July's wip

It's been quite hot and we're still running the roads to ballgames for the youngest grands.  A couple of nights away and then back home for more games still and family connections.   I recently tried a new to me coleslaw that was yummy.  It was a slaw with peaches.

Asian Peach Coleslaw:

1 Cup coleslaw mix
1/4 English Cucumber Chopped into bite sized pieces
1-2 fresh peaches- peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
1-2 green onions, chopped use whatever color and parts you desire or both
1 Cup snow peas cooked and chopped into bite size pieces
1 Cup bean sprouts if desired (I omitted this since DH can't have sprouts since the heart transplant)

Ginger Mandarin Salad dressing
Soy Sauce

Toss all together and then drizzle with the last two listed, soy sauce and mandarin ginger dressing to taste.

It was unique, good and pleasant.  For left overs, I threw in a bit of nuts and leftover grilled chicken to make a bowl meal, YUM!  Cleaned it up very quickly.  I tried to find the original source for this recipe but didn't have a any registration marks with my print out and couldn't find this specific one to link it up, never knew there were so many on the internet, oh where have I been?!?.

Last evening we hosted a small gathering with our direct offspring along with my Mom and one of my brothers,  Tom and his wife Eileen.  Dh cooked the whole bit outside as it's too hot to cook inside.  Thank Goodness we have the appropriate tools for doing this with his Electric Smoker (I bought for him years ago) for the pork loin roast (He also cooked up the Kielbasa as I love it smoked to use for appetizers and for breakfast).  Then with his propane burner stove (he had in from ice fishing and maple sugaring days) we precooked whole potatoes which were kept warm by the induction cook top that I purchased a few years ago for chocolate making with out the children helping being able to be burnt but it's also been so handy to use when we travel. The meal also included corn on the cob which was done after the potatoes moved to the warming area.  All perfectly timed!
We ladies of the family set up the buffet area and managed to get some crudites assembled for simple sides to go with.  It was so nice despite the heat and the timing with everyone's schedules.   I love watching the interaction of the grands as they tease and poke a bit at each other.  Makes my heart smile.

My next focus will be another salad made to bring to the Family BBQ being held at my brother Doug's house tomorrow, am thinking of a broccoli salad for that BBQ  that's why I thought of the Asian Peach Salad and figure I'd share it here as a resource in case I can't find that sheet of paper some time in the future, LOL.

My Mom is up for the week and I know the time will be flying. 

TTFN
Jane

PS: My focus this month is that WFQG quilt and needle roll.    Later gator!

May and June have gone by....July's hopes

PGD#1 ready for her semi formal, June 2019 

Again, I've been super busy and tending to all my priorities, nothing major just the house, yard, gardens, and traveling and regretfully for me my sewing tasks have slid . farther .  aside. : ~ (


The only grand daughter had her semi-formal eighth grade dance so all the females in the family spent the day together getting her ready for it. 




Lunch out at her choice- Arnies in Plattsburgh, pedicures and manicure at A Plus nails and then the hair dresser arranged to do her hair on her day off, thanks Michelle!  It was an enjoyable day and she looked really nice.  She actually agreed to wear a couple of my bracelets for accessories which she kindly returned. 

The back side of her semi up do

Since the camera was out to document this milestone, I had her brother and their dog jump in for photos.

PGS#3 with their 3 year old dog, Scout.

lil miss talking to her brother

And just so you know we are totally normal some "real shots too"!  They get along great and then like oil  and vinegar, typical siblings.  One would smile and the other would act up and vise versa.

He's not into getting pics taken, it's too hot!

On another post I'll share about my trip to Florida to visit with my Mom and sister.  It was such a nice visit and I enjoyed my time with them thoroughly while getting some much needed warmer weather and some sunshine.  So back home for a couple days and then back to Boston for DH's 1 year post heart transplant check up.  Thankfully all is going extremely well. 
Then came the end of school sessions with a BANG!  Concerts, National Junior Honor Society events and sporting events.   Both of the youngest grands played ball, (softball and baseball) with an assortments of 5-6 different teams, modified, city league, All star and both are on Traveling ball besides the town summer league.  SO many games and so many miles traveled while we supported their activities with our presence but phew!  We're glad many of them are now over,  just the traveling ball teams and the town team are left.  It's been so busy that we haven't yet opened the pool as we were gone, or when we were home the weather wasn't cooperating.

