The Temperatures

My oven has been doing strange things to me and after my Christmas dinner was not up to my standards of low and slow for short ribs, my son in law suggested I check out the actual temperature of the oven. It took me six months but I finally did it.
Using an store bought hanging temp measurer, I set the oven to 350º and when the beep went off that it was 350º



I compared the inside and outside readings.  They were considerably off as you can tell.  75º is a big difference.  I have a call in to get this fixed.

The weather is completely ridiculous.   It went from in the 80's two days ago to a high yesterday of 46º.
I haven't checked but it doesn't look good for the weekend.  I didn't realize until yesterday that it was a holiday weekend.  The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Rug Burn

We went to the local quilt store this past weekend and saw the beginnings of a rug being made.  I decided I needed to make that for myself.

The fabric is cotton that is cut into 1" strips and it is wound around clothesline rope.

I purchased 1/4" nylon rope from a farm store for $4.89 for 50 feet.

I always like to work with balls so I made balls and secured them from unwrapping by putting a rubber band on it, just like they did at the quilt store.  I decided on two throw rugs to replace the crappy ones I have in my kitchen.  I have taupe tile and speckled solid surface countertops that are black and white and taupe.  I went through my stash
 
and chose this color.  I wanted to use commercial cotton because it would be easier to wind around the rope than heavier hand dyes.

After I started it in the center by wrapping the strips around the rope I pinned it at the start and started to make the shape by doing a large zigzag.

After awhile, I realized that I needed to start with a much longer elongated center so that I would have oval rugs rather than a circle.  I chalked this 18 inch circle up as a practice piece.  I was on my way to JoAnns (that's where I got the fabric originally) to get more but on the way, changed my mind.  I have a very large colorful color palette in the kitchen other than the floor or countertop so I decided to use up some of the many commercial solid  cottons that I have but never use anymore.

I used medium grey thread for the zigzag and made the inside elongated oval about eight inches in length.  The final rug will be the perfect size, around 30 to 34 inches long.

This is a closeup of the process.  You can actually do very long wraps and then secure the end with a straight pin so it won't unravel as you sew then around.

Here is one of the completed rugs and as you can see, I have started it's twin.  I am matching the original.  It's lots of fun and goes pretty fast.  You can get one done easily in one day.

Seven Up

Sometime in the early spring a group of us got together to make and exchange 12" blocks to increase our collection that started with the SAQA Silent Auction.  I started to blog my progress of my part in the exchange but then quit; it was awhile before the deadline and I was gently reprimanded due to my over ambitiousness  (I can't believe I spelled that right!) ; therefore, I still completed the task but did not acknowledge it.  Until now.  I have gotten the word that all of my group has received my block and they are busy doing their own.

The first part of the making of the 12" block can be found here ,


This is the continuation.  After the freezer paper patterns were made, I ironed them onto my fabric leaving a 1/4" around the edges that I brushed with spray starch and ironed to the back.  I then taped them on in the correct order (I did all of them in order from bottom 'rock' to top) and applipieced (a Caryl Fallert term) them down.


Because I was doing seven identical blocks, I did each part on each quilt in order and the time just sped by.

After sewing them down, I turned it around to the back and cut out the background fabric and removed the freezer paper.  I always try and cut away the fabric to minimize shadowing.
 
When all the components were done I put backing and backing together and did my quilting around the 'rocks' and the sides.

I then chose where I wanted my machine quilting.

In the remaining spots and the 'rocks' I did hand stitching.


Here is a close up of that.  I put on a facing on each and called it a day.

 
It was a fun project and I will be happy to do it again.  Interested?

Gifts For The Girls

Look at this precious picture I got showing the gift baskets that Peter got from his fellow employees for both Violet and Charlotte.  The picture was taken on the top of the car!

This is the completed quilt that I made for Charlotte.

Here is the section where I put her name.  I did it by cutting out vinyl letters on the Cricut and then sticking them on the fabric and drawing around the letter and then stitching on the drawn lines.  It shows up in person much better than it does in this picture.

For Violet, I made her a match game.  I figured that at her young age now she


can scramble the squares together and then try and match the like fabrics.  She desperately needs to start acquiring a love for fabric.  When she gets a little

older she can place them face down and try and and match them from memory (like that old 'Match Game' on TV.

I made her a little 'top kit' carrier for her match game components.  I made one of the side loop attachments longer so that she could hold onto it easily.

They all]l fit comfortably inside.  She will get a kick out of it.

Had To Laugh!

Questions and Answers from an AARP Forum Q: Where can male retirees find younger, sexy women who are interested in them? A: Try a bookstore under fiction. Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause? A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you are done, you will have a place to live. Q: Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in the Bible. Is that true? Wherecan it be found? A: Yes. Matthew 14:92: "And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way to Egypt." Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 60+ year old husband? A: Tell him you're pregnant. Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles? A: Take off your glasses. Q: Seriously! What can I do for these crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face? A: Go bra-less. It will usually pull them out. Q: Why should retirees use valet parking? A: Valets don't forget where they park your car. Q: Is it common for retirees to have problems with short-term memory storage? A: Storing memory is not a problem; retrieving it is a problem. Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly? A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon. Q: Where should retirees look for eye glasses? A: On their foreheads. Q: What is the most common remark made by retirees when they enter antique stores? A: "Gosh, I remember these." SMILE... You've still got your sense of humor, right?

