Coffee Time Stitches

Weekend Retreat

2012-01-25T09:29:00.005-05:00

I took a couple days off and had a personal retreat. I needed a break from the rush of the holidays and with Hotel Man out of town it was perfect time be alone and regroup. I was home alone from Saturday night until Monday night when Mr. E came over. He was here all day Tuesday as well and we just hung out for the day.

Before Hotel Man left on Saturday he captured the winter sun rising off the patio deck.

What did I do on my retreat? I picked up a needle and threads and stitched. I finished stitching three projects for the Poker Room for Hotel Man. All that's left is to press them and stitch on charms. Then they can be framed and hung.

I recently signed up for an online Beginning Needlepoint class from Janet Perry. This is my version of the mini sampler from one of the lessons.

I stitched 2 1/2 more squares on Amazing Color. I can't believe I hadn't touched this project in over three months! I need to spend more time on it or it will never get finished. I added squares A9, A10 and part of A11.

I also belong to Janet's Stash Club and finally started one of the projects, Nana's Afghan. The pattern design is a little larger than mine and calls for a completely scrappy look. I only had a small piece of mono canvas in my stash and am not a fan of scrappy so I'm designing the color scheme as I go along from my stash.
I had a visitor this morning while sipping my cuppa and perusing the overnight Internet news. This cute little red squirrel found his way onto our patio and was hopping around. I only got a photo of him through the screen, but isn't he adorable?
That's all the news for now. Happy stitching to you!

Sweet P

Monday With Dema

2012-01-17T10:15:00.001-05:00

Mr. E got to stay with me on Monday as mommy and daddy volunteered to serve lunch at daddy's work. We had a lot fun.

First he decorated the window with Valentine's decorations.

Then we made a glitter jar. He calls it the "shake again jar".

It was train time next. We made tunnels out of oatmeal canisters.

Close-ups of the tunnels:

When mommy came home we went shopping. Mr. E moving into a toddler bed this week. He got to choose his new bedding and chose Thomas the Train. He can't wait to sleep in his new bed at home.

What have you been doing this past week?

Sweet P

2011 In Review

2012-01-13T11:15:00.003-05:00

I don't keep track of the projects I work on or the pile of UFOs, WIPs and PIGs in my studio. I do keep track of how many hours and how many dollars I spend on my creating. Here are my results for 2011.

From Jan 1, 2011 - Dec 31, 2011 I spent 488.75 hours creating. That translates to:

A little over 40 hours a month
Or 1.34 hours a day
October was my busiest month where I worked hard to finish Mr. E's dinosaur sweater and hat
February was my least productive month (probably because it's a short month)
November 13 was my most productive day as I finished Santa swap gifts

On the money side I spent $1,905.72 for supplies throughout the year.

That's an average of $158.81 a month
Or $5.22 a day
Or $3.90 an hour

These totals aren't as food as last year's numbers as I was working more hours in the last year. This year that will change as my job has been restructured and I will be working only 40 hours a week instead of 45 hours or more.

On the Original side of life this is what our patio look like this morning. We finally had a snowstorm this year. Now Mr. E's trike is covered.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Sweet P

Happy New Year, a Little Late

2012-01-11T08:40:00.006-05:00

Belated Happy New Year! I hope the start of the new year has been good for you. So far, the year has been good for me.

I am not a New Year Resolution maker. I dislike setting goals and making plans to change myself. I love to live in the moment and relish the wonder of each morning and what the day will bring to me and my family.

What I did decide to was choose a word for the year. My word for this year is:

ORDINARY

What is ordinary?

Ordinary is snuggling with The Hotel Man in the early morning before we fully start our day.
Ordinary is a half-filled coffee cup left sitting on the kitchen counter.
Ordinary is the sound of Mr. E talking to his animals and reading a book while he falls asleep at nap time.
Ordinary is trying a new recipe for dinner.
Ordinary is looking around my house and seeing the remains of my day.

Here are a few photos of the ordinary from the first few days of 2012

Mr E's bike on the back patio

Mr. E decorating wiggly worm cookies

One of the toy corners in the living room

A few leftover Christmas items waiting to be put away

Where can you find ordinary in your day?

Sweet P

Lots of December News

2011-12-27T09:23:00.003-05:00

December went by too fast. My camera decided to take a vacation and I wasn't able to capture all the memories I wanted to, but we still had a wonderful holiday month.

I started the month by cleaning the pantry. I couldn't do any baking or cooking with the mess that was in there. Now I can do more cleaning and organizing in there as my MIL gave me a set of Click Clack storage cubes.
We put up Mr. E's tree on Thanksgiving, but he wouldn't let me decorate it until last Tuesday. Once we had it decorated, he started singing Jingle Bells to it.

We did a Secret Santa swap at work. I made my partner this little wallet to go with . . .

this crocheted project bag. She loves it! So does her daughter, so I'll be making one for her in a few weeks.

My SSCS partner, Jenny, made me this stunning yarn basket and filled it with scrumptious Australian wool.

My Secret Santa partner at work stitched this awesome candle mat for me. She knows I love embroidery and chocolate so she stitched me "chocolate."

Grampa gave me and Mr. E Sesame Street's Yummy Cookies cookbook. You can be assured we will be trying out a few recipes over the next few weeks.

How was your Christmas?

Sweet P

The Remains of My Weekend

2011-12-07T05:40:00.003-05:00

My weekend is on Monday and Tuesday. I like having my weekends when everyone else is at work. I can be lazy, run errands or do whatever I need to do with little interruption. This past weekend was full of giggles, yarn and threads.

Mr. E and I made marshmallow snowmen for our afternoon snack. Mr. E got silly, put a pretzel stick in each end and called his snowman a bridge.

I finished a matching hat and cowl for me. I have a pair of gloves in the aqua yarn started as well.

Mr. E loves playing on my iPad ("apple ackpack", as he calls it). Yesterday I found a train game for him. He enjoyed the game while nibbling on cheese and crackers.

Our couch has a table in the middle. This is what the table looked like at the end my weekend last night. Amid the piles you will find my first aqua glove, a cross stitch project I'm working on, our family football pool sheet waiting to be finished for the week, a new book I received in the mail (Fabric-by-Fabric One Yard Wonders), a box of tissues and a cup of warm Wassail. And to make my time stitching on the couch more enjoyable, the TV remote and my phone.

What does your work space look like at the end of the day?

Sweet P

SSCS Package Arrived

2011-12-06T16:04:00.003-05:00

My Secret Santa Christmas Swap Package arrived from Jenny in Australia this afternoon. Aren't the labels cool?

The big package has been placed under Mr. E's tree (the only tree we have right now) and the gorgeous ornament is hanging front and center.

My SSCS package is the first present under the tree. I wonder how many more will be there on Christmas morning?

Thank you, Jenny! The ornament is exquisite!

Sweet P

2011-12-06T09:22:00.001-05:00

I wish I could show you what I've been making in the Coffee Time Stitches studio, but everything has been for Christmas gifts. Show and Tell will have to wait.

In the meantime, here's a little video of what Mr. E has been up to this fall.

How are your Christmas plans coming along?

Sweet P

SSCS Has Left The Building

2011-11-23T09:11:00.001-05:00

My SSCS Package to . . . is winging its way to . . .

I wonder when it will get there???

Sweet P

A Few of My Favorite Recipe Blogs

2011-11-13T08:21:00.012-05:00

Back in August I wrote two posts about food and organizing my pantry. I haven't given up on organizing and stocking my pantry. I've worked my list and checked it twice. I've thought about it day and night. I've test shopped BJ's against my favorite grocery store (more on that another day). I've even stood and stared at my pantry trying to decide what to do.

One of the steps I have accomplished was to sort through the recipes I have collected in my Recipe Manager to see where our favorite recipes come from. I discovered there are three blogs that have contributed quite a few recipes to my collection. Here they are in no particular order.

A Fridge Full of Food...and Nothing to Eat by Glenna Muse

Glenna has lots of yummy recipes. Our favorite is her All Day Spaghetti 3-Meat Sauce. You don't need to have a back up jar of Prego or Ragu in your cupboard when you have a bag of this sauce in your freezer.

She recently posted a recipe for Slow Cooker Meat Sauce that is equally delicious. However, the sauce cooks overnight and the delicious smell of it permeated my dreams and woke me up. I had to get out of bed and turn off the sauce so I could sleep. Next time I'll make it and let it cook all day. A couple other favorites from her site are Quick & Easy Chicken Enchiladas and Guinness Irish Stew with Roasted Garlic/Rosemary Dumplings.

Big Red Kitchen

Next up is Big Red Kitchen. I found one of our decadent breakfast recipes: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. These are a yummy way to start a weekend breakfast.

Recently she posted a recipe for Homemade SpaghettiOs with Mini Meatballs. Mr. E loves his "balls" (his name for the meal). The recipe made 10 batches and I believe he's about ready for another batch to be made. Grampa Boo wants to try some this time.

We like her Crockpot Grinders on Football Sundays. I often make a batch of Garlic Ranch Pretzels to tuck into my lunch box. Her Wassail Punch has earned a spot on our holiday menus. And, once I get my freezer downstairs I intend to have a Freezer Meal Making Party, but for now her Ranch Chicken makes an appearance on our dinner plate frequently.

Cinnamon Girl Recipes
Cinnamon Girl Recipes has a couple of our favorite dinner recipes. Hubby and I love her Salisbury Steaks in French Onion Sauce. This is a great comfort meal.

My son, who is not a meatloaf fan, cannot pass up her Italian Meatloaf. When I make this for a family dinner I may have to start making two meatloaves just to have leftovers! This is the best meatloaf ever! My DIL and I are soup lovers and I often make her Loaded Baked Potato Soup for us. It's a great soup on a chilly night. We also like her Peanut Butter Cups for dessert. I haven't tried the Salted Caramel Cups yet, but I plan to do that soon.

So, there you have it. A few of my favorite recipe blogs and some yummy recipes for you to try. If you stop by any of these blogs, please tell them I sent you. I'm sure they would love to hear from you.

What are some of your favorite recipe blogs?

Sweet P

Seeing Red in the Kitchen

2011-10-28T09:24:00.002-04:00

I've been seeing a lot of red in my kitchen lately. Red as in tomato sauce in my food. I've tried a three new recipes in the last two weeks and each of them was tomato-based.

First up was Pizza Supreme Soup from Elle's New England Kitchen. I accompanied it with Pizza Dough Breadsticks. Both were a big hit with the family.

I didn't take any photos, but I tried Slow Cooker Meat Sauce from A Fridge Full of Food. The recipe was easy and super delicious. The only drawback was I had to get up in the middle of the night and turnoff the crock pot because the yummy smell of the sauce was permeating my dreams and making me very hungry.

This past Tuesday I tried Homemade Spaghettios from the Big Red Kitchen. This recipe was easy to make and Mr. E loved the results.

There was plenty fill up nine more dishes for future lunches.

What's on the menu for tonight? Nothing with tomato sauce! Probably Espresso Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries.

Oh yeah, we are also getting ready for our first winter storm, in October! It snowed a little last night and Mr. E told me this morning, "It was snowmening at daddy's house!" Silly boy!

Have a great weekend!

Sweet P

Birthday Shopping

2011-10-18T18:19:00.004-04:00

I wasn't going to spend my birthday money, but a good sale and a discount card changed my mind.

