Ready Set Go

I'm officially a modern quilter.  Well, at least in name.  I joined the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild at the January monthly meeting a few Saturdays ago.  I paid my dues and am official.  As of that morning there were around 50 paid members.  A large number of them were at the meeting.  It was nice having everybody stand up and introduce themselves. I don't think I made a very good first impression.  I was nervous and didn't know what to say.  I think my tendency to talk with my hands took over.  It was a blur.  I hope it wasn't too embarrassing.

A couple members told us about their favorite notion/gadget.  Then several members shared their quilt projects during show and tell.  My favorite was a quilt made using Elizabeth Harman's Tokyo Subway Map quilt pattern. I took a photo of it but it turned out blurry.  Here's the photo from Elizabeth's Oh, Fransson! website.  It's great!

The first swap of the year was announced.  Everybody participating will make a 1 1/2" square mini quilt block magnet and bring it to the February meeting.  Then each magnet will be assigned a number and everybody participating will draw a number to see which magnet they won.  I signed up to take part.

They discussed the guild's participation in the One Million Pillowcase Challenge.  Completed pillowcases have to be turned in at the February meeting.  They announced a number of prizes they will be giving away to those that participate, including the person who makes the most will get a new iron. Below are the pillowcases I sewed from the three kits I was given at the December meeting.  I'm going to make more from my fabric stash. 

At the end of the meeting a few attendance prizes were given away.  You get a ticket for the drawing if you are wearing a name tag you have sewn.  I need to make one of those.

So, I need to get moving with making stuff.  Here's my to do list for the February meeting that's in less than two weeks:

• Design and make a mini quilt block magnet.
• Design and make a name tag.
• Sew more pillowcases.

Ready! Set! Go!

Remove Flatware Marks From Dishes

When I first was married I picked the Pfaltzgraff pattern Trousseau for our dishes.  It was simple and sweet.  A romantic floral pattern.  I liked it at the time.  Later I did not like it so much.  How many people over time still like the things they picked out when they first were married?  If I had to do it all over again, those bridesmaids dresses would not be dusty pink or have a high/low hemline.  Who would wear that again?  But I digress.

All those years ago I had nice stoneware dishes and some wise soul told me to buy Bar Keepers Friend to keep them looking new.  I remember the stuff worked really well at removing flatware marks.  Now fast forward to 2012.  At some point in the past two decades I sold those dishes on eBay.  That was when you could actually sell stuff on eBay and make good money.  At the time I switched to dishes with Warren Kimble Americana-style designs on them.  Actually, three different patterns that go together very well.  I forgot about Bar Keepers Friend along the way.  My once new and pristine dishes look like this now.  

Somehow the outside of the bowls have marks on them, too.

Then one day out of the blue I remembered Bar Keepers Friend and bought some.  The container looks like this.  You can buy it just about everywhere and it doesn't cost much.  Look where the cleaning supplies are.  

The directions are simple.  Sprinkle on a wet cloth, rub gently on the dish and rinse.  Here's what the bowl looks like on the inside after cleaning it with Bar Keepers Friend.

Here's the outside.

Isn't that amazing?  Was the first thing that came to your mind the same as my sixteen year old daughter?  She said "Holy crap!" when I showed her the bowl.  Maybe not that?  Probably more like "Wow!" I would bet.  

There are a few marks you can still see faintly.  I'll take what I can get.  I think that bowl looks great.  Now I have to do the same to a bazillion bowls, plates, coffee cups, etc.  Then I need to move on to other things.  There's all kinds of stuff you can use it on.  Check out their website for more info and find out where you can buy it.

Word of the Year

The other day Layla at The Lettered Cottage posted an invitation to her "This Little Word Of Mine (I'm gonna let it shine!)" link party.  I needed to officially choose my word for the year.  First I thought back on last year.  The word "simplify" I feel appropriately describes 2011 for me.  After considering a number of words I chose "do" as my word of the year for 2012.

My 1943 Webster's New School and Office Dictionary defines it as:

transitive verb:  to perform; achieve; cause to bring about; make ready for some object or purpose; make an effort.

intransitive verb:  to act or behave; succeed.

The word is about action and accomplishment.  That is what 2012 is for me.  Taking action.  Accomplishing. I will "do".

As I am told by Nike . . .

. . . and Rosie the Riveter . . . 

