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She has been wearing this for 24 hours

Perhaps we could call it "day into evening wear?" Sounds better than "dress that looks more like a nightgown."

I bought this super soft knit ages ago on super sale at JoAnns with the thought of a dress for Biscuit. Yesterday she agreed that she would indeed like a dress so I pulled out my trusty Simplicity 4206 (for Dummies) and whipped this up between breakfast and running out the door to a wedding. It's actually a shirt pattern that I cut long to make a dress and I cut it extra long intending to hem. Of course then she decided she LIKED it long. Add 'forced hemming" to the list of things I don't bother arguing about. Right after "wearing clips to keep those bangs out of your eyes."

Biscuit wore her nightgown dress to Aunt Laura's while we were at the wedding, home to bed and then woke up and wore it to school.

She changed out of it only briefly for a breakfast that included an orange popsicle. (add, popsicles for breakfast to the "not worth a fight list.") Anyway, I told her she could wear the dress to school and could have a popsicle with breakfast but if she spilled popsicle on the dress she'd have to change.

"I have a good idea," she tells me. "I'll take this off and put on real jammies for breakfast and then put this back on." And so she did. And her blue jammies are covered in orange goo.

Ladybug applique quilt--very exciting

Several weeks ago I went to San Diego to meet this brand new cutie and to deliver her baby gift (a few weeks late, as always for me). Her mom selected a ladybug theme so I designed this quilt covered in appliqued ladybugs. Truth be told, it was mostly an excuse to use that checked background fabric that I love and have been hoarding for just the right project.

About the time I started working on this, I connected with Chris Dahl of Quilting Weekly (via Twitter all things) and she generously invited me to teach an online class on her website. I decided to do an applique class using the ladybug quilt as the example.

I'm very excited to let you know that the class launched today on her site. Chris has been very patient and delightful to work with as I sorted through how best to explain different applique techniques. In the end, I wrote it how I would want to read it--lots of close up photos and descriptions so I hope you won't have to interpret anything. Nothing worse than directions that assume a level of knowledge you don't have. The class includes instructions for 3 basic applique techniques, several additional tips and templates for a few ladybugs and a robot. I encourage you to check out Quilting Weekly!

Unfortunately, I no longer even like it

I started this quilt shortly after Mr. H and I started dating. That would have been summer 1997. I seem to recall thinking I'd make it as a gift for him for our one year dating anniversary or some such event. Right.

I'm pretty sure the hundreds of pinwheels were complete an turned into a quilt top by the end of the 90's. I think I bought the border fabric on our honeymoon in 2000 (which was partly to Amish country in Pennsylvania) and the quilt top, batting, and backing have been in my closet ever since.

The backing was originally navy blue but I never quite liked it. I found this light gray, striped sheet at the thrift store the other day and that was it. I decided it would be the backing. Of course then it was too small,hence the piecing. I also had grand plans of hand (or at least machine) quilting the entire thing but the seams were so think I was worried about it.

I finally decided that done was better than perfect and just tied the whole thing. I even employed a friend for the hundreds of ties. Then I turned the border into a binding and finished it off.

And so it's done. Twelve years later. I really don't even like it but Mr. H does and we don't actually have a bed quilt so it'll do. This is what it's going to look like 99% of the time anyway.

New routine

Have I mentioned it here? As of July 1 I only work 60% time at my "real" job. That's three days per week and work and four days off. It is, in a word, spectacular.

My timing wasn't great, purposefully laying myself off 40% in a recession with furloughs looming but I don't think I'll have any regrets. We can still pay the mortgage and even though I have a fantastic job, I'd rather spend time with my family than at work. So this was the right thing for right now and I am fortunate I have a boss and employer who allowed it to happen.

Today felt like the first real day of my new routine. Until now Mr. H has been on summer vacation and we've been traveling and days have been switched etc, etc so today was the first day it was just me and the Biscuit all day.

Can I say it again? Spectacular.

I'm sure all this home-ness and together-ness will wear on me but for now, I love it. It was so FUN and I got SO MUCH DONE!

