Two finishes and a Recipe for Hexie Weekend

I met my goal - my commission quilt is finished.  We decided to give it to Father on his birthday which is Monday.

LOL - my holders didn't want to be in the photo and you can see one is taller than the other from the slant of the quilt.  I didn't catch that in the viewfinder.

and here's another finished hexie flower.  I think I have about 20 of these now.  Need 16 more.

Time for a recipe.  We love turkey carcass soup. Each year the evening of Thanksgiving, I boil the bones and make broth and then my DH likes to clean the bones. This year, with all the family here, I didn't want to miss a minute with them.  So I froze the bones and pan drippings.  Three weeks later, long after the last turkey meat was eaten, I decided to make the soup.

Here's dinner from the freezer - Turkey soup and rolls - all leftover from Thanksgiving.  If you've never made some, here's what I did. I took out the bones and pan drippings (plus a little bag of white meat) from the freezer about three hours to defrost before you start the soup.

1. Place the carcass in a large pot.  Squash the bones down so that they'll be covered with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a gentle boil while you add 3 bay leaves, some salt to taste, a little black pepper, basil, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Let it cook for an hour.

2. Strain the broth and keep the bones for the vulture in your family. If no one is around, I pick the meat off the bones and set aside.  Pour the broth back into the pot. Add the pan drippings ( skim the fat off) and stir to dissolve and mix. Taste for salt.

3. Again bring to a gentle boil while you chop 3 carrots, one small onion, two stalks of celery, a quarter of a small cabbage and 3 medium sized potatoes. I would have added green pepper but had none in the freezer.  Add in the order listed.  Wait to add the potatoes and cabbage til the last 20 minutes - total time about 30-40 minutes or just til the carrots are done - they take longer than the potatoes.  

4. Chop the turkey meat and put in last just before you turn off the soup.  You don't want to recook the meat, just warm it up.  While the soup was cooking I made a pot of rice. We put a scoopful of rice in the bowl and ladled the soup over it.  Serve with bread and salad if you like. Oranges for dessert.

Enjoy!

So what have you been up to?  Show us your eye candy - quilty or not; hexie or not. Old post or new. Button below.  I'm linking to Amanda Jean's Finish it Up Friday and Sarah's Can I get a Whoop, Whoop?

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Quilting on Applique Tuesday

Sigh. No applique yet, but I'm almost done with the commission quilt - which is a good thing as I have to take it to the meeting this Thursday.  I finished the last large blocks this morning.  Here is how I did them.  As you can see in the photo, there were large blocks surrounding by the sashing I quilted.  In the black and white blocks I echo quilted once around the symbols.  I wanted to do something similar for the orange, brown and light blocks.  I decided to use the whole note as the symbol to quilt in them.  So off to look for public domain music symbols.

After finding one I made a copy (it's the first figure in the photo below). I didn't want to waste ink, so I made an outline copy ( figure 2)  Too small for my six inch blocks, so I had to go about enlarging it.  Fortunately, my printer enlarges and reduces.  I just had to do a little math.  Now don't panic - it isn't algebra or any thing like that - just some multiplying. I measured the width of the note and it measures 2.75 inches. Multiplying by 2 made it 5.75 - too large.  I then multiplied by 1.80 and got 4.95 - good just a bit shy from 5 inches wide - just right for my six inch block (figure 3). So I made one that size, copied onto freezer paper, and iron them onto the white blocks of the quilt.

 This was one time I wished freezer paper came in different colors as the white paper on white fabric can make it hard to quilt around it.  I could have used a pen but I have this phobia about marking my quilt tops. I'm using Superior Bottom Line in the bobbin. And a So Fine on the topwith an 80/12 titanium coated needle.

 Next step was to quilt around the pattern. I quilted first the inside oval, raised the presser foot and moved the needle to the outside oval. When done and locked, I clipped the short thread over the pattern.

Then all I had to do was pull away the freezer paper from my finished motif.

Here's my first quilted motif.  Once all those white background ones were done I decided to change thread for the orange and brown squares.

I just happed to have this varigated 50 wt thread.  My Juki's great tension handles different colors of thread on top and bottom beautifully.

 This thread worked out great.

Now on to the binding,  Any questions?   Feel free to ask me in the comments.  I'm linking to Esther's WOW and Connie's Linky Party. See you there.

Hexie Weekend

Company is gone now, but it's taken me some time to get back to normal, do laundry and store things. I was actually able to do a bit of hexies for this post. But the wonderful thing I read this week was Sue Garman's continuing post of the Quilt Festival in Houston. She photographed this gorgeous quilt by quiltmaker Anna Maria Schipper Vermeiren. It is called British Garden. Look very closely and you'll see hexagons.

