studio re-do

Another early morning for Michael on Monday (4/28); he was off to Stonebridge before 8 AM (coming home at 2:30 PM with an 86).  I have no idea what I did all morning, but I didn’t start sewing until 11 AM….and finally at 8 PM I sewed the last seam on the tumbling blocks….all of my rows are together!!!!

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Tuesday morning was very busy….I did a double run of my new breakfast ‘muffins’….with the addition of sautéed onions and peppers and they were yummy!!!  I had also done overnight crockpot yoghurt for Michael, so I packaged up 7 containers for him, and threw the rest into a quart container.  Finally, just before 11 AM (AGAIN!!)  I got back to the wall hanging.

It is now so weird to look over at my design wall and see it empty!  I started cutting strips on January 18^th for my first tumbling block….and as of NOON on Tuesday (3-1/2 months of my life!), I am finished sewing it.  I took it to Stitch and Chat and everyone loved it….although they didn’t get the full effect.  The sun was shining, so they thought it looked like stained glass, but they couldn’t really see the lame I used, or that 3-D effect….I’ll just have to have a tea after it is framed so that people can really see what it looks like.  I’ve already called Larry and given him the dimensions for the frame….it usually takes him a week or 2 to put one together….so hopefully by mid-May, it will be hanging in the kitchen.  I spent the rest of the day and night cleaning the studio (always a must after a large quilting project, and starting to re-arrange it). 

 Before cleaning (notice how my tables are perpendicular to each other...you'll see the new arrangement tomorrow)

 

 

 

 

 

and after....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael and I have talked about shifting some things around and we got a good start on it Tuesday night.  I collapsed around 10 and after watching a bit of TV, hit the bed at 11.

deck gardening

We had breakfast out on the deck while reading the paper on Sunday (4/27), then did a bunch more gardening.  Michael helped me to get several boxes planted for the back deck

pink in one bin and purple wave petunias here that I hope will
cascade a bit down the deck railing



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sage & parsley

thyme & oregano

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cherry tomato plant for the deck.  I have 2 other plum tomato plants
for the back garden, but it needs weeding.  We are supposed to have rain
for the next 2 days and I will try to weed after that and get the big tomatoes
planted.

 

then he planted marigold seeds (saved from last year) in 2 pots in the front, and watered everything.  I spent the rest of the day sewing, while he ran a bunch of errands, then got to relax and watch a bit of TV.  I sewed until 7:30 (with a short stop for dinner) then headed upstairs and got 6 more inches woven on my scarves before we headed to bed.

I recently finished 2 Jodi Picoult books: HOUSE RULES and HANDLE WITH CARE.  I can’t believe how well this woman writes and how she plays with your emotions with every story.  She is really excellent at getting you to imagine yourself in the situation, and what you would do, when there are no easy answers.  I definitely hope to work my way through all of her books, and highly recommend the 2 I just finished.

iris, blurry Phil, Larry & Joanne, Elsie & Cookie a duex

When I took the dog out Friday morning (4/25) our iris’s looked spectacular….this picture just doesn’t do them justice, but it’s the best I can do unless you all want to come for a visit J:

 

We left early for a routine doctor’s appointment for Michael, then we hit LOWE’s for seeds and plants.  We were home around noon and I started some gardening.  Michael also had a follow-up appointment with the heart doctor who pronounced him A-OK!!!!  That’s great news about the stress test he took a week or 2 ago.  When we got home from that appointment, I started to put together a scalloped potato and ham casserole.  Phil’s wife Gale is out of town, so we invited him to dinner,

 

along with Joanne & Larry: 

 

I think everyone enjoyed dinner, and scattered right afterwards, which was great because that’s how the invitation was worded…’eat and go home J’.  We had also invited Anne & Bryce for dinner, but they didn’t make it back home in time….I told Anne to come over for leftovers and she left with a small casserole full, just enough for 2.  I headed back downstairs to sew on background (sometimes I think I’m going to be sewing on background FOREVER!!)  Around 9 I headed upstairs for TV with my honey.

