Kitchen Inspiration

My kitchen has been looking blah lately. We remodelled it a few years ago and never quite finished everything either because we became busy, ran out of money or energy and then became busy again.

I have always loved big old houses and farmhouse kitchens but, alas, we had to make do with what we had, i.e., a small house and small kitchen. Other than painting the cabinets and replacing the formica countertops, the old kitchen hadn't been touched since 1961, if you can imagine. The kitchen is small but I wanted a farmhouse look that we could afford and insisted on having an island even though our contractor said it wouldn't work in such a small space. It works just fine and we use it a lot. The room gets a lot of light but we still choose vanilla-colored cabinets to make it look even brighter. I actually love my kitchen despite the size.

The walls are painted that Martha Stewart blue/green.

I've been puttering around a lot, trying to catch up with organizing things at home. I can't remember the last time I cleaned out some of the cabinets. Oh my.  I went to a Home Goods store yesterday looking for a gift. Well, guess what? I came home with some pretty new dishes! My old everyday dishes were looking pretty sad and I've wanted new dishes for a long, long time. I did not want to keep using my other pretty English Garden plates that I bought last year for every day. So, as I told my husband when I got home (Surprise! New dishes!) , we really, really needed them. Right.

I bought this pretty floral china last year but only use them for  special dinners, not for everyday dining. At least not while the kids are still home, LOL.

The colors in the new plates are very similar but they're much more casual. Perfect for every day!

Buying new dishes was just the thing to get me inspired and motivated to clean up the kitchen and possibly think about finishing up some of the things we never finished, sewing some valances for the windows, cleaning those blinds, yuck, organizing the Tupperware, pantry, etc.

The floral pattern is so cute and almost reminds me of applique.

Look, the dishes sort of match my rugs too!

They already match all of my other kitchen accessories so it was destiny - they were just sitting there waiting for me to come along and give them a nice, new home.

It's funny how something like this can really motivate you to clean things up. The kitchen is looking better I think and it makes me feel so good now that it's cleaner and more organized. Can't have pretty new dishes sitting on cluttered counters, LOL. Plus, it looks like they will also inspire me to cook some healthy dinners. Someone asked about recipes in the comments for the last post and I think I will add some of my favorites soon. A bonus to these plates and one good reason I chose them - the center area is smaller than my other ones so perhaps that will help me with portion control as I try to eat healthier and lose a few pounds.

More Inspiration

I'm getting inpsired from all sides. I love to see photos of quilts that quilters make from my designs. Kathie has been working feverishly as usual and although I will never, ever be able to keep up with her, it's fun to see her make some of my quilts that are just a tiny bit different than mine. I have a list of some of her designs I want to make someday too. One of my favorites is in the 2011 American Patchwork & Quilting calendar. I was reminded of this when I saw my friend Julia's Ancient Stars quilt.  I cannot believe that I have never made an Ohio Star quilt. I love this block. Isn't this a beauty??

This calendar is hard to find but there are some great quilts in it. My calendar is still stuck on MAY for some odd reason. I have not changed the page yet, LOL, because it's the first time one of my quilts has been in a calendar and I'm savoring the experience. Who cares if it's July? The picture is fun to look at and when people come over and tell me the calendar is on the wrong page I tell them to look closer. No, it's definitely the right page - I'm showing off!

I will have to change it by Fall though to enjoy Kathie's quilt. There's also a lovely photo of a small quilt made by Ann in the same calendar -

It's similar to that one I want to make that's in the latest Fons & Porter Love of Quilting magazine but Ann used 4-patch blocks in hers. This one is just the right size and design and I think I'll make one like it with pink and indigo, using some of my tiny nine-patches I have stashed away. Here, another one that's going right on the list!

The list is getting long. I got a little bit of quilting done this weekend but not much because we were so busy. But you'll be happy to know that I have finished half of the blocks for my daughter's X quilt. This quilt takes priority and if I'm lucky I can get it done this month and then to the machine quilter in August. Why is it taking me forever?

I have so much catching up to do in other areas of my life, quilting is still taking a back seat for a little while. In addition to honing my Scrabble skills so I can beat my husband the Scrabble Master one day soon (!), I'm also focusing on my health and diet, continuing my walking and trying to get and stay well and feel good. Not making any money this way, LOL, but I'm slowing down, experimenting with some new, healthy recipes, sitting in my back garden in the sun a little every day, reading a bit, listening to the birds. Speaking of which, I'm reading a wonderful novel -

I fell in love with the title and cover right away. Here's an excerpt.

