Where I've been...what I've been doing!

As usual, it's been busy here in Florida...weather has turned and it's sunny and warm...personally, I don't mind the cooler Florida weather.  In fact, I could have it cool year round...not a fan of hot weather...but then not a fan of cold/snowy weather!  guess we're never happy are we!

First off, yes, I'm still cooking with my instant pot!  I bought this book for $8 (no shipping) on Amazon and made Urvashi's Butter Chicken dish, which was delicious!!!   I didn't take a pic of our meal but you can see the butter chicken on the cover of the book. Yum...so good!

That actually was the last meal I cooked since we've been eating out twice a week, having leftovers from my Instant Pot meals or just leftovers from eating out.  I don't want to have tons of food in the freezer and that's about where I'm at right now. So leftovers it is!


I had some buds to the house for  some beading a week or so ago.  We had a really fun day and I'll be posting some of Beth's work she brought for show and tell in another post.  We plan on doing some playing with tyvek in another week.  Looking forward to that.

Nancy and Beth being good students!

Why, yes, we had to had some sweets!

This week I  headed south to visit with my sister and Nancy, and, as always, had a great time.  It's always lots of laughs with both of them...and especially trying to show my sister how to knit using the Portuguese knitting method!

One year we did arm knitting...now that was a hoot!  HA  You can see that post here from 2014..now that was funny!  Of course, we went out to eat at a really unique Italian restaurant that was fantastic!  Dishes were huge and they even put a platter of bow tie pasta with sauce and a platter of seasoned carrots and beans on the table for everyone!  I could have eaten the entire plate of veggies!  But my chicken dish was so good I had to portion my food!  HA

My sis, me and Nancy!  I was sitting on my knees...I'm short but not that short!

One of the pasta dishes

My dish...yum, yum, yum

I asked for oil for my bread and they gave us a bowl with oil and pesto that was fantastic!

I am back knitting the scarf from H__L....which, actually, is getting easier since I got my cubics needles...they do make a difference.  And, as I mentioned or didn't mention...I'm not making Valentine fiber cards this year BUT I did mail out something this year!  It's been good taking a year off from making 50 cards...I thought it was more than that because I got my Christmas card list mixed up with my fiber cards.  I only need to make  50 and now I have some ideas for next year!  See...it's good to take some time off from art work!

Medieval Unicorn

This is my Medieval challenge piece for the online group, Art Quilts Around the World.  Unicorns were an important legendary creature of medieval times.  But to tell the truth, I just like them!  

I started with a coloring page of a horse I found online designed by Keiti Davlin.  It seemed like the perfect pattern that I could free motion quilt.  

I reversed the horse, sectioned off areas and  traced onto paper.  

Then I traced onto my background fabric; sandwiched the piece with batting and used Sulky dark variegated 12 wt thread to stitch the outline and sectioned areas. Next I used a lighter shade 12 wt variegated thread to free motion each section. 

This was the fun part!.. cutting the horse out of the background! But I did it and no stitching/threads were harmed in the process!  Before I cut it out I did fuse Wonder Under on the back so I could fuse the the background.

I found this batik fabric while shopping with my Q bud, Susan.   I sandwiched then free motion quilted following some of the design(s) on the fabric.   Cording was added and facing to finish off the edges.  This picture shows the purple cording (you can see on the left and right sides) and the top and bottom where I started adding the yellow facing.

This shows how the edges look after the facing was turned to the back.  





Before I fused the Unicorn, I cut out a horn from ultra suede I just happened to have bought with me!  Then I fused the entire piece,  added some iron-on Rhinestones and used felt pen to color his eye!  

He doesn't have a name but I'm quite happy with how he turned out.  Now onto the next theme quilt, which is due March 31st!

Knitting

This week should be quiet enough for me to finish the scarf I'm knitting...ugh...fingering yarn is not my favorite.   I get my finger nails or just my rough skin caught...end up dropping or adding stitches....I only seem to do this with that weight of yarn.  Hence, I don't knit with it!  But my BFF, Carol T., suggested I get the pattern and she helped me pick out the yarn... This is what it should look  like...mine is green and pale brown.  

So what did I do tonight!  I ripped out the entire piece I had knitted!  

I was in the process of binding off and kept losing stitches!  How the heck do you lose stitches binding off!  But I did...so this is what the above knitting looks like now! 