First up, Joann's is having a sale on Kona Cottons. I'm low on solid colors so I stocked up on a few choices. Most of them are one yard cuts, a couple are one yard, plus the remnant piece.
My next stop was at my LYS, Spinning Yarns. I needed to buy yarn for a swap package and decided since I had a fully stamped discount card that gave me 20% off my purchase I would use the rest of my birthday money and treat myself to some fancy yarn. I bought two balls of Ritratto yarn by Stacy Charles. It is a mohair and rayon blend. It's super squishy and a lace weight. In the clearance bin was eight hanks of yellow Berocco Pure Pima. I figure it will make a nice tank top or shell for next summer.

I finished Mr. E's dinosaur sweater this morning. It will be part of his Halloween costume.

Aren't the buttons cute?

I'm working at another store for a few weeks. Because it is an hour drive one way to get there, I get a four day work week with three days off. I just finished my third day off and it was nice to have that much time off. I cleaned our bedroom closet, cleaned off my dresser, did the laundry and still have lots of time to play with fiber and threads and with Mr. E.

What are up to this fall?
Sweet P

Amazing Color Update

2011-10-11T08:57:00.003-04:00

September was a slow month for progress on Amazing Color. In fact, there was no progress on it in September. I stitched squares C2 - C4 (the bottom row) at the end of August. I started B5 in August and didn't finish it until yesterday. This morning I finished C5.

Here's the project so far.

The project continues to be fun. I average about 90-120 minutes per square. I'm always amazed at how a black and white stitch guide comes alive when the square is finished.

What long term projects are you working on these days?

Sweet P

What Would You Do?

2011-10-06T21:47:00.002-04:00

On Saturday I celebrate my 50th birthday. Yup, that's right. The big 5-0. And I am ready. On Saturday I am going with Mr. E to his music lessons and then an afternoon with family. Dinner is not planned yet. On Sunday I am having a Craft and Swap Open House with a few of my friends and football on TV. I'm off on Monday and Tuesday too and plan to rest on those days.

Anyway, while daydreaming about possible birthday gifts I came up with a game for myself.

What would I do if someone gifted me $1,000? I tried to think of three different ways to spend the money:
The Practical Option: a new pair of eyeglasses and sunglasses with leftover money being used to fill my pantry.
The Somewhat Practical Option: I would turn our bed into a "hotel bed" with crisp sheets and wonderful duvet. Leftover money would pay the carpenter to build out our closet.
The Luxury Option: Since I am out of vacation time until February, I would take two weeks off from work and spend the time creating and playing all day long. I admit to missing the summer I had off from work three years ago and would love to be able to spend more time at home again.

I suppose you're wondering why I wouldn't buy any fabric, yarn or threads. Well, with my latest studio reorganizing I have found enough supplies and refreshed my memory with enough projects that I could stay busy for quite awhile before I need to go shopping.

What would you do with $1,000?

Sweet P

Baking With Mr. E

2011-10-04T15:42:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since Mr E and I have had a baking morning. With the cooler temps I decided it was time to make pumpkin muffins.

Mr. E is now tall enough to stand on his chair and help me make the dough. We counted each egg and each cupful or spoonful of ingredient as we made the dough. Then he stirred . . .

And stirred . . .

And taste tested the dough (after the muffin tins were filled)

And then taste tested a finished muffin.
Actually he is tall enough to get a muffin off the counter and has snuck two of them while I'm typing this.

Earlier he heard me taking a photo and ran into the room, said "cheese" and posed for me.

Then he came running to me, holding his Lego creation to his eyes saying, "cheese". He made himself a camera! Silly, smart boy!I hope you're having a wonderful week. It has been rainy here for the last several days. The leaves are starting turn and the cool temps have definitely arrived.

Sweet P

Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-09-28T05:52:00.002-04:00

Today is my dad's birthday. It's the first one since he died last August. He was a wonderful man. Here is he and my mom on their wedding day, January 11, 1947.

Happy Birthday Dad! I miss you and love you!

Sweet P

Two FInishes On My Weekend

2011-09-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

I was a busy girl on my weekend.

Yesterday morning I finished my Corcra Cloak. These photos are not the best. We had to keep an eye on Mr. E while taking them. This photo shows me wearing the cloak with the hood up.

Here is a photo of just the back of the cloak.

I've also been working on PJ pants for Mr. E. So far I have finished one plaid pair. I love this fabric. It was a line of fashion fabrics called British Frenzy we had at the store. The fabric washed up great with no wrinkles and very little shredding of the exposed edges.
I have two more pairs of PJs that need the hems and waists sewn in and one pair of pants that only need a hem. The pattern is from Sewing for Boys. I love this book. I've read quite a few good reviews of the book and I agree with all of them. If you have little boys in your life, and you sew, you need this book.

I haven't forgotten about my pantry organization. My studio closet reorganizing just took over for awhile. I'll be working on the pantry again soon.

Until next time,
Happy Stitching!
Sweet P

2011-09-21T14:15:00.003-04:00

Mr. E was confused on Monday night because Grampa wasn't here. We took him outside and this is what he started doing:

I'll be back later with sewing and crochet finishes. I have been busy the last few days.

Sweet P

More Studio Organizing

2011-09-16T11:19:00.003-04:00

I made more progress on my studio re-organizing this morning.

The closet is close to getting full.

I found the top of the work table.

And the day bed is made.

I sorted through my yarn bags under the day bed this morning. I have filled the four Skubb shoe bags I bought two weeks ago and put all of them in the closet. One bag holds baby yarn, two bags hold yarn I received in swaps and the last one holds my stash of Sunflower Yarns. The Lingo bags are under the bed. They have acrylic and other miscellaneous yarn purchases stashed in them. I pulled out about 5 or 6 crochet bags that are oh, so close to being finished and put them in the pine cart. Some of them only need an hour or two to finish.

After contemplating what to do about my fabric WIPs I have created a plan:

If I absolutely love the project, I am keeping it.
If the WIP is from a swap, I am keeping it.
If most of the blocks are sewn together or the top is nearly done, it has gone into the donate pile.
If the fabric is stashed together for a specific project, but not cut, the fabric is going into my general stash pile.

I used this plan to sort through the picnic basket of WIPS and it works. Now I only have one large tub of WIPs to work through.

There are six more organizing/decluttering projects I want to do in the studio:

Our artwork that had been in the basement needs to get hung in the basement or stored down there.
There is still one more closet to clean and perhaps have Rick build out.
My bookcase is overflowing. I will probably be getting rid of my quilting books, just have to decide how.
I need to figure out where/how to store my embroidery kits and tools.
I have a small stand that will be leaving the room and the pine cart is taking its place.
I need to revamp my studio wall where I hang tote bags, scarves and other hanging objects.

Not sure on the timeline for these projects. At least the room is presentable and usable for now.

BTW, thanks for the encouragement to draw the cauldron and the swirls. I am thinking about it.

Sweet P

I Want To Make This . . .

2011-09-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

Do you see the gorgeous piece on the right? The boiling cauldron with all the colorful swirls? I want to stitch it. I want to stitch it using counted canvas stitches.
I do not want to pay $16.95 for the magazine! Even when I can use a 40% or 50% coupon I'm not sure I want to buy the magazine. Anyone know where I can find a similar pattern?

Sweet P

Studio Closet Update

2011-09-13T14:12:00.005-04:00

Well, I just spent about two hours putting items into my new closet space. Not quite done, but I'll share my progress.

For starters, here is what the closet looked like before it was emptied. The two plastic carts at the bottom will find a new use storing Mr. E's toys. One at his house and one here. The white pine cart is going elsewhere in the studio and will also be used for Mr. E stuff. We are keeping the shelving for now in case we want to use it in one of the other closets.

Here it is with the new shelves installed and ready to be filled.

From left to right on the floor: a tub of fabric WIPs, a table top easel, my sewing machine in its travel case and a picnic basket full of Christmas fabric. On the next shelf, (L to R), there is a small basket of WIPs, a container of batting and interfacing scraps, a pattern box and two baskets of yarn.
Next are the remaining shelves top to bottom. On the top are photo boxes, family mementos and a couple of fabric WIPs. The next shelf is currently holding all non-cotton fabric. Next shelf has all cotton fabric on the left and WIPs on the right. The next shelf has eight boxes of fat quarters and charms, a container of polka dot fabric, a box of buttons and trims, a box of assorted bindings and another small stack of interfacing. The two purple shoe bags on the right contain more yarn. On the left bottom shelf you find my floss and embroidery thread containers. On the right is a container of crochet WIPs and one more basket of yarn.
I still have a stack of home dec fabrics to sort through that will end up on the non-cotton shelf. I have three or four bags of yarn under the bed that may find a home in the closet as I still have two purple shoe bags to use. I need a basket for fabric pieces smaller than a yard, but larger than a fat quarter. I have one the perfect size and I'm going to ask my carpenter to cut off the handles as it's too tall for the shelves. It will probably go on the shelf with my floss and threads.

In the process of sorting and sifting I had the opportunity to clean out the cupboard space in my work island. It now holds all my paper crafting and scrapbooking supplies. On the top left shelf is a stack of scrapbook papers and a container of items for Mr. E's scrapbook. On the right are scrapbooks and boxes of cards. The bottom shelf has a basket of embellishments, a basket of stamps and ink, a box of decorative scissors, my Prismacolor pencils and a box of clay.
There is still a lot of organizing and rearranging to be done. A little bit each day will get the room into a place that will be shared by me and Mr. E.

How do you decide how to get rid of WIPs? I couldn't make the decision to throw away or donate many of my WIPs. I know I will never make them. I just don't know what to with them. Thoughts or comments?

Sweet P

If You Need Me . . .

2011-09-12T08:59:00.003-04:00

I'm working with this pile today. . .

Our carpenter is coming over tonight to build out one of my studio closets with wood shelves tonight. When he is done I will have five shelves that will be 57" by 22", one high shelf: 57" by 12" and floor space will be 18" high.

This is what the space looked like before I emptied it out on Saturday

Hopefully I'll have an update on it later this week.

Sweet P

Tropical Storm Irene

2011-08-31T05:43:00.006-04:00

We survived Tropical Storm Irene on Sunday with food and fun. We lost power from 1 pm on Sunday until 5:45 pm on Monday evening.

Before the power was gone I made another batch of Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffin Minis. Hotel Man has dubbed them Dema-kins. I changed up the batter this time. I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to it. I filled 12 mini cupcake tins then added 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa to the remaining batter. They were delicious this way. Next time I make them I'm going to skip dipping them in butter and cinnamon sugar and try a different topping.

A couple hours after we lost power mommy, daddy and Mr. E came over. They brought over Monopoly and we started a game. Mr. E wanted to be included in the game.

Instead I remember I purchased Candyland last Christmas for $1 and quickly retrieved the game from the game closet. He and I sat at his little table across from the big table and played the game. Well, at least, he looked at the cards and found the matching colors on the board. He knew how to follow the Candyland trail too.

I managed to sneak in two more Amazing Color squares during the day too, Squares A7 and A8.

Last month I stitched a Critron Shawl for myself. You need to a member of Ravelry to see the pattern. I used Fitzwilliam Yarn from Sunflower Yarns in Coral. The pattern is nothing but single stitches. After a while it got boring so I often put it down and worked on something else.

I though the edge was a boring so I stitched a simple Picot stitch to finish it off.

That's what's happening around here. Tomorrow night Hotel Man and I are going to the New England Patriots final pre-season game. On Friday he has to fly to Chicago for the day and I'm hanging out in Boston by myself. For the weekend we will be at the Deutsche Bank Golf Championship. It's become our annual tradition to spend the weekend there. Last year I brought a small crochet project with me to work on one day while sitting on the 11th green. This year I'm bringing yarn to stitch washcloths.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Sweet P

Recipe for Brunswick Stew

2011-08-30T13:10:00.001-04:00

I had a couple requests for the Brunswick Stew recipe. Here it is. I'll be back later with stitching updates.

