WIP Weds

Time for another addition of WIP Weds. What's up for today? Machine button hole applique around the latest and last prepped "Be Attitudes" quiltlets, shown in the "before" stage. "Be Forgiving" for October, "Be Grateful" for November and "Be Joyful" for December. Only a little behind here but that is what happens when I spend a goodly amount of time machine quilting. I am thinking I will quilt the November one first. If things get set aside a bit---that happens around here, a lot--then at least that one should be finished for hanging and decorating this month.

I have so enjoyed having these little projects to look forward to even though I have been playing catch up and working forward the latter half of the year.

I am thinking that perhaps my next year's fun project will be to work up the Amy Bradley "Seasonal Quilter" series which I have owned for a couple of years. Not only is the Quilt Diva character cute but the fun banners that she holds are perfect for seasonal decorating with birthday cakes, Halloween, St. Pat's,Valentine's Day, Easter.............well, you get the picture. There are 9 banners in all--a house block that says "welcome" is the one that hangs between holidays. Actually I already did the "Boo" banner as a quilt block, slightly resized, on someone's seasonal row quilt a few years back shown HERE--scroll down to Debora's top . I had considered the pilgrim block and St. Pat's for two other members of the group BEFORE I saw what they had already completed by the other participants. Yep, I think that is what I will do! Either that or Nancy Halvorsen's In Season wall hangings but I am leaning more to the monthly thing rather than quarterly.

Looking back in the archives for the link to Debora's top reminds me that I have not completed either my 07 or 08 Collinsville rower tops or come to think of it, my fall medallion round robin either. One of those had better go on my "hope to get done" in the coming year piecing to flimsy projects! Always something---well, just talking about it won't get it done, right?

I see by the clock that I better head on out to the kitchen. I want pizza for lunch and need to throw the crust ingredients together. This time out I think we'll go with a Tuscan Chicken version. I'm getting better at crusts but still keep trying new recipes to get the version I will stick with as my "tried and true", go-to recipe. If you like to experiment as I do, you might like THIS one from a recent Taste of Home issue for "Perfect Pizza Crust" I thought it was a slow riser and gave up on it and threw it in the freezer and used a different recipe for the meal. It turned out fine once thawed and rose nicely in the oven when I DID use it weeks later. Good flavor to the crust.
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ED NOTE: May we please have a moment of silence as my stand mixer just died. Yep, just started to knead the crust and the motor gave up the ghost. I threw the dough in the food processor so I think I was able to salvage it but it's gone, gone, gone. Dead and gone. I had just finished saying to DJ "you know how old this thing is? No grounded plug" For months I have been telling him that if this thing ever gave up the ghost I want a Kitchen Aid and we know they are pricey.

Once upon a time it had a blender attachment. It died long ago. The Salad maker attachment was next--something broke off the head and it was shooting cabbage all over the counter. The bowl has been replaced once but has annoyed the living heck out of me as there is no pouring spout plus its heavy and hard to get batter out of it without wearing some of it or asking DJ to hold it while I scrap. NOT ergonomic, at all. But still, I have had it since the mid 80's and fixed a lot of good food with it. Out to the garbage it all went with the grinder attachments which did still work along with the beaters, bowls and dough hooks. DJ, being a guy, wanted to tinker with it to see how it works but he'll have to drag it out of the trash can if he is serious.

Now it will be scour the sales ads. Maybe since the holiday baking season is coming up they will be priced down. We'll do some research at the library in the Consumer Reports but I am open to any suggestions as to what models you use that won't break our bank. I have a hand mixer but that won't work for all my needs by a long shot.

Thanks for stopping by---------