. . . and Yoda.

At the first of the year I told you about my goals for the year.  Now I've assigned a word to it.  Onward to action and accomplishment!

What is your word of the year?

Ice Ice Baby

How is it possible to have lived in St. Louis my entire life and never been to "The Loop"?  Today I finally made it there when my daughter and I went to the Ice Carnival.  It was the 7th annual and I had never heard of it.  I think I've been living under a rock.  Anyway, the weather turned colder this week and was ideal for the ice sculptures.  Here's a rather creepy one of Bob Marley.  

We didn't get far before we stopped for lunch at Cheese-ology.  They have a menu full of macaroni and cheese.  Here's the spinach artichoke one I had.  It was nice there were several varieties they could make vegan.  Hot, good and cheesy.  My daughter stuck with their classic. Apparently they normally serve it up in iron skillets but because of the volume of customers today they were using these aluminum pans, which I am assuming are their carryout containers.  

Here's the penguin ice sculpture that was outside of their restaurant.  Looking at it in the photo it appears rather angry.  The main reason I took a photo of it is because I have a sister-in-law that's big on penguins. 

The sidewalks on both sides of Delmar Blvd. feature the St. Louis Walk of Fame stars.  Here's a favorite of mine:  Scott Joplin.  I love ragtime music.  

My favorite piece by Scott Joplin is Bethena: A Concert Waltz.  This is the wonderfully haunting version from the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  It's played at a slower pace than usual.  I absolutely love, Love, LOVE this.  It's a permanent fixture on my iPod. 

Here's Vincent Price's star.  Wasn't he wonderful?  Last year in St. Louis his 100th birthday was celebrated with the Vincentennial.  

The Civil War geek in me loved seeing this next one.  William Tecumseh Sherman.  He wasn't born in St. Louis but lived here and is buried here.  My 3rd great grandfather's regiment joined Sherman's forces near the end of the war. 

We had a good time this afternoon.  Lots of ice sculptures and activities.  I'd like to go back another time to get a better look at the area because we were rushing a bit due to the cold and all of the people made it rather difficult to check out the businesses.  We mainly went inside of the shops to warm up.  We'll definitely need to take a walk in The Loop when the weather is nicer.  

Now I'm going to listen to Bethena again.  I've lost count of how many times I've listened to it while typing this. 

Fresh Finds

Here's a few products I tried out for the first time this week. 

I had this package of Match ground beef in my freezer that I hadn't used yet.  Match products are made right here in St. Louis.  Their website has lots of product info, tips and recipes.

I put the package in the refrigerator a day or so ago to thaw.  Mixed in a little seasoned salt.  It formed nicely into a patty.  It didn't take long to brown with a little olive oil and get heated all the way through.

I served it up with a rice based cheese, soy mayo, ketchup, mustard and pickles on a lettuce bun.  At the moment, I'm really into using iceberg lettuce as a bun or wrap.  The burger was really good.  I think Match ground beef is as close to real ground beef you'll get with appearance, texture and taste.

Dr. Oetker pudding mix is a good choice if you're looking for an organic product or one with a simple ingredients list.  I made the butterscotch pudding using soy milk and liked it a lot.  I still need to try the chocolate.  

The other day I bought this box of Ener-G Egg Replacer.  It's a white powder.  To make the equivalent of one egg you mix 1 1/2 teaspoons with 2 tablespoons of warm water.  So far I've only used it in a batch of waffle batter.  It did just fine and the waffles were really good.  I need to test it out some more to see how well it works in baked goods like cookies and brownies.  I'll let you know how that goes.  

Quilting Giveaway Roundup

Here's a bunch of giveaways I found.  Hurry because some entry deadlines are this week.

• AQS Paducah 2012 Dream Studio Giveaway (entry deadline 03/17/2012)
• Go! Baby Giveaway (entry deadline 02/29/2012)
• Quilting in the Rain Giveaway (entry deadline 01/13/2012)
• Quilty Resolutions Giveaway (entry deadline 01/31/2012)
• Hooterville Quilt Pattern Giveaway (entry deadline 01/12/2012)
• Canton Village Quilt Works Giveaway (entry deadline 01/12/2012)
• Under the Garden Moon Giveaway (entry deadline 01/13/2012)
• Shabby Fabrics Giveaway (entry deadline 01/15/2012)
• Twilight Garden Quilts Giveaway (entry deadline 01/15/2012)

Good luck!

