Trying to Clarify Imagine

Since I think I have confused some of you with my ideas for my next color project, I’m going to try to say it better.  The picture with just the lettering on the yellow orange fabric is the actual fabric that I stenciled.  My initial plan was to apply fusible web to the back of that fabric and then cut out the letters and fuse them to the blue-violet background.  When I said I was planning to use the layout in the stenciled piece of fabric, I meant that baseline for the word, rather than a straight baseline.

The second option came when I was looking at the stenciled fabric and thought about just using it as a whole piece then use blue-violet squares to frame the pieces of fabric that had been stenciled.  Clear as mud?

Blatant Copy

I promised to post a picture of the little whole cloth I quilted last Friday.  I finished hand sewing the binding last night during color class.  

It is a blatant copy with minor modifications of one Renae Haddadin showed on her DVD and has posted on her website.  I needed something relatively quick for a gift exchange next week and I wanted it to be handmade.  I also wanted to play more with some of the techniques on Renae’s video so this is the result. 

Imagine

Imagine you need a project finished in less than three weeks for color class.  Eek!  I came up with an idea that was inspired by a project on Suzanne’s blog.  I looked for the exact entry, but can’t find it at the moment.  This project must be quicker than the last two because there is too much else happening during the next three weeks.

This month’s project is complementary.  My plan is to incorporate a word (or words) on a background.  I thought I was going to being doing blue and orange.  When I started looking at what I thought were a lot of blues I found that most of them are actually blue violet if I compare them to the 3 in 1 color tool.  So my colors are going to be blue-violet and yellow-orange.  My first thought was to use Shiva Paint sticks to stencil the word(s) onto the background, but I’m afraid it will start to get somewhat muddied with the complementary colors.

So the next idea was to stencil onto some yellow-orange fabric, add fusible web, cut out the letters and fuse them to the background.  With that in mind I stenciled “Imagine” on a scrap of fabric. 

This is sort of what I was thinking of for the project, just not quite as regular as it came out in Electric Quilt.  The lettering would be as in the layout above. and the stripes wouldn’t be even — might even be curves.  The fabric is also what came with EQ not what I would be using.

Then I started thinking that it might be cool to have multiple words and leave them on the background fabric, so here is another idea.

I’d be interested to hear which one my blog visitors think I should pursue.

The Verdict is In

It was a long day today.  When I got up this morning I decided I need something more interesting for software club.  So I wrote up another whole handout to talk about after we discussed — yawn — underlay and pull compensation.  The students said they learned a lot today and that their brains were full.  I guess that means club was a success.

Tonight was color class and since I missed the last class I had both my neutral and monochromatic projects to present.  The critic was harsher on the monochromatic project.  Perhaps I shouldn’t use the word harsh.  I’m not completely happy with that project either so I would tend to agree with the critics.  There were much better reviews on the neutral project and I will say it holds a much warmer spot in my heart.

I get the next few days to actually work on customer quilts and then it is on to the next iron in the fire.

Yawn

Today was not an exciting day.  I teach Software Club at the local Bernina store tomorrow.  I’m hoping I won’t be putting the attendees to sleep!  The subject this month is “Improving Stitch Quality.”  I’m going to be discussing underlay, pull compensation, jump stitches…  I usually have a design we digitize in class, not this time.  So far four pages of explaining when and why it is all important and how to make changes.

Yawn — I think I’m off to bed.

No Black Friday for Me

A few years ago I decided there weren’t any sales good enough to get me out of bed in the middle of the night to stand in line in the cold waiting to spend money.  Which means today was a relaxing day.  I quilted a small whole cloth and I am very pleased with the final results.  I will post pictures after it is bound.

As soon as we finished eating yesterday, Jesse said something like “Thanksgiving is over, now we can decorate for Christmas.”  Jesse is the only other one in this family that gets excited about decorating for Christmas.  I didn’t start dragging Christmas decorations out last night, but I did start this afternoon.  The tree is up and the lights are on it.  We will add the rest of the ornaments over the next few days.  This is it lit up tonight. 

