Bamboozled! Flying By the Seat of My Pants!

I consider myself an accomplished sewer. Not to boast, but I have sewed tailored jackets, dresses, clothes for myself, clothing for my children as they were growing, wedding dresses when that time came for more than my three girls. Quilts, curtains, gifts, you name it, I have probably tried it. This project bamboozled me!

I took one look at the directions and thought, piece of cake.  Well, I had problem after problem.

 It wasn't the fault of the directions, I want to make that clear, but it was me! I am an "eyeballer". OK, now that I have confessed to that... there are probably a lot other things I should confess to, but we can leave that for another time and place. Hence, "flying by the seat of my pants". There have been many projects that I have just made it up as I go along - one of my daughters has the same problem talent...

I sewed up the sides, but when I got ready to do the corners, I cut the wrong angle... OOOPS! Now I had a mess. Please forgive the poor quality of the photos, the sewing reflected...

I had to take it all apart - something I hate to do, cut it down and then I thought about adding something to the front - the flowers with the left over-cut off flannel.

Well, that was OK, but I had to work with those funny corners I had already cut. They distinctly did not like me. This photo shows the lumps - not my best work.

and again. When I decided to do a decorative stitch on the outside, I ran out of bobbin thread (doesn't it always happen when we don't want it to?) I then couldn't find the same color until I looked everywhere!

Well, I am sure that the baby won't take notice. 

And, I AM going to do this again and again until I conquer this,

or wish I had never started.

So many projects - so little time

On my list of things to do

1. Make baby receiving blankets for about 4 young ladies who are expecting new arrivals.

(I have one cut and pinned)
(that one is finished - mailed, well not yet...)

2. Start a quilt I have cut out for a friend
(I'm having such a time with the design, I had to call in--
My Own Personal Design Team
(aka: my daughters)

3. Finish a rug I am making

(her birthday already came and passed - sigh)

4. Clean off the spare bed

(it is my "design table" for my sewing projects)

5. Finish my unending pile of ironing

6. Cover some cloth bags with some fabric scraps in a random pattern

7. Make some really yummy almond roca candy

(that I really want to make, but will not, no, will not be eating)

8. Finish a mini quilt that I have started

9. Start some fabric flower pins

And, the most important, yet pressing item on my list...

FINISH THOSE TAX RETURNS!

that need to be in by the 31st
(I'm happy to say "check" on that one)

I have worked off and on with those numbers and they just won't balance in the right places.

I have a friend that will help me tomorrow.

So, til then, I will just sit here and contemplate

What would I do if I had all these done?

A Call-out for Help on Some Ironstone

Well, it's like this

I have these six ironstone tumblers/glasses

They are around 4 1/2" high

They are made by Royal Crownford and Arthur Wood

But--

I cannot find them in any of my reference books

not on the internet

I have never seen them before, anywhere...

(does that make them rare?)

Does anyone have any information to give me a clue as to how to price them?

When I look in my reference books, the price they give is the highest price

that an item has sold for... so, I usually half that and arrive at a somewhat price.

If you have seen any, or know where I can look, please, please let me know.

Thanks

Spinach Torte

We, as in our small group of Christians that meet together here regularly,

fell heir to about a gallon of spaghetti sauce.

It was left-over from a recent 'camp' meeting that we all enjoyed.

So, we got it out and planned a meal together.

Someone would bring sausage to put in the sauce.

Another would bring a large green salad,

and still another would bring the french bread.

With, of course, plenty of desserts and cold drinks.

In our family, it has been a 'sorta tradition' that we have

Spinach Torte with our spaghetti.

The aroma of it cooking will drive you crazy.

That is crazy to eat it.

Think:
Walking by an Italian eatery and having the aromas of

Garlic, Onions, Parmesan Cheese and Warm Bread

Waft over you, and you have an idea of this mouth watering combination.

Put a dollop of red sauce over the mound on your plate.

Cut into it with your fork and let your senses sing.

When Mr was a service-man years ago, he entered a home to do his job there 

and this was baking. He promptly asked for the recipe and we have never been sorry.

Be sure to try it and give me your feedback.

Spinach Torte

In a bowl combine:

1 package frozen spinach (drained)

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese

4-5 slices of bread, broken up (use up that bread in the bread box)

In your blender combine:

1 Cup milk

1/3 Cup olive oil

6 eggs

3-5 cloves of garlic (don't skimp on this!)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 onion

Salt and Pepper - about 1 tsp each

Arrange your spinach, cheese and bread in a greased 9 x 13" casserole dish

Pour the liquefied mixture over it and bake at 350' for 35 minutes or until brown.

So easy, so good.

Simple ingredients

The "hardest part", cutting the bread into cubes. You could use bread cubes for stuffing.

The bread, spinach and cheese combined in a dish.

When blending onions, I have found that quartering them is easier on the blender.

Think bread pudding texture with an Italian seasoning attitude.

Be sure to tell me what you think.

1st Project of this year

OK

I'm slow,

like really slow

Compared to others, who are well on their way to completing their third, even fourth project

I am way behind.

But, I am me

So, here is a quilt project that I cut out and started before the New Year rang in.

I knew that the couple/young lady was decorating with browns, maroon, tans, etc.

I chose most of the above fabrics to use.

This is called a "disappearing nine" pattern.

You cut squares, join them in a nine patch, then cut those squares

 into quarters.

I joined them randomly and this is the finished quilt.

 It is about 41" square. I have liked making these smaller lap sized quilts.

They are easy to manage under the machine and quicker.

Mr really likes the colors on this one and so do I.

The back after being washed and dried looks so comfy and crinkly.

 I did some random or meandering quilting.

Hidden words in the quilting. SHH!

I just had to play around with the settings on the camera

I will be sending it along with a friend when she visits in a few weeks.

Hopefully the young couple will forgive me for being late on their wedding gift.

Linking to:

http://www.jaqsstudio.com/2012/01/made-by-me-13-linky-party-and-features.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JAQSStudio+%28JAQS+Studio%29

over at JAQS Studio: Made by me

***********

Now, onto some other quilt projects.

I want to try a zig-zag pattern for a gift to a friend. (it is mostly cut)

I have several friends who are having babies in the next few months, like 6 or 7!

I want to make myself a quilt sometime, but I can wait.