The End of August

 It's dark and it is raining outside.  Sounds like a good time to do a post on my blog

I hope everybody has been well.  For me, I've had some eye aches and some headaches but mostly I am ok.  I have to admit that August wasn't too bad for crafting.  I finished up a test pattern (can't show it until around December) and a UFO.  I also finished up the lattice table runner.  So now it is time for show and tell.

First of all, instead of normally being last, here is the pictures of the cats at breakfast the other day.  All seven of them showed up.  I can't believe how large the kittens are getting.  So we have two smudgettes, 2 mini oranges, T2 (eating with the kittens),  BC, and Tort.

Here is the UFO that I managed to finish.  It is the Christmas rail fence that I did from a kit from Jordan Fabrics.  The kit didn't have a border so it took me awhile to figure out what to use for the border, backing, and binding.  I am happy with how it turned out.

Here is the table runner that I finished.  It is three leftover blocks from the lattice wall hanging that I have to finish.  It is on my kitchen bar and I like how it looks.  It brightens the kitchen up I think.

That's it for my updates for August.  I'll see you in September!

Ups and Downs of August

 It's been 10 days since I've posted and I really don't know what I have been doing in those 10 days.  Oh wait.  Now I remember.  I'm testing a quilt pattern.  Time slips by when I do that.  While I can't show you THAT pattern yet, I can show you one that I did and it will appear in the September issue of The Quilt Pattern Magazine.  The pattern will appear in it.  The picture of my test pattern will not since it was not totally completed.  I ws able to finish the top but I don't have the right material for the backing so it is just a "flimsy" right now.  I think it is cute though.  It is an Irish Baby Elephant.

I am behind on my current test pattern mostly because I need a little break from it every now and then.  Since the test patterns usually put me behind on my other projects, when I need a break I go to them.  I put on y design wall the three blocks for various BOMs, etc. that I have now fused on blocks and will reach to stitch down when I need a break.

I did a close up of the cat one so that you can see the colors better.  I figured that you know what the colors for the flag should be so you didn't need a close up of that.  Yes, that is another Fleur  block to stitch.  They all merge into each other since there is a lot of the same block.  LOL.

That's about it for me for the last 10 days.  Of course I need to show you a picture of the cats that I took when they all showed up for breakfast.  

Here are the four kittens.  They are getting very comfortable with getting on the porch.  This morning two of them were on the porch table (you can see it on the left side of the picture) and usually are waiting for me in the morning to open up the door.  On the right side of the stoop is a chair and Tort is usually sitting on that like it's his throne.  If he has to jump down and a kitten is by him, he will hiss at them.  They move off a little bit but no longer totally run away.

I hope that you all have a great day.  It's overcast here so I hope no more thunderstorms since I lost electricity the last time one rolled through.  Not for very long but long enough to lose whatever I was typing on the computer.

Until next time...

Morning Activities

 Whew!  I have been busy this morning.  It is nice when productivity occurs.  MY productivity doesn't normally come unless I plan it out.  So here is what I put down in my calendar this week.

Dice onions and freeze - done thanks to my Ninja chopper

dice/slice green bell peppers and freeze - done

cook up some sweet potatoes and mash for lunch - done but am eating and not waiting for lunch

break down test pattern and figure out what to do on it each day - done.

mark the white fabric for the Flower Table Runner BOM and cut out

do a couple of posts for RPol and another gaming site - done

cut binding for Christmas rail fence.

That's enough for this Monday through Friday list.  As you can see I've made good progress.

Now it is time to take a break and read a book on my Kindle.  In the background I have playing Sherlock Holmes Old Time Radio Show.  It goes for 11 hours so I can just let it play.  If you wish to check it out on Youtube, go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6XtvdmReVA

Enjoy and have a great day!

My brain went on vacation

 but it left the rest of me behind.  Can you believe that?  How RUDE!  I have used other names over the years on how to call my "blanking out".  You know what I mean.  I'm sure it happens to you too.  I'm not talking about the blanking out of forgetting one word or an appointment.  I'm talking about losing you crafting mojo, vegetating or just blah!  I've used all those words before to describe when I feel like doing something (like crafting or cooking) but don't.  It's dangerous because things that you should have done have a tendency to stay undone.  My personal opinion is if the gremlins are in my abode and take things so I can't find them, then they should also take things like laundry and dishes and dusting too.  It would seem only fair.  After all they aren't paying rent so I don't think it is too much to ask from them.