Weekend Progress

I had these photos on the blog this morning but ran out of time to type anything because I had to go to Chicago and after having a 10 o'clock appointment, I am just now getting home.

We girls had a great weekend and got a lot accomplished.  For some reason I don't have Mike's work documented.  Maybe because she mostly cut out the parts to a new quilt top and didn't get enough done to show progress.  I should talk.  I will have to take pictures of what I did over the weekend at a later date.

Jean Ann made these adorable 'dop kits' for her granddaughters.  I think she ended up with seven.  I made one too, and will have to take a picture of it.
 
Jean Anne also put this block together to choose a color palette for a new quilt.
 
Anne actually started this in Florida when she was visiting me and got so busy with tax season (she's a CPA) that this was the first time she had time to get back to it.

You can see in this section that it is based around a center square.
This is the same pattern that she had already made using floral fabric.  This one hangs over her home office desk.  I have to make one.  I love it.

Peggy (and yesterday was her birthday!!!!) put together lots of blocks using a set of gorgeous Moda fabrics that were in a layer cake.  She made lots more than this picture shows.  She also worked on her grandson, Kieran's "I Spy" quilt.

The Machine Age

Did you happen to hear that the jockey that rode the winner of the Preakness yesterday was the the jockey that replaced Toby McGuire in 'Sea Biscuit' after he took his tumble?  His name was George in the movie and he is 5o years old.





I thought I would give you a peek at what's going on in the sweat shop by showing you each of my gal's work station.


This is Peggy's  machine while she is snoring away in her bedroom.  She actually has a lot of work space due to her choice of machine location.



Jean Ann has a very messy station.



Anne's station .



 Mike's station.
 

And mine.  I was not using the machine much; all the stuff I am doing is hand work and busy work.

Tom Thumb

Yesterday morning was a rarity for us here at Casa Fitzsimmons.  G was home and more than willing to go with Bella and me to get the herbs and flowers for the season.  There was a reason for this; he had a doctor's appointment locally at 11:30.  While in Florida and crossing a parking lot to enter a supermarket, G had the misfortune of having a car back out of it's parking space and into him.  He thought nothing of it at the time (well over two months) and didn't even get the guys name who did the damage.  Anyway, long story short, he is now a limping old man.  He has an MRI next week.  It has cut into our exercise routine and so it's salads and fish for dinners.  I want to kill that guy!

Back to me; the car was full of various growing things so we headed home so that G could recline and I could dig.
The mint and chives have to be segregated because they have those roots that tunnel underground and you can't stop their spread.  I learned that the hard way.  We had to move because of the chives!  I could never stop their growth.



My five concrete pots were freshened up from their last pine inhabitants.  I think I watered them too much.  The flowers should be upright, right?

I even bought some separators to fence off my parsley, sage rosemary (see where I am going with this, Paul and Art?) thyme, oregano, and cilantro.  The landscapers took out my herbs while cleaning up the front garden last year.


My first harvest of basil for pesto is in the pots, enjoying a beautiful day by the lake.

We are having a quilting weekend.  I should have four smiling faces joining me today.  Rain is in the forecast.  I don't think that will bother us!

Hostile Territory

This is insane.  There are more non domestic animals in my neighborhood
than dogs.  I do not live in the country.  I live on Lake Shore Drive.

This fat deer hasn't missed a meal (hosta) and gives Bella lots to bark at (giving me a headache).

They play on my beach, running and going in an out of the water, just like little kids.

And we have our share of foxes too.  They just sit in the middle of the road, or run by you with a squirrel in their mouths, readying dinner for the babies.  There is no letting the dogs on the beach for a run without us any more.  There are coyotes too.  Yikes, what's going on?

Oink

As is always the case, I was showered with love and good wishes on the hallmark holiday we call Mother's Day.  I also managed to score a few gifts .


I just love these fat, squat ying and yang pig salt and pepper shakers.


I also got these beautiful candles That are very contemporary.  I took one pair out of the wrapper.  They feel like velvet.  Now I will have to go and get candle sticks worthy of their beauty.

Maggie and Evan were walking around D.C. on their last trip and happened on this wine tote from
the A.M. Wine Shoppe.  It holds eight bottles (the amount of bottles these things hold just keeps going up!) and that's a bit too much for even me (yeah, I have a smile on my face as I typed that!) so I cut out the compartment separators because they don't go all the way to the bottom anyway and now it's a tote that I will use all the time.

Weak Wino

Check this out that was sent to G and me.  I laughed out loud at the last paragraph.  Still, it's true. But am I willing to put in the time?  Nah.

http://nyti.ms/YGJck1

Clearly this sign was made for a past Mother's Day because yesterday was the thirteenth and Mother's Day was the day before.  I like the whole premise tho'.


This was clearly printed for a friend of mine and you know who you are!
 
This reminds me of a visit to D.C. when my daughter was in law school and we were visiting and meeting her new boyfriend (now husband Evan) and they gifted me a wine glass that held a whole bottle.  I stashed it in the car and when we got ready to leave, I hopped in the car and sat on the box and broke the glass!  Very good impression to leave, wouldn't you say?
 
It's true; I can fill up with about $20 but my tank takes $80!