Sister's Choice Quilts

Taking Pleasure in Small Things

I waited for the longest time, but the hummingbirds knew I was lurking and just wouldn't come to the feeder.  With these last days of summer, in the days before our annual trip to Ireland, I have been enjoying the simpler things in my life.  It has been fairly hectic, trying to prepare for the trip, check off all the "to do's", and sort out what we need to pack.  This past week I haven't had much time to blog, but I have had some time to step back, take a breath, and enjoy some of the simpler things in my life which give me so much pleasure.

Love this furball.  He is always sitting in my favorite chair when I want to sit down and read my book.

This is what I am reading right now.  Remember The Chilbury Ladies' Choir?  So good.  This is the author's "sophomore effort", and it definitely is not as good.  But still, I am enjoying it.  A curmudgeon of a middle-aged lady goes to London to search for her daughter Betty, who has gone missing during the Blitz of WW2.  She finds her daughter and a whole new outlook on life and what is important.

I pick up this memoir by Ruth Reichl when I have a chance, and so enjoy reading about her life.  The book documents her life after she was fired as the editor of Gourmet magazine, and is so interesting.  She pretty much cooked her favorite dishes for a year while she licked her wounds.

Speaking of licking, I am so in the mood for some fall-inspired food.  Last weekend, I seasoned and browned up some boneless pork chops and covered them with a mushroom cream sauce.

Is there anything more heavenly than perfectly browned and caramelized mushrooms?

Except maybe that first cup of coffee in the morning?  My favorite is Cinnabon coffee pods for the Keurig.

Or maybe sitting on the front porch to watch the sunset with a glass of wine?  Oh.  Except the dog is in my spot.

Whatever they are for you, try to enjoy the simpler things that add the most pleasure to your days.

 

 

 

Packing and a Couple of New Favorites

I've been packing for our annual trip to visit our son Ahren in Ireland.  We leave in just over a week, and I am determined not to overpack this time.  I swear the last two years I packed ten outfits and ended up wearing the same three over and over again.  I set up my rolling rack to "audition" clothes.  If you have a rolling rack, it is a wonderful tool for arranging your clothes for a trip.

One thing I have to keep in mind is that Irish people don't typically have clothes dryers.  You would think in a country where it rains 360 days out of the year, a dryer would be a very handy appliance.  Nope.  They tend to be old school and everyone dries things outside (weather permitting, which is five days of the year) or on collapsible clothes racks inside.  Seriously, if the weather is fine, everyone exclaims all day long "Oh, there is a good bit of drying in the day", and they all put their clothes on the line outside, optimistically thinking things will dry.

What usually happens is that you do your laundry, put it on the drying rack in the kitchen and in three days it is still there and still damp.  I'm not kidding.  I will never pack jeans again.  I wore them once, washed them and it took them five days to dry.  Everyone's home is festooned with half-dry clothes draped everywhere.  It is a national problem, and I do not see why something can't be done about it.

Well.  I got off on a little tangent there, didn't I?

At any rate.  What am I packing for just over two weeks in Dublin and five days in London?  My color scheme is mostly black, red and cream.  Nothing needs ironing.  At the moment (and I am hoping to cut these numbers down), I have five pairs of black stretchy leggings and/or knit pants for my bottom layer.  (I will be comfy, yet pulled together looking, and bonus:  they dry pretty fast). For tops I am trying to pair down to six or eight lightweight silk, lightweight cotton, poly or chiffon blouses that will dry overnight if I have to wash them.  They also pack down to nothing and take up virtually no room in the suitcase. One cozy sweatshirt type top to lounge in.  Two pullover sweaters I can wear for warmth or dress up with a scarf.  I can't decide between the red or the black so I have both ready to pack.  One may have to be eliminated...I have two cardigans that look dressy and can top off my blouses and be that "third layer" the fashionistas tell you to have.  I have a red rain jacket, an umbrella, a couple of scarves, a crossbody bag and two pairs of shoes. That should get me through just about all the occasions I anticipate.  I will use packing cubes and fit everything into two carry-on sized bags.

My dresser is a disaster, with stacks of undies, jewelry I am trying to decide between, and various items Ahren wants but can't get in Ireland.  Would you believe you can't get cold medications there without a prescription? No Alka Selzer Plus, no DayQuil, etc.  I always try to stock up on that for him.  If you are curious about what he looks like, click on the photo to enlarge it.  He is sitting with his sister Sara in my kitchen a couple of Christmases ago in that photo.