I will start all over again and I'll finish this bugger yet!

 I also ordered more of the Indigo yarn to make another shrug, which I have worn so much!  It's perfect for fall or those evenings eating out when a restaurant is cool!  Actually I ordered a dark Berroco indigo blue and a pale white/beige.  

This color is good with a black turtle neck but I think the other shades will get a lot of use as well.  Plus, I couldn't pass up the price!   

And it will be so much more pleasant to knit with real yarn rather than 'hair'!  HA

UPDATE:  I received my yarn...yea!!! The tiny small ball is what the yarn looks like before it was knitted in the shrug above.

 But I have to finish the project from HE_L first!  UGH!

Start of another week....

Well, last week was productive....had breakfast out as well as two dinners out.  Friday, I met up with Marcia and we headed to the Villages for some shopping and of course lunch.  Which was fantastic!

Marcia had their Cobb Salad

And I had their Chicken Cesar Salad, which was the best ever!  And we both ate all our food!!!!  Yes, that was after shopping but we did stop at the candy store and I purchased some fudge.  Well, who can pass on buy two get one free!











On Saturday I got to see Sally's daughter , Kristin, and her family at her dad's house!   Winnie and Dan has us over to share a pizza with them before they headed off to Paint with Twist.  It was so good to see them!  Kristin has her mom's smile doesn't she!

And Kristin's hubby, Tom and their daughter, Alexis also have great smiles and great personalities!  So nice to see them.  They live over an hour from us so I'm not sure how often they get up this way to see Dan (her dad) but I will at least see them on those visits!

I am almost finished with my Medieval quilt for the Art Quilters Around the World online group.  It's due on January 31st.  This is a sneak peak!  I have to make the label and attach one more item on the quilt but I should be able to manage that before the end of the month!  That is, f I don't go to lunch or dinner often!  And, yes, I'm still using my Instant Pot and I still love it!

Exploding Box

My bud, Jan, came over this past week for a project she wanted to work on.  It's called an 'exploding box'!  To tell the truth it certainly looked a little daunting!  But we did it!!!

You can see why we thought it might take a day or two to finish!  But we did it in less than 3 hours.  Jan had all her pictures she wanted to include in the 'box'.  She just had to decide where each picture would go and get each picture trimmed to fit the slots!  That was the hard part!  HA

This is beautiful, Miss Jan, working hard on the 'box'!

We laid out all the pics in the area Jan wanted then she started to cut and paste (so to speak!).

All finished...the purple box can hold something special.  Jan's daughter is fond of unusual rocks, so she might put a special one in that box.

This was almost a two person job...folding the bugger to make a box!!!

And now it's all tied up nicely ready to be open!

Check out the video of the finished box!  How cool is this!

I'm going to order one and make it for Amber for her 19th birthday this coming August!  She'll love it!
p.s.  Just fyi...it took Jan several, several weeks to receive this box via mail from China.  I've read some negative and positive reviews on the web site I linked to above.  I think it's because the items do come from China, hence, the long delivery time.  Just fyi...I did order one but I don't need it until late summer!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Tuesday was my birthday and I had such a pleasant day.   And look at all the presents my special friends and family gave me!!!  I really wish they wouldn't do that but since they did, I will accept them graciously!!  And I love all my cards I've received as well as good wishes on FB!

My DIL sent my first gift(s)!  A bangle bracelet that you add essential oils in a small pad inside the locket.  How cool is that!  And you smell good too!  Very sweet of her!  I love my bangle bracelets!!

And my wonderful daughter sent me a text last week (she's in N.Y.) saying she was getting me something to make me feel better (she knows the discomfort I have with my bones).  Bob wanted to know if it was a case of wine!  No, something better! 

So I have started taking these supplements!  My daughter said a co-worker and his mother take them and it's helping with their aches and my daughter has also started on them.  Keeping our fingers crossed!  Dawn is so thoughtful and I'm really hoping it will work for all of us!!!

My BFF back home, Carol T., sent me this really cool ruler!  At first, I was wondering why a ruler...I have so many but this is a great ruler.  It really sticks to the fabric so it doesn't slip!  It's made by QuiltersSelect.  

