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Monday, January 17, 2011

Time off is time cleaning.

But I don't remember signing up to be the superintendent of this building (aka home).
I have vacuumed, steam cleaned, and washed all day.  I went to throw a load of towels in the dryer and the dryer exhaust hose blew (for the second time).  This time there is not enough hose left to reconnect, so off to the hardware store for a new one.
Kitten is reminding me the sewing machine has been too idle.
 I have been cross stitching in the evenings.  I don't know where this one came from.  I don't remember buying it.  There was thread already in the bag with the pattern and linen.  The vine had been started.  I don't remember doing it, but I was wanting some handwork and here it is. Mom says she probably bought it, and when I am done stitching it, I should send it back to her. (ahem)
 We still have snow on the ground here in Atlanta a WEEK after the big snow storm.  And rain is on it's way.  I let Kitten outside to see if I could capture her with the snow in the background. 
This is a mouse-eye view of Kitten.
And here's the snow (in the background)!
Here she is giving me the sweet-eye; trying to lure me back to the sewing room from the bedroom next door.  I put pink pig-tail bulbs in the ceiling fan in this room, so everything I try to shoot pictures of in this room looks funny.  Kitten is sitting on the finished rag quilt along with a pair of my old (and much loved) boots.
 I am trying to clean up my computer desk and install an external hard drive so I can back up my hard drive and then take my desktop computer in for a good cleaning and security software updates.  And then maybe deal with getting the old Dyson into the shop and make another trip to drop stuff off at Goodwill. I won't get it all done today; that's for sure!
After dinner last night, I asked hubby if he would wipe down the stove top for me while I did the dishes. He looked straight at me and said "I thought we bought self-cleaning." Then he spit out a bay leaf (from the soup) and said "What the hell is this?"
Good grief.
(Tania, here is the link to the soup recipe:  Bob's Red Mill Black Bean Soup I didn't have "smoked paprika" so I left it out; still very yummy!)

Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Thaw

Probably the best soup I have ever made.
And when I finally got out of the house to go to work on Friday, I hit Hobby Lobby on the way home for DMC floss.  I saw these cute little rugs at half price and bought the three they had left.  They are perfect for wiping footsies/pawsies when coming indoors from the snowy, now wet, patio
Rosie (registered name Georgia's Cherokee Rosebud), who needs to see the groomer, likes them.
And so does Rocky (registered name? sheesh I forget, but it ends with MacGuyver)
This little guy sits up all the time. When you reach out to pet him, he falls over backwards for a tummy rub.
So freaking adorable.
Scooter is sleeping, so I didn't bother him.  Kitten too.
All of us are cozy and warm waiting for the snow to go and the rain to come.
Seriously, we are going to follow the snow with rain.
I am not liking that.
So I won't think about it.
Until tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Big Announcement

 I  cleared the front walk:
And I baked a pear and apple tart:
I finished the hanging sleeves on back of the three little quilts (bound in yellow after all the thinking about greens);
Created a backing for Dad's airplane quilt:
And started pinning:

Rocky and Scooter napped while I worked. Then I noticed my blog hit a pretty cool number on the counter:
Of course, fancier blogs with tutorials and way more quilting get way cooler numbers.  Go see the cool number Wanda from Exuberant Color surpassed on her counter.
Congratulations Wanda!

Monday, January 3, 2011

3 little quilts

I finished piecing the mini-quilts (6"x9," pattern I bought at Sweet Home can be seen here: Suzanne's Art House) last night and I went ahead and quilted one while the TV was on (binder clips are temporary until I put hanging sleeves on the back).
Here it is hand-quilted and bound with turned-from-the-back yellow binding.
I have a good bit of yellow fabric ;-)
I often use my junipers as a back drop for photos.
Today when I walked out the front door, I found the yard guys had been by.
And they "shaped" my junipers.
Yep, squared them up and whacked them off.
I had always pruned surgically to keep a natural shape.
The damage will take years to grow out.
Hubby said he hadn't asked them to do it.
WTF?

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Finish the old and ring in the new (projects, that is)

I took my clipped rag quilt to the laundromat yesterday after work.  How "don't have a life" do you have to be to spend New Year's Eve afternoon at a laundromat?  At least I wasn't alone.  I ran into a co-worker there.  He'd been on vacation, so he had lots of laundry to do.  Me?  Just the one blanket and home.

I don't know what the neighborhood boys were shooting off last night, but they sure make a racket!  I was sorting thread as the new year rang in.  As I said before I "don't have a life."  I wanted to get organized to start a "Freckles" stitchery I ordered from my Auntie Katie at Primitive Woolens in Missouri.  I got the thread corralled, and the first three patterns traced.  I use a fish tank and Ott light for a light box.  It works okay for these small blocks, but I have to stand up the whole time, so I end up with an achy back, if I work too long.
This morning I stitched my first "Freckles" block.
I love the little bird in the tree, but I hate that the cat ate the bird's momma.  How disturbing.  I stitched it okay, but I 'll do better on the next one.

I couldn't ignore my sewing machine though, so I worked on a collection of mini quilts.  I'd bought the pattern last year at Shop Hop from Melisa at Sweet Home, and this week I went back and got the frame the quilts hang  on. So I should probably make the little quilts!  Here is what I have so far:
I finished the rail fence and was deciding how to quilt it and what color to bind it with.  Turquoise?  Maybe light green? Can't decide.
So on to the next little quilt.
I had too many rows on the second quilt, or so I thought.  A quick check of the pattern told me I had shorted my rail fence a row.  I'll fix it tomorrow. Maybe grey-green?
Happy New Year to all!
Karmen