tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84567912245699275322024-03-17T22:03:15.028-05:00APPLIQUE TODAYJoannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.comBlogger632125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-18016722431503039932014-06-21T18:56:00.002-05:002014-06-21T19:10:47.021-05:00Chevron Pillow<br />
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Oh yes I am hanging my head in shame! I CANNOT believe I haven't blogged since November! Wow. Time to change that!<br />
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A lot has happened since I last blogged. I went back to school and became a nurses assistant working with elderly patients with dementia. Something I had never thought about doing, but I absolutely love it! The patients are so insightful and wickedly funny! Another school year has finished and my children are now in 8th, 6th, and 4th grades!<br />
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I have also started teaching at my LQS (Local Quilt Store) again and thought I'd show you a class I'm teaching in July, since I just made the class samples and it's freshly in my mind!<br />
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I absolutely adore Kaffe Fasset fabrics and when paired with a rich Kona Solid they're especially delicious!</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">This class is a pillow making class, with a twist - it's a two-for-one class, in that you make one pillow, and the scraps from that pillow magically become extra blocks which you turn into a second pillow. Very very cool! It is using a chevron block (can we start calling them what they are folks? ZIG ZAGS!) with a technique I've been using for years but is just becoming more common. I even have a tutorial <a href="http://appliquetoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/zig-zag-quilt-tutorial.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> if you'd like to try it out.</span></div>
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Here's to a great summer of fun, and I promise, of more frequent blogging!</div>
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I had been scouring thrift stores looking for something the right size and shape, and very importantly, the right price! Prices sure do vary at different thrift stores, but I finally found one for just $29.95. I was thrilled, especially because it was solid wood. It wasn't until I got it home that I saw it was an Ethan Allen hutch, which is known for well made pieces of furniture.<br />
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The two things I didn't like about it were 1) the dark stain and 2) the knobs. Both had to go! I also felt that the doors on the hutch dated it, so off they came. I'm saving them for another project.<br />
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After some research online - OK I'll admit, after many hours on Pinterest, I decided the best way to approach painting this beauty was the new craze of DIY Chalk paint, as no sanding is needed. No way did I want to sand all the nooks and crannies of my hutch!<br />
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There are a few variations you can make online. I have some links for you to peruse... <a href="http://www.myloveofstyle.com/2013/11/14/how-to-make-chalk-paint/" target="_blank">HERE </a>, <a href="http://sunflowerhugs.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-version-of-diy-chalk-paint.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>, and most thorough of all, <a href="http://inmyownstyle.com/2013/02/diy-chalk-paint-review-update.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. For my project I went the Plaster of Paris route. I applied the undercoat with a brush, (doesn't it look awful with just one coat brushed on below?!) and the top coats with a foam roller. May I just say the foam roller was amazing?! No brush marks, it went on easily, and just worked out really well. It took 3 coats to cover, but using chalk paint hastens the drying time. Just an hour - if that - between coats.<br />
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I finished the project off with a couple of coats of wax which was fun to apply, but more labor intensive than I thought it would be. However, a month after doing it, I must say, the finish has been fantastic - not a scratch, not a chip, nothing! The only thing I would do differently would be to apply a coat of white primer first instead of using up my precious quart of paint and needing to buy more, albeit just a tester size! With a coat of white primer however, the quart would have been plenty.<br />
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I had a terrible time deciding on a color. At first I was just going to go with white. Fresh, clean and simple, then I thought hmmm - I need something different and loads of color. So of course the next choice was Behr's Carolina Parakeet, a nice lime green! I mean, isn't the the natural progression of your thought process?!<br />
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Now that it was all painted, it needed new drawer pulls. I went to Hobby Lobby and found an assortment of ones I liked on clearance. I spray painted the large brass pulls white, and now I have a nice eclectic mix of pulls.<br />
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I've started to 'dress' the hutch with some do-dads and nick-nacks....<br />
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A blue glass bowl holding my Anna Maria Horner stash...<br />
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A wire basket holding my Kaffe's (which needs to be neatened, I know I know!) and a chevron basket (to match my floor!) holding my selveges which I WILL turn into something one day...<br />
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A green glass bowl holding some lovely wools I bought in Utah a couple of years ago...<br />
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Some handy dandy containers holding a little bit of everything...zippers, ric rac, buttons, bias tape etc...<br />
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More wire baskets holding left to right, Kona solids, my stash of Jinny Beyer prints, and my favorite, the mini shopping cart holding ric rac.<br />
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I made this crystal glass holder from a plate, bowl, and candlestick, all thrifted and glued together for the total price of $2. It holds some vintage buttons, also thrifted - this entire lot, also for $2!<br />
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Next time, the pink bureau. Stay tuned!</div>
Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-74332514720765328582013-11-16T13:51:00.002-06:002013-11-16T13:51:31.077-06:00Sneak PeekWow I CANNOT believe it's been 5 months since I last blogged! It seems like the world is moving from blogging to Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook, all of which I use and love, but sometimes you just want to say more than you can on those platforms. I just hope there are still readers around that still enjoy blogs. I must admit, I've hardly read any myself lately. Tell me, is it a dying art or do we just keep plodding along in blogland?<br />
