Back in the Saddle

Well I'm back in the saddle again (Aerosmith style, not Gene Autry style) and just completed my first post-neck-injury project! It took me about a week to finish, because I never allowed myself to sew for more than an hour at a time, and I promised my physical therapist I'd stop sewing any time I started to feel pain...so while I had to cut a few sessions short, overall my progress was pretty good!

I had my outpatient procedure last week and they gave me a steroid shot in my neck, so I've been feeling better since then (although the procedure itself was slightly traumatic...bad news is that I wasn't knocked unconscious with glorious drugs as promised, but was wide awake as a giant needle was plunged into my spine; good news is that since I wasn't drugged, I had my wits about me when I got home and was able to eat the last brownie before Ray walked in the door. You win some, you lose some.)

Anywho, I'm no longer wearing my neck brace except when I sew or sleep, which is awesome. But since I think the cone of shame was too hilarious not to share, here's a before and after photo for your viewing pleasure.

Sad Kaelin vs. World Domination Kaelin

But back to the block...

I stumbled across a Stained Glass Whirling Star block on equiltpatterns.com, and once I looked past the hideous marbled fabric, realized it had pretty good bones. It was a really easy paper piecing pattern and I highly recommend it for beginners who are looking to dip their toe in paper piecing - I think it would make for a nice first paper piecing project for those of you who haven't tried it before. My only suggestion is that when you trim your eighths, leave 1/4" overhang on the outside edge. For some crazy reason the designer made the block 12" square, so the final block measures 11.5" instead of 12". Weird, I know. So if you add a 1/4" on the outside edge only (but not the inner ones), your unfinished block will be 12.5".

Unfortunately, I didn't realize this was an issue until I was half-way done, hence the sashing on the outside of my block. Boo.

For my block I used some light blue Monaluna Mingle, Allison Smith's Peacock Dot, and yellow Denyse Schmidt prints (from Hope Valley and Aunt Edna, respectively). Although the solid looks black in this photo, it's actually Kona Navy. It was dark outside by the time I finished, so unfortunately I had to take an indoor shot and the colors didn't turn out that great. I would have waited until tomorrow, but I have to mail this in the morning because it's going to a friend :)

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This is why I quilt

Remember this block from a few months ago?

At the time all I could tell you is that it was for a top secret project - Project Special Delivery, to be exact. What I can tell you now, is that Faith had organized a group to make baby presents for Heather Ross' first child. Heather has blessed all of us with her lovely and whimsical designs for so many years, and we wanted to do something special to thank her. Some people made appliqued onesies for each month of the year, others did toys, and a portion of the Project Special Delivery group decided to make a rainbow quilt "virtual bee style". We each signed up for a specific color, and tried to incorporate some of HR's fabrics into the block.

We mailed our blocks off to Mama Spark a few months ago, and she assembled the entire quilt and added the most GORGEOUS quilting. I can't imagine that anyone could have done a better job - I just love the motion and whimsy her quilting pattern added to the design!

Here's a glimpse of the back...

...with a close up of one block in particular. It's a message from our little group, and includes one of Heather's favorite quotes.

Just today I found out that Heather received her quilt, and she wrote us the most beautiful note in return. I have no shame in admitting I have an extremely tender heart (just ask Angela about the day she moved), and I cried a little bit when I read it. And this is why I quilt. I quilt because it allows me to give part of my time and my heart to other people through fabric. I quilt because it allows me to be a part of memorable events in other's lives; it gives me the unique opportunity to share a lasting gift with someone that will remind them of that moment, and hopefully, make them smile and bring them warmth.

To quote my dearly departed grandmother "My cup runneth over, I drink from the saucer." I am so blessed to know you all, and to be a part of the online quilting movement :)

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Gator Belts & Patty Melts

Sorry, that's an Outkast lyric. I couldn't get it out of my head while I was sewing these. When you see the second block, you'll understand why. These were for Christine's month in Bee (A Little Bit) Japanese. She's making a quilt for her nephew's birthday, and requested a Cheaters 8 Point Star block...

As well as a second block that represented any mode of transportation we chose...

