A Bit of Progress

This is part of the first circle of my Pickle Dish quilt.  The print fabric is 30's fabric.  The peach colored is Michael Miller fabric.   I think it goes well together.

This circle will measure 18" when it's complete.  I'll need to make approximately 48 of these to make a king sized quilt.  

Pickle Dish Quilt

I'm  currently working on a quilt called the Pickle Dish.   

The peachy color is the fabric that is going between the rings.

I frogged the above because the ladies on Facebook suggested that I  needed to alternate the fabric between light and dark.  I'm sure glad that this was all that I had hand pieced so far.  

This what it looks like now.

I ordered some 30's fabric last week.  It came in yesterday.  39 1/4 cuts plus 4 bonus 1/4 yards.  Sweet! 

This doesn't look like any 30's fabric that I've ever seen,  but than again I'm not that old.  According to my daughter, 30 is old.  Lol!  That's ok.  She will be 30 in a little over 3 years.  I'll have to tell her that she is old then.  Lol!

Threading a Darning Needle.

I've been working on hiding the ends on an afghan.  I've lost the darning needle that I've been using and I've lost the threader that I've been using.  My recliner has swallowed them whole!  Lol!

I'm really trying to get this afghan done, so that, I can get onto doing other things.

I improvised after getting another needle out.  Now I'm using a bead threader.

It works!  I'll be trying this the next time I do needlework.  The metal threaders with the wire just doesn't last!

Contrary Wife Block and Then Some

You can find the pattern for this in "The Farmer's Wife" book.  I used the cutting instructions from the Barrister's Block site to make it easier for me to do.  Less time consuming.  I'm all for doing something easier.  What about you?

It really was being contrary too!  I tried making the HST's the right size to begin with.  That didn't work.  Cut some more and made them bigger.  Much better.  Still need to work on not losing my points.  Sigh!!!!

I forgot to post this when I completed the above block, so, I'm going to add the first block that I made for this quilt.
 
 This block is called the Basket Weave.

I might as well add the two blocks that I made today.
The following block is call the Big Dipper.

 

 ....and last but not least is my Autumn Tints block.

You'll have to excuse the darkness of some of the pictures.  The light was bright and with the added flash it made the background fabric disappear into the ironing board cover. 

The blocks for this quilt will be 6" finished.  I see that I'm going to have to make extras or do something different to make it fit a king sized bed.  I'll cross that road when I get to it.  =)

My Choice of Fabric for a Mystery Quilt

 My neutral and yellow fabric.  I'll be using some orange in there as well.

The greens that I'll be using.  I want to get some more of the flowered fabric.

 The blues that I found.  

Some purples.  One of my favorite colors.  Green is my other favorite color.

Pinks are pretty.  I used to never like pink when I was a kid.

 

Learning to Knit Again

A free class for knitting showed up on my Facebook news feed not too long ago.  I figured what is one more thing to do in my busy world.  Like I need more things to do.  LOL!!!!

I was taught to knit/purl by an older lady years ago.  This block is knitted corner to corner.  I learned to cast on stitches.

Then I learned to cast off stitches.

I finished the block today. 

I learned to bind off.  Learning new stitches is fun.  I get bored doing the same thing over and over.  Guess you could say that I'm a sucker for learning new things.

Christmas in Almost July

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it's supposed to be Christmas in July.  So it came a day early.  LOL!!!! 

I recently signed up for the monthly scrapbag from one of the online quilt shops.  They send me three yards of quarter cut fabric a month.  This is what came in the mail today for the month of July.

 

Now for the flip side.

There's more....I'll save that for another day.  I'm being lazy.  Didn't want to have to try and get it back in the ziplock.  =)

My market bag is about halfway finished.  I'll work on it after I've watched Longmire.  I can watch Longmire online on A&E.  I don't have to wait until comes out on Netflix.  Woohoo!!!!!

I have too many irons in the fire.  I'll be starting on a knitted afghan in two days.  It's going to consist of different stitches.  The classes are free online classes that will last for 12 weeks.  Each week there will be a different stitch to learn.  On week 12 the afghan will be put together along with adding the border.  

Tomorrow starts a new challenge with the Crochet Crowd.  It's another afghan made up of different stitches only it's crocheted.  I believe that he said that we have until September 1 to do this challenge.  That will give me two months to finish the afghan.  

Then there's the afghan for Pops that I need to get finished by the first part of September.  I'm about two thirds of the way finished with that one.  I have two projects in my purse to finish too.  One is a slouch hat.  I think that I'm going to start over on that one.  Not sure where I'm at on the rows.  The other project in my purse is a broomstick lace scarf.  I worked on it while I was on lunch today.