Today my priority is running  a couple of errands - going to Whole Foods for some organic Oat Bran so I can make these muffins. I can start adding a little fiber to my diet now and oat bran seems to be the way to go for me - I tolerate it better than wheat bran and not only will it keep the diverticulitis from coming back but it will help my cholesterol too. One muffin a day. Oh, the fun of getting old . . . .

I'll have to buy some blueberries too and possibly add them someday.

Happy Independence Day!

It's almost the 4th of July and I was looking for a quilt or two to display this weekend for a barbeque we're having. I did not realize I had made so many small quilts in a red, off-white and blue theme. I'll bet many of you also have some if you look hard enough.

Celebrate Freedom!

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves” 

~ Abraham Lincoln

My daughter was watching me while I took these photos of my quilts and said "Mom, you have so many other patriotic pictures and things around the house too. They all have flags or stars in them." I do not - oh, you're right, I guess I do -

 

While you're celebrating the holiday, step back and think about all of the freedoms we Americans enjoy and sometimes take for granted. Education is a big one for me. I think of schoolhouses - and how hard the early Americans worked to establish schools in America so their children could have the best opportunities.

"I believe in America because we have great dreams - and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true."

~ Wendell Wilkie

"If you take advantage of everything America has to offer, there’s nothing you can't accomplish."

~Geraldine Ferraro

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, oppose any foe, to ensure the survival and success of liberty."

~ John F. Kennedy

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”

 ~ Benjamin Franklin

And here's another quote from Ben Franklin, even if if isn't exactly patriotic. Fitting for me to remember and for a weekend of celebrating perhaps. It's been 2 months since my surgery and the doctor said I do not have to stay on a low-fiber diet anymore. Yippee! I can eat almost anything I want. Believe it or not, I've been craving salad for a long, long time. I'll try to go easy on the desserts too though, LOL.

"To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals."

One more reason for us to celebrate here - it's the littlest girl's birthday! Ophelia (Princess Lia) turned 3 today! Freedom to play and be cute all day . . .

Inspired by Magazines

I always get inspired when the quilting magazines come in the mail, don't you? There are some really pretty ones in the August 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting now on newsstands. Don't you love this magazine?? 

(Quilt designed by Anne Marie Yohnk)

(Quilt designed by Kathie Holland)

(Quilt designed by Becky Goldssmith and Linda Jenkins)

See more quilts that appear in this issue from the magazine website - All People Quilt. There are lots of free patterns for small quilts in the archives too. Also, check out the how-to videos! I need some time to go through some of them.

I am also totally inspired to make a small version of this simple quilt I saw in the latest Fons & Porter Love of Quilting magazine. Don't you just love the scrappy antique look?

I think I might even be able to use some of my scrappy nine-patch blocks I have stored away in a drawer that were made with 1 1/2 inch squares. And I know I have the right pink and indigo for the background and sashing.

The latest edition of Quiltmania has a nice review of my new book and their usual inspiring photos of terrific quilts. Speaking of French magazines, Delphine from France sent me an issue of one of her favorite magazines.

Is this not one of the cutest scissors holders you've ever seen? I can't read the directions (French!) but it looks easy enough to make from the pictures.

Well, I certainly can't say I'm not getting enough inspiration. Now I just have to figure out a way to make time for everything.

Back to Work

I went  back to work recently, giving a few presentations to a couple of quilt guilds.  It's fun to show my quilts because they look so much nicer in person than they do in the books.  I usually start off with the small ones and work up to the larger ones - that always surprises those who think I only make little doll quilts. I guess I have a reputation for that, LOL. (Note to myself: I need to scale back and bring LESS quilts next time! Takes a long time to show all of them.) When I see the guild members' Show & Tell I'm always amazed to see how large their quilts are. Wow, some of you people make HUGE quilts.

At Prairie Star Quilters in St Charles, IL

Here's my Calico Comfort quilt from Remembering Adelia.

My old friend Mary Z was there and it was so nice to see a familiar face. She's actually not that old, LOL. You know what I meant, Mary. She and I met in Jo Morton's very first Little Women Club in 2003. Funny, but I didn't realize it had been that long ago until she reminded me. She commented that she visited my blog recently and was shocked to see that my daughter had grown up and wasn't a little girl anymore. I had forgotten that Mary had met her  - she was about 10 then and I used to drag her along with me to some of the Club meetings at a local quilt shop if my husband was working late and I couldn't leave her home alone. I was trying to expose her to quilting early. Guess what? It didn't work!

