Phaedra's 2023 Adventure

[Phaedra]

are they ever out of them or do you have to get there right when they open?

Their staff members start working at six and would prepare those bags accordingly. Usually, there will be 4-6 such bags, and they will be sold out pretty soon. If we go there around 8am, very likely nothing left.

So, we just get there right when they open at 7 for 'hunting' those bags and other short-dated goodies.

 

[Phaedra]

Your sewing is Really improving!! GOOD FOR YOU to do projects that you can use!!

Thank you! I want to try my first quilt this winter and might start with a smaller sized blanket.

 

[Phaedra]

Quail shelter in winter and tomato house in summer V1.0

Whatever gaps are for the purpose of ventilation

I removed one raised bed and created this space and used chop-and-drop method to try 'pathway compost'. After quails live here for some months, their droppings should be able to add more nutrition.

When spring comes and quails leave here, I can easily add a 3~4" layer of homemade compost for growing 6 beefsteak tomatoes - the current plan.

Done, the old doors from the chicken runs were used here as a simple barrier.

 

[ducks4you]

Start with sewing together a sandwich with a warm cotton center so it will be warm. You might know someone who quilts and will sell/give you enough from their roll of cotton batting. Don't use synthetic batting. The ones I made have either 1/2 cotton, or the two that I used damaged wool blankets, where I stitched up and repaired the holes before I started. They are all VERY warm bc the batting and the bottom fabric are all cotton or wool, even though the tops are the synthetic fleece.
It's easier to follow a pattern to stitch that is already on the fabric. If you go to quilting sites they will have you buying specialty plastic rulers, where you make squares then cut them to perfect with a rotary cutter. You will spend ALL of your seed money on this!!
I used fleece for the top fabric. I had bought 6 full yards of fleece that looked like candy striped Hudson Bay pattern. I had 3 "youth" blankets gathering dust and decided to make all 3 into quilts. I used thread to match the stripes, green, red and yellow. I had trouble with my regular machine bc they were each 3' x6' and the quilt would bunch next to the machine.
REMEMBER: quilts were normally HAND SEWN, and hand and machine sewing is always acceptable.
I am a thread nazi, so buy new thread for every project.
The idea of quilting is to keep a warm batting between 2 pieces of fabric from bunching. SOMEHOW, quilting has beCOME creating complicated patterns in various sizes of squares the run N-S, E-W.
It is a VERY EXPENSIVE hobby.
The nice thing about your machine is that you can use fancy stitches on your machine, and save the straight hand stitching for the troublesome parts.
Best to plan a month or two on a quilting project. Keep your machine and supplies away from your cats!!!!
You start, you stop, you pick it up again, etc.
DD's have a craft room and they sew to movies on their oldest flatscreen. They do NOT allow cats in that bedroom.
Otherwise, have fun!!
One good place to find fabric is at estate sales. Many women pick up fabric with no specific use and family finds it is drawers and bins and they don't want it.

 

[Phaedra]

Start with sewing together a sandwich with a warm cotton center so it will be warm. You might know someone who quilts and will sell/give you enough from their roll of cotton batting. Don't use synthetic batting. The ones I made have either 1/2 cotton, or the two that I used damaged wool blankets, where I stitched up and repaired the holes before I started. They are all VERY warm bc the batting and the bottom fabric are all cotton or wool, even though the tops are the synthetic fleece.
It's easier to follow a pattern to stitch that is already on the fabric. If you go to quilting sites they will have you buying specialty plastic rulers, where you make squares then cut them to perfect with a rotary cutter. You will spend ALL of your seed money on this!!
I used fleece for the top fabric. I had bought 6 full yards of fleece that looked like candy striped Hudson Bay pattern. I had 3 "youth" blankets gathering dust and decided to make all 3 into quilts. I used thread to match the stripes, green, red and yellow. I had trouble with my regular machine bc they were each 3' x6' and the quilt would bunch next to the machine.
REMEMBER: quilts were normally HAND SEWN, and hand and machine sewing is always acceptable.
I am a thread nazi, so buy new thread for every project.
The idea of quilting is to keep a warm batting between 2 pieces of fabric from bunching. SOMEHOW, quilting has beCOME creating complicated patterns in various sizes of squares the run N-S, E-W.
It is a VERY EXPENSIVE hobby.
The nice thing about your machine is that you can use fancy stitches on your machine, and save the straight hand stitching for the troublesome parts.
Best to plan a month or two on a quilting project. Keep your machine and supplies away from your cats!!!!
You start, you stop, you pick it up again, etc.
DD's have a craft room and they sew to movies on their oldest flatscreen. They do NOT allow cats in that bedroom.
Otherwise, have fun!!
One good place to find fabric is at estate sales. Many women pick up fabric with no specific use and family finds it is drawers and bins and they don't want it.