I really need to get back to my quilting!!!!!!  There are several quilt tops that need backs.  Not sure how many there are.  There's so many projects to do.  I seriously don't think that they will all be done before I retire.  Trust me, it will be several years before I can retire. 

Chicken Enchiladas

I love Mexican food and he loves Italian food.   We both like chicken enchiladas.   Most chicken enchiladas use a green chili sauce or a sour cream sauce.   I prefer the red sauce.

Here's my version of chicken enchiladas.   It's semi homemade due to the fact that most of the time I don't have time to boil or bake the chicken.

You'll need:

1 roasted chicken skinned and deboned
20-24 corn tortillas
2 c+ grated cheese
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can enchilada sauce(large)
1 can chopped green chilies
cooking oil for softening the tortillas
Milk

I used a garlic chicken for this recipe and homemade enchilada sauce.  I'll post a recipe for the enchilada sauce when I get the recipe tweaked a little bit more.

Preheat the oven on 350º

Combine the chicken,  2 cups grated cheese, cheddar cheese soup, and the green chilies together in a bowl.  Add enough milk to thin the soup a little bit.  You don't want it too thin.

Spread some enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

Heat up some oil in a pan.  Put one tortilla at a time in the oil.  Cook it on both sides.   Don't cook it too long or it will get crispy.

Put about 2T of the chicken mixture on one side of the tortilla and roll it up.  This recipe makes about 20 enchiladas.   I put plain cheese in the remaining 4 tortillas.   Spread the remaining sauce across the top of the enchiladas.  Sprinkle cheese across the top.

Bake in the oven until the the cheese is melted.  It's about 20 minutes.  I don't time it so this is an approximate time.

This will make 2-9×13 pans of enchiladas.

Enjoy!

I'll add  a picture when I can get on my laptop.   This tablet won't let me add one.

Market Bag

I'm working on this market bag for a challenge.   

 

I don't think that I will get it done in time for the deadline.  It was a last minute decision and it's not something that a person has to commit to doing.  I definitely will be making more of these along with some quilted bags.  Trying to limit the amount of plastic bags that we get from the stores.

On that note, I'll leave you with a pretty Calla Lily from one of my flower gardens.

The Picture that I Promised You

I don't know about you, but I get in my moods where I really don't want to do anything but sit on my butt.  I've been trying to get out of that funk and stay out of it.  Way too much to be done around here.

I'm on the downside of this afghan.  Finished the rows of red that I wanted to do.  Two more colorways to finish before I start with the black again.  Gong to have to go and get some more black this week.  Think that I will do it early one day this week.  I need to go and get the oil changed in my car and take the recyclables in. 

I think that I might try and make some reusable market bags for a challenge that I saw.  Wonder how many I can get done before the challenge is over. 

Such a nice day!

I'm listening to the birds sing as I sit here in my recliner this evening.  There is an occasional crow from someone's rooster.  I love listening to the birds sing.

So glad that we live out in the country.  There's not as much traffic as there is in town out here.

The weather has been pretty decent.   We haven't had to turn the ac's on yet.  Open the windows and turn the ceiling fans on.  My kind of weather.

I'll have to try and post a picture of the progress on my current project later.  The picture is taking too long to upload.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

This Years Plants

I love flowers!!!!  I try to plant at least one or two different kinds of flowers every year.  Perennials are the best.  They come back every year.  Here's what I've planted, so far, this year. 

 Garnet Glow Calla Lily

 

 Gaura Perky Pink

 Coreopsis Ruby Jewel

 Muhlgrass

 Aptenia

Aptenia

Ok, so, I planted more than just one or two flowering plants this year.  I couldn't resist the pretty flowers.  LOL!!!!  I have two different kinds of Marigolds that I need to get into pots and there is the two different kinds of Lavender seeds that I need to get sprouted.  I love Lavender.  It smells so good.

Just Some of the Yard Work That I've Been Doing This Spring

We have leaves and vines....

 lots

 and

lots

 and

 lots

 of leaves and vines.

 I finished a portion of the upper yard last week.

The landscape fiber was put down today.  I'm hoping to get this part of the yard under control and keep it that way.  I looked for some phlox to put on the hillside.  Walmart and Lowe's don't have any yet.  May just have to settle for dividing what I have.  I cleaned the flowerbeds out last year and that was about it.  It was too hot and there was way too many mosquitoes last summer.

I disturbed someone's habitat when I was pulling the honeysuckle and wild blackberry bushes up. 

