The Misnomer of Multi-tasking

Happy 2016!!

I read an interesting article last year about the fallacy of multi-tasking.  You can get the gist by reading this article.  My meditation this year is to focus on one project (per craft) at a time.  That means one knitting, sewing, kitchen or quilting project at a time.  Hopefully, this will result in more finished items in 2016 and less agita.

A lover of block-of-the-month (BOM) quilts, several years ago, I cut out the (now defunct) blockcentral.com's "Somewhere in Time" quilt.  I gave my brother the BOM Nine Patch Nirvana from the same site (I talked about it here).  I am going to gift this beaut..but first, I've gotta finish it.

Here are the blocks all cut out in a 3-ring binder...

Here are the first 3 blocks...completed for several years....pardon the craptastic photo...

Let's get crafting!! ~ksp

Another #^(@#* Snow Day

Hello Everybody:

I'm trying to figure out borders for the quilt on my design wall. It's actual one of 2 lone start quilts made from the same jelly roll from a hundred years ago. I am thinking about making 4 mini lone star blocks to tuck into the corners to balance the design out.

This is an old WIP that I pulled out when I recently organized my WIP bins (yes there is more than one) and I had a helluva time trying to match the neutral background #toomanykonaneutraldyelots.  This is going to present a new-to-me quilting challenge to ease in some of the bulk/bubble due to my inconsistent seam allowances.

Gotta love a challenge! ~ksp

Quick Question

How much thread do you use in a given month, quarter or year?  Do you know?

A few years ago I discovered was taught that the easiest way to choose a thread for piecing was to use a medium gray.  That little bit of information CHANGED MY LIFE! I no longer try to match my piecing fabrics to my thread (an all white quilt would likely be an exception to this rule, but since I've never made one, we'll never know).

Since then I started buying Signature Master Piece 100% cotton thread (granite) and while completing my holiday gifts, this happened...

That, my friends, was 2,500 yards of long staple Egyptian cotton...gone!

I usually buy it at the Mancuso quilt market aka the Quilt Fest of New Jersey X  to save on shipping costs.  This year it will be March 6-9, 2014 in Somerset, New Jersey.  I also love their King Tut quilting thread AND their Bottom Line for my stitch-in-the-ditch.

Since it's usually around my birthday, I use this an an excuse to go a little wild (emphasis on the little).  This year, my list is as follows:

Metallic: Antique Silver                       Metallic: Cranberry                                    King Tut: Obsidian  

...and a bunch of color cards. ~ksp

Stockpiling

I have a deep and abiding love affair with Mary Ellen's Best Press.  I first came to use it while taking a class at City Quilter.  Since then, I use it for sewing and quilting and even ironing my clothes.

Unfortunately, while it was never cheap, over the years it has gotten much more expensive and I no longer work in NYC so it's not so easy to grab a bottle during my lunch hour.  In recent years, I've taken to the internet for purchasing.  This go-round, google told me that there was a sale at Stuff 4 Sewing for cheap, cheap, cheap.  The sale can be found here.

I found an online coupon and qualified for free shipping and I ended up getting it for about $33.00 per gallon with shipping.  To do so, I had to buy three gallons which means I shouldn't need any more until 2015!

God, I love a sale and a coupon!! ~ksp

WiP Wednesday-Snow Day Edition

I was indoors all day due to the colossal snow that NJ got.  Up to 16" in some spots. Yikes!!  There was a state of emergency that included the closing of state offices...so I stayed home to sew.

Here is one of my "in progress" projects...

Here are the bits laid out.

A good friend was a maid of honor for her sorror who is now becoming a mother. We took her MOH dress and cut it up to be in this quilt (it's the sage bits). I backed it with Wonder Under (from my local Wal-mart) and craft muslin (from the stash).  It's a bit heavier than the quilters cotton but I think it will ensure that the taffeta will hold up almost as well.

Here is a rendering of the final project using EQ6:

I'm about 50% through assembling the top. The square that is circled in purple is the final layout and the last manipulation before the top is fully assembled.

 This is for a baby that is due late winter/early spring.  So far, I'm ahead of schedule (#don'twanttojinxit) ~ksp

Thanks, Victoria!

I "loaned" my only bundt pan to Victoria and NEVER SAW IT AGAIN.

She made good on replacing it with this pan from King Arthur Flour.  I used The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pound Cake recipe, found here:

Ingredients

• 3 sticks Butter
• 3 cups Sugar
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
• 2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.
Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.
Remove cake from oven and invert pan until cake drops out.

Good times! ~ksp 

Argyle

One of the quilts in my queue is an asymetrical argyle pattern.  I am trying to decide which is a more appropriate non-juvenile pattern for the eight year old recipient.

Option 1

or

Option 2

or

Option 3

Thoughts??? ~ksp

Thank You!!

