It's That Time of Year Again!

Or getting ready is HARD!

So I decided I needed a way to make my pop up sunshade look a bit less modern... A sort of slipcover if you will. Enter 30+ yards of lightweight cotton in a black and white micro check. Thank goodness for friends at work who help and a place big enough to lay out a 12 x 12 foot monster. The top is sewn, now I need to attach ties and flaps and add the corner drapes.

Then there are the two coolers that need covers, and the dresses to be sewn. Oh well, at least the stove windscreen is done... Thank you Michael at Home Depot! Well, not done, but constructed. I still have to paint it, along with the two boxes... Make that four boxes. But I will prolly only get to paint two them before time runs out.

Oh yes, and Tuesday I need to cut and dry pineapples, and zest lemons for limoncello.... Oh how I like limoncello! And Friday is our annual renters inspection....

By the time I get to Pennsic, I may sleep for the first week! But oh, it is so worth it!

 

Posted with Blogsy

OPSAIL 2012 Baltimore

We went to Baltimore today to see the tall ships.... oh how I love the tall ships!  There were ships from Spain, Brazil, Ecuador, Columbia, Canada, Indonesia, and more.  Of course the Barque Eagle was there, I nearly swooned, and the Constellation.  There were many US Navy ships (and at least one boat) in port at Pier Five, but we didn't get over there.  There was only so much we could do in a day.  The USCG Taney was there, proud ship, last active ship to have survived Pearl Harbor.  And YPs.  YPs!  Any Naval officer knows what those are.... we all went on them at OCS or the Academy, or SOMEWHERE.  Small wooden hulled boats to teach us how to con, how to be a bridgerat... uh, officer.  How to hit a pier....
Then, when we were just about ready to leave, thunder shook the sky as the Blue Angels began to work the kinks out.  Be still, my heart.  When I learned I couldn't get jets because I wore contacts, I was devastated.  Oh, to soar the skies in a screaming silver bird.... okay, okay. Cheap novel now done! Anyway, it was really terrific.  The weather was perfect, the ships were tall and the planes were loud..... A GOOD DAY!

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....