Zig Zag Quilt

AAAAAA I am thrilled I finished my zig zag quilt. I just love it. Plus what a great feeling it is to finish a quilt. Of course when you finish one you start another....
The quilt top has been done for a few weeks but I could not decide on a binding. Finally I was happy with this gray and white polka-dot. Earlier today I finished hand sewing the binding on. I am so happy with it. Madi likes it too. I think one for Ben in different colors would be nice...I got my wheels turning. Happy quilting!

Bring On The Hearts

It's hard for me to believe it's already February. Usually January drags on. But I think because it's been in the 60's everyday here in California it seems like Spring instead of Winter.



Well I made another dishtowel...this one with a patchwork heart on it.









My kids this morning. They are funny. Madi wore her new heart shirt I made her. I love the colors.

I stitched the 'LOVE'.

Also for the kitchen I crocheted a couple of Valentine themed wash clothes. Madi picked the white one to use today...she likes it best.

A couple of weeks ago I went on an all day super fun shopping trip to San Francisco with other wives from the base. Oh my gosh are there some fun stores there! I love kitchen stores. In one of them I must have spent an hour. I did buy that fun Eiffel Tower cookie cutter there. Perfect huh?!?

This is what I made for dinner last night. YUMMY! Tonight we are having Double Mushroom Soup. I have been enjoying trying out some new recipes. If the soup is good I will share the recipe.

B is for baby, boy....

My brother and his wife have a new baby boy so I thought he could use a set of cute bibs. Before becoming a full-time mother, my sister-in-law taught 1st grade, so I thought she would really enjoy the Dr. Seuss fabric.

I love Dr. Seuss!!! I have yards and yards of Dr. Seuss fabric too. I found this at the fabric market in Dongdaemun, Korea this past summer. It was so cheap, at least a quarter of the price it is in the quilting stores here in America, so when I saw it I knew it was a steal and bought TONS of it. Glad I did.

A Few Favorites From 2011

Christmas Crafts

I love sweetwater. They have a style that is me. Every year I order a few of their 12 Days of Christmas projects. I did order a couple this year and love them. The other day I made this sign with Harmon on it...I dig anything with and H or Harmon on it.

This weekend I made the most beautiful dishtowel. It has a Christmas theme so next on my list is one just like but one I can leave out throughout the year. The towel is so gorgeous I can only use for display.

I have the sweetest kids! They enjoy doing some of my craziest fun things with me. The other night we decorated some oranges with whole cloves and they loved it...both of the kids did. I use to make these as a kid.

My kitchen carried the smell of cloves this whole week. MMM!

I have never cared for the color purple very much. My daughter will choose the color purple for anything and everything. I am such a nice mom I agreed to let her pick the colors of paint she wanted in her bedroom and of course she chose 2 shades of purple. But when Steve's mom was here she got me started crocheting granny squares. On my own accord I fell for a perfect dark plum yarn and a cream to go with it. I am beginning to create quite a stack of squares.

3 & 4

Madi is home sick today. I hate when either of the kids are sick but love the chance it gives me to sit around with them and get caught up on stuff. This morning I finished my blocks 3 & 4 of the quilt-along. Boy were the 2 3/8 inch squares cut diagonal and subcut again tedious...but the blocks are gorgeous.


The other day I picked up Justin Bieber's newly released Christmas CD. I was saving it for a raining/sick day, so guess what we have been listening to the last 2-3 hours. Could be worse.

Madison looked like a cutie pie wearing the Turkey shirt I made her. Now I need to get started on a Christmas one...maybe today while she is around and we are jamming to Christmas tunes Bieber style.

Madi's Turkey

I just finished making Madi a turkey shirt to strut around in this month. The pattern in over here, you can copy it right off your computer screen. To me, it's the cutest thing ever. I have it hanging by the TV in the family room so I can look at it. Now, I must go cook dinner because my own little turkey's are getting hungry.

Sewing Hometown

Another set of placemats. Last Christmas I made beautiful christmas placemats. It was also last winter when the ladies over at sweetwater debuted their Hometown line. Well this Hometown was not available for sale until July...right in the middle of my big move from Korea to California. So as soon as I got to California I had a one track mind to get some of this fabric. That fabric with all the names of cities on it is my FAVORITE. All along I knew I wanted to make placemats. So here I am, I made it to California, I have my new house and all my household goods, Hometown fabric and my placemats are finished. Phew I had looked forward to all this for a long time.



No pattern was needed. I just thought up four different designs and went for it.

I can not get enough of this Hometown so I also chose it for my quilt along. Block two came out this past Tuesday and I woke up that morning so excited.

These are two baby quilts I made in Korea for the Stork's Nest. So somewhere in Korea there are two babies snuggling with these. I miss that quilting club over there.

Quilt Along Block One

The Quilt Along over at mooseontheporch has me so excited. I finished my first block and can't wait until next Tuesday, when block two comes out.

Summer in Korea

It's summer! It's hot! It humid! Korea has extremes!!! In winter it's very dry, I got sick. Steve, my weather forecasting husband, told me this is the driest place we have ever lived and ever will. It was so cold it couldn't even snow last winter. Now it's like a jungle. We are in monsoon season...we have light rain, hard rain, misty rain, sideways rain, stinging rain...just like Forrest had expained. We have 100% humidity...makes Atlanta, Georgia seem like a cool place. Anyway since it's summer we have been busy everyday. We go swimming, bowling, shopping, to the movies, over to friends homes.... The other day when it started raining and we had to come inside, I made this patriotic mug rug. I sure like pinwheels.




