Something's missing

Realizing that our Moda You meeting was this Thursday night, I set aside the Maison de Noel fabrics I've been cutting to work on the pairs of blocks for Green Piece Month 2 and Month 3.   Pairs, you say?   I don't see pairs of blocks, Lisa.   No, you don't - because Lisa miscut the background on Month 2 blocks (and yes, I did the same dang thing with Month 1 and had to go buy more fabric).   Then I cut ever so carefully for Month 3 and - son of a gun - I miscut the background again!  If you're keeping score, that's 3 for 3.   Hey Joyce - can you please just give me a fat quarter from now on instead of a fat eighth?  Maybe this month I'll learn....

In other news, our new refrigerator was delivered today.  It's so nice to have this roomy, ultra-modern new appliance.  We're hosting Christmas dinner at my house again this year - this baby will hold a lot of food!   Here's "Vanna" showing off the new beauty.

Dear Santa

Dear Mr. Claus - I would love to find this cute kit under my tree on Christmas morning.  I may even be able to finish it in time for Valentine's Day!   I understand Kimberly at the Fat Quarter Shop has them all ready to pop into your sleigh, and she's just a mouse click away!   I've been a very good girl this year!   Ok, kinda sorta good...

Oh my!

Good heavens - it's been over 2 weeks since I updated my blog.   Is anyone still stopping by?  I guess life just got away from me.  The boys had their first middle school concert and it was really fun to hear how good all the bands and orchestras sound.  Owen had a clarinet solo and I was impressed, as always, by his talent.  The band teacher has asked him to learn the bass clarinet in addition to his regular clarinet, so he must see potential in Owen too.   Eric plays the viola and is also very talented, but I wasn't able to get a photo of him - sorry E!

Tis the season for a million errands - I finally had a free weekend and we took the kids to see Santa, baked cookies, finished most of the shopping and decorated.  We bought a new refrigerator that will be delivered on Wednesday, so we won't put the main tree up until that happens or it will be in the way of the delivery men.

Here are the rest of our holiday decorations.  This little white fiber optic tree is so pretty, I just love it decorated simply with colored balls.  That tree skirt underneath?  My very first "quilting" project, before I knew a lick about quilting.   Yes, it is satin, and yes, I used satin on the back too.   Please, do not turn this puppy over - I beg of you!

My Opening Day quilt using Roman Holiday fabrics is newly displayed in the living room because it is the closest thing I have to a Christmas quilt.  I hope by the time next year rolls around, I will have completed more quilts that I can display during the holidays.

And this is my other Christmas vignette - you can see another early quilting effort on the top of this buffet - a Christmas tablerunner with prairie points along the edge.  I have a Tiny Christmas Annie at the base of the feather tree to the left, and my collection of Ballard Baines Christmas teddies on the opposite side.   A new find this year - the adorable snowman cookie jar that Lily found.   She must have been channelling Thelma and her wonderful cookie jar collection.

I've been working on cutting out a new Christmas quilt -  Miss Rosie's Toulouse, made of the fabulous Maison de Noel line from 3 Sisters for Moda.   Oh how I wish I had been a fabric hoarder back when these fabrics came out - I would have bought gobs more of this wonderful stuff!

Post-Thanksgiving Picnic

I finished my Picnic quilt - November's Year of Schnibbles project.   I love how this little cutie turned out!   I used American Jane's Recess charm packs and I adore the little baskets - especially how they make a star in the center of the quilt.

I took it with me to work on Friday and because it wasn't super busy, we hung it up in the shop - it's super cute against the red barn walls!

I'm not sure if I will participate in December's project, but if it's another one that I love as much as this one - count me in!

Lisa's salad

This year, like most years, we are going to my oldest brother's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  Every so often, our hosts have the audacity to make other plans for Thanksgiving, and I am left to my own devices for dinner.  About 11 years ago, they went to visit relatives in California and so I hosted my very first Thanksgiving dinner.  Having never done it before, I searched the Internet to find some interesting recipes.

I found this salad recipe on Allrecipes.com and it's definitely a keeper.   I have made it for Thanksgiving, Christmas and potlucks in between, countless times since 1998.  It's always a huge hit.  It's official name is Winter Fruit Salad With Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing, but my family calls it "Lisa's Salad," and I would like to share the recipe with you.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
  
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
  
• 2 teaspoons diced onion
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
  
• 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
  
• 1 cup cashews
  
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  
• 1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
  
• 1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, and process just a few seconds more to mix.
   
2. In a large serving bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.

I use only about half of the prepared dressing - the whole recipe is way too much for the salad.  I hope you will try it and that you like it as much as my family does!

A tisket, a tasket

Look at all my baskets!   I have completed all my baskets for the November Year of Schnibbles project.  I might have finished the top this week, but I've been down for the count with a horrible cold all week.  Seriously - when was the last time you missed 4 days of work from a silly cold?  But I'm finally back to work today (hey - nobody picked up the slack for me while I was on my deathbed?) and hopefully will feel up to spending some time in my sewing room this weekend to get the sashing done for this cute Picnic quilt.

Alrighty then

I finished putting the borders on my Red Velvet quilt - a wonderful Thimbleblossoms pattern that went together beautifully and easily.  People at my retreat were just raving about the French General Rouenneries fabrics, and I love how the aqua fabric from Simple Abundance adds so much whimsy to those serious prints.

I made a decision at retreat to come home and send 2 quilt tops off to be machine quilted.   I have put it off for months, but I have a little extra pocket money and now the decision is - which 2?  My brilliant friend Rani suggested sending my Indian Orange Peel quilt (click on my quilt album on the sidebar to the right and you can see a picture) - a quilt I had completely forgotten about!  I seriously love her for reminding me.   I have been waiting to find a quilter I trusted enough to quilt my "masterpiece" - that quilt took me 7 years to finish - and now that I have someone, I simply must send my quilt.  Like, RIGHT THIS MINUTE!