[ image credit: Hiving Out ]

Saint Louis Modern Quilt Guild

In December I finally made it to a monthly meeting of the Saint Louis Modern Quilt Guild.  The two months prior I wanted to go but other things came up.  I was interested in attending one of their meetings to see what it was all about after learning about modern quilting when I discovered Elizabeth Hartman's website Oh, Fransson!.  I liked what I saw on her website so much that I bought her excellent book The Practical Guilde to Patchwork: New Basics for the Modern Quilter.

The guild's meeting was wonderful!  I picked the right one to go to.  It was jam packed with fun things. They had a bunch of drawings that was done as a fundraiser with tickets.  I won this really cool Moda Honey Bun with fabric from the Baskets of Flowers line by St. Louis artist Mary Engelbreit.  I have to figure out a project to make with all of it.  I haven't even opened it up yet!  It looks so pretty as it is.  

There was show and tell.  A number of members shared their quilt projects.  So much creativity and talent!  Sorry my photos are kind of blurry.  I tried to snap a few really quick.  It's hard for them to hold the quilts still, too.

They discussed the guild's participation in the American Patchwork and Quilting One Million Pillowcase Challenge.  It's their Fall/Winter charity event.  A couple fabric companies donated fabrics to the guild to use in the project.  They distributed pillowcase kits to anyone there who wanted them.  I took three and need to get busy sewing so I can turn them in.

A company called Paper Pieces donated some hexagon paper piecing sample kits and everybody received one.  I still need to try it out.

I am so taken with modern quilting.  I couldn't have imaged that.  I've always preferred traditional quilt designs, but something about the modern designs really gets me.  Making a quilt has been something I've always wanted to do and in 2012 I've made one of my main goals to make a modern quilt.  I'll be joining the Saint Louis Modern Quilt Guild at the January meeting and am looking forward to the interaction, as well as being inspired and motivated by what these talented quilters do.  Now to decide on a pattern for my quilt!

Dining Out

Thanks to having gift cards to a couple places, I was able to eat out five times this week and try some new vegan meal options.  Above is what I ate at Red Robin.  Twice.  One evening That Man and I stopped by there on our way back from an errand and then again today.  It was funny because I was craving Red Robin.  I asked him if he was hungry and he suggested we go to Red Robin.  I nearly knocked him over in my excitement of agreeing!  Both times I selected the Keep It Simple Burger from the menu.  It comes with romaine lettuce, pickles, tomatoes and onions on the side.  I opted for the vegan BOCA patty, which is the patty I've always gotten (my favorite used to be a BOCA patty on the Chicken Caprese).  I went with the lettuce wrap instead of the bun to save some calories, though they do have buns that are vegan.  They give you a generous amount of iceberg lettuce as the bun.  I've never had the lettuce wrap.  I liked the crispness of it.  I added ketchup, mustard and their seasoned salt along with the other toppings.  It's so good!  Both times That Man, who is not a vegan or vegetarian, had the Sauteed 'Shroom Burger with a BOCA patty.  We like to have the server bring a basket of fries for us to work on while we wait for our meals.  Their fries are so yummy!  Be sure to pick up a Red Royalty card.  You get a free entree after purchasing 9.  You'll also get a free burger during the month of your birthday.

Another day I stopped for lunch at VegaDeli for the first time.  It's 100% vegan.  It's nice to be able to order anything on the menu without being concerned about what's in it.  

I ordered the Greek Wrap.  It was roasted red pepper hummus, spinach, kalamata olives, tomatoes and onions in a whole wheat wrap.  I liked it and it had a lot of flavor.  It came with herb roasted white and sweet potatoes on the side, which were very good.  I tried a drink from their juice bar.  It was cucumber, apple and celery.  I'm sure it was a healthy but it wasn't something I'd have again.  

Yesterday evening I took That Man there to give it a try.  He had the Sunset Wrap, which was sun dried tomato spread, mixed greens, red peppers, carrots, cucumbers and onions in a whole wheat wrap.  He opted for a side of chips and salsa.  I had the HumBurger in the original flavor.  It's a patty they make with hummus, rice and veggies.  I really liked the flavor of it.  I again chose the herb roasted potatoes on the side.  We both liked what we had and will be going back again.