Michael was up at 6 AM!!!  Saturday morning (4/26) to make it to his tee time….he came home with a smokin’ 82 around 2 PM and was very happy.  I spent the morning sewing background (while others slept the morning away),

jeez, louise....stop taking pictures of us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but left at 11 AM to go to the Lake House.  They had a garage sale today…but I didn’t look at any of that….I just went for the hot dogs  J.  I’ve been dreaming about them for a year…they are the BEST (BG you know exactly what I mean J).  I sat and talked with several people I knew, then it was back to the grind….otherwise known as the sewing machine.  I have almost all of the blocks sewn into rows (just 2 more to go out of 17) and have also started sewing the beginning rows to each other (which totally hurts my brain, since you're sewing only 1/2 of a block with each row and it's easy to get a row, or part of a row turned upside down or headed left when it should head right!).  At 6 PM we got cleaned up and picked up Carol and Bob and headed into Charlotte for the last of our symphony pops concerts.  We watched the Charlie Chaplin movie CITY LIGHTS while the orchestra played the entire score.  It was wonderful, but I agree with what Bob said in the car on the way home…that he concentrates more on the movie, than on the score.  I was an early night; we were home by 10 and just watched a bit of TV before bed.

my quilt top

The first thing I did after breakfast on Wednesday (4/23) was to sew the last row onto my quilt top:

My top is just a row shorter than Michael’s.  Now that both tops are done, and Michael and I finally agreed on the third background fabric we bought for the tumbling blocks, I can get back to working on them.  I got a bit of the background cut before picking up Jan at 10.  We had an errand to a sewing machine store, then headed out to lunch…and it was delightful.  We even had a coupon, so one of our lunches was free!!  But the best part was just sitting and talking for over an hour.  We were home by 1:30 and I continued to work on the wall hanging until 9:30 PM when Michael finally said ‘are you ever coming upstairs to watch TV?”  He came down to see how far I had gotten…and we both LOVE it with the background we finally chose.  We watched a bit of TV (and I was so stimulated from the working on the quilt that I knit the entire time we were watching!!) and finally headed to bed around 11.

I went to quilting on Thursday morning (4/24) even though I didn’t want to…I just wanted to keep working on the tumbling blocks!!)  But, I had a really good time talking to everyone.  I came home and had a quick lunch, and started in…sewing and cutting again.  At 5 PM Michael and I got ready and headed into Villa Antonio in Ballentyne for a financial seminar.  It was very good and I have several questions to write to Al (financial planner) about…and the meal was FABULOUS!!!  We were home at 9 and I worked for another hour on the ‘wall’, then collapsed into bed.

muffins, S&P container, iris

I’m totally excited because after looking for a very long time, I’ve finally found a blog which concentrates on low glycemic foods (diabetic type recipes) and has great looking recipes!  I made my first recipe: Cottage Cheese & Egg Breakfast Muffins on Tuesday morning (4/22):

and they were yummy!  I have to rewrite the recipe a bit to cut down on the number of dishes it takes…I think I can do everything in my NINJA blender, as long as I change the order I add things in.  And, I want to freeze one of the muffins and see how it comes out.  If it is fine, then I will double the recipe as well.  These muffins are meant to be nuked for a minute before eating.  They definitely have a muffin like texture (which I hope will satisfy my carb cravings), but a strong egg-y flavor.  I would love to add some sautéed mushrooms to them…I think that would taste great.  I’m also looking forward to finding out how long 2 muffins keep me full. 

I got to sew for just a bit before Nancy H arrived at 10 AM for a wonderful visit!  We haven’t seen each other in a MONTH and had lots to talk about…luckily we’re going to see each other again next Tuesday.  I got to sew a bit more after she left, then Joanne picked me up for Stitch & Chat.  I worked a bit on the baby sweater while Joanne started a pretty, new scarf.  We took a detour on the way home to see some new houses being built, then we went to her house so that I could ask Larry about some small pieces of wood I need.  Joanne tried to get me drunk with a vanilla/chocolate/triple sec martini…it was yummy!  When I got home I sat out on the back porch with my honey for a bit.  He left around 5 PM (going out to dinner and then a movie) after which Jean came by to pick up her thread from a recent CONNECTING THREADS order.  She ended up staying for an hour and trying out our new Devo De-stressor (you know, the drink!), which she really enjoyed.  Janice called just as Jean was leaving and we talked for over an hour, which was just wonderful.  I ended up back in my studio around 8:30 and got all but the last row sewn onto my quilt top.

I have 2 more pictures and one more story for you….Michael and I have started re-using an old set of salt and pepper grinders I have had forever.  We really like them, but when we store them in the cupboard, they ‘leak’.  I’ve been thinking for awhile that I need to get some sort of basket to put them in, so that the salt/pepper leftover grinds fall into the basket and not in the cupboard (but we all know how much I like to go shopping…NOT!).  I was talking to Gale about it on Easter Sunday and she said she would look for something.  Monday morning when I got home from my volunteer meeting, there was a bag on my front door:

 

Isn’t it PERFECT!!!!  I absolutely love it and will also love the clean cupboard shelf I will now have. 

