Baked Potato Party

Had friends over last night for sort of a potluck.

We provided baked potatoes, butter, salad, dessert and adult beverages.  

Everyone else brought toppings for the baked potatoes.  

We had:  ham, bacon, taco meat, cheeses, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa and taco chips.

I've been wanting to do this for a while.  

It was a fun evening.  

Mom is nearly done quilting the throw.  

Last weekend I got the parts cut for two table runners.

The other one will look like this but, different fabrics.  

Pretty much took all afternoon to get it done but, it is ready to be quilted.   

 Update on Hocus Pocus.  

Nearly 2/3's done.  

I made a new dessert recipe last night...Pumpkin Bars.  They turned out great.

Pumpkin Bars

                   2 c. pumpkin

                   2 c. sugar

                   3/4 c. melted butter

                   4 eggs

                   1 tsp. vanilla

                   2. flour

                   1 tsp baking soda

                   2 tsp. baking powder

                   2 tsp. cinnamon but I used 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice.

Mix the first 5 ingredients.  Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the pumpkin mixture.  Spray a jelly roll sheet or 2 9x13 pans.  Bake a 325 for 25-30 minutes or until done.  Cool completely

Frosting:  4 oz cream cheese softened

                 6 Tbsp milk

                1 stick of butter

                 1 tsp vanilla

                Powdered sugar.  

Mix the first four ingredients until smooth.  Add enough powdered sugar to make a creamy frosting.  

Hope you had a great weekend

Keep on stitching

Monica

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Give Away

Another fabulous give away at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.  Take a chance at winning some hand dyed linen.

Hocus Pocus

Been working on Prairie Schooler Hocus Pocus.  

It is turning out sooo cute. 

I am really sad that she has retired.  

Prairie Schooler has been one of my favorites for years.  

I have 75 patterns but, not really,  I have pack of the little free cards she use to give.  

Got to love the XStitch app and it is now available for Android.  

Working on Hocus Pocus.  

I took Buster to the groomers this morning and Henry Ford went in his crate.

He really thought that Buster was getting a treat.

When I got home, without Buster, HF was not too happy.

He searched the house, the backyard, the garage and did circles around the car.

I let him checkout the inside and then he would get out.  

I think he would have stayed there until Buster came home.  

I got him out of the car and he was relieved when I brought Buster home.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Keep on Stitching

Monica

Stressful Weekend. Last Weekend was Better

It has been a stressful weekend.  

Mom's Assisted Living called at 12:50 am Saturday saying they were sending her to the ED.  

She has been fighting bronchitis for a 2-3 weeks and was having trouble breathing with the coughing.  I was there before she was and stayed with her until they admitted her.  

Last weekend was much better at least until that Blood, Full Moon.

We went to Marquette last Saturday and the weather was amazing.  

We even had lunch out side at a restaurant called L'Attitudes.

Food was great, as was the company and the view.  

 My guys

 A fleet of little sailboats

A half and hour earlier a bride and groom were having their pictures taken.  

Hopefully, Mom will be headed home soon. 

She was a little high from the RT treatments

Hope you had a good weekend

Keep on Stitching.

Monica

Just Don't Know What To Do

Hard to believe that September is nearly over.  

It is sooo weird.  

The temperatures have been in the 70's to 80 but its dark by 7 pm.  

Trees are starting to turn but, just starting.  

I'm not complaining.  It's just so weird.  

I believe in global warming.  

I have been thinking about what to make for my stitching groups Christmas presents.  

I'm just dry, nothing, and uninspired.  

I just don't know what to do....so if anyone has an idea.  

I have done pre-blog:  altoid boxes, sew gadget with a stitched case, notebooks with stitching on the front, candle wraps out of perforated plastic (that was tough on the joints), and a stitching bag, to name a few.  

These were calendar covers with a dayplanner calendar, Drawn Thread, I did the months they were born in 2011

A wooden box, With Thy Needle and Thread with needle books, scissors fobs and a scissors.

Had a box and trappings leftovers and did it as a drawing.  

2013 was bracelets.  These beads I thought were really cool.  Don't know that anyone wears them.  

Maybe not such a good idea.  

2014 was a project bag, another With Thy Needle and Thread.  I think this did turn out awesome.

So here it is guys,  I think I may actually just buy something. (GASP)

I just haven't seen anything that really floats my boat. 

I think a lot has to do with just dealing with moms and having to quilt.....(ugh!!)

If anyone has a good idea, let me know. 

I think I'm tapped out. Should have had a drawing for that.  

Got my Pandora playing my Steely Dan station and Gerry Rafferty is playing.  

Takes me back to college days.  

That about wraps it up.

Keep on Stitching.  

Monica

Breathless Anticipation....And The Winner Is

Congratulations Pamela!
Everyone have a great stitchy week!
And a wonderful first day of Autumn!!
Monica

Couldn't Think of a Clever Title.

I have put away His Eye is on the Sparrow for a while.

I love stitching all things fall:  fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving.  

I also enjoy Christmas pieces.  

From now until after the Holidays, I will most likely be stitching those things.  

This a quick little stitch from Hillside Samplings called Bittersweet Farm.  

I started it last week and it is going fast.  

I just have to finish the hill infront of the house, the pumpkins, bittersweet border and a little back stitching.  

I thought I would add a few pics of the boys.  

Henry Ford has been out of the woods so he has some burrs stuck to him.

We are gradually getting them out with help from Cowboy Magic used on horses.  

Someone told us about this years ago when Huck had them.  

 Then there's Buster.  

I don't know if you remember the Schwepps Man but his 'stache reminds me of him.  

 Then my mom has been working on a quilt.  

It is a simple square.  She had tried doing a split rail but,  that wasn't working so good.

She kept sewing the strips the same way rather than making a 3 strip square and turning it.  

She has been fighting with this for a few weeks.

When I stopped to see her yesterday, she had one of the CNA's trying to figure out what was wrong with her machine.  

There wasn't really anything wrong with the sewing machine. 

You know how there is that little slit on a spool of thread to hook the end, the thread was caught on that.  

She had all the stitch lengths, tension and whatevers all screwed up trying to fix what was wrong.  

I fixed it, turned the spool around and got everything adjusted and it sewed just fine.  

I did offer to take it home and finish the last few rows.  

On thursday, when I stopped she was trying to pin a row that she hadn't sewn the squares together yet.  Some of the patterned pieces are wrong side.  It is hard to tell the difference. 

I finished the last few rows

 I also have it layed and pinned ready for hand quilting. 

Its just getting too hard for her to sequence things.

I wrote everything down for her.

My aunt had the squares pinned for sewing and the rows numbered.  

It was starting to get to her.   

 Hope you had a good weekend.
Keep on stitching
Monica