Biscuit, inexplicably, wanted to play in the the sink (not with stuff in the sink, actually IN the sink) and given my "why not" approach to parenting she spent 30 minutes IN the sink while I made "sun" yogurt on our patio (weird but the yogurt was good).

After some train playing (her) and some binding stitching (me) it was time to clean the bathroom!

Fortunately the kid has a new interest in Ajax so I conned her into scrubbing the sink (and toilet!!) as a "game." A game that was followed by the "raking out the chicken coop" game. Three year olds are so fun and so gullible.

The quilt got done!!! (more on that later) and I had time to cruise the entirety of the internet. Found this awesome playhouse and a few new food blogs. Speaking of food blogs, I decided to try this recipe from Smitten Kitchen for dinner.

I used Roma tomatoes rather than cherry (and it was a touch too dry) but we even made our own pasta with my awesome I-found-it-at-the-thrift-store-for-$5 pasta machine so it was extra yummy and fun. And I baked a butternut squash from the garden and it was delish.

And we ate at 5:45! I'm usually not even home until 6:10 (when Biscuit is usually starving) so this was revolutionary. And then after dinner I had time to build a compost bin and Biscuit had time to whine incessantly about not being able to drive her "car" which had a black widow living near the pedal and four flat tires.

As I said, spectacular. If all Mondays can be this good, I'm set.

Back to work tomorrow but I've been gone so long I miss the place and am actually looking forward to it (except for the getting up early part).

In which Aunt Laura teaches Biscuit the proper way to eat Ethiopian food

First, wash your hands. Then tear off a piece of pancake bread (I don't actually know anything about Ethiopian food like, say, the name of that pancake bread)
 
Toss your piece of bread onto your food of choice (Biscuit liked the orange stuff in the middle)

Use your pancake to pinch up a bite of yumminess.

Eat

We be jammin'

I had a friend with an overload of tomatoes and peaches and a desire to learn to make jam. What a match made in heaven.

We did 5 quarts of tomatoes, 8 jars of peach jam and 6 jars of grape jam (grapes courtesy of my neighbors whose plants we were watering and whose grapevine had gone absolutely bonkers). Those are pictured above. After my friend left I followed up with another several jars of grape, 5 jars of chutney and six jars of jalapeno jam. All told I think it was 34 pint jars and 5 quart jars. I don't have the storage for all this--I'll need to learn to like to EAT jam.

I know I've said it before but I'll say it again, making jam is REALLY EASY. I recommend buying a jar lifter but other than that you don't need fancy tools. Just a big pot to process the jars, a small pot to cook the jam, some fruit and some directions easily found online or at the library. Recently I have been using Pomona Pectin which I read about on an Angry Chicken post and found at the natural food store. (as an aside, I went to Whole Foods and asked about pectin and two clerks had no idea what I was even talking about. I left and went to the old school Elliott's Natural Foods in Sacramento and found it no problem). (another aside, Elliott's Natural Foods has the best samples ever. Last Friday was free popsicle day! a whole popsicle! Biscuit is in love with that store).

Summary of post: Jam making=fun. Try it!

Foraging

I'm sometimes jealous of all the East Coast bloggers I read and their blueberry picking (and eating) adventures. We don't have wild blueberries here. But we do have wild blackberries--they're practically a (thorny) invasive species

We were at my parents' house yesterday and I knew my dad would know secret blackberry locations (he's a bike rider) so I suggested a foraging expedition.
 
What we should have brought: better bucket, gloves, pants, possibly thigh-high waders, more gloves, a ladder. What we did bring: a loose fitting (new) sundress and a three year old.
Even so we got a ton of blackberries (thanks mostly to my dad wading way off trail through the thorns).

We also found three apples on a tree that was completely covered in blackberries.With all this fruit I was wishing I had bought Rustic Fruit Desserts (Amy Karol keeps recommending it and I keep drooling) so I googled for a free trial recipe and serendipitously found a recipe for blackberry apple pie (link goes to page with link to recipe which requires free log in.)

It called for three apples--it was meant to be. Except that it was a really involved and time consuming recipe with lots of chilling and waiting and cooling.

We didn't wait for it to chill so it ran all over but it was still delicious. Now I am definitely buying Rustic Fruit Desserts. Fortunately just noticed that Borders is offering 30% off all cookbooks!

