With Limited Time on My Hands

And some batting scraps, the beginnings of a quilt as you go project began. This is the tutorial that I am using, it's well-written, fun, but time consuming, though the lovely part is that most of the process is done, only the backing remains and I think that can be accomplished in sections

Camping season is fast approaching and the bungalow is in need of a quilt.  While perusing Equilter.com, I found camper themed fabric, much to my DH's delight! He loves anything vintage (vehicle-wise) and somewhere in the back of his mind has aspirations of restoring an airstream in his spare time. Here are closeups of the two blocks that I have finished, each one will have a camper/trailer as the center...aren't they fun?! I would love to make matching curtains, but one thing at a time I think...

While I am stitching and blogging away, the boys are having a craft time of their own. Salmon season on the Columbia River begins in April, when the Chinooks return from the ocean. They are tying up hook rigs and spinners to be used with bait, in hopes that we will be using the right combination that will entice the fish to bite. It's all a very closely guarded secret and when a lucky person lands a fish, those along the banks pull out the binoculars to try to catch a glimpse of what was used, passing boats pull in close in hopes of grabbing a straggler...it's all very competitive! Last year, the wind blew like nobody's business, I froze my tootsies off but managed to reel in a nice 12 pounder...my first salmon.  I found it a bit tedious and boring, we didn't bring a tv with us, because the year before the guys had no time for viewing, the fish were biting that often and I was assured that it would be just as exciting...not so much, but we did come home with four so at least we weren't skunked. My nephew and I entertained ourselves by throwing beach rocks at each other...he nailed me in the shin with a boulder the size of a basketball (huge exaggeration on my part) and I alternated between screaming at the top of my lungs (yes, people were craning their necks to see what all the comotion was about) and writhing in mock agony on the ground and giggling at the same time until tears came...I guess you had to be there! Even more fun were the superstitious rituals that were performed in order to please the fish gods. I won't even begin to describe the blessing of the rods, what happens in fish camp....



I Have This New Gadget

On my sidebar, it's called MapLoco and it places a pindot for every visitor that has viewed your blog.  It's the coolest thing! I know, it's nothing new, but I just discovered it and find myself checking back a few times a day, just to see where everybody's from. I had a visitor from Austria today, how wicked is that?! Interestingly enough, I've had 69 out of some 140 hits from Medford, Oregon...curious....

In other news, not much quilty-ness is happening during the week lately in my house, though the weekends finds my sewing machine chugging along. I'm just itching for payday (YS has discovered the virtues of playing hockey...it's an expensive obsession, so we've come to find out, but in retrospect, it does keep him busy AND out of trouble) so that I can purchase some backing for the bento quilt, a medium blue polka dot flannel currently has my eye. I am excited to try the quilt as you go method, everything is ready to go...except the checkbook, but then, patience is a virtue (that I tend to lack) isn't it? The other bad news is that my walking foot seems to be on the fritz, which leaves me to improvise the straight line quilting...perhaps my lines will have a bit of wonkyness to them...hmmmm, not such a bad thing.

Aaaaannnnnddddd...I found this recipe for baked mac & cheese here.  All I have to say is YUMMMMMM!!! I even experimented by making it a slightly lower fat version by cutting the whole milk, cream and butter, replacing it with 1% milk and 1/2 stick of butter and it still turned out fantastic!!! In fact, the OS & YS have informed me that boxed mac & cheese will never touch their lips again, I have to giggle...they don't  know it, but I am slowly turning them into foodies! Go on over to Janelle's blog and while you are there, check out the recipe for cheesy potatoes too (I made those for Christmas dinner), oh heck, she has a plethora of recipes that I'd like to try....mmmmmmmmm!!!!! Her awesome blog can be found at...Comfy in the Kitchen, just don't be hungry when you do!

Look What I Found!

My modern bento box swap squares! They were waiting patiently in a cupboard, knowing that someday I would get to them. Upon review the second round of swap blocks were received sometime in October, so that's not too bad, somehow it felt like they had been loitering for almost a year. Oh my, but it's busy! I'm thinking it's gonna hang on the design wall for a day or so, perhaps it will grow on me.  Not that I don't like it, mind you, but it is a riot of color dontcha think? This one is going to be a test candidate for quilt as you go, I just need to decide if it will be in two or three or more sections...still pondering where the sashing in back will go and if the quilting will be straight line, circles or meandering.  This would be a good time to experiment...Interestingly enough, the DH loves it, not just likes, but loves...never would have imagined that, he's not always big on the bright colors sometimes, but I do love it when he gives an unsolicited opinion on these things.

Also in progress is another baby quilt for a friend of the family who recently gave birth to twin boys, which of course means that I have to make another after I;ve figured out the borders for the first. The twins also have a big brother and I do have this quilt top (pictured below) finished and with no recipient in mind.....hmmmmmmm, perhaps, ok it's really pretty definite that I will quilt that one up for him.  After all, he has to compete with not one but two new objects in the house to steal his Mom's time and energy! And who doesn't need a big brother quilt after all?
Sounds like I need to quit typing and get back to sewing, good thing it's a long weekend, Toodles!