Lastly, the other day I had lunch at Saint Louis Bread Company.  Outside of the St. Louis area in Missouri and in other states it's known as Panera Bread.  Most people just refer to it as "Bread Co".  I had half of a Mediterranean Veggie sandwich (sans feta cheese) and the Classic salad.  I picked potato chips for the side and a cup of fresh lemonade to drink.  Next time you're at a Panera Bread you should pick up a My Panera card.  You can register it at their store on a computer they have available and it will immediately be loaded with a reward for a free item.  They'll load different free rewards randomly, as well as something for your birthday.  

  

Accidental Vegan

This recent shift in my diet from vegetarian to vegan was not planned or expected.  If you would have asked me a few months ago if I could ever be a vegan I would have said no.  I couldn't give up milk, cheese, eggs, sour cream, yogurt, etc.  I even made an effort to eat vegan one day.  For some reason it was a struggle.  I made it through it but was glad when it was the next day.

However, during the last week of December without fanfare my diet transitioned from vegetarian to vegan.  It was no big deal.  It seemed natural.  I dropped all of the animal based dairy products from my diet.  It hasn't been difficult.  After 20 years of being a vegetarian I already was a label reader.  Also, allergy warnings on ingredient lists are helpful in identifying if there are any eggs or milk present.

I am finding there are some really good non-dairy versions of the dairy products I enjoyed.  Plus, it's forcing me to check out new foods.  This works out perfectly with my 2012 resolution to try "new things".  I don't know if being vegan is going to stick. I'm interested in seeing where this goes.

[ image credit: DBArtist on Etsy ]

New Things

My main new resolution for 2012 is to experience at least one new thing every week.  Go somewhere I've never been.  Do something I've never done.  Eat something I've never eaten.  You get the idea.  Expand my horizons.  Get out of my comfort zone.  You can identify my new things by the label "new things".    

[ image credit: eastbywest on Etsy ]

Resolutions

It's time to declare my goals for 2012.  There's a couple continuing from 2011 and a few new ones for this year.

Continuing from 2011:

Improve Health
Get rid of my remaining "softness".  Lose the extra pounds and get toned.  I'm going to eat even healthier.  More fruits and veggies.  In recent days I've felt the need to have more of a vegan diet than vegetarian.  I'm interested in seeing where that goes in 2012.  I'm also not going to drink "non-natural" soft drinks.  I'm going to stick with all natural and calorie free Zevia when I crave soda.  Goodbye to Coke Zero and all of your friends!  Get back on track with running.  I've not been running on a regular basis.  How many miles can I run this year?  I did over 600 in 2011.  Is 1000 possible?  Also, I want to complete the 30 Day Shred workout regime.  All 3 levels at 30 days each.

Organize & Simplify
Finish the organizing and simplifying of my house.  Identify and get rid of the remaining excess stuff.  I bought a few rolling stainless steel shelving units the other day for the basement to take the place of a big wood one that I'm going to dismantle.  Time to get this project finished up!

Now on to the new goals for 2012:

Weekly New Things
At least one new thing each week.  Go to a place I've never been.  Eat something I've never eaten.  Do something I've never done.  This is going to be fun!

Get Crafty
This one I touched on last year but didn't really accomplish much.  In particular I want to:

• Finish the Rose Sampler cross stitch I started a few months ago.
• Finish an alphabet cross stitch I started about 20 years ago.  I seriously only have to finish the letter "Z" that is halfway done.
• Finish the two raised beds I started making in 2011 and plant a vegetable garden.
• Make some clothes for myself.  I mentioned getting a surprise in the mail a couple weeks ago.  It relates to this goal and I'll tell you about it soon. 
• Make a modern quilt.  This will be my biggest craft goal for the year.  Relating to that  I am going to join the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild.
• Make some other smaller projects, which will include a purse/bag and something to hold all of the loyalty cards I have.

House Updates

Do some updates around the house.  Finish painting the outside and add shudders.  The biggest project will be the living room.  We have a small early 50s ranch with six rooms -- three bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and living room.  Four rooms have been completely redone -- the kitchen, my daughter's room, the extra bedroom and the bathroom.  The living room is in dire need of a top to bottom redo.  I'll post another day about what little we've done so far and what the plan is.

That's pretty much it.  What are you goals for 2012?  Make it a great year! 

[ image credit: Ancestorville Genealogy ]