2018 Quilting Goals

I know. It's a few hours away from February, and I am finally posting my 2018 goals. They've been pretty well formed in my mind for awhile now, but I hadn't had a chance to jot them down here.

1. Quilt more. This is always a goal. I've got a lot going on and sometimes there aren't enough hands to keep all the balls in the air. While sometimes it seems like quilting is just another one of these things, it is also so very therapeutic and helps me process everything else. I'm not really an extravert nor an introvert rather somewhere in between and situational, to some extent. Quilting fulfills both of these needs. Four guilds - yes, four - cover my extraverted self. The actual quilting, for me, is an excellent introverted activity.
2. Document my quilting. I jump on and off the blogging bandwagon pretty readily. Life happens. However, this is one of few places I document my quilty work. Instagram is pretty complete, but the short format doesn't always allow for detail pics or the full quilt story.
3. Quilt for us. Last year quilting for others was a goal, and I was successful in donating three quilts plus gifting a couple. This year, I still have a couple of important donation quilts planned plus a few gifts, but we really need a couple of quilts that live here. The quilt I started over ten years ago for our bed is still in pieces in a Ziplock bag. We could use a couple of throws to live on the couch for cool nights - our house lives between 58-60 degrees all winter long. I've started the National Quilter's Circle Quilt Block Challenge and pulled fabric for the Bernina/We All Sew QAL. I've also been gathering supplies for Stephanie Jacobsen's Plus Block QAL, #plusblockqal. One of these (or two) may end up a donation quilt, but at least one is going to live on my couch.
4. Publish a pattern. I've been designing quilts for awhile now, but I have yet to actually publish a pattern. It's about time.
5. Finish. Finish. Finish. Last year's commitment to the APQ UFO Challenge was successful. I finished about half of the projects and made progress on all but two. I again have a list and am 1-0 as January's project was a finish (and it's already been gifted.)

FLW-inspired Tattoo

A late Christmas present to myself was a second tattoo. While it took me nearly two decades to decide what my first tattoo should look like, additional ideas came pretty easily once the first was done.

This tattoo is based on a stained glass installation Frank Lloyd Wright designed for Taliesen West. George and I both appreciate the architecture and design of Frank Lloyd Wright. (Image Source: Wright Design)

I have not yet been to Taliesen West, but the shape of the design appealed to me as its use of negative space is quilt-like. I did opt to change the color palette to cool aquas and purples. My tattooist took a little liberty with the arrangement of the panels to fit in the space requested. The tattoo is on my upper left chest in an area that can be shared or concealed by selecting a top.

I am thrilled with the work of Natasha Greenwade. She is local - in the little town near where I live. Her web site is a little out of date as she has closed her downtown studio and returned to graduate school. Here is the finished tattoo:

I'm already thinking about what to do next ...

Dinner This Week - October has begun!

I love October! We are generally done with 90 degree temps, the leaves turn pretty colors and harvest is in full swing.

One of late September's highlights is always the Nebraska Junk Jaunt. We have "gone jaunting" twelve of the fourteen years the event has existed. My top five finds of the weekend are pictured below:

1. A great leather satchel. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but look at that satchel! It wasn't hard at all to pay $10 for it.
2. Two vintage quilt tops that will make great longarm practice pieces. Both have some technical difficulties that don't make them heirloom pieces so I don't feel bad that my quilting won't be heirloom quality either. The bright circle piece is made of a mix of flannel, double knit poly and some various cotton weights and it is HAND PIECED with beautiful little stitches! Randomly, it has one corner block that is a brown and tan bear's paw. I found a few small pieces of double knit that will blend with the colors in the quilt to make a replacement block. The second is a spider web quilt of great vintage cottons.
3. A stack of vintage pie plates, some aluminum and some Pyrex. A couple of times a year, I make in excess of six pies at a time and a few other times a year, I prep and freeze in-season fruit so I can have a stash ready for pies, crisps and cobblers year-round. It is nice to be able to mold my Ziplock-enclosed fruit in a pie plate so I don't have to completely thaw it before making a pie. A few friends have asked about my affection for vintage plates. I should probably write a full post, but in a nutshell, I find the vintage metal plates (a couple of specific brands) are a little heavier and bake more evenly. They also don't rust or warp. I haven't typically gotten Pyrex plates, but I inherited a couple lately and these were in nice shape for less than $1 each.
4. A large stack of fabric. I love the stash of random fabrics I've found at garage sales, flea markets and other second-hand sources. It doesn't have the same emotional tie that some of the fabric I've purchased at my LQS has. When I'm improving or making a donation quilt, I have no hesitancy in cutting into this. I also have found some interesting textures, colors and patterns that I may not have been drawn to in a different setting.
5. A small stack of WNAX Neighbor Lady annuals. WNAX is the local AM radio station my dad listens to in the shop that has Traidio every weekday morning - the radio version of Craigslist. For many, many years, the Neighbor Lady had a daily show with recipes, household hints, DIY projects and other things for their female listeners. Each year they published a booklet with some of the content from the previous year. Many of the recipes are those of my childhood. I've got about a dozen of the annuals and am always on the lookout for more.

A few more items I found, and only came home with me via photo follow. For more information about Nebraska's Junk Jaunt, visit their website. I'd love to see you next year in Burwell or Loup City!