Brunswick Stew
From Light Cooking for Two

4 - 4 oz. chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 c. water
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 c. cubed potato
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. chopped onion
1 14.5 oz. can no-salt-added whole tomatoes
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen Lima beans, thawed
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. hot sauce

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from broth; skim fat from broth, reserving broth. Remove and discard bay leaves. Shred chicken and return to Dutch oven. Add potato and next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Yield 2 quarts. Serving Size 1 cup.

To Freeze: Place 2 cups stew in each of 4 heavy-duty, zip top freezer bags. Freeze up to 1 month.

To Serve 2: Thaw one bag in refrigerator or microwave oven. Place stew in saucepan and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

I generally freeze 1 cup single serving portions as this is often our work lunch meal.

Happy Cooking!

Sweet P

Power Cooking

2011-08-23T15:58:00.003-04:00

Ethan, mommy and I had a power cooking session this morning.

First we started a pot of Brunswick Stew.

This will be frozen into single servings for lunches.

Then we filled the crock pot with Chicken Taco Soup for dinner tonight.

Then we made of Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffin Minis.
These were simple to make and super delicious.
I may never buy Munchins again!

Even my taste tester agrees about the muffins.
He had to show me his hands when he was done with his first muffin!

And, last, but not least, we had lunch. Mr. E is a Special Agent Oso fan and we surprised him last night with his own Agent Oso bear. Oso sat at Mr. E's table with him and Mr. E shared his lunch with him (see the potato chip in front of Oso?)

What did you do today?

Sweet P (and mommy and Mr. E and Special Agent Oso)

Amazing Color, More Squares and Staying Organized

2011-08-20T06:18:00.005-04:00

I've stitched three more squares on Amazing Color this week: B3, B4 and B5. This project is still proving to be fun and challenging at the same time.
I thought I would share how I am keeping organized for this project. After all, the pattern squares are printed twelve to a page, six on each side, plus there is a blank grid page for marking off squares as you stitch them and a page of threads and directions. That means keeping track of about 20 pages. So, I have repurposed a covered notebook I made a few years ago and it's working out well for me.
On the inside of the notebook there are pockets. This is where I keep a pen, pencil and a few needles. I bought a zipper pencil case at the dollar store and keep threads in it until I need a specific thread.
The pattern pages are kept in plastic sleeves. I'm only using five sleeves so there a few pages visible at a time. On each square I have written in what thread to use since I am not using her original colors but an alternate set of threads.
I bought a set of bobbin pages for storing threads as they are needed. As you can see in the photo I have used 14 of the 27 colors so far. The DMC colors are in the two left rows and the Weeks Dye Works threads are on the right. I will probably separate the two sets once I use enough colors to finish up one side or the other.
How do you keep your projects organized?

Sweet P

Let's Talk Breakfast and Starting my Pantry List

2011-08-15T10:00:00.005-04:00

Welcome to my first post on building my pantry list. When I was trying to decide how to build my pantry list I said to myself, "Why not start with the first meal of the day?" Seems logical to me, doesn't it? I can't recall reading any books or articles on building pantry lists that talk about including breakfast in your planning. Yet, breakfast is the first meal of the day. It can make or "break" the rest of your day.

I'm a breakfast eater. I have to eat within 15 minutes of getting out of bed or my day doesn't go right at all. First activity in the kitchen is brewing a pot of coffee made from freshly ground coffee beans. I get my coffee beans from Boca Java. The coffee beans are roasted to order and my order of 7 bags is delivered to me every 7 weeks. Since we started ordering from them in 2003 I have only run out of coffee once and that's because I forgot to plan ahead for holiday company.

A few of my favorite mugs

I am not a fan of flavored coffees like Caramel Kiss or Hazelnut or Blueberry. I prefer bold, dark roasts with a shot of cream. Speaking of creams I started mixing my own liquid creamer a few months ago and love it. Here's the recipe:

Liquid French Vanilla Cream
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (this is the only way I add a touch of sweetness to my coffee)
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups milk (I use whole milk)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pour ingredients into a blender and give them a whirl. Store in the refrigerator.

I have used cinnamon extract and almond extract for part of the vanilla extract. They were a nice addition, but not something I do all the time.

This creamer is also great for iced coffee. When a pot of coffee is finished brewing I pour myself a cup ( and hubby, if he's up) and then pour the rest into a thermal carafe. If there is any coffee left by the end of the morning I pour it into a pitcher in the fridge. If I want an iced coffee I use the coffee from the fridge with the flavored cream. It's yummy!

Enough about coffee . . . what do we eat for breakfast? I have to have toast or bagel or an English muffin or a muffin with my coffee. When I work early in the morning I'll have that for breakfast, then when I make the bank run I'll often stop at McDonald's and buy an oatmeal. Hubby is not a breakfast eater during the week. He survives on coffee until lunch time.

Sundays are big breakfast day in our house and that's the day hubby cooks breakfast. We'll have bacon, eggs, toast/bagel and baked beans. Once in a while I'll make Buttermilk Pancakes. This is the best recipe for making pancakes and like the recipe says, you can make them ahead and keep them in the fridge.

Mr. E helping me make pancakes

Mr. E is here for breakfast on Tuesday mornings. He has become a "toast and orange juice" boy. He likes to choose between butter or peanut butter on the toast. He will also ask for a "nana" if I have them on the counter.

We are not cereal eaters anymore, although once in a while hubby like to have a bowl for breakfast.

Now to start building my Pantry List. I'm not sure yet where the list is taking me or what it's final form will be. So, for now I will list every ingredient for making the breakfasts as described above. Who knows how the list will evolve over the next few weeks.

coffee (delivered every eight weeks)
whole milk
sweetened condensed milk
pure vanilla extract
half and half (for hubby's coffee)
sugar
bread/bagel/English muffin/muffin
cream cheese
peanut butter
spreadable butter
oatmeal
dried cranberries
brown sugar
dry cereal
eggs
bacon
baked beans
unsalted butter
all-purpose flour
baking powder
baking soda
kosher salt
buttermilk
vegetable oil
pure maple syrup
orange juice
bananas

Wow! That's a lot of items for the first meal of the day. I already know several of them will be used throughout the day and won't be repeated. But who knows what else will show up on the final list.

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

A Food Discussion

2011-08-12T05:52:00.003-04:00

I'm a foodie. I like food. I like to grocery shop. I like to cook and bake and eat.

This was our dinner last night: Espresso Rubbed Sirloin, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Corn and Bean Salad and Honey Grain Bread.

Can someone explain to me when and why grocery shopping and cooking became a chore and a hassle? I'm tired of reading articles and books written with the promise of easier shopping and cooking if you follow a few simple steps.

I recently purchased The Stocked Kitchen book. The premise of the book is a good one. Let us provide you a list of food to keep in your pantry and freezer and we'll give you a book of recipes to cook from that food. There is one line in the book that intrigues me: you should treat your family like they are a guest in your house for dinner. What an awesome philosophy. It's the best line I've read about cooking for your family.

I intend to start building my own pantry list built around our favorite recipes. Would you like to join me in the process? I think it would be a fun way to work through the couple months to get ready for the holidays.

Let's make every meal a special meal in our homes.

Sweet P

Projects from July

2011-08-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

While looking my photos today I realized I made a couple of projects for a friend's wedding and hadn't shared them yet.

We have this awesome fabric in the store. All of us love it. I decided to make a new vacation bag for me before we went on vacation. I took the time to fussy cut the fabric so there is a bird on the front of the bag:

And the other bird on the back.

I ordered silk dupioni from the Silk Baron and had a friend sew me a dress for the wedding. From the leftover fabric I stitched a matching clutch,

With a fun lining!

Hubby was the best man and here we are all dressed up for the wedding.

The shawl was made from a remnant of a Simply Silky fabric from the store. It matched the dress perfectly.

Sweet P

Amazing Color - 4 Squares Added

2011-08-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Since last Thursday (mostly the last two days) I've stitched four more Amazing Color squares. I am constantly amazed at how a black and white stitch diagram comes to life with colorful floss. This project is almost, I repeat, almost better than eating chocolate!

Sweet P

Mr. E's Race

2011-08-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

The other night Mr. E and Grampa raced on the deck before dinner.

I'm not sure who won, but I know Ethan slept for 10 hours that night!

Sweet P

Recession Swap Goodies and a New Crochet Project

2011-08-08T09:34:00.004-04:00

Last month I participated in a Recession Special swap on Ravelry. The goal was to spend less than $15 on the package that was to include something handmade, yarn from your stash and one goodie. Let me show you what I made for my partner.

First I made this washcloth using Lily Sugar 'N Cream cotton yarn.
The pattern was designed by a friend on Ravelry.

Then I made three more washcloths with the same yarn.

She asked me to sew her something so I made her a knitting needle case with butterfly fabric.

My swap partner sent me a pair of purple knitted socks.

And here is the rest of her package: homemade strawberry jam, hand spun yarn and note cards.

I started a new crochet project on Saturday. The Ruadh Shawl has been speaking to me ever since I saw the pattern on Ravelry. I'm not a fan of red so I went in search of a plum heather. I found the perfect yarn in my store: Bernat Satin in Plum Mist Heather. I'm name my shawl Corcra, the Irish word for purple. I started the cable edging on Saturday and am already half done with the edging. It's a fun project so far.
My stitching muse is still calling to work on Amazing Color and I've promised her that I will work one skein of yarn in the shawl and then stitch a square or two. It can be hard work listening to my different muses.

How do you listen to your Muses?

Sweet P

Amazing Color - 3 Squares Added

2011-08-05T08:41:00.003-04:00

I'm loving this project. I may not put it down until I finish it! I've stitched three more squares since Tuesday. So far I have used seven of the 27 colors. I love the color combos so far!
Now I must it down for a few minutes while I tidy up the house. Hotel Man comes home tonight and I want the place to look presentable.

Do you have plans for the weekend? I have a girl's night scheduled for tomorrow night. We are going to see Wizard of Oz at a local park. I do work and my "weekend" isn't until Monday. Then I plan on doing a deep clean of the house.

The mudding and skimming is almost done in the basement. It will be time for a few more update photos next week. Stay tuned!

Sweet P

Amazing Color - The Beginning

2011-08-03T09:00:00.003-04:00

Back in May I finished my first counted canvas project: Tahiti by Needle Delights. I still have not framed it. Maybe someday that will happen.
Then I bought another one of her designs, Amazing Color. Yesterday I decided to start it while Mr. E was napping. I finished one of the 216 squares, A1. Each square is one inch in size. It took me about an hour to stitch it.

Between making dinner and another 30 minutes I was able to stitch square A2.

This project could be addicting. Each square is it's one mini project. Just the right size when I want to feel like I stitched a complete project.

Who knows how long it will take me to make it. If each square does take an hour, that's a lot of time spent stitching. I'm OK with the time, though. After all, I am a Process creator.

Are you working on any new projects?

Sweet P

I'm A Plate Collector

2011-08-02T09:24:00.006-04:00

Sometime in the last few years I've become a plate collector. I'm not sure why I started collecting plates, I just did. I have three criteria for collecting plates. First, there has to be more than one in the collection. Second, they have to be smaller than dinner plates. Three, they have to make me smile.

My Debbie Mumm Morning plates. I often use these for breakfast. They are the perfect size for a slice or two of toast and a piece of fruit.

Dessert Plates for nibbling a yummy dessert, preferably a home made one.

Cupcake Plates, for eating cupcakes, of course.

Wine and cheese plates for eating cheese in the afternoon.

Playing card plates for my poker playing hubby.

Leaf plates, aren't the colors gorgeous? I use these a lot in the fall and generally for lunch.

