Monthly Archives: July 2016

2016
07/31

Category:
Garden
Life
quilts

COMMENTS:
Comments Closed

A busy Sunday

IMG_5016

I took the zucchini plants out of the hoop house and planted lettuce in its place.  It should be ready just in time to hold throughout the winter.

IMG_5017The big garden now has some empty spaces from where the first potatoes, the onions and the garlic were planted.   No, I’m not coördinated enough to have planted something else there this year.

The freezer is defrosted and now has a some empty shelves for this year’s food. (blueberries and strawberries are already in there).

IMG_5020

I made 5 qts of zucchini soup and put 4 in the freezer, then made some no oil, vegan zucchini bread.   It turned out quite good so am on the hook to make several more loaves tomorrow and try to find a zucchini patty recipe that we like.

IMG_5019

And there was a bit of time for some sewing.   25 of the 48 blocks are now up.

2016
07/29

Category:
food
Garden
gluten-free cookng
quilts

COMMENTS:
Comments Closed

Dreamweaver blocks

IMG_5014It is a bit warmer today, but I’m not going to complain as I remember too well, what the cold days feel like.   Instead after the produce harvest this morning, I spent some time in my studio which is a cooler basement area creating a few more blocks.

The harvest today was enough beets for lunch (I’ll be preserving some next week).   So lunch consisted of lemon over beets, green beans with onions, potatoes, and corn on the cob.   With this garden we are eating like kings.   I didn’t take photos today as you know what these foods look like.

I tried to braid the onions, but WOW, they have such thick stems, it was not a neat and easy job.   I need someone to teach me that trick.   But these will do for this year.

We also took a care package of some fresh produce to our daughter who lives locally and included some Swiss chard in it.

We even had a Siesta time.   The difference is in Mexico, the hottest part of the day is the middle, here we are far enough north, the hottest part is 5-6 PM.   So we don’t take it at the hottest part of the day.  Tomorrow is our special day and we may spend the afternoon in the studio or guest room as they are the coolest.  Lunch will be very similar to what we had today.  Supper is leftovers or a sandwich in the heat.  Otherwise it would be soup.

We pray a blessed Sabbath for each of you.

2016
07/28

Category:
Knitting
Life
Sewing

COMMENTS:
4 Comments »

Rather warm day

Quality Sewing & Vacuum

86 degrees with 40% humidity is rather warm in the Pacific Northwest.   So shopping we went as the stores are cool.   We took  2 dying sewing machines to the dealer to use any parts they could.

Then to JoAnn’s as I have a gift card. The clerk managed to find 3 discounts on my phone for the items we wanted  So I only used $13.00 and I bought 2 pieces of fabric and DH a skein of yarn for the babies hats he makes.  But we wandered and look at other items as the temperature in the stores was cool.

Next, off to the eye doctor to pick up the prescription glasses.   It was nice and cool there as well.

IMG_5013

  Target is a wonderful place to browse midday, when others are elsewhere.   There were not many customers at noon.  We did pick up a small plastic wastebasket.  I was surprised at how their grocery department has grown.

Costco is another good browsing place.  We bought some dog biscuits and light bulbs as well as a few groceries.  But we took our times.   2 of the items we would have purchased, they no longer carry.   All this cool browsing put about 500o steps on our pedometers.   We finally came home mid afternoon and had lunch from the garden.   I’m happy that we don’t have many of these days as we might have to get air conditioning in our house.    Tomorrow is also supposed to be this temperature, so am lining up places to visit.

2016
07/27

Category:
food
Garden
Life
quilts
Serger
Sewing
Shopping

COMMENTS:
Comments Closed

July Sew Fun

IMG_5012

Today I woke up thinking of all the things I wanted to get done, then I remembered, that’s not the important thing. I didn’t get my list done, but I pray God’s list was achieved.  And I am thankful for a large garden and the work involved because of it, especially when I remember those who don’t eat 3  meals a day.  I count my blessings and ask to be a blessing to others. These are 16 pints of green beans for the coming winter from the 7# picked yesterday.

IMG_5007IMG_4993IMG_4992The Sew Fun this week was put on by Lana Jones.  She comes up with ideas in her sleep – of which she doesn’t need much.    These 3 signs used sticky metallic paper on boards and mounted denim.   Aren’t they cute?

IMG_5008Using a piece of tile that she found at Lowes, she put metallic paper on these “rocks”.   And they did look like flat rocks.   This is such a wonderful way to give a little inspirational gift.

IMG_4994These are made of “Ice Resin” a product to pour in molds.   These would make lovely jewelry or nice for key chains.

 

IMG_4999

The animals at the top come with stuffing in a bag that can be removed from both the body and the head to make it easy to embroider.  The two bags below them were from a pattern book “Sew Useful” by Debbie Shore.   There were several items in that book to help you make storage items for the home.

The black dress and the dress with the green skirt were from “Sew Pretty T Shirt Dresses”    Simple little dresses that start with a recycled or purchased T shirt in the child’s size.  This would be a terrific gift for the busy mom or grandmother to sew.

IMG_4998This is where she caught me.   I loved this lightweight jacket you see in peach and black.   And it can be made totally on the serger.   So I will be looking for fabric to make this.

IMG_5002This book also had some fun projects and the items in this book have both the patterns you can cut out or if you have a Accuquilt, they have a die by Edyta Sitar to make them.