Here are two of the awesome Christmas gifts that I got.  The first is a new stocking made by my mother! It is awesome and roomy and beautifully embroidered.

Me and my st-ister!

The other is frpm my supervisor.  When stressed, we love this scene from Zoolander...

Excellent stress reliever!!

 

 

She got me my own hand rendered Mugatu for my desk!  It's awesome...I laughed myself silly. Good times. ~ksp

aw-ster-i-tee

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aus·ter·i·ty

1. austere  quality; severity of manner, life, etc.; sternness.
2. usually, austerities. ascetic practices: austerities of monastery life.
3. strict economy.  

 

I mean it in the “strict economy” sense of the word.

Over the winter holidays, I took some time to stash-dive and figure out how many projects that I have abandoned, forgotten about or put on indefinite time out.  Turns out, it's quite a few.  

I bit the bullet and cataloged them all.  I sat down and had a hard conversation with myself about finishing.  Here is the list there are about thirty-one in total: 

Project Name

·       Bonus Blocks Quilt

·       Celtic Knot

·       Gifts of the Spirit

·       Grinch Remnant

·       Minimalist in Brown

·       Patriotic 1 (Patchwork Times)

·       Patriotic 2

·       Pinks and Purple

·       Scrappy Nine Patch

·       Spectrum (Sample)

·       Strip-a-rama

·       Wonky Shoo-fly

·       B/W Hexies

·       Baseball Caps

·       Batik Nine Patch

·       Changing Pad

·       Christmas Tree Skirt/Advent Calendar

·       Civil War Quilt

·       Holiday Table Runner

·       Jythothi's Quilt

·       Kwanzaa Table Runner

·       Lone Star Baby (1)

·       Lone Star Baby (2)

·       Pantoja/Wright Memorial

·       Sister's Choice

·       Dissappearing Nine Patch

·       Mickey Mouse Classic

·       Oversized Arglye

·       Paisley (with Blue and Yellow)

·       Same Gang

·       Star Sampler

I'd like to say that my story is a cautionary tale, but I don't think that it is.  For me, this is a hobby, it's not my job.  I do this because it brings me joy and I learn things with each project and its process.  I am a process person.  So this year, I am going to practice my intention of finishing the projects that I have started.  Wish me luck. ~ksp

To Everything There is a Season

Goodbye 2013!

I love celebrating new years and seasons as they change because they offer an opportunity for reflection and renewal.  As such, I am so excited to be ending 2013!  It was an awesome, inspiring, amazing, wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, formidable, intimidating, daunting and breathtaking year. 

A good friend shared with me her aim to be more reflective and intentional in her daily interactions.  As part of her practice, and in preparation of the new year, she shared with me the following items for reflection.  I hope that you can find time to review and reflect upon them as we look forward to another (productive, fun, energized and dynamic) year!

May you have a safe and jubilant celebration of this new year, I look forward to our continued creativity and expression in 2014. Life is short, fill it up! Turn, turn, turn! ~ksp

COMPLETING 2013

1.                   What was the greatest lesson for you of 2013, and what changed as a result?
2.                   What was I most happy about that began in 2013?
3.                   What am I most happy about completing in 2013?
4.                   What is my biggest piece of unfinished business in 2013?
5.                   Who are the 3 people what have had the greatest impact on my life, positive or negative?
6.                   What is the biggest risk I took in 2013, and what did I learn from it?
7.                   List 6 things I am most grateful for.
8.                   What else do I need to do, say or acknowledge to feel complete in 2013?

CREATING 2014

1.                   What word or phrase would I like to have as my mantra for 2014?
2.                   What would I like to be my greatest accomplishment in 2014?
3.                   What is my greatest strength? How can I use it in 2014?
4.                   What do I want my biggest risk to be in 2014?
5.                   What things make me feel  most alive? How can I do more?
6.                   What am I most committed to improving or growing about my work?
7.                   Who or what am I most committed to loving or serving in 2014?
8.                   What major effort can I give to make my finances better?
9.                   Write an affirmation statement for 2014 that is SPECIFIC, POSITIVE AND IN THE PRESENT TENSE.
10.                Who am I committed to be in 2014? What words would describe me for 2014?
11.                Picture myself one year from now. What do I want to say about 2014?

Go Vintage

I became an Auntie again back in February and needed to step up and make Baby A a new quilt.  I loved the idea of using striped reclaimed vintage sheets from several awesome Etsy vendors.

• Shabby Sheets purchased here.
• So So Vintage purchased here.
• Whimsie Dots purchased here. 

I used my newly minted design board to test out an alternating 5" pattern with blocks of Kona solids

I did an all-around stitch in the ditch using Superior Thread's MonoPoly Polyester and then used a ruler (first time doing ruler work) to quilt an offset diamond pattern onto the quilt.

 

I then used a navy binding, buried the threads that I could and called it "done". I'll post a finished picture when it is delivered to baby today. ~ksp

Say What You Want to Say

Just spell my name right!

