Teacher gifts

It's that time again when all moms scramble (at least this mom scrambles) around trying to find the perfect teacher gifts getting ready for the onslaught of children home for summer.  This year I decided to actually use some of the craft items I have purchased from Pick Your Plum.  (I buy everything PYP offers.  Seriously.  They sent me a gift at Christmas last year for being one of their best customers. My husband was not proud.)

So I broke out the Silhouette.  Now I am not one of the crafty paper people who can make seriously cute things out of a piece of paper and some scissors.  I am more a fabric kinda girl.  Case in point - I have owned a Silhouette for over a year but have not done much with it because it scares me.  All the whirring and cutting just makes me nervous.  And I have messed up some perfectly nice vinyl trying to use the thing.  But I really like the idea of what it can do so I decided to give it another try by making some teacher magnet boards.

These are made from a pre-cut wooden base with a piece of sheet metal that fits in the base.  I started by painting the base red.

  The first coat turned out to be a little too red so I mixed it with some brown, applied a second coat, and let it dry.

Next I printed the teachers' names on adhesive vinyl with my Silhouette (fingers crossed the whole time), then weeded out the negative space.  I applied the vinyl to the painted wood using transfer tape and a scraper.  This is where I normally screw up the vinyl but lo and behold, it worked!!

Hooray!  I applied some Cosmo Cricket scrapbook paper (another fabulous purchase from PYP)  to the sheet metal using Mod Podge and had the kids write a personal note to the teacher.  Voila!  teacher gifts!

The magnets could hold pictures, notes, recipes, anything! I hope the teachers like them!

Robyn

Easter/Spring skirts in Hello Luscious!

Have you seen Hello Luscious by Basic Grey for Moda?  It is my absolute favorite new fabric line since my last favorite fabric line.  In all seriousness, it is, well, luscious.  No other word for it.  I buy some of it every time I go into Whipstitch and now have a full fat quarter bundle that I am saving for just the right project.

The sweet, vintage vibe of this line seemed perfect for Easter/Spring skirts for my girls.  Since my oldest was at the beach with a friend for Easter, only the little two got skirts.  I made them using this tutorial from   Everyday Chaos.  It was super easy to follow but you do need to know how to bind a blanket or quilt.   (I love this tutorial for that.)  I can totally see these skirts in some DS Flea Market Fancy and corduroy for Fall.

Hope you like the wrinkled look:)

 
Apparently, it is an unwritten rule that after your mother makes you a new skirt for Easter, you should immediately put on rain boots and pick up your favorite chicken Valentine.  You don't even need a shirt.  Who am I to argue with that logic?  I like to hug Valentine too:)  Although I generally wear a shirt.

Happy Spring!

Robyn

Meat water - otherwise known as Texas style chili . . .yum!

My husband is crazy.  Mainly for putting up with all my craziness ("but I will DIE without another fat quarter bundle!") and for never saying "don't you have enough fabric?" And for saying yes to chickens and a second dog.

But what makes him really crazy is his definition of chili.  Specifically, he claims to like chili but only if it does not have any beans or tomatoes in it.  Huh?  Isn't that just meat with water?  So over the years I have tried endless variations of chili because I like it and 2 out of 3 kids like it - which is a huge success in my book.  But to no avail.  I could never come up with the perfect "meat water" recipe.

Until now - ta da!  Meat water, otherwise known as chili with no beans and no chunky tomatoes.   Apparently there are other crazy people in the world like my husband who like chili this way, including Lyndon Johnson who purportedly loved this recipe.  The craziest part?  The kids and I love it too!

Pedernales River Chili 4 pounds chili-grind beef chuck or venison 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican 2 tablespoons chili powder, or more, to taste 1 teaspoon round cumin Salt to taste 2 to 6 dashes Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce 2 cups hot water 1 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes with juice  METHOD Place the meat, onion, and garlic in a large, heavy frying pan or Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until the meat is lightly browned. Add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and hot pepper sauce. Pour in the water and tomatoes, and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 hour. Skim off any fat during the cooking. Serve the chili hot. Serves 5 to 6 (click the recipe title to go to the website where I found this recipe)

 When I make this chili, I cook the meat on the stove and then dump the whole thing, spices and all, into the crock pot on low for several hours.  I also have some kidney or black beans on the side so those who like beans can add them.

