Travel

Last weekend we traveled to Morristown, NJ, to participate in Metatopia 2023. We played new games with new friends, attended seminars about machine learning systems and listened to the flesh and bone artists this technology aims to put out of business. 

There was also so much food. We went to Pierogies House for dinner.

I walked in the nearby park. 

We had more delicious food. The chicken sliders - with house-made chips - were a fun lunchtime treat from The Horseshoe Tavern.

And more walking in the park. 

Sometimes I Bake

I subscribe to a mailing list maintained by My Kitchen Wand. They do amazing work and often share recipes. Last week they shared their recipe for Chai Spice Overnight Raisin Bread. 

Sunday night I started my bread. I didn't have everything on the list so I did some improvising. I didn't have enough raisins but I did have dry cranberries. I also added some pecans since I didn't have a cup of dried fruits. This is what it looked like Monday morning. Bubbly and ready for the next step. 

Here it is, fresh from the oven and on the cooling rack. I'm so glad I decided to use the parchment paper to line my baking dish. Is it good? Absolutely! I can't wait to try it again with more raisins. 

Chai Spice Overnight Raisin Bread: https://mykitchenwand.com/chai-spice-overnight-raisin-bread/ 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

KitchenAid Classic Mixing Bowls, Set of 3, Empire Red

9 Inch Bread Banneton Proofing Basket

CorningWare French White 7 Piece Ceramic Bakeware Set

Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack for Cookies, Cake and More, Black

Kirkland Signature Non Stick Parchment Paper

Plastic Measuring Cups and Spoons Set

What I did on my Summer Vacation - Jonestown, PA

Our last stop of the trip was at the Jonestown Hershey KOA. Someone in the RV Quilters group on Facebook asked how you pick a campground. This is where the reviews really paid off. This one is where people either love it or hate it. We really liked it. Easy off and on to the highway. The site we were assigned was right on the creek and easy walking distance to get some Broaster Chicken and ice cream.  

If you aren't afraid to try some delicious fried chicken, you should give it a try. If you're coming in later in the evening it could be a great way to feed the family without too much effort. You can follow with some equally delicious soft serve or hand-dipped ice cream.

This cabin was next to our back-in site. I took a photo to let friends know there was room for them too.

This was supposed to be a photo of a fawn. The fawn did not wait for me to get the camera open on my phone before it turned and headed into the woods. We did go on a nice walk after that chicken.

Catching Up

Last week I blocked my latest Dotted Rays Shawl. You can also see my first attempt at sewing up Hawthorn from Colette Patterns. That is still a work in progress and will get a post of its own when I get around to finishing it.

I pieced a charity quilt for Annapolis Quilts for Kids. If you're local and you want to help out with this wonderful group you should check them out. They'll give you a pre-cut kit to sew a quilt top. Great for individuals that want to learn to make quilts, all sorts of crafty people, and clubs looking for a community project.

The daffodils in my front garden decided it was close enough to spring no matter what that groundhog said.

I loaded up project number 9 on my UFO challenge list and got quilting. It will be covered with a collection of swirls in many sizes. Finishing things is more satisfying than starting them.

I made it through the first clue of the Hale-Bopp Mystery Knit Along. I'm not terribly behind on this one, but I don't see myself catching up any time soon. Clue number three has been released and I've made it to clue number two.

DH and I tried something new this week. I heard about spatchcocking from Megan (The Bitchy Stitcher) and I had to try it out with this Cornish hen. It worked out great and shaved more than a couple minutes off the cooking time of this tiny bird. They say it works with birds of all sizes.

Have you tried any new techniques or tools for cooking or crafting? I would love to hear about your experience.

Odds and Ends

This one will be kind of quick. Getting back into the swing of work mean's I have so little time for creative pursuits.

I've been trying to figure out how to get this shape with crochet all through the week. The first three tests I did just didn't have the result I wanted. This one was the best of the bunch and worth my time to explore. This is done on a micro scale. This is the test for a full-size shawl. I used the planned increases and decreases just as I will for the full-size shawl. It gives a great representation of the shape of the finished shawl. I learned this trick from a knitter who introduced me to the 5 Shawls in 5 Days Challenge. Don't knit, or crochet, a full-size shawl when you can learn everything you need to about the shaping from a miniature.