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Anyway, I've had a busy few months - the kids and I took a much needed and longed for trip to New Zealand over the Summer which was simply amazing. I'll have to do a post all about that one day, but today I want to show you a sneak peek of my pet project from the past couple of months.<br />
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I've been working hard on transforming my basement quilting area from basement blah to fabulous! I'm almost there and already I feel inspired when I come down here.<br />
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I refinished furniture, bought new pieces, and best of all, painted the walls and put down flooring! All at budget prices. I'm rather frugal and enjoy trolling the thrift shops for bargains and making pretty things on a low budget. I could just go and buy ready made things, but it feeds my need to be creative by making unique items myself!<br />
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So first of all, this is the mess I was dealing with 'before'...<br />
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Admittedly, it looks awful and is such a mess! I had started to pack things up to move out so I could get the furniture out and do the floors. About half of what you see has gone and will never be back!</div>
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Now, this is what I get to see when I go to the basement...</div>
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And that's just one side. I have a lot more to show you but I need to leave something for another day, right? I need to show you the before and afters of the furniture re-dos. They are night and day! Plus the floor. Oh my lovely beautiful gorgeous floor! You can see a little of it here but I need to get pics with more of it in view. Hey anything beats concrete under foot, right?! Stay tuned!</div>
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Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-44730490278874034102013-06-22T20:06:00.004-05:002013-06-22T20:06:59.033-05:00Z is for ZOOMToday I received AWESOME mail! Quilty mail in fact, which is the best mail of all! On Thursday I heard about an amazing quilt fabric sale at <a href="http://formandfabric.com/">formandfabric.com</a> - 60% off end of bolts, and only $2.99 flat rate shipping! I picked up a bunch of <a href="http://annamariahorner.com/" target="_blank">Anna Maria Horner</a> fabrics, along with some <a href="http://amybutlerdesign.com/mainmenu.php" target="_blank">Amy Butler,</a> and<a href="http://www.joeldewberry.com/" target="_blank"> Joel Dewberry</a> among others.<br />
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Today, Saturday it arrived. ZOOM! That's just two days, from the moment they received my order, cut the fabrics, packaged it up, sent it, not to mention having to travel from Texas to New Hampshire. I am mightily impressed!<br />
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Plus, when I opened it up, it was wrapped up so prettily, which always makes my heart happy...<br />
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Since I have a nice little collection of Anna Maria fabrics, I thought it was time they had their own place to live instead of in with all the rest. I happened to go to a huge yard sale today benefiting the Humane Society - 14,000 sq feet of second hand goodness! I picked up a beautiful blue glass bowl, which is happy having some pretty fabric sitting in it!<br />
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At the sale I also picked up this gorgeous little tin...<br />
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It reminds me of my mother and grandmother and makes me happy to look at it. I think I'll keep some sewing notions inside.<br />
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Also I bought a bread knife with a pretty handle, a large old wooden spool, and some jewelry. It was a great day!<br />
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And with that, the A-Z challenge is complete! Back to my regularly scheduled blogging...which I was putting off because I felt guilty about not finishing the A-Z challenge. Ah yes good ol' guilt. Gets me every time!</div>
<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-8648979854904471122013-06-22T19:08:00.001-05:002013-06-22T19:08:30.387-05:00X&Y are for BOY!Just to get it out of the way, yep I know the A-Z Challenge finished almost 2 months ago yet here I am finishing up the alphabet...having said that, on with the show!<br />
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7 weeks ago my good friend had baby number 5, which conveniently for the A-Z challenge was a boy, so I get to combine X and Y in one post!<br />
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Here are a few photos I took of baby Caden just an hour old...<br />
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And here are some from 2 days ago when we went to a local lake. He was 7 weeks old!<br />
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He is just adorable. He's at that perfect age where they have learned to smile and can smile all day long!<br />
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I had known at their 20 week ultrasound that they were having a boy but they didn't! I knew for quilt-making purposes only! The ultrasound tech typed the words "Oh Boy" at the bottom of the picture revealing his boy bits, and handed it to me. I immediately knew his quilt needed to say, "Oh Boy" somewhere, so this is what I came up with...<br />
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I'm in the process of writing it up as a pattern, and I also have a girl version mostly made, which says, "My Girl". As a bonus, when you make the zig zags, you are left with dozens of cute little half square triangle units which you can then turn into a baby bag, which I'll also put in the pattern. One side blue, one side yellow! (The following photos were taken with my phone - sorry...they're typical phone quality pics!)<br />
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You can even fit your baby into the bag as you can see here...<br />
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Cuteness overload, I know!<br />
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<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-20725758928073416872013-05-02T17:11:00.001-05:002013-05-02T17:11:28.295-05:00W is for WALLETYeah yeah yeah so April is over and I still have W, X, Y, and Z to blog about. Aaargh! I'm still going to do it though!<br />
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Onto W...<br />
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So at church, when it's your birthday, us ladies get to pick a present out of a basket. Everything in it is handmade and quite lovely. Last Sunday I got to (belatedly) pick out my gift. I had a hard time choosing as there were these really neat crocheted shopping bags and gorgeous crocheted dishcloths. So gorgeous that I wouldn't be able to bring myself to use them! Then I saw the orange and green wallet which you will see below at the top of the pictures.<br />
