Supreme Slider Opinion

Above is a picture of my Supreme Slider being used for the first time.  It is a self-sticking pad you put over the base of your sewing machine.  It has a coat of Teflon on the top, making the quilt sandwich slide around effortlessly, or so they want you to think.  I didn't notice a great improvement in my sliding.  That surprised me because my sewing machine is set down into my cabinet, and the cabinet has a slightly rough top.  This is not a product I would recommend getting.  I did not notice a significant improvement.  Just my opinion.

~Joan

This Mother's Heart Update

I added a few more blocks last night with different colors and "backgrounds". 

Here's a funny story for you.  If you read my blog because you're a quilter, you will chuckle with me.  If you don't quilt, you probably are thinking like my young friend.

There is a young lady (I think she is 20) that our family picks up for nearly every church service (two on Sunday and one on Wednesday night).  She and I are good friends.  In fact, she said the other day that if she was getting married, I would be her maid of honor.  Slightly strange to most people's thinking, but we are buds.

I was hand piecing some of the blocks for this quilt last night as I sat in our vehicle and waited for all the kids to arrive from their various locations at church for the ride home.  My friend was the first to arrive, and we were enjoying some chit chat as we caught up with each other from the past few days.  She asked me what I was doing (in all our times together, and there have been many, I don't think she's ever seen me sew, which seems strange now that I think about it).  I explained that I was hand appliqueing the end sections on the triangles.  I pulled out my iPod and showed her a picture of how the blocks looked set together (like in the above picture).  She said with all seriousness..."I have no idea how doing that could bring pleasure to a person.  I mean, what is the POINT?"  I actually sat there speechless for several minutes.  Then I felt sorry for her.  She lives with her brothers and father and has never had the example of a woman making something with her hands.  She has never experienced the pride of a hand-sewn garment or other object that brought beauty and joy to her life.  Poor girl.  Do you agree or disagree? 

~Joan

Texas Braid Photo Shoot

This is my Texas Braid after the row-ectomy.  There is enough at the top for a pillow tuck, my preferred way of bed-making.

I am in no hurry to finish this, especially with all the secret projects going on.  There is just not enough sewing time in a day!

You can see my quilt frame to the right in the picture.  The leaders (what the quilt is pinned to) are hanging down...they are made of muslin.

~Joan 

Texas Braid on Deck

This is the same picture I used in an earlier post.  Posts w/o pics are not very fun to read, are they?  I laid this lovely number on my bed today in anticipation of quilting it.  It ended up being two rows too wide.  Too wide as in it hung down too far on both sides of the bed.  Too wide as in it would not fit on my quilt frame.  Too wide as in...well, you get the picture.

Rachel graciously offered her assistance in removing two rows.  I think I'll chop those 110" long rows into smaller pieces and make a baby quilt.  I have another 30-some" row that I can add to it.

Anyway...I am debating with myself about how to quilt it.  Because of the orientation of the rows, I cannot quilt it the way I want on my frame.  I am considering basting it on the frame with the HQ and then using my domestic machine to quilt it.  Yes.  Sounds crazy, doesn't it?  That way the layers won't shift.  It will save my back.  I enjoy free motion quilting on my domestic machine.

I'll fill you in on the details later.

I accomplished a little work on another (two) secret projects tonight before leaving for church.  Check out my secret blog.  If you don't know the page, email me for it.

~Joan

New Blog and Finished Quilt

I have another blog.  It is by invitation only.  It is for secret projects I am working on.  If you want to see it, send me an email at whistlersmother10@carolina.rr.com, and I'll send you the link.

Here is a project I finished a couple days ago.  It is about 80" square.  The second and third pictures are close-ups. 

After the projects are finished and presented to their new owners, I'll post them here as finished. 

This one is being delivered on Friday of this week, but I don't think the recipient reads my blog.  At least I hope not anyway.

~Joan

What Did You Have for Breakfast?

(not my picture...from allrecipes.com)

I made strawberry crepes and Rise and Shine Breakfast Casserole for my family for breakfast.

The crepes were smeared with a thin line of Nutella, then I put (formerly) frozen sliced strawberries down the center and rolled them up.  Garnished them with 3-4 whipped cream stars and a little juice from the strawberries.  One per person was plenty (they were very rich and sweet).

To counter the sweetness, I made this casserole.  It would have served 8-10.  Six of us ate about 3/4 of it.

Rise and Shine Casserole

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls (8 rolls)
1 pound pork sausage
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Line an ungreased 9 x 13 pan with the crescent rolls (put two rectangles of rolls in the length of the pan, then repeat, and press seams together so you have one solid piece of roll).  Brown and drain sausage...distribute in pan evenly.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Mix eggs and milk in a bowl and spoon over pan.  Put it on thinly as there is not a lot!!

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.

This was the first time we had this.  It would be good with grits on the side and a fruit salad.  Everyone thought it was very tasty.

My husband surprised me with some gifts last night and today.  He will never cease to amaze me!  I'd take a picture, but I cannot find my camera card.