A set of teacup luncheon plates. I need to find the missing cup. I don't use these very often because they are dainty.

I would love to find a set of plates like this one. They remind me of the wedding and baby showers I went to as a young girl.

What do you collect? Share some photos with me on your blog.

Sweet P

Random Thoughts on Tuesday

2011-07-24T06:51:00.004-04:00

It's a cool, cloudy day here in NH. The heat wave we had last week has left the building and should be gone until the weekend. It's 30 degrees cooler today than it was last week and my brain is full of random thoughts.

Random Thought #1
Do you have foods from your childhood that you can't find so easily now? For me, it's Tuna Salad made with Creamette Macaroni Rings. It's the rings that make the salad so yummy. It clumps great on the spoon and always reminds of summertime in Minnesota. In the winter I crave Malt-O-Meal, preferably chocolate, served hot with a dollop of marshmallow fluff on top. I have been known to come home from visiting family in Minnesota with one or both foods tucked in my suitcase or carry on bag.

Random Thought #2
Are both of your feet the same size? I always assumed mine were. That is until I started wearing footlets this summer. It seems my left foot is a smudge larger than my right foot. No matter which footlet I put on my left foot it always slides down.

Random Thought #3
Do you do laundry every day or once a week? I do mine every Tuesday. Why Tuesday? That was the day my grandma and grandpa did laundry using one of these:
I loved to go over to her house (which was across the street from me) on Tuesday mornings and watch them do laundry. When I was working Monday through Friday laundry day was generally Sunday. Now that Mr. E is here on Tuesdays we do laundry together.

Random Thought #4
If you do your laundry all in one day, do you do the loads in a certain order? Here is the order I do mine: bedding, towels, underwear and socks, lights, darks and then all the pants.

Random Thought #5
When you are sewing or knitting or creating are you a process person or a project person? I define a project person as one who makes one, maybe two projects at a time. They won't start another project until one is done. A process person is someone who loves to plan, shop for and then make the project. They may have several projects going at once. For them, it's all about the creative process.

As for me, I'm a process creator. I love to plan out a project. I often rewrite a pattern and doodle it out before I start cutting the fabric or prepping the canvas. I truly love sitting and working on a project. I often feel "let down" when I finish a project. Perhaps that's why I have so many WIPs.

Do you have any Random Thoughts for today?

Basement Remodel - July Update

2011-07-20T09:00:00.002-04:00

Lots of progress was made on the space while we were on vacation. It's amazing to me how adding a few walls and drywall makes rooms look bigger than you thought they were.

The back wall is looking lovely. The drop ceiling is installed. The wiring for the projector is in place and the corner built in is looking fine.

The TV wall and closet are making progress. We won't have to buy a screen for the projector. Rob's master carpenter can make the wall look and act like a screen. That will be cool.

The fridge and counter top space are closed in. Now we need to find a fridge. We already have a sink.

Now, onto my favorite part of the remodel: my storage room. All of the cabinetry is custom built for me. I have one full wall of storage. These are part of the upper cabinets and open cubbies. There is one more cabinet to the right.

The lower part of the storage wall with a cabinet to the right that holds a sliding trash can.

Our "winter" closet for storing winter coats, boots, suitcases, etc.

And, one more cubby unit for holding stuff.

Other than a couple more coats of mudding and moving one light fixture, my storage room is done. Now I can begin unpacking the remaining boxes and deciding what will stay, what will be donated and what will be hit the dumpster. I will also be able to paint everything in there. I have some cool plans for the space so be sure to check back for updates.

Sweet P

Basement Remodel - May Progress

2011-07-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

In May the studs were put in place to define the two rooms. Here is a tour of the media room.

This is the back door along with the studs for a drop ceiling. We had to put in a lower ceiling here because our condo contains all the piping for the entire building. Rob will make this accessible in case of any emergencies and we need to get to the pipes.

Before we could move in we had to have a radon gas exhaust system put in. Rob is covering it with a built in cabinet and shelf. Plans are to put a TV on top of the built in or perhaps poker trophies.

This will be the back wall of the room. Nothing exciting here at the moment.

Rob is building us a custom, movable bar that will sit in front of the dividing wall. In the cubby on the left we will have a fridge, sink and small counter top space.

Under the stairs will become a closet and room for a folding poker table that Rob is also going to custom build for us.

This will be the TV wall. Plans are to have a projector with the picture being shown on this wall. Yes, we will have two TVs in the room. The room will be wired for three TVs. After all it is really a man cave in disguise. Also on this wall will be a built in on the left side and a custom built toy box for Mr. E.
Tomorrow . . . the current state of the space.

Sweet P

Summer Fun With Mr. E

2011-07-18T09:56:00.002-04:00

This is how we keep cool on a hot summer afternoon

Isn't it fun to be a little boy?

Basement Remodel - The Before Photos

2011-07-18T09:14:00.005-04:00

When we bought our condo three years we had plans in place to finish off the basement into a media room. Well, I got sick and was out of work for three months and the plans were scrapped. Then hubby started playing in a weekly poker league and made friends with a self employed contractor and a self employed electrician. There was a lot of talk between them about our unfinished basement and our desire to have it become a functional space.

Earlier this year a deal was struck between them and our basement is in the process of becoming a media room and a storage/utility room. Since I haven't blogged about this before, over the next three days I will take on a tour of the room over the last few months. There is still quite a bit of work to be done, but it's starting to take shape down there.

This was the view looking from the back door into the room. That is not my washer and dryer. They belonged to my son and DIL. The contractor "bought" them as part of the deal.

Here was the view looking into the space from the stairs in the front of the room. The media room will be taking up most of this space.

This was the view into the laundry/utility room space.

And here is Rob, our contractor, showing off the first stud he put up on April 23. Actually I think the smile on hubby that day was even bigger!

Check back tomorrow for the next set of photos.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet P

Knock, Knock . . . anyone out there?

2011-07-17T08:21:00.006-04:00

When I started my blog in April 2006 ago all I did was quilting. I built my Google Blog reading list around quilting blogs. Now, five years later, I crochet, I embroider, I sew, I have a super fantastic grandson and I haven't made a quilt in a long time. I still read a lot of quilting blogs, but my blog list also includes blogs about homemaking, cooking, knitting (and other yarn arts) and home decorating (especially decorating for children).

I've become more of a lurker and less of a commenter. So, I'm curious, will you still visit here if I don't make quilts? If I talk more about yarn and Mr E and other topics, like food and basement remodels and studio reorganizing?

Hubby and I took our summer vacation from June 30 - July 12. Would you like to see some of what we did?

We flew to another part of the country for vacation.
Here was the view that greeted us from the plane:

The next morning we went sight seeing up close. In case you're wondering, I'm showing off my Sunflower Yarns shawl I brought with me to work on.

About an hour later we had this view of the city from Twin Peaks

We were up early the next morning and saw the fog rolling in across the bay
We rode through the mountains, and found snow!

After a day of doing nothing but relaxing we drove around Lake Tahoe.
Here is the view from Emerald Bay

And the view of the lake from a vista above Incline Village

Cave Rock . . . notice how the road was carved through the rock

We had a wonderful weekend in San Francisco and came home to find a Digimedal in our living room

It was a wonderful vacation. Have you gone on vacation yet this year? What did you do?

Sweet P

I Have A Supplier

2011-06-03T11:24:00.002-04:00

And her name is Amanda at Sunflower Yarns. Every few months she offers a Simple Pleasures Package. It's a surprise package that contains one hank of her hand dyed yarn and a few items chosen around a theme. The last two times she's offered an additional hank of yarn for an extra price. When she contacted me about the June package I decided to get the package, plus the add on. I'm such a sucker!

Anyway, the package arrived yesterday and it was an outstanding package. The theme was the beach. Besides the gorgeous coral yarn, there was a flip flop tote bag, sunscreen, a compact brush, a knitting pattern and a few lifesavers. The yarn screamed at me to be made into a matching clutch. Of course, I complied and the clutch is in the photo as well.

Here is a close up of the yarn.

The inside of the tote has lots of pockets and is the perfect size for running errands in the summer time. I can't wait to use it.

If you haven't tried Amanda's yarn I highly recommend it. I have made several projects with her yarn. The colors are scrumptious and it works up great.

Summer is here! I hope you are having fun so far!

Sweet P

Two Finishes

2011-05-31T08:49:00.002-04:00

Hi there! I'm trying hard to get back on a normal blog schedule. Life keeps getting in the way, along with my I-Pad. I wish it was easier to blog from the I-Pad.

Here are two finishes I've done lately. I made a crochet hook clutch to match my Be Happy Bag.

And I finished stitching my Tahiti canvas project.
I've ordered another project by the same designer, Amazing Color. I hope it arrives today so I can start pulling threads from my stash and start a shopping list for it.

Are you enjoying summer so far? After a few weeks of cool and damp weather, summer arrived in full force this weekend here in New England.

Sweet P

Monday Musings - Glimpses of My Day

2011-05-09T18:47:00.004-04:00

A few photos of my day off . . .

Morning sun streaming in the kitchen window

My Mother's Day flowers . . .

A few more flowers

No sewing accomplished

Needlepoint instead

Kitchen in the afternoon

How was your Monday?

Friday Fifty - Fun With Mr. E

2011-05-06T11:31:00.002-04:00

You know by now that Mr. E and I often bake on Tuesdays. This past Tuesday we tried a new recipe.

Mmmmmm . . . Dema . . . my favorite part . . . licking the spatula

Can you tell what we made?

Here's a closer look:

Maybe if Ethan demonstrated how to eat them:

Any ideas?

We made Homemade Oreo cookies. I found the recipe at Bake at 350. They were delicious. I love them with a cup of hot coffee. Ethan prefers the middle and "no, thank you" to the cookie.

Sweet P

Monday Musings

2011-05-02T09:19:00.004-04:00

I don't suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter. I get a mild case of it in March and April and sometimes into May. This past week was a tough one for me. I survived and in the end I found a few items to put a smile on my face. All of them caught my eye at the store yesterday and had to come home with me.

The butterfly and flower fabric is truly delightful. The green is a linen blend. I have the perfect bag pattern to make with them. There is enough butterfly fabric to make a couple of matching items as well.
The cupcake notebooks, notepads, pen and floral zip bag are from the dollar bins. Aren't they adorable. Simple little items to make me smile when I see them.

UPDATE: I finished the bag. Now I can't wait to use it.

On another train of thought, a friend shared this link about the lace on Kate's wedding dress. What an awesome project. How I wish I could be a student at RSN.

Have a Happy Monday. It's my weekend. Today I'm playing with my new fabric and relaxing. Tonight hubby, myself, one of our nieces and her SO are going to the Red Sox game. Tomorrow is a Mr. E and house cleaning day.

Sweet P

Friday Fifty - Catching Up With Projects

2011-04-29T09:36:00.002-04:00

Recently two remnants caught my eye at the store. A bright, deep pink corduroy and a black embroidered linen. From those remnants, plus a cool print from my stash, I made two Pick-A-Pocket totes.

This one went to my Color Swap partner, Angie.

This one I'm keeping for me.

The tote is quick to make and I like the finished project. I'll be using mine as a project bag.

What are you up to this weekend? As always, I'm working. My weekend will be Monday and Tuesday.

Sweet P

Toddler Tuesday

2011-04-26T13:12:00.003-04:00

Scenes from the Easter Egg Hunt . . .

I'm ready . . .

Look, I found one . . .

Are there any more?

Sweet P

Catching Up - Yes, I'm Still Alive!!

2011-04-21T16:54:00.005-04:00

Knock, knock . . . is anyone out there? Does anyone still check my blog??

