New Sewing Room

I have too much fabric.

Those boxes filling the closet are filled with Satins, Xmas, Brocades, Pendleton, Wools, Airplanes, Battings, RickRacks, Zippers, Buttons, Patterns.

Although, there is still the cutting table to fill up -- 12 drawers (IKEA kitchen island), the 2 drawers under the window seat, and the bookcase for cotton fabrics on the right hand wall.

The machines are still covered.

It's all going to fit.

Absolutely.

Really.

I've sent for help.

Halibut Beer Bits

Halibut was on sale at Thriftway this week.
I made halibut beer bits.

I'd forgotten how good these are.
Crispy crunchy outside with succulent halibut that melts in your mouth.

Totally not gluten-free or grain-free.

Use Krusteaz pancake batter and add beer until it's tad thinner than pancake batter.
The beer batter thickens to just the right consistency to coat 1" cubes of halibut.

Heat (a high heat) oil until 350'.

I used 48oz in a 3qt saucepan.



Cook one to two beer bits to get temperature stabilized, halibut done, & outside a deep golden brown.

Once temp. is stabilized, fry only three or four cubes at a time to keep temp. of oil constant.



While you're waiting for oil to get hot enough - do not leave unattended --make some homemade cocktail sauce.

1cup ketchup
Swig Worcestershire sauce
Spoonful horseradish sauce
2 jigs of lemon juice.

Stir until blended.




These were delish.

Hints:
Slightly frozen halibut is easier to slice.
Try to keep oil at 350'. Finesse that temperature knob.
Cut your halibut into uniform pieces. These will cook at similar times.

You can also use Tartar sauce.
Krusteaz only - don't substitute.
However, any beer will work.

Beer Can Hats - Revival

Dinner Outside

I've hosed down the patio, arranged all the plants, scrubbed the table.

Let the summer begin.



BBQ hamburger with avocado, french fries, watermelon.

SMS Spring Giveaway Winners

Thank you for all the dreams. Sewing people tend to want to sew more - if money were no object.

My three winners:
1. Debra Lee from Needle D won the 4th of July combo - including how to crochet a beer can hat!
Debra Lee's dream? "I would stay home and make dolls all day and attend every retreat around the world! Call me crazy but I want a can hat!"

2.  Diane from Archimede's Bathtub won the Seersucker scraps. She said, " I would move to a beautiful house somewhere tropical."

3. Margaret from Kolorful Scraps won the MopHead Doll Books. Her dream?  "I would travel with my husband all over the United States. I could stop at all the fabric stores on the way "

Congratulations and thank you!
Emails have been sent out- waiting for addresses for a Monday run to the PO.

Patio Is Ready For Summer (Almost)

Seven hanging baskets ready to hang. I tend towards wanting the hanging baskets in August & September when I am so tired of watering and  flowers are rather sparse.

There are a lot of vendors selling baskets this time of year that look pretty but are already root-bound. They likely won't bloom much past 4th of July. Mine have lots of rooms now so they can become root-bound in late summer.

More pots to spread around the patio.


It's been a warm spring here in Canbyland. My sister just had snow in MN last week but we are on our third month of an unusually dry spring. Just glorious on the flowers.

Behind all this greenery is the neighbor's house. I'm still working on my living fence but this will cut the "view".

Last February, I scheduled five days off - here in May. I had hoped the floors would be done and my plan was to spend the five days re-organizing the sewing room and  guest room. Alas, I'm on plan B instead. Floor guys will put finish coats on next week!.
Plan B is to get my garden and yard in shape.

Plant the potatoes, try to hold off on the tomatoes. Last week we were still getting below 40' at night. Except the temps have been above 80' during the day so it is incredibly tempting to put everything in the ground 'early'.

Finish weeding and spring clean-up of the flower beds. Move stuff, dump stuff.

Favorite Iris just started popping open.

Coral Bells next to a varigated Weigelia.

May:   this bed has filled in a lot since I took a photo back in early April.
The Kousa Dogwood did not like 80' days and threw off it's lovely coral blossoms


Early April - see all the weed-free space?
The Kousa Dogwood was just pinking up - on the center left.

At my birthday lunch. My Mom & Dad and older sister took me to lunch at my favorite Moroccan Restaurant in Wilsonville, Dar Essalam.
One of the few restaurants where I have several food choices I can eat. The chef will special order for me as well. This is a good restaurant for me and my food sensitivities.

After lunch, my dad wanted to go by AT&T. He was ready to look at smart phones and I was showing him how versatile the camera is.

10th Spring SewMamaSew Giveaway Day

 Welcome!
Thank you for visiting my giveaway today. I love SewMamaSew's Giveaways even though I don't have enough time in the day to visit all the ones I would love to win.
I enjoy seeing all the other sewing/quilting./knitting/ being crafty blogs that are out there.

I have three prizes for you to win.

Up for grabs are:
 
1.   4th of July combo.  Including a crocheted budweiser beer hat pattern! This is so retro- it's on trend for this 4th!  Daisy Kingdom 4th of July Table topper, 4th of July Vest (V.I.P. Dream Spinners) to sew and embellish, pattern to re-purpose beer cans/your drink of choice.

2.    Seersucker scraps. Fun whale patterned fabric. Kid themed. Hearts and Whales are the biggest pieces - others are cut squares (quilt?). whales spouting amongst stars, Hearts, tiny 1/4" hearts & stars, blue, peach & pink solids and small florals.

3.   Mop Head Doll Patterns. Six booklets to make all the mop head dolls you will desire.

I sew mostly garments and crafts. Last year I was on a crazy bag/purse making kick which I hope to god is finished so I can move onto something else.   I have a modern quilt pattern for our bed that I would love to make and need just time and the background fabrics to start sewing it. All the 'fussy' fabrics are in my possession.
I have been working the day job over 50 hours per week since September and my sewing has been pitiful indeed.
My junior clerk came back this month for a few weeks enabling me to work only about 40 hrs/wk.
This is better but it's still not working.

At 50hrs/wk I can hardly think of anything else except work and keeping my health up.
At 40 hrs/wk, I started 'dreaming' about sewing again;

My dream - if money and benefits were no object - would be to quit the day job and go whole-hog into running my etsy store and sewing for it.  I would have time for my friends again and the flexibility to mesh with their schedules. I could re-institute my wednesday kindle lunches with my mom. My creativity would soar.

What about you? If money and benefits were no object, what is your dream?
Comment  in a sentence or two and I will pull numbers out of a hat on Friday night and post Saturday, May 11th. Happy dreaming.

Please take the time to thank SewMamaSew for coordinating another (10!   10!   10!) Great Giveaway day. To enter more drawings, please click here.

small print: Open for everyone. USA and all the other countries.
Drawing open from Monday May 6, 2013 - May 10, 2013 at 6pm.
Oh- if you have a prize preference, indicate in your comment.
Three winners!!!