Wedding Memories

My wedding anniversary is coming up next month. It will be 13 years. I made my dress and veil for the event. I had a great time buying the fabric in the city (NYC). I made covered fabric buttons that were so tiny I had to use tweezers to get the fabric over them. I also made a braided headband veil. Unlike most woman, I simply store these things in back of my daughter's closet in a dry cleaning bag. (Our house is over a hundred years old and space is limited- I gave up half of my clsoset to my husband) Well, the other day my daughter insisted on trying on the veil. She is 6 going on 26 these days and all into weddings.

So I took out the camera and took a few pictures.

And a few more......
We had a great time.

She is growing up so fast. One day she'll be trying on a veil for her own wedding. I hope to be there for that day.

Have a great day!

Vera

Belated Valentine Banner

I know St. Patrick's Day is next week but I finally finished my Valentine project. I found the pattern one day way back in January and I had to make it. I finally finished it three days after Valentine's Day. And now I am finally posting it. (If you haven't figured it out yet, I am a procrastinator.)

I had fun making this banner. I found the pattern here at Little Lady Patchwork. I used fabric from my ancient stash which was mostly from MODA. Their fabrics have always been my favorites. I changed the pattern slightly by fusing the hearts on the background fabric and stitching them with an applique stitch. The original instructions just called for the stitching.

I don't have a very large mantel so I hung my banner across a doorway between my dining room and living room. My house is over a hundred years old with beautiful moldings so I figured the banner would look great against the white molding.

Well, this procrastinator needs to start working on more projects. It felt really good to finish something besides the items for my Etsy shop. I have let my quiliting/personal projects suffer in the past few years. I wish I had the time and energy I see many of you have out there. Your blogs and Flickr postings are amazing. Thanks for the inspiration!

Have a great day!

Vera

BC Quilt

I started this quilt before my son Christopher was born - thus the name BC. He turned 8 this past January! I don't know why but this project never seems to end. I don't think I even like the fabric anymore. But I must finish it!

Four pointed stars are hard for me and I redid at least two of these blocks before I put it together. (The sad thing is it only has four blocks to begin with.) I have finally quilted everything except the borders.

It's been like this for a year. My quilting friends, who I haven't had a chance to meet with for a year as well saw me working on this quilt every week.

So, I am giving myself a finish date- spring. I will report back on my progress. By putting this in writing I hope to guilt myself into doing it. Will it work? We shall see.......

The Winter Blues

Well, I did it. I broke my New Year's resolution in one week. My resolution was to blog more often and not let my children and all the other crazy things I do stop me from sharing with you on my blog.

Well, the kids got sick and then it snowed. Then the kids got sick again and then it snowed again! Then what happened- the kids got sick again and it sleeted, it rained and everything became an ice rink.

So here I am after three weeks of mayhem catching up. All I have to share today are some pictures I took during all that snow. It was pretty, now it's "snirt" - new word I learned this year that means dirty snow.

My children and their snowperson? Let's just say they are very creative!

My little backyard.

The remnants of my snowball hydrangeas

That's all now folks. Hope to be writing more this week. Keep your fingers crossed that the kids stay healthy and the weather gets better.

Have a great day!

Vera

Something Warm for your Tummy:Chowder!

Well, here it is the 6th of January and I am posting for the second time this week! It's going to snow here tomorrow and I love a good soup on those blistery days and one of my favorites is my Manhattan Clam Chowder. I make it spicy! There's nothing like a little spice to warm you on a cold day.

Now when I make a soup I like to use my pressure cooker. You can make your soup with or without one. In a tradition pot such as a dutch oven, you will just have to cook it longer until the veges are softened. I just like to do things fast because I'm always running late and I've got to make up the time somewhere!

This is a simple recipe. I use canned clams and bottled clam juice. You can go out and get your fresh seafood and do it the hard way, but I like this simple and quick method. I hope you get a chance to try this recipe. Enjoy and have a great day.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large green pepper, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes

1 teaspoon hot sauce- my favorite is a habanero pepper sauce from the Tropical Pepper Co.

28 oz. whole tomatoes, chopped

2 medium potatoes, diced

1/2 to 1 cup red wine

1 8 oz. bottle clam juice

1 cup water

2 6.5 oz cans of minced clams with reserved juice

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper

Saute the bacon in a large soup pot such as a dutch oven or pressure cooker until it has rendered its fat. Add the onion, celery and green pepper and cook until softened. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in flour, then add potatoes, tomatoes with juice, clam juice (bottled and reserved juice from canned clams), wine, water, hot sauce and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.

Traditional soup pot: bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Discard bay leaf. Stir in chopped clams and serve.

Pressure Cooker: close lid and bring to pressure. I cook mine for 5 minutes once it gets to pressure in position 2. Check you brand of cooker for average cooking time for soups and settings. Let out pressure and add the chopped clams and serve.

I like a nice crusty bread to serve with the chowder.

New Year's Resolution: Blog!!!!!

I can't believe I haven't posted a blog since late September! Some how the kids, school, the house and everything else seemed to get in the way of me posting. Actually I think it was plain laziness on my part but it makes me feel better to share the blame.

Anyways, what have I been up to you ask? Well, I did so some sewing, some picture taking and tons of cooking. Here are some of the items I sewed and will soon post to Etsy to sell. I have got to pay off all that Christmas shopping!

I purchased some Amy Butler laminates a year ago and I finally got to make some totes. I had made a backpack last spring for someone on Etsy, but I really wanted to make these totes. They're fun and bright.

I did a ton of bodysuits with burp cloths. The fabrics are son cute you can't stop yourself from making things.

I'll be posting more to come, I hope. I can't break my New Year's resolution yet.

Finally Done!!!

These three lovely bags were made for a dear friend of mine. Little did she know that it would take me the entire summer to finish them when she gave me the fabric in May!. The heat, the kids, the camp schedule, the heat again.....need I say more.

Anyways, the bags are based on my "backsack" bag I sell in my Etsy shop. It's a drawstring closure for the most part. I added a button to the third bag because I made it wider and a little shorter in height.

The fabric was provided by my friend and it was pre-quilted with a backing. So I had to figure out how to handle the pockets and unfinished edges. I treated it like a quilt and put a binding on all those edges.

I varied the shape and size of the pockets too. Now to make more for the shop!