Because I have a friend who knows I LOVE getting mail, she surprised me with a new stitchery pattern...perfect! All those hours at the pool are perfect for my stitching addiction. I only stitched this. I am waiting to see for my new house if I should frame it, quilt it or stuff it.




Look at the sky the other day. Boy am I going to miss this view out of my living room window!!!






The new house we are moving into in California has TWO WALK-IN closets in the master bedroom...I will have plenty of room for all my new purses and wallets. AAAA look at my new Prada wallet and shiny-red-zipper Louis Vuitton.

Stars And Stripes

I really enjoy making things for my home! Hand-piecing is something I love to sit and do. This past year I have made thousands of hexagons so I thought I would step out of my comfort zone and try piecing 6 pointed stars. I think they are very pretty but are a little harder for me. Nothing says Happy 4th Of July like Stars and Stripes :-)

I hand-quilted everything...see all the millions of tiny white specs? I sure like it though.

We have been swimming at the Post pool. My kids can spend 5 hours jumping off the diving board. Every now and then they do take a break and go down the slide.

Look at Ben.

And Madi too.

Today was rainy so we stayed home all day. I made some iced chocolate brownies for all the kids and to share with the neighbors...we didn't need the whole pan...as a matter of fact I don't know why I made them at all, I didn't need a one!

Today the kids spent 5 hours coloring Justin Beiber pictures...at least they all had fun.

Kimchi

We live off-post here in Seoul, Korea. I absolutely have the coolest and nicest neighbors. Some of them are American, Russian, other Asian countries and lots of Koreans. Some are in the US military, some are embassy workers from all countries, diplomats and the one who's house I went to yesterday, her husband works for the Korean Stock Exchange. My neighbor has a HUGE kimchi fridge...were she stores tubs of kimchi. Koreans eath kimchi everyday...it's very healthy. There are different kinds of kimchi...my favorite is cucumber kimchi. My neighbor yesterday shared regular cabbage kimchi and...

this kind in the picture made with asian radish. They were fresh and very good. We ate them last night for dinner with some kimbap.

Kimchi:

5 cups green or Chinese cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces

6 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. to 2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes...depends how spicy you want it

1/4 tsp. finely chopped ginger root

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

2 green onions, chopped

-In a large colander, mix cabbage with 5 tsp salt. Let stand for 3 hours.

-Rinse cabbage two or three times. Gently squeeze out excess liquid with your hands.

-Place the drained cabbage in a large glass bowl. Add the remaining 1 tsp. salt and the rest of the ingredients and mix.

-Cover cabbage mixture tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp for 1 or 2 days.

-Chill kimchi before serving. Store tightly covered.

-Kimchi will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

My May flowers I am working with...hexagons of course! My favorite passtime! I hope to make this big so maybe it will be finished next May?

Gucci

Things have been busy with lots of fun lately. Friday we went to Everland which is like a Disney Park here in Korea. I will share pictures of that later. On Saturday I went down to Osan and look what I got...a Gucci bag. Boy am I going to miss designer shopping when we leave Korea!!!

On Thursday night I went to an activity and we made these super cute snap-together bags. It's pieces of metal measuring tape in the top...that's what makes the snap-together part...who would have thought of that. This was my first time making prarie points too...they are easy!

Yesterday I made Grape Salad to take to quilting club. Steve's mom had made this for Thanksgiving and it has been one of my favorites ever since.

Grape Salad

2 lbs. green seedless grapes

2 lbs. red seedless grapes

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

8 oz. sour cream

Wash and stem grapes. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla by hand. Stir in grapes. Sprinkle with 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup crushed pecans. Chill and serve.

Soldier's Stew

We love Soldier's Stew. The history of Soldier's Stew: Back during the Korean War, when the American soldier's finished the food and tossed out the leftovers, desperate, starving Koreans picked it up. They gatherd the mac and cheese, lunch meat, hot dogs, spam, pepperoni and threw it all in a pot with seasonings and water to make a stew. Today it's a classic dish here in Korea. Last month I went out to dinner with the Weather Wives for the first time at this yummy place and had to take my family back.

I love the story behind this stew, boy is it good and spicy too I might add.

Oh yes I did! I made a Schnibbles pattern. They have the PRETTIEST patterns ever. Look at the knock-out cute pin cushions I made.

Stork's Nest quilts and Quilts Of Valor

I spent the whole day with the Yongsan Quilter's today. There are some super neat women/quilter's here. Monday's are spent making quilts for the Stork's Nest and for making Quilts Of Valor...both worthy causes!!! Also on Monday it's show and tell of the projects we have been working on at home. This awesome quilt was made by the lady on the left, a Colonol in the United States Army...where does she find the time? So about the Stork's Nest quilts. Here at Yongsan there is a HUGE Labor and Delivery unit at the hospital. The Yongsan quilters have a goal of making 20 baby quilts a month to give to new mother's...20 is so not enough though...there were 90...yes 90 scheduled deliveries in the month of April, not to mention the girls who choose to go off-post. This base is a baby making machine! I am into making baby quilts.

There are a few girls qualified to make the patriotic Quilts Of Valor. They are so warm and beautiful...you should see them. There is a reverence that goes along with the making of those. Here is a quilt top Kim was sewing on today.

This Quilt Of Valor is finished.

There are tags/labels that get sewn to the back of all quilts sewn by the Yongsan Quilters. I love working with these fellow military wives.