picnic to net lake, 4-29-08

When we started out this morning the sun was shining and no wind. By the time we got to the Net River the wind was blowing and cold! I wish I had gotten the photos of the chairs by the river and Mark sitting there. We did eat our lunch at the riverside but had to abandon for higher less windy ground.

Here is Mark, all bundled up, notice he is sitting closer to the car that is still putting off a little heat from the engine. In about twenty minutes he started to whine that he was too cold and we left.

Here is a beaver dam right beside the road which I thought was pretty kool. A guy came roaring up in a pickup with Indiana plates, gets out and sets a minnow trap, for bait i guess. We saw some fish that Mark thought were pretty good size. Gee, they wouldnt even be bait fish where I come from. Anyway, I thought the whold think was great. You get to see so much neat animal stuff here. And then this has to be one of the koolest things I saw that day. A box turtle on the side of the

road.Mark doesnt think this is a big deal, but it sure

is to me. Even though it was cold, still a good day.

I am still trying to get the hang of getting the postings and photos in order. They never look the way they do when you preview. So, the photos are switched around at the top a bit. Oh well....it has been cold and rainy all weekend so far. Poor Mark, he works 4 tens, and of course it will be warm and sunny on Monday.

I started making a sample for Quilts n Stuff in Escanaba. She is carrying my hand dyes, so I thought it would be a good idea to make a sample wall hanging with my fabric. I got ten blocks done today and will do the other fifteen tomarrow. I will quilt simply, I dont even think I will bother with a border, will just have to see how it goes. I will post photo when done.

Patiently waiting for the sun to come out and warm up above 50.

our deck

The photo on the bottom was taken Friday morning...we went to town, Saturday went to town to get rest of deck stuff. Mark finished the deck yesterday early afternoon...this is him this a.m. We are going for a little drive on Rock Crusher Road, to a lake and have a picnic. It is already 60, bad thunder storm last night but clear and beautiful so far today. Hope everyone has a lovely day. I will take photos of our adventure today. Happy Trails...............

Puuleileihua

Puuleileihua (pooh-uh-lay-lay-who-ah) is butterfly in Hawaiian. I still need to cut the other two borders and sew them on. They will in turn get scalloped and after the quilting is done, cut and bound. I have been working on this since 1991! I took a class, sewed all the antennae on the blocks and I think completed one block, sewed and turned the wing and body parts for nine blocks and didn't touch till a couple months ago. Cut three more blocks and more body parts and this is where I am so far. Was going to give to Victoria, but the red clay on Kauai...not such a good idea plus it wouldn't really be big enough for her. So, like I posted below, she gets a light blue background. The scarry thing is her dad, Mikko, he just uses the heck out of the quilts I make him...he says, well mom, just "whip out another one". I am a bit slower these days, my days of just whipping out a quilt, or a couple pair of walk shorts or a few aloha shirts in a day are long gone. Every hand dye and print is different. They are delicate oriental prints and I wish I had bought more. It is hard to find small oriental or tropical prints. Maybe it is time to put in a call to the Kapaia Stitchery on Kauai....

AND THE WINNER IS

...AND THE WINNER IS.....LIZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have won the 6 fat quarters of hand dyed fabric! Congradulations! Ah.......the butterfly block is for our guild monthy block exchange. It was my turn to come up with a block. It is on a sky blue mottled hand dye I did a long time ago. In fact, I have lots of this stuff and am going to make Victoria (Nana's girl) a bed size quilt with these blocks.
This has been fun and will probably do again, maybe with a different type of dyeing or printing...so keep checking me out :-)

I am off to Iron Mountain today to get some stuff for the deck Mark is going to build this weekend and some craft stuff for me and maybe a stop by my favorite garden center. I am bummed...I think I put out my fuchsias too soon. It is almost ten o'clock and it is only 38. It snowed Sunday morning for a couple hours...geez...am hoping I didnt kill them after all the pampering I gave them this winter. Only time will tell.

Okay Liz, I need your address info so I can send you your fabric. Everyone have a great day!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

Just to let you all know I am fine...we had two lovely days of 60 and now it is 32...very light sprinkle, lucky it is not snow! Going to be wrapping up the give away shortly... you will be getting all six of the fqs whoever the lucky winner is! :-)

Mark is finishing up the basement today. He got the old oil tank out yesterday, had a major spill in the basement which he cleaned up with kitty litter and dawn. no bad smell or anything, yeah! Today finishing up the shelving and extending the countertop of sink area. I am so stoked to get my dyeing area done. Will put my fabric to be dyed in large plastic box for safe keeping down there too.