Our garden out front is ready to EXPLODE with at least 50 – 60 iris blossoms….here is the first:

 

Cookie a duex

Somebody didn’t want to get out of bed Monday morning (4/21):

 

Michael went golfing in Lancaster and I ran around like a crazy person trying to get some paperwork done (it’s NEVER actually done…right???  There’s always more…more…more……) before heading out to my Volunteer member meeting, then a quick board meeting after that, a trip to the library (it was closed!!!   When was the last time you heard of someone getting off for Easter Monday???) and the grocery store.  I spent several hours doing more paperwork (yuck!) related to the Volunteer meeting before Jan picked me up just before 3 PM for our SWEET & SAVORY club.  This is a club that does appetizers and desserts and for this month it was a lightened up menu.  They did light pimento cheese (yummy!), a shrimp dish with spiral sliced zucchini taking the place of noodles, and a bread pudding made with doughnuts.  That’s the first time in my life I’ve ever liked bread pudding.  Everything was yummy and by the time I got home, my honey was already sitting on the back porch reading his book.  I asked about golf and he said ‘Phil was low man with a 97’….and I said ‘!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’…ouch!  Michael said the only thing that worked for him today was the double knot he tied in his shoe….and the less said about his golf, the better.  I spent a bit of time working on my quilt top, stopping around 8 to watch TV with my honey and knit on the baby sweater.

Easter bunny surprise!, Easter food, Gale & Phil, Evelyn & Larry, Bryce & Anne, Joe, Carol & Roger

Michael got up early to take the dog out and this is what greeted him on the kitchen table with he went to put the paper down:

the Easter bunny came!

he especially like these Palmer bunnies;
they remind him of his childhood
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a wonderful Sunday morning (4/20) eating breakfast and reading the paper before getting to work.  I made a dozen deviled eggs,

don'f forget to notice my beautiful, handcrafted deveiled egg plate!

 and also dipped Easter oreos (in dark chocolate),

 

while Michael made 7 pounds of potato/carrot mash. 

 

Then we got to relax for a bit before starting dough for rolls and the ham in the oven.  Our guests arrived at 4

Gale & Phil

Evelyn & Larry

Bryce & Anne

Joe

Carol & Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and stayed until 7, eating,

potato/carrot mash, ham, green beans in tomatoes

corn pudding, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, molded salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

drinking and talking and talking and talking!!!  It was wonderful. 

Michael ran out to a Red Box afterwards and picked up CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (which he never got to the see in the theatre)….WAY too tense for me…I headed downstairs to watch Charleton Heston in the TEN COMMANDMENTS!  All in all it was a great Easter.

playing pool, artisan bread

Saturday morning (4/19) was rainy and cold, but I still let Jan pick me up at 7:30 AM!!!!  I don’t know what I was thinking….we hit yet another TARGET (with no luck), a Michael’s, and finally a grocery store and I was home just after 10.  I headed to the studio to sew, and Michael joined me to work on his computer.  He is still working on a montage of pictures and music that he is putting together for the trip to Scotland he went on with Marc.  And he also got in a little play time: 

 

I got a loaf of artisan bread baked in the early afternoon (the dough needed to be used up):

 

and Michael and I had a piece for our lunch!  All of my quilt blocks were finished by around 4, next is sewing them into rows.  We got cleaned up and headed into Charlotte, meeting Lisa & Dean for dinner at the Dillworth Neighborhood Grill, then we headed over to Actor’s Theatre to see OTHER DESSERT CITIES, an excellent drama.  We were home by 11 and read for just a bit before bed.

Friday (4/19) dawned a bit warmer (46 degrees) and I was up and out of the house by 8:30 AM to pick up Jan and head to Joann’s.  We actually hit Joann’s, two TARGETs, and the liquor store and were finally home by 12:45.  Connie was waiting for me and we checked out her gauge for a new sweater and went over the pattern a little bit.  After that I headed to the studio to continue working on my blocks.  I’m kind of excited because it seems the end is finally in sight…I am working on the last set of blocks for my quilt top and will soon be able to start sewing it together.  I got backing for both quilts at Joann’s, so will also be looking forward to layering and quilting them (well, maybe not looking forward to exactly, since I LOVE piecing and only tolerate quilting J).  I’m hoping they are small enough that I can quilt them and not drive myself crazy….we’ll see.  Michael and I watched TV in the evening and I continued knitting on the latest baby sweater.

