Month: February 2021

February 28, 2021

SAL Update

I’ve been distracted from my SAL project lately and haven’t worked on it very much. This is where I was last time:

2/6/2021 SAL Update

And this is where I am now:

2/28/2021 – SAL Update.

Those little bees were added. They are so cute! Also added was that line of white stitching.

Bees and Beehive.
Closeup of bee.

I really do love this sampler, but the next section is a pulled thread section that I am really nervous about. I think that’s why I am dragging my feet. Someone suggested that I use a scrap piece to practice the pulled thread so that’s what I plan on doing.

Please take a look at the others participating in this SAL:

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Mary Margaret, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, AJ, Jenny, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

February 27, 2021

Sally’s Baking Challenge

Sally’s Baking Addiction has a monthly challenge. This month the challenge was to make a chocolate souffle. I had never made this before but had heard how hard they are to make. After reading the entire recipe several times, I decided that I would try it. I chose to use the “make ahead” instructions because it appeared that you have to serve these right out of the oven or they deflate.

Success!!

The recipe made seven which is exactly the number we needed!! It was super easy to follow and worked out great. The tip to serve immediately was a good one as mere minutes after serving, these started deflating. We just ate them like this with powdered sugar – I’m thinking that next time I will also serve raspberries with them.

February 25, 2021

Peppermint Purple SAL – week 5

I seem to be keeping up with a square a week on each of the the Peppermint Purple SALs, just not the current week!

2021 – week 5
2020 – week 5

This is where I will deviate from the order of blocks worked for the 2020 SAL. The next block planned is the one directly below this one because I can carry the black outlining thread. This eliminates the need to stop and start this thread which makes it quicker and easier.

February 22, 2021

Postcard Fabric Art (PFA)-February

I had so much fun with the January PFA challenge, I have decided to join in for the February challenge. This time we are making “Cheesecloth Skins“. For this challenge, I did go out and buy the Liquitex Acryic Matte Medium.

Because this is a rather messy project, I brought out the art trays I used for my kids when they were young and also for kids’ art classes. I followed the instructions and taped down freezer paper with the shiny side up.

Then the Matte Medium is poured onto the freezer paper.

I used a sponge brush to cover the freezer paper with the Liquitex and placed the cheesecloth on top.

After the cheesecloth is smoothed out, more Liquitex is brushed on top until the entire piece of cheesecloth is saturated.

This is the same process except that words are added to the freezer paper with a sharpie pen before any of the Liquitex is added. The words are supposed to be transferred onto the cloth once the Liquitex is dry. Hopefully this works because I have an idea in mind for a different challenge being put on by the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design.

The next step in this process, after the Liquitex dries, is to paint the cheesecloth. Once it’s dry, it’s ready to be used. I can’t wait to see if all of this works and to try painting the cloth. This has sparked so many ideas in my mind!!

February 21, 2021

Pulled Thread

The embroidery guild I belong to will be starting a pulled thread sampler offered by Kathrin called the 16 square pulled thread sampler. The program will start this Tuesday so I thought I would get a head start. I printed the pattern for the sampler and the border and got started. And promptly ran into trouble.

1st attempt – 1 over 1

This is using Laguna 25ct linen. At first glance, on the pattern for the border, it appeared that everything was over one thread. I love the way the pattern looked, but was not so keen on how this was turning out. After getting to this point, I realized something was wrong. There are not enough threads in the middle of the square to complete the pulled thread portion of the pattern. I started doing some counting on the pattern and for the pulled thread patterns you need 36 threads, I have 23 threads. UGH! At this point I went terribly wrong. I assumed the pattern was incorrect and decided to draw out a new pattern with border changes to accommodate the 36 threads in the center square.

2nd attempt after drawing out a new pattern.

In this attempt, I now have 37 stitches in the middle and the border is not balanced with the pulled thread portion. Then I went to my EGA meeting (on zoom) and asked all my questions. Those women are amazing!! They are so supportive and really helped me to figure out what was going on without making me feel like an idiot.

Success!!

I now know where I went wrong. The pattern for the satin stitch and the pulled thread are indeed over one thread. Everything else is over two threads. If I had been paying close attention to the pattern I would have seen this. Oh, well. This was a good learning experience. The downside is that I don’t have enough fabric to actually make the sampler now so I have ordered new fabric and am waiting for it to arrive. It won’t be here by Tuesday, but that’s ok. An upside is that I now have this doodle cloth and will practice the pulled thread patterns on it until I get them right! Sometimes I feel as if I learn way more from my mistakes!

Today I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching.

February 20, 2021

Mung Dal (Green Gram Split)

I’ve been trying new (to our family) grains. I saw these at Costco…

Mung Dal

and decided to give them a try. I let my fingers do the walking on Google and discovered this recipe. The grain has to be soaked for five hours before cooking. Then mixed with a lot of spices, some spinach and lime juice. My mixture wouldn’t hold together so I added some whisked eggs.

Mung Dal Vadi patties cooking up.
Mung Dal Vadi Patties

They smelled divine! They have a really good flavor and everyone here in the house, except the 16yo boy, really liked them. They were a little dry so next time I may try adding some plain yogurt to the mixture before cooking up.

Spaghetti Sauce

We ate them dipped in spaghetti sauce with some of our favorite sides.

Homemade Southern Fried Corn
Air Fryer Asparagus.
Watermelon

A yummy meal that did not take all that long to cook up. I think I spent maybe an hour (after soaking the Mung Dal) – not too shabby!!

February 19, 2021

PIZZA!!

Every Friday is pizza night here at our home!! I make the dough mid-morning and come dinner time it’s ready!

Personal Pizzas.

Everyone gets some dough to make a pizza. Note the heart one our 16yo son made.

16yo son pizza.
22yo daughter pizza.
Dad pizza.

They are all different as they are custom made to each person’s liking. Fridays have become a great respite in the pandemic. We usually eat dinner together every night; however, sometimes it’s quick and then people scatter to go back to whatever they were doing before dinner.

Pizza night is different. Once everyone gets their ball of dough, it has to rest for a bit. We are all at the table talking and laughing. Then pushing the dough out into the shape each person wants, adding the sauce and cooking for a bit prior to adding toppings.

The crust cooks a bit and then the toppings are added and the pizza is put back into the oven. All in all it takes about 45 minutes from start to finish to make these pizzas.

Once we all have our pizzas, we sit down and watch something. Right now we are watching Wandavision. Fridays during the pandemic have become great family time. I hope once everything is back to normal we can continue with this.

February 17, 2021

Snowflakes, Snowflakes

I have been a member of the Monthly Dishcloth Group (they are now on FB) for many years and love making knitted (and crocheted) dishcloths. A new pattern is released each month. I don’t always get around to making them on time, but usually I manage to make most of them in a year. The January Dishcloth is called Snowflakes, Snowflakes and is an easy lacy pattern.

January 2021 Monthly Dishcloth Pattern – Snowflakes, Snowflakes.

Started: Friday, 2/12/2021. Finished: Sunday 2/14/2021

Yarn: Peaches & Cream – Color: #4 Ecru – Dye Lot: 7570 – Needles: US Size 6

Lacy closeup.

I love making these! They are so quick and easy (unlike a lot of my current projects) and take almost no brain power. We use these cloths in the kitchen and when they become too stained for the kitchen, they become rags. Their lives are long and useful.