New Sewing cabinet!

I just ordered this sewing cabinet. It is scheduled to be delivered on Friday of this week.  I am so happy to finally get a real sewing table instead of just a desk with my machine on it!

It is a Arrow Bertha.

Lego quilt

I pulled out all the little 1 1/2 inch strips I have been collecting for a few months..  I sewed them end to end and had a strip about 95 yards long.  I then sewed the strip together side by side a couple of times. I had a big strip about 8 inches wide. I cut them into 7 1/2 inch squares.  I ended up with 43 blocks. I started putting them on my planning board. It is as high as I can reach but I plan to add 2 more rows. I  measured it and looks like it will be about 50" x 43" when I sew them all together.  I had planned to make a full size quilt but I think I like it as a throw instead.  Not sure of a border yet.  I will have to see what it looks like all sewn together.

It started as a Rail Fence pattern ! ! !

I was going to make a rail fence lap quilt using earth tones and white jelly roll strips that I have had in my fabric stash for quite a while.

  I made the strips using 2 dark and a white strip. It looked so boring.  I just could not make it as a rail fence so I cut them into squares and put them right side together making sure the lines were perpendicular.  I sewed all around the square and cut it into 4 triangles and pressed them open.    This is what I ended up with.

It made an unusual block.  I sewed them all together and ended up with this! 

I used the extra strips to make the border.  I think it looks pretty good.

It is about 45" x 43".  

The apple did not fall far from the tree...

I found this picture of the boys and my friends daughter.  They must have been about 10, 9 , and 8 years old. They are 36, 35 and 34 now.   The second picture is one of my grand son taken a few months ago.  Can you pick out his dad in the first picture!  it is amazing how much alike my grandsons are like their dads!

I loved the years we were raising our sons. We have lots of great fun memories.  We are now making memories with their children.  Life is good.  Thank you God for all of our blessings!

Trying something new

I looked at a couple of youtube quilting videos and found a couple that demo "tube" patterns....they are so different.
I tried this one....so neat, you can move the little blocks in many different  patterns.
this is just on my planning wall for now.  I need to make some more little blocks to add to it.

looks like weaving to me!

i enjoy trying new methods of making blocks

I am thinking of using just one color with the white fabric and see if it looks more like a weave.   this is fun! If you try it let me know how you did!

Finished a new quilt top today!

I tried a different technique and came out with this quilt top.  I think I like it.
I plan to quilt it next week.

Around the World my first try!

I have been looking at this pattern online for a while now.  Just could not figure out how to make it.  It looked impossible to get all those colors in the right places.  My aunt tried to explain it to me once but it did not make sense....sew strips, make a tube, cut into circles...????  duh!  ..I finally decided to look it up on line and found a few tutorials for it.  This is what I have done on it so far.  I still have to sew all the strips together.   I had this jelly roll of brights and did not know what to do with them. I think I like how it looks.
 I plan to put a 2 1/2 inch white border all around to  make the white into a complete trip...  I am not sure about the other borders that it will need.
I am going to try making one with wider strips.

Can a 3 year old read? Yes he can...just watch!

I read this B book to Alden, my grandson, a couple of times then he said he wanted to read it to me.
He is so sweet and cute.
Check out this video we did tonight.
He was 3 in May of this year.

Birthday Lunch with the children

On Tuesday my DH will celebrate 60 years of life.  The boys with their wives and babies met us at a Chinese restaurant for lunch today to celebrate together!!!!
I asked the waitress to take a quick photo...
Our younger son and his wife are in front of me and DH is sitting behind me, our older son and his wife are on the right and the babies are on the right too.
It was a wonderful lunch and I wanted to share this photo with my blog friends.
We are so blessed with this beautiful family!  God is good all the time!

Banner for my Dominican prayer group

I have been working on this project for a couple of weeks.
Finally finished today!  Now all I have to do is figure out how to carry it like a shield.


I will bring it to our meeting next week.  I hope the group likes it.

Does your iron ever sting you?

When I make quilt blocks I keep the iron on a pad next to me so I can press as I go.

Yesterday, for some reason I missed the fabric and touched my left hand.  Just for a split second.   This what it looked like...ouch!

Today it there is a nice blister about 1/4 inch thick. I do not want to pop it because it heals quicker if you don't pot blisters.

I was shocked at how fast it burned me.  

So, be careful when you sew and have an iron nearby!

boo hoo......this too shall pass!

How to make an okra gumbo!

How I make okra gumbo...

Clean and slice 2 quarts of okra.  Cook in 300 degree oven (in a covered roasting pot) for about 2 hours. Add 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil and stir.  Check okra about every 15 – 20 minutes and stir well. 

It will reduce to about half of the volume you started with.

(I usually do about 6 – 8 quarts at a time and freeze it in quart bags)

Transfer smothered okra to a large pot on the stove.  Continue to cook with a medium heat allowing it to stick to the bottom of the pot.  Deglaze with water each time.  This will give your gumbo the brown color you want.  It will take about an hour. I use a wooden spatula so I can scrape the bottom of the pot.

Add frozen seasoning pack (diced onions, bell peppers and celery) .  I use 8 oz of this seasoning.  Cook with okra for about 25 minutes until tender.  It will continue to stick and you have to deglaze it several times.