Michael's quilt top a duex, a boy & his pussy a duex

What the heck is going on???  Another 34 degree day when we got up on Thursday (4/17).  I left shortly after 9 for quilting, while Michael was trying to huddle in front of the fire, eating his hot oatmeal!  I took 3 things to quilting that I needed to rip out.  Thanks to Loree, I got the LONG seam ripped out on Michael’s quilt…she started at one end while I started at the other.  Then I got a piece in a block ripped out…it was too small…have to cut another, bigger one and fit it back in.  Then I got baby sweater ripped back about 12 rows and put back CORRECTLY on the needles…so I’d say I had a great day at quilting since everything is right now J!!!  I got to sew in the afternoon when I got home, and (after leftovers for dinner) by 8 PM I had this:

finally got the color corrected so that the
lavendar actually looks lavendar instead
of pink!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes….Michael’s quilt top is finished.  I worked a bit more on my blocks (along with a boy and his pussy):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

before heading upstairs to watch TV and knit on my newly, corrected baby sweater for the rest of the night.

Cookie, Elsie & Cookie a trois

What happened to the sun????  When we woke up today (Wednesday, April 16^th) it was 33 degrees….brrr_r_r_r!  Even Cookie didn’t want to get out of bed:

And it didn’t get that much warmer during the day…it might have made it to 60 degrees.  I got Mexican Chicken Soup and 1/2 a loaf of cornbread out of the freezer for dinner.  Michael went golfing at Regent Park and came home around 3:30 with an 83, so he was a happy camper (although he said it was freezing and windy all day).  I sewed on my blocks (with snuggly company):

 

 

and finally feel like I am making good progress (although as I sewed the rows together for Michael’s throw, I discovered that I have to rip ont the entire seam, joining 8 blocks to another 8 blocks….don’t ask  L).  Jan and I are headed to Joann’s on Friday morning…I’m hoping to score backing for both of the living room throws.  The soup was wonderful for dinner and I continued to sew on my blocks a bit after dinner while Michael watched TV.

I’m totally bummed that I forgot to tell you what I worked on Monday night while we watched THE MENTALIST….I actually fixed my broken warp thread and got 6 inches done on my 2 scarves!!!  My hope is that after (I think) 2 years on the loom, these scarves will finally be finished within several weeks….YAY!!!!

I did paperwork most of the morning on Tuesday (4/15), while Michael ran a bazillion errands for me (he did go for his chiro appointment, and had breakfast out, but the grocery stores and other stops were all for stuff I wanted).  I was supposed to go to Stitch and Chat in the afternoon, but Joanne wasn’t going to be there, and neither was Nancy A, so I decided to stay home and work on my blocks.  I made really good progress and am hopeful that I will be done with all of the bocks by the end of the weekend.  Michael picked up a Papa Murphy’s pizza while he was out and we cooked that and it was ready shortly after 6 PM, when Sally arrived.  Dinner was great, and Michael left shortly afterwards for the movies, while Sally and I stayed home and talked for 4 hours straight…it was wonderful!

Michael left kind of late (10 AM) on Monday (4/14) for golfing at Fort Mill, and I headed downstairs to (what else!!!) work on my blocks.  This is why it really is better to have a half dozen projects going at once….at least then you’d never know what I’m going to write about!!!  Now, when I’m trying to be good, and just do one project at a time (more or less)…you hear the same BORING thing every day!!!!!  Anyway, Michael got home just after 4 with an 82!!!!  He had 10 pars and was very happy.  I worked on my blocks until 7, (Michael ate a late, late lunch and wasn’t interested in dinner) then ran to Harris Teeter, looking for B1G1 pizza slices…no luck….they do a special on pizzas on Monday nights and were OUT!  So, I picked up a rotisserie chicken (on sale) and came home.  I really scored because a friend ALSO had rotisserie chicken for dinner, and was kind enough to call me to pick up the ‘picked’ carcass when done….can you say chicken stock!?!?!?!?

dining al fresco

Sunday morning (4/13) was our first breakfast alfresco for 2014:

Then it was back to the sewing grind for me.  I sewed until 7 PM, then we stopped and had yummy crab cakes (which Michael brought back from his trip to Myrtle Beach) and baked potatoes for dinner.  After dinner, Michael helped me to move my loom upstairs.  I got it set up, positioned the light, got my glasses ready and sat down to weave.  I opened up my shed….and saw/remembered that I had a broken warp thread that needed to be fixed….not something to do at night when you are tired….so…no weaving  L.  But I hope to correct Monday morning and then be on my way!

I don’t know if I mentioned it, but we think we found the perfect background fabric for the tumbling blocks.  It is a mottled black fabric, that probably won’t be in (ordered on the internet) until sometime next week.  Hopefully that will give me time to complete all of the blocks for the living room throws.