The daffodils are almost done, put my fuchsias outside, the raspberries are all leafed out...soon I must plant those hollyhocks!

Hand Dyed Fabric Give Away

Here are the two fq packs I am giving away. Leave your comment here to be entered. If you mention this give away on you blog you get another chance and if you put me on your sidebar that earns you two...so, you can earn a total of 4 chances to win these lovely fabrics. They are color fast on 100% mercerized cotton and completely "hand" dyed. The group on the left is "violet to blue" and the other is "gold, magenta, purple". Good luck!

enchilada receipe

by request, my chicken enchilada receipe. i usually do not measure so bare with me

i used:
2 8oz bricks of cojack cheese-grated
2 bunches of green onions-entire onion, thinly sliced
1 4.25 oz chopped olives-drained well
chicken...i used 2 thighs, 2 legs and about half a breast...small cubes
1 19 oz can of old el paso enchilada sauce
1 10 oz can of the above
1 dozen corn tortillas...fresh is best, refrigerated, i never use frozen ones
peanut oil

-combine first four ingredients in large bowl and mix well, set aside

-in small frying pan pour some peanut oil, heat till hot
with tongs, dip tortilla in hot oil, turning over...remove immediately and place on paper towels
*the idea here is to make tortilla pliable for when you roll it later, do not fry!!!!!
-from right to left arrange as follows:
cookie sheet of drained(ing) tortillas
shallow bowl with some enchilada sauce (use 10 oz can for this)
plate (bowl of sauce behind plate if possible)
bowl of enchilada filling
greased or buttered baking dish...i use glass
now the fun begins
*dip tortilla in sauce, lightly coating both sides, place on plate
*grab handful of filling, place on tortilla and roll...now you will learn how much you can put on tortilla and roll without it all falling out, takes a little practice
*placed filled, rolled tortilla seam side down in baking dish
*repeat until all tortillas are filled or pan is full
*i poke fingers "gently" between each enchilada before i poor 19 oz can of sauce onto enchiladas
-if you have any filling left over you can put on top...i pour sauce on enchiladas, poke with fingers between each one so sauce gets between each one. then i sprinkle remaining filling on top, drizzle a little sauce on top, cover with tin foil and place in 350 degree preheated oven and bake for about an hour...uncover for about 20 minutes...remove from oven and let rest for about 30-45 minutes to firm up...they will be way to hot to eat right out of the oven. enjoy!!!

i hope this works for you. it is very tasty and once you have made them a time or two you will adjust receipe as needed. sometimes i make 3 or 4 dozen so i just up the ingredients. usually i just make a big bowl of filling and just make as many as it makes. i have to go back and heat tortillas in oil as i run out of them, no big deal. \

if anyone tries this, let me know how it went.

enchaladas anyone

I baked two chickens last night so I could make these for tonight...chicken enchaladas...made with two bunches of green onions ( I use the entire onion), chopped olives, chicken and cojack cheese. there are one dozen of those babies in this dish and are kooling off so we can dig in with a dollop of sour cream on the side :-) yummy! and there will be leftovers...like lagsana, it is always better the next day, although, they arent that bad right out of the oven.

Tomarrow we are off to Iron Mountain to buy stuff so Mark can plumb in the washer for the basement and the sink. I will be able to give dyeing classes down there. I am stoked to have my dye area almost complete. I am going to have him put up a shelf the length of the vanity, 8', to put all my dyes and stuff on. It is going to be great! I have 5 classes just itching to learn to dye fabric...5 students per class and I am sure I will get more classes. I love to teach people how to dye/print/paint fabric (different classes of course). I have a thermofax so in the printing class students can make their own screens...way kool. Now, I just need to get my gammil back from Missiouri.

On a serious note...I read the most heart renching article today. About an incredible brave young marine who was burned over 97% of his body in February 2005. After over a year of inpatient care, many many surgeries, he lost his life on April 11th. I cannot begin to explain how touched I have been by this young man. His name was Merlin German and started a fund for child burn victims called Merlin's Miracles. I have contacted them to see if I can help out...by making quilts of course. If you google his name or his fund you will get info on him and his work. Go ahead, but be warned, have a hankie in hand.

I have decided to climb on the blog wagon and have a give away. If you leave a comment the winner will recieve several fq packs of my hand dyed fabric. If you post give away on your blog you get an additional chance. Sooooooooooooo....let me have it! :-)