The Dogwoods were full of blooms this year....

I promised to show some pictures of the dogwoods out here at the house awhile back.  Finally getting around to posting them.  The Dogwood is my favorite tree.

Another UFO Marked Off the List

Whew!!!  Finished at last!  

This purse is an adaption of a small purse or clutch that I saw several years ago.  The body is all one piece only much bigger than the original.  I made the sides and straps all one piece.  I added a lining using my favorite kind of fabric....batiks.

Love this fabric.  It really goes well with the yarn that was used for the shell.  I cut some strips from some left over fabric and made a flower.

Whoa....that picture didn't take too well.  I don't use my sewing machine that much.  Forgot how to make a gathering stitch.  The flower took a bit to make.  The leaves are from another project that I really need to get finished.  Looks like I'll have to make some more leaves.  LOL!!!!

New purse, old project....

I recently started working on a purse that I crocheted.  My idea is to get some of the smaller projects around here finished.  Lord knows there's several of those lying around here waiting to be finished.   Lol!

Anyway,  back to the purse.  The original pattern was about the size of a clutch purse.  I expanded the size and changed the the way the sides were finished.  I'm going to be adding a flower to the front too.

I'll post pictures and explain a little bit more about the purse when I have a bit more time and can get on the laptop.   Uploading pictures from this tablet is way too slow.

I'm off to crocheting the sides and strap.  Have a great night!

This Year is Going To Be a Good Year!!!

I got a head start on spring cleaning.  The front room and bathroom are finished.  The kitchen is finished except for a few things.  I'm working on my share of the computer room.  That's almost done too.  And then there is the rest of the house albeit the windows.  That will have to wait until warmer weather.

I'm experimenting in the kitchen.  Trying to come up with different things to eat.  So far, the S.O. likes a couple of the things that I've come up with.  Going to have to revamp the stuffed zucchini.  The crockpot chicken turned out ok.  Going to try roasting it the next time instead.

Trying to eat better.  My downfall is chocolates and peppermint mocha cappuccino in my coffee.  That's the least of it.  I did resist the temptation to buy some chips to munch on today.  =)  I did find a recipe the other day where you can microwave popcorn in brown paper bags.  So much better than the microwave popcorn from the store.  Look up butter lung.....now to see if I pinned the recipe.  =)

I started this post yesterday.  The computer room wasn't finished then.  I finished cleaning my share of the computer room today.  Going to go and get a start on our bedroom after I finish this post.

I'm currently working on an afghan for Ray's step-dad.  Hope I can get it done before another birthday rolls by.  I'll post a picture when I get around to taking one of the progress that I've made so far.  The afghan has been torn apart twice.  I didn't like how it was looking the first time.  The second time it was just too wide.  It's supposed to be for when he is sitting in his recliner not sleeping in bed.

I'm hoping to get back to doing some quilting after I get all of the spring cleaning finished.  I was quilting on the kitchen table, but moved all of my stuff to the desk that we built a few years ago.  I'll have to straighten that up first.

Can't wait for warmer weather to come around so that I can work out in the yard.  It needs attention badly!!!  There is one area that I saw some bugs flying around when we had some warm weather last fall.  They looked yellow in the evening sunlight.  I sure hope there is not a nest of yellow jackets there.  I won't be able to get rid of them until next winter. 

We have a few projects that I want to get done this summer.  Ray is going to help me build a cat house for the three girls and the boy.  We want to make it multilevel and put a back on it for easy access so that we can clean the straw out of it. 

I have an antique suitcase that was my dad's.  The inside is in good condition.  The outside of it is showing lots of wear.  I've been wanting to either decoupage it with old postcards or attach some fabric to it with spray glue or some other way. 

Happy quilting, gardening or whatever it is you enjoy doing!!!

Yard Sale Find

Had an awesome time with my son, his family, and his granny today.  My son informed me that he was kidnapping me this morning.  They took us to a casino in Oklahoma after we stopped and got their granny.  We ate at the restaurant that has a buffet.  I do believe that I will be going back to eat there every so often.  

We played a few games and then headed home.  My son decided to stop at some garage sales because his granny likes going to them.  She likes looking for stuff for her yard.  I normally don't go to yard sales.  I don't need any clothes nor do I need any nick knacks for the house.  We have no room!!!   I did find this glass plate for $.50. 

 

I couldn't pass it up.  It's a pretty plate.  I like putting candles in or on different things.  I have a candle in a basket.  Of course I don't light the candle.  I like how it looks. 

Now to find a smaller candle that will fit right in the center of the plate.