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I have been wanting to make myself a new wallet for ages, and when I saw this I thought it would be a great starting place to make a pattern from!<br />
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I first made the blue/pink one on the bottom...<br />
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I just made a couple of small changes. I really liked the card slots so left them, but I needed a change pocket so I added that. I also hand sewed the binding down instead of machine sewing and cut it on the bias as it makes it easier to curve. I used two Anna Maria Horner prints.<br />
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I liked it so much, I made another, once again, making changes. I changed the way I did the pocket, just slightly, and I left the corners square on the main body. I used velcro instead of snaps like I did for the one above, mainly because I ran out of snaps! However, I think the velcro is much more user friendly! I used Flea Market Fancy fabrics for this one.<br />
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I love them both!<br />
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As a special treat for you, I photographed the process of making the second one and will have a free tutorial up for you once I finish with X, Y, and Z!<br />
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Thank you anonymous person for making a wallet for the birthday basket. You inspired me!Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-25037756668145886342013-04-24T18:58:00.001-05:002013-04-24T18:58:24.058-05:00V is for VINTAGEA couple of weeks ago I mentioned <a href="http://appliquetoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/k-is-for-kids-night-out.html">HERE</a> that I had gone to a local quilt show with my hubby. It was my birthday week and so he bought me anything my heart desired. Lucky for him there wasn't much that caught my eye so he got off pretty lightly as far as shopping at quilt shows go!<br />
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What I just couldn't resist though, were old vintage blocks from one particular vendor. It was a little old husband and wife who go to estate sales/yard sales etc and buy old quilting and sewing notions along with old blocks and quilts.<br />
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I bought these blocks for $1 each...<br />
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Yes most of them are old and funny looking. Some might even say ugly! But I think I will frame them individually and hang them. Talk about Upcycling! (Did you read <a href="http://appliquetoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/u-is-for-upcycle.html">yesterday's post</a>?!) Not sure if I'll quilt them or just lay them flat in frames, but they deserve to be admired in some way. Some are machine sewn, but most are hand sewn. A couple are more modern, probably from the 80's, but hey, for $1 who was I to even think twice about snapping them up?!<br />
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Then came my favorite vintage purchase, this lovely quilt top for $25...<br />
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The tag says it was a well loved quilt, now a top. I don't see signs of quilting, so maybe it was tied? It is definitely well loved - the fabrics, which I presume are 1930's, are faded, but to me they feel like your favorite pair of jeans that have been washed over and over. The blocks just make me feel tingly inside and comfortable. I think I need to turn this into an actual quilt. It's in great condition - no rips, no holes, and is actually quite sturdy.</div>
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This is it folded in quarters...<br />
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I can't decide which are my favorite blocks. I rather like these...<br />
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and these...<br />
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and this...<br />
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and this...polkadots!<br />
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Oh heck I love all of them!Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-77896068458105359262013-04-24T18:30:00.002-05:002013-04-24T18:30:46.781-05:00U is for UPCYCLESince I missed posting yesterday, today you get another two-fer!<br />
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When I told my hubby I was going to post about upcycling he looked very puzzled and asked what it was. In case you're <span style="font-family: inherit;">wond</span>ering too, I found a great definition on Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upcycle">HERE</a>. A particularly good excerpt:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Recycling," he said, "I call it downcycling. They smash bricks, they smash everything. What we need is upcycling- where old products are given more value, not less."</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I was very happy when I read this, as it was exactly how I had explained it to my hubby. Gotta take advantage of the moments when we get it right!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have quite a few upcycled projects around the house so I thought I'd show you some.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a quilt rack I found at a thrift shop for just a few dollars. It's still waiting for me to paint it. I think I've been putting it off thinking of all those curly bits to get painted. Perhaps that's why it was in the thrift shop in the first place?! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next up are some copper molds I was going to get rid of but thought they'd look nice spray painted. I was right, and now they are on my kitchen wall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ks_qy6i755A/UXho8i3JicI/AAAAAAAAIrs/yJkJ7ORnjn0/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ks_qy6i755A/UXho8i3JicI/AAAAAAAAIrs/yJkJ7ORnjn0/s640/003.JPG" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is an old cupboard some friends were throwing away when they moved. It was old, broken, black, distressed, and not in a good way! I gave it new paint, some gentle distressing, and mod podged some of my favorite <a href="http://annamariahorner.com/">Anna Maria Horner</a> fabric to it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v7r7o3upQgg/UXhpBtN4GyI/AAAAAAAAIr0/hJbCGlVqz8g/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v7r7o3upQgg/UXhpBtN4GyI/AAAAAAAAIr0/hJbCGlVqz8g/s640/006.JPG" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, this is a quilting frame which I painted and use as a frame to hold a finished quilt on the wall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">None of these projects cost more than $5, so you can see that upcycling can be both affordable and beautiful, not to mention you end up with one of a kind projects!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have many more items sitting in the garage waiting to be upcycled. Maybe this is the year?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-14885678634221335442013-04-22T22:45:00.000-05:002013-04-22T22:45:05.995-05:00T is for TASTYAfter our big adventure yesterday, today I was ready to relax! It was our first day of Spring vacation so I invited my friend and her children over for the first s'mores of the year! We lit the fire pit, cooked hot dogs, roasted marshmallows, and just sat in the sun and talked for a good 4-5 hours while the kids ran around using up energy.<br />
