Back again

Sorry for the long absence but I wouldn't allow myself to post until I finished my Winter Challenge piece 'Icicles' and it is finally FINISHED and posted to the Challenge Quilts blog!!!! http://challengequilts.blogspot.com/ I posted all the details there so if you don't mind, I'll ask you to go there if you want to read how I made it. Plus it will give you a chance to see the great work all the others did.









While I was waiting for the glue on Icicles to dry, I worked on my lessons for an online class that I am taking with Ellen Lindner - Instant Art Quilts, http://www.adventurequilter.com/ . I got it right the first time!! She thought I had all my colors in the right place so I was very happy with that. Below is a picture of the fabric I used for it and the end result, as of now anyway. I think I will set it aside for now and later make an underwater scene with it unless it tells me it wants to be something different. I ended up only using the 1/2 yard piece and not the FQs that are pictured. Everything is torn and then fused to a muslin base. The 3 small pieces on the left are all I had left from the half yard piece.









I have some shibori and parfait pieces batching so hope to post some pictures of those results tomorrow night or Monday. I hope to start posting on a more regular basis but if I get behind again, I may have to restrict myself again!!

Christmas Eve

Well, I'm trying to wind down so I can get up early enough to get everything finished in time to go to our Candlelight Service tonight but I wanted to post a recipe and the picture I am hoping to use as my inspiration for the Winter theme challenge quilt. It is a picture of my sister and I by the wisteria with icicles on it. In Florida we don't get snow so this is the closest thing to winter, or what I think most think of being winter. When we were growing up my dad would turn on the sprinkler to keep things from freezing and this was the result that morning. I can still see what we were wearing and it was 1965. My sister hated those blue coats and she got my hand-me-downs so had to wear one of them for a LONG time!! I tried to crop the white part out of the bottom of the picture but it distorted it too much but I hope you can get the idea.

The recipe below is for Spinach Lasagna - I made it for me and the boys tonight and made a pan for DH to take to work along with a layered salad and garlic bread. He and everyone at the power plant where he works is having to work the holidays-he is currently working nights, 11 hrs/7 days a week and has been working similiar hours since October.

Spinach Lasagna

Lasagna noodles (I use the no boil kind)
2 pkgs frozen chopped spinach
2 lbs cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 TBS parsley
1/2 stick butter
salt, pepper and garlic powder
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 lb Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook spinach according to directions and drain.
Mix cottage cheese, eggs, parsley, butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Grease pan
Layer lasagna, cottage cheese, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, spinach and Parmesan.
Repeat layers.

OPTIONAL: I usually put chicken-boiled and cut into bite size pieces on half of this with the spinach layer.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

My first blog entry

Well, I have finally bit the bullet and joined the blogging world in hopes that it will encourage me to be a bit more creative, besides in my head!! I have committed to several challenges this coming year and thought this would be a great way to keep up with my progress. I had planned to start a weekly or monthly journal quilt project for this year but with the loss of my niece in Oct 2006, my creativity has been pretty much non-existent. My resolution for 2008 is to change that-I know she wouldn't want me to stop doing what she knew I loved.

Here it is 3 days before Christmas and all the shopping is done except for groceries which I will do tomorrow or Sunday. Still need to wrap the presents and probably consider taking some back as I didn't know when to stop. I didn't end up making any gifts this year, hopefully next year!!

One of my challenges for 2008 is the Challenge Quilts blog group and our first challenge is with the theme 'Winter'. I am thinking of basing my piece on a picture from my childhood where my dad had put out the sprinkler and there are icicles on the Wisteria. Hey, living in FL that is the best it gets, otherwise it would probably have to be a beach scene.

On one of my dyeing groups we are doing a Nesting Robin where each month we do a different color harmony and technique for the border or row (I'm kinda in charge of this). January and February we are to dye the amount of fabric we think we will need in 3 values and at least one wheel using black, brown or grey as an additive and then make our center.

On another group we are doing a quilt for the year where we will be doing a different surface technique each month. Other things for the year on my groups are dyeing, dyeing, dyeing - gradations, runs, color wheels, shibori, spirals, block swap, etc

Well, I guess this is enough for my first post and it may be the last one until after Christmas so if you happen to read this - I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!!