I’ve always liked to squint my eyes, and look at the tree in the dark.  Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about — really cool rays come off the lights.  OK that’s the weird fact for today.  I used to be adamant about having a real tree.  After all my Dad was a logger when I was a child and we would go out an cut our own usually for free.  I think the last time I remember going out the permit was $2 in Oregon.  When Guy and I got married we moved to Virginia — DC Metro area and I still had to have a real tree, but they were getting pretty expensive.  While we lived in California I didn’t put a tree up, because we took the boys to their grandparents’ houses in Oregon every Christmas.  The year we moved to Colorado, I finally succumbed and bought a fake tree.  There are benefits.  I can put it up as early as I want and it isn’t anymore a fire hazard the day I take it down than it was the day I put it up.  It has also more than paid for itself over the last eight years.  The drawbacks are no evergreen scent and the type of tree is the same every year.

My organization efforts continue.  This week’s Fly Lady zone was the master bedroom.  Our bedroom happens to house all our home office stuff, too.  I managed to make a large dent in the stacks of paper and layers of dust.  Guy even helped me clean off a shelf that housed software documentation.  Going through it we found we didn’t need most of it so the shelf is almost cleared.  Some serious layers of dust are also gone.  Guy did come down to the basement today and said “Fly Lady doesn’t have a zone for a sewing room/basement do they?”  I promise I will get to that part of the house too …….Eventually.

Give Thanks

What would you expect today, other than a Thanksgiving theme.  Yesterday I read two different articles on the first Thanksgiving both claiming they were somewhere other than Plymouth.  One said the first Thanksgiving took place in Florida and the other said the first was in Texas.  Both dinners in these articles involved the Spanish and Native Americans after a Mass.  To be perfectly honest, I don’t care where the first Thanksgiving took place!  What I hope Thanksgiving represents for me and my family is a time to stop and reflect on the many blessings in our lives.  Yes, we usually have a special dinner — sometimes with extended family, but more often not since we live so far from them.  What am I thankful for?  Suzanne posted the ABCs of Thanksgiving on MQResource and I have posted a couple of times there, but I thought I would work on my own list today.  Because this could go on forever, I’m going to limit myself to one thing per letter.

A– A-1 Quilting machine.  It’s new this year and I’m having a ball with it.

B–Books, I love to read.  I borrow lots of books from the library, but I also seem to collect cookbooks, quilting books, sewing books, painting books and there are probably others that aren’t coming to mind at the moment.

C– Christ Jesus who died for my sins so I can look forward to a future with Him!

D– Dad.  He may not have a lot to say, but he has quietly supported me my whole life.  I know he loves me and is proud of me.

E– My ENVIRONMENT.  I’m thankful for my comfortable home and for where I live.

F–Friends obviously.  I have had good friends where ever we have lived.  I am terrible at keeping in touch, but when I see friends from the past it is like time hasn’t passed.  This applies all the way back to childhood friends.

G– Guy my husband.  I couldn’t ask for anyone better!  He has loved me for over 20 years and put up with my quircky personality.  He is my best friend.  He supports my hobbies (financially and by showing an interest).  He spoils me.  I have to be careful about saying I want something, because he will get it.  He listens to me when I actually communicate.  He is an amazing father to our boys.  I could go on and on.

H– Health — not just mine, but my families.  We have our ups and downs, but in general we are blessed with good health.

I– In-laws, yes I love and appreciate my in-laws.  There really are only three my father-in-law — Glen, my mother-in-law — Sandra and my brother-in-law — David.

J– Jesse my youngest son.  He has been his own person from the day he was born.  He is too smart for his own good and can be a real sweet talker.  He is a blessing from God.

K– Kisses whether they are the ones given in front of my son’s class that embarass him, good-night kisses, or those of a more passionate nature — they are all symbols of love.

L– Lights — the older I get the more I appreciate extra lights to help me see the detail work I enjoy.

M– Mom!  She has always done her best for me.  She has always been there for me and put her heart and soul into raising my sister and me.  I love her and appreciate her.