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So much fun! So that was pretty tasty, but not the reason for this post.<br />
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I decided tonight was a good night to organize a couple of my kitchen cupboards. You know how after a while, you just don't know what you have in your cupboards anymore because everyone just throws stuff in there? Yes it had got to that point, so out it all came... (Don't worry, that's not smoke on the right hand side, just steam from some draining pasta)<br />
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And now, it looks so much better...<br />
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And now for the 'Tasty' portion.<br />
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Do you see something that scares you? At least, if you are an American it will scare you. Look closer...<br />
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Aha! There it is!<br />
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Oh yes, folks, that is the infamous Vegemite, made known to the world at large by this song...(I chose the pop up video version just because some of the facts are interesting!)<br />
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In 14 years of living in this fine country, I have only met one American who liked it. Yes Jonathan Starks I'm talking to you! Most people smell it, pull an awful face and say uh uh I'm not trying that. Those who are brave enough to try it invariably say it's the most disgusting thing they've ever tasted and try not to throw up.<br />
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Why, I have no idea. It's delicious! I guess you have to grow up with it. In NZ and Australia it's a staple in every single household. Kids take sandwiches to school made with it. My mother smears it over crackers. Everyone has it on toast. Over there people as love it as much as America loves peanut butter. Yummy, and very tasty!<br />
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I found it here in our city in a British store and paid the princely sum of $14 for that tiny jar. Since I'm the only one in the house who will touch it, it's lasted a long time which is great because it's so expensive here. However, the look on lovely American faces when they smell it and then taste it, is worth every cent!Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-54941172889111750452013-04-21T16:49:00.002-05:002013-04-21T16:49:50.554-05:00S is for SHOCKING...Did you just read my<a href="http://appliquetoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/r-is-for-relaxation.html"> 'R' post?</a> This is what happened in the parking lot next to us while I was lying on my quilt reading my favorite magazine today...<br />
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Yes I was the first on the scene. Yes it was scary. Yes a lady passenger was hurt, bleeding, in shock and pinned in the car. Yes the young man driving his friend's truck was speeding. Yes I saw it happen. Yes I was a police witness. Yes I cried as I comforted the lady's husband who was covered in his wife's blood while they used the jaws of life to remove her. Amazingly she is going to be OK. The fire department asked if they could use my photos for training purposes - I just happened to have my camera on me hoping for photo opportunities in the park. Boy did I ever get to take photos. I learned that I don't panic in an emergency - I've always wondered if I would!<br />
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It was a sober reminder to us, especially our kids, as to why we ALWAYS wear our seatbelts! They really do save lives.Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-72291095918447771242013-04-21T16:49:00.000-05:002013-04-21T16:51:36.555-05:00R is for RELAXATIONSorry I didn't do my 'R' post yesterday - I was out late watching my neighbor sing with her band! However, I'm catching up today with both my 'R' post and my 'S' post. They kind of go together, so read this one first, then the 'S' one. Trust me!<br />
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It was a beautiful spring day today, so after church we headed to a park with quilts to relax, lie down, read my favorite magazine, and enjoy the sun...<br />
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All of a sudden... (go read my <a href="http://appliquetoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/s-is-for-shocking.html">'S' post</a> now!)Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-17663668819933835202013-04-19T22:27:00.001-05:002013-04-19T22:27:12.665-05:00Q is for QUILTSReally, out of the almost 2000 people doing the A-Z challenge this month, I must have it the easiest on Q day! Unfortunately (or fortunately!) for you, I'm still crazy busy doing our school's yearbook with the impending deadline, so I can't so as in depth of a post as I'd like to.<br />
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How about I just go in my living room and photograph the quilts I see - sight unseen, everything untouched, no matter how messy it may be. I've been in the kitchen all afternoon and evening at my laptop doing the yearbook, and the kids have been in the living room doing who knows what?! OK I'll go take some photos and be right back...crossing fingers...<br />
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Well, things were not nearly as bad as I thought they would have been! I guess when you ignore your children all day to meet a deadline, and they are left to entertain themselves, they end up staying in one place playing Minecraft and don't touch anything! Not too shabby! Dear daughter has dumped her school things on the loveseat, but hey if that's the worst they could do today, I'll take it!<br />
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Here is a 360 degree tour...<br />
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Now I do have a horrid secret...see this lovely quilt draped over the chair? Does it look a little bumpy under that quilt?<br />
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Maybe this is why...<br />
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Wow what on earth is all that? Remember when I cleaned out the bookcase last week <a href="http://appliquetoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/l-is-for-library.html">HERE</a>? This would be the remnants of that cleaning which due to the yearbook deadline just hasn't been dealt with! I got sick of looking at it so I threw a quilt over it. See? Quilts aren't just for keeping you warm or looking pretty - they have other practical uses as well!<br />
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<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-29910796977989389962013-04-18T18:10:00.000-05:002013-04-18T18:10:14.330-05:00P is for PATTERN MAKINGIf you're a quilter, chances are that sometime in your quilting life you've used a pattern. Books have patterns, magazines have patterns, there are patterns with tutorials on line, and of course there are always individual patterns you can buy.<br />