If the okra is still slimy you can add a few teaspoons of white vinegar.  This will help cut the slime.  You might have to do this a couple of times.  The vinegar will steam out of the mix and will not affect the taste of the gumbo.

Once the okra is not slimy anymore, add ½ teaspoon of salt and a little black pepper. 

(adding roux is optional but I usually use it to help thicken the gumbo.)  In a cup of boiling water dissolve 2 tablespoons of dry roux.  Add this dissolved roux and 1-2 quarts of water to the okra.  If you are making chicken gumbo, you can use some chicken stock in  place of some of the water.  Allow this to boil at a low to medium heat for about 45 minutes.  Continue to stir about every 15-20 minutes.

At this point you can add the meat you want to use. 

I used seafood in this gumbo that I made today.

Chicken or seafood?

Chicken – I use  a rotisserie chicken that I have deboned and removed the skin. 

If you prefer to use fresh chicken, boil your chicken, keep the stock and debone the chicken before putting it in the gumbo.

If you use chicken, simmer the gumbo for about 30 - 45 minutes on a low heat.

I usually add 1/2 pound of smoked sausage that I have sliced and browned to the chicken gumbo.  Sausage adds a great flavor.

Seafood  - I use a pound of peeled and devained shrimp with a pound of lump crab meat.

If you have shrimp that you have to peel, keep the heads and shells and boil them to make some stock.  If you are making seafood gumbo, you can add a few drops ( no more than 1/8 teaspoon) of liquid crab boil if you do not have shrimp stock.  If you use shrimp and crab meat, simmer for about 20 minutes.  If you boil it too long, the shrimp and crab meat tend to disappear into the liquid.  I sometimes just use shrimp but crab adds a nice flavor.  

Serve over rice.  We like to have potato salad with our gumbo along with some french bread!

Try it, it is not difficult at all.  It just takes some time!

Gumbo also freezes well.  Use within 1-2 months.

New roof at last

We finally got our new roof!  It took two guys 9 days to put it on the house. They worked between rain showers that Tropical Storm Lee brought to our area.

Here are a few before and after photos:

before

after

before

after

We love the new look.  What do you think of it?

Fun with the grandson

We have our older grandson here with us today and to spend the night.  We took him for a ride in the golf cart.  My brother in law has cattle and chickens in the back of the property so we ride around to look at the cows and the chickens.  The babies love doing this. Here is a photo of the chickens in their pen.

While sitting there watching the chickens eat, I asked my husband if the chicken's are still laying.. My grandson ( he's 3) piped up and said "no mamae, it looks like they are all standing up"  I almost fell out of the golf cart laughing.  He is fun, you never know what he will say next!

Isn't life wonderful !!!!!!!

organized disorganization - trying to straighten out the sewing room

I have spent several ( many ) days trying to organize my fabric so I can find what I want when I want to use it.  I'm not sure how long this will stay in place.  When a project is in progress a hurricane comes through the room.  I am trying to stop between projects and get the room back in order!  Does anyone else have this problem?

Here are a few pictures of the room as it looks right now!

this is one corner of the room

   

  these bins are in the closet

  

this is a shelf in the closet

another side of the closet

the sewing corner and design wall

the serger, quilt books and Accuquilt Go 

embroidery thread and computer desk

It may not look that neat to some people but for me it is a great improvement!

A dress for Abigail

My niece came over today and wanted me to make a dress for Abigail. There's  a first time for everything.  Hailli picked out the fabric and lace and I made up a quick pattern and this is what I came out with.
I think Abigail likes her new dress!

It was fun to spend some time with Hailli!

New adventures are lots of fun!

Sewing for baby again!

I finished this flannel quilt today.  I used a very light lining.  It's my version of a rail fence pattern.

Sewing for baby!

We have a grand baby due at the end of October.  We do not know if it will be a boy or a girl.  The happy parents are letting it be a surprise.  Prayers are for a healthy baby and we are all trying to think pink.  Seems this clan makes only boys.
I wanted to make a couple of things for the new baby so I pulled out my books and found this one.
I made the sleep sack yesterday and the little booties a couple of weeks ago.

There is a pattern for some cute little reversible pants in this book that I want to make later this week..  The fabric is a truer green than it shows here.  The little frogs on this fabric is so cute.  The lighting was not very good when I took this picture.

Busy weekend making bags!

I pulled out these patterns that I bought at a quilt show in Houston, Texas about 7 years ago and decided to try making these bags.

The purse came out better than I expected.

I think my daughter-in-law will like this diaper bag.

These were fun to make.   I work slowly but I think I am getting a little better at making these.

Hearts from sweet hearts.....both bees are sending blocks

I am participating in 2 online quilting bees.  For my turn I asked for hearts on pink and and red fabric from both groups!  This has been great fun.  I have made many blocks to send out and now it is so much fun to check the mail.  I have been getting them in just about every day for a couple of weeks now!
I think these are some of the most talented ladies and I am so excited to be a member of these wonderful groups.
Check out this photo of the hearts I have gotten so far.  I am still waiting for hearts from about 8 bees..........