Since I rarely get to make anything New Orleans-related, I thought this would be a fun opportunity! I decided to make a fan boat, an extremely common mode of transportation down in the bayou, and name it the "nola" (New Orleans, LA). And of course, what would a bayou fan boat block be without an alligator and sweltering hot sun? Also, her nephew lives in Australia where crocs abound, so I thought he'd enjoy having one of it's cousins appliqued on a block ;)

I had to sneak and make these Friday night after the hubby went to bed, because he enacted a sewing moratorium last week. I mentioned this before, but I have a pinched nerve in my shoulder that I'd successfully ignored for weeks...well...actually 2 months. I finally did myself in when I had a marathon rotary cutting and sewing session last weekend, because I ended up in excruciating pain Sunday night, and could barely move my arm the next day because I'd get sharp stabbing pains, and then my whole arm would go numb for minutes at a time.

I had to break the rules though, because these blocks were for May, and I was already way behind on them. They didn't arrive until the last week of May, and then it took me 3 weeks to find the time. Christine desperately needed them by the end of June so she could assemble the top, send it off to be quilted, and then mail the finished present to Australia to arrive in time for August. So you see, I had to break the rules a little bit in order to meet the deadline...

But the events of last week got me thinking. My hubby is the sweetest man alive, and truthfully my best friend. He takes such good care of me, and all last week he massaged my shoulder, brought me bags of ice, and fetched ibuprofen and glasses of water for me when I was hurting. He's so proud of my sewing and knows how much it means to me, so he did his best to help me get back on my feet again because he knew I was going stir-crazy. All of this culminated in a crazy idea...

RAY! STOP READING HERE!

Our spouses, boyfriends/girlfriends, partners, etc. put up with so much of our quilting crap. They might grumble occasionally, but for the most part they let us get away with crazed fabric sprees, giant stashes & sewing spaces that take up entire rooms, and marathon sewing sessions that take us away from our families for hours at a time. Why? Because they love us, and know that we love quilting. And while I thank my husband for his support of my crazy hobby all the time, I rarely use my skills to make anything for him. I think a lot of us are like that - we're so busy making things for everyone else, that we forget to make things for ourselves or our families.

SO. Here's my idea. Let's have an official Quilting Widow(er) Appreciation Day! I'm calling it that, because it's kinda true...lol! Our significant others are sometimes quilting widows/widowers because we guy & gal quilters spend a lot of time away from them for the "sake of our art"...hehe! Seriously! I'll be leaving poor Ray in the dust for 4 days while I jet off to Salt Lake City for the Sewing Summit in October. And God love his little heart, he's outside mowing the yard right now to kill time, because he knows I'll be holed up in my sewing room blogging for a while longer! :(

Here's what we're gonna do. I picked a random date a few months off so that we all have time to prepare and create, and we're going to make presents for our Quilting Widows/Widowers as a big fat thank you for their loving support! (Plus it's kind of a win-win, because not only do we get to do something special for them, but it will help perpetuate our hobby because they'll be less inclined to grumble if we make them uber cool things with the thousands of dollars we've sunken into supplies, LOL!) I kid. 99% of the reason we're doing this is to say thank you, and only 1% is for our selfish ulterior motives ;)

The Quilting Widow(er) Appreciation Day will officially take place on Saturday, September 24th! I picked a random, insignificant day so your loved one will be surprised! And I even made a button and added it to the sidebar for those of you that want to join me :)

SO WHO'S WITH ME?!

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More Retreat Fun

The project I worked on for the majority of the retreat were these two bee blocks for Kristy in Bee (A Little Bit) Japanese. She sent each person two different adorable Japanese fairy tale prints and some quilter's linen, and asked that we make two blocks roughly 12.5" in size using Oh Fransson's Mod Mosaic pattern. Mine came out around 13" so she'd have some room to play with when she trims. I really like the final look of the pattern because it's got a cool stained-glass window effect, but I'm not sure if I'd enjoy using it again. Cutting, sewing, and ironing all those little pieces was really time consuming...it took me about 4-5 hours to finish both blocks...yikes! It made me feel a little bit better about being 2 weeks late with my blocks, because even if I'd desperately tried to squeeze them in during the move last month, I never would've finished in time.

Block #1

(sorry about the blurriness in the bottom corner...dang humidity on my lens!)