Jan came over with Larry on Tuesday and we worked on an exploding box she was making for her daughter!  But that's for another post!  What fun that was!  I'm going to get one for my grand daughter for her birthday in August!  Anyway, Jan brought me a delicious looking cup cake!  I had to send a pic to my grandson, Nick!  He loves Oreo cookies!  Doesn't it look wonderful!

Jan also gave me this lovely bangle bracelet  (check out what the charm says!)

And she gave me this makeup remover pad.  I actually used it Tuesday night!  Feels so good on your face!  Now if it only would take away the wrinkles!  HA










John and Marilyn also stopped by and gave me a gift card to this very unique restaurant called Craft Cusine.  I've heard such good things and hope the four of us will  have a dinner at Craft together very soon.

Verna, the OP resident baker and friend!, made a delicious carrot cake for me.  Verna is the best and her cakes are wonderful!!  Look at all the work she puts into her cakes!  Just beautiful!  She also brought over a box of cookies, candy and nuts!  What a sweetheart!!!  She has made a cake for the group of 12 here in Florida  for each of their special days for  years!  And she always remembers my BD as well!






















My 'Q' bud Susan brought me this special cup for my birthday!  I love it!  I normally bring my own mug from home to Florida (I know sounds strange but I am fussy about my mugs!) but this year I didn't!  I just reached a point of getting tired of stashing another item somewhere in our car!  So now I have this to drink my morning coffee from! 

Today, we'll be celebrating a birthday for my bud Susan's husband, Harvey.  Off to dinner at BoneFish then back to their house for another slice of wonderful cake by Verna!   I would say I'm one lucky lady!!!! 
Thanks again, one and all!!!!

Still cooking!

Literally!  I'm still cooking!  I'm just crazy about this instant pot!  Just made us individual key lime cheesecakes!  

IIt looks really yellow but it's not in person.  I only had the little ramekins to use but it worked! Neither of us can wait for dessert!  Tomorrow is BBQ chicken and mac and cheese made in the IP!

I am also working on the T shirt quilt.  Fused some interfacing to a few shirts yesterday.  Hope to finish that up on Sunday or Monday then I can lay them out to see what shirt works where!  Always the hard part.  Then I need to buy some fabric for the sashing as well as the backing!  Guess that means my bud, Susan, and I will need another trip to the quilt shop.  This time we'll head to Trenton to the Suwannee Valley Quilt shop.  They have over 7000 bolts of fabric!!!  That's a lot of fabric so for sure so I'll find something.  Plus, we always have a nice lunch.  There is a cute little dining area in front of the quilt shop.  Yum!

We've only eaten out 4 times since our arrival!  Twice with the 'gang', once with our friend, Dan and Winnie and once this week Bob and I went to Cody's for early dinner. 

How's that for a change!  My instant pot is saving $$'s eating out but my grocery bill has increased big time because I'm always going to buy something new to cook for dinner.  Guess I can't win!  But the food is good!

Keeping Busy!

Our weather has made a nice turn...from the 20's to 65 today! Although, it was still overcast and not the normal hot sun like past years.  BUT..we aren't complaining. I talked with two friends back home and they said it was warm...35!  They had snow this morning and more snow on its way this weekend!

Bob is back golfing and I've been off with my buds two days, so far!  Marcia and I headed off last Friday and Susan and I headed to the quilt shop on Saturday!   I needed some fabric for this project.    I can't post what I'm working on but I will show a sneak peek!  

The theme is Medieval..I haven't been doing any free motion quilting so this was a real challenge using my 440 which I don't like to use for free motion...left my good old trusty 1090 back home...but guess by the end of the four months, I'll be use to this machine again!  

And I'm still cooking with my Instant Pot!  Made Instant Pot Crispy Carnita's which were delicious!  The pork was so tender and the pineapple salsa was yum, yum!  Took under an hour to cook and only one pot to clean!  And an easy clean as well!

And the night before even Bob got in the act!  We (yes, together!  Scary isn't it!) made Chocolate Lava cake....oh my gosh!

  Really good and topped with ice cream just the best dessert!  And so quick in the Instant Pot.  I think it was a total of 9 min. to cook! and then we ate!  

I also found an app called COPY ME THAT for my phone.  I can look up a recipe and if I like it, copy to a recipe box direct from the search!  So cool.  It will then display the ingredient list, instruction list, etc. each separate if you want!  How cool is that!    Gotta love technology!