I like to make this on the days when my husband and oldest daughter beat me home from gymnastics with the other two.  She can shower while he spoons the chili onto whole grain Tostitos scoops and tops with cheese.  Pop those into a 350 degree oven for 5 - 10 minutes and you have some yummy nachos.  In theory, when the other two and I get home, we are greeted with a wonderful dinner, smiling husband and older daughter, and general peace and happiness.  Well, at least I am guaranteed a wonderful dinner!

Happy cooking!

Robyn

Made in Cherry - 4th of July style!

As soon as I saw the Made in Cherry quilt design, I knew it would be perfect for my in-laws.  They love 4th of July more than any other holiday - I swear, it is bigger than Christmas to them.  I think it is because all three of their sons and their sons' families converge on their lake house for 3 - 4 days and just hang out.  It is definitely more relaxed than Christmas when we are all rushing around from place to place trying to keep the kids from imploding from all the Santa-mania.

The lake house is a special place no matter when you go.  It is in the north Georgia mountains and the lake itself is fed by mountain water so it is the clearest, deepest green you can imagine.  You can actually see the bottom of the lake from the dock.  It is a place full of fun memories.

The house is beautiful but not fancy.  I don't have to worry about the dogs or the kids coming in wet from the lake and I don't have to constantly shout at them to pick up their stuff (thank goodness because I would go hoarse from all the shouting).  The house radiates the love that my in-laws have for it and their family.

But I digress - as usual.  This quilt pattern is one very large star and I thought it would look perfect in red, white, and blue.  So I chose totally random prints in those colors and put them together in what I hope will be a nice birthday gift for my in-laws.  Hopefully such a nice gift that they will overlook the fact that it is late.

I love the rockets and the bikes.  Fireworks and playtime, just what summer is all about.

This is a beast of a quilt, 80 x 80.  Just compare the size to those little legs in the background and you will get what I  mean.  Now to get it quilted and bound before my in-law's next birthday.  Wish me luck!

And here is a shot of our family from the lake.  Just because.

May summer get here soon!

A happy discovery . . .

Every year starting in 3rd grade, the kids have to do a large project for school.  (The school's requirement, not mine:))  In 5th grade they have to study their family's immigration history - when did the first family member come to this country, what was it like for them, what are some interesting things about the country from which the family came.

Since my mother came to the United States from England, Ella chose to tell my mother's story and to research England.  (More about the story later, it is pretty funny.)  Part of the project also required her to find a recipe for a traditional english food and make it for the class.  

Ella didn't want to do scones because that's what most people do for England (love that she wants to be original!).  Plus, I can't cook scones to save my life.  The whole cutting butter thing throws me off.  

So I dug out the cookbook my grandmother bought for me on one of our trips to England to visit her.  Ella started to look through it and out fell several small pieces of paper with handwritten recipes on them.  I had completely forgotten that my Nana had written the recipes down for me as good ones for the novice cook to have in her repertoire!  What a wonderful discovery!  

Ella decided to make banana tea loaf from this recipe:

     

How cool to cook from her English great-grandmother's handwritten recipe!  With some conversions here and there (gas mark 4 is 350 degrees and bicarbonate is baking soda) and some adjustments (the sugar is a dry 3 ounce measurement plus a cup), we worked it out and Ella cooked it.  And let me tell you, it is wonderful!  Much better than the banana bread I normally make!  The addition of the lemon is something I never would have thought of but really brings a depth to the taste.  The only change I might make is the amount of sugar makes it very sweet so you really don't need the over-ripe bananas that banana bread usually requires.  

Even though we were separated by an ocean, we saw my grandparents frequently.  My Nana and I were very close and I always loved spending time with her and my Mom.  I felt lucky to be able to experience a relationship with three generations of my family.  

