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Spaghetti Salad and Eva Under the Weather
Whew, it has been hot here. HOT. Heating the house up with the oven just isn't anything anyone is interested in doing, so I have been trying some recipes that can be made early in the day and served chilled later. One new recipe that we had this week is Spaghetti Salad. I discovered an…
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Summer in the Country- Bonus Block this Time
This week's block was supposed to be one called "Picnic Table", but it wasn't my cup of tea. In my opinion, that block has too many seams and just doesn't fit in as well with the overall aesthetic of the quilt. Luckily I discovered an additional bonus block which was left off the FAQ page…
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Halloween Figs Sampler Progress
I've been pulling out my Halloween Figs block of the month kits and working on it again. I can't tell you what month this is though! I got mixed up when I set the applique blocks aside. What I do know is that it is called "Goose in the Pond". I do love how striking…
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Summer in the Country- Block 7- Summer Basket
This week's Summer in the Country block is a beauty, and certainly a challenge. It is called Summer Basket and was designed by Nicola Dodd of Cakestand Quilts. It may be my favorite so far and I think it will be a gorgeous addition to the quilt. Be that as it may, I have to…
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Fire Update
Our golden hills are scorched looking, but the grass underneath the trees burned so hot and fast that the oaks should be ok. The fire's progress has been stopped, but firefighters remain on the scene putting out hot spots and flare-ups. In the photo above, you can see the trenches dug by dozers that stopped…
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Summer in the Country- Block 6 Goose Pond
After all the drama of my last Summer in the Country sew-along block, I am happy to report that block 6 is a nice easy one. Just flying geese. The block is Goose Pond, designed by Susan Vaughan of The Felted Pear. Make your geese using your favorite method and you will be good to…
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Living the Dream in Carmel While Rome Burns
We continue to have an amazing time in Carmel. This picture was taken on 17 Mile Drive, a must if you ever visit the Monterey Peninsula. The weather has been just perfect and we have been making the most of it. We started the day with a healthy portion of avocado toast and strong coffee.…
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I May Be On Vacation…
I had a birthday recently and my husband surprised me with a little getaway. We are at Mission Ranch, a fabulous resort in Carmel Valley, owned by none other than Clint Eastwood. The Monterey Bay area is my old stomping ground, so we are really having fun revisiting places we used to enjoy. The photo…
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Summer in the Country- Block 5 Lemonade
Lemonade is our fifth block in the Summer in the Country sew-along. Jessica Dayon designed this block. I really enjoyed making it, although some things puzzled me along the way. It is definitely the most challenging block so far, as it involves templates. If you think this block may be too much for your current…
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Starch Method of Applique-Not for me
I don't know what I was thinking. I have tried the starch method of applique before and failed totally. For some reason, I thought if Joanna Figueroa made it look so easy ("It's the only method of applique I do", she said) I thought ok, I can do it too. Not. What a mess. I…