Friday Five

Hey, there!  Another week gone by, another three or four quizzes I've had to study for...seriously, my children's schoolwork has been killing me this year.  I don't remember my parents having to be so involved in my daily homework.  They never had to sign my "homework assignment book", they never had to sign a daily reading log.  Frankly, I've had it up to here with the signing for the nightly reading.  It irks me to no end.  But I'm trying to keep this a happy place, so let's just disregard my mini-rant, shall we? 

Let's move on to what may become a weekly series (if only because five pictures and short comments may be all I can manage for the time being): the Friday Five!

1. My new favorite cookbook!  Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn.  Eren at This Vintage Chica recommended it.  I borrowed it from the library, and after a couple of successful meals, I went out and bought my own copy.  I am very happy with my purchase.

 2.  The first Christmas hat is done.  The second one will be finished today.  Mittens...are going to take much longer.  At least, my Aran mittens are.  They are a very slow go!

3.  Last weekend, I broke out the beer and brats.  It's one of the things I love about fall.

4.  Because Fair Isle knitting doesn't travel well, and because there are at least three lessons a week that I have to sit through, I needed some portable knitting.  Enter the Christmas lights.  I can make one per lesson.  Hopefully by December, I'll have enough to string together on a small garland.  And the beauty of this is, I can add some each year.

5.  Baseball playoffs are here!  The whole town was already excited, and then Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter on Wednesday night.  People are out of their minds excited now.  It is so much fun.

I wish you a happy weekend filled with fall fun!  See you next week!

I'm back

Not that I've really been anywhere.  Our computer finally gave out last week, and now I'm posting this from our new, so-much-faster computer.  I no longer have to use the basic uploader on flickr, so I'm excited.  I have been up to a few things.

The Grange fair was this past weekend.  I pre-registered a few weeks ago.  I ended up entering in nine different categories (last year I only entered one).

I made this quilt to go in our bedroom.  It didn't win anything.  I had a lot of blank unquilted space that just didn't look right, and they called me on it.  Now I have something to work toward for next year.  Oh, but you should have seen the winners!  They were magnificent!

Participant.  This is totally what I was expecting.

But, hey, look!  Maybe making (and eating) all those chocolate cakes over the last month-and-a-half really paid off!

And wow!  Way to go, February Lady!  (Although Caitlin was disappointed that her birthday sweater didn't win a ribbon.  She also didn't want to part with it for the week.  "What if I need it?" she asked.  In August?  Not likely)

And if you've ever thought about making Leslie's chocolate chip cookies--you know, her version of the Toll House recipe--I can tell you that it is now officially a prize-winning recipe!

So there you have it--your Grange Fair recap.  This week is our last week of summer vacation.  And the weather is slightly cooler this week.  We are going to rest up and get ready for our big day next Monday.

Join the Fall Quilt Festival

Fellow Sew Connected member Amy is hosting a Quilt Festival this week! She has a number of great sponsors who are offering all sorts of cool discounts and giveaways, so head on over there to check it out.

My entry in the fall festival is one that I've posted about before, but I just love this quilt, so we're going to visit with it one more time before it goes away...to live with someone else!
I entered this quilt in the local 4-H fair. Talk about stepping out of the comfort zone! These were the notes on the back of my entry tag. And yes, next year, I'll give the quilt a thorough going-over to check for loose threads before submitting it.

For the quilting, I made concentric squares around the outer and inner squares. I alternated red and pink thread.

I don't know why, but I just love a pieced strip like this across the back of a quilt. I also alternated red and pink fabrics for the binding.

And here is the top! I was inspired by one of Amanda Jean's quilts. I think she called it her Flea Market Fancy quilt--she used much more white sashing. I had started this back in January. I had just completed three bed-size quilts for my children, and I wanted to work on something smaller, and I needed to be able to use only stash fabrics. Done and done! This quilt measures about 45" by 45". A nice lap size.

Or a nice chunky baby size, I'd say. This pretty quilt is going off to live in New Hampshire with a pretty baby I have not yet met--but I've seen her pictures, and she's gorgeous!

I'll be heading out to the post office after I check out some other entries in the quilt festival. Happy fall to you all!