AS for projects I've been dawdling around with my needle roll that I started while in Florida while visiting Mom.  It's been great stitching it, but when I ran into the bees wings, I've done them twice so far and now have ripped them out twice as well.  Perhaps I'll play with my angelica fibers to see if that would be an improvement.   What's that?  theh third times the charm, crossing my fingers here. 
Here's it is in it's present state:

in progress Sue Spargo kit - needle roll, I've embroidered  stitches around the labels to coincide with the color of spools relevant to the different weight threads (3,5,8,12)  to help me stay organized down the line. 
FINGERS CROSSED
My plan is to use a straight pin to denote which needle I've pulled out to work on.  I may use different colored heads for counted cross stitch, needlepoint and wool work, TBD!

It's was a kit I purchased through Sue Spargo.com and I've changed out bits and stitches to suit me.  She had excellent instructions and designs slated for it, the problem is me, I can't seem to follow the main stream.  Yet I am having fun stitching it.    The de-winged bee closeup.

bee detail sans wings

Section showing some of the lupines and poppies.

So I'll post the needle roll as my July OPAM focus.





I'll end this post with a couple of photos of my garden.    It's been my  focus for May and June to get the gardens done.  Everything got in despite all the travels we've been on there just remains more weeds and now to finally open the pool this week.

The darkest colored lilacs next to the butterfly house were fabulous!

Just now the Missouri primroses and lilies are flowering. 

TTFN,
Jane

Q3 FAL list - 2019

I started the year out with a bang getting some smaller UFOs and pigs done.  So my intention with this post are a few more bits I'd love to see pushed into the fini pile so I'm linking up my desires with Leanne at She Can Quilt.

1- Needle Roll completely done.

2- WFQG Community Quilt finished then turned in.

3- This quilt is one my Mom made into the top from a kit I purchased to make for my daughter that also needs to be finished.

4-  BQ 2 quilt I made into a top for the grand daughter and then it sits there and needs to be finished.  Next step is piecing the backing. 
(R U Seeing a theme here?  I am!)

5- The Radiant Quilt finished, here again the top is made, I've been percolating quilt motif ideas and it sits.

6- A fall Diva Wallet that I actually can't find.  I  will be back to post a shot of the gorgeous fall leaves digital fabric with the cork-like lime green fabric  I cut out  2 falls ago for!

7- Nelson Mandala wall hanging, I haven;t been happy with it, but with this shot it doesn't look too bad, hummmm...

8- The 3 dimensional wall hanging from a VQF class in 2017.

9-  2 Nylon Chair bags- currently in progress...



10 & 11 - PIGS for 2 Sofa table runners for Summer and Fall.  Again, I don't know where that fall PIG went, so I'll only share a photo of the summer version pig in its place but I plan to use border fabric for both of them.

12-13 This NEW  PIG,, a stack of fabrics that needs to be finished as a baby quilt with a complimentary baby doll blanket!

14 through 16 or 17 - An Orange, a Red and a lime and/or? Aqua project vinyl bags made, still need to select the appropriate fabrics for them to use this pattern.

Hopefully these will become my vision(s) with a one and done step ....then NEXT!


TTFN
Jane

PS:  While hunting to take pictures of these I ran into other set aside UFOs and pigs I'd like to get to as well,  Note to self, slow down Janie and focus dear, focus ...   VBG!  Here I go again!

Love the depth of this quote:

Idleness makes hours pass slowly 

and years swiftly. 

Activity makes the hours short 

and the years long.

— Cesare Pavese

Sliding my...

OMG to be my Feb-Mar OMG!  Fingers crossed with that timeline too!

Okay, since I did so well with a few of my goals in the past 3 months I listed four projects that I wnt to be done with this month.  I just realized last night (I know, slow learner here!) that I won't be able to get them done as I'm heading to Florida for two plus weeks to visit with my Mom and sister who lives an hour or so away her.  Am bringing some of my Buttermilk Basin Homestead Hearth blocks to work on while I'm with her. 

The only project that proceeded along was quilting with my domestic on the community quilt for one of my guilds.  I "pulled the trigger" and finally decided how to quilt it and I'm loving it so far. 







TTFN, Off to pack my bags. 

See you next month. 

Jane

Slow Sunday Stitching -first link up 2019

I enjoy slow stitching and figured I'd link up with Kathy for this event.
With the recent scissor fob finish I'll be starting this project next:

It's all pulled ready to get started.  I may switch into a redder red tones for that house yet.

