Sampler Quilt, Goose in the Pond commission quilt, Garden

Here is the latest Sampler quilt. This is one of the $10 quilts from the local quilt shop.

The blocks were quilted using the Circle Lord.

I never gave you a whole shot of the finished commission quilt.  This should knock a BIG hole in my stash report next week.  Unfortunately, it won't do much for my UFO challenge which hasn't been touched all month.  sigh.

Back a few months ago I bought some gardening certificates from Wag Jag (which is exactly like Groupon - discount certificates, usually half price or less).  The plan is to rip out what I laughingly refer to as the 'flower bed' in front of my workroom.  There is more grass and thistles in there than flowers.  It includes two Mock Orange shrubs which I planted for the fragrant flowers.  Trouble is, they don't flower.  Well, ok, maybe three flowers per shrub.  Certainly not enough to perfume my workroom when the windows are open.  So - not doing their job?  They are outta there!!!  And the red twig dogwood that is buried in behind them?  Outta there!!!  The Prince of Wales junipers which are buried under the ivy - outta there!  I think DH will have to pull them out with the truck.  Maybe tonight (if you are looking for some cheap entertainment).

Yesterday I toodled on over to start spending my $200, where I gleefully found that ALL SHRUBS AND TREES ARE 50% OFF.  Woo hoo - my lucky day.  Well, two lucky days since I can only use two vouchers per visit, and I've got four vouchers to spend.  I had the car jam packed yesterday with three shrubs, 3 canna lilys potted up, one pond plant thingy, and a large patio planter.  Today DH will meet me there to pick up a few more shrubs and a dwarf nest spruce.

Now that summer seems to finally be here (although, this morning it was only 55 degrees?) I plan to go out in the mornings to rip out the ivy and ... um... the other ground cover.
Dig up the grass (which I already dug out last year, but, hmm, it's back), maybe save the yuccas which are all ready to bloom, and start planting the new stuff.

I also have to dig up the fall blooming crocus so I can replant them.   These things are lovely, by the way.  They leaf out green in the spring then the leaves die back, blooming in August & September.

Medallion Sampler & recipe

This is the medallion sampler quilt that was completed as a Block of the Month at the Caledonia Guild last year. This quilt belongs to the gal who ran the program.

I love the bright, clear colours that she used.

You may have to click on this to blow it up for detail. It was quilted with an hourglass design in the background, and feathers in the centre medallion section.

After wearing myself out at the Zumba class last week I went a little quieter for weekend entertainment.  Went to the symphony.  Yup - no longer a symphony virgin.  Symphony Hamilton put on a performance at a church in Burlington.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I don't think I will be getting seasons tickets.

Garden update:  now I'm picking cilantro, dill, lettuce and pea pods.  I made a delicious Thai dinner (from Chatelaine magazine), substituting pea pods for the broccoli.  Yum.  It was just spicy enough to make my nose run. 

 

Red Curry Peanut Noodles

Ingredients

• 1/2 500 g pkg spaghetti
• 1/3 cup peanut butter, preferably natural
• 3 tbsp Thai red-curry paste
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

1. Cook pasta, following package directions, 8 to 10 min. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk peanut butter with 1/4 cup water, curry paste, soy and honey (don’t worry if it’s lumpy — it will melt when cooked).
2. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add oil, then onion and chicken. Stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink, 4 min. Add peanut-butter mixture and reduce heat to medium. Stir frequently until chicken is cooked, about 2 min.
3. Ladle out 1/2 cup pasta water and add to sauce. Add broccoli to pasta water for last minute of cooking. Drain pasta and broccoli, then return to pasta pot. Stir in chicken mixture until combined. Serve with chopped peanuts if desired.

Scrappy Quilt & social activities

I just love scrappy quilts. This was pieced using foundation fabric, so there is no batting.

If you've been watching the 'modern' quilts they are often quilted with just straight lines. I like the look!

Extra blocks were pieced into the backing.

This has been a busy week for me.  Usually I have NO life at all.  But I went to the movies to see Bridesmaids, which was truly funny with a good amount of scatological humour.  Then after taking the commission quilt to Judy Lyons in Burlington for an appraisal I had a lovely lunch date with a friend and followed that with a visit to see Mom.  Thursday was Red Hat day.  Janice took us for a complimentary workout with a Zumba class.  Hah!  Am I uncoordinated????  Then we ate too much at D & D's Diner in Jarvis.

Here is your latest appraisal information - straight from Judy.  Museums (and appraisers) are no longer recommending that you roll your quilts for storage.  This is distorting the batting and the fabrics.  They are BACK to recommending quilts be folded with acid free tissue in the folds, and refold periodically.  Also, Judy's fee will be going up this fall to $60.00.  If you are thinking about having some items appraised do it now, while it is still $50.00.  Then you can spend your $10 savings on more fabric.  :-)  Judy can be contacted at judy.lyons@ sympatico.ca (take out the space after the '@' sign).

