Arrrgh!!!

...this fabric??

One of the pleasures of quilting is being able to occasionally share fabric with a quilting friend. I was at my favorite store last year, and saw a line of beautiful fabrics with a Jacobean look. I bought some, and on a spur of the moment decision, bought some for my friend, Cop Car. I know she loves fabric, but we've never had the chance to quilt together, so I'm just learning about her taste in fabric. It seems that I was a bit restrained. She loves the bright fabric that I'm just learning to incorporate into my quilts

So, I've been struggling to find a more modern way to set the fabrics so they weren't so very restrained. Fons & Porter have a set of templates that can be used to cut Drunkard's Path blocks, and they featured a very modern wall hanging based on block that were cut with these templates. A light went on over my head!

This is what a sample block looks like:

I've created about 30 blocks. It was a fun Saturday night, cutting and snipping, and sewing and cutting a bit more. I've laid out twenty of the blocks on the table to get a feel for what they might look like:

I tried several arrangements, and finally sewed the blocks together Sunday. Now I have to decide what border and binding fabric to use. Something simple, I think, that won't draw your eyes away from the blocks. I was thinking about adding a few jet beads here and there to give it a little sparkle.

What do you think? Is this a dog, or can I share it with my friends??

When the top is done, I'll post a picture of it.

We've hit the dog days of summer, when we seem to abandon our computers and blogs for the comfort of a hammock or swing in the shade, a summer read and a cold drink. It's been ages since I had a good idea for a blog, but I wanted to let my friends know that I'm still here.

I've been going to physical therapy. My knee still hurts, but much less. I like the woman who is working with me, despite the tortures she devises for me twice a week. We discussed the exercise program Elegante Mother and I attend, and agreed that it might be good to avoid any of the floor work that goes side to side, until my knee strength is better. So, I modify what we do in class a bit.

I got into the front garden for an hour about two weeks ago. Sunday morning I hope to get more done along the sidewalk. If the weather is good, I'll use the string trimmer at the front of the house, too. The gardens were beginning to get that burnt look when we FINALLY got a healthy rain on Thursday morning. I'll need to use the watering wand, to more heavily water the new transplants, but the rain saved a lot of parched-looking plants.

Last Sunday I cut the pieces for a wall hanging from the run of fabric that you'll see in one of the next entries. It's the second in a series using this fabric. Cop Car, you'll be happy to know that I'm still thinking about the third one. Tuesday and Wednesday I pieced the blocks. Thursday I cut the setting triangles, and today I pieced most of the rows. I hope that tomorrow I will be able to sew the rows together and choose a border.

I think my stash is procreating. I KNOW that I've made four wall hangings in the past few weeks, but it seems like there is more of this fabric now than when I started. If I really want to use it up, I'll be making wall hangings for the next year or two!

Quilting bee met here tonight. Occasionally this group is in really good spirits and can find things to chat about until close to 11:00 at night. Tonight was just the opposite. We actually quit about 45 minutes early. Everyone was simply ready to close down, and they were out of the house and down the driveway by 9:45. Thank you Bee....you've given me the time to post tonight!

I plan to crash shortly. My goal for tomorrow is to make a very early run on the Farmer's Market, and then stop at Target on the way home. If it's convenient, I'll get the car washed, and pick up the dry cleaning. I hope to spend the rest of the day finishing the wall hanging, and perhaps planning the next.

This weekend, it's going to be the girls and Ed again, as Dear Husband sails across the southern end of Lake Michigan. EM loves bruschetta. I was thinking about making bruschetta, and serving either shrimp cocktail, or shrimp scampi for dinner. I'm still pondering what's for dinner Sunday.

Dear Husband has asked for stuffed green peppers for dinner one night, so I've put that on the list. Several of my relatives prefer stuffed RED peppers, or any color other than green. I might cook a red or yellow pepper just to see if Elegante Mother likes them better than the green pepper. I have a watermelon I plan to cut up for dessert.

I have harvested the first of my miniature yellow pear tomatoes. The early cherry tomatoes are gone, but there are several cluster developing. I'll have to be sure to water the plants to avoid blossom end rot.

So, my days are following the traditional summer plan: gardening, reading, cooking, visits to the Farmer's Market, and quilting, with little things thrown in here and there. I need to make time to see what you have all been doing. Stay cool!

Dear Husband is a member of the Chicago Maritime Society. Chicago has an astonishing connection with sailing ships, but for some strange reason, the city doesn't acknowledge this history. There is no maritime museum. The members of the Chicago Maritime Society hope to change this one day, and to that end they hold a fund raiser every year. This year it was an evening ride through the harbor and the Chicago River on the "Little Lady." My Sister-The-Nurse had a birthday late in July, so we treated her to a trip on the river.