IMG_4997This “Buddy Blanket Bear”  has only a stuffed head, so if a young child likes to take a huggie to bed, one could either hand or machine embroider on the open skirt.

It was a very good Sew Fun, well worth my time.  And there were several more items that didn’t really catch my attention.  All I need is time for some of the projects that I all ready have, then I can take on some new ones.

After I got home, I had company. I did not get all my steps in, but will get them all in by the end of the week.

IMG_5011After all this, I took a brief rest on the deck.   Isn’t this a lovely view?  It was such a pretty day.    Tomorrow will be more garden time and maybe zucchini bread baking.    Don’t hold your breath on that though.

 

 

 

2016
07/26

Category:
food
Garden
Life

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Produce and machine servicing

IMG_4991Today’s pickings – a canner load of beans

IMG_49908 large zucchini because I forgot we had planted them in that spot and I thought that was a different type of squash.

IMG_4978 5 ears of corn – most of the corn didn’t do very good this year.    I will have to deal with canning and making zucchini patties and bread the rest of this week.

Often when I get a new machine, they aren’t interested in what I have to trade in, so they sit here.    It was time to clean all that out.   So I pulled out the machines and readied for sale the ones that are working.   There are two that don’t work well enough to sell them.   Since they are electronic machines, I’m not sure what I can do with them.    And I’m not sure if anyone will want the accessories that came with them.   However, the machines are leaving here shortly.  I just have to decide how to deal with them.   The good ones will go on Craig’s list.

 

 

2016
07/25

Category:
Serger

COMMENTS:
Comments Closed

Babylock OVATION

IMG_4960A little shopping and this marvelous new workhorse came home with me today.  Babylocks are quality machines and I anticipate much enjoyment using it.

IMG_4962This is her on the left and the Evolution she is replacing is on the right.   She has a knee pedal, plus a larger harp area and the foot lever is on the front of the machine.   The throat (harp) area is large enough to use on quilts, so this one should get much more use.   I only used the Evolution for finishing off seams as it was difficult to get bulk through her.   Now I have to clean the threads etc. off and put her up for sale.  The store’s policy is that anyone who buys a used Babylock can take the operating lessons from them for free, so that will help, plus a used machine sells for a lower price than a new one.

 

2016
07/24

Category:
quilts

COMMENTS:
Comments Closed

Dreamweaver start

IMG_4959It’s a START.  This quilt pattern is also from “Strip your Stash” .  And once again it is a large lap size.  It is going a bit slow because I am cutting a lot of scraps as I go.

And today’s excitement is the BEES.    I decided to park the boxes I have to clean out behind the garage.   Well a couple of boxes still had some honey in them and the neighbors bees didn’t take long to discover that.   So right now, the garage and behind the garage is sporting many bees as they make their trips back and forth across the properties.  And we are staying out of their way

2016
07/22

Category:
Life

COMMENTS:
Comments Closed

RAIN and shelves

IMG_4958

Rain!   I got up to a good steady rain this morning, which went on for at least 2 hours after I got up.   I don’t know when it started, but oh, the ground was so happy.  And I took advantage to repair these units.    They came with fiberboard shelves which worked for a few years, but were bending under the stress of gallon jars of beans and grains. I replaced them with plywood boards I had cut at Lowe’s.   When I knew it was going to work, I went back for another 4.   But I came home empty handed when they said their saw was broken.  I’ll try again next week.    We eat a lot of beans and grains.  This also means that if things get bad for any reason, we will eat as I buy these products in 20# bags.   That is why the storage is important.

IMG_4956

When the sun came out, it was time to gather all the items that have become garbage.  A fellow is coming over with a big truck on Monday and I want to have all this stuff gathered together so it can be out of here.    As I gathered these things, I felt like we were purging for selling out house, but we are not.   There will still be plenty of things here for a “real” purge when we do move.

I am praying each of you have a wonderful Sabbath day.

2016
07/21

Category:
Life
Serger

COMMENTS:
1 Comment »

Serger time

IMG_4952Today is the first day of the rest of my life, right?   Therefore, it is time to start learning how to use the serger for other than just finishing seams.   I went to a class today and we learned this cover stitch decoration as well as how to thread the machine for this procedure.   We also learned how to do another stitch, but since I didn’t have wash away thread, that didn’t get done.

IMG_4954

After decorating our fabric, we cut out Christmas stockings and learned to serge them together.  It’s amazing how much time all this learning takes.

2016
07/20

Category:
Life

COMMENTS:
Comments Closed

Still spinning my wheels

IMG_4943After the chiropractic appointment, we stopped to shop at Whole Foods.  While there we each had a large burrito.   They were HUGE.   This is the half that I couldn’t eat.    We were running late so I decided to take a raincheck on the infomercial at Sew Fun and will attend that next week.

IMG_4946As we were coming home, I received a call from Mary, who wanted to come over for a
“bit”.   This is her grandson who just turned 6 months.   I put the groceries away, she came and we visited and enjoyed one happy little person.   He was perpetual motion even though he doesn’t yet crawl.   He’s very close to getting up on those hands and knees. Since both of us were tired, we just chatted and played with Tristan. Sometimes, the best thing is to put aside the things that need to be done and interact with people.

IMG_4947These are today’s pickings.   Probably 60-70 garlics for use and storage, 6 onions and a few potatoes for the next week’s use.  I am so thankful for a good garden this year.