Stay tuned for the tale of these foraged grapes.

Teacher's dessert

For reasons lost with my grandmother, when my mom and her two sisters were in grade school Grandma started inviting the teachers over once a year for "teacher's dessert." It was a chance for the kids to show off their house to their teachers and for the teachers and parents to get to know one another. Just "dessert and nuts" after school. My mom continued the tradition so my grade school teachers came over for dessert every year.

Several years ago I made recipe calendars for all my friends so luckily I had the recipe on hand when I decided we should invite Biscuit's pre-school teachers over. It's really such a weird dessert; I don't even like it much. But it's tradition.

Reading and making the recipe reminded me somehow of this article by Michael Pollan. Something about the 50's food aesthetic of fancy/complicated but made with pre-packaged ingredients like Nilla wafers. It might be time to change the menu on this tradition but it was nice to have Biscuit's teachers over and they seemed to appreciate it.

(photo outtake)

And here's the recipe. You've been warned ;)
Teacher's Dessert
Mix 2 cups crushed Nilla Wafers with 3 T melted butter. Press into a 9x13 pan and freeze. Slice most of a quart of mint chip ice cream and cover Nilla wafer layer with ice cream (about 1/2-3/4 inches thick). Freeze. Beat three egg whites, set aside. Beat 1/2 cup softened butter with 2 cups powdered sugar. Mix in two melted squares of bakers (unsweetened) chocolate. Beat in three egg yolks. Fold in beaten egg whites. Layer chocolate over ice cream. Top with more crushed Nilla wafers (I forgot to do this step) Freeze. Allow it to soften up for a few minutes before attempting to slice and serve.

I know, raw egg. I did it anyway. There is a cryptic note on my recipe "may replace eggs with water" but no hints as to how much water etc. I suppose it's mostly a chocolate frosting so maybe next time I'd thin it with some milk. So far we seem to be salmonella free but geez, kinda gross.

So there you go. You can adopt a Swanson family tradition. Let me know if you have any bright ideas for a more appetizing dessert we can rename "Teacher's Dessert." Maybe apple cobbler would be more appropriate.

Cutie

Picking flowers and an impromptu photo shoot

Our garden has some late summer crispiness and hasn't been as productive as I'd like but it sure looks good here.

$2 camera case that actually cost $3

Intending to spend seven days relaxing and reading, I took a big stack of books to the lake and no projects. By then end of day two I was itching to sew. Luckily, that day also included a trip to the Dollar Store where I found a $1 pair of scissors (impressively sharp) and a $1 sewing kit that included needles, pins, thread and a button! I had decided my new camera needed a case and immediately thought of the Alabama Stitch book (which I haven't bought but did peruse at the bookstore ages ago when Idecided that I wasn't really down with the style until last week when I suddenly decided I loved the look and HAD to have such a project in my own life).

ANYWAY

I had a t-shirt I was willing to sacrifice to the cause but not a second shirt to provide color contrast. So I dyed a piece of the shirt using onion skins. True story.

Then I did my best to guesstimate the Alabama Stitch look and sewed up a simple leaf pattern. See my awesome sewing kit and scissors?

I created and tested a pattern, and cut it out. It looked like this.

I stitched it up, lined it in blue, attached a button and took it out to test it's camera protecting abilities before taking a picture of the final project.

And it blew off the back of the boat.

Bummer.

After a day of mourning I drove myself back to town in search of a thrift store where I purchased a t-shirt I thought was orange but is actually coral. (I also found a cool, vintage piece of pyrex and got everything in my purchase for half price. Awesome). So for $1 more I had materials to begin again. Having used my sewing kit's button I used the extra button that came attached to the tag of a new pair of shorts. I was very proud of thinking of that. I did have a scrap of the greenish, onion-dyed fabric so I used that because gosh darnit I boiled and soaked onion skins in a trailer for 24 hours and it was going to be put to use!

Meh. I'm not in love but it seems to cover the camera. And it's securely attached to the camera string.

And the $1 sewing kit provided the kid boatloads of entertainment second only to the mud pie project.