It's a boy!

We are happy to announce - Henry Lee!  Born just two days ago, 15 days early, but 6 lbs., 5 oz., mom and baby are doing fine!

We think he's pretty cute!  Of course we haven't been able to meet him yet, due to social distancing.  This is our first grandson; we have two granddaughters, both age 2.  I think Henry will be the little prince, lol!

Little Henry and dear Hannah.  So proud of her, she did good!

New dad, Danny, and his new love.  He's over the moon!

Looks like a magazine, right? Hannah is very clever and artistic, and she created this adorable nursery. The wall treatment is something she found on pinterest, she free-handed it just using a simple cardboard template.  My quilt is hanging on the crib; more on that later.

They'll be rocking little Henry in that chair pretty soon!  Sweet dreams, sweet Henry!

(Not) Wordless Wednesday

My view this morning!

Lovely neighbor created this to add some smiles.

Adds a little perspective, doesn't it?  The gentleman on the left could have been modeled after my dad, though he was in the Navy (including Pearl Harbor).  Kind of looks like he did, too, minus the baseball cap. Stay safe, everyone!

We shop, we cook, we eat

Scott and I have been cooking pretty much every day for the past several weeks.  I think we got takeout twice in all that time.  Here are a few keepers:

Recipe source:  Betty Crocker, purchased in 1978 (wedding gift!). My kind of recipe, one bowl, easy, and really delicious!

We had heavy cream in the frig, so we skipped the frosting and served with real whipped cream.  Check out my teeny stove!  Looks like we live in a tiny city apartment...nope, just a small mid-century ranch in the suburbs.

Now THESE are to write home about!  If you're ever in Minneapolis, consider visiting Al's Breakfast in the U of M neighborhood called Dinkytown.  There is but ONE counter, with about 15 stools.  That's it.  So you have to WAIT for your breakfast.  But oh, the food is worth it!  Here's a link to the recipe.  The recipe shows made with blueberries and walnuts, but I subbed in chocolate chips for the blueberries.  And you MUST use real maple syrup - pictured above is Anderson's Pure Maple Syrup, made by my godparents' family in Wisconsin.  They carry it at my local grocery store!

More proof of our tiny kitchen. Scott is backed up to the refrigerator, and to the left of the stove the counter takes a left turn and there is the sink.  It's a "step saver kitchen", that's for sure.
Scott is working on a quick pasta dish I saw on "The Kitchen" (food network).  They had a "pasta drop challenge" where you had to create a pasta sauce in the time it took for the pasta to cook!
Here is the link for Sunny's Quick Bolognese sauce.  We used 1# hamburger, crumbled and browned with olive oil, salt, and pepper for the meat, and pasta sauce for the pizza sauce.  It was clean-your-plate good.  

More recipes next time!
Stay safe, everyone!

Keeping busy!

Welcome back to my blog! Although I am busy - I've decided I've time enough to get back to blogging.  So here we go!

Although some folks are home with lots of time on their hands, I am home - but I am still working at both of my jobs.  I do customer service for a heating parts distributor, and I also teach piano lessons.  Since the stay at home order, I've been teaching via FaceTime, which has worked very well!

My home office setup.  My workplace brought over my computer and phone and got everything connected for me.  I've been here for just over 3 weeks - first using some vacation days, and now working from home.  The commute is great, but I miss my friends from the office.  Best to be home and try to stay safe.

Over the weekend, I made enough masks for our family, using some batik fabrics.  I used a design found online by Kaiser Permanente, see here.  Very clear instructions.  I made my masks with ties rather than elastic.  Models are my daughter and granddaughter.  Of course we miss our family, but if staying apart will keep us all healthy, it is a small price to pay!

Our other project lately has been painting our kitchen!  Good-bye green, hello white!  Going for a fresh new look.  I enjoy painting - but it's taking longer than I expected!  We're very good painters - but not very fast!

Finish - Erica's baby girl surprise quilt!

Wow I was pretty quick on this finish! Bought the fabric on vacation in Winterset, Iowa early July, and had quilt finished for a baby shower mid-August. That’s warp speed for me!
Six simple stars, with fussy-cut sheep centers. The quilt coordinates nicely with the nursery, and the mom-to-be loved it!
Sorry these photos are out of order, I’m posting from my phone bc our laptop is in the shop.
Happy quilting!

Finished quilt top on the design wall, auditioning the binding fabric. Does anyone else do that?

This cute sheep fabric was in the bundle I bought in Winterset, Iowa.  Set the tone of the whole quilt, and also harmonized nicely with Erica's decorating theme.

Quilted it myself with a simple meander. I always wash quilts before presenting them.  It looked better in person, not the best photo.  I'll have Erica take a photo with the baby, after she arrives. :)

Close up of one of the star blocks.  

Love the bunnies on the selvedge!

Ready for gifting!

Treasures from the Road

We just got home from a BIG car trip (2400+ miles, more on that later), GREAT to travel, but also GREAT to be home!  

Here are my treasures from the trip!

How fun is this lady-liberty-meets-andy-warhol panel? I could not resist it, found at Twin Cities Quilting in St. Paul - perfect for a fun wall hanging for the patriotic holidays.
And the Quiltfolk "Iowa" issue, picked up at the Iowa Quilt Museum in Winterset, Iowa.  We visited the covered bridges, too - which was great fun to do...so quiet and peaceful. 

More treasures  - found at Piece Works Quilt Shop in Winterset.  I have a baby quilt (for a girl) that I want to whip up quickly, but had no real plan, except for the mom-to-be's color scheme:  the softest pink - almost ballet pink, white, gray/beige, and the tiniest touches of a soft teal green.  Piece Works had ON SALE a baggie with (5) 1-yard pieces in coordinating colors:  the sweet lambs on a soft pink background, two tan prints to the right, and the two green prints in the background (which I am not using, as they are too bright for this project.  No worries, I will use them for something!) I added the three pink/beige prints across the top, and the store clerk found the white texture-y print underneath.  I'm set!

Another find from Twin Cities Quilting, I loved the soft, old-fashioned look of this Christmas panel - reminds me of the movie, Prancer.  I plan to make a simple pillow for the head of the bed, to coordinate with a Christmas quilt - which may of may not be done this year.  

Everything old is new again! #uanduqal

Inspired by Sujata Shah, and the book Unconventional and Unexpected, I am creating a new quilt out of my grandmas lovely but damaged quilt.

Detail showing damage.

Quilt top - this used to be a tied quilt, but was badly damaged, so years ago I removed the ties with the intention of repairing it.  Now I have a plan!

 I ripped apart the blocks on a long car trip, and now to play! 

Below are several inspiring quilts from Unconventional and Unexpected, giving me ideas for a layout.  

Not sure which layout I'll use yet, I love them all!