Here's Mary's latest beauty - she told me that the blocks were from swaps and she put them together using a design created by Wenche Martinsen. I believe she's still attending Jo's Club this many years later and the fabrics are all Jo's prints. I'm a sucker for that light blue border! Don't you love it together with all the scrappy blocks?

Elaine "Truffle Queen" the Blogger was there too - it's fun to meet people face to face after you get to know them from comments on blogs and I love it when they introduce themselves to me. We talked about how therapeutic and addicting blogging is for us. I'm always surprised people read mine. Sure, technically, I know people read my blog, but usually when I'm typing away I'm often not aware that anyone will remember something I wrote. Someone else approached me yesterday and said "What kind of dog do you have? She's so cute!" How did  she know I have a dog?? And a CUTE one at that! Oh, yeah, the BLOG. It's beginning to follow me around like a puppy.

Favorite blankie and favorite toy bunny

When life gets busy my husband will read my blog to catch up on what I'm thinking about (in my OTHER life) and on occasion will say to me "Are you sure you want to tell that to a bunch of strangers??" Oh, don't worry, I don't think anyone actually reads it . . .

But, just in case, here's another cute dog shot - Yes, I have TWO dogs. This one is waiting patiently for some food to drop.

And TWO kids. But they're growing up fast. See that foot in the upper left-hand corner? It belongs to my son. I didn't realize until now that I was recording a somewhat historical moment with my camera. Oh my. He's WASHING dishes . . . . At least I think it's my son.

A Little Help from My Friend

I have been a little more inspired to quilt lately, or at least am thinking about it more, thanks to well-meaning friends. Julia keeps sending me e-mails with photos of antique quilts for sale on eBay - "Look! Isn't this one cute??" "Why don't you buy THIS one?? It's Blue and White!" She's doing it just to keep me going I know.

I've been so sick for so long that we haven't been able to scan the Flea Markets for some time the way we used to . . .

I went over to her house last week, before the storm, and became inspired by looking at some of the quilts she's made over the years and wanted to show you. But then the POWER went out (did you hear??) and not only could I not blog about them I couldn't even sit down at my (electric) sewing machine and take advantage of my new-found motivation.

Many of the quilts in this cabinet are ones she has made from my patterns and designs. Some from before I became published even. My first and truest fan . . .

Here's a picture of my all-time favorite quilt she's made - Julia's Ancient Stars quilt (designed by Sue Garman). I've almost always seen this quilt done in browns but Julia used blue for the border and lots of colorful scrappy prints for the stars. Very inspiring! I remember how hard she worked on it a few years ago.

Totally scrappy, just like a wonderful old antique quilt

Julia loves Log Cabin quilts. This is to show you that, even though many of the patterns for quilts in my books are for SMALL quilts, Julia decided to just keep going with the little Log Cabin blocks in Prairie Children & Their Quilts to make hers much bigger (she made the small one too). Again, with the beautiful blue border. Gotta love her.

A cute little assortment. (Candle mat is not my pattern.)

Julia has made all of the quilts from my first 2 books and is now plugging away on the ones in Remembering Adelia. She broke her wrist last year (walking the dog) and had to take a break from quilting for awhile so that's why she's a little behind, LOL. Hey, Julia, did you hear I have a NEW book out with more patterns?? Better get cracking, my dear!

Small quilt in progress -  free pattern for this one here

Friendship Star quilt, also from Prairie Children - and look! That's my house across the street, where the friendship star points are pointing. I'll be very sad when she moves next year. Did I tell you that we also share a birthday? I believe there are no coincidences. She's irreplaceable, of course, but will I ever become lucky enough again to get a neighbor who quilts??

Power Struggle

Honestly, I had the best intentions. I had a few days this week that were looking promising to resume working on my daughter's college quilt. (Pretty soon you're going to get tired of looking at the same blocks! There's nothing new!) I went grocery shopping on Tuesday and after I got home I was going to try to get some sewing time in and see if working on this pink and brown quilt would inspire me to get back into things a little.

Well, one thing led to another and pretty soon I was over at my friend Julia's house taking some photos of a couple of quilts she wanted to show me (photos of pretty quilts next time on the blog). Then it was time to drive my son over to the bike shop to pick up his spiffy new bike we bought him as a graduation gift and then run by the Post Office and bank.

