4/7/23

Tiny Sewing

Good morning, my friends. Well, mind like a steel trap. When I wrote yesterday's post, I completely forgot there was a Tiny House waiting to be constructed. It was kind of a busy day in town. We made three stops before we got home. And then there were groceries to put away. And then, obviously, we needed naps. It was fairly late in the day before I made my way into the sewing room. There, my little helper was put out that we were doing paper-piecing yet again.

What? Papurr piecing? Is that all I'm good for these days? This is getting exaspurrating! Well, it's going to cost you. I'll be expecting a queen's ransom in treats.


Fortunately, this one was pretty easy. The sections ran from letter "C" to letter "H," which might be the least number of sections yet. When it was finished, it looked like this:


And that makes a dozen tiny houses so far. I'm one-third of the way through these. Here are all the little houses I've made for this project:


They're kind of a pain to make, and I drag my feet getting each week's house finished. Nevertheless, I think I'm going to really like this quilt when it's finished. I have no idea how I'm going to set the blocks yet, but something will come to me. There might even be some instructions included at the end.

So, there wasn't much time for sewing yesterday. I was just happy to get the Tiny House finished and behind me. Now I can work on some projects I'll enjoy more. It was nearing dinner time by then. I was trying out a new recipe from Food and Wine for BBQ Shrimp Po Boy sandwiches. My sandwiches weren't particularly photogenic, and so I'm borrowing the image from the recipe to show you. (Of course, I'll return it when I'm finished.)


They were super easy and very tasty. Mine weren't as drippy as the one in the picture. I'm not really sure why theirs is either unless it was just to make the picture look more mouth-watering. Mission accomplished. When I saw this, I had to give it a try. It took only about 20 minutes from start to finish. I purchased frozen shrimp already peeled and deveined. Also, the recipe includes "sweet and spicy" pickles. We used our favorite pickles from the grocery store...these that my friend, Lenelda, introduced me to when we were traveling through Texas. They seem to be available only regionally. I was able to find them at Safeway in Oregon. 
They worked well for this recipe. If you're interested in giving them a try, check out their website for availability in your area. I note they're also available on Amazon. Checking Amazon, I note they're also available in "relish" form. That might actually work better for the sandwich. 

Then, when I realized it was National Coffee Cake Day, I had to go searching through my recipe database for a coffee cake. I came across this 10-Minute Coffee Cake Mug Cake, and so, obviously, I had to bake it for breakfast this morning. Mike made some bacon, and that was a sweet way to start the day.


Those are our old work coffee cups. They don't get used much these days, so I brought them out into the light just to let them know we still value their input. Or put-in. Or the things we can put in them. Something like that. These are super easy. They take just about 10 minutes from start to finish. You can find a link to the recipe right here, but I suggest reading my notes at this old blog post before you make them.

Okay, so today I'll get back to working on my small quilts. I have a couple of short housekeeping chores, and then it'll be nothing but sewing for me today. I'm hoping to get the Best Friends quilt to binding stage. I can add it to the other quilts I'm taking along on next week's camping trip for hand-sewing the bindings. Regarding next week's trip, I'll say more about it tomorrow. But this person will be celebrating his 11th birthday on Tuesday. If you've been reading a long time, you might remember this little squirt:


Yes, we've all grown a little older watching his antics. Anyway...we can't let the day go by without a giveaway to celebrate. So be here tomorrow for all the info. 

12 comments:

Barbara said...

A kitten is in the animal world what a rosebud is in the garden. ~ Robert Southey

piecefulwendy said...

Baby Smitty - adorable! Happy 11th Smitty! You've really whipped up those tiny houses quickly. They look great!

abelian said...

Hadn’t heard of Wickles Pickles, but my Walmart app says they’re available here in North Carolina. Put them on my list! Happy Birthday to Smitty; such a cute baby picture. Dot

Jenny said...

Happy Birthday to Smitty. How kind if you both to organize this upcoming trip especially for his birthday bash.

Anne Kirby said...

Oh boy!! Treats for everyone!!!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I really do like those little houses but I sure wouldn't like the making of them.
I'm sure Smitty is aware of the long-standing tradition of birthday celebrations lasting at least a week so his hooomans better come through with extra treats.

Auntiepatch said...

AND he's still so cute!

Nancy in IN said...

I won't be making the mug cake as there are toooooooo many calories. I am sure it is delicious. I think my hubby and I would share one as we do with muffins.
Happy birthday Smitty.
Have a great day. You get a lot done during your day.
Nancy

Karen said...

Wow ! Smitty, for 11 years you are one handsome man cat now. May your birthday be celebrated in happiness and honor. I know as per parents, you are very proud.
The grass is finally growing and it's kinda up enough to nibble on. The worms have finally stopped drowning after 3 days of spring. Robins and others are happy there is something real to eat (rather than the reasons and crappie diet).Yea ! It's finally spring.
Crocus have come and gone.

Susan said...

Happy 11th birthday to Smitty. May he have many more.

dgs said...

Happy Birthday to Smitty. I hope he has a purrfect Birthday and gets plenty of treats.

Kate said...

There is no way Smitty is 11! Have we both been blogging that long? Oh well, happy birthday Smitty. I like you tiny houses, those are going to make a really fun quilt.