We boarded at Wacker and Michigan across the river from the Tribune Tower at 6:00 p.m. and the ship turned to head for the lake. The treat of the night was to see the Tall Ships moored along the south side of the river. Our guide gave us the history of each ship as we passed, describing the rigging, the sails, the hulls and historical tidbits. Five or six boats were docked along the river so people could board them.

The first of the ships was the Niagara. The U.S. Brig Niagara was built in 1988 as a reconstruction of the warship aboard which Commander Oliver Hazard Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 during the War of 1812. I need to study up on this battle, because it's where the phrase "Don't give up the ship!" originated.

The Appledore IV and Appledore V were the last in line before we came to the lock. They are part of a fleet of schooners which are named for an island off Maine.

We went through the lock to the inner harbor and turned to make a pass by Navy Pier. "The Pride of Baltimore II," with her raked masts, was the first boat we could see. A smaller tall ship was docked behind her that boasted of a crew that was women only. Right behind that was a recreation of the Nina, one of the ships Columbus sailed to America. I find it astonishing that anyone would sail such a small ship across the Atlantic, and Columbus did it several times. It had to be a hairy ride!

One of the last of the Tall Ships docked along Navy Pier was the barque, Picton Castle. It's one of the most fascinating of the ships, with almost 80 years of history. Please check out the link to learn more about it. We think this is the ship that has had a cat aboard for the past ten years. The cat joined the crew one day. It was walking along the railing and the captain swatted it into the drink. Of course, it was saved, and it learned a very valuable lesson about where it was safe to walk. I understand that when the boat is docked, the cat takes shore leave just like the rest of the crew!

Chicago is home to the Tall Ship "Windy," a 150 foot schooner, that takes passengers for sails during the summer. While we were out, we got to see the Windy returning from a sail, setting her square sails.

We motored past the end of Navy Pier, and made a loop around the outer harbor, past the light house, the Planetarium, the Oceanarium, Buckingham Fountain, and past Dear Husband's boat, coming back through the lock to the Chicago River. I was a little relieved to be back on the river. The water was calmer, and there was virtually no surging sensation. We all know what a lousy sailor I am, and I was hoping not to cement that image in the minds of the Maritime Society.

We motored west to where the Chicago River divides, sailing past fabulous buildings that glowed in the last of the evening's light. When the Merchandise Mart was on our right, we turned and cruised up the north branch of the river to Goose Island. Our guide told us that the only structure with more floor space than the Merchandise Mart was the Pentagon. This area was once populated by companies like Montgomery Ward, the first of the catalog companies, but the warehouses are being rehabbed into condominiums.

We turned, and motored down river, passing the Chicago Lyric Opera, Sears Tower, and River City. We turned back just north of a vertical lift bridge used for train traffic. The bridges of Chicago are quite varied, and interesting of themselves. One of the last buildings we saw before we returned to our dock, was the start of the new Trump Tower. I didn't count, but I'd guess it was somewhere between six and ten stories tall right now.

We had a wonderful night! Dear Husband managed to outwit TWO traffic back-ups to get us to the boat in time. The weather was outstanding, the company genial, and the view was spectacular. The moon rose as we were on the last leg of the trip, and the passengers all marveled at how huge it looks as it rises above the horizon. IT was so astonishing that everyone was trying to take pictures of it playing hide and seek with the buildings as we motored north.

We couldn't have asked for a better night. I wish you all could have joined us!

I whine now and then. I don't whine a lot, but every once in a while, I hear that whiny sound and I know it's surfaced again. Usually it has something to do with having to exercise or weeding.

Today, on the radio station that I frequent, the female personality was talking about women who whine about having to have a mammogram. She didn't get it. As far as she is concerned, the trade off of good health, or catching the start of a cancer is well worth thirty seconds of discomfort. I realize that for some women it's more than discomfort. And, not all the x-ray techs are as good as those I've been fortunate to meet. And, some women have to have repeated films taken.

But.....it can save your life. Yes, I whine a little when I make the appointment, but I go, every year. I think we should be allowed to whine a little if we're good about getting a mammogram every year. If you don't want to hear that whining, just put on your aviation ear protectors!

Look at it this way: If we whine regularly about this test, perhaps some inventive person will find a way to make other equally good tests less expensive so that women will get quality care that is less uncomfortable. It's time to get that women's health lobby up and running!

We're going to have a visitor! Cop Car is making the trek from Kansas to be with us for a week or so. We've had the chance to meet, but this will be our first long-term visit.

We share a lot of interests. Cop Car is a quilter, and we have traded fabrics over the last year. I've been working on a series of wallhangings from that fabric, and I can't wait to show them to her. I'd be very happy to quilt with her all day long, but we have WAY too many other things we hope to do, including a trip to our favorite quilt shop!

