She's a Grand Old Flag...

June is the Month of Mint

 It is time to make the annual batch of sekanjabin!  It is my favorite summertime drink, and I take it camping every summer to my medieval living history trip.  Much better than soda or tea, and tastier than plain water, it is super refreshing.
Sekajabin has many different variations.  More than I knew, and speaking with the Afghan and Persian women in my store have opened my eyes to more. It's origins are way back in the past, probably in the middle eastern region, though the west had a similar drink made with honey instead of sugar.  Has to do with the climate!  

 I began with a simple plain version, just sugar, water, vinegar, lemon and mint.  I will try other versions too, adding saffron, pomegranite, cinnamon and cloves.  Not all in the same batch!

Sekanjabin
1.25 cups water
2.5 cups sugar
.33 cups of white wine, rice, or    cider vinegar
1 lemon
double handful of mint

Bring the sugar and water to a boil, add the vinegar and lemon and let boil gently for 1/2 hour.   Bruise and add the mint leaves, and remove from heat.  When it is cool, strain into a glass jar and seal.  Doesn't need refridgeration, and will stay good for months... if you don't drink it first.

To use, dilute 3-5 TBSP of syrup in a tall glass of ice water, or iced soda water.  Sit outside and sip a little summer sunshine. 

Quilters Unlimited Annual Show

 I always enjoy seeing the creativity of the quilters in my area, but this year I was especially looking forward to this show, since G Street had a booth for the first time in many years.  It looked pretty good, considering how small it was, and was well stocked with goodies.  I checked it out before I went around the rest of the show, which was smaller this year than when I went a few years ago, but quite well set up.  I found several quilts I was inspired by, some to make for the troops and some for friends and for me.  Most won't be the same as what I saw, just similar, but the twister ruler (yes, I did get it) and the X Block ruler I already had have some great patterns already done.  I am sure I will change colors, but I love the red white and blue one.  I think I will do a wreath too, though maybe in seasonal colors for throughout the year... one for spring, one for summer, and so on.  The ammonite quilt I just adore.  Really.  Brings back memories.  Some are even good!

New Toy

New quilting toy that is... it is a ruler that makes doing this sort of thing easy, if not totally instant.  You sew squares together, border them, then recut them with the Twister ruler by Country Schoolhouse, sew them back together, and presto, you get a fabulous quilt! Unfortunately I had to photograph it in the window, from the outside, but hopefully you can get a decent looksee at it.  You can find the Twister Ruler here and see several videos of it in action on Youtube.  Great stuff!  The fabric is the Tradewinds Collection, by Moda, plus a couple pieces from P & B's Toomuchery and Clothwork's Floral Folio.  Love them all. 

Heroes

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

Memorial Day

Thank you to all the fallen heroes.  The warriors who, knowing the cost, still gave their all for their country, and for their fellow warriors.  The true 1% who heard Christ say "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend"  and chose to call every American "friend".  

To Chris Hayes, who is "uncomfortable" calling them heroes in case that justifies more war...
you matter less than a pimple on my cat's chin.  And that is the clean version. 

Quilt Club

I am a little late posting on this, but oh well.  I really really love Quilt Club Thursdays!  It is a long day, I am at work from 1000 til 2100, but I get so energized by those ladies!  I work pretty hard to get together projects they will like and work with Becky to make the stuff right and good, and it is worth every second of it.  The show and tell is probably my favorite part, there is always something I want to do.  This time it was the idea of stenciling Hawaiian quilting patterns on fabric instead of appliqueing them on.... I have stenciled on fabric a lot... but never thought to do the Hawaiian style designs.  I love them, but don't have the patience for the needleturned applique.  Presto!  Here is my answer!  Anyway, I learn a lot, I hope the ladies learn some, we seem to have a lot of fun.... a good time, all in all. (That is my partner in crime in the first pic, Becky.  She is fabulous!)

One of my Projects

One of the things I have been working on so hard these last two weeks is this.  It is a quilt on the front, a towel on the back, and will certainly go to Pennsic with me in July.  Not a bit medieval, but I really like it.  I used a Bali Pop for the batik pieces, which had it's own issues.  Bali Pops are handcut, and so not exactly straight, but I worked around it.  I love the colors!  The collection is called Blue Hawaii, by Hoffman.  The white was strips of quilt backing, so I didn't have to cut them at all.  Love that.  I used terrycloth yardage for the back, but a towel would have worked just as well.  I saw the project in Simple Quilts magazine and loved it, and only changed a couple little things to suit me better.  My friends at Quilt Club loved it too, and at work.  Already there are four people I know who are making one of their own.  They really are neat.  This one will go on the deck chair tonight after work while I lounge around looking motherly! 

Cute Puppy, Unhappy Cat!

We had friends over last evening, it was Ariel's 13th birthday, and they brought their westie and their new deerhound puppy too.  What a cutie!  He was either on or off, and cute both ways!  It was a delightful evening, filled with talk and laughter and food and acupuncture(!), and the cats disappeared upstairs until the westie found one.... poor Trouble came tearing downstairs at full speed, hit the counter in the kitchen and rose to the fridge top, there to stay until well after the westie and her folks were gone for the night!  Poor traumatized kitty....

Tea Time

 The Pellon website has some terrific project tutorials for free!  This little tea cozy is one of them, and was a snap to put together.  I used Clothworks Hydrangea for the main fabric, and a P and B Fabrics Bear Essentials for the casing and lining. 

The woven mug mat I found here though in slightly different form.  I love the way it got all curvy when I stitched it down the center of the woven bits.  I used the Hydrangea and Bear Essentials again, I really love them together.  Blue and green has always been a favorite combination of mine. 

Inspiration, Plus a Squirrel Thief.

Squirrel first. We have a plethora of furry little bandits who come and visit the house every day, expecting handouts. I don't know why, I suppose it could be that my husband puts out nearly a kiloton of peanuts each morning to make them feel loved. Okay, maybe not a kiloton. But a lot! I had the door open for air while I was cooking last week, and all of a sudden I felt something rub my leg. Well, more scratch or pull, actually. I looked down, expecting to see one of my cats, but no, it was one of the local sciurids, looking up at me. Little beggar. I said "Shoo" and she just stared at me. I walked towards the door, and she followed. I waited for her to go out. Nope. Demanding little thing. So I threw a peanut outside, and she went to get it. There was one of my cats, under the lawn chaise looking confused....

I went back to cooking, tap tap tap. Good Grief! I got my camera and when I came back, she was jumping off the counter with a (stolen) peanut. She was a cool character, gotta give her that.

Now for the INSPIRATION. Click here. Don't argue, don't hesitate, don't think, just do it. You won't ever say "I can't" again. Really. Thanks to Donovan at Castle Argh for the link.