N– Nolan my oldest son.  He is also very intelligent with an inquiring mind.  He is a sensitive soul.  He is good at setting goals and attaining them.  Two examples come to mind he taught himself to type the summer between 5th & 6th grade and he also decided to learn to ride a Unicycle during Spring Break one year.  He did it.  He too is a blessing from God.

O– I’m thankful to have many creative OUTLETS.

P– Personal Computer — I could become a computer geek.  I enjoy putting various software programs through their paces and I would feel lost without my access to the internet.

Q–I know everyone expects me to say quilts or quilting and yes I do enjoy and appreciate those things.  But I am expecially thankful for Quiet time alone.  Anyone that knows me can tell you I am not a social butterfly.  I NEED quiet time regularly.

R– Restraunts, so I don’t have to cook everyday.

S– My Sister Sheila.  I am two years and two months older than her.  We played together when we were growing up and we also fought!  (She was great at fake crying, so I got in trouble.)  She is my other best friend.  She is one of the most generous people I know.  When people meet Sheila they always remember her — she is out going and has a great laugh.

T–Teachers — both those I’ve had and those that are working with my children now.  They are special people.

U– United States of America — I am extremely thankful that I make my home in the good old USA.

V– Vacations — it’s fun to see something new and get a break from the ordinary — it is also nice to come home.

W– Water — my favorite sports involve water.  Swimming is probably my favorite physical activity.  I also really like water skiing and the one time I tried Snorkeling was great.  Canoeing and kayaking are good, too.

X– I’m thankful my son says I’m not Xanthippe (a shrewish female esp. a wife) — I told you that boy was smart!  I’d never heard the word before.

Y– Years – those past and those yet to come.

Z– Zucchini — my husband says that we haven’t had to eat it for quite some time, but I like it especially in Zucchini Bread.

It Will be a Cold Day…

I finished my monochromatic project yesterday.  The working title while I was quilting it was “It will be a cold day…”  I have slightly more positive thoughts for it this morning.  I had intended to quilt circles in the Storm at Sea blocks, but after quilting one decided it wasn’t going to work.  Rather than enhancing the illusion of curves in the piecing it distracted from it.  Also the piecing on those 5″ blocks isn’t perfect and the circle quilting made it much more obvious.  The allover quilting design on the blocks helped to hide some of the piecing issues.   I adopted the attitude of “get ‘er done” and this is the finished result.  My husband likes it so I guess it isn’t all bad, and it is finished.

I hadn’t planned to put a border on it, but after hanging it on the design wall I decided it need one.  When I was quilting it, the seam through the middle of the picture pulled apart slightly so the white seam allowance showed.  Fabrico Markers to the rescue and I doubt anyone else will be able to find the spot.

I hope I have learned to go simpler for the next project, but I wouldn’t COUNT on it.

Friday Night = Soup Night

As long as I can remember Friday night has been soup night.  The exception was in the hottest part of summer, then salad was the likely replacement.  I only remember one soup from when I was a small child and it was a simple recipe that came from my Grandma Kemmerer.

                              Yankee Chowder

  Amount              Measure              Ingredient — Preparation Method

——–                  ————            ——————————–

  2                          cans                      vegetarian vegetable soup, condensed

  1                          can                        cream of mushroom soup, condensed

  1                          onion

  3                          medium               potatoes — cubed

                                                            salt — to taste

                                                            milk

                                                            Water — to cover potatoes and onions

In a large pot sauté onions in a small amount of oil.  Add potatoes with enough water to cover them and salt.  Cook until the potatoes are tender.  Stir in the condensed soup and add enough milk to give a creamy appearance.  Heat until warm.

If we were spending the week-end at my Grandparents’ house the meal was finished off with Tapioca pudding with bananas and mini marshmallows in it.  When we were home there wasn’t dessert on Friday night. 

I have expanded my soup horizons since I grew up and rarely make the one above anymore.  Tonight’s soup is “Parsley-Potato Soup” I have modified it from the recipe in “Vegetarian Soups for all Seasons” by Nava Atlas.  (I have been pleased with every recipe I have tried from Nava’s books.)  My version is Vegan and I have eliminated the oil and used dried herbs rather than fresh.