I picked up this Shawl in a Ball yarn on a whim while at the craft store last weekend and I figured this would be the perfect test. I think this hook is just a little too small for this yarn, but I'm going to keep with it as I like the resulting fabric. I'll update you on this project as it comes along. This one will be simple double crochet to let the ombre yarn do the work. Maybe I'll experiment with different stitch designs once I know how this life-size test works out.

Last weekend I pieced this perfect backing. I thought I had a tutorial for my favorite way to piece quilt backing but it seems that was in a post and not on a page. Perhaps I should revisit that.

The backing was for this fun quilt top I made ages and ages ago. I've quilted it and it just needs to be trimmed and bound.

Because I like to support creative people in being creative and in being paid fairly for their hard work, here is a link to some work by an artist that was asked to create for free or for "exposure." Check it out and remember you have worked long and hard on your creativity, don't give it away.

Tired of Being Asked to Work for Free, This Artist Started Drawing These Client Requests

If you want to learn more about calculating how much you should charge for your work, no matter what kind of creative work you make, you should check out Sam Hunter's We Are $ew Worth It collection of articles and resources. It is totally worth your time.

Stay creative and make!

Catching Up

As usual, I've been doing loads of different things. I didn't have any one good thing for the blog, so here is some short attention span theater.

I pieced the majority of the 2017 Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt En Provence. This pattern is available now from Bonnie's website. I have one more border to add and it will be ready for quilting. Check out the last link party over at Quiltville!

We made veggetti noodles for dinner one night. This was great! If you are looking for a way to cut out highly processed foods, this might be a good thing to try.

I pieced some more string blocks for charity. This is my go-to project for after work sewing. It doesn't take much planning and it is very satisfying.

I continue to make progress on my Dotted Rays shawl.

Even more string blocks!

The Get It Done UFO Challenge for February is number 7. That is my Vivid Pink quilt. You can see my list of 12 projects in this post. I designed the label and got it stitched onto the backing. Now I just need to quilt and bind it.

Get It Done UFO Challenge hosted by Spring Water Designs.

Short visit to Key West, FL

When we got to Key West, FL, I was dreading heading back north.  The weather in Key West was 79F and sunny.  I wasn't prepared for the thirty degree weather I'd find at home.  Guess I couldn't stay away all winter.

I was almost going to have dinner here.  I just couldn't do it alone. 

Key West is one of the few places in the U.S. I can go and hear the roosters call any hour of the day.  I even watched traffic stop (and honk) so a hen and rooster could cross the road.

 The sunset was pretty.  Had to share.

I didn't even look for the southern-most yarn shop in the country.  I should have.

It isn't all work...

We made only two stops during the last patrol.  The first was Cartagena, Colombia.  Sure, I've been before, but I had to have something to share so I took more pictures.  They are in no particular order.

A picture as we pulled into the harbor.

Christmas at 85F didn't seem quite right, but I can't complain too much.

Looking across to the new city.

Outside food and drink.

The entrance to the Old City.

We went with the meat-lover's.  Tasty.

Just outside the entrance to the Old City.

I did pick up some fabric while I was there.  I'll have to take a picture to share.  I suppose it would be more impressive if I made something out of the fabric.

Cozumel, Mexico

We made a brief stop in Cozumel, Mexico.

We wandered.  We had a couple beers.

I took tourist-y pictures.

We ate like kings.  Authentic Mexican food is an amazing thing (even if it is what they feed to the tourists).  So amazing that I even went home and convinced Darling Husband that we needed to make some pico de gallo and some chicken tacos.  Yes, they were awesome!

We shopped.

We watched the people.  Nothing beats watching a cruise ship regurgitate about 4000 people.  All of them looking for their next sunburn.  All-in-all, we did nothing exciting.  I spent entirely too much time looking for the nearest WiFi so I could check my email.

Barbados

On our return trip, we paused in Bridgetown, Barbados.  

I snapped this right before a downpour.  This cat must have the best life.  I want to lounge about on an island all day, too.

 This scene screamed "beach picture."  I obliged.

 On our last night there, we went out for dinner.  Sorry I didn't snap this before I dug in.  Absolutely wonderful.  (Though, as I write this, I am hungry.  So I might not be a good judge.)

Let's not forget the most important part of the meal.  Sangria!