They're doing some heavy duty construction on two major roads near my house and traffic is ridiculous and backed up at all times. Of course I have to take one of these roads every time I go anywhere, there are no other options unless I want to drive miles out of my way to bypass it all which usually ends up taking just as long. It's sooo frustrating but one of the things you learn to put up with if you live near Chicago in the Spring and Summer I guess. There's an old local joke that says: Chicago has 2 seasons - Winter and Construction . . .  . This time it's almost right in my backyard though and I have to deal with it on a  daily basis, often many times during the day. Tempers flare and tension is high on the streets of the suburbs . . .

Then it was time to make dinner and so no quilting got done. Tuesday night a couple of severe storms came through northern Illinois and our power went out.

( Pause here for a sigh and some major whining - Hey, you have to admit, at least this time I'm not whining about my health. )

It often  takes a small electrical crisis just to make me aware of how lucky I am to live in this century. I stopped to think that Adelia and her family would not have been affected as much. She had a treadle sewing machine and went without electricity ALL THE TIME in the 1860s.

So, anyway, the severe storms rolled through with tornado warnings in our area and we all went into the basement, fearing the worst. Nothing too terrible happened and I know it could have been much, much worse. Some areas near me got hit hard but all we suffered was a few tree branches down in the backyard by the time it was over. Oh, that and the POWER WENT OUT, did I mention that already?

I get CRAZY when the power goes out. You can tell I'm not much of a camper. I like my hair dryer and computer. And reading with a light. (You know I love reading about the 19th century but I wouldn't have lasted a week if I had to live back then.) Now, I know I'm whining here because really, we did not suffer any devastation like some have experienced recently across the country and I cannot even imagine what it would be like to see our house taken out by a tornado. So I know I'm very lucky. But everyone I talked to around here had the same feeling - we are so dependent on our electricity that it almost cripples us when we don't have it.  

Not only do I miss light and television and the computer, but my electric stove, coffee maker, microwave and the refrigerator. Ah, the REFRIGERATOR. Everything spoiled in the 2 days we were without power even though we had kept it shut. And remember, I had JUST gone shopping so the frig and freezer were full. I wanted to cry. I did cry, it was so frustrating. And no, we never bought that generator we talked about getting after this happened when the last storm took out the power . . . Stupid now that I think about it. We usually file a claim with the power company to get reimbursed for the cost of the food that has spoiled but this time I heard that over 300,000 homes were without power in our area these last few days and so I wonder if that's even feasible this time. Some are still doing without. And, I know, I'm whining about a few days here.

Lots of homes around here with fallen trees. The cut  logs piled up are from a tree that had fallen onto their car.

Here's how spoiled I am - the most inconvenient things over the past few days were:

+   Feeling yucky because I could not dry and style my hair.

 +  Having to sit in that horrible construction traffic every morning to find someplace that was open to get a decent cup of coffee. Every McDonalds and Starbucks within a several mile radius was closed because of the power outage. There was a long, long line at the Dunkin' Donuts (Yes! We're OPEN) but I braved it even though the whole process took over an hour to get there and back home. That's how much I love coffee.

+ Competing with others to get a good chair (near an electrical outlet) at the local Barnes & Noble  so my daughter and I  could  charge our phones and I could check e-mail on my laptop. Everyone was there. Trust me, you didn't want to get up or you'd lose your chair within a second.

+  Having to either eat out (Construction! Traffic! Let's just stay home . . .) or rummage through the pantry for non-perishables to eat. Guess how many Cheez-its you can consume if you're hungry and there's nothing else??

+ Sharing the only book light in the house with the rest of  my family.

+ Having to drive to a friend's house (with wet hair) with my hair dryer, curling brush and makeup so I could look decent for a lecture I had to give to a guild last night. They would NOT have wanted to see me in a baseball cap and ponytail . . .

But, as I said, we were lucky. And the lights finally went on last night. You can see so many of the trees that were damaged within a few blocks of us.

 Almost every other house had a tree down.



Sad,  really. Here's a photo of our house taken before the storm.

As I mentioned, we did not get any damage so it looks the same. But see the tree? Every time I walk out my door and look at it I'm reminded that 18 years ago a beautiful old tree in our front yard was destroyed by a similar storm. I was pregnant with my daughter at the time and shortly after she was born we replaced it with a new Maple sapling and named it "Caitlin's Tree" in celebration of her birth. It's been fun watching both of them grow together over the years. I tease her that only one of them grew to be tall.

I'll have to try that quilting thing again soon. I guess that quilt's just going to take me a little while longer than I thought.