Early Morning Sewing

This wonky star block is going to finish at 9", not 3".  I wanted to make a few sample blocks of the larger wonky stars.  Since it was in my head, rolling around, bouncing off my brain, I just had to get up this morning and make one.  I ran out of time, but at least all the pieces are done.

Yesterday when I got home from work I was pretty tired.  Took a little nap and when I got up I was so refreshed I was able to get a lot done.  Made bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches for dinner.  The bacon was slab bacon and came from IGA over in Staunton.  I swear, that was the best bacon I have tasted in a very long time.  It didn't shrivel up to nothing and cooked real even.

After making sandwiches I went upstairs for over an hour and made more 3" wonky star blocks.  They are starting to add up!  And they are really cute.

Also went downstairs and rearranged just a bit so I can use the Western machine if I want to.  I may be piecing some batting together for the nursing home quilt.  Found some long strips that just weren't quite wide enough on their own, but will be fine in one of the tops if I piece them together.  I use the same batting all the time, pretty much, so I know the strips are all the same type.  Need to get started on that.

Honeysuckle

When I walked out the door this morning to go to work, the smell of honeysuckle caught my attention.  We have some vines growing by the front porch that generally are a nuissance, but I do love the smell of the flowers.  I even bought some soap recently that smells like honeysuckle.

Sewed about an hour last night on Sissy.  Made four more tiny wonky star blocks.  If I don't have enough of them to use for cornerstones, I may just take 9 of them and turn them into blocks that will fit with the others we will be making.  I'm still hoping I have the energy to keep going and make enough for cornerstones, though

We are planning a trip to Arthur in a couple weeks!  Whee!  Going to get our background fabric for the 9" wonky star blocks.  Can't wait to get started on those!

Tried to watch Bonnie Hunter on Quiltcam last night, but my computer was being finicky.  I could hear her just fine, so that was okay, I guess.  Usually I would watch her on the big t.v. in the front room, through the Boxee media player, but Boxee met an untimely demise when the modem got hit by lightening.  Ah well....  I tried to hook the t.v. up to the computer but it was quite a pain in the rear.  It all worked out, though, because instead of just sitting in front of the t.v. and watching, I took the laptop upstairs and sewed while I listened.

Scraptastic

Oh the things that make me happy are so simple...  I rediscovered a bin of scraps this morning that I had forgotten existed.  Some of these were gifted to me, so it's like Christmas!  I'm going to play in them while making wonky star blocks.  Sigh.  Life is good.

So Hooked

I am so hooked on making these little wonky star blocks!  They are like candy, or potato chips - I just can't stop with one!  This morning before work I went upstairs, just to check and see if I had some chalk to mark a top if I wanted to.  Well, there was Sissy, giving me that come here look, and I couldn't resist - I had to sit down and put together a little block, even though I only had 15 minutes before I had to be out the door!  I think I may need to redo the bottom center star piece because the point will get lost in the seam allowance, but that's okay.

Going to have to get with the gals and see when we can go to Arthur.  We would like to get the background material for the bigger wonky star blocks at Miller's.  Hoping it will be soon.

Been sewing on Sissy and I find that when I'm not holding the material, the feed dogs want to pull it unevenly towards the left.  I need to clean out that area real well and oil it good.  That should help.

Crazy Backing

I have the backing pieced for the red four patch strip top.  It's a piece of fabric with huge shells and ladies swimming on it, pieces together with fabric with big flowers on it.  Just a bit loud, don't you think?  haha.

The backing is going to be real close in size to the top and I'm a little concerned about that.  Wavering between putting another strip of material on the backing for good measure or just taking my chances.

Hoping to get it all loaded on Gemma tonight.  I have named the domestic machine in the basement J.T., so if I have to add a piece to the back, I may try sewing on J.T.  If nothing else, I can play with the machine while Gemma is warming up.

Blue Cheese Turkey Sandwiches

I did not think this recipe up, but here's my variation of the sandwich:

Turkey breast, sliced - it's ten times better if it comes straight off a baked turkey bird, but if you absolutely must do it, you can use sliced turkey from the deli

Crumbled blue cheese

Red onion, sliced and sauteed until tender

Good bread - we use the everything topping french bread from Wal Mart

Butter the outsides of the bread.  Put one piece of bread, butter side down into a hot skillet or griddle.  Place turkey, blue cheese, and onions on bread, then top with other slice of bread.  It's much easier to assemble the sandwiches on the griddle or in the pan.  Brown on each side.  Enjoy!

And for those members of the family that don't like blue cheese, you can always substitute a less risque cheese for the blue cheese.  But it won't be as tasty... at least not in my opinion!

I have what's left of the turkey breast in the fridge, along with the drippings from the pan when I baked it.  One night this week I might make turkey and gravy for supper.  Depends on how I feel.  Still not sure what is happening with my job because of the budget crisis in our fair state.  I may or may not be laid off in a couple weeks, even though I am not employed by the state.  Our monies are from the feds and just pass through the state, however even these monies are being held up by the lack of state budget.

JJ2 Top Done

Last night I finished the second Jimmy John top done in batiks.  It's hard to see in the picture above, but there is a dark purple border all around it.  I like it!

Here's a close up of the borders.

Still planning to quilt a couple nursing home tops with the design I want to do on the Jimmy John tops.  I need the practice.

Yesterday Nick was over for a bit, so he and Ev moved the sewing machine that I got last week from the garage to the basement.  This is the old Western in the very nice cabinet with all the drawers.  As soon as I had it in place, I put all my longarm thread in the drawers.  It looks much less messy in that area now.  I may even do more rearranging before it's all done.  Just thinking about it at this point.

Itsy Bitsy Pieces

Tiny three inch wonky star block!  I was just playing around on Sissy and decided to try out the wonky star pattern.  Mary, Marla, and I are going to make nine inch wonky star blocks for our Paducah 2016 swap.  I am considering making a bunch of these three inch blocks to use as cornerstones.  Not making any promises because I would have to make a LOT of these itsy bitsy blocks.  Going to have to watch the star points though.  Don't want to lose them in the seam when I put them in the sashing.

The only other three inch blocks I have done in any quantity are the spool blocks that were leader enders.  I have a bucket of them to press, then need to put them into a quilt top.  Don't even know how many I have done, but I got tired of making them, so whatever is there, that's it!

I have a turkey breast defrosting in the sink.  Going to bake it this evening and make those blue cheese sandwiches for dinner that Ev likes.  Well, we all like them.... hee hee.

Patching Patchwork

Our quilt on the bed needed some love.  It's been washed and used for a few years and is starting to show some wear.  The purple fabric in this one block in particular is fraying badly.  The one square had completely come apart and the batting was even gone in that area.  I replaced it with this patch and put some batting in there, too.  With all the colors in this quilt, it doesn't matter that it doesn't match.  In fact, it just gives it more character!  haha

I did the repair on the 401, now named "Sissy".  She did a good job, I think.

Looks Like Work

We picked up the flooring for the kitchen yesterday.  It's all stacked up and ready for us to get busy!  Next week we have vacation, so I think that will be when we put it down.  Fun, fun, fun! haha.  I really don't mind, in fact I like being able to say we did the work ourselves.