                            Parsley Potato Soup

Amount                Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method

——–                  ————  ——————————–      

  1                           large     onion — chopped

  2                          cloves  garlic — minced

  6                          medium  potatoes — peeled and diced

  2                          bay leaves

                              water — as needed

  1                          large cube  Vegan Vegetable Bouillon (No Salte Added)

  1                          teaspoon  Italian Seasoning

  4                           ounces  Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese — diced

  2 2/3                   tablespoons  dried parsley

     1/4                   cup  quick cooking oats

  1                          cup  Light Silk Soy Milk — or as needed

                              Salt and pepper — to taste

Place the onion in a soup pot with enough water to cover the onion.  Saute over medium heat until the onions are soft.  Add the garlic, potatoes, and bay leaves.  Add enough water to cover along with the Bouillon cube, then stir in the Italian Seasoning. 

Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid with a ladle and transfer it to a small mixing bowl.  Combine with the Tofutti and whisk together until smooth and creamy.  Stir into the soup along with the parsley.  Slowly sprinkle in the oats.  Simmer for another 20 to 25 minutes over very low heat, or until the potatoes are completely tender.  Add the Soy Milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

This soup thickens as it stands; thin as needed with additional milk, then correct the seasonings.

 

At our house we usually have bread with the soup.  More often than not cornbread.  In the last year we have been trying to really reduce our fat intake and when we are at home we trying to go vegan.  I had been using the same cornbread recipe for years and when we decided to eat more healthfully I found a cornbread recipe we like in “Vital Vittles” by Heather Leno.  Again I have modified the recipe slightly.  I replace the oil she calls for with applesauce and go with lite salt since I have been fighting high blood pressure ever since my last pregnancy.

                             Vegan Cornbread

  Amount              Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method

——–                  ————  ——————————–

  1                          cup  whole wheat pastry flour

  1                          cup  whole grain cornmeal

  2                          Tablespoons  unrefined can sugar

  1                           tablespoon  flaxseed meal

  2                           teaspoons  Rumsford’s Baking Powder

1/2                        teaspoon  Lite Salt

 1 1/4                    cups  Light Silk Soy Milk

  2                          Tablespoons  unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients.

Mix together milk and applesauce.

Combine the liquid with the dry ingredients.

Fill Pam-sprayed 8×8 inch pan.

Bake 25 minutes.

 

It sure smells good in the house right now and I’m really hungry so it is time to leave the computer and finish supper.

Second Wednesday

Today is the second Wednesday of the month which means it is my day to teach embroidery club.  I admit to either being a huge procrastinator or having way to much on my plate.  Embroidery club was today, to that means I spent the two days just prior preparing.  Embroidering on Sweatshirts was the theme for today.  I had my class sample half embroidered last month so the goal was to finish it before this morning.  I was close and it is finished now.  The designs and idea for the shirt are from “Contemporary Machine Embroidered-Fashions” by Eileen Roche.  I used this class to demo the multi-hooping feature in version 5 of the Bernina Software.  I used a design from Bonnie  McCaffrey’s newest DigiBobbE collection.  It wasn’t the first time I had stitched anything out from this CD.  I mirror merged it four ways so the design was too big for the hoop.  It was a beautiful design.  I highly recommend any of her collections.  They are quick and elegant.       

  On the schedule for next month is embroidery on paper so I also need at least a couple of samples so I would know what to put on the supply list.  The largest challenge was just finding appropriate paper here in town.  Apparently, there isn’t much call for handmade paper or anything similar in this town.  I stitched out one sample on paper that may be handmade and one on card stock.  I tested to see how well a dense design would work on the handmade paper.  I used a design from one of the Current Critters collections.  It worked fairly well, the stabilizer will definitely need to stay in place.  For the other sample I digitized a fairly open design.  I need to refine the snowflakes a little, but other than that it worked fairly well.  I still have some ideas to test out for next month and then decide on subjects for the next quarter.  That will of course have to wait because there are other things pressing for tomorrow!