This is a picture of Nana and me is from the early 80's (which you could probably tell from my awesome hairstyle.)  Now my Mom and my Nana are both gone and I miss them terribly.  Which makes it even more special that a fourth generation is getting to know Nana through her recipe.  Love that!

psst . . . we have chickens!

So I think I am a farm girl at heart.  I dream of having enough land to raise chickens and send the girls out in their wellies every morning to collect eggs.  I would have goats too and would make artisan goat cheese out of their milk to sell to high-end restaurants.  Oh and I would have a sewing studio over the barn with lots of shabby chic-ness and open air to inspire me.

But reality has a way of altering dreams, right?  In truth, we live in metro-Atlanta.  I know that when some people say they live in metro-Atlanta, they really mean they live in the 'burbs in a massive house with a huge yard.  Not so here!  We live in midtown and can see the skyline from our house at night.  We can even hear the Brave's games if the weather is good.

I love how eclectic our neighborhood is and how interesting our neighbors are.  I love being able to walk to shops and restaurants and the fact that our dogs are welcome most places.

But I still have those farm dreams.  Enter the chickens!  We got them through the mail (crazy, right?) when they were a day old.  Just look at their sweet selves:

They were so tiny that first day and their personalities were evident right out of the box - Peck (the brown one) was assertive and did not want to be cuddled.  Zelpha was very dramatic and noisy.  And Valentine was Valentine - very chilled out and the easiest to handle.

We all loved them right from the start and they grew like crazy!

They lived in our bathroom in a big plastic tub for about 2 months.  They were completely low maintenance but after awhile got too big for the bathroom and I wanted my space back:)  So out they went to their coop.

Sadly, we found out Peck was a rooster when he started crowing and he had to go live on a farm in Athens, Georgia.  But we continue to have fun with the ladies.  Lucy paints Valentine's nails:

We feed them, sometimes out of our hands:

And generally just have fun with them.

Now if they would just lay eggs . . .

Love them!

hand-quilting

I was so inspired by this picture http://www.flickr.com/photos/charlottenarunsky/6683871633/in/pool-1904864@N22 that I decided to attempt hand-quilting on my Small Plates quilt.

Here are the blocks before being joined.  Don't I have great helpers?

I used Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pips in a random assortment and I just love it!  It was very easy to cut and piece and although it is a bit smaller than the pattern called for, it will be just right for three girls to curl up with on the couch.  The pattern is from the awesome Modern Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman.

So back to the hand-quilting.  I thought this would be the perfect way to practice before the Swoon quilt is ready.  I got out my supplies, sat down with a friend, and got started.

  

(do you like the totally neglected vacuum in the background?  maybe I'll take her for a spin one of these days.)

I am definitely enjoying hand-quilting (I love hand embroidery) but need some other tools.  For instance, a longer needle would make the pulling from front to back much easier.  Also, I think a finger pad would make it easier to grip the needle.  And might prevent slashing my finger open, which I did as soon as I started and consequently got blood on the quilt - thank goodness for Grandma's secret spot remover.

I am off to the quilt store to stock up on these supplies!  do you hand or machine quilt?  which do you prefer?

Swoon along . . .

So it turns out I am not the only one who obsessively collects and hordes fabric and patterns that sit around and gather dust - yea! I found proof of this when I decided to join I'm a Ginger Monkey in a quilt a long using the Swoon pattern.  I bought this pattern last Fall and have periodically pulled it out and gazed upon it with longing ever since without actually starting the quilt.  so when I saw this QAL, I decided to join in!  I have never done one before but I am excited for the motivation to stick to an actual schedule so there is some chance the quilt will actually get finished instead of languishing in my ever-growing WIPs pile.

There are more than 300 quilters around the world participating in this QAL (300!) and many of the comments read about the same as my thoughts - I have no business joining in, I already have a million unfinished projects that I should take care of before starting another one, I have had this pattern forever but have never actually started it, etc.  So it seems I am in good company.

I am going to use Riley Blake's Daydream in Blue:

 


I have had this fabric for awhile but haven't had the heart to actually cut it and use it until now.  wish me luck!