I won't get lost in the crowd in this cute red rain jacket from Talbots:

This is a new favorite nightgown from Soma.  They are having a great sale right now.  You can pay $52 for one of these long nightshirts, or buy two of them for $60!  They have adorable patterns to choose from, and the fabric is the coolest, silkiest, cotton tee shirt material.  I love to wear something like this when I travel, in case our son wants to pop in our room or I need to wander down to the kitchen for something.  It is modest and presentable looking, yet super comfy to sleep in.

I have some new toiletries and makeup I plan to pack, which I'll share with you in a future post.  Getting organized for a trip is one of my favorite things to do.  I hope I am getting better at it and overcoming my tendency to overpack.

Are you a good packer?  Do you have any tips you can share?

Too Hot To Sew, Reading Instead

Ugh.  It has been so hot here.  Way too hot to go upstairs and sew.  So, I have booted Ozzie out of my favorite chair and have been enjoying the most delicious book.  I got this one at the library, as it is a newer release.  The Summer Country by Lauren Willig.  I have read other books by this author, and they have all been good.  It is historical fiction, set in Barbados in the early and mid-1800s.  The story involves slaves, sugar plantations, secrets, betrayals, and the loveliest romance.  The book is so atmospheric, you will feel like you need a lemonade and a fan while you read it.  Or maybe I felt like that because it's been

A lady from Florida was asking me after yesterday's post if my fabric didn't go bad from the humidity, being stored out in a hot garage.  I had to laugh at that notion.  Take a look at our outside humidity here in the dry foothills of California--it was 12% humidity yesterday.  Usually, we are in the '20s during the summer.    Yes, it gets hot but never humid.  One good thing about that is my laundry dries in about 20 minutes of being hung out!

Hope you all are having a terrific week.  Nothing much happening here.  My only task is to figure out what to read next.

Fabric Bin Organization

Just a quick post to let you all know I am still alive.  The weather cooled down to the high 80s over the weekend, so I took advantage of the cooler temps and went out to the garage to organize my fabric storage.  We picked up some new bins at Walmart and I was able to put away the surplus fabric that had been piling up in my sewing room over the past year.  I have so much fabric from my favorite designers that is left over from projects.  I don't want to discard it, as it usually goes great with future collections these designers release.  Honestly, with each new project, I can be found rummaging in these bins to find things that coordinate with whatever new fabric line I am working with.

My organization method is somewhat haphazard.  Feel free to enlarge the photos to see my labels.   Some bins are for specific designers, if I have substantial leftovers to warrant a separate bin in their name.  Other bins are just fabrics by color:  reds, light greens, yellow & gold etc.  And then we have smaller bins for abandoned postponed projects.  I know i will get back to that Moda Blockheads quilt one of these days.  And those birds I wanted to make from leftover Fig Tree fabric... 

All in good time.  And meanwhile, in these labeled bins, there is a chance I can find those projects again when I am ready.

Temperatures are supposed to be between 102-105 the next few days, so I will be inside with a fan aimed at me.

Everything is a Total Mess

We are topsy turvy here.  I think I have been avoiding my sewing room for two reasons:  1) It needs a massive de-clutter/de-stash and 2) the world's most difficult, confusing and frustrating quilt has been on my design wall for months.

So this weekend, I tackled the clutter.  

I filled bins with fabric that is leftover from past projects or that I just don't have a use for right now.  I have storage out in my garage that I will transfer it all to next week.

The stash cupboard is much more manageable, and contains things I actually would like to use in the foreseeable future.

Best of all, I got all the larger pieces folded and wrapped on cardboard and put away nicely.

Things are shaping up, and with Eva away at camp all next week I will have uninterrupted time to finish sorting it all out.  

More on the world's most confusing quilt in my next post.

Thanks for all your encouraging advice regarding my recent unhappy dental experience.  I did get up my nerve and called the practice and told the hygienist that after the appointment I felt shamed and pressured to immediately schedule the pricey add on treatment they were recommending.  I didn't hold back.  However, she was so embarrassed and afraid she was going to get in trouble that I don't think she really heard all that I said to her.  She just kept saying "Sorry, so sorry" and not really listening to me.  So, next time, don't tell me 20 times that I have a terrible build up of tartar and how long it's been since my last treatment, and how I should floss better.  And let's see how this appointment goes before you pin me down to an expensive add on treatment that I haven't had a chance to research.  I really had no issue with the dentist's behavior.  He was pretty laid back when he spoke to me.  No shaming, no pressure.  But at the end of the day, this is his practice, and I believe his staff are conducting themselves the way he instructs them to.  I am exploring other options.