Commission Finish

Quilting of the block patchwork.

Quilting of the background areas.

I just love feathers & curls together.  So... girly.

Tonga Batik on the back.

Spring flowers.  This makes all the weeding worth it.  Peony with Gas Plant (Dictamnus albus, which apparently has a poisonous label, causing phytodermatitis. Lovely fragrance though, very lemony.).

the commission quilt borders & asparagus/cedars

Finally - the top is complete for the commission quilt. Now I'm into the quilting.

The ivory borders are two different sizes.  The sides are 2", while the top & bottom are 4".  I needed to use a quilting design that would fit into both areas.

All the black 1" pieces (borders & sashing) are being stitched in the ditch.  Period.

Here was the design inspiration for the border quilting.  I love the Dover colouring books and have a good collection of them.

Asparagus/Cedars  What the heck is asparagus/cedars, you ask???  I found asparagus plants at the garden centre yesterday (on my way home from the dentist, where she replaced a crown.  Aack!!).  Last night I decided to PLANT the asparagus, thinking (mistakenly) that it was one lonely plant.  I am the one lonely happy-to-eat-asparagus person, so I thought one plant, for me, would be lots.  Well, HELLO - there are TEN plants in the package.   Now I need to find nine friends, but that is a whole 'nother problem.  When I was eyeing the garden, there is only one good spot for the asparagus, and that is where I heeled in the cedar trees I purloined from Carol Anne's last fall. sigh.  Now I cannot put off moving them to their permanent homes any longer, so last night I transplanted the ten cedars.  By then it was 7:30, I was soaking wet from perspiration and bad hose management, and I was hungry.  I quit for the night, went and had supper, and enjoyed my weekly Margaret phone call.  In the wee hours of the morning we had a HUGE thunder storm (possible tornadoes in Hamilton - our neighbour city), so I think my cedars should be happy, happy, happy.  Today is dentist appointment #2 for the crown, and then I'm heading in for the Caledonia guild meeting.  The asparagus will have to wait until tomorrow for planting.  It is too friggin' hot out there today (humidex of 40c), and I can't eat the stuff until next year anyways, so there is no real rush.                     

Stash report and UFO report and Longarm Tale of Woe

May's ufo is complete, except for hand stitching the binding.  Check the UFO page for June's project.

Floyd (my quilting machine, for those of you who haven't met him) decided to take a vacation of sorts.  He was stitching just FINE on Saturday.  Sunday seemed to be a day of rest - the needle would go up and down but there was nooo stitch.  I tried changing threads & bobbins & needles several times and finally gave up.  I went out to the garden and then I went to visit Mom (who was having a really good day - so I'm kinda glad Floyd was acting like an ass).  Anyhow - I called Ricardo, Floyd's doctor, but he didn't bring his little bag of tools until Wednesday.  Ricardo said he would be here between 8 and 8:30.  A.M.  My first thought was for gawds sake - sleep in a little - come at 10, but I just said "ok, I'll see you then".  On Tuesday evening I had a dinner date with some friends.  When I got home DH was in bed and had not taken out the garbage for morning pickup.  So I brought up the two recycle boxes, packed up two bags of garbage, and left it all where he would have to TRIP over it in the morning.  I didn't want him to miss the hint, you know?  Well, I get up at 6 am on Wednesday (mornings are not my forte) and all the garbage is still in the kitchen.  Pfftt!!!  Bastard!!! is what I'm thinking.  At 7:20 I pull on my filthy gardening clothes from the day before so I can lug the garbage out to the road, then I'm going to take a shower before Ricardo shows up.  Surprise, surprise - Ricardo pulls in the driveway as I'm taking out the last load.  Seriously???  7:20 a.m. for a service call???  I'm in muddy shorts and I haven't so much as brushed my teeth.  At this point, men are not my favorite people.  By the time Ricardo left, 7 hours later, Floyd was purring and my two Pfaffs were both clean & shiny - ready to rock & roll.

Because I couldn't quilt on Monday or Tuesday I stitched up Poochie Bags for my Tuesday dinner dates, worked on the commission quilt, and got most of the veggie garden planted.

It turned out that DH had set his morning alarm for pm instead of am and was seriously late for work, which is why the garbage was still in the kitchen.  So I forgave him.  And Ricardo made Floyd happy at a price I could afford, so I forgave him too.

STASH REPORT

Fabric used in May            5.85 m
Fabric used YTD              36.95 m
Fabric purchased May         2.9 m
Fabric purchased YTD       19 m.
Net YTD                           - 17.95 m. Yaay me!!