Photo by Sue Garman

You can see the full post here .  Do go to her post and see the closeups of this incredible quilt! You will be amazed. And watch this video below of another of Anna Maria's fabulous quilts:

 Before the company arrived I was quilting the commission quilt whenever I could fit in a few minutes.  I quickly found I had to find a way to mark the path so I wouldn't get lost in what direction I needed to go.  I came up with masking tape to lead me across the quilt as it isn't a straight path for this quilt.

 Here is part of that path quilted.  Just have about a fourth to do by the 13th.

I'm linking to Amanda's Finish it up Friday and Sarah Jean's Can I get a Whoop, Whoop?  as I got to finish 2 hexie flowers.

Let us see what you are up to - hexie or not, new post or old - we love all eye candy. Linky below - closes Monday, midnight.

An InLinkz Link-up

 Blessings!

Applique Tuesday

Still no quilting, applique, or hexagons - enjoying our NJ company.  So here are a few more of those mug rugs that I enjoyed seeing at the last Guild meeting.

I'm linking to Esther's WOW and Connie's  Linky Tuesday Party.  Happy 2nd Day of December!

No Quilting Here, No Design Wall

It was our 46th anniversary today and we welcomed to our home Frank's sister and brother-in-law in the area after a Panama Canal Cruise. So we had another houseful of family - 14 in all.  Keeping the kids in mind, we had a take-out Thai supper and ice cream for dessert - no pies or cakes so close after Thanksgiving - LOL.  I'll save that for later in the month.  Hope you had a great weekend.  For quilty news and eye candy, check out Judy's Patchwork Times , Lyn's BOMs Away . They always have spectacular links.

Hexie Weekend

No hexie progress this week - too busy getting ready to hosting the holiday at my house. We had all the family here - all the offspring and our grands - 12 in all.  I bought a brined turkey - wow, it turned out good!  They ate most of everything! I froze the bones for turkey soup later next week.

All the Grands - the towhead is visiting from CO.

Hope you had a good thanksgiving.  Linky Party back next week.
Continued blessings as we start this Holiday Season!

Applique Tuesday and more Mug Rugs

Hi, here is all the applique I've done in the past week, and you've already seen it - LOL

And here are some more of the great mug rugs that were gifted by guild members, and have applique on them:

At first I thought the center was embroidery, but it was appliqúe.

Oh, so sweet!

Perfect for Christmas cocoa.

LOL - this is more like a snack mat.

She got a teapot as well as the cup and mug rug.

I'm linking to Esther's WOW and Connie's Linky Tuesday.  And I've got my fabrics ready for Bonnie Hunter's Mystery.  It starts the 28th!

Hexie Weekend and Finishes

What with watching Alan and Will and nursing bruised ribs, here at last is Hexie Weekend.

My latest flower:

 Made this while I waited with Mom at the doctor's for three appointments.  It's not attached to the table topper.  I threw it on to take this photo.

Our guild was having a gift exchange for the November meeting and we were to make mug rugs, package them up with a mug and bring to the meeting.  We then played the steal game.  It was a lot of fun! 64 of the near hundred members and guests who attended played. So here are the two (mine were 6"square) I made (one for Mom) that I can now show you:

And here they are with their mugs:

Snapfish had a 50% off on their mugs so I got one with our guild's pin design for this exchange. Mug  rug has our logo on it.

Debbie and her DGD opened my second one. DGD loves the cup - was just right for her and of course Debbie let her keep it.

Here's the one I got. I love batiks in my favorite fall colors and the cup is fabulous - big enough for soup.  

One more of the fabulous mug rugs that were entered for this event:

I think I'd hang this one on a wall if I had won it. I'll show you others in later posts.

What have you been up to?  Show us your eye candy - doesn't have to be a new post. Linky below.  I'll be linking to Amanda's Finish it Up Friday and Sarah's Can I have a Whoop, Whoop?  Happy Thanksgiving!

An InLinkz Link-up

An Applique Tuesday QRG Report

On the quilting front: Made a mug rug but can't show it until after tomorrow's guild meeting. It's part of a game.  Used a fat quarter on that mug rug and something else I can't mention. That's it for my stash report.  I did do some slow stitching Sunday:

All the vertical sashings are done. Now working on the horizontal joining sashing. Little by little.
And today I slow stitched on a hexie as I waited for my mom at the doctors.

