November Table Scraps Challenge.

My Table Scraps Challenge project is a true WIP this month. I had a few things, that took precedence. 

As we prepared to travel to our son’s house in Northern California, I remembered that I hadn’t made a plan.  It needed to be portable and it needed to be handwork! I had some hand projects in the works, but they did not fit the parameters of the challenge. 

Dark Neutrals and Mini for November. 

I gave some thought to portable, scrappy dark.  A mug mat came to mind. I have been wanting to do a Kawandi project after watching Linda's beautiful ones. Here is a link to her post about her first attempt.

Already hers are miles beyond my meager stitching. She has done several, all glorious. Maybe the dark fabrics isn't the way to go, to be true attempts at the Kawandi style. After all the Siddi women have fabulous, beautifully colorful fabrics to work with. But it does hide my inconsistent stitches. 

I’m using 2 strands of embroidery floss. Some short lengths of colors from my stash and from the stash I inherited from my mom. So far, dark green, and caramel. Maroon is up next. It will be very organic, or rustic, or just plain ugly! We will see. I will finish it, but it’s a challenge. The process hurts my hands. I watched a YouTube video where the artist uses a small pliers like tool to pull the needle through the layers of fabric. And a cylindrical pincushion like implement that she held in her hand. I will research that. 

So this is my entry in the challenge. Uncomplete at this date, but it will get completed. 

I'm linking this post with Table Scraps Challenge, hosted by The Joyful Quilter. Thanks, Joyful for hosting this event. My scraps are not as prolific as they once were and I have almost 24 projects to show for it!  A win-win in my book. Hurray!!!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

I LIKE Thursday ~~~. Thanksgiving Day. 2022

Yesterday,as I was putting the pumpkin pies in the oven and asked "Alexa" to set a timer. She suggested that I ask her to play music. So I asked for Christmas music, because I didn't think there were Fall songs. Then I saw in LeeAnna's email that she googled Fall Songs.  So I asked " Alexa" to play fall songs. I'm not sure what I was listening to, but then I edited my request to "play Autumn Leaves" by Nat King Cole. 

ps:  this is the first time I have ever shared a video from YouTube!  Hope it works!

 She did play this one and some others.  

That conversation made me giggle!!!  I was talking to an inanimate object about songs of the season!!!  So now I know that there are Autumn songs!!!  Who knew??

Other things from this week:

FOOD

 

Chicken Chimichanga at  El Paisa Grill  in West Valley City, Utah,  at the end of our first day of travel!

 

Honey-chipotle basted salmon at the casino where we stayed in Reno on our second day of travel.

FAMILY 

This sign had to be shared with my brothers. Our dad, who we lost when we were young, was called Tommy Thompson. 

SIGHTS

A photo as we drove past The Bonneville Salt Flats, the reflection was perfect! . My crudely drawn arrow is the edge of the water.,

Rest Area on Feather Lake Highway

There is snow in this part of California! 

And a beautiful sunrise that greeted me Tuesday morning. 

Wednesday I made cranberry salad and two pumpkin pies. We are all set! 

Take some time today to be thankful and visit the list of fellow bloggers from the list maintained at Not Afraid of Color . Thanks , LeeAnna for hosting  I Like Thursday.  

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful! And especially important, Be Grateful!

One Monthly Goal November Finish Link Up

In early November, I wrote:

My goal for November is to get it quilted by the time we leave for Holidays in California. Then I will take it with me in the car and have it bound by the end of November.

I did get it quilted before we got in the car on the 19th.  The binding was attached and clipped all around. Using the tiny pincushion from Turid.  It's the perfect travel size.

The stripe looks good from the back too!

And today, the 23rd of November, it is done and on our son's table. It won't stay in California. It's too feminine for him. I need to make him a square or round table topper in more masculine colors. With pine trees or mountains. 

 Striped binding all sewn down on the back, mitered corners, every one!

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - November Finish Link-up

And at Finished or Not Finished Friday over at Alycia Quilts 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

TO DO Tuesday #115

Good Morning from sunny Northern California! I’m joining Linda from Texas Quilt Gal and friends to talk about lists, tasks and goals set and met! 