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The last few years I've only really made quilts that I made up patterns for, and this year have taken the leap into publishing my own patterns! Hold on now, I don't have anything ready yet but it's all in the works. I quit my part-time job last year, with the support of my patient husband, so I could concentrate on it, and I was doing great until I started on the school yearbook I'm putting together, which has sucked up all of my pattern-making time. With a yearbook submission deadline of this Monday, I'm looking forward to having more time to get back to my patterns. I have thoroughly enjoyed putting together the yearbook though, and I can't wait to see the finished product. The funny thing is that all the skills I had learned for pattern making have been transferable to yearbook publishing. Who'd-a-thunk-it?!<br />
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Never again will I decry the cost of a pattern. Hours upon hours of work go into each one. Especially if they include applique. Not only do you need to write the pattern instructions, but you need to use drawing software (I'm using Adobe Illustrator) and a pen and tablet to draw the designs. The learning curve is HUGE! But I'm finally getting the hang of it and what was once seemingly impossible is actually looking possible. Getting smooth curves and joining things up - wowser so difficult!<br />
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So next time you want to complain about how much a pattern costs, (I understand, I've been there!) just remember all the work that went into it - something that looks very simple is actually incredibly hard and the designer earned every cent! If you still don't want to pay $$ for patterns, design your own! If it's just for your own use, you don't need any fancy equipment or programs. A pencil and paper is all you need!<br />
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<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-85822341961165129422013-04-17T22:26:00.005-05:002013-04-17T22:26:54.705-05:00O is for OH NO!I am the chairperson for our boys' elementary school yearbook. For some reason I thought the deadline to submit it was in 2 weeks, however I realized last night that it's in fact this Monday. 5 days. Yep, oh no!<br />
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As such, my posts for the next few days may be a little shorter than usual. I have a 5-day-long date with yearbook designing software online! Thankfully the bulk of it was already done, but still, there's much to do! O is also for, "OOPS!"Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-27149297900915713862013-04-16T16:57:00.001-05:002013-04-16T16:58:51.799-05:00N is for NEIGHBORLY NOSTALGIA I have the best neighbor in the world. No, really, I do. If you think you do then you're wrong because I do. Not only are we neighbors but we are karaoke buddies and best of all, friends.<br />
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I was over at her place today (let's call 'her' Lori...because, well, that's her name!) and she said she had something to show me and that I was going to just die.<br />
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She opened up a cedar trunk she had just got from her mother's basement and what do you think was in there?<br />
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Among other things, two absolutely beautiful gorgeous quilts made by her great grandmother! They were both dated - wait for it - 1895 and 1897. These quilts are old! Yet they are in almost pristine condition.<br />
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Here is the first, the older of the two. It is a crazy quilt with hand embroidery and a multitude of silks and satins. It also has the most beautiful perfect lace edging with no rips or tears. Just lovely...<br />
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I thought it couldn't get any better than the first. Then she pulled out the second and I fell in love all over again. It is completely made of wool scraps with embroidery on each scrap. If you look at the embroidery, it actually looks quite modern! I am desperate to recreate some of them in applique.<br />
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Are you just dying from the amazingness of it like I am?!<br />
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What treasures. Thankfully, Lori is the type of person who understands the history and importance of such family heirlooms. I almost wish she wasn't. I wish she was completely ignorant and said something like, "Look at these old blankets I found in my Mom's trunk. Want 'em?" To which I would quickly grab them and hobble home muttering, "My precious....."<br />
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A tad dramatic? Not when it comes to antique quilts!Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-39224472080478967022013-04-15T22:54:00.000-05:002013-04-15T22:57:29.721-05:00M is for MARATHONToday's 'M' post was going to be about Modern quilts, but after the events of the Boston marathon today it seems a little unimportant.<br />
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What do you say when your 12 year old, with tears in their eyes, asks you why things are happening closer and closer to where you live? She said Mum, there were the shootings in Connecticut and now the bombs in Boston. Is is going to happen here next? We live less than an hour north of Boston, so to a 12 year old, and indeed myself, a 40 year old, it certainly does appear that things are getting closer and closer to home. I used this wonderful quote from Mr Rogers...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world." -Fred Rogers</b></span></span></div>
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We watched the news together and I told her that even though there was one bad person who did the bombs (or more - who knows at this point?) to look at how many good people there were - not running away, but running to help.<br />
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Here is another wonderful gem from the fabulous Mr Rogers...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LZbXM3Kzd7o?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-12614604053885824112013-04-13T22:25:00.002-05:002013-04-13T22:27:01.091-05:00L is for LIBRARYAnd when I say library I don't mean the public library - which I LOVE, but my own little quilt book library.<br />
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This post was the impetus for me cleaning up the bookcase holding my quilt books. It gets so easy to just shove things in there and it was looking a bit sad and messy. I even took 'before' pictures for you!</div>
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But now it's looking much happier...<br />
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The books in the picture below on the upper shelf are quilt books. The ones on the lower shelf are sewing related, gardening, home improvement and miscellaneous.</div>