I didn't mean to stay away so long. The last several weeks have been unbelievably busy between work and family obligations and I've barely had time to sit down and write here.

I can also blame my absence on my I-Pad and my somewhat broken laptop. My laptop has become a desktop computer. The screen has stopped working so I have to keep it hooked up to a monitor so I can use it. That's where my I-Pad has taken over my Internet life. With Flipboard I can quickly scan blogs, but it's more difficult to write blog entries.

So, what has been happened here in Coffee Time Stitches land?

Well, earlier this month, Mr. E turned two. We had his birthday party here (actually it was more of a birthday weekend). Here he is with his birthday cupcake:

Mommy and I made fishy cupcakes instead of a cake for his birthday party.

For his family birthday dinner I made him a doggie, woof, woof, cake.

And just to show you little ones are capable of using an I-Pad, here is playing on mine. He loves the ABC and counting games I have downloaded for him.

I participated in the Easter Basket Swap hosted Paula and Alli. I crocheted an Easter Basket for my partner, Jen at Lipstick and Laundry.
This is what she sent me: Starburst jelly beans, a collection of butterfly and angel items, a cute bunny, Alaskan coffee and travel mug and a gorgeous wind chime. Thank you, Jen!
I'm hoping to get back on track with posting. This break was not planned and I missed blogging terribly. Stay tuned for more news from Coffee Time Stitches land.

Sweet P

Wednesday Works - Hooked on Hooks

2011-03-02T09:15:00.003-05:00

I haven't been blogging because my crochet hooks have been keeping me busy. They have refused to let me put them down to write here! This morning I forced the hook out of my hand to show off my latest projects.

A few weeks ago Crochet World published The Joy of Crochet, a special issue of crochet thread projects. One of the patterns is for a beaded eyeglass case. I decided to make the case using Aunt Lydia's size 10 crochet thread in Ocean. I love how the case turned out.

I plan to line it with blue satin and add a clasp. Instead of an eyeglass case, I plan to use it as an evening clutch. It's just large enough for ID, bank card, lipstick and a few small essentials.

Last fall I purchased a hank of pink hand-dyed yarn from Sunflower Yarns. Around Valentine's Day I started a Claudia Scarf. The pattern is fast and easy.

A close-up of the stitches.

One of the first projects I started nearly two years ago was a Chakra Purse by Naturally Caron. I finally finished it last week. I had put it away and decided it was time to finish it. Like the beaded clutch, I plan to make a lining for it. It needs more body to be truly useful.

A couple of friends have challenged me to make the bag on the cover of this book. I plan on living up to the challenge. The bag uses about 11,000 beads, with about 10,500 of them being seed beads, and it is worked with perle cotton. This should be an interesting project.
What are you working on lately?

Sweet P

Wednesday Works on Friday

2011-02-16T06:30:00.003-05:00

Mmmm . . . I had this post scheduled to publish on Wednesday, but it didn't work. So here it is today.

While this isn't quite a work for me, it was a work for my swap partner, Rebecca, in our Have A Cuppa Swap. She knows I like to bake cupcakes as well as coffee and this package is perfect for me. The coffee mug says "Cupcake Monster" and there are cupcake plates for Mr. E to share our cupcakes. There is a pound of Starbucks coffee and Starbursts, yumm! Two skeins of wine colored Frog Tree yarn and a cute little zipper pouch. It was a nice surprise to find in my mail box on Valentine's Day.
Just before we went to Disney World, I made IPad covers for me and the Hotel Man. Can you tell which one is mine and which one is his?
In the middle of all the snow in January, we reset the Crochet and Knitting books in the store. One of the new crochet books we got was Crochet Your Cares Away. It has lots of fun and quick patterns in it. I had to make Mr. E this Stoplight Pillow for his car and truck theme bedroom.
What have you been working on lately?

Sweet P

Toddler Tuesday and I'm Back!

2011-02-15T14:02:00.004-05:00

Sorry to disappear for two weeks. The day after I got home from Disney I came down with a nasty flu bug that put me in bed for three days. Then the flu fatigue set in and all I've been able to do is work my shift and come home and go to bed. Today is the second day I've felt anywhere close to being fully human.

I'll tell you more about Disney later this week for now. For now, it's Toddler Tuesday and it's time to share a few of our adventures with Mr. E over the last few weeks.

By now you know Mr. E and I bake on Tuesday mornings. He knows when I head into the kitchen after Good Morning America, it's time to bake. A few weeks ago we made Chocolate Cupcakes. He loved them!

We had lots and lots snow in January.
After one storm he came over and helped me find my car.

Today we are making Whoopie Pies for him to bring to school. He had to share his Apple Jacks with some of the batter.
Thanks for those who sent e-mails looking for me. It's nice to know I was missed.

Sweet P

Weekend Wonders- Nifty Fifty #2

2011-01-29T07:58:00.001-05:00

Hubby and I are spending the weekend at Disney World! Be back on Tuesday!

Friday Fifty - Nifty 50 #1

2011-01-21T05:48:00.003-05:00

Throughout my journey to turning 50 I want to share observations on every day events that make me giggle or make me contemplate getting older.

Nifty #50 #1
Last night I was having dinner with Mr. E and his daddy, DS #1. DS #1 was telling me about a conversation he had with DS #2 where they discussing Mr. E being a teenager and not knowing what a video store, like Blockbuster, is because such a place won't exist in 15 years.

That got me thinking, "What was around when I was a young parent that is no longer around?" Mmmmmm . . . I'll have to spend the day thinking about it . . . I'll get back to you.

Any ideas?

Sweet P

Fourth Day Food - The Potato

2011-01-20T06:51:00.001-05:00

It all started with this potato. Isn't it the cutest potato ever? I found it at the grocery store on Monday.

The potato joined beef, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and beef stock in the crock pot. They hung out all day Tuesday during a snow storm. By the time the snow turned to rain, the potato and it's friends became a steamy bowl of soup. Perfect for a winter day.

The potato and his buddies were joined at the stove by a pot of All Day Spaghetti Sauce.

Now I have plenty of food to get me through to next week. Yummy!

Sweet P

Wednesday Works - Pink and White

2011-01-19T18:50:00.004-05:00

It's a pink and white and red all-over week here at Coffee Time. On Monday I started on a pair of booties for me. Isn't the yarn yummy? It's called Flamingo Pink and I bought it from Sunflower Yarns.

Last week I finished this self designed scarf. We had a few skeins of Red Heart's Holiday Shimmer yarn and a few skeins jumped into my hands. I only used a half skein of each color for the scarf. I have enough leftover for a hat or a pair of mittens.

Do you have any pink and white and red projects to share?

Sweet P

Weekend Wonders - Looking for Sleep

2011-01-16T20:44:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned that not only am I turning 50 this year, but I'm also going through the 'change'? You know what I'm talking about.

Here's me weekend wonder for this week: how do you get a good night's sleep with night sweats? Most nights I don't mind waking up a few times during the night only to throw off the covers and wait until I cool down to get back to sleep. However, I would love to have at least one full solid night' sleep at least once a week.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share?

A somewhat sleepy Sweet P

Wednesday Works - Snow Day

2011-01-12T20:01:00.003-05:00

I had my first official snow day today. My OTL called mt at 5:15 am to tell me the store wasn't opening today and I could go back to sleep! Woohoo! So, what did I do on my snow day? After I made a pot of coffee and a batch of Apple Muffins I meandered into my studio and played.

Trying to think ahead I made a small Valentine's bag. I have three more cut out, but I'm disappointed in my ability to make the bottom even.

Then I moved onto finishing my snowflake embroidery. I added sequins and beads. I couldn't get a good photo of them, but trust me it's gorgeous. I think I'm going to leave it in a hoop and hang it that way for next Christmas.

About the time the wind shifted direction and the snow was really blowing, I felt a trip to Tahiti was in order so I worked my Tahiti needlepoint project.

Mommy, daddy and Mr. E came over about 3:30 so we went outside to play.
Yes, there is a car under that snow pile.

Mr. E helped me find the car.
He loves playing in the snow.

That's how the front of our house looked like then. We have cleaned off the car. The plows have come through the lot again and the pile is even larger!

Do you get the snow storm this week? What did you do on your snow day?

Sweet P

Toddler Tuesday

2011-01-11T18:26:00.002-05:00

I moved Mr. E's desk next to mine so he could work while I worked.
First he had to take out his crayons.

Then he had to every crayon out of the box.

He even held a web ex meeting just like his Grampa Boo.

And here is his work for the day.

What did you today?

Sweet P

Monday Musings

2011-01-10T14:46:00.002-05:00

Do you like butterflies?

I do and I found this one at Joann's and couldn't resist. It's hanging on my dining room wall now.

Sweet P

Weekend Wonders - Looking for a BOM

2011-01-09T08:15:00.004-05:00

Update: Thanks Chookyblue and Allie. It is Dawn's and Vicki's Outof the Box BOM I was looking for. I lost Dawn's blog link when I had to move my subscriptions from Bloglines to Google. I have the link back and have downloaded the first blocks.

Prior to Bloglines moving to Merchant Circle I marked a BOM where you will use bits and bobs from around your sewing room. I think there was some embroidery, some piecing and maybe some crazy quilting. I also want to say it was being hosted by an Australian designer or blogger.

Now I can't find it and it's driving me crazy!! Can you help me find it?

Thanks so much!

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. My "weekend" is Monday and Tuesday so I have one more day of work before I get my time off.

Sweet P

Friday Fifty - Thanks Robin!

2011-01-07T18:49:00.004-05:00

Around the time of my 49th birthday I was blase about turning 50. No big deal, I thought. It's just a number. Then I watched Good Morning America's short series about Robin Roberts turning 50. Listening to her talk about turning 50 and listening to the other stories they did that week changed my mind about turning 50.

I said to myself, "Self, there is nothing wrong with reaching 50 years. You need to celebrate. You need to show people being 50 is fun."

There is at least one other goal I want to accomplish in the next year or so. I want to travel to a few of my favorite childhood places. One of those places is the Minnesota State Fair. When I was growing up my oldest took me to the fair. We would be dropped at around 7 am and start the day walking through all the farm exhibits, then it was on to the exhibition buildings, a picnic lunch by the milk stand (where for 25 cents you could drink all the milk you wanted), a few more buildings to walk through before I could go on any rides. At the end of the day we went to the grand stand show. I remember seeing the Osmonds perform twice. Oh Donny . . . I think I still have a crush on you.

Do you have any special childhood adventures you would like to repeat?

Sweet P

Fourth Day Food - Cookbooks and Recipes

2011-01-06T17:48:00.004-05:00

I used to be a cookbook-aholic, especially the Betty Crocker and Pillsbury cookbooks that are in the grocery checkout lines. A few years ago I decided it was time to purge my cookbooks and keep only those I often use or have true sentimental value. Today my cookbook collection lives on a bookshelf on the back side of my kitchen island.
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman is my first go-to book when I want to know how to cook something. Another book of Mark's, How to Cook Everything: The Basics is another stand-by book.
With my recent interest in making cupcakes, my MIL gave me The Cake Doctor Returns for Christmas. The recipes look and sound yummy, but I'd rather bake from scratch than start with a cake mix and doctor it up.

I also have a small group of cookbooks with recipes and meal plans for one or two. I haven't tried many of the recipes although I'm planning on trying more of them this year.
I have the 1997 version of The Joy of Cooking and it contains my all-time favorite recipe: Butternut Squash Stuffed with Sausage and Apples comes from this book.
I used to set up my weekly menus in Excel and create my grocery list by hand from the menu. Earlier this year I discovered The Recipe Manager program. For $30 this program does more than I need and I love it. I can enter in my recipes, create a menu and a create a shopping list customized for my grocery store. I can display the recipe on my monitor and make it large enough that I can see it across the room while cooking.
What kind of cookbooks do you have? What's your favorite cookbook? What about recipe software? Use Mr. Linky and tell me about your cookbooks and recipes.

