Progressing

Progress -

I’ve actually finished 30 blocks but my design wall is too small to hold them all. 

Planning to do the last 10 tomorrow, plus another 3 or 4 in Tula’s black & white fabrics for accent blocks. 

 Experimenting 

Then it’s on to round 3. I think the final block size will be around 15”; we’ll see how close I am tomorrow.

Notes: trim first blocks to 10” before sewing. Square to 13.25 on 2 sides, then to 13” on final 2. Starch and cut Rnd 3 13” square.

Group Project

Rather than finish my FPP projects

or bind the stack of wallhangings on my ironing board or sort out my craft room (which really, really needs it)

the girls and I started a new quilt project. 

For over a year, I’ve had a Tula Pink layer cake (42 10” squares of fabric) that I haven’t known what to do with. I keep thinking it’s too pretty to use . . . or what if I mess it up . . . or if a better project comes along after I’ve cut into it . . . or . . . I definitely need to get over it. 

So yesterday Leanne starched and ironed the squares,

then I divided them up and asked the girls to pair the Tula prints with whatever Tula solid they liked best.

I’d have driven myself bonkers trying to decide what was “best” and they had it done in under 30 minutes. Hooray!

I’m squaring up each pair before I sew (layer cakes are notoriously wonky),

then re-squaring

and utilizing the fancy wood clappers hubby made me for my birthday -aren’t they gorgeous??? -

to make sure the blocks stay square and flat. 

It’s slow going but I’m enjoying the process and - in theory - it’ll make things go more smoothly when I put it all together. Fingers crossed.

Wishes

I got my wish to revisit Zoo Lights!

And in the rain, no less. (Ok, in the sprinkles . . .)

 Picture by Leanne 

And to make it even more perfect, Breanne and Garrett brought the boys up from LA to join us. 

I was worried we made a big mistake when the rain followed us from Camarillo 

Jackie and her elephant 

but it (mostly) stopped just before we got to the zoo.

The kids were happy either way, 

plus wet weather meant fewer people 

and more room for them to run around like wild things super excited mini humans.

 Cousins - Leanne, 11 3/4, Travis, 11, Jaclyn, 6 and Isaac, 6

A couple of things (like the cannon and axolotl bubble machine) 

weren’t working well in the damp 

but the rest was just as spectacular as our first time through.

So happy we got to see Zoo Lights (twice!)

 Photo by Jaclyn 

and fingers crossed they bring it back again next year. 

 Photo by Jaclyn 

I can easily see this becoming a holiday tradition for us. 

Magnificent Fails

I want to say up front that this is mostly Jaclyn’s fault, with an able assist from Donovan. For the holidays every year I make my mother’s peanut butter candy (among other treats).

It’s tricky and you have to pay attention to the recipe, NOT to what Jac and Donovan are talking about in the next room (they were hilarious, as always). Which is how I came to mix all the ingredients together (not just the first 5) and cooked them until it reached the soft ball stage. I figured out my mistake about three-quarters of the way through, but what the heck, might as well keep going, right?

It was fantastic!! Better than the original (sorry Mom), with a kinda peanut butter caramel flavor. It never set, but the pan I refrigerated got almost firm enough to cut, and who cares if we had to eat it with a spoon?? Definitely going to try to fail at this again next year. 

But wait! There’s more. Jac and I made cinnamon rolls today . . . but she’s talking away, funny as always, expecting me to pay attention to her and somehow I missed something and after 90 minutes the dough still hadn’t risen. What the heck, keep going, right? It worked with the peanut butter . . .

Spread the dough out in a baking dish, topped it with melted margarine, cinnamon and brown sugar, and baked as usual. Fantastic. Better than regular cinnamon rolls say Pop and Leanne (and me - Jac says they’re “average”. 😂😂) Going to try to fail at this again next time too.

Polar Delights

Another finished quilt, just in time to hang for Christmas.

 A ‘top 10’ favorite quilt

I started this last year,

from a Northern Threads kit Matt and Mary gave me for Christmas,

and it’s been finished, except for binding, since June. Good grief.

My supervisor thinks I should get my act together.

Early End

With the threat of rain over the next few days (oh please oh please oh please)

we took down the outdoor decorations tonight, a week earlier than usual. 

I think Pop had hoped to put it off another day, until his main helper came back, but Mother Nature isn’t cooperating. 

See ya next year, Rex!

Merry, Merry!

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

 Ready, set, mayhem!

We had a fun day

Everyone should have a literate dragon

with presents, 

food 

and hyper crazy kids.

Hope your day was merry and bright and warm. (We hit 82°)

“Look Grandma, I’m knitting socks. I’m almost ready to put the heel and toe together.”

 She still fits so she still sits on my lap at 14.

Grandma’s patented anti-grump trick - hand the kid a camera. Photo by Donovan. (Not sure how he did that . . .)

The reason everyone should have a baby brother.

Marie’s family

Jaclyn and Leanne 

Matt’s family

 Donovan

Sisters