Brian

Today has been very busy. I hadn't realized until just a few minutes ago that it was the 9th. I thought about it last week and knew it would be Tuesday but ...

Brian Jacob Stone, my son, died of cancer 11 years ago. It seems like yesterday sometimes. My 2 children at home don't remember their brother, and I think that is very sad. He loves them. They loved him.

This picture was taken at M.D.Anderson where he received great care. They helped all of us.

We all had great fun with Brian the last 18 months of his life. I got to be with him all day every day since he didn't go to school. What a joy that time was. He would clean out my purse on the way home from the clinic every week. We stopped at taco bell for lunch often and got him 2 tacos until they were too messy for him to deal with (he lost the use of his right arm about 5-6 months before he died.) The school sent teachers to him and so he had some school work but mostly it was me and him and 2 babies.

I was looking for a picture that Melissa took of him standing in the hallway of the institute building; it showed his beautiful blue eyes so well.

Inspiration quilt

This week's inspiration quilt is closer to an exact copy. I blogged about this quilt in July but I couldn't find the photo from the magazine. I saw the above picture in Country Living magazine, taken at a Riverwind Country Inn in Connecticut.

Made in 1994. blogged about here also.

I put it in one of my 3 inch binders. I have many. That's where I put pictures of the gazillion things I'm going to do some day.

This one is labeled QUILTS but the picture should have been in the one labeled 'Quilt Notes.' Once I start working on a quilt I gather my notes and pictures and it goes in 'Quilt Notes.' Since I have more than one thing started I make a 'journal' entry each time period I work on one project and it goes with the other notes.

I also have a notebook labeled 'Scrap Bee' which has all the notes gathered that pertain to the scrap bee that I did for 10 years.

Lunch

I fixed the BEST dinner yesterday. One of Jeffrey's friends stays with us most Saturday nights and all day Sunday. He recently decided to eat vegetarian so I try to cook things he will eat for Sunday. He really liked this although J still did not. Notice I added a can of rinsed black beans to increase the protein.

Here's a picture of the BEST lunch. A double decker chile relleno casserole with fresh diced tomatoes.

Design wall

Saturday I took a class from Winnie about borders. I think everyone has already taken this class; I know a couple women that have taken her border class a couple of times. This is what I came home with Saturday after sewing 5 hours. We make the 10" center at home and pre-cut strips to take to class. I had the yellow and green fabrics from my stash but the pinks did not match what was in my stash; it is a little coral-ly, so I had to purchase it. I wish I hadn't used so much of the yellow in the center....

After working another 2 hours I had this:

Now the 74 dollar question is do I make it bigger? Continue with more borders? Or do I turn it on point and then continue? Do I just bind it here and call it done? It's not like I need another project....

So, I would really like your opinion. On point or not? Continue or not? I'll be waiting to hear. Will I be twiddling my until I hear? Nope, I'll work on something else this morning...Should it be the I-Spy blocks..... NO THEY ARE FINISHED!

This is what 495 blocks look like:

And, yes, nano seconds after this picture was taken the tower fell over behind the couch so I get to dig them out and reorganize them. The exchange is due Wednesday and then I'll get them back next Monday. In 2 weeks what do you suppose will be on the design wall?

So today I get to choose between;

• buy and sew border on spotty dotty baby quilt?
• alter prom dress for customer?
• quilt Verna's quilt?
• design southwest quilting design for new customer quilt?
• sew together Dresden plate for customer?
• or clean a room?

What a dilemma; so much to do and so little time....

Stash report

My daughter made me do it. Does that sound familiar? I went shopping Friday. I spent money Friday. I bought A LOT of fabric Friday.
22 yards! Liz's quilt is finally closer to getting....started.
That includes fabric for the back of the second spotty dotty quilt.
But with no finishes this week by totals look dismal.

Year to date:
donated: same 66 yards
used: same 14.25
purchased: 67 yards

Progress

Today I went shopping to a couple of quilt shops that are far from my house. Cactus quilts is about 40 minutes and Pinwheels and Posies about 30. These were the 3rd and 4th shops I've been to to look for fabric for Liz's quilt. Luckily for Liz I found the perfect fabrics in the 4th shop.

The colors are not perfectly true here. The cream is a little more wheat-like. She wanted it to be the colors of the Idaho landscape.

You know the sky is blue sometime.... the red is the branches of the dogwood? I think anyway it's the accent color of the quilt and then she wanted some spring green too. It is beautiful in Idaho; winter and spring, summer and fall.

Unfortunately the blue bled into the water badly. I'll have to get some 'retain?' tomorrow and try again. I don't think Liz would be happy if her quilt was not washable!

Remember the quilt I'm making?

cookies?

These cookies? are like pie, but better. While getting ready for our last wedding I went shopping at Whole Foods and purchased one of their packages of fresh cookies; rugelach. I had never heard of them but I LOVED them and went to the web looking for recipes for them. I found out that rugelach is a Yiddish word and it is a traditional Jewish pastry that is served year round. I made them several times but the filling always fell out since it is made similar to a cinnamon roll, then baked on it's side. So when I found this recipe that calls them un-rugelach; but has the same ingredients I was eager to try it.

Perfect. I think this is my favorite cookie ever. I figure it's a fruit, so eat with a clear conscience!

Un-Rugelach or Turnovers
Adapted from ‘The Pie and Pastry Bible’ by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Crust
4 ounces cream cheese
8 Tablespoons softened butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
6 Tablespoons golden raisins
1/3 apricot spread/jam (the good stuff)
½ teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans (be generous here)

Topping
Cinnamon and sugar mixed
Milk

Mix ingredients in the food processor, form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours.
Pulse first 4 ingredients in the food processor until the raisins are unrecognizable (my kids don’t think they like cooked raisins). Add the jam and the cornstarch; pulse, then add the nuts, combine, but do not chop fine.
Keep the dough cold while making the turnovers; form them into 1 tablespoon balls, chill, work with one ball at a time; roll between plastic wrap until about 4 inches across. Put a full teaspoon of filling on half of the circle and fold the other half over. Chill formed cookies 30 minutes before baking. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool completely before eating; the hot apricot jam can burn.

Yes, these are a bit of trouble. The dough is very soft and hard to handle. But so incredible!

My kids liked them; even the one that doesn't like nuts didn't mind them here.

Now I'll have to try a chocolate version; instead of apricots use miniature chocolate chips....

edited; We tried it filled with Nutella (hazelnut and chocolate spread). Jeffrey liked it best. I also did it with just apricot jam. Very good. After the kids went to school I did one last one with a square of milk chocolate and one of dark chocolate, topped with pecans. Yummy. But the apricot-raisin mixture was the best.