Should I Win An Award? And Another Brilliant "Cooking-With-Helen" Story

 I think it's just possible that at some points in time, mine could be in the top 10 of messy sewing rooms!

However, I'm going to suggest that in my favour, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

These are the 11 quilts I took to Martha House this week.  One of them I'd forgotten I made.  Hah.  Not that my memory's going, or anything like that! 😒

The two little red soft books (on the far right) were made by a guild member.  The three quilts on the right I had trouble forcing myself to put in the box. 

They're larger quilts, and I really like them.  The dark/light Potato Chip quilt, the rainbow Jacob's Ladder, and the blue/green Kira quilt.  I will absolutely be making another Potato Chip quilt this year.  It was an excellent leader/ender project.  And since I have another layer cake, of 30's prints, I might make another Kira quilt too.

I've been working on my HOUSE BLOCK swap group blocks.  These little blocks always take much longer to make than a large block, but I think they're also much more effective in a small size.  More impact when you look at them.  These are my December blocks.

This is what I've got so far.  (Well not really - there are more in the pile, but I don't feel like going and taking another photo!) Note all the adorable features in the windows. 

Yesterday and today I'm working on dog quilts.  My two monkies ...

...have clawed their way through the bed liners.  Which I made, like, 25 years ago.  Pfftt.  Just can't get good quality stuff anymore!!

I'm using the lovely fabric from IKEA as the new upper and just stitching it on top of the old quilts.  It's all upside down on the longarm, but you'll get the idea.

There are two more that I'll quilt today, then when that's finished I'll cut the new tops bigger by 2", fold over the raw edge and stitch to the back.

 

My kitchen/social story this week

Also, potentially my SECOND award, and NOT a good one.

The Red Hat Christmas Pot Luck Lunch was held here.  I cleaned the house.  Good Lord, I cleaned the OVEN.  I couldn't really see through the window any more, so, you know.   Anyhow...as my contribution I did a spiral ham from Costco.  Easy.  Heat it up.  Except, this is ME we're talking about.  Ahem.  

I put it in a small roasting pan that came with our toaster oven because it was the perfect size for the ham.  I added 1/4 cup of water.  I wrapped it in tinfoil.  Put it in the oven for two hours.  Took it OUT of the oven (remember, it's wrapped in foil, which I cannot see through) not realizing how much water came out of the ham during the heating process.  Frigg... I'm not a scientist, ok??  So, I spilled greasy ham water all over the bottom of the oven, all over the door, in  between the two oven windows (did you know your oven has TWO windows???), all down the cupboards, and all over the floor.  Said more than a few bad words.  Threw an old tea towel on the mess on the floor before someone slipped through it and decided to sue me.

Then, because I can read instructions, AND because I'm occasionally stupid, I turned up the oven to 425 and added the glaze to the ham.  OMG.  

• Smoke.  
• Potential for fire. 
• Smoke alarms. Several. Blaring.  
• Windows and doors open in the sub-zero weather.  
• My Red Hat girls wondering what the hell was going on in the kitchen.
• Dogs licking up whatever that delicious human-food juice was on the cupboards and floor.

Surprisingly enough, the ham was good.  Had an added 'smoke' flavour. 😳

Maybe not surprisingly, someone else volunteered to host the 2026 pot luck.

Merry Christmas!  Happy Holidays!  Serene Stay-In-Your-Jammies Season! 

And many thanks to my friend Jean, who made me cry, with this lovely card she painted. xxo.