Last week.

Nov 15th to Nov 21st

1. Laundry and packing!✅

2. Dr. appointment on Wednesday! ✅. 

3. Stitching group on Thursday ✅ and get another knitting lesson. 🤷‍♂️

4. Covid Boosters on Friday✅

5. Maybe sign checks at my old employer. He had shoulder surgery and his daughter (next in charge) is out for some “girl parts” surgery. So I’m it! ✅

1. I have no photos to share for all the mundane tasks that were accomplished.  

2. All is fine after my appointment at the doctor’s office. 

3. A few of us were at stitching, but there was no knitting lesson, YouTube, here I come. The weather was frightful!  8 degrees when I arrived at the library. ❄️ And our teacher was not in attendance. 

4. Should have asked Mr Busy to take a photo of the yellow bandaid the nurse gave me when we got our boosters. No problem there, except a sore arm. As usual. 

5. I did go do my duty at my former employer and had a nice visit with an old friend. I did not forget how to review Accounts Payable and sign checks. 

Amended 11-23-22.Morning!

I just reread this post and realized I forgot an upcoming “playlist”! ! 

Nov 22 - Nov 28

1. Help make pies and cranberry salad for Thanksgiving.

2. Finish binding on I Believe in Angels table runner.

3. Continue on Table Scraps Challenge project. And write a post for last weekend of the month.

4. Enjoy our visit with our son. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy!

 

ps:  I just logged on and read Linda's post asking for our Thanksgiving menu. We are at our son's house. And neighbors we haven't met are invited.  He is cooking turkey and gravy, I am helping with our family cranberry salad  and we are making pumpkin pies.  I know the "neighbor lady", Cyndi, is making cornbread stuffing and apple pie. Not sure about the rest of the menu. I'll report nest week.   HAPPY THANKSGIVING to friends in the US and Happy Week to all others!!

I LIKE Thursday ~ Thanksgiving Favs

Joining LeeAnna and friends at Not Afraid of Color  this week before Thanksgiving. Our prompt is to share Thanksgiving menus, or recipes, or special memories. But first a couple of “Likes”. 

Looks like, King, our daughter’s kitty, is finally feeling at home. He still bolts when I enter the room. I’m not sure why he is “afraid” of me. I’ve never yelled at or struck him. My explanation is, he’s afraid of my red fuzzy slippers!  But, I try to not move quickly when he is near, and stay out of the kitchen while he eats, I just don’t know. 

I made a good sheet pan dinner this week. Sweet potatoes, chicken and broccoli all in the oven. The little dollop of yellow gold sauce is a chicken sauce we discovered at the new Dollar General Store in our neighborhood. Sort of like honey mustard but spicier! Mr. Busy says the recipe and the sauce are keepers! Here’s the link:

https://gimmedelicious.com/chicken-broccoli-sweet-potatoes-meal-prep/

Another happening. Miss B and her momma, our granddaughter, spent Saturday night in the ER and then the hospital. Strep, severely dehydrated with a large abscess in the back of her throat! These pics were in the ER, sorry about the “ugly blur”, I have to learn how to do that better.,

She is much improved and was discharged on Sunday evening. She needs to be bribed to take her antibiotic, but she is taking it! We are grateful that she is on the mend! 

Thanksgiving! 

Our Thanksgivings have been very traditional. Family always,  friends sometimes. Mr Busy and I grew up in the same town. Met and married there, both our kids were born there. Thanksgivings were his parents and siblings, my parents and siblings, even his grandparents for many years. Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, peas, cranberry salad, pumpkin, pecan and apple pies. 

The only thing my kids absolutely have to have is Grandma B’s Cranberry Salad. I’ll share the recipe, it’s labor intensive ( at least timewise)! 

