Above the Clouds

We were feeling pretty smug here at the Three Cats Ranch yesterday. After spending a couple of days in the fog, we were above the clouds yesterday. Those people in the valley were socked in. 

It was warm, too. It felt more like October than the first day of December. We're expecting rain today, so it was short-lived. Oh well. We take what we can get here in the Pacific Northwest. We were very lucky to have escaped the rains they're having farther to the north of us.

My first task of the day was to trace the last Posies block. I selected that little flower print from my multi-colored scrap bin. It was used as a quilt back at some point during the stone-age. It might have been a gift from Wilma Flintstone...I can't really remember.

The machine was already set up for top-stitching...a bonus...and so the top-stitching was done and it was hooped up for embroidery. These fit in my smallest embroidery hoop.

When the stitching was finished, I trimmed it...

And then added the borders. All done.

I'm a little sad to see these finish, but I'm kind of excited to be ready to sew them into a quilt. Here are all the blocks together. 

I'll give them a narrow sashing, and then I have some pretty fabric to use for an outer border and quilt back. 

This will end up a small quilt, and so it will make a good take-along project this winter.

With that done, I got dressed and went outside to enjoy the sunshine and fill the bird feeders. My feline friends went along. Sadie didn't have her mascara on, and so she didn't want her picture taken.

The snapdragon is still blooming, and so I took another picture of it. The one from the other day was blurred, so here's a better look. It's cheery to see that bright color at this time of year.

Back inside, I went to work top-stitching the Biscochitos block. It's a tedious process. I was just starting on the letters when I decided to take a break.

Most of the rest was finished.

When I came back, I finished off the rest of the letters, but there was still hand embroidery to do on the labels for things.

That took about an hour. It was hard pushing and pulling my needle through so many layers of fabric, and it made my broken thumb hurt.

Now all that's left is to add the borders, and it will be finished.

For dinner last night, I tried a new recipe. I forgot to take a picture before it was devoured, but this was a good one. Here's a picture I swiped from the internet:

This is Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli. I love something that can all be done using just one pan. The original recipe was from Eating Well, which is the publication that replaced Cooking Light. And so it was low calorie, and super easy. I skipped using the cochita cheese and the cilantro. Those flavors seemed wrong to me, and we didn't miss them. 

Next up, I'll be starting a new project...this French Roses pattern. I'll be doing mine in flannels. 

You might remember, I selected this flannel to use as the background fabric.

I'll use this next one as the quilt back when it's all finished.

I have two boxes of flannel scraps. There are 25 blocks in this quilt, and my plan is to make them five at a time. When I make the first five, I'll put together enough fabrics to make another five while we're traveling this winter. I can keep it moving along that way. 

Before any sewing can happen today, we have to do our grocery shopping. It's a long list, and I'm dreading it. When we get back, I'll be able to get back to my sewing. It will be good to finish off the New Mexico Kitchen block. I'm going to love the quilt when it's finished, but making the blocks is a pain.

Okay...grocery shopping is next. Cover me. I'm going in.