Block #2

And here's a little something extra from the retreat for you! I made tacos with guacamole & chips for lunch on Saturday, and Kelly & Angela asked me to share the recipes on here. Hope you like avocados, because they run rampant in this meal :)

Kaelin's Taco Spice Blend

(I make this in bulk and keep it in an airtight container in my pantry.)

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp basil

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

Combine in a small bowl and blend with a fork. Store in a small container or shaker jar.

Tacos & Salsa

I use ground chuck for my tacos because it's a 'splurge' dish for us, and we like the extra flavor and moisture the fat gives. But feel free to use ground round or ground sirloin for a leaner, healthier dish. The salsa is spooned over the beef inside your taco - yum!

for Tacos

1 lb ground beef

1-2 tbsp Spice Blend (see recipe above)

Fresh or store-bought tortillas

Olive oil

Place ground beef in a skillet (I always use cast iron) and sprinkle seasoning evenly over beef. Cook on medium-high until no longer pink. Drain excess fat and set aside.

Drizzle olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat to medium-high. Once pan is heated and the oil easily runs around the pan, place 1 tortilla in the oil. Fry for 20-30 seconds on each side. Fold in half and place on paper-towl lined plate. (Note: if you dont' fold it immediately after frying, it will harden and crack when you try to bend it later).

for Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 avocado, diced

2 plum tomatos, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 Lime

1/2 tsp cayenne

Combine black beans, avocado, plum tomatos, and red onion in a bowl. Grab your lime and before cutting, firmly roll it back and forth against your counter a few times (this makes it easier to juice). Slice in half and juice the lime over the bowl. Gently toss. Sprinkle cayenne pepper over ingredients and gently toss again. (Note: if you get too violent with your stirring, the avocado will start to get mushy...and no one wants that!)

Guacamole

I eat the guacamole with chips as a side, but my husband likes to slather it on his taco along with the salsa. To each their own :)

from "Bride & Groom: First & Forever" cookbook

6 large avocados, roughly chopped (save 1 of your pits!)

4 plum tomatos (or 1 large heirloom), diced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced (depends on size)

1/4 of a jalapeno pepper, minced (I usually cut two 1/4" slices from below the stem)

1/4 cup cilantro, tightly packed

Juice of 1 lime

1-2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin

Place your avocados in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Once the consistency is fairly smooth, stir in remaining ingredients. Place the pit you saved from one of the avocados in the guacamole, because it will help keep it from browning so quickly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Happy Eating!

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Catching Up

I don't think I ever posted photos of these blocks for you! They were part of the giant pile of things I had to frantically sew the past two weeks. Gotta love deadlines :)

The first one is my block for Project Special Delivery. I signed up for a green block and it had to go out by Apr. 7th....so naturally, I finished at 11 pm on the 6th...good times, noodle salad :)

I used up some 2" scrap blocks I had lying around my sewing room, and the sashing fabric was from one of my Solids of the Month bundles - how fun is that?

And this was my final (and wretchedly late) block for the Quilting Divas Mini Bee. This is the first time I've ever been late for one of my bees/swaps :( ...it was due to a combination of factors really. When I signed up, I assumed it ran like the 3x6 Bee and I'd have 3 months to complete them. Wrong-o. After committing to hexie blocks, I realized I only had 2-3 weeks - yikes! I didn't want to back out because I rounded out the group and they'd have to find another person at the last minute, so I convinced myself I'd be able to finish my blocks within a few weeks if I hustled. Well...needless to say, I grossly underestimated how long it would take me to hand sew 6 blocks. So yeah...that's why I was 2 months late with my final block. Sorry 'bout that Jamie :(

Block for Mariposafabrics (she requested a black solid paired with jewel tones)

And here's a lil' mosaic of all my finished blocks for the Quilting Divas bee..

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March Bee Blocks

Not only did I finish my Bee (A Little Bit) Japanese blocks by the deadline this month, but I'm a week early! Woot woot! Crystal meticulously cut up teeny little 1 1/2" squares for us to make these darling scrapbuster blocks (instructions here)

Block #1

Block #2

Both Blocks

Crystal also had a really cute idea for personalizing her Bee quilt. She asked us to cut a 3.5" x 4.5" block from our leftover white fabric and applique a 1" piece of fabric from our own stash on it. Then we were to write our name, location, and our favorite quote/saying on the label with a fabric marker. Pretty cool, huh? I'm a bookworm and Ernest Hemingway is one of my favorite authors, so I used a quote of his that I love.