Thank you for such an informative and generous sharing! I will start from a smaller scale trial to make myself familiar with all necessary skills. Very likely I will make two trial blankets with whatever I have at hands for the dogs, they won't complain anyway. After that, I want to make a blanket for DD.

 

[flowerbug]

Thank you! I want to try my first quilt this winter and might start with a smaller sized blanket.

lap quilts are very versatile. Mom uses three layers of fabric (no actual batting, but uses extra fabric as the middle layer). she doesn't use squares because it takes too long to assemble them but instead cuts her fabric in strips for the top layer. the bottom layer can be any matching color or arrangement to top. middle layer is whatever she has that will work. finding cheap fabrics is always hard for her in the colors she wants but she has friends looking out for her. since she makes so many lap quilts for vets and hospice she averages about four a day when she is sewing. just yesterday we had some people come over to pick up 30something of them for the vets who really enjoy them. making them smaller also means they are easy to clean instead of larger quilts which is important for people at care facilities or hospitals.

just some ideas, i hope it will help.

 

[ducks4you]

Thank you for such an informative and generous sharing! I will start from a smaller scale trial to make myself familiar with all necessary skills. Very likely I will make two trial blankets with whatever I have at hands for the dogs, they won't complain anyway. After that, I want to make a blanket for DD.

Lucky doggies!!!

 

[ducks4you]

Here is a good foot to use for quilting, a free motion quilting foot. Investing in sewing feet is always a good thing. Janome is a BIG name in the sewing world, btw.

Sewing Parts Online: Search

www.sewingpartsonline.com

how to use a free motion quilting foot - Search Videos

www.bing.com

 

[Phaedra]

An unusual relaxing day, most of my activities are indoors - finished a novel, watched one episode of Star Trek: Strange New World Season Two (it's so good), fed all fur and feather family members, had a nap, watched another episode.

I enjoy the moment to stay with her, too. That's what family is for.

My love for simple dishes increases these two years. Keeping things simple needs knowledge, willingness, and practices as well. Glazing veggies is one of them.

My FIL is in a very good shape after moving to the nursing home that dedicates to taking care of dementia people. His physical and mental health improves after removing unnecessary medicine, and of course, with totally different approaches used in this place.

He is calm, content, friendly, and humorous - the best parts of him are kept, and the caregivers love him. He started reading again - no matter how he perceives and processes the information, reading offers materials to stimulate his brain functions. We brought him a lot of gardening magazines, which have many large and pretty photos, no Bs, also something he loves very much just few years ago.

The nursing home invites them to make cookies together, and he said, no, no, I don't make cookies, you make, I eat! He firmly remembers that cakes and ice creams are goodies, so cute.

I am willing to make all goodies for him to enjoy, perfect match.

My NY cheesecake practices are done. Next are chiffon cakes.

 

[Phaedra]

I am in the middle of my annual culinary learning and hands-on project. I will finish two cooking technique modules (meat, stock and sauce / seafood and desserts) from Thomas Keller, and hopefully, Baking classes from Joanne Chang.

It's now a bit like the story of 'JULIE & JULIA', and well, another kind of adventure.

Fried chicken (thighs, with bone, so lovely)

Wiener Schnitzel (Veal, also delicious, but it's too pricy and not that worthy in my opinion)

Hands-on that are waiting for next week include pan roasting duck breast, braised pork shoulder, oven roasted chicken, and maybe blow torch prime rib roast. They are not new to me, but it's always good to learn some advanced skills from a good chef.

At the meanwhile, I finished the second season of Star Trek: Strange New World with delight and satisfaction. DH and I both love this season, so we bought the DVDs. They did include agendas, but in a much much more pleasant and meaningful way.

The weekly Veggie/Fruit bags were bought, too. We have enough fruits till the end of the month.

Reading supermarket flyers is necessary for hunting goodies in the holiday season - different stores have their own amazing items. I used Apps, but there is also fun to page through those weekly colorful leaflets and do some comparisons.

Bulk buying for those with heavy discount - some were sent into freezer (like bread) and some take time to slowly ripe.

I also love my 'wish you grow back well' tray.

@Branching Out The home-saved coriander seeds are germinated in the unheated greenhouse. If they were sowed indoors, it will be much quicker. I thought they might not make it after the last cold snap, but they are tougher than I thought. So, it works anyway.