8/20/20

A Dozen Chickens

 Yesterday's grocery shopping trip was quick. Our list was short, and we were home by around 10:15 a.m., which left me lots of time to finish up my quilting for the day. I even did some housework. (Polishes fingernails on shirt.) Time was short because Mike and I still needed to drive into downtown Portland. 

So, I finished up the last of the chicken blocks. Yesterday's addition to the buffet:

Fried Chicken. This one took forever. I was about one-quarter of the way through it when I realized the quilt corner was folded under, and I was quilting it to the back. Yikes. And I told myself I wouldn't do that. 


Chicken Divan. This one will have some hanging beads added below the lampshade.


And finally, Chicken Gumbo. I think this was the first block I made for this quilt back when I started it.


All that's left now is to quilt chicken wire into the horizontal sashings and then quilt the outer border. I know just what to do there, which is half the battle.

Tuxedo Tales was hung in the second floor of the Mewseum yesterday. It's borders are a little wavy, and so I'm considering how I could weight the bottom to make it hang a little straighter. Any ideas?


I did some quick housework after lunch, and then we needed to head to downtown Portland. We were able to get Smitty inside before we left, but Sadie wouldn't budge from under the juniper bushes outside. We knew where she was, and as much as we hated to leave her, we had to. She likes napping under the juniper bushes, and there's little hope of catching her when she doesn't want to be caught. We were gone about two hours. When we came home, we found the two of them like this.

Open the door, wouldja, Smitty?


She was happy to come inside at that point. She'd been cut off from her kitty treats, and she was hungry. About half an hour later, a chipmunk decided to climb the outer screen door. Well. Don't you know that drove some kitties crazy?


Around 5:00 p.m., I was thinking about dinner when I heard Mike start the mower outside. It didn't seem as if dinner was a high priority, and so I decided to head into the sewing room to make up the next embroidery section for I Believe in Snowmen. You might recall I have all the blocks finished now. 



I won't be ready to finish off the quilt top, however, until I do a couple of longer pieces that will go across the top and bottom of the quilt. 



Next up will be the piece that goes across the top. It's 7-1/2 inches top to bottom and 42-1/2 inches across. Fortunately, my fabric was plenty wide enough for that. I need to get this ready to go because there is applique and top-stitching to do. The applique is fused down now, but I still need to top-stitch it before it will be ready for hand embroidery.


It's a little hard to see where the embroidery will go, but I'll be adding antlers to the reindeer, and then he's towing a row of stars behind him. Or...maybe it's a her. I can't really get a look at the parts I need to see to be sure. We'll go with "him" for now.


And that was the end of my day, except for dinner, of course. Dinner was leftovers, but I did make a recipe in my ongoing attempt to not die from suffocation by zucchini. This is a recipe I tried once before, but I'd forgotten how easy and good it is. I didn't take a picture of mine, but I was able to capture this little snip from the video on the website. These are Zucchini Fries.


I used two "medium" zucchini. They're first dipped in egg white, then dredged in a combination of panko, parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings, and a little cayenne. Then, they're baked in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. (Mine took more like 30 minutes.) Super simple, and the cayenne gives them a nice little kick. We dipped them in a little ranch dressing. You can find the recipe right here. I'll warn you though...the recipe makes way too much breading. I cut it by 1/3, but I'd cut it by half if I make it again. I ended up freezing the leftover breading, and I'm sure I'll have an opportunity to make this again real soon.

This was my view this morning while I was reading my email. She's obviously gotten over her abandonment issues of yesterday.

Today I'm getting my hair cut. It's a good thing because my life depends on it. Seriously. Every time I look in the mirror lately, I consider slitting my throat rather than go on another day with my hair looking the way it does. It'll be the first time my regular hairdresser has had a go at it since last November. Mike cut it once around March of this year. Then, when salons reopened, my hairdresser was dealing with a Stage Zero breast cancer. (I didn't even know Stage Zero was a thing.) Anyway, she's back at work now and considered cancer-free, so good for her. In the meantime, a different person cut my hair in June. He did a good job, but after having Mike hack away at it in March, it needed to grow out a little more on the sides. Well, that brings us to today and me considering desperate measures rather than go on another day with it. The end is in sight. You can look for me to blog another day.

Also, we need to go back to downtown Portland to pick up Mike's car. He's having the windshield replaced. A few of you noted that you'd had your windshields replaced at home. Yes, and we have too. And we tried this time. But this is Mike's Corvette convertible. We had a company come out and take a look at it. They said it needed some weather stripping replaced. Well, the car is a 2001, and we've spent the past month trying to get this weather-stripping issue resolved. Finally, we decided to go with a different company after getting the run-around from the first company. The guy in downtown Portland is something of a specialist when it comes to Corvettes. I don't really care. Just get it done, already!

