Smile!

Lorelei, along with a friend helped Sarah babysit a little one for a friend of theirs...can you see the joy on Lorelei's face?  (Don't you like my artwork in hiding the face?)

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Roger is pretty much back to normal...or what passes for normal for us any more.     It is a real relief to have him want something to eat.

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Bubbie sleeps like this quite often...would you believe he is almost 12 years old.  and was the runt of the litter?  He is just the lovingest boy.  A happy cat.

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Is anyone else watching/or have you watched this season of Call The Midwife?   It is wonderful as always. 

How about Mrs. Wilson?  Have you seen either season of it?  I watched the 2018 season I think, but didn't recall it being based on real people.  I highly recommend it. 

My hyacinths are in full bloom...the trillium is about 6 inches tall but no blooms yet.  But I don't think it will be long.  And the blue bells have buds but no blooms....

Hope you all have a good week ahead...

Enchiladas, Roger.....

I made these yesterday afternoon...it is the recipe for enchiladas off the back of the enchilada sauces can...Old El Paso is the brand I use.  I don't fix them very often and I don't know why.  They are easy to do, and they heat up nicely in the microwave.  Some foods I don't like to re-heat in the microwave, but I like these just as good from the microwave as when they come out of the oven.  I always add more cheese than the recipe calls for.  And to really enjoy them, I need chopped tomatoes.
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Roger has had 3 or 4 days of just not being himself.  He was good when the kids were here last Saturday, but starting Sunday he just was not himself.  He would eat breakfast, and then hardly another bite the rest of the day on Sun and Monday...and just wanted to sleep.  It is hard for him to explain how he feels since his stroke.  Tuesday evening he had a couple strips of bacon and a slice of toast.  Yesterday evening, he had half of one of the above enchiladas...and he enjoyed it.  Up until that, it was almost as if he had to make himself eat every bite.  And he stayed up till his normal bedtime...about 10:30-10:45.


Needless to say, I am glad to see him getting back to what is normal for him.  That stroke really did a number on him.  And when he has those off days, it is hard for me to do anything.
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I have been sewing a little bit in minutes here and there.  I have sewed 6 rows of my string blocks together.  I have at least 4 more rows to sew together.  10 blocks are in each row.  I thought I would have to sew more string blocks to have enough but if I counted correctly, I will have a few lefter over.  LOL

That is all for now...think I am going to sew a few more blocks together, and maybe do a load or two of laundry.  I hope you are having a good week.

This and that...

The kids were here yesterday...oldest daughter came early so we could sew or pin-baste a quilt sandwich.  We chose to sew blocks together:  she did the pinning and ironing, and I did the sewing.

It still needs borders.  She has got to find the fabric for that.  Neither her phone or mine will capture the true colors of this quilt top.  It has more blue to it than shows.  It was a fun day.  Later in the day Sarah and Lorelei came...Roger's birthday is today so we had his birthday meal yesterday when we could be together...minus Lorelei's dad...he had to work.  Older daughter fixed steaks on the grill, as well as zucchini and onions and mushrooms chopped up.  And she bought a cheese cake.  It was all so good...and then my Sarah cleaned up the kitchen before she left...so it was like a birthday present for me, too!
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This and the fabric below I bought at The Sewing Botique in Hoopeston, Illinois...it is north of Danville a few miles.

I first thought daughter would love the above, then I got afraid that she wouldn't.   If I had had a pattern that I liked for a top that I knew would fit, I would have loved it for that and would have got enough.  But I don't, so I didn't...so I only got a half-yard of it.  It went home with older daughter.  She LOVED it.  Can you see why?
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However I did not make out too badly...she brought me the above 6 inch strips of batiks...they are cut the width of the fabric which is 42-43 inches.  When she texted me about the 6 inch strips, that was the first time encountering that size cuts.  And she also bought me a bunch of 2 1/2 inch batik strips...they, too, are cut the width of the fabric.  They are shown below.  Click each photo to expand the view.

In case you don't quilt,  this is something fabric companies do, and also some quilt shops will make their own sets of pre-cuts.  Pre-cuts come in 10 inch squares, often called a Layer Cake in that size.   A Charm Pack is 5-inch squares.  Mini-charm is 2 1/2 inch squares.  And the 2 1/2 inch strips of the width of fabric is called a jelly roll.  And they are rolled up.  Rachel had opened  mine when she got them to send pics to me.  Usually each precut pack has 40-42 pieces of fabric, and almost always have repeats.  But sometimes they come in like half a jelly roll, also think the Layer Cakes sometimes come with only 20 pieces of fabric, but I have only seen the Jelly Rolls come in half the number.

Oh, I about forgot there are 1 1/2 inch strips in some fabrics, but not as often.  And I think there are one or two other precuts that I have never seen and that are not all that common.

Also there are Fat Quarter bundles...they are pieces of fabric 18 x 21 inches.  The number of fabrics in a FQ bundle varies.

Usually pre-cuts  are a line of fabric, maybe by a certain designer, and it will come in different color ways.  It is an easy way of having a wide variety of fabrics without trying to go through and pick out things that go together.  Plus it is quicker than standing and waiting to get them cut.

I know this is boring to some of you, but some will find it informative maybe.

That is about it for this post....I hope you have a good day tomorrow.