Challenging...

Hello 2010!

As I said, I have a lots of ideas in mind for crafting this year. I was inspired by one of my Christmas presents. Many of you probably already seen the movie Julie & Julia or read either one of the books that are out there. Well, until this holidays, I did not. And so, as I watched my copy of the movie while my own blog have been abandoned for couple of months, I decided to change something.
I finished watching the movie on Christmas Eve, well it was 4 am so technically it was the Christmas Day, my head swelled up with ideas and questions of how could I inspire myself to keep blogging and sewing even though time and money are going to be tight in 2010?
It didn't take me too long..., but I kept it simple.. Now, I have no desire to write a book or making a movie, oh no. All I am in for is an inspiration, something that will keep me going when another crazy semester starts and my free time shrinks to almost nothing as well as my energy level.

So here is my challenge:

Use up as much as possible and only the existing fabric and material, meaning what is home, here, ready for me to use.
And yes, there is plenty for me to do for a whole year, believe me.

I am working on my "to do" list that I can hang somewhere near.
Also, this challenge of not buying any new material can't affect the quality of the projects/ quilts crafted, rather should make them unique and more interesting.
I feel that my challenge is not going to be the fact of not buying anything new, since as I mentioned, I will have to use my grad student resources for survival only. However, the challenging part should be the one of creating with what I have. How will I do when I will miss that perfect shade of green or need more of the color/ pattern I already have. I do understand that certain sewing supplies will be needed as my current stash will dwindle down, such as, thread and batting, but maybe I will try to focus on the quilt tops then and wait with quilting as resources will allow.

So, wish me luck!

...and another year is over

2009 for me, was the year of transition:

• the year, that I started surrounded by my close family after being apart for a long long time, at least for a few days
  
• the year that started very well on the crafting front, but ended very poorly
• the year of the best harvest ever in our little garden
• the year of many firsts: first fishing trip, first salsa made, first research trip ever, first time in Canada, first time kayaking, jumping of the cliffs, first real presentation on the conference, first time grad student
• the year when new plans were made
• the year, when one career ended and the new is starting
• the year that I abandoned my blog for the longest time ever...

..., but even-though managed to create something.

The year that will be over in several hours...

Right now I am full of expectations on what is waiting for me in 2010, since I already learned not to plan too hard...
However, I have a lot in mind for this little space of mine and hope I can share...

Let's start fresh tomorrow...

100th post and a giveaway winner...

I would like to thank you for participating in my first, but definitely not last giveaway. I enjoyed reading your comments and the various ideas for those fun fabrics.



I cut 22 different fabrics in various amounts from quarter yard to about a half yard.
I used the random number generator to find...

The winner ....Bumble Beans

I am sending you an email as I am writing this. I sure hope you will enjoy these.

I spent my weekend preparing for a big camping trip to Canada, but I was able to harvest whatever was in the garden and produce some yummy salsa.

Now is 1am and I am leaving tomorrow early morning. I will be missing from this space for couple of weeks, but will be back full of motivation. I am taking along my new toy to keep my hands busy on those long rainy days - yo-yo maker. On that later...

Secret Grandma's Garden and GIVEAWAY...

It took a little a longer, but Grandma's Garden is finished. I really like it and hope that it will auction well at the reunion this weekend. I wish I could be there, but I am getting ready for a little adventure here. I will be gone for about two weeks roaming through woods of Canada, leaving Monday. I am really excited. Do you have any suggestion for small hand sewing projects while camping?

Instead of using binding I just sew the backing on as if it would be a pillow. One of the reasons was the lack of time, but also I didn't feel like it needed a border or binding. I am glad I did that.

I used simple straight lines to quilt this one just to make sure that I won't mess up the flowers.

Also, I just realized this week that it was a year since I started blogging at the beginning of July and I am also approaching a 100th post , I decided to giveaway some vintage fabric.
This box of fabric is only one of several (but my favorite) that I received this summer from friends who thought of me anytime when someone was getting rid of fabric. I love these.
They are in very good shape.



I will share a fat quarter to a half yard (depending on the amount I have) of each with the winner.
Go ahead, leave a comment, and let me know what would you use it for until midnight on Saturday 8/1/2009. Get an extra entry if you blog about it (feel free to use this photo) or become a follower of this blog.


EDIT: I hope that you can all view the picture of fabrics now. I guess it didn't work well before. I did had issues earlier with photo uploads. (7-29-2009 12:42pm CST)

Gratefull and sewing...

