Let it be Peppermint

At least let it be peppermint. 

If you're going to spill tea that is. 

Let it be peppermint.

Yep, all over the end table, between things and on things.

A whole cup. At least it was peppermint.

The mess is cleaned up. And I'm about to boil the kettle and try again. 

But I thought I'd stop by and say a really quick Hello.

Finn is sleeping. 

For the next few minutes at least. 

He's teething. 

So we never know. 

Two more teeth are about to break through. 

Any day now. 

For a total of 6 .. in just a few weeks. 

Momma's tired.

Momma was already tired yesterday.

Then she called the vet.

To talk about our dog. 

It's time to make some decisions. 

Not easy ones.

After the heavy conversation. 

While Finn was sleeping. 

I walked down to the mail box.

There was a card ... telling us that another of 

Axel's college friends had passed away.

During the holidays. 

Just shy of the new year.

So I sat down and buried my head and my sorrow in a bit of stitchery.

Axel came home, we had dinner, Finn was in bed by 7 but there were taxes to do.

Then I stayed up stitching, until the wee hours ... 

ooooh is this the only time mommas get for quiet time and stitching?? 

Please tell me it's not true.

Because ...

... a mini version of this project was just the ticket. 

One strand of DMC 792 stitched over one thread of 28 count 100% linen band that is 2-1/2" wide. I doubt I'll do the entire project, just pick and choose as I go. I'm already not fond of that last row but I'm too stubborn to pick it out.

It fit the bill though. I sat down and stitched. It takes a lot of concentration and/but with every stitch I thought about a lot of things.

There are still decisions to be made about Whisper, but Axel leaves early tomorrow morning by train to attend our friend's funeral in Germany. It would be too hard and long of a drive for Finn so he is going on behalf of all of us. He'll meet up with other college friends and be with them.

I had planned to tell you about our last week of Sundays and visitors and good intentions but that will have to wait. Maybe I'll catch a few minutes to write while papa is away and Finn is sleeping. But maybe not, this momma needs to sleep too. While papa is away this momma plans to sleep when Finn does. Even if the stitching, and the cleaning, blogging and reading have to wait. We'll eat and sleep and hopefully go shopping, since we have the car (yipppeeee!)

In the meantime, hopefully another peppermint tea is involved in my evening. And some quiet time with Axel. And of course some stitching. In the corner, next to where I spilled my tea this morning.

At least it was peppermint and it smells nice.

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Wow - 2 finished quilts!

Hahaha! I am really milking this week for all I can ... it started with a party when I finished the binding on this quilt. And is ending with a party because now this one is done!

It's still hard for me to imagine that I started this quilt 10+ years ago. It hung around (literally) as a quilt top for a very very long time.

Keep reading, I've included details of 9-Patches & Periwinkles are below (size, pattern, inspiration, quilting, etc)

It feels so good to have it done. Plus I'm doing a little test. I'll get on my soapbox about it later. But it involves binding ... Do you like Straight Grain or Bias better? And why ... ? I am very curious. But I have a lot to show and tell on the subject.

So, what else have I been up to?

It's been another WAW week! But this pretty much sums it up.

Honestly, I laughed and cried while making these. In an effort to have us eat "whole" foods I suggested to my husband that I make his much loved ice cream bars. I had a recipe for Chocolate Nutella bars. Wow, he sure came home with a huge jar of nutella in a hurry. The bars turned out really nice. Beautiful ... ha, until I tried dipping them in chocolate. Complete disaster. Oh boy, the things we do for love!

In addition:

• Made yogurt 3 times, one flopped big time.
• used a flopped batch of yogurt in the place of water in the doughg resulting in the best home-made pizza we've had in a long time. 
• I made poppyseed bread. You can find the recipe here, but what another joke! Right after swearing I wouldn't eat baked sweets during the week I make poppyseed bread - which just happens to be one of my all-time favorites ... oh, the mornings I would pop into my favorite coffee stand for a non-fat, triple tall latte and a poppyseed muffin ...
• ventured out to the goat's farm for the first time in a long while - Axel's been picking up our fresh goat's milk. 
• WENT TO THE MARKET - what a lovely way to start a Thursday must do it more often. Strawberries for jam and fresh pineapple (both very cheap).
• cut, folded, filled and delivered a bunch more seed packets for Saskia & Arne's Garden
• dropped by our old neighbours for a visit and scored the grandma's strawberry jam recipe, fresh lettuce and lots of eggs ... well, "traded" for poppyseed bread and half my market pineapple because Axel won't eat it.
• spent way too much money on (mostly knit) fabrics but came home with enough to make Axel another 3 pairs of pajamas plus 3 tshirts and 2 blouses for me
• cast on Axel's 2nd sock, turned the heel, made a mistake and frogged it. tonight I'll try turning it again.
• made strawberry jam today
• moaned about not having anything for lunch in the house and then made a lovely lovely lovely salad with boiled eggs and lettuce from our old neighbours - yummmm! oh yes, we used the same lettuce and boiled eggs last night along with pineapple (from the market), ham, peppered goats cheese (from the farm) and cucumbers. Delish!
• slept soundly six out of seven nights!

I'm sure the list should be longer - I'm forgetting something but Axel just came home so it's time to hit that publish button. Sorry, I'll drop in later to check for goofy and spelling errors. It HAS been a week. 

Don't forget to tell me about your week!

Oh, and in case you missed it ... 

I FINISHED TWO QUILTS!!!

And there's more ... I know there is. 

9-Patches & Periwinkles

Blocks: 7-1/2" finished 9-patches (before washing)

Flowers: inspired by the book Folding Flowers by Rebecca Wat. I constructed mine differently than her instructions but the result is nearly the same. I also hand-painted each piece of fabric before folding it so each of the colored flowers are unique. The center ring of flowers I left white.

Finished Size: approximately 36" x 50-1/4" /  91,5cm x 128cm (after washing)

Fabrics: lots of different ones. I think the back might be a Kona Bay pimatext weight.

Batting: Hobbs 80% cotton / 20% polyester

Quilting: Professionally long-arm machine quilted by Barb Dau of Everett, WA (USA)

Binding: mostly Bias Cut, some Straight Grain - testing to see which wears better 
Time Frame: 2002-2012 - A whopping 10 years! Top pieced: spring 2002, Quilted: Nov 2011, Bound : Jun 2012.

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