Sister's Choice Quilts

New Gizmo

Have you all discovered this super new gizmo?  It is a bendable intense bright light that you attach to the top of your sewing machine!  You stick the base on the machine, and then insert the light mechanism into it.  You remove it when you pack up your machine, but it fits right back on when you get to your destination.  It is a must for going to retreats or other places where you aren't sure of the quality of the lighting.  You can also buy additional bases to stick on all your machines so you can use the light on any of them without having to purchase additional lights.

I got mine at Eddie's Quilting Bee in Sunnyvale. 

Oh my goodness, are we having fun with Ozzie and Sophie.  The house is a mess, the family room carpet is trashed, and I really mean that.  But, life is short, and dogs add a certain something that is better than cake.

 

How It's Going

Just a quick update---It is going pretty well with Sophie and Ozzie.  He plays too rough, but they are figuring out the best way to handle things.  When she gets fed up with him, she gives it right back to him.  We have had to separate them a couple of times, but for the most part, they tumble and tug and tear around happily together.  Last night around 10:00, by mutual agreement, they each retired to their respective dog crates like an old married couple.

A few of you have asked how we came up with her name.  I got to name Ozzie, and my husband wanted to name our new puppy.  Sophie was his choice, and I have to say it fits her perfectly.  It is easy to say and she has learned it already.  She definitely did not know the name Harmony, so it worked out fine to change it.

I don't think she has had a lot of one on one loving on a regular basis, but she responds affectionately to cuddling and petting.  She loves to have her neck scratched, but hasn't learned to totally relax when she is being petted.  She insists on standing up!

In the morning when I am getting ready for work, I have been bringing her back to my bedroom with me.  This is hard to believe, but she shows no interest at all in my shoes.  While Ozzie would be stealing my best pumps or rummaging around in the waste basket for something nasty, she just sniffs around casually or stands and watches me get dressed and made up.  I have the feeling she is not going to be half the tease Ozzie is!

Thanks for all your good wishes.   Things are a bit topsy turvy at the moment, but it is all good.   I tell you, it is really hard to say goodbye when I leave for the day, but what fun we have when I get home!

Her Name Is Sophie

 

Ozzie Gets Some News

 

"Ozzie!  Listen!  Slow down a sec!  Do you like to play?  Do you like to play with other doggies?  I thought so!  Well, guess what sweetie?  Your sister Harmony is going to come and live with us!  She will be your new friend, who will be here with you all the time when I am off at work at my new job!  You won't be alone any more!  You will be able to play all day and learn to share your toys and treats!  Isn't that wonderful?"

Where There is a Will There's a Way

The shock of receiving half of what I was expecting in my first paycheck has gotten me thinking.  How am I going to pay these darn bills?  I do not want any calls from Bob in India, my Nemesis.  He is such a doggone pest.

So aside from going into more debt in order to make my payments on time this month, guess what Mother's Little Helper is?  EBay.

I have decided to try and sell some of my old purses--hardly used, good as new, and taking up room in my closet.  Second string purses to me, but classics and A-List purses to somebody out there.  Great brands:  Coach, Dooney & Bourke and Cole Haan.  Someone must want them, right?

I spent several hours listing things on EBay this weekend and hope to see some results. I had better sell them because Ebay charges you a listing fee whether or not your items sell!

Wish me luck!  It is a good day when I don't hear from Bob.

It Is All About the Contrast

Remember this pattern?  I started to make it back in April with a collection called In The Pink 1 designed by Buggy Barn for Henry Glass.  My colors are all pinks and browns. I set the project aside because I was not happy with the lack of contrast in my blocks.  I believe the point of this block is to have the darker fabric really contrast with the light in order to see the pattern best.

My fabrics are browns (nice and dark), creams (nice and light) and pinks.  The issue is that the pinks are supposed to be darks, but actually have more of a light value.  My blocks just weren't working for me.  To make things worse, I saw this quilt made up by April at Prairiequeens in fabulous brownish Daiwabo plaids.  Very subdued colors, but fantastic, no-doubt-about-it contrast between the lights and darks.  (Click on the link and scroll down to "Raise the Roof" and you can see her version).

In my blocks the contrast is just lost in the translation.  Neither here nor there.

 

I think using the pink in this block was a mistake.  The block looks anemic and wishy washy to me.  Look how much better the block looks with the pink taken out.  That's what I'm talking about.  You know EXACTLY what you are looking at.

I LOVE this pattern and refuse to give up.  I have made two dozen log cabin blocks using the pinks and have finished 24 of these star blocks using them.  And I DON'T LIKE THEM!  Why couldn't I see this coming?  This is a lesson to all you beginning quilters out there:  even experienced quilters end up with projects that don't work every now and then.  It is all a learning process that makes us better quilters in the end.

I think I am going to bag this pink and brown project, save the pattern and start over again, maybe with a nice Kansas Troubles collection.  I will use tan prints for the lights and nice dark cranberry, forest green, navy, black and maybe some russet for the darks.  I am not giving up.

Now, What Was I Going To Do With This?

