Looking Back on That List From January

Alternate title: What I Did NOT Sew in 2012.

The list of quilts I posted in January and had hoped to complete  looks mighty sad. Those good intentions just didn't seem to make it very far this year. Out of 18 on that list, I only completed 6 and then I made one more that I added later.

I feel as if I sewed all year long and yet I only finished 7 quilts? Sigh.

1. Quilt of  Valor - FINISHED
2.   Marine Quilt - Hugs From Mama Quilt for Our Boy - this is the hst quilt I made for him for Christmas for his barracks. - FINISHED

3. Jungle Baby Quilt - FINISHED
4. Road to Spring -  FINISHED
5. Scrappy Log Cabin - FINISHED

6. Meadow Friends Strip Quilt with Applique - Fell in love with this line and bought a boatload of it when it was half off. I have a plan so it gets a spot on the list. It's even cuter in person! Ummm...the fabric hasn't budged all year.

7.Flannel Snowman - Just lacks the binding. I kept telling Jackie to push it back so I just got it back from her. Hopefully this will be my first finish of 2013.

8. Western Skies - Sent this one off and will have it back after Christmas

9. 30's Raw Edge Circles Quilt - Sending this one to Shelly of Prairie Moon Quilts after the first of the year.

10.Western Many Scrappy Trips - FINISHED

11. Made in Cherry Quilt-Along - Jackie has this one

12. Scrappy Granny Squares -  I'm up to 18 blocks. Hoping to move this one closer to the top of the list in 2013.

13. 30's Irish Flower Garden - This one has been at Jackie's for a long time. She is learning how to custom quilt, but her customers (me included) aren't giving her any time to do that. Still at Jackie's. I keep telling her I am in no hurry on this and I'm not.

14. Everything from Carrie Nelson. :) Sigh. Not making much progress on this one. :(

15. Patchwork Wool Quilt - hand quilting needed. Planned on working on this
before Christmas, but Christmas sewing took over. Well it's Christmas...again. Just received the wool batting for this last week. Basting this weekend and beginning the hand quilting.

16. Christmas Quilt - Bought a fat quarter pack of Countdown to Christmas on sale because I was fairly certain I would regret it if I didn't. Still need to settle on a pattern, but I'm so glad I grabbed this up. Still in it's handy dandy little project box.

17. Charlie Brown Christmas Quilt - should I even add this to the list? The fabric's not even out yet. I've already exceeded 12, but I saw a glimpse of it somewhere when people were posting about Quilt Market and it is a 'must have' in this house. See? Fabric is in the house, but that's about it.

18. Ordered this book to make this quilt. Fabric is pulled and ready to cut.

This is the quilt I made that was not on the original list.

19. Dirt Road Gypsy Quilt - stained glass looking quilt I made for our girl for her bed.

Stay tuned for a new list!

I Dream of Burlap

Some people dream of Alaska...or winning Olympic medals...or the Heisman trophy (Go Johnny and Texas Aggies!) And although SOME people may THINK I live a more colorful life (ahem!), life at the end of the dirt road is not THAT exciting. LOL.  Judy. you just caused never ending fits of laughter, the likes you have never seen. Lord have mercy! What am I going to do with you, girl? Surely I can never leave the dirt road again. And I can never meet Vince - I could never look the poor man in the eye. I have wondered if I would ever be known for anything. This is not exactly what I had in mind. LOL.

The other night I dreamed about burlap. See? Not exciting.

I do not want to know the meaning behind that (and Judy - don't even think about it! LOL), but I woke up at 3 and could NOT go back to sleep. That doesn't happen to me very often. I'm a gal who likes her sleep...a lot! I dreamed that I needed to make burlap bows. Not elaborate bows. In fact, very simple ones. So I rummaged around very quietly and set to making some:

And then I made more:

And then they migrated from the cutting mat to the tree in the dining room:

  And then the sun came up and I had more wood to haul. I'm going to hide that chainsaw. :)

These are super easy to make. I just used a 2 x 10-12" strip of burlap and folded it over into a loop, pinching it in the middle. Tie some green jute around the middle, slip a button on, and tie a few knots:

These little binding clips, which I dearly love, came in quite handy:

They kept me from having to pinch the burlap and tie the jute around it at the same time. It was like an extra hand and who of us can't use an extra one of those this time of the year? Now if I can just teach those clips to scrub floors, but I guess they've earned their keep, they helped me make some pretty cute bows.

I'm a little afraid to go to sleep tonight.

Tis the Season...For a Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed - thank you for playing!


Quilting Gallery is hosting another fun Blog Hop Party this week so everyone plop down for just a bit in your cozy spot and take the time to join in on the fun. Quilting Gallery is celebrating a birthday - 5 years! Click on the above link in order to see the list of participating bloggers starting on Monday.

There are lots of blogs to explore and visit and while you are up to your elbows in Christmas preparations, this is a nice way to enjoy a bit of fun and hopefully win a little something for YOU. This is what is up for grabs from the end of the dirt road:

There are 2 - 1/2 yard cuts of Power Pop by Jenean Morrison for Free Spirit and a Mighty Bright Lighted Seam Ripper. I'll even send it to you in this cute little Christmas drawstring bag.

Heaven knows I made enough of them this year! I love these little bags, but those of you that read here, already know that! For those of you that don't, welcome! Here is the tutorial from Jeni at In Color Order. If I ever send you anything, it'll probably arrive in one of these bags. I'm a little obsessed. :)

I'll even sweeten the deal with some chocolate because after all...tis the season! :)

My giveaway is open to everyone, far and wide. If you have a mailing address, and you are chosen as the winner, I will send it. The only rule is that you HAVE to leave me a way to contact you if you are a non-reply blogger.

 Just leave me a comment telling me if you have all of your Christmas shopping finished. I'm betting some of you even have everything wrapped!

Entries will be accepted until midnight, Friday, December 15th (EST).  The winner will be announced on Saturday because at midnight EST I will be settled in for a long winter's nap. Thank you so much for stopping in and putting your name in the hat! Y'all have fun!

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Peppers

I made this for dinner one day last week. It's one of my favorite chicken recipes. With a freezer stuffed with beef, elk, and venison, I have no business cooking chicken, but it was in the freezer too and I was craving this.

This is not an oriental sweet and sour recipe.When I think sweet and sour, I think oriental food. This is kind of tangy.  I found this recipe last year on Mennonite Girls Can Cook. The original recipe called for sausage and no peppers. It was good, but I took a few liberties and changed it up.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Peppers

4-5 chicken breasts (or whatever you have)
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped

Sauce:
1 C Ketchup
1 C water
2 Tbsp Worcestershire
4 Tbsp sugar (the original recipe called for 6 Tbsp, but that was a bit too much for us)
6 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp paprika
4 tsp dry mustard
pepper

*I brown my chicken in a bit of butter and olive oil, seasoning with pepper, granulated garlic, and seasoning salt. Then I remove the chicken and let it cool before cutting it into bite sized slices. Meanwhile, add the peppers and onion to your skillet and scrape up all the good stuff from the bottom of the pan. Let your peppers and onion hang out for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Love these colors!

  While peppers are cooking, mix up your sauce. (I doubled the original recipe because I love this sauce!)

Then just add your chicken to the peppers and stir in the good stuff:

And there you have it:

Serve over brown rice and throw together a salad (and treat yourself to a good piece of homemade bread alongside. We're cutting down on bread around here, hence the lonely spot on the plate.) and dinner is served!