Then working on my commission quilt.  Machine quilting the symbols.  I didn't like the zig-zag for these, so doing them with straight stitch, but a straight stitch done with FMQ.  Straight stitch on left.

If I had my druthers, I'd have machine appliqued these before starting the assembly of the quilt. Limited to how these can be stitched down otherwise.

Once those are done, got started on stitching in the ditch to anchor the blocks.

This will be a slow process - not due until Dec 18th and I have two sets of out of town visitors starting Nov 25th.  I'll be happy to get to do 15 a day.

Still reading the Guernsey book.  And from the garden, the last of the flowers for now:

I love these sulpher cosmos!

What are you up to?  Leave me a comment and I'll come see your eye candy!

Hexie Weekend

I started this last week during the train trip. Well today, after St. Anne's, I sat down for a few minutes and actually finished it. Ah, it's good to put the feet up.
What are you up to?  I'd love to see your eye candy.  Doesn't have to be hexies or a new post.  Surprise me!  Linky below.  I'm linking to Amanda's Finish it Up Friday and Sarah's Can I have a Whoop, Whoop?  Lots of eye candy there.

An InLinkz Link-up

Bread for the Journey

of Life.  Go here for a moving, thankful post.  From the Mennonite Girls can Cook.  They have some
great recipes, too.  Thank you Esther at Esther's Blog for introducing them to me.


The world is a wonderous place and the Net joins us together in many ways.  Thank you friends of the Net for brightening my days.

Blessings during this Thanksgiving season!
Angie in SoCal

Okay, I gave thanks - your turn!  I look forward to what you have to say.

Applique Tuesday

The top is done.  I'll take it Thursday to St. Annes so the ladies can sandwich it. Then I'll take home to quilt.  We want to give it to him in December for his birthday.

Measures 45 by 63.  I kinda like it. Came out pretty good for a D9P.

What have you been up to?  Leave me a comment and I'll come by and see your eye candy.  Linking with Connie for Linky Tuesday and Esther for  her WOW.  See you there.

A QRG Report for 11/09/14

Quilting:  did some hand stitching yesterday

This is a 50+ year old ufo from an estate sale that a friend gave me to finish as she knows I like to do QAYG.  I learned a few things so far:

1. The polyester thread from so long ago shreds terribly when you're trying to pick out a seam.
2. The sizes of the 7 blocks ranged from 13" to 14.75" I had to make 2 more and trim the others to 13". Fortunately there were a bag of scraps and backing/sashing to go with the squares.
3. Working with such lofty batting is a pain.  One must squash it get an accurate size.  That was because there were already 6 squares quilted as they went and I wasn't about to take them all apart and remake them use different batting.  
4. Polyester/cotton can be so thin!
5. Log cabin blocks are not a good candidate for QAYG.

I've got the three rows of blocks stitched on the back.  Now I need to add the sashing between the rows, stitch those down, bind and I'll be done. I'm linking to 

this week and to  Judy's Patchwork Times  and Lyn's BOMs Away as I didn't add anything to my stash and nothing came out of my stash and I worked with these blocks. 

Reading: I'm reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.  From the back cover: January 1946: "Writer Juliet Ashton recieves a letter from a stranger...and so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as it name."    I'm so enjoying it for the story and because it is written mostly in the form of letters exchanged which makes it easy to pick up, read a few letters, and then back to whatever I was doing.

Gardening: 

I like cactus because like mankind - they are so beautiful and varied in their diversity.

And off I go to start another week - blessings!

Angie in SoCal

Hexie Weekend

Can you believe?  I actually got some hexies done on the train yesterday.

Would have gotten more done, but you know how it goes when you have six women gabbing and sharing all the way there and back - lol.  There were 18 of us and we had a great time. Our destination was Exposition Park.  We stayed together as a group from Riverside to Exposition Park and then we let them loose to do what they wanted. About half did want to see the Pompeii exhibit, a fourth the IMAX theater presentation, and another fourth to the National African- American Museum. We all had a good time, then met up again to come home, however 3 couples opted to go home later so they could do other things, and that was fine by us.  I guess it went well as most asked when the next trip was. LOL - it will be a while - this wore me out evey though it was fun.

Have you got some eye candy to share - hexies or otherwise.  What are you up to?  Linking below.
I finished a flower so I'm linking to Amanda Jean's Finish it Up Fridays and Sarah's Can I get a Whoop, Whoop?  Since it's been weeks since I've posted hexies, I consider that flower above a finish!
PS: The white fabric looks odd on those petals because the templates are from illustrated cards and the colors show up.

An InLinkz Link-up