So all of that to say, I'm hoping to get in some sewing today, but it's looking like another run-around day. Whatever happens, I'm going to harvest green beans first thing. I'm hoping I'll have enough to make some Dilled Green Beans, but that won't happen today. Also, I'm hoping I can get Chicken Buffet ready for binding over the weekend. Lots to do, so I'll get going now. Happy Thursday!

13 comments:

Julierose said...

this has been a run-around week for us with various medical appointments and grocery shopping this morning--so I can empathize.;000
I know I've said this before, but each batch of chickens you post is cuter than the ones before!! I love that quilt...your quilting looks great, too...
My hair is down to the middle of my back--I am still not feeling great about going to a salon..so am wearing Alice bands, and braiding etc--not going anywhere so it is what it is...;000
hope you have anice rest of the day for your sewing...
hugs on a beautiful one here julierose

Becky said...

To "fix" your tuxedo quilt. You can block your quilt and it does indeed make them flat. Ricky Tims alex anderson have videos on how to do it. He does his before binding, but I have done them afterwards as well. I use a piece of foam insulation on the dining room table instead of the floor. My husband will help me if I need to do much stretching. I have been impressed about how well blocking works. Hope it works for you.

Norma said...

I am finally back to posting and reading blogs and I am glad I started with yours. I love your chickens! Thank you for sharing.

Linda M @ Pieceful Kingdom said...

The chicken quilt turned out so cute. For the wavy edges on the quilts... I know people who have added an additional hanging sleeve to the bottom then slid in a long wooden dowel or a long piece of wood. I’ve never done it, but they seem happy with the results.

kauanoeanuhea said...

Hi Barbara, This is a late thank you for the monthly hearts stitchery I purchased from you. It arrived promptly but alas, I have put it with the other stitcheries waiting their turn. You are much more organized than I with keeping up with it. I try to do a little each day the way you do but I get distracted by other things. Oh - just want to let you know if you haven't seen it yet - Crabapple Hill has a new project - Noah's Ark......just saying. Have a great day.

kauanoeanuhea said...

Hi Barbara, A belated thank you for the heart stitcheries I purchased from you. They arrived promptly but alas I have to put them behind the ones I am already working on. I try to do a little each day as you do, but I get distracted by other things (like quilts and cats). And.....just want to let you know that Crabapple Hill has a new stitchery coming out - Noah's Ark

Shirley said...

Hi Barbara, if the waving borders are not a result of too much fabric, just wash it, throw it flat on the floor, and with a flat hand slap the quilt square and flat. Let it dry and keep the cats away, cause they might check under the quilt for mice.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I see you have both my suggestions already - sleeve and rod on the bottom or just a good blocking - for the wavy take away. I haven't done zucchini fries in a long time - next time around as they look good. Did some retail therapy today - took Mom out for a ride, stop at a LQS, and stop at local farmer's market.

Anonymous said...

Good morning. I've been following your blog for a long time and look forward to your posts in my email each morning.

I had an idea about your Tuxedo quilt and the wavy borders. I know you can block quilts to make them more square, but I generally look for an easier way. It's in my nature. Anyway, I thought maybe you could attach curtain weights to pull it straight. Heavy washers might also work.

Good luck.

Lynn Gelston

piecefulwendy said...

Well, hope the haircut went well, and that you got Mike's car back home all done and ready to roll. I'm sure you were nervous leaving Sadie outside while you were gone, the little stinker. Glad she was okay. Both solutions I would have for the Tuxedo Tales quilt have been suggested, so there's my wealth of knowledge. I'm going to finish a test quilt today, and then I'm going to play a bit. I've earned it after the last two projects!

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

I worked up the courage to get my hair cut finally last week, five inches hit the salon floor! OH, feels so good to have it shorter again!! I am going to try your zucchini fries, those look great.

MissPat said...

Hmmm, I think the existence of antlers answers the gender question about the reindeer. I love the snowmen stitcheries, but wouldn't have anywhere to hang such a quilt. The chicken quilt is just so darn clever. Where will that one reside? Hope you are done running around. I got my hair cut about two weeks after the salons were allowed to open, but my hairdresser works out of her basement, so there were no other customers and staff to deal with and she was being pretty thorough in her cleaning routine. It's almost time to go back.
Pat

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Resident Chef has been cutting my hair since all this started and as far as I'm concerned he's got the job indefinitely. I was going to suggest sewing washers onto the back of the Tuxedo quilt but I see someone else has had the same suggestion. Blocking is the only other thing that comes to mind and that's a pain! So glad Sadie was okay!