February 2019 OMG's proposed

Notice the OMG (S!) in the title?  Am hoping to accomplish several again this month.  They are:

This Community quilt quilted  and bound for my guild WFQG-

This PIG - A Prima Diva wallet that was all cut out at the Oct. 2018 retreat in A-bay-

This WIP - Bird song pillow that was started years ago with a Joan Ford class-

Get the January Applique parts caught up for my "Skitch A Day" .   It's a SAD (Skitch a Day) with Susan Claire of the Gourmet Quilter-

Plus there are a few other bits I'd like to get too 

but won't list them here as it would put me on overwhelm..., 

I'll just surprise you and me too as I go along this month.

3 for 3 with January's 2019 OMG

Just finished the beaded edging on this scissor fob, another pledged OMG that can be checked off!
Not to brag but I'm on a roll with getting three for three done this month. 

I am happy.

Hanging off one of the handles in my working basket for now.  Will have to locate an appropriate pair of scissors for this Shepherd's Bush "Glad Tidings" scissor Fob.  Started this after Christmas and finished in the nick of time for OMG 1/2019.  Stitched with 1 over two with all the called for threads that were kitted.  No substitutions.

Will have to figure out which UFOs I want to process for February.

Valentine's Wallhanging for January's OMG - a second one!

This simple panel wall hanging was sewn in 2016 and then... it sat.


Finally cleaning off my  sewing table and putting things away I ran across this older WIP  and since I now have room to work on it, it became my OMG (One Monthly Goal) to finish up for my January 2019!
Deciding to let the print motif create the quilting designs and then filling in backgrounds with simple meander stitching. 
First quilted perimeter

• Second did a circle design on the vase as if it was a hobnail vase.
• The flowers needed some detail quilting to show petals in a soft outline
• Hearts were edge stitched and then a soft scallop sewn around them imitating a lace edging
• The brown first border was edge stitched on both sides..
• Then the red border.....,   I was stumped.... and then I saw a panto graph that eluded to a heart sew by two rotations around with echoing, so I did my rendition of it.  One side the hearts are upside down. : /

 I'll show the back side illustrating the quilting details:

I LOVE IT and love that it's quilted!  Next the label, binding and hanging sleeve.....

Split hanging sleeve to accommodate two different modalities of display.

Just in time!

Is it perfect, heck no,

but Done is better than perfect and it will hang in the kitchen for February.

TTFN

Jane

OWL pincushion done

One of my monthly goals is finished and the other two are coming along fabulously.

Threads used are pictured in the background and besides the "needle-holding flags on the front right,
did my version of a chicken scratch stitch to attach to the pincushion base.  

I placed a couple layers of wool hanging off the front edge as a place to hold my sewing needle when not in use.  It's edged with fray check so hopefully it'll stand up  to the wear and tear.  If not I can always cut it off as if it was never there.
Time will tell.

I also did my version of a  "chicken hen scratch" stitching to attach that black wool to the cotton print background.   I felt that with this piece an organic look would complement it best.  Stitched wonky Xs , /, \  and even l's both long and short.  Actually, the stitching was done at UNO's while sipping a martini and having lunch waiting for the Christmastide service to begin in between a couple of hockey games.

It was a very busy Sunday.
Shhhhh, I'll never admit I went to church after having a martini.  My first time,  BTW but  I felt so guilty in a very pleasant state!


TTFN
Jane

January 2019 OMG or should I say TMG {Three Monthly Goal} project(s)

Feeling blessed and getting better organized so I hope to finish three of my WIPs this month.

1- Glad Tidings Scissor Fob, a counted cross stitch designed by Shepherd's Bush

2- Owl Wool appliqued Pin cushion designed by Buttermilk Basin in their Half Pints Line.

3- Valentine Wall hanging I made a couple of years ago, I think the center panel is a Sandy Gervais design but I am not sure. and I did get the borders on already.  I did get it layered and now the rest needs doing.  Next step is the quilting then the finishing.






I'm linking this post in with Patty at Elm Street Quilts .  It's a great incentive to focus on one, but being small figured I'd shoot for 3 this month.












Off to cut some Bali' Poppies and yardage needed for my 2019 Skitch it designed by Susan Claire's sketching & stitching block a day for the year and you get to play with some inktense coloring too.  What fun, I hope!

TTFN,

Jane