Let me just start of by saying how glad I am to have a blog. Just by getting back and reading all those blogs in my reader, I was able to throw back all the bitterness, anger, stress and soak up inspiration, motivation and peaceful, happy attitude. Why did it took me so long ???
I spent my week catching up (I think that describes it the best) and planning my new project.

And as it couldn't get any better, I was invited to meet my blog friend Jennie at the local quilt shop for a Lock-in organized by her friend Vicki. This was the first time I have met someone form the blogland and the first time that I participated in any of the class/ lock-in/ quilt-group activities.
Oh, and was this fun... I had the best time sewing away and chatting with my new friends.

Thanks again Jennie for inviting me...



Now, on to the project... This little "wall hanging to be" has a story behind it. Every year the first weekend of August we travel to Pennsylvania for a family reunion. It is not my family, but I was taken in as if it was .. well that is a long story. The oldest member of the family is Grandma, she will be 91 next week. The reunion is always the weekend of her birthday. Grandma found out about my love for frugal quilts, scraps and vintage fabrics. She sent me a box full of cut up pieces of her robe that she was not ready to part with and wanted to see if I could use it for anything.
How could I not find the project for it (It is bright fuchsia fabric, puffy and soft, but not quite like minky.). In fact, I had a perfect one in mind. I also wanted to create something for the reunion auction we have every year.



That is how Grandma Secret Garden wall hanging came to life. I used mostly my scraps (I had plenty of greens.), but I had to buy some more of pinks and purples, since I don't have much of those shades.



I started at noon on Saturday and this is how it looks now. I will put it together and quilt it tonight.



The original pattern came from the magazine I have, but I found it here as well (scroll to page #31) . I adjusted the size and number of blocks due to the time crunch I am in.



I just realized as I am typing all this that it has been a little over a year since I had this blog and I totally missed it... :)

Well, we need to celebrate... come back for a giveaway soon.

Hey, do you still remember me?

I hope that at least some of you still might... :)

I have disappeared from this space for some time now, but don't worry you didn't miss much on my front. Only very unmotivated, slightly depressed and totally useless woman that had no idea what is going on with her. I blame it on stress from way too many things happening at the time... I have to blame it on something, right?

This blog is meant to be all about crafts and there is a heavy layer of dust around my sewing area, so I am off to get moving and get some quilts done... The first one actually has a due date, which is next week... here is a peek of where the idea came from...



I am afraid, I have missed out way too much of all that you have been doing. Sorry for that, I will try to catch up on all that in between some crazy sewing marathon...
Do you want to help me out? Let me know about the most exciting project that you have finished or were working on in the past two months...

Poor people food...

I was able to cook this weekend with the first fruits of this year's garden (of course, if I don't count radishes, those we are eating for weeks now...). I have planted about 15 kohlrabi plants and if you grew those before, you know it takes a while until the fruit is ready. However, there is plenty of kohlrabi leaves before that.
When I was little, my grandma use to make this meal every time my dad brought kohlrabi from garden or we bought some at the store. I think she developed this recipe in times when food was scarce and people were trying not to trow anything away. What do you do with the left over leaves?

"PODLUBKY"(I quess it was my Grandma who named it, it doesn't really mean anything, we can call it Kohlrabi greens thick soup....)
What would you need? (4 servings)

• 20 or more kohlrabi leaves
• approx. 10-15 slices of bacon, if you use thin sliced
  
• 2-4 cloves of garlic
• a little milk and flour
• salt, pepper, vegetable seasoning

Wash kohlrabi leaves and cut the main stem out.





Roll the leaves up and cut into half inch pieces.



Here you can see my compost bowl/ colander... everything that can, goes to compost around here...



Next dice bacon, and heat to crispy bacon pieces, then add kohlrabi. If you are vegetarian this could be substituted by onion and bit of olive oil.



Once, kohlrabi leaves are a little softer, add water (broth), so everything is covered.
Add garlic, seasonings and cook until soft for 20-30 minutes. Let it boil and then simmer.



While simmering add mixture of flour and milk (about 3 spoons of flour), just to thicken the soup), if you are used to thickening your soups somehow else, go ahead.

We eat this with egg - "sunny side up" on the top and bread, which is optional.
Use your imagination...
Enjoy!


This might not be that gourmet food that you want to make for your guest, but it is very tasty and also healthy. The most important it is super cheap and quick. Most of the people throw those leaves away.
If you never tried kohlrabi before, than all I can say is, "You should give them a try."