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Considering that I've been quilting for 20 years now, I really don't have many quilt books, especially compared to other quilters I've seen! I used to buy them all the time, and use the patterns in them, but I've found over the last 5-8 years as I've been designing my own patterns, I buy books more for the inspiration. </div>
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The ones I buy and look at the most are the <a href="http://www.kaffefassett.com/Home.html">Kaffe Fasset</a> books, <a href="http://www.gwenmarston.com/index.htm">Gwen Marston</a>/<a href="http://www.redlips4courage.com/dailycourage/?tag=freddy-moran">Freddy Moran</a>,<a href="http://www.ruthbmcdowell.com/clients/rbm/catalog.cfm"> Ruth McDowell</a>, <a href="http://www.materialobsession.typepad.com/">Material Obsession</a>, and <a href="http://www.pieceocake.com/">Piece O' Cake</a>. <br />
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Looking at the <a href="http://www.pieceocake.com/">Piece O' Cake</a> books today, I found one that I had got signed when Becky Goldsmith visited my quilt guild in Utah...</div>
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I had completely forgotten about that, and it made me smile :) I think I chose the right one to get signed as it's now out of print and worth a pretty penny! Maybe not with my name in it though! I'll be keeping it ;D</div>
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I found the first quilt book I ever bought...</div>
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I had just started quilting, was still in NZ, and this book cost me about $55. That was back in 1993, so it was very expensive. Everything quilting related in NZ is expensive! I poured over that book for hours at a time for months and months and definitely got my money's worth. It's pretty dog-eared!</div>
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Here is the first book I bought when I moved to America...</div>
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Love love LOVE <a href="http://marylouquiltdesigns.com/">Mary Lou Weidman</a>! I wish I had more of her books. Her quilts make me so happy.</div>
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This is the latest book I've bought, or rather, my hubby bought it to surprise me with. It's a really great read as Kaffe talks about his life and upbringing. I'm not very far into it as I save it for when I have quiet time and can treat myself. That isn't too often lately!</div>
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So that is my quilting book library. What kind of books do you collect?</div>
Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-88358849691902839282013-04-12T21:21:00.000-05:002013-04-12T21:21:10.479-05:00K is for KIDS NIGHT OUTI had a great day - Hubby and I went to a quilt show! Oh yes, I made him come with me. I like to get his opinion on quilts as he often surprises me. Plus he has the little piece of magic plastic in his wallet....just gettin' real here!<br />
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I took a bunch of pictures and bought fabrics and...gasp...and antique quilt, but couldn't figure out how to work it all into the letter K day, so I will save it for another day!<br />
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Instead you get to hear about our fun night.<br />
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Remember how yesterday I told you about my BFF who was having contractions? Well there's still no baby - they are coming and going but she's in a lot of pain and exhausted so I asked if we could take her oldest boy who is great friends with my boys, for the night. It was met by an enthusiastic yes by all!<br />
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First we went to Wendy's for a quick dinner...($1.99 for kids meals after 4pm!)<br />
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Then to the YMCA for a duct tape class followed by going to our kids' school where they had a free screening of Wreck it Ralph for families on a giant inflatable screen in the gym!<br />
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Yes that would of course be me wrapped in a quilt! (Had to sneak something quilt related in there!)<br />
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Next we came home and opened a big belated easter package from their Aunty Rachel in Utah.<br />
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Have you ever seen the world's largest gummy bunnies?<br />
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Well now you have!<br />
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And how about the funniest Easter card ever?<br />
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Yeah I thought you'd like that! My sister in law is hilarious! No I'm serious - so incredibly funny in real life!<br />
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They are now playing the Wii and say they're staying up all night. Fine by me - it means they'll sleep late!<br />
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In the mood to read something funny? <a href="http://www.wildpokerman.com/">Hubby</a> blogged tonight about a really baaaaad movie that he loves - it's so bad it's great! I watched it with him the other night - hilarious! Go read about it <a href="http://www.wildpokerman.com/2013/04/kashin-koji.html">HERE</a>. He even has a link to watch the entire thing on Youtube complete with bad English language dubbing! Yep sounds awful, but if you're a fan of movies so bad they're good, you'll love this one!<br />
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<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-9047209927304922742013-04-11T22:49:00.000-05:002013-04-11T23:07:32.141-05:00J is for JUST WAITINGMy BFF (yes I feel like I'm 12 when I write that) is almost 9 months pregnant with her 5th child and has been having painful contractions all day. I'm the on-call babysitter for when they head to the hospital so I have been anxiously awaiting "the call" for a few hours now! And while I've been waiting I've been finishing up the quilt I've made for this new addition to their family. Hey, in my defense, I thought I had another 3 weeks. I should've known!<br />
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Unfortunately I can only show you very small parts of it as neither her nor her husband know what sex the baby is, and showing you the whole quilt would give it away! I went to the ultrasound with them so I could find out and make the appropriately colored quilt! So here's your sneak peek of what I've been up to today...<br />
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While I was basting it on the kitchen table, look what my daughter forced me to listen to on iTunes! </div>
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One direction oh how I despise you! I made it through 6 songs then I just couldn't take it anymore!</div>
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Want some more entertainment? Head over to my hubby's blog <a href="http://www.wildpokerman.com/2013/04/joshua-fields-milburn-is-worst-fiction.html">HERE </a>where his "J" post dishes on who he considers to be the worst fiction writer on the planet! I actually agree with him, but wow he has some guts to write such a scathing review! I'd be so scared I'd hurt the author's feelings but then, if you've read the book in question I'm guessing you might just agree with him!</div>
Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-11138242877081784532013-04-10T21:41:00.000-05:002013-04-10T21:41:26.509-05:00I is for INTERNATIONALI belong to a rather international family...we are scattered all over the world and missing each other is VERY hard. It is, however, made much easier with things such as email, Facebook and Skype! I talked to my parents tonight on Skype - they wanted to say Happy Birthday, and as always, it was wonderful! And here they are in all their glory...<br />
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Gotta love 'em. They are both 79, soon to be 80. They've slowed down in the last few years but believe me, the wit, humor, and love are all still there!Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-11937155473790637042013-04-09T20:26:00.003-05:002013-04-09T20:26:58.763-05:00H is for HAVING FUNSorry, it's another non-quilting related post! I haven't really done any quilting so far this week - we've been having fun getting ready for my boys' cub scout Pinewood Derby which we had tonight! So this is just a quick post with a couple of pics...<br />
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And how did the boys' cars do? Terribly lol! Last year we came in 2nd but I had a lot of input into the design and sanding etc - too much, so this year I let them have at it. They designed them, they sanded them, they painted them, everything. No winners for us this year, but we still had fun getting our cars ready!<br />
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<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-12597789367167951592013-04-08T16:06:00.000-05:002013-04-08T17:30:56.453-05:00G is for GIFTSYou know how most days you go to the mailbox, retrieve your mail, and flip through it saying ho hum another bill, more junk mail...trash shred trash shred... well today was NOT one of those mail days for me! I had 2 exciting pieces of mail - a big package all the way from NZ...<br />
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...and a card from my Mum and Dad also in NZ - well really from my Mum...Dad is pretty clueless about these things as are most fathers!<br />
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Yes it's my birthday but not until tomorrow, however in my homeland, NZ, since they're a day ahead of us in the US, my real birthday is today!<br />
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To explain my Mum's comments in the card - we are taking our first ever family trip to NZ this summer - my Mum and siblings know, but we're trying to surprise my Dad who has no idea! Mum always sends us NZ money for our birthdays, so I've been saving it all up and now we have quite a nice little stash of NZ money - the kids are excited to finally be able to spend their birthday money after all these years!<br />
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Now onto the big package - it's not a birthday gift, but it just happened to arrive today which made it feel like the best birthday ever! It's from my best childhood friend, Roz. A little while ago she got me to send her some things from here in the US and insisted on paying me, but knowing that she's a fantastic artist, I told her I'd rather she did a painting for me! I'm all about artists trading services!<br />
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Not only did she send me a painting, but lots of NZ Kiwana as well. Pineapple lumps, a calendar, jandal notebooks for the kids, sheep key ring and eraser, the most gorgeous little flax bag and card, and NZ fabric! Boy oh boy I am in heaven!<br />
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Now for the painting - when she asked me what I'd like her to paint I said oh anything Kiwi - maybe something Polynesian, or something like a pavlova, or a pukeko (google them!) so the painting arrives, and she somehow managed to get everything I suggested in it! <br />
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I love love LOVE it!! And look what she wrote on the side and the back...<br />
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She also made me these painted rocks a couple of years back which are in the same style as the painting and have pride of place in my living room...<br />
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They have the NZ word for different items on the front and the American translation on the back!</div>
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I'm getting a rather nice collection of NZ artwork now - here's today's painting with a couple of other pieces I have...<br />
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More to come on the middle one later this month and how you can get your own Paua shell heart print!<br />
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I was going to do the color green for today's "G" post, but that sounded rather boring after the mailman came!Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-31837934310256762472013-04-06T13:13:00.000-05:002013-04-06T13:15:05.906-05:00F is for FLANNELToday I met with a sewing circle at the local library. It's a small group of us, but there is an abundance of talent in that room each month!<br />
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I took a few photos of projects that were brought a long for show 'n' tell, including some pieces made from flannel.<br />
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Here are the flannel pieces made by our fearless sewing circle founder, Brenda (website found<a href="http://www.pumpkinpatchprimitives.com/"> HERE</a>)<br />
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These next pieces are also made by Brenda but are made from wool, not flannel. I am completely in love with the little apple core piece with the embroidery frame. You'd think it was quite big, but if you spread your hand out, that's about how big it is. Just adorable!<br />
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Brenda's sister, Sandy (blog <a href="http://textilehouse.blogspot.com/">HERE</a>) was visiting from Texas and had the cutest basket quilt to show...<br />
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Love those baskets! Since I didn't have anything to work on while we chatted, she quickly put me to work on needleturning some baskets for her. She needs to do 300 of these things...wow! Make that 298 since I did these 2 for her...<br />
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One of my favorite things I saw at the group today were these scissors belonging to Sandy with their adorable scissor fobs attached (another thing for 'F' day!)<br />
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They are so teeny - only way to make them would be paper piecing. I love that they are in a little soldered frame.<br />
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It's a beautiful day outside - I hope your Saturday is as glorious as ours wherever you may be!<br />
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You should also head over to my hubby's blog <a href="http://www.wildpokerman.com/2013/04/family.html">HERE</a> where he is also doing the A-Z challenge. Today he is blogging about Family, so you can meet us all over there and hear a little about how we met!<br />