Sweet P

Wednesday Works

2011-01-05T06:30:00.025-05:00

2010 Review

In my former career I was a data geek. In 2007 I started keeping an Excel workbook for tracking my time spent creating and the money spent on creating. Here are my stats for 2010.

From January 1 - December 31 I spent 556.50 hours creating. That translates into these data bytes:

46.38 hours per month
1.52 hours per day
August was my most productive month with 58.5 hours, most of it making this shawl
February was my least productive month with only 25 hours
On average my busiest day of the month is the 21st where I spent a total of 33 hours creating, or an average of 2.75 hours per month
My least busiest day of the month is the 3rd where I spent only 9.25 hours or an average 0.77 hours per month
My most productive day of the year was March 22 where I created for 7.75 hours.

On the money side:

I spent $1,444.64 on creating tools (fabric, yarn, etc.)
That's an average of $120.39 a month
Or an average of $3.96 a day
Or an average of $2.60 an hour. Much cheaper than therapy, huh?

Monday Musings

2011-01-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

A belated Happy New Year to you! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and am looking forward to 2011.

I am going to enjoy 2011. Why? In October of this year I will be 50 years old and I plan on celebrating being 50 from now until my birthday and then right through my 50th year.

The celebration starts with changes in my blog. I will be having themed posts throughout the week around different parts of like around Coffee Time Stitches. I won't be posting every day, but I do hope to get into a more consistent posting schedule than I have been. The posts will be:

Monday Musings - A collection of thoughts about life around Coffee Time
Toddler Tuesdays - Highlights of Mr. E and the smiles he shares with us
Wednesday Works - Highlights of projects in the Coffee Time studio
Fourth Day Food - What's cooking in the Coffee Time kitchen (I tried and tried to come up with a food-related word that begins with TH but had no luck. Do you know one?)
Friday Fifty - What I'm doing to celebrate turning 50
Weekend Wonders - The place for any topic that doesn't fit into one of the above.

I have set two goals to accomplish this year:

I will finish at least 25 projects. These can be current UFOs or new projects. They can be sewn, crocheted, embroidered or a paper craft project.
I will try at least 25 new recipes. A new cupcake recipe, a new main course or maybe a new dessert recipe.

I have a few other plans for celebrating being 50 and I'll share them throughout the year.

I hope you continue to read Coffee Time Stitches and comment from time to time. I love to hear from my readers.

Sweet P

SSCS Presents

2011-01-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

I am finally getting around to posting photos of my wonderful SSCS goodies from Dawn of As Sweet As Cinnamon.

She made this cool round table mat.

Here is an up close view of the stitching

A gorgeous table runner (do you notice the coffee theme she followed?)

And a few extra goodies. I haven't tried all of them yet, but will be shortly.

Here the gifts I sent to Fiona at Peaceful Threads by Fiona. I made her a project bag, a matching tool case and a crocheted mitten ornament. I filled the tool case with a pattern, hand-dyed threads, pens and a notepad.

I love Chookyblue's SSCS swap. It's my favorite swap of the year.

Sweet P

Toddler Tuesday

2010-12-28T20:48:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful holiday weekend. Mr. E was with us for quite a bit of it as we had a blizzard and a cousin came over for a visit. Today was declared a jammie day and a cleaning day. Even Mr. E got into the cleaning the act by "cleaning" out his pool.

Miscellaneous Monday Musings

2010-12-20T08:12:00.002-05:00

Here it is Monday. The start of my weekend and the last week before Christmas. DH and I are done with Christmas shopping. All that's left is to wrap the gifts.

A few Monday thoughts . . .

I loved the old Bloglines. I do not like the new Bloglines run by Merchant Circle. The font is light and hard to read. I can't figure out how to organize my feeds. Plus I lost all the posts I had marked as unread to I could go back to them and leave comments or get the pattern or recipes I wanted to keep. I'm not happy at all.
I'm not a fan of Google Reader either. It's a little better than Bloglines. I don't like having to star items to mark them as an entry I want to go back to at some point.
What RSS readers do you use other than Bloglines or Google Reader?
I need snow for Christmas. I was ready for a snowy winter day today while sewing. But alas, the storm stayed south of us.
I finished Mr. Sparkles last night. He is a Secret Santa gift for a co-worker. I think he's adorable.

Have a great Christmas week. I have to work Wed., Thurs., and Fri. Then I am off for four days. Hooray!

Sweet P

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-18T08:03:00.006-05:00

I've been MIA for a few weeks and I apologize. I have been in a black hole since Thanksgiving and there is now light at the end of the tunnel. First I woke up the day after Thanksgiving with a horrible, nasty cold. I was the last one in our family to get it and it knocked me down real good for about three weeks.

On November 30, my father passed away from double pneumonia. He had been in a nursing home for four years, but to the end he was my dad. The Sunday before he died he joked with my niece about how crappy the Minnesota Vikings were playing this and that their year was over!

Here are my mom and dad on their wedding day - January 11, 1947.

The entire family, with the exception of one great grandson, including my three brothers and all their children, me, my sons, DIL and Mr. E made it to the service in MN. Mr. E had his second airplane trip and loved looking out the window the entire time. He also got to spend time playing in the snow. Here he is being King of the Mountain.

And trying to make snowballs.

It was the first time in 25 years the entire family had been together so we took the opportunity to have family photos taken. Here is my wonderful family (left to right): Brandon, my youngest son, The Hotel Man, my DH, Mr. E, me, Tasha, my DIL and Geoffrey, my oldest son.
Mr. E surprised all of us with his newest behavior: saying "Cheese!". He started doing it while we were having family photos taken. He stood in front of everyone who had a camera, posed and said, "cheese". He had everyone laughing!

My whole family

This is my lovely mom. Isn't this a fantastic photo of her?

If you've made it this far I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you don't celebrate Christmas, then I wish you Happy Holidays!

Sweet P

Check This Out

2010-11-28T15:16:00.001-05:00

This is my all-time favorite Christmas song. Enjoy it!

Sweet P

Foodie Friday

2010-11-26T09:50:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I have the leftovers to prove it.The meal was our best Thanksgiving dinner yet.

The star of the meal was Bacon-Wrapped Turkey with Pear Cider Gravy. Accompanied by Sausage and Potato Stuffing, Butternut Squash with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Crispy Fried Sage Leaves, Fresh Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce, Black Olives, Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls and Apple Pie with ice cream for dessert.
I also made a pot of Thanksgiving Wassail and enjoyed it all day long.

Now it's time to think about Christmas. We are having an early Christmas Dinner next weekend as my mom will be here visiting. Time to put my thinking cap on and plan the meal.

Have a great weekend!

Sweet P

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:20:00.002-05:00

May your day be filled with family, food, fun and football!

Sweet P

Wednesday Works

2010-11-24T12:27:00.003-05:00

A few of this week's projects in the works . . .

My snowflake is ready for beading

I crocheted a hat to go with a scarf I made for my DIL

Side view of the hat

A new needlepoint project . . . Tahiti by Kathy Rees of Needle Delights Originals

What are you working on this week?

Toddler Tuesday

2010-11-23T19:04:00.003-05:00

If you are a regular reader of my blog you probably know by now that on Tuesdays I take care of my grandson, Mr. E. In an effort to keep blogging on a regular basis and not overload you on Mr. E, I'm going to make Tuesdays my Toddler Tuesday posts.

Today, he found a box of floral marbles while we were doing laundry in the basement. The box came upstairs and within a few minutes the marbles were all over the floor. Mr. E had a blast playing with them off and on all day.

In case you're wondering, nearly all of them are picked up, or at least the ones anyone has the potential to step on in the the next few days.

Sweet P

Miscellaneous Monday Musings

2010-11-22T08:09:00.002-05:00

Random thoughts and questions on Monday morning . . .

Do you wash your laundry in a certain order? I wash my bedding on one day. The next day I wash the loads in this order: underwear and socks, lights, darks and then all the pants.
On a typical day off do you have a morning routine? I'm generally awake by 7. I eat breakfast and drink coffee and watch Good Morning America until 9. Then I spend my day playing with fabric, yarn or floss with spurts of cleaning and cooking in between.
How do you feel about projects with zippers? I struggle with zippers and try to stay away from projects that use them.

Well, the clock on the wall says it's almost 9 am. Time to get sewing.

Sweet P

My Winter Tote Bag

2010-11-19T07:38:00.003-05:00

I received my Winter Tote Bag package from Sabine the other day. Unfortunately, the postal service was not kind to the box. It arrived smushed on one end of it. The result was moisture got into the package and caused the red floss in the box to bleed on a few of the pressies and the tote bag.

Luckily only one side and the corners of the stitchery are red. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to clean it. I'm going to be using it anyway. Isn't the stitchery adorable? My favorite winter scene - a snow man!

Here is the back of the bag. I love the fabric she chose to use.

Here are the rest of the goodies: there is a package of teddy bears to stitch, red floss, a package of sewing themed buttons, pins, a stitchery calendar, a beautiful red plate and Christmas candle, an adorable angel and chocolate. The cookie recipe sounds yummy and I hope to try it soon. Thanks, Sabine!
Have you received your Winter Tote?

Sweet P

Me and The Process Pledge

2010-11-16T14:47:00.003-05:00

I took the Process Pledge because I love to think about my process when I am creating. I love the feel of the fabric as I work with it. Cutting it, pinning, sewing, snipping and pressing until I have a finished project.

I had every intention of documenting my process as I worked on swap packages. What I learned is that when I'm sewing I get into a Zen-like state and the last thing I want to do is stop to take a photo or jot notes about the process. So I though I would share a few random photos of what I've been working on the last week.

I made a puppet theater curtain for Mr. E.
I found the fabric in the remnant bin at the store and it jumped into my hands.

Here is my SSCS present . . . don't you love surprises?

This is not Coffee Time Studio,
but Coffee Time kitchen temporarily being used as a sewing space.

Yesterday afternoon I took an afternoon off from Christmas sewing and had ME time. On Sunday I found a gorgeous set of snowflakes to embroider at Polka and Bloom. I had to order the set and when I came home from work on Sunday night I transferred the pattern and yesterday started stitching it. I'm using a over-dyed blue and lavender thread. I'm thinking of adding beads to it instead of the french knots the pattern uses.

Well, the mailman just brought my 3-2-1 Winter Tote Bag package from Sabine. I'm going to sign off for now and open the package.

Sweet P

Finishes, Gifts and Smiles

2010-11-08T07:47:00.003-05:00

Recently I joined Finn's New Year's Eve UFO Challenge. I pledged to finish at least 4 projects by Dec. 31. So far I've finished two projects. First up is Mr. E's Pumpkin Sweater. It was his Halloween costume, but it's big enough and warm enough for him to wear all winter.
My second finish was a coffee-themed table topper. I bough the panel about three years ago. The borders were added about two years ago. I was going to hand stitch it, but when I was cleaning out my stash closet I decided to machine quilt it and finish it. It is now on our dining room table.
I received two swap packages recently. The first one was a Scavenger Hunt package. My partner sent me four balls of Knit Picks allspice yarn, two hanks of hand spun yarn, At Knit's End book, spice drops, jelly beans, crochet labels, coffee and a small round frame.

I also received my FRIENDS swap package from Pam at Versana.
The gifts were gorgeously wrapped and were too pretty to open.