If you've read here in the past, you know that I'm generally mired in weeds during the warm months. My gardens were in the best shape ever this spring, and then I hurt my knee. I'm just getting back into the gardens to pull weeds, so they have a two month head start on me. It's probably just as well that we haven't had a lot of rain! Did you catch where Cop Car says she's bringing her WEEDING CLOTHES??? YEA!!! I might even learn the names of some of those miserable plants.

We have a bird feeder just outside the kitchen window. CC is going to check out our birds so that she can tell me what visits. We have a huge flock of sparrows that flit around so fast that I can't tell which species we are seeing. It's always nice to have a specialist on staff. *G*

Cop Car has also graciously offered to help us make chili sauce. This has been an annual activity here, but it's more than I can do on my own. In the past Elegante Mother and I have worked together, but as she nears 90, it's becoming a bit too much for her to do. I hope to take CC to the Farmer's Market on Saturday, to pick up the produce we need. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the jars I need tomorrow.

I have no doubt that our days will be tightly packed, and that we will sleep well at night. It's wonderful that we have this chance to spend time together.

Cop Car arrived yesterday afternoon, about twelve minutes earlier than I expected. We persuaded her to come the more scenic route, rather than the miserable twenty mile strip mall crawl that we first suggested, so she arrived in pretty good shape.

Of course, we talked....and we talked....and we talked some more. Dear Husband could barely get a word in edgewise. I was good, and gave Elegante Mother a chance to chat now and then.

Cop Car came bearing gifts. There were two wonderful bottles of Gabbiano wine for DH, a jar of the salsa that she and Elegante Friend canned last week, and FABRIC for me! She brought all the brights that I need to learn to use, and had admired from her stash. It was like Christmas in August last night.

Today we're going to a quilt shop to check out the fabric. I suspect that we will be sewing a little every day. We have a project we want to move forward. I'll take pictures when I can.

Have a great day! I'm sure we will, too!

I've been up since 5:00. I wasn't sure how early Cop Car would wake, and there was plenty to do until she was ready to rise. I worked on odds and ends, made my bed, put away clothes, read e-mail and blogged. I had toast with jam, and began to worry that CC wasn't up yet. Of course it crossed my mind.....what if she's.....NO! I won't think about that. I'd have to call her family and tell them, and I won't let that happen!

It didn't. She was up by 7:30. She deserved all the sack time she needed. After all, she had spent more than six hours in the car yesterday. By 8:45 we were both ready to face the day and joined my Mother in her sitting room to chat.

Mother has standing hair and nail appointments on Thursday at our salon. We dropped her off and made a bee line for Sur La Table, an upscale kitchen store. Cop Car scandalized one of the employees when she announced to me: "I don't cook!" I know he was itching to convert her. I bought gifts, and am proud to say I bought my first CHRISTMAS GIFT!!!

We collected Elegante Mother and headed for our favorite quilt shop. I think I may have been the big buyer, but Elegante Mother forgot that she needed a quilt batting, so it might have been closer to a tie if she'd gotten everything she needed. I thought I was done, and saw a fabric that Cop Car had chosen. That caused me to buy another five yards of fabric, the one she liked, plus a yard each of four complimentary fabrics. I must be nesting, getting ready for winter, because I've been padding that nest with a LOT of fabric lately!

By that time it must have been close to 1:00 and we were starved. We drove to Houlihan's for lunch. Thank you for treating us to lunch, Cop Car! I didn't think we dawdled, but by the time we got home, it was well after 2:00, and CC and EM were muttering about NOT being able to eat dinner.

We all found comfy seats for a bit. I was talking to Cop Car, and yawning. And yawning, and yawning. And at one point, I realized I had fallen asleep while I was talking to her. My eyes sprang open, and I looked over to see Cop Car sitting quietly with her eyes closed. Jeeze.....nothing like not being able to keep up. How embarrassing. How RUDE! She laughed off, and was a good sport. I'm surprised I didn't get teased about it every time the subject changed this evening. It's a wonderful guest who takes your dozing off in stride.

After my little nap, we worked on a quilt pattern that Cop Car wants to make. She's had the wallhanging designed for some time, so this afternoon, she began cutting enough fabric to make a trial block.

So far, so good. We talked about techniques for piecing that will save her time. We talked about rotary cutting techniques....the angle of the blade, and hand position on the Lucite rulers. We talked about stitching a true quarter-of-an-inch for the seam, versus a seam narrower by two or three threads. (The narrower one accommodates the fold or bend in the fabric when the seam is opened, giving the truer pieced measurement).