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<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-26638203888039300212013-04-05T21:59:00.000-05:002013-04-05T22:13:57.042-05:00E is for EVENTToday was a big day for me - a day I had been looking forward to for weeks. My friend Ana and I had been planning a surprise baby shower for a mutual friend, Julissa, and today was the day, hence the E word, EVENT!<br />
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We enlisted her husband to take part in the deception, and he did great - he got her to the party right on time, and oh boy was she ever surprised! It was just like on TV... we all hid, then jumped out and yelled, "Surprise!" Classic. We ate yummy food, played fun games that Ana planned (guess the chocolate bar in the diaper, guess the baby food, and guess how big Julissa's tummy is) and then opened presents.<br />
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We used some of my quilts instead of tablecloths which gave it a cozier feeling and made it a little different from the norm. Ana and I both wanted to use what we had to keep costs down, and we did the whole thing rather cheaply! It was a fantastic night - thank you to all our friends that came, and for keeping it a secret the last couple of weeks!<br />
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Now for the photo overload...<br />
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Picking up balloons...Julissa doesn't know what she's having so the theme colors were green, yellow and lavender...</div>
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Candy/chocolate table...</div>
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Waiting for Julissa to arrive...</div>
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Oh yes, we got tears! Her expression made everything worth it!</div>
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"How did you do this?"</div>
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"Did YOU know?!"</div>
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One of Julissa's girls curled up on a quilt and slept through the whole thing!</div>
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"Heeeeey!"</div>
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One of my favorite families ever!</div>
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A shot of our cute shoes!</div>
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Oh no,,, Julissa had a cupcake disaster in the parking lot on the way out!</div>
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<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8456791224569927532.post-89211028005166071982013-04-04T18:51:00.000-05:002013-04-04T18:51:46.444-05:00D is for DOUGHA lot of dough making goes on in this house, so today I have a photo tutorial on how to make dough, and trust me, it's so easy you'll wonder why you haven't done it sooner! It uses no milk or eggs so is very cheap to make.<br />
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Here we go...<br />
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First, get your bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid which makes things infinitely easier!)<br />
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Pour in 2 cups warm tap water<br />
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Add 2 tsp yeast<br />
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Add 1/4 cup sugar<br />
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Add a knob of butter (I usually use a little oil but had some butter on the counter that needed to be used)<br />
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Add 5 cups flour<br />
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Add 1 tsp salt<br />
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Mix for 5-10 minutes with the dough hook on your mixer, or by hand.<br />
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The dough should still be quite sticky.<br />
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Take dough out of bowl, spray oil in the bowl and place dough back in<br />
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Cover with plastic wrap<br />
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Let rise for 1 hour<br />
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See how the plastic wrap has bulged up? That is air/gas, not dough pushing it up. That's a good sign that the yeast is doin' it's thing!<br />
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Dump it onto a flat surface (I don't even use extra flour here - oiling the bowl makes the dough behave very nicely!)...<br />
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Doesn't it look like a brain here?!<br />
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...and then shape however you want. Tonight we had chili for dinner so I made fried dough to go with it as such...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YP6aU7dVQnE/UV4NWbAwMtI/AAAAAAAAITo/dyol-koEXpc/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YP6aU7dVQnE/UV4NWbAwMtI/AAAAAAAAITo/dyol-koEXpc/s640/043.JPG" width="640" /></a>I spread them apart a little after I cut them so they wouldn't bump into each other while rising. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-awqGPQGpk/UV4NVsiKOcI/AAAAAAAAITg/WTTMllzqW8k/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-awqGPQGpk/UV4NVsiKOcI/AAAAAAAAITg/WTTMllzqW8k/s640/044.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I once again covered it with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 1/2 an hour longer.<br />
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See how it rose again? Nice!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yz4cn2Lz-UM/UV4NWtRot6I/AAAAAAAAIT0/KJnvbXj9aYs/s1600/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yz4cn2Lz-UM/UV4NWtRot6I/AAAAAAAAIT0/KJnvbXj9aYs/s640/047.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once it was risen, I cooked the dough, then we ate it with the chili. Yum!<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Do you like how it looks as if it's floating above the bowl in this photo? It was just sitting on the edge of the bowl but I'm really liking the optical illusion!</span></div>
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Some of us opted to eat it with butter and golden syrup - my fellow Kiwis you KNOW how good that is!<br />
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You can make ANYTHING with this dough! Bread, rolls, doughnuts, fried dough, cinnamon rolls, pizza base, breadsticks, pretzels, foccacia, you name it. You may substitute some of the flour for wheat flour, oats, bran, or whatever you please for a healthier version.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<u><b>RECIPE</b></u><br />
2 cups warm water<br />
2 tsp yeast<br />
Knob of butter or splash of oil<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
5 cups flour<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
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<br />Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09642660969316877122noreply@blogger.com6