And here are the gifts: F was fabulous fabric. R was jar filled with red buttons and chocolate and topped with a red pincushion. I was an Indigo Bag and a skein of blue yarn. E was an embroidery book (and a Fair Isle crochet book). N was "Needful" things - two skeins of Caron Watercolor floss I need to work on a project. D was delightful cinnamon jelly beans.

S was this stunning silk painting Pam made for me. Isn't it fantastic?

And, just for fun, here is a recent photo of Mr. E and I.

Tomorrow I'll post about my Process on the Swap packages. I've been able to sneak in work time between working and taking care of Mr. E.

Have a Happy Monday!
Sweet P

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-27T21:22:00.001-04:00

Making Pumpkin Cupcakes with Dema . . .

Don't forget the frosting . . .

Sweet P

The Process, Part 1

2010-10-26T19:39:00.005-04:00

I was blog surfing the other day and came across The Process Pledge on r0ssie (fresh modern quilts) blog. I thought about it for a while and then decided I would participate in the Pledge. Here is my shaken and stirred Pledge:

I, Sweet P of Coffee Time Stitches, pledge to talk more about my creative processes, even when I can't show and tell every step of the way.

So, where do I start with the pledge? I have thought about this for a few days. It's next to impossible for me to describe every action or step I take in working on a project. I create under one of two circumstances. I'm either creating because I have a deadline (usually a swap deadline) or I'm creating because my muse has told me to create a project.

I suppose you may be wondering why I say I "create" instead of sew or quilt or crochet. Webster's defines create as a verb meaning: to evolve from one's own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention. I don't want to sound egotistical about my creations. Every item I create comes from my heart and becomes part of me. My inner muse expects me to create a little bit each day. If I don't spend time creating I can be one cranky person.

I decided to share my process as I create three sewing projects. Two of the projects have mid-November deadlines. These projects are going to be called Project A and Project B. You'll have to excuse the anonymity, but these are gifts and the recipients could be reading. The third one is a set of goodie bags designed by Monica Solario-Snow of Happy Zombie. I have been mulling over what to make for these projects for several weeks. I've changed my mind at least a dozen times and now I'm ready to start working in my studio.

This afternoon, I took advantage of Mr. E's nap time and wandered into Coffee Time Studio. Will you join me?

First up, you'll notice the sound track in my studio. I'm super predictable in my sound track choices. Nine times out of 10, Gettysburg is running on the DVD. I've played this movie so many times that the DVD is wearing out. Sometimes I put on Gods and Generals. If I'm in the mood for music then I play Jesus Christ Superstar. Each of these soundtracks provides just enough background sound so I can focus on my work.
Although I have written directions for every project, I often make my own set of cutting notes in a format that's easy for me to follow. This allows me to jot notes or changes I make to the project. Here is one page of notes for Project A. I have a similar page for the goodie bags.
Project B's directions were written well enough for me. I was able to start cutting the fabrics and pinning a few blocks before Mr. E woke up from his nap.
That's as far as I got on these projects today. I hope you continue to follow me as I work on these projects.

Sweet P

Australian Stitchery Kits for Sale

2010-10-19T11:02:00.002-04:00

I am de-stashing and am selling these six Australian stitchery kits I bought last year. Each kit comes complete with the embroidery floss, fabric and patterns. I am charging $20 per kit; plus $5 for shipping, if you live in the US or Canada; $10 shipping for international shipping. I will invoice and accept payment through PayPal. Send me an email at coffeetimestitches @ comcast (dot) net if you would like to purchase any of them.

Kits #1 and #2

Kits #3 and #4

Kits #5 and #6

Mr. E graciously let me take a photo of him trying on his pumpkin sweater before I put the final trim on it. It is big enough that it will last him a couple Halloweens!
I'm off to clean the house and work on swap packages. I hope everyone is having a great day!

Sweet P

Playing With Fabric

2010-10-16T08:31:00.002-04:00

Last Monday mommy and Mr. E spent the day with me. Mommy and I wanted to begin planning our Winter Totes. Mr. E was interested in what we were doing so I had mommy get a bag of my fabric scraps for him to play with while we were looking for our fabrics. She showed him all the scraps and he was interested for a few minutes, then went off to play.

Isn't this cupcake fabric yummy? It came in this week and two yards yelled at me to come home with me. I couldn't resist. After all, cupcakes go well with coffee you know.

My MIL sent me a wonderful birthday present last week. It started with the lovely sewing basket. Inside the basket I found a gorgeous seam ripper, a small pin and a glass thread bobbin for hanging in a window.
This small box was also in the basket. It's the perfect size to sit on the sofa table next to me and hold the items I don't want Mr. E to get into: my camera, our Flip video, cords for those items, my small notions tin, a container of stitch markers and any small items to keep out of little hands.
I finished my mittens earlier this week. I love how they turned out and they fit perfectly. I have one more end to weave in and they are ready for winter. I have enough yarn leftover to make a beret and hope to have it finished soon.
We had our first Nor'Easter of the year yesterday. Lots of rain, wind and snow in the higher elevations. Today the sun is shining, the sky is blue, but the wind is still whipping around. I'm off to play in the studio for a few hours before I head into work this afternoon. Tomorrow I'm off. It's the first Sunday I've had off when I can watch all of the football games! Hooray!

What are you up to this weekend?

Sweet P

Skypeing With Grampa

2010-10-12T20:28:00.000-04:00

Hubby is in Hong Kong right now. Before he left we set up our computers with Skype. Yesterday morning Mr. E got to talk with Grampa.

Hi Grampa! How are you?

Mwah . . . blowing kisses across the miles

I can see you and touch you . . . but I can't feel you.

Ethan likes to Skype with Grampa. Sometimes he has more fun playing with the keyboard than talking with Grampa, but it's still a lot of fun.

Have you Skyped today?
Sweet P

A Few Firsts . . .

2010-10-05T13:57:00.003-04:00

I've been busy the last few days between sewing time and crocheting time. Recently a friend of mine asked me to make her a knitting needle case for her double pointed knitting needles. Yesterday I made her this one. It has 30 pockets for knitting needles. I hope she likes it. If so, she will be my first paying customer.
Last week I finished the Snuggle Sacks for our new nephews. Since I haven't had a chance to deliver them here is Hero modeling them for me. The pattern came with two designs. I made one of each design for them. This one is for Cooper and is made with Sensations Lodge yarn and Lion Brand Homespun Yarn.

Matthew's is made with Sensations Lodge yarn.
They are soft and snuggly and I'm sure will get lots of use.

And finally I finished my first mitten. The pattern is Ravelry download. The yarn is from NH Knitting Mama in Purple Haze. The pattern is easy and allows you to custom fit the mitten to your hands. I've already started the second one and should finish it the next day or two.
Yesterday was a sewing studio day. I actually made two knitting needle cases. The first one didn't turn out as well as I had hoped so I made the above one. Then, on a whim and because I love the variegated thread I was using, I pulled out a UFO from about three years ago. I quilted it and sewed the binding on the front. Today I am hand sewing the binding and another project will be done.

I really need to focus on my swap packages. I have four of them to make in the next six weeks. I'm not too worried about them though. I'll have fun putting them together and then fun opening the packages I get in return.

Happy Stitching!
Sweet P

The Happy Couple

2010-09-29T09:29:00.002-04:00

After Harvey's creation yesterday, Erma begged to be come to life.

Here is the Happy Couple:

Now I'm off to the studio for a little while. Time to start planning a few swap projects.

Sweet P

Meet Harvey

2010-09-28T18:52:00.002-04:00

I'd like to introduce to Harvey, Mr. E's new friend.

I made him using the Pack o'Puppies Mitts from Spud & Chloe. I've already started his friend, Erma. Mr. E knows how to put it on his hand, but doesn't quite understand how to use him yet. I tried hard to get a photo of him playing with Harvey. He moved too fast for me. Stay tuned though, I'm not giving up!

Sweet P

Sorry To Disappear

2010-09-22T18:35:00.004-04:00

Hi there, I didn't mean to disappear for a over a week. It's not nice to be a swap hostess and then disappear on people.

Anyway, I've been taking care of Mr. E for two days. He caught the head cold that Grampa and I had and couldn't go to daycare.
He is learning all kinds of new behaviors these days. Yesterday he found a photo of Grampa and I. He brought it to me. Pointed to Grampa and said, "grampa, grampa". Then he started kissing the photo. He made sure the photo was close to him all day long. With Grampa traveling right now, I guess it's cool that he knows who he is.
Like any child he hates to get his nose wiped when he has a cold. Ever since I've had him I always say, "boogie alert, boogie alert" when I need to wipe his nose. Yesterday he had a big, juicy sneeze. When I said boogie alert he toddled over to the desk where the tissue box is and waited for me to get a tissue to wipe his nose. Granted, I could only get one good swipe in before he wiggled away. But one swipe is better than none, especially when he is ready for it.

Winter Tote Swap News:
Everyone has been sent their partner and should have contacted her by now. If you didn't receive your partner, let me know. Likewise, if you haven't heard from your partner, let me know as well.

Also, I've created a blog list of all the participants. Please check your link and make sure I have it correct. I had links for everyone except Denyse. So, Denyse, if you have a link, please send it to me. Be sure to pop in to other swapper's blogs and say hello!

Have you chosen your tote bag pattern yet? I have about half a dozen I want to try. I just don't know which one to choose.

Sweet P

It's A Pumpkin or is it a Jack O'Lantern?

2010-09-14T20:37:00.002-04:00

Is it a pumpkin or a jack o'lantern?

I'm crocheting Mr. E a pumpkin sweater for Halloween. I finished the back before I started my shawl. I finished the front between yesterday and today. I noticed when I took the photo that you can see the difference between the hanks of yarn. Although you can't see it other wise in normal light.

What do you think of Pumpkin so far?

Sweet P

The Finished Shawl

2010-09-13T11:30:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed an extraordinary wedding weekend in Chicago. The couple was gorgeous. The venue was stunning. The food was over the top.

I debuted my shawl at the wedding and received many wonderful comments.

Have you signed up for the 3-2-1 Winter Tote Bag Swap? Only two more days to sign up!

Happy Creativersary to Me/Random Sports Thoughts

2010-09-04T15:45:00.002-04:00

Six years ago this very day (and in this very same hotel actually) I re-entered the creative realm. I started my first quilting class from Quilt University on that day. I don't remember the exact class, but I believe it was their Starting From Scratch Class. I have come a long way in six years from quilting to stitching to crocheting and loving it all.

This weekend hubby and I are attending the Deutsche Bank Championship. This is the 8th tournament and we've attended every one. Walking the golf course and waiting between pairings gives me lots of thinking time.

Here are my random sports thoughts from today:

Will someone tell Tom Brady to get a haircut?
Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis need to get healthy for spring training next April.
Who is going to have more interceptions this year: Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Bret Favre or Tom Brady?
The NFL Season starts Thursday night. I can't wait!
Will Shaq really help the Celtics this year?
Will Mr. E win our family pick 'em football pool this year?

If you need me to explain any of the above, let me know.

There is still to sign up for the 3-2-1 Winter Tote Bag Swap. Won't you join?

Sweet P

Scavenger Hunt Q&A

2010-08-31T14:05:00.002-04:00

I joined the Scavenger Hunt Swap on Ravelry. Here are my answers for the Q&A.

Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft? I have been crocheting off and on for over 40 years.
Do you spin? What type of spinning do you do? I do not spin.
Are there any other crafts that you participate in? I sew, cross stitch, embroider and some paper crafting
What are your favorite yarns/fibers? I like all fibers except 100% acrylic.
What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers? See above answer.
Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven’t gotten a chance? Any yarn with some silk in it.
What are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet? I like all projects except afghans.
What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to start this autumn? I am working on a pumpkin sweater for my grandson. I want to start a sweater for my hubby.
Are their any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn? There are no techniques I want to learn at this time.
Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift? I have a yarn winder, but no swift.
Where/how to you keep you needles/hooks? I sew my own hook cases.
Do you collect anything? I love small containers. The more unique, the better.
What is your favorite type of music? Are you MP3 ready? Billy Joel, Sting, Rod Stewart. I have an Ipod Nano if I can get it away from my hubby.
Do you like sweets? What are your favorites? I like jelly beans and spice drops.
What is your living situation like? Any pets? Children? I live with husband. My son, DIL and grandson live across the street. I get to spend lots of time with my grandson.
Are you allergic to anything? No allergies, but I don't like the smell of cigarette smoke.
Do you have an online wish list (Amazon, Etsy, Loopy Ewe, etc.)? Please include links for your swap pal. I have a wish list on Amazon.
Is there anything else that you would like your pal to know? Surprise me. I like everything except country themed items.

Sweet P

Is If Fall?

2010-08-25T17:02:00.003-04:00

Have you signed up for the 3-2-1 Winter Tote Bag Swap?

_________________________________________

The last few days have been cool, wet and windy. Yesterday while running errands with Mr. E I noticed the leaves are starting to change colors. These leaves are outside my patio doors.

And in the front of the house the leaves that have blown off the trees from the wind are accumulating in the garden hose.

Mr. E and I even saw geese starting to gather getting ready for their trip south.

Soon the NFL Season will start and all will be right with the world.

Sweet P

3-2-1 Winter Tote Bag Swap

2010-08-23T08:46:00.003-04:00

I love tote bags. I love Christmas and Winter. I love swaps? Do you like these too? Then I am hosting a swap for you.

Introducing the 3-2-1 Winter Tote Bag Swap

We will be swapping Christmas or Winter-Themes tote bags filled with goodies. Here are the details:

Based on your partner's preference make one Christmas or Winter-Themed tote bag at least 12 x 12 inches in size. Then fill the tote bag with:

Three items for your partner to use in her crafting endeavors, i.e. fabric fat quarters, yarn, fancy papers, floss, threads, etc.
Two Christmas or winter-themed goodies, i.e., gloves, an ornament, chap stick, seasonal treats, etc.
One of your favorite holiday recipes

Please include items that would make you jump up and down if you found them in your bag.

This swap to open any of my blog readers who have a blog. When matching partners I will try to keep partners on the same continent, unless you let me know you are willing to ship internationally. It is not a secret swap. You will know your partner so I'm hoping some new friendships develop from the swap.

If you'd like to join, email me (coffeetimestitches at comcast dot net) the following information:

Your name
Mailing Address
Email Address
Blog Address
Preferred Tote Bag Theme: Christmas or Winter
Favorite Craft Activity
Any food or pet allergies
Are you willing to ship internationally
Are you willing to be an Angel (hopefully I won't need any)

Sign ups are open now and end September 15, 2010. I will send out partners by September 17, 2010. Mailing date is November 15, 2010 so the new bags can be enjoyed during the season.

Let the fun begin!

Sweet P

Coffee Time Food

2010-08-19T12:06:00.003-04:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in two weeks. Oh wait, yes I can. DH and I have been invited to a Black Tie Optional wedding next month. I have a long gown to wear, but wanted a shawl to wear over it. I ordered two balls of hand painted yarn from NH Knitting Mama and started this shawl for me. Needless to say the shawl has been occupying all of free time. The pattern is fun, but also a little tedious. The repeat is nine rows and it will take 22 repeats to make the shawl. I'm up to repeat #8 and I have a little less than three weeks to finish it.
I'm not starving even though I'm busy. I made Salisbury Steaks in French Onion Sauce from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice. This was one yummy dinner. I used sourdough bread for the cheese toasts and found a treat better than garlic bread. I made the cheese toasts the following night to have with our spaghetti.
I'm wondering what you eat when you busy sewing. When I was in my sewing room I didn't want to stop to make a meal. Instead I whipped up a banana smoothie and bag of trail mix with a few pretzel M&Ms thrown in. It was the perfect snack to keep me going through the afternoon at the sewing machine.
Mr E is growing bigger and smarter every day. When he was here on Tuesday he discovered he can almost get up on the love seat. In fact, it's become our "cuddle spot." I sat on the love seat all afternoon and he discovered he can climb up, sit next to me, cuddle for a while and get down when he wants to play. When mommy came home I told her about it and they enjoyed some cuddle time too.
If you've made it this far, I wonder if you are interested in a Christmas/Winter Tote Bag swap. If so, stay tuned, I'll be announcing one in a day or two.

Sweet P

Sewing, Sewing and More Sewing

2010-08-03T18:37:00.003-04:00

Get yourself a cup of coffee and settle in for a few photos. I've been busy as a beaver in my studio and have several finished projects to share.

Last summer while on vacation Hotel Man picked out three fabrics for me with the caveat I make something for me out of them. I finally finished that task. Most of the fabric went into this project bag. I followed the pattern from em ay kay ee.

Here is the inside of the bag. Isn't the polka dot fabric wild?

Inside the pockets there is room for a zipper pouch (from the same website), my needle case and my modified crochet hook case.

Here is the crochet hook case open and full of hooks.

Next up . . . what do you get when you mix these 4" squares

With this alphabet panel and inspiration from here?

You get 30 bean bags and a play mat.
I sent this home with my nephew today.
Mr. E will have a set of his own soon too.

One more sewing project: I finished this cupcake apron for my niece.
She used it today while we made cupcakes.

Mr. E helped us make cupcakes too.
He liked licking the spoon!

Whew! My sewing machine has enjoyed being used. I hope it doesn't take me too long to get back to it.

Sweet P

Cooler Weather Means Sewing Time

2010-07-26T15:34:00.004-04:00

The temps have been cooler here which means I've been spending time sewing in my studio. I had a swap package due last week and I got the urge to make a knitting needle case for my partner. Since she loves to spend time by the pool I used this adorable Fun in the Sun fabric to make it.

The case has lots of spaces for straight needles and three pockets for circular needles.

I've been following Kelly's Make A Bag Sew Along. Here is the completed bag.

Here is the inside of the bag. And what is that hiding inside?

It's the matching zipper pouch.

This morning I sewed this little backpack for Mr. E. Isn't it adorable?

And here is Mr. E wearing his backpack.

What kind of sewing have you been doing?

Sweet P

Chain Link Samples

2010-07-19T20:30:00.004-04:00

Here are a few of the samples from my Chain Link classes two weeks ago. The first one is from Aran Braided Cables taught by Karen Klemp. The pattern is Easy Double 8-Stitch Braid. It was tough to get it started. Once the first row was done, the pattern was fun.
These samples are from The PULAD Method of Crochet in Two Colors, also taught by Karen. The top sample is Two Colored Checkers. The bottom sample is Outlined Shells. I used two different weights for this sample. The red is a DK weight and the blue is worsted weight. If I made this pattern again with different weights I think I would make the frames the lighter weight
This is a Vertical Shells design. This sample is destined to become a Christmas present, but I'm not saying for who (and I will tell you it is not for Mr. E).
And this sample? This was a quick lesson on remembering to put away my crochet when I leave the room. Who knows? Maybe Mr. E will become a crochet designer one day.
The heat is still here. I'm tired of being hot all the time. I'm tired of being too tired from the heat to not accomplish any real cleaning. At least this morning I spent 90 minutes cleaning my studio while Mr. E napped. The floor was covered in ongoing projects, swap packages, vacation purchases and Chain Link projects and purchases. I was able to organize all my crochet projects and prep a canvas for a needlepoint project. Next step is to clean my prepping table and, maybe, the closet.

What are you doing to keep cool this summer?

Sweet P

A Hot Summer Afternoon

2010-07-17T20:56:00.001-04:00

How do you stay cool on a hot summer afternoon?

If you're Mr. E, you share a strawberry milk shake with your mommy.

Finished Vacation Projects

2010-07-13T18:24:00.003-04:00

I've finished three projects since the first of the month. The first two projects are quilts I made for DS #2 and his GF. I started these quilts 18 months ago for Christmas 2008. I started stitching the binding them while we were driving to NYC and then took one more night to finish them.

This is my son's quilt . . .

And this is his GF's quilt . . .
And here is the happy couple with their quilts.
I won't tell you that it was 98 degrees outside when we took this photo.
But I will tell you we were sitting in a well air conditioned hotel room.

Yesterday I showed Cascade Soft Spun yarn I bought at Purl.
I crocheted an Urban Shells scarf for my DIL with it.
I started the scarf on July 3 and finished it on July 11.

Here's a close-up view of the scarf.
The coolest part of this pattern is the scallops on the ends and the edging are crocheted along with the scarf. When you're done stitching the rows, you're done with the scarf. How cool is that?

I'm happy to have a few finished projects. I'm working hard to get a few more done. My list of WIPs is getting a little long.

Next time I'll show a few of my class projects from the Knit and Crochet Show.

Sweet P

Back From Vacation

2010-07-12T10:17:00.006-04:00

Well, I certainly didn't intend to disappear for nearly all of my vacation. Between laptop screen problems and enjoying vacation I wasn't able to post. Now I'm home, enjoying my last day of vacation before going back to work tomorrow morning.

Today I'll show you my yarn, fabric and thread buys. While in Brooklyn and NYC I visited four yarn/fabric shops: Fiber Notion, Stitch Therapy, and Knit-A-Way in Brooklyn; and Purl Soho in Manhattan. I came away with three impressions of all the shops there:

The shops are small. I know how expensive NY real estate is and understand the size issues.
Many shops carry a little bit of everything. Except for Knit-A-Way, which carried only yarn and knit and crochet tools, the shops had yarn, fabric, notions and tools for knitting and crocheting. At Stitch Therapy there was a small scrapbooking section. Purl also carried needlepoint canvases and threads.
Apparently no one shops for yarn, fabric, etc before 11 am in the morning and stops shopping by 6 pm. I like to shop in the morning and was a little frustrated having to wait until almost lunch time to shop.

Would I shop at any of these stores again? Of course. Would I consider any of them my local LYS? Probably not. The selections at the stores was limited and would not satisfy my creative streaks for a long time.

Anyway here are my yarn purchases. The pink is Cascade Soft Spun yarn from Purl. It's soft and a dream to work with. I bought three hanks of it and had already used one in a scarf for DIL (photos tomorrow). The blue and red balls are alpaca and are also super soft. I bought them out of the clearance bin at Stitch Therapy. At Knit-A-Way I bought the green and blue Plymouth yarns.

I couldn't leave Purl without buying a few FQs of fabric and silk threads for doing needlepoint.

Now for my purchases from the Knit and Crochet Show. The conference was a blast and I'll have a report on it in a day or two. This yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I bought four skeins of each color. One color is mine and one color is for a swap. I won't tell you which is which.
Newton's Yarn Country was at the show and they were selling their yarn at 50% off. I found this orange Newton's Bulky Softball 100% cotton yarn. I've already started a pumpkin sweater for Mr. E with it.

From Newton's I also bought 2,200 yards of this cashmere/merino blend for a secret project.

I was free on Friday afternoon and decided that since I was half way there I would go to ABC Stitch Therapy in Grantham, NH. I needed a few more threads and stretcher bars for a needlepoint project that I hadn't been able to get anywhere else. The drive was nice and was able to get all but one of the threads for the project. Now I just need to make the time to work on it.
That's all my purchases from my vacation. I plan to be back tomorrow to show you some of the projects I did work on while I was gone.

I hope you're having a great summer. We are!

Sweet P