Grandma B’s Cranberry Salad

9x13 pan 

1 pkg of fresh cranberries 

2 cups sugar

2  3oz ( or 1 6oz)pkgs of raspberry jello. (Any red jello will work)

3 cups boiling water for jello

Red grapes , cut-up to make 1 cup 

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 pint(2 cops) heavy whipping cream

Tuesday: Grind fresh cranberries to make 2 cups

Add 1 1/2 cups sugar , mix and let set overnight in a covered dish

Wednesday:  Combine 2- 3oz pkgs of raspberry jello in 3 cups hot water. Let cool. I usually put it in the refrigerator while doing the rest. It should be syrupy, not solid. 

Cut up 1 cup of red seedless grapes and 1 cup walnuts ( I don’t add the nuts, daughter is allergic)

Mix grapes and nuts with sweetened cranberries. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and let set for awhile. Add to syrupy jello before adding the whipped cream .

Whip 2 cups of heavy whipping cream, fold into fruit and jello mixture. 

Pour into a 9 x 13 cake pan and refrigerate. Overnight or at least 8 hours.

Thursday:  Thanksgiving Dinner~~~Cut into squares and serve. 

Next week, we will be in California. Having Thanksgiving dinner with our son and his new neighbors. He is making the turkey, pumpkin pies and cranberry salad.. With my help, of course. We are looking forward to meeting his new neighbors. They have been so good to him and it's nice to have neighbors you can share things with, when you don't have family nearby.

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

To-Do Tuesday #114.

Last week my list was this:


1. Sew more red and white stars! ✅

This is my design wall at ending of sewing on Monday!

2. Quilt Angels table runner ✅


It is quilted . I echo stitched? in white 1/4 inch inside the edge of the stars. Then I attached my free motion foot and just did "swooshes" in each square. I used a light blue thread and it blended well with most fabrics. It's noticeable on the red fabrics, not perfect but OK. The binding is sewed onto the front. I can stitch the binding down as we travel next week.

3. Do some stitching on Christmastime Mystery. ✅

ready to thread the needle to finish Christmas

4. Check out the Amy Chappell’s Passport to Quilting Holiday Edition on Instagram. ✅
I did check out the Passport to Quilting Holiday Edition. I downloaded nearly every pattern. Will I make them all, certainly not. But I have options now!! :)

Bonus points: As I finished sewing white stars on Monday and arranging them on my design wall, I decided to “put my machine away”. My sewing table folds up some and I could better vacuum before we leave for the holidays! First though, I should clean my the bobbin space! 

Yikes! I always have trouble getting my bobbin race in the correct position! This time I took a photo so I could remember what it looks like. Before I cleaned it!⤵️

Now that’s all cleaned up and back together, sewing much more quietly! 😀

Next Week:

Nov 15th to Nov 21st

1. Laundry and packing!

2. Dr. appointment on Wednesday! 

3. Stitching group on Thursday and get another knitting lesson. 

4. Covid Boosters on Friday

5. Maybe sign checks at my old employer. He had shoulder surgery and his daughter (next in charge) is out for some “girl parts” surgery. So I’m it! 

My “To-Do Tuesday “ will be different in the coming month.  I’ll be doing mostly hand work in Northern California and taking pictures of that beautiful mountain ( again)! 

I’m joining all the other To-Doers over at Texas Quilt Gal. Thanks, Linda for hosting this fun and necessary ( for me anyway) event!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

ScrapHappy Saturday. Nov 12

I'm joining Scrappy Rainbow Challenge quilters this morning. All of us wishing Angela and her family safe harbor and minimal damage from yet another hurricane. 

I sew a bit every day, but flit from one project to another. Not the most productive tact, for sure. 

I sewed some white stars with red backgrounds for the QOV Mystery.  I love it so far. 

I quilted the small Christmas themed table runner. Binding is ready to be attached to the back.

The quilting shows best from the back

But here is the front, all quilted, binding clipped on, pincushion from Turid at the ready!

I stitched on my Autumn Sampler and Christmastime cross stitch projects. 

And I was so frustrated with my knitting, that I ripped out the less than inch that I had knit and proceeded to ball all the yarn with the intention to start anew with a YouTube video in front of me.!

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!