Is It Soup Weather Yet?

 Living in the South, there aren't many cool days but when we do have those days, I want soup!  Hearty tasty soup!  I don't like soup on hot days, just cooler days!  

I looked at the national trending day calendar and found that Today is National Gumbo Day!!  Yum!  Delicious gumbo!  

NATIONAL GUMBO DAY TIMELINE

1802

A gustatory delight

American surgeon John Sibley records his comments on gumbo, “which is made principally of the ochre into a thick kind of [soup] & eat with rice, it is the food of everybody for dinner and supper."

1824

It’s as easy as one, two, three

Mary Randolph’s cookbook, “The Virginian House-Wife,” publishes a gumbo recipe called “Gumbo — a West India Dish.”

1980s

“Good cooking, good eating, good loving!”

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s rise to television popularity multiplies the American interest in Creole and Cajun cooking.

1989

Not knowing it would snowball

Fewer than a dozen chefs participate in the inaugural World Championship Gumbo Cook Off in New Iberia, Louisiana.

But, which one should we make?  There are so many choices--

first, take an inventory of the pantry and freezer/refrigerator--what's in stock?  Don't want to run to the grocery when you want to cook gumbo!!  we can go with a traditional New Orleans Gumbo with chicken, sausage, shrimp or recipe that adds okra--don't have okra so we'll go with the traditional.  We'll use file'--

short history of gumbo is the way to begin, if you don't have any idea what gumbo is or where it came from.  Now, begin your gumbo, gather your veggies, chop, make your roux, and we're off to the races with a delicious gumbo!

There are so many recipes that you can search for gumbo--but different regions of Louisiana add potato salad to their bowl of gumbo!  We don't use rice but use riced cauliflower instead.

My mouth is watering as I write!

Here's to National Gumbo Day!

Eyes and Ears!

 I LOVE to read!  But there aren't enough hours in the day to read all the books I would like to!  I've discovered a few ways that I can add books to my daily routine--without picking up a physical book or e- reader.  

I found my favorite way to listen to podcasts--Podbean!  Almost all podcasts are found on this airway.  Here are just some of my favorites:

1. -My brother's podcast about music--KT and The Trout
2. Bible Recap--awesomeness!  Reading the Bible now is so understandable!
3. Craftlit--literature in public domain with excellent description of what it's all about--now playing "The Leavenworth Case" set in 1850's, authored by Anna Katharine Green--

Then, I found Modern Mrs. Darcy--this blog and podcast can be found on the website!  Can't find a book to read or listen to--just hop over to MMD website for vast suggestions of books to read with your eyes or ears!  I found WAY too many to add to my list!

If you like Fan Fiction, check out Wattpad!  Here is where you go to read with your eyes some outstanding authors, who do not have book deals yet!  Brown headed daughter writes here under Whoops Harry Styles!  She has many followers--although, she does have a published book on Amazon--she enjoys to write through this outlet.

Along comes Scribd--Holy Moley!  Everything I wanted to hear or read is there--all in one little app!  I first used their free offer and haven't looked back since--so many audiobooks plus magazines!  Yes!  Magazines!  I can stop those paid monthly subscriptions that come in the mail! 

Now, when I sew or knit or weave, a book is just a touch away!

Let's Gather Those Orphan Blocks!

I have found that I like working with orphan blocks!  I like finding them a 

home within a quilt.  The above one has been on my drawing board for awhile now--

and it's time to finish it up since I've found several other orphans roaming around

my stash bin.

I also found some precut squares!  why did I cut these?

Anyway, here is how I used them to make a quilt top with some

orphan squares

I added star points on each side and ta da--we have a nice block.

of course, the half square blocks were left over from another project that

had extras--and that's how the quilt goes around!

When I cut my half square triangles, I stitch a small area away so

I can cut between and another half square triangle!  Easy to do and

easy to square up if not the right size.

If you have orphan blocks--just assemble them in a fashion that

you like. 

orphan block ideas

Fabric 406

mama love quilts

Oops! Not just fabric!

 The other day I was talking about UFOS in my quilting studio--well, that's not the only place I have those neglected items lingering around!  I took a look at my knitting projects--why did I do that??

