Happy At Last

The Frankensteined tree from yesterday turned out pretty cute and close enough to what I originally wanted. (Did you see the owl and foxes?)

I thought about using the 3 trees together, but that green just didn’t work. 

This took a ridiculous amount of time to make - I mentioned this is for the back of the quilt, right??? - but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out (and had a lot of fun playing with sizing* and colors). 

I’ll size it to fit once I’ve finished the front and know what I need to do. 

*Note to self: green tree enlarged 150%, small white tree enlarged 175%, tallest tree enlarged 175% plus one added section (second from bottom). Pattern is “Forest” by Easy Piece Patterns.

Not Quite There Yet

Since Mr. A’s green tree wasn’t quite right (here), I thought I’d try a white-ish one. 

Better, but still not quite there.

Cobbled together a new pattern-piece today, making it taller and adding an additional branch section. Tomorrow we’ll see if I’ve finally got it right. Or at least closer to what I’m picturing in my head. 

Rainy Day Cookfest

I meant to quilt today, but thought I’d first make the angel food cake I’d promised Pop…

and since I was there, I should cook some chicken to make bbq sandwiches for this week’s lunches,

We’ll eat half, then freeze the rest to enjoy later

and hey, wouldn’t that chicken taste good in the Medieval Times tomato bisque soup (here) that I have almost all the ingredients for (hubby trudges off to Von’s…)

anddddd as long as the oven is hot, I should make that quiche recipe my sister sent me. (Here)

Sweetie Pie deep dish pie plate

Without the girls here everyday to keep me busy entertained, I’ve really gotten back into cooking (not just baking.) Hubby’s loving it, so much so that he agreed to buy me a fancy schmancy deep pie dish (here) so I can try my hand at pies (and more quiches…) Win, win! The fact it was 50% off didn’t hurt either…. 😂

Speaking of rainy days - our super scientific giant orange bucket rain gauge shows we’ve had 8”!!! of rain in the last 4 days. Since our yearly average is about 15”, that’s a lot! Forecast says no rain tomorrow but there are two more storms headed our way before the weekend. 

Didn’t Listen

Hubby, looking at my scrap fabric pull for the tree: “Maybe those are a little too dark with the blue background…”

Did I listen? Noooooooo. Was he right? Yesssss Maybeeeeeee

Enlarged this pattern by 150% to make it 18” like Mr. A.

I was planning to make a couple of trees to go with Mr. A. I guess the next one will be lighter… 

Done Times Two

It took most of the afternoon and evening, sewing slow so things lined up correctly, but I got Mr. A (for Aloysius Abominable) done and pinned to the design wall…

Dang it! 

Carefully took it apart, fixed both problems - one piece was turned the wrong way, an easy fix, but the other had to be recut - pinned it up again and… success! Tomorrow we make trees!

Never Say Never

I love Elizabeth Hartman’s quilt designs but after the last one (here) - 

Fancy Forest with tiny Jaclyn, 2017

I swore never again. So.Many.Pieces! And so complicated to put together. (The patterns are really well written, with lots of photos, but… complicated.)

Pieces A thru Q…

So why did I spend hours tonight cutting out pieces…

… and S thru KK

for one, solitary, single block?

Because I think someone will get a big laugh out of it. Makes it all worthwhile.

My New Helper

Now that my trained staff has moved away (😂 - I miss the grandgirls!), Donovan has taken over some of their tasks. 

He’s learned to peel zucchini so I can make his favorite zucchini bread,

has gotten really good at picking the daily dessert for me to bake (cinnamon rolls, lava cake and apple bread so far),

Cute daisy quilting on both Tangled quilts

and today he officially became my Quilt Holder. 

He took it very seriously, and did a good job, then peeked over the top of each one to make sure I got him in a photo too. 

 Each Tangled has a different backing and binding color

Hubby and I drove an hour, in the rain, to Goleta so I could drop off the placemats, the pink star quilt and both Tangled quilts at tonight’s Guild meeting. 

 The wind kept wrapping this one around him 🙃

We almost kept one Tangled - Pop really liked it - but we have. so. many. quilts. already. I’m sure it will go to a good home. 

And the Christmas cactus is blooming! It’s a raggedy, spindly little thing but it’s got at least 3 flowers and several more buds. I guess it likes being outside. 😍