Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Distressed!!

Last night while in a shopping frenzy, I couldn't find the crucial ingredient to my cranberry sauce recipe. After much searching (what did I do before the internet), I discovered that the company is out of business. How could that be? I thought the nice grocery store stocking man was mistaken. I scoured the internet for the recipe. I found a recipe, so I am going to give it a try. This recipe is untested without the Indian Trail sauce, but I am confident it will taste the same. I am often asked for this recipe, so I am passing it along:
Cranberry Salad
Orange Cranberry Relish: Grind with with food grinder (food processor would work also)
1 pound fresh cranberries (or one bag)
2 oranges quartered with seeds removed (with peel)
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
Let drain; refrigerate or freeze (this makes enough for 4 batches)
In large bowl Dissolve 1 large box Cherry Jello (Raspberry or Strawberry will work also) with 2 cups boiling water
Add:
3/4 cup Orange Cranberry Relish (formerly my friend Indian Trail)
2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can mandarin oranges
1 to 2 cubed apples
1 cup seedless grapes halved
1 can crushed pineapple drained (20 oz)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
Pour into trifle bowl to look extra pretty or a 9X13 container and let set overnight. My kids like to have this year round. I am not a cranberry lover, but I love this recipe.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Selvage Obsession




I think I am starting to have a selvage obsession. I was at a friends yesterday and I started digging in her trash to pull out selvages. I am always looking for new ways to organize mine. What is your best method? I have mine sorted by color and strung like fish on a thread. Is this nuts or what?? I found out yesterday that I didn't have any pink selvages. I actually thought really hard about running to my stash and cutting some. Thank goodness I came to my senses before that happened! I can't post pictures of my most recent creations yet, because they are Christmas gifts. Have you started saving selvages yet?

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

My Humble Studio


Subee asked me some time ago to post pictures of my studio. I felt even more compelled to do so after she revealed all the bolts of fabric she had in her possession. I hope you enjoy the tour. I did clean up before the pictures, but It still has that lived in look. This is the view as you enter my studio. The room is approx. 16' x 28'. I love having the glass doors to let in additional light from the main part of the basement. This is the view to the right of the doors as you are looking in. You can see that my large design wall is full and inviting me to finish a few things. The pink and red pattern is a mystery pattern that Bonnie Hunter hosted. I kept up with the mystery (2 or so years ago), but the quilt has been in rows ever since. The larger portion of my studio houses a second design wall a cutting mat, my Accucut, and the every important "resource center". It is a walkout basement, so I do get natural light. The last picture is what I have stored under my Gammill. All the drawers are labeled and sorted with various projects and lots of "scraps"











This is about as clean as it gets. I can never seem to manage to get all the piles organized at once. If you have any questions or design suggestions please let me know. The flooring is a remnant of carpet from another room. I am still undecided after 5 years on what I want for my flooring.