End of March Finish

This morning I finished the last of my to-do list for March, the Mom Cats doll quilt. This pattern is from the book Cat's Meow by Janet Kime. It ended up at 25 x 27 inches. This project was started on April 22, 2014, as a Let's Book It project. Finally, it is finished.

Despite taking two years to finish, it wasn't a big project, and it had a lot of downtime during those two years. I got kind of hung up trying to decide how to attach the aprons. The pattern wasn't particularly helpful in that regard. Those are some of my grandmother's vintage handkerchiefs and they've been hanging out in a cedar chest for decades. I'm glad to be bringing them out into the light and giving them something to do.

Here's how the quilt looks from the back. The quilting is a simple diagonal grid with stitch-in-the ditch around the cats. The spool border is simple cross-hatching.

 Also, I added pockets in the top corners and two loops so that it can be hung in the Cat Mewseum with a wooden dowel.

It was all finished yesterday afternoon except for hand-sewing the binding. I owe this finish to the assistance of my helper cat.

Also yesterday, I did some clean-up of the culinary herb garden. There are some open areas. I note my tarragon didn't come back this year, and so I'll need to replant it. Also, I'll add some flat-leaf parsley and some basil, and plant some random sunflowers once they've been sprouted.

Here's how it looks from the other direction. It doesn't look like there's much growing there. That's sorrel on the right, and it will expand and take up more than its fair share of space. I give it lots of room. Also, there are three little thyme plants on the left. They never get a chance to grow much because I'm always taking little cuttings from them.

My garden has a theme, and I'm proud to claim it.

It was such a lovely day yesterday, and so it was good to be out and working in the garden. We ate dinner on the patio for the first time this year. Perfect weather for it.

Yes, we had wine for dinner. Who wants to cook on such a beautiful and busy day? Actually, no. I tried a pretty good recipe for dinner last night. It's this One-Pot Unstuffed Cabbage from A Taste of Home.

(image source)

I happen to love stuffed cabbage rolls, but what a major hassle to make them! And you know I don't shy away from lengthy recipes. Still, I met my match in stuffed cabbage rolls. I used to make them many years ago, but gave up on them because of the time and the mess involved. (Also, I think having children was a part of the problem.) This recipe is a great way to have that wonderful flavor without the hassle. There's a little prep time in making the meatballs. Then, you get a simple sauce simmering on the stove top, throw in the meatballs, put a lid on it, and it cooks itself. (I have an idea this could also be done in a crockpot. I might try that next time.) 

Be sure to immerse the meatballs into the liquid of the sauce. They're made with uncooked rice, and the rice needs to be down in the liquid in order to cook. Also, I used canned diced tomatoes with no salt added, and the seasoning was just right. There's only half a teaspoon of salt mixed into the meatballs. Otherwise, they're salt free with a nice bright tomato flavor.

So this morning I'm heading down to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. I'll be taking lots of pictures to show you a little later on. The weather is supposed to be even warmer today, and so I have a feeling it's going to be a great day!