I've found myself doing that.  Just vegetating or not doing anything except being lazy.  Perhaps that is why I signed up for another test pattern.  i don't have a choice.  I have to keep to a schedule so it is a little push to keep me being productive,  So I am back in the crafting saddle again but I didn't just jump up out of bed and get to it.  I eased into it.  I find that helps me also.  I looked at my latest Primitive Quilts Magazine and then watched Pat Sloan's video for block 5 of Summer Soiree.  Still not quite ready to get started on the test pattern so then I listened to Ricky Tims "Today on the Mountain".

https://youtu.be/UnLvGcw8LIE

He talked about seeking the beauty that is everywhere around us and to remember to treat yourself to some love and joy.  Wow!   I know that it is an easy thing to say but not all the time is it easy to do.  We should do it though.  Look around you (or around the dust bunnies) and see what gives you joy,  For me it is my imperfect wall hangings and my recipes.  It is seeing a package that I have ready to go out to a friend knowing that she will enjoy what it is inside.  It is looking out the window that is in my door and seeing four little kittens playing with each other after discovering that they ALL have tails that twitch and are asking to be pounced on.  What do you find joy in?

Once you find that joy, your brain can come back from vacation.  It's like my brain left and took pictures and then returned to show me that life isn't all doom and gloom.  There is plenty of beautiful and fun things out there.  That was enough to inspire me to dig out that test pattern and see what I need to do.  Ahhh, applique.  Yep, that's another thing that I enjoy. 

Of course now that I am getting back in the grove, it means I'd better sign off here and get to it before my brain goes on vacation again.

I hope everybody has a great day.

Cooking Day vs. Sewing Day vs. Gaming Day

 Sigh.  The brain is trying to give me a headache when I try to concentrate on which I will be doing today...cooking, sewing, and/or gaming.  After the brain settled down, as in my headache quite screaming at me, I looked at what I had chosen to cook this week.  That would be:

Garlic-Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs

Skinny Nacho Cheese Dip (Crock Pot)

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

First up Garlic-Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs.  Hmmm.  That will have to be pushed down the list a bit.  My chicken didn't finish thawing out last night so can't make the recipe until after that.  I had some chicken/thigh combo that I needed to cook up so I will use that instead of just the thigh portion.  If I change my mind, I will separate the thigh and drumstick portions and use the drumsticks for another recipe.

So then onto the Nacho Cheese Dip in the Crock Pot.  OOPS!  Forgot to take out the meat to thaw.  I'll do that and then go on to the Mexican Cornbread Casserole.  That limits what I'm going to cook next then.

Time for the Mexican Cornbread Casserole.  It looked simple but I am leaving out the can of corn because my body doesn't always handle corn that well.  Thankfully that didn't start until when I got older since I was raised in the middle of corn country!  It's in the oven right now so I'll let you know how it was in my next post.

As for gaming, I did that earlier this morning and will also probably do it again later  For some of you this is done online but it is word based and not graphic or like the games out there today with remotes etc.  It's more like everybody has a part in a play and we're writing the play as we go along.  It can be done in any genre (fantasy, pulp, sci fi, etc.)  That 2 of the 3 things planned for today so now to plan out my Sewing.

Hmm.  There is so much to pull my mind into every direction!  What to work on.  The first thing that I will have to start to work on is the test pattern that I signed up for.  It is due around the end of the month so I don't to get too sidetracked.  Perhaps working on some hexagons.  There is a sew along that is offered on Needlespot and I might do it as a quilt as you go.  I have a couple of templates on order that should be delivered this week  Once I get them, I will look at the pattern and see about converting it to a quilt as you go.  I do have a 2 1/2" quilt as you go hexagon template that I'm working on.  It is something that I can do and collect and eventually I'll put them together.  We'll see how many I get done before I am tired of working on them.

Another quilting project is my table runner made out of left over blocks from the Lattice Quilt wall-hanging.  I' doing that by hand (the table runner) so it will take a bit.  There is also all the multiple blocks of the month and/or week to work on.  Guess I'd better stop typing this and get on it.  :)

Everybody have a great day!