Didn't have a lot of time to sew this weekend, but I did manage to get into the stash closet and fondle some of my fabric.  I rediscovered this yummy collection that I bought back in April when Lisa was out for a visit.  The fabric is Fresh Air by Chez Moi for Moda.  Very colorful and modern.  Fresh looking, like its name.  I bought the jelly roll, which came packaged in an adorable little round tin, and extra yardage of all the tone on tone solids and a great big length of the large print for the border. 

Isn't it fabulous?  The problem is, I have no recollection of what my plan was for this beautiful fabric group.  At all.  I know I had something in mind, but what was it????

How about surrounding a solid square with scrappy strips from the jelly roll?  Kind of like what Karen, Mistress of Lee Haven was doing with her Trembling Blocks?  Problem is, I don't have enough prints to really do her block justice, because it would be better to have a large print as the center of the block like she did.  Maybe I can get a charm pack and build from there?

And wouldn't you know I misplaced my On A Roll book!?!  I know I could get some ideas there.  Honestly, I feel so disorganized!

I found a couple of cool ideas in a book called More Ideas for Strip Clubs---one is a Pineapple block design which could be very cool.

Help!  Any ideas or suggestions?  Lisa, do you remember what on earth I had in mind?

No Recipe Easy Dinner

 

 

I have completed my first two weeks at my new job today.  And it was Pay Day!  Big Whoop.  My check was half what I was figuring it was going to be.  I was thinking I was getting paid for two weeks, but nope, that wasn't the case.  I started my job on August 4, and the pay period was July 28 through August 8, so there you are.  I got paid for one week's work.  I ask you, why didn't someone explain that to me in advance?  I would have if I were the hiring person.  Arrggh.  And don't even suggest that I try and explain that to my creditors.  They want their money and they want it NOW.  If you don't pay, they have a guy named Bob from India call you and pester the life out of you.  I swear he calls four times a day, and now he doesn't even ask to speak to me, he just says "Nicole?" before I hang up on him.  Sorry,TMI, but that is my life right now.  Sigh.

Since I don't have the money I thought I was going to have for my food budget the next couple of weeks, I am going to have to Economize.  Here is a yummy recipe that is a heck of a lot more creative than Mac N'Cheese or hot dogs.  I got it from the new Rachael Ray magazine, and it is supposed to be one that you can just throw together without a recipe, but I went online and got the real scoop.  Cheap and good and done in less than 30 minutes, and you can take liberties with the amounts etc.

Ham, Egg and Cheese Bake

4-6 slices good deli bread sliced and cut into 1 inch cubes

8 ounces deli ham, coarsely chopped

2 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded

3 T. finely chopped fresh chives

6 large eggs, whisked

½ cup milk

Salt and pepper

4 small tomatoes, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350.  Butter a 2 quart baking dish.  Layer the bread, ham, 2 cups of the cheese, and 2 T of the chives into the dish.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.  Pour into the dish and top with the tomato slices in an even layer.

Bake the eggs until nearly set, about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle the remaining ½ cheese and 1 T chives on top and bake a few more minutes.

 

 

Bubble Head Ozzie

Much to Ozzie's delight, my son was home from Cal Poly for the weekend.  Ozzie loves him passionately because he thinks up very funny games that the rest of us dullards in the family would never dream up.  It takes one comedian to know what another would find funny I guess.

You are all familiar with Ozzie's tricks and mischievious tactics to get our attention.  If things are quiet for too long, leave it to Ozzie to stir things up a bit.  Well, while we were all otherwise occupied, Ozzie somehow managed to steal an almost empty milk carton out of the kitchen.  As he tore outside with it in his mouth to play his favorite game of Keep Away, my son grabbed my camera and took a quick video clip of the chase. I had no idea my camera had this feature, but nevermind that for now.

Ozzie is shown as the total maniac he is in the clip below.  The funniest thing was that he couldn't see beyond the huge milk carton he had in his mouth and had to caper about sideways.  I don't know how to make the little Youtube screen show below, but if you click on the link, you can see Ozzie in full motion.

http://www.youtube.com/user/nicoleshyne

After the merry chase, he and my son settled down for a bit of a rest.  Ah, isn't it good to be part of a family who loves you?

Thank you to all of you who responded to my question yesterday, about how you fit sewing or quilting into your already packed schedules.  If you haven't read all the comments, you should.  People were so thoughtful in what they shared.  You are all so great!

Heritage Stars

This is the center medallion for the Heritage Stars quilt I have been working on.  Or rather not working on, but I am trying to correct that situation.  I am using the beautiul fabric group Allspice Tapestry by Fig Tree for Moda and a pattern I found in an issue of APQ.  The center medallion will be surrounded by stars in two sizes.  I started out making the smaller 6 inch stars, since there are 44 of them required.  My idea was to get them out of the way first and then whip through the larger stars.  As I recall, only 24 of them are needed.  That is a lot of stars in total, friends.

At this time, only 16 of the small stars are completed, so I have a fair amount of work to do.  I figure if I make a few stars every day I will soon see some progress.  It all adds up, right? 

I would love to know something.  I realize that I can't be the only person in the position of wanting to quilt, but having outside responsibilities.  Many of you have kids, one or more full time jobs, aged parents to look after, meals to prepare, gardens to take care of, dogs to walk, grand children to baby sit.....

Please share with the rest of us how you manage to fit your quilting into your busy lives!  Inquiring minds need to know!