A Taste of Summer

I have been working sporadically on the binding of my Liberty Road quilt.  It's been a pitiful effort.  Oh well, it will get done when it gets done.  This summer, I tell you--it has been one long lazy one!

We were at the pool all morning.  Today was Team Picture Day.  They had a professional photographer come and take pictures of the whole team and also the kids individually.  Eva was pretty dead set that she would wear her swim cap and goggles, but was talked out of it fortunately.

I have to tell you my petunia story.  Despite our hot climate, this is the best year I have ever had for petunias.  As you can see, they are still going strong.  This is the third amazing bloom I have had off of these plants.  You want to know the secret?  Once they have nearly finished blooming, I put them out in my front yard where the deer can get at them.  Without fail, within 24 hours, the deer trim them down to practically nothing.  I take the pot back into the fenced back yard where the deer can no longer get at them, and they grow back better than before and bloom again like mad.  I have done it twice with incredible results!  Who knew deer could actually do something useful?

This is another combo I have had good luck with this year.  These are Vincas and Verbenas.  I can leave these right out in my front yard because the deer do not care for them.  The lady at the garden center told me if a plant has a bitter milky sap, or if the plant smells bad, the deer will leave it alone.  Geraniums are pretty deer proof too.

Here is one of the books I am currently reading.  I have recently discovered the very prolific author Rhys Bowen and really enjoy her.  In Farleigh Field is a WW2 mystery set in Kent, England, on a large country estate.  If you are missing Downton Abbey, you might like this book too.  The British army has taken over most of the Earl's estate and his family of four daughters is coping as best they can.  A parachuter falls to his death on the property and it seems that he may not have been British.  Much intrigue ensues.

So that is all the news I have to report.  As you can see, things are pretty simple around here!  Have a great weekend everyone.

 

Happy 4th of July

Ozzie and I would like to wish you all a happy and safe 4th of July if you live in the US, and a happy Thursday if you don't!  We plan to go to a barbecue with the family, and my corn salad that I posted on a week or so ago has been requested.  I told you it was good!

Ozzie isn't too keen about all the racket the fireworks make, but he plans a restful day up until the festivities begin.  I will spend the day making corn salad and reading my book.  Talk to you tomorrow!

Around the House

I am really enjoying this sweet little table topper I made last year.  It is "Endearments", a pattern by Betsy Chutchian.  The fabrics I used are hers as well.  I love piecing small block units and this pattern definitely fit the bill.  Those half square triangles finish at 1 inch!

It is placed on my kitchen counter with a pretty orchid my husband picked up at the grocery store.  Here is a closer look at the pot the plant came in.  How perfect for summer, right?

We are busy bees at my house lately.  Summer is in full swing, and as you see in one of the photos above, my Eva is spending a lot of time with me.  We work pretty steadily at our projects.  Look out little sea horse!

July Table Runner

I thought I would share a quick look at my July table runner.  This one was finished in 2018, but quilted fairly recently.  I used fabrics from my stash, and a Miss Rosie's Quilt Company pattern called "Recess", which I adapted to be rectangular in shape.  It measures 19" x 41".

Here is a closer look at the quilting.  I chose a stars and crescent design and really like how it came out.

Hope you are all having a great week.  We are really into swim team practice and spending hours at the pool!

Stripping

My friends, I have been starching and cutting fabric for a week!  I am going to make the Temecula Quilt Company's One Block Sew Along (which is actually over).  I wanted a huge variety of fabrics.  There will be around 360 blocks and I did not want to repeat combinations.  That meant 45 lights and 45 darks, or 90 fabrics total.  I thought I was going to have a real issue getting that many suitable light backgrounds together, but, um, no I didn't.  

My gosh, starching all that fabric took forever.  F.O.R.E.V.E.R.  I must have used 10 bottles of spray starch. But I'm done now, and the strips are all cut-all 180 of them.  You see how I lined them all up on the upstairs railing.  I don't know why I bothered, except to keep track of how many strips I had so far.  They will all end up balled up in a bin while I grab a light and a dark to each block pairing.

So the really ridiculous thing is--how much fabric I have left over.

Just feast your eyes on that pretty sight.  I have an entire bin of mostly fat quarters with four inches cut off.  You will be seeing  more of these in future projects, I promise.

I am so eager to jump in and start making my blocks.  Monday is the first day of Summer Vacation however, and Miss Eva and I have plans.  We need to make a very cool Father's Day card for her daddy, do a cooking project, do some home schooling and go see Aladdin.  So I may have to wait until Tuesday for any sewing  machine action.

Hope you had a splendid weekend.  It warmed up into the low 90s here, so as I predicted, we skipped spring and went right into summer!