This week seems like the first week in awhile that everyone is home all week, and we might actually eat at home. So, for the first time in a long while, I'm going to draft a menu for the week. I really miss this. We've had countless nights of pizza, takeout, pancakes, scrambled eggs and other things that aren't worth writing home about.

Another Junk Jaunt find was a stack of Simple and Delicious magazines from the last two years. I subscribed to this magazine for awhile and thought it had been discontinued. It features menus that can be prepared in under 30 minutes, have less than 500 calories and other busy family-friendly fare like slow cooker meals. This week's menu comes from these.

Sunday

A community church roast beef dinner takeout - I know I said no more takeout, but this is all homemade and supports a good cause. Our area has a lot of church festivals, dinners and suppers, and we try to hit a few.

Monday

Applesauce-Glazed Pork Chops from S&D Oct/Nov 2015, p. 12

Corn on the Cobb - Probably our last of the season

Grapes

Tuesday

Dad cooks - Quilt Guild Night!

Wednesday

Garlic-Ginger Turkey Tenderloins from S&D Oct/Nov 2015, p. 15 - I'll probably use chicken because I have some in the freezer and turkey would require a grocery run

Cheddar Smashed Sweet and Irish Potatoes

Steamed Mixed Vegetables

Thursday

Dinner out - Volleyball!

Friday

Maple-Thyme Chicken Thighs from S&D Oct/Nov 2015, p. 40

Quick Ginger-Orange Squash from S&D Oct/Nov 2015, p. 40

Saturday

Flex night

Dinner Tonight: Huli Huli Chicken

It's been a bit since I've posted. Life has been its usual crazy with school beginning to wind down, spring volleyball coming to an end, the last rush of classes at work leading into summer construction season, the beginning of planting season and a serious effort at potty training on Henry's part. Whew!

Lately I've been a bit fascinated with some of the video recipes on FB. My phone's web browser has many pages open to the options I've seen on FB. This week I decided to try one ... Huli Huli Chicken from the Recipe Critic. I did make a few modifications as pineapple juice was elusive when I was tossing together the marinade on Tuesday night. I also had a mix of chicken breasts and chicken tenders so I opted to cube and make kabobs for the grill.

I have enough cheesy broccoli and cauliflower and leftover chicken for a great lunch tomorrow.

Huli Huli Chicken

Adapted from the Recipe Critic and Taste of Home

Marinade:

1 c. Mandarin Orange Juice (subbed for the called-for Pineapple Juice)

1/2 c. Soy Sauce

1/2 c. Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Ground Ginger

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Combine all marinade ingredients in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Add 3-4 pounds of chicken pieces. Let marinade for a few hours (or days).

Put chicken pieces on skewers. Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature while the grill preheats, about 20 minutes. Grill the kebabs over medium heat until an internal temperature reaches 165° F. Because the marinade has quite a bit of sugar in it, watch it carefully to avoid flare-ups or excessive charring.

#playimprovqal - All Caught Up!

As planned for in yesterday's post, I am all caught up with Elm Street Quilt's #playimprovqal. These two blocks were put off because of other priorities, but I will admit, neither is my favorite type of block ...

Week 5 - Wonky Stars

Wonky stars require too much planning to fall under improv in my book, but I am pretty happy with the outcome.

Week 6 - Crumbs

This is also a challenge for me primarily because I don't keep scraps less than a few square inches. In general, I'm not really a scrappy quilter. I am far more likely to pass my scraps on to someone else than organize them for future use. Fortunately, I was a bit behind when I saw this prompt so I was able to generate a few small scraps as I completed previous blocks.

I'm looking forward to the last two prompts, and I figured out my setting plan today for completing the project.

I'm linking this post to Sew Can She's Show it Off Saturday.

Elm Street Quilts' Play Improv Quilt Along - Progress Post 1

I am focusing on finishing UFO's or quilts already planned this year, but the quilt along hosted by Elm Street Quilts was just too tempting. She set-up a quick eight-week quilt along based on weekly prompts to make improv blocks or mini quilts. I am using my stash of mostly solid scraps and have four of the six announced prompts completed. (I did get a little behind as I was trying to finish up a project I'll share sometime down the road.) I hope to finish up the two delinquent blocks this weekend so I'm ready for Monday's second to last prompt.

Week 1 - Log Cabin

Week 2 - Triangles

Week 3 - Stack, Cut, Sew

Week 4 - Wonky Geese

I am linking this post to Elm Street Quilts' Progress Check-in Linkup.

Weeknight Dinner: Sheetpan Pesto Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

I'm fascinated by the sheetpan suppers floating around social media and the blogosphere. For the second time, I made Pesto Chicken Thighs and Potatoes for dinner. It takes longer than really works for us on a normal weeknight, but there seem to be lots of not normal nights at our house. Last night worked because Lent started, and it could be in the oven through all of church.

Sheetpan Pesto Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

1.5 lbs. cut-up chicken pieces (I use boneless, skinless thighs. Breasts may get too dry.)
1.5 lbs cubed potatoes
1 c. fresh pesto
Optional: 1 lb. IQF frozen vegetables like broccoli florets

Toss all ingredients together. Bake at 425F for 1.5 hours.

What are your favorite sheetpan suppers?