And what's with the reference to the weeds...geez...where's my publicist? ~ksp

An Ombre Goodbye

Last year one of the last good knit shops in my area is closed up shop.  For several years now, I have not shopped at any shop, but I hated to see a Stix-n-Stitches go.

I swung by there for the Going Out of Business Sale and picked up 7 skeins of yarn to make an ombre sweater...of course it'll be for me...something similar to this Kenzo Basket Weave Sweater

sweater.

 

You can't tell from this photo but it is a basket weave pattern that transitions the colors dark to light . I hope to put the dark color on the bottom. We will see...I'll be designing the sweater myself.

4 Cascade Worsted in  colorway ginger (color 2414)
2 Deluxe Worsted Wool in a medium gold tone (color 12182)
1  Deluxe Worsted Wool in light ecru tone (color 12174)

Here's to custom sweater design and stash building. ~ksp

What A Bear?

What a Bear?  You ever think of all of the phrases that use the word "bear"?

...grin and bear it...have one’s cross to bear...bear the burden of..bear the brunt of...

My at-work BFF, Michele, was in need of some greenery for her office so I built her a terrarium.  I bought a moss medley from TeresaB123 on Etsy here and a bear figurine from DoodleBirdie. She helps me bear my rough patches at work...it's the least I could do for her.

bear arms 1 carry firearms. 2 wear or display a coat of arms.

bear the burden of suffer the consequences of.

bear fruit figurative yield positive results : plans for power-sharing may be about to bear fruit.

bear someone a grudge nurture a feeling of resentment against someone.

bear a hand archaic help in a task or enterprise.

bear someone malice (or ill will) [with negative ] wish someone harm.

bear a resemblance (or similarity) to resemble.

bear a relation (or relationship) to [with negative ] be logically consistent with : the map didn’t seem to bear any relation to the roads.

bear the stamp of be clearly identifiable with : their tactics bear the stamp of Soviet military training. bear witness (or testimony) to testify to : little is left to bear witness to the past greatness of the city. bring pressure to bear on attempt to coerce : they brought pressure to bear on him to resign.

bring to bear 1 muster and use to effect: : she had reservations about how much influence she could bring to bear. 2 aim (a weapon) : bringing his rifle to bear on a distant target.

does not bear thinking about is too terrible to contemplate.

Close Up

For this reason and because I call her the Momma Bear, I included the figurine.  Turns out that's also her family's nickname for her...I love it when a plan comes together. ~ksp

Tomatoes Anyone?

Beautiful...gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. Grown by me...

...

My favorite use for a bucket. ~ksp

Nine Patch Nirvana

In 2002, I went through my cache of patterns and my stash of fabrics and I put together two Block of the Month "clubs".  This one is for my brother.

In true "my life is too busy" fashion, they went into a box for several months having been pushed to the back burner. I talked about it here.

Batik Colorways...

Stripping Station...

 

I'm very pleased with the finished project...voila! ~ksp

The "D" Word

...diet

Now I've spoken here at length about my (yarn/fabric, etc) stash diets...this time I am talking about a food diet....

I'm trying to do five meals a day and seriously up my exercise.  I also have set a goal of the Iron Girl mini-triathalon in September...somebody pray for me.  ~ksp

Tomato-rama

I grew a lot of heirloom tomatoes this year (like every year) and the tomato jewels of my garden are the Mortgage Lifter and the German Green tomatoes...(for slicing and pickling respectively) The Mortgage Lifter is my go-to for summer BLT sandwiches...

Perfection...turkey bacon, mesclun mix and Mortgage Lifter on sourdough with a cheese wedge.

Best weeknight summer dinner...EVAH!! ~ksp

Hump Day Harvest-Wordless Wednesday

It Ain't Easy Being Green

I recently harvested my greens...lawdy do I have a lot of greens.  In this harvest there is:

• kale
• callaloo
• collards
• green cabbage
• red cabbage
• onions, shallots
• tomatoes
• and one cucumber

I spent several hours cleaning greens and chopping greens and blanching greens and freezing greens

cleaning...chopping...blanching...freezing...

cleaning...chopping...blanching...freezing...

cleaning...chopping...blanching...freezing...

cleaning...chopping...blanching...freezing...

What a way to spend a Saturday!

Part of my planning for growing all of this cabbage included a plan to make sauerkraut for the first time.  I found and bought a two gallon crock like this one on Craigslist.  Mine came with a lid but no weights.

Having researched recipes I dry roasted caraway seeds and juniper berries (purchased here).

After pounding the cabbage with the end of my rolling pin I mixed in the spices and transferred it to the crock where it is not sitting, fermenting and funking up the joint.  In a few weeks I will hopefully have some yummy homemade kraut.

 

Pierogies and sausage anyone? I can hardly wait. ~ksp