Dinner was supposed to be Parmesan crusted Tilapia, and assorted veggies. Instead, it was salad, cheese and crackers. Elegante Mother swiped Dear Husband's cheese and crackers. Everyone was still too full from lunch, and DH was more than willing to eat light.

Cop Car cut and sewed through the evening, and then we chatted for a few minutes before it was time for bed. I'd have been in bed long ago, but the cat stepped between me and the keyboard, and ONE of us.....hit something that deleted everything I'd written.

The day might have seemed dull in the reading, but I enjoyed every minute of it, and I think Cop Car did, too. Tomorrow we may have rain. I think all three of us will stay in and sew, and save the outdoor activities for Saturday and Sunday. I need to go to bed. I'll be falling asleep in my breakfast if I don't get a little more sleep.

Carolyn, quilting bees are one of those "Ya had to be there," activities, to be able to appreciate them. Most likely we will piece quilts tomorrow, so don't be surprised if it seems like a slow day.

I gotta go. I'm going to have to sleep fast to catch up!

Is there anything better than having a guest who feels comfortable enough in your home to go take a nap? Cop Car and I have had a lovely visit. We both slept well until we got to Saturday night, and for some odd reason, in our respective rooms, we both tossed and turned.

Sunday was declared "Chili Sauce Day." Elegante Mother's recipe takes all day to cook, and you have to get an early start. I got up at 5:00 a.m. and started peeling and chopping the tomatoes. I had just about finished cutting 14 pounds of tomatoes, when Cop Car and Elegante Mother arrived on the scene. Collectively, we chopped three onions, three green peppers and two bags of celery. EM added the cloves, dry mustard, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar, and I finished it off with a quart of cider vinegar.

We learned a number of years ago that this recipe needs to be divided up into two stockpots, or you need to be prepared to babysit the pot well into the evening. We took turns stirring, and let this amazing scent waft through the house.

I was rather surprised that the sauce had cooked down by 4:00. Cop Car and I set up a production line. I filled the hot jars, she wiped the lip of the jar, and then set lids in place. Dear Husband, who had returned from the lake early, tightened the lids. CC gave me a tip that was a real winner. She suggested using a measuring cup with a handle to fill the jars. I've been doing this chili sauce for years and years, and it never occurred to me to do it this way. I ladled a cup of sauce into the measuring cup, and then used the measuring cup to fill the jar. If I had to set it down, I could hook the handle over the edge of the pot. We were done in no time! As a matter of fact, we were so speedy that I've been able to come to the computer and blog for half an hour before we need to think about dinner.

So, where did the naps come in? About 1:30, Cop Car said she needed to take a nap. She stopped on her way out of the kitchen to be sure that we would continue to stir the pot while she rested! *G* We did. Elegante Mother and I shared the duty. I sat in the recliner with the kitchen timer and a book. Every fifteen minutes, one of us stirred. Cop Car's nap was short, and we put her right back to work. If you come to visit, be sure to get your nap. Otherwise, you can bet we'll keep you busy!

While Cop Car was visiting, she and I made a trek through the Farmer's Market. We purchased the usual vegetable suspects, but at the last stall I picked up two quarts of peaches from a vendor who grows all sorts of fruit in the southwest corner of Michigan. Man, do they taste WONDERFUL!

Unfortunately, peaches don't have a long shelf life, so this afternoon I plan to make Peach Crisp. Usually when we make a crisp, it's apple crisp, and it's a harbinger of the season. I'm modifying the recipe and using about eight medium peaches, skinned and sliced. I'm going to use an 8x8 glass baking pan, fill it with sliced peaches and then mound the topping over it.

I browsed on-line for recipes, and discovered that everyone publishes the one they remember from their childhood. Well, in MY childhood, the topping was made from rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and butter. You use a pastry cutter to blend it together, and then you sprinkle it over the fruit and bake it.

Can you imagine it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?? Heck....my mouth is watering just thinking of it. There goes my weight loss for the week.

Cop Car, we're finally going to get to the Parmesan Crusted Tilapia tonight. I'll have to send you the recipe. I'm so sorry that we didn't get that meal on the table while you were here. We'll roast the rest of the asparagus, and steam yellow wax beans. If that's not enough, Dear Husband can have some green salad. That's the meal for the day at Buffy's Best Inn!

I've been EXPOSED!! Cop Car has written about her visit, and told all. Well...maybe not ALL...but most.

Cop Car was the perfect guest. She was laid back, able to change direction at a moment's notice, and she didn't need to SHOP four out of the five days she was here. She drove in past the Outlet Mall, so I know that she is aware that it exists, but she was content to sew and weed and chat.

We had a lovely time, and I can't say enough what a great guest she is. We'd welcome her back whenever she cares to visit.