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In case you ever wonder...

Yes, I do read every single comment. Due to the volume from all the giveaways, I haven't had time to respond to as many of them as I'd like, but I do read and appreciate them :)

Here's some proof! I made a second reader-posted recipe yesterday after church. You gotta try these things...they're like catnip for people. Sweet and rich from the brown sugar, tangy from the rhubarb, and smooth from the cream cheese frosting....it's a real mouth party. Thanks Kristie!

 

Whiskers volunteered to be the official taste-tester, but I had to decline his offer. He's hyper enough without devouring sugary treats...plus I'd really hate to have to scrub cream cheese out of Whiskers' whiskers. He hates having his beard man-handled.

And I finally finished my Quilting Divas block for Poppyprint - woo hoo! Only one more to go now! You can see my other blocks here.

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Mary Perrine, You're My Hero.

I've been in several bees & swaps with Mary now, and she's super awesome. Not only does she share my loves of quilting and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but she makes me blocks made entirely out of Flea Market Fancy. And for that, Mary, you are my hero. This was for the Quilting Divas Mini Bee.

Isn't it gorgeous?! Look at the precious wee baby pinwheels! As if it weren't enough for her to send me a FMF block to pet every time I walk over to my sewing area, you can see in the photo that she also sent me a baby stash of prints! I think it might be time for me to find a way to mail that crawfish etouffee she's been asking for...

And below is a photo of a new quilt I'm starting. Half of the blocks are from the last round of the 3x6 Bee that I participated in, and the other half are from the Quilting Divas Bee....but I asked both groups to base their blocks off this one by jenjohnston. I also have a handful of blocks from those rounds that aren't pictured. I love them, but couldn't find a way to make them work with the rest of the blocks. But no worries, I've already come up with another cool project for them for our home :)

Obviously I need a few more blocks....and some kind of sashing. I'm working on those issues...

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Bee Blocks for verykerryberry

Kerry sent us some ADORABLE sewing & kitchen themed fabric for February. I loved every single piece of fabric she sent and I really, really, really want to keep these blocks for myself! If I hadn't already been late with my previous two month's blocks, I might have been tempted to hold them hostage for a little while before I mailed them :)  But sadly, they will be going in the mail tomorrow...*sigh*

We used a tutorial she'd written herself called Floating Bricks. I loved using this pattern because organic quilting really gets my creative juices flowing....cutting and sewing however you want without having to worry about straight lines and seams matching up...ahh...it's a beautiful thing!

And I hope she doesn't mind, but I threw in a piece of unsanctioned strawberry fabric from my stash. She has the word "berry" in her Flickr name....plus it matched the rest of the fabric perfectly...so I couldn't resist!

Block Numero Uno

Block Numero Dos

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January blocks for Bee (A Little Bit) Japanese

One machine malfunction and two weeks later, I'm finally finished with my January blocks for Bee (A Little Bit) Japanese! I'm gonna start on February's blocks for Kerry tomorrow night so that I'm actually early this month instead of late :)

Tong asked for blocks inspired by Denyse Schmidt's Drunk Love pattern. Here's what I came up with:

Block 1

Block 2

And here are a few fun things I picked up recently! I swapped my friend Karen a couple yards of fabric for the It's a Hoot layer cake, and I found the 2 yards of the Park Slope Leaf Dots in green at an online shop the other day. I just couldn't pass it up. I didn't have any yardage of it, and it's probably one of the hardest prints to find from that line.

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Blocks for the Quilting Divas Mini Bee

I've managed to finish 4 of my 6 blocks for the Quilting Divas Mini Bee so far. I got my design inspiration here. Tonight I'm gonna start working on my January and February blocks for the Bee (A Little Bit) Japanese because I have to get those done!

Blue, Green, Gray and Kona Snow 

for mamamary2

Orange, Gray, and Kona Medium Gray 

for Samilou

Blue, Green and Kona Stone 

for mccuisti

Yellow, Gray, White, and Kona Medium Gray

for meg_kay77

 

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