I looked up to see my knitting bag was overflowing with many UFOs too!  There they are! Several items that are half knitted, mostly knitted, hardly knitted--why do I do this?  Begin a project, then set it aside--sometimes,  I think I just lost my knitting mojo at times.  Oh, don't get me wrong--I love to knit but sometimes, I just put it aside and then something else comes along to take my attention away from the knitting project--sure, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!  I have a 'squirrel' moment--often!!

Here is 2021 International Lace project in progress--

I've lost my place, so I'm going to begin over--so I can get back in place.

Another lovely scarf pattern begin--all handspun but only

a short time into the pattern--this one I can pick up and continue--another

2021 start

Oh joy!  another handspun yarn lingering away and this one is almost

complete!  This will be the first one I pick up and finish!

OMgoodness!  This scarf is from 2019!  How can that be?

I love this handspun yarn--this will be #2 to finish--

guess what?  Won't be long before all the knit alongs for the 

holidays will begin and I'll need to have another UFO--  okay, there will be more UFOs if I keep looking at “new” patterns—like this cowl below!

Wendy Johnson has these fabulous cowls!  I just can't resist!

UFOS? Why??!!

 Why?? Why oh why?? do I have so many UFOs?  What are UFOs?  Unfinished Objects--mainly in the quilt closet and bins!  Why do I begin a project and not complete it?  Good question!  I'm sure No One else does that!

Here's one that wasn't even begun!  Unbelievable!  Really like this pattern and fabrics.

This one was begun years ago--even finished all the embroidery work--

cut out most of the blocks--but why didn't I finish it/  

This is one of the great quilt mysteries that Bonnie Hunter does every fall--

several blocks made--just lingering in the bin to be finished

When everyone else has a friendly neighbor quilt--I have only three blocks

finished--why did I put it aside for this long?

I even have all the plaids that I wanted to use for the blocks--go figure!

This one was begun last Christmas 2020--12 blocks ready and all

the necessary fabrics right there n the bin with the instructions!

Love this quillt--so why didn't I finish it!  Maybe, because it was each day of

December a block pattern was released--nope, can't use that as an excuse!

And this one!! I was on step 7 of 10--

Excuse?  It has lots and lots of flying geese and half square triangles--

could be the reason! I got just plain tried of cutting out and sewing!

Now, is the time to take action!  

• First, I must confess that I have these UFOs
• Then I'll make a list of neglected projects--not necessarily in any order
• Face up to the fact that some projects need to be ripped out and begun again
• Maybe, I can't find the pattern--well, guess again--most of them have the pattern and fabric--no excuse
• Must decide to cut my losses and leave it to the side.
• Commit to finishing one before beginning a new project--really hard to do!

Today, I'm turning over a new leaf! 

Ask me in three months if I stuck to my plan :-))

Coming Attractions!

 Need something to sew?  These are coming attractions!  I'd like to make everyone of them!

Fort Worth Fabric Studio is hosting their 2021 Autumn Mystery now!

Fall Frolic is hosted by Pat Sloan--begins October 13- December

Red Thread Studio is hosting their 2nd All American quilt along

to hone veterans across USA--join in!

I LOVE Fall!!!

 The feel of fall has arrived!  Those cool breezes that push away the hot temperatures and high humidity are welcome!  I can gather a jacket from the back of the closet for early morning breakfast on the patio--then it warms mid afternoon, but the best part is when it cools in the evening and that jacket comes back on!.  Ahhhh, I love FALL!  

And I enjoy making fall type quilts.  Here is just a small selection that I have made over the years.

This small hanging is from Four Seasons--don't remember the designer--

but love to hang each season, especially FALL!

Batiks!  Robbing Peter to Pay Paul--saved the pattern for years

before I made the quilt top--had to gather batiks first!

Close-up view

This was a free pattern done through Fort Worth Fabric Studio--happened one

fall years ago--check out the fall theme one now ongoing!

Spider webs and bats!

Absolutely loved stitching this pattern!

I think you can still find it somewhere

Lots of fun!

And the nine patch blocks set it off perfectly!

One of my favorite!  Just fun fun fun to make!  I liked making the

characters come to life

Well--later I'll pull out more of my fall quilts--don't have enough

wall space to hang every one!