something more and sometimes something more is simple too.One word, Pesto.

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Of course, you know who enjoys some protein, so we also had a pork chop with herb de provence.

Personally, I could just live on the pesto, tomatoes and avacado. I learned this from the guys at the Pasta Cafe. Super easy. I really should have wiped the plate edge for a prettier presentation but I was hungry.

1. Leaves of 4 basil (2-3 cups) plants washed and dried (a salad spinner helps)
2. 1 bag of pine nuts (the small bag)(you can use walnuts)
3. 1-4 cloves of garlic, according to your taste
4. Put these ingredients into a food processer and pulse several times
5. Stream olive oil into processer while it is on until the pesto has a smoother consistancy. Turn off the processor and scrape the sides a few times during this process.
6. parmesan cheese (I've seen some recipes ask for pecorino, it's a little sharper and harder for me to find)
7. salt
8. Add the parmesan (1/4 to 1/2 cup) and salt to taste, processing with each addition.

You can play with the flavors to your taste. I like garlic so I use more of that. Serve over your choice of cooked pasta. Refrigerate any leftovers. Add olive oil to the remaining pesto as you use it to keep it from drying out.

Did someone say bags?

This is the scene out my kitchen window at 7:30 Saturday morning. It was almost a blizzard. It was cold, like freezing, so I didn't leave the house until I had to go forage for food. Which silly enough was 12 hours later when I realized there was not much in the house to eat except chocolate. Can't survive a whole day on coffee and chocolate. We tried,  it didn't work. When I walked to the store, It. Was. Still. Snowing.

I cleaned a bit. Then I started sewing super silly simple market bags. The same kind as in my last post. Per the request of some, I'm trying to write a simple tutorial and to do that, apparently, I need to make a lot. Either that, or I am seriously obsessed.

 It takes about 3/4 of a yard because I like longer straps. You could peice the straps though and use less. Hmmm, should of put a ruler next to these to show the size. They wrap about 5 inches long and and 1.5 inches wide. Perfect for your purse or pocket.

This is mine, I just love this fabric.

The rest? Who knows... I think they would make great gift bags too.

No Clever Title Here

Been in a bit of a funk. Started quilting my quilt only to have to spend a couple of days unquilting my quilt. Now I have to try again. My bad, too excited, not paying enough attention. Blah.

So while waiting for my courage to return and a spot in the never ending line of longarm users at work, I've made things, silly little things. Sometimes that's what I do. It clears my head for other stuff.

My take on going green. These bags wrap up into a small pack that fit nicely into a purse or pocket. Easy to use up smaller pieces of fabric for something useful.

Two tries at luggage tags. Thanks Jennifer for letting me use some of your clear plastic. I'll be trying another when I have time. A fun project for even smaller pieces of fabric.

This item came out of trying to find a solution for Kelly and her keys.... I think it's fun.

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Last but not least, I had a visit from two of my most favorite girls the other day. I happened to have my camera and though these are not quality photos, they are fun. I was laughing so hard at one point that the lack of light and my moving ruined the cutest pose. And posing she was.

Sweet, sweet face.

How can you stay in a funk with company like this?