Long Time Coming

While some projects are quick, like the Project Book Pouch I blogged about last month, some take a decidedly larger chunk of time. A year ago April, I started 12 hand pieced quilt blocks. I joined in on the tail end of Erin's hand pieced quilt along. I rather quickly made my blocks and set them with sashing. I hand quilted a few of the blocks but then put the little quilt aside. Looking back, I think I left it in the WIP pile because I had no idea what I would do with the quilt when it was done. It's little, about 24 x 30, so kind of too small to be useful. It's mainly white, so I can't let my daughter use it as a dolly blanket. Hmmmm.

I finally decided to dig it out and finish the quilting. It just took a couple of afternoons of sitting on the deck in the sun. I still have no idea what I'll do with the quilt, but for now I'm just happy to have finished it. Except for attaching the binding, the entire quilt is pieced by hand. I'm really please with how it turned out and I'm so glad I decided to join in the quilt along.

snap to it

Sometimes you come across a project and you just have to drop everything and make it. On Tuesday, Aneela Hooey released her Project Book Pouch pattern. On Thursday, I have one of my very own. Finished. And in use.

This baby has pockets for everything. Pattern sheets, hoops, journals, projects (duh), needles, thread, scissors. Anything you might need for a handstitching project will fit into this cute and oh-so-simple little folder. I can hardly wait to take it out on a road trip! Load me up!!

Oh look, it fits perfectly in my Perfect Quilted Tote! Now I just need somewhere to go.....

the proverbial quilt that isn't

Waaaay back in August I joined Krista's Proverbial Quiltalong.  I decided I'd make my husband a quilt for Christmas, so I bought my fabric, Town & Country from Dear Stella. Manly, and not at all my usual colours and style.

I snapped a goofy myspace type selfie for the Flickr group

I made the binding at a weekend retreat

and then, I did nothing.  

I really didn't want to make all those letters. The quote I chose was beautiful, but it was long and long quotes are full of letters, which must be pieced. Ugh. But, I already had the fabric for a man quilt.

What to do what to do what to do.......

I decided on a dead simple pattern that my man would appreciate. I knew if I put hours into fussy cutting and piecing the time spent would be totally lost on him. Not that he wouldn't care, he just has no idea. 

He got this quilt shortly after Christmas, but I think I'm the one who sleeps under it every night. Not because he doesn't love it, but because I steal it from him ;-)

The quilting is beautiful. Not done by me of course, I can't/don't/won't machine quilt anything larger than a wash cloth. Chelsea quilted it for me, and as always, did a beautiful job.

Quilt stats: uhhh it's big-ish, maybe 70 x 90. Large enough to cuddle up in on the couch, or wrap yourself like a burrito in bed.

xplus quilt

I'm the kind of person who takes a while to warm up to new things. It took me forever to decide that I liked Toms. Now I think they are pretty awesome. Same thing with the whole red or coral or orange with aqua thing. So when I first saw the xplusalong on Instagram and Flickr I wasn't really interested. Seriously uninterested. But it seemed like everyone I was following had been bitten by this quilt. Still I wasn't into it. Not until I saw Holly's (aka Bijou Lovely) quilt. Seriously, go take a look, I'll wait.......

Yeah. So I decided that I might just have to jump in. I had a half yard bundle of the re-release of Heather Bailey's Freshcut that I though would be a good starting point. I added some Tula Pink Parisville, some of Bonnie & Camille's Modern Vintage, a few Art Gallery ovals, and tons more. Architextures, Children at Play, Echo, Sew Stitchy, Flea Market Fancy.....basically anything that even remotely looked good with the Freshcut.

I worked on this baby for about a month. Living where I do, I have to order my fabric, so I was slowed down by having to place two separate orders. No biggie. I worked on Farmer's Wife blocks while I waited. That's for another Instagram quilt along. Look up #farmingwithlindsey if you're interested....Finally though, my quilt top was done. 56 12" blocks. It's a darn good size, big enough to curl up in and not have any drafty spots. 

I suppose now I should get the backing together and have this baby quilted!

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Granola

This isn't your typical granola. Oh no. It's soooo much better. It's extra crunchy and doesn't get soft and oogy in milk. Try it out, you'll love it.

4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups sliced almonds
1 1/3 cups roughly chopped hazelnuts (big chunks are good!)
1 1/3 cups raisins
1 1/3 cups dates

• Set your oven to 310F
• Toss oats with cinnamon, salt and brown sugar
• Add the oil, honey, maple syrup, and vanilla
• Mix well, I use my hands to be sure that every single oat is thoroughly coated ;-)
• Spread out onto baking sheets
• Bake 10 minutes
• Sprinkle with almonds 
• Stir, flip it around, then spread out again
• Bake 5 minutes
• Sprinkle with hazelnuts
• Stir, flip it around, then spread out again
• Bake 10 minutes
• Cool about 10 minutes, then break up. It's a lot easier to do this when the granola is still a bit warm
• Mix in the raisins and dates
• Wow your friends and family

You can always substitute other kinds of nuts or fruit in the granola. Think cranberry almond, or apricot macadamia. Mmmmm.....

2013 a year for learning

 

I've never been one to make resolutions, it's just not my thing.  I do however like the idea of finding just one word to hold as your focus for the year. It seems like such a good idea to have a word, an idea, to come back to time after time to remind yourself where you want to be. When I consider the many words I could choose, only one really stands out for me. Learn. Not just learning specific skills, but also learning to be at peace with myself and learning to focus. I suppose in a way those are skills too.

This year I'll be returning to school. Again. This time taking business administration at the local university. I don't exactly have any goals related to it, but I know that it will be very helpful in the direction I'm heading.

I also plan to learn to crochet from an actual pattern. Sure I can made a scarf, cowl, or dishcloth, but I want to make something pretty.

Photography is a big uhmmm.... issue. I would love to take beautifully composed pictures, but it just doesn't come naturally. I'm currently looking for a good class.

As far as learning to focus, I'm starting by challenging myself. Every day in January I'm going to walk a kilometre a day. A km isn't any great distance, it's a 10 or 15 minute walk. It's the process, and learning to enjoy the commitment that I'm interested in. As a bonus, my husband has even joined me on my first two walks!

I'm going to check in with myself at the beginning of each month, to make sure I'm on track. It can't be that hard, right?