Fifty shades of blue

I finished the quilt top for my monthly stash buster challenge.  The color for May is blue, and let me tell you I could have made 3 more like this.  Not just because I love blue, but because I have a crazy amount of blue stash and this quilt didn't even put a dent in it.

Hopefully I can get it quilted and bound this week so I can start the next one.  The color for June is going to be green and I already have little piles of green fabric marching across the floor of the sewing room waiting to be cut up.
One more blue thing.....

This blueberry cobbler was really good.  However the center came out a bit undercooked because I

1. added more blueberries than the recipe called for so the berry-to-batter ratio was off (you'll notice mine doesn't look a thing like hers, however this did not stop the shark-like feeding frenzy that began once this thing cooled.  Forget the fork, just put your face right in it).
2. undercooked it by about 5 minutes because I am scared of my new oven.  It's like I went from driving a Toyota Corolla to a Hummer. And my feet don't reach the petals.
 Must keep practicing.

A quick fly-by

There's so much going on here, I feel as though I'm constantly jumping on my broom and flying off to the next drama.  In between it all, there's another baby shower, and I was just going to go buy a present, but then decided to dig out this yardage of pink reproduction fabric and make a quilt.

If I keep it small and simple it should be done for the shower at the end of the month. If it doesn't make the deadline, then it's off to Babies 'R Us for something store bought.  No pressure right?

Meanwhile here's my SF Giants game scarf so far.....

Orange = Home win
Cream = Home loss
Black = Road win
Gray = Road loss
Using Trendsetter merino dk with a F hook, and hdc stitch.
Honestly I wouldn't wear this anywhere else but to a Giants game.  These colors are screaming Halloween to me. But it's fun to make.  I couldn't come up with that stripe arrangement if I tried.
By the time the playoffs roll around in October, I will have a nice reminder of the 2015 season.

Gotta go, my broom is double parked......

Hillside Houses and Tulips

There's a new QAL over at Pretty Little Quilts, and I just jumped right in, because I had all the stuff,  the pdf's were right there for free, it was something different because I hardly ever work with solids and the blocks kind of go together like a fabric jigsaw puzzle.  And besides, I saw that Carla was making one and her blocks were calling out to me as they always do, inspiring me to try something new.

I'm making the wall hanging size using a combination of Kaffe Fassett shot cottons, American Made, and a sprinkle of Liberty scraps for the doors and windows.  Christina has the first 5 blocks posted, and it's not too late (never too late) to join in.

Now, do you remember my tulips?

Finally finished the applique, and decided on a layout.  I have to square up all those little hst's and hand piece more drunkards path blocks.  This is a slow one, and I don't mind. I like to think it's simmering in the background while I'm working away on other projects.

I heard from my son in Australia last night.  He hasn't had a shower in about a week (bathing in the river when they get a chance).  He is learning a lot and enjoying every minute.  He did say everything there bites or is poisonous. Why would you tell your mother that!  I have visions and a wild imagination. I wanted to ask him how the girls in his group are doing on the trip.  Of course I'm focusing on shaving legs, washing hair and having your period.  Ugh. They should be back at the youth hostel (showers and beds!) next week. Then at least I will feel better :)

Out of practice

 My new oven was finally installed on Saturday and let me tell you that thing is a beast.  It's shiny  and clean,  just begging for a roast chicken or a pan of cookies.  The front burners on the stove top are quite powerful and the first time I turned them on I swear I heard jet engines and my mascara started to melt.  Not being able to bake anything for the last month and a half, I was anticipating a marathon weekend in the kitchen, sporting a jaunty apron and producing loaves of fresh artisan bread, homemade Mac and Cheese and this pineapple upside down cake.
The recipe calls for a layer of pineapple, then a brown sugar/butter mixture poured over the fruit, then the cake batter.  Humming happily, I slid the pans into the oven (bonus - it makes 2 cakes in 8 inch pans) and within 20 minutes I was rewarded with the smell of sugar and pineapple and...... smoke.
I peeked inside to find that the butter/sugar mixture had bubbled up all over the racks and spilled onto the bottom of the oven. Noooooo!  So much for shiny and clean.  Next time I'll place a few pieces of foil under the cake pans to catch the drips.

About this time I proceeded to boil the macaroni over onto the stove top (I told you those burners were powerful) and then spent the next half hour with my body inside the warm oven, scrubbing off burnt caramel, burning myself, swearing, sweating, burning myself again.
What I won't do for a good meal.

Anyway when the mac and cheese was finally baking in the now clean again oven, (and I had wiped off the spilled starchy pasta water from the stove top) I sat down and cut myself a small sliver of cake (must be tested before serving right?) topped with a blob of whipped cream. (I don't know why I didn't pour a glass of wine at this point.  I mean really, where are my priorities?)  I stabbed into a piece of pineapple and my plate flipped over off the end of the table and you guessed it, upside down on the kitchen floor.  Oh please, can I clean up just one more mess?

And finally the point of the whole story, in case you thought it would never end, is that the oven performed brilliantly, but the cook was a bit out of practice. Everything tasted delicious, and I highly recommend that cake recipe.
The pictures above which have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with what I was just blabbing about, are of 16 patch blocks for my May blue quilt and a scarf made with Cascade Tangier yarn in the color Sunset Beach.  It's main ingredient is silk, and so far it's real nice to work with.  Kind of reminds me of Noro, but without the swearing.

Edited to add:  The scarf pattern is Chevron Lace Infinity Scarf by Tamara Kelly.  You can find it on Ravelry.

Mostly yellow

Sometime around the beginning of the year I thought about making one quilt per month out of just one main color.   I figured it would be a fun way to help cut into my stash.  Well it took until April to finally get going on the idea.

The churn dash block is one of my favorite quilt patterns, so that's where I started.  I  pulled out the most yellow, cheddary pieces of fabric I had and added a touch of black.

Block size 9"
Quilt 45 x 45
For May I'm thinking blue 16 patch blocks.  Unless I get distracted by something yarny.