NAPPY AND MOM

                      Here's a little mini-memory quilt I am making....

I had sewn "Nappy" for Mom into a little pillow when she was in the Nursing Home for her birthday...

She had had a kitty when she was a little girl who used to always 
nap on her bed...hence the name Nappy...

I had made the pillow as a memory aid to open our conversations 
when I came for visits...

Her memory was fading so quickly---it was hard to
believe...and difficult to see...
***************************
She just loved this pillow a lot--
and we always talked about Nappy's antics 
when I came for a visit....
I'd like to believe that she actually
DID remember him...
but at any rate she loved to talk about him
and we laughed together a lot...
******************
So, when she had passed; and Thom and I  were taking home
her things, I found it underneath her bed pillow....

the  "eye" buttons had come off 
and birdie's tail feathers 
were unsewn and it was truly
pretty tattered....I took it home and put it away for a while
***********************
So.......this year, 
I thought I'd give Nappy a new life as a 
mini-memory quilt....in her honor 
and as a remembrance of happy times with her....

she will have been gone four years this Summer...still
sorely missed.....💕
*************
I took my woolen applique off the pillow form and ...
I found some buttons in Mom's old button box and sewed 
Nappy and Birdie new eyes;

and then, I  put together some 
retro-looking prints for borders...

Poor Birdie's tail still needs appliqueing..
but I won't be doing the handwork on it until 
my 👀 [eyes] are better....

Funny -------
I was thinking .
here and now, both Nappy and I 
needed work on our eyes....

hugs from Momory Lane,  
Julierose La blageuse, (je me souviens-euse)

SORT OF STROGANOFF

                            **Note to above recipe:  I do not make mine on the stove;
                                 ("I did it myyyyy waaaay" songs for all occasions) LOL
                                                         Instead:
I use my little Slo-Cooker-- after browning beef cubes,
 onion, mushrooms and...............
then a splash of Sherry wine to clean out the frying pan....
to get all that yummy "brown stuff 
and 
then
I dump the whole shebang into ......↡↡

                                Then I add in actual beef broth 
[instead of the beef boullion cube recommended in the recipe] 
to cover; and cook most of the day until the meat is falling apart....

   






Looks good
already ;)))





Here is my set up for the sauce which I will add to the pot about 20 minutes
before serving....

Tonight we will eat this
over:

                                           These noodles.........
And with a dollop of sour cream.........

                                        V O I L A !!

My version of Stroganoff.....
plus--- you get to smell it cooking (drool)
all day long...

On this cold and VERY windy day this will be a 
soul satisfying dinner......;))))

hugs
Julierose, La blageuse (La chef-ette-euse)

WONKY VISION

               Improv Wonky Vision beginning........................

Since my vision is too blurred to work on anything that I want to
make following a pattern or anything like exact sewing 
(👺 not that I am that exact in the best of times--
 but this is ridiculous!!);
I decided that given the facts that  Helga 💓has a great scant 1/4" 
allowance i can preset and really almost
pulls the fabric through by herself, 
I would try my hand at a free form
Improv piece...
                            S L O W L Y and CA R E F U L L Y...

I made two blocks and then rested my eyes...and repeat....

I've been wanting to make a "cross" quilt for a long while--I found an
old layer cake of funky solid colors this morning while attempting
to "see" (right 👀) what I actually have in my "deep stash"
also known as --
                               THE DARK STASH. 💀 

                       [Talk about "funkified" greens....]

I am trying to keep these blocks around [or about] 8" by 10" or so--
luck playing a starring role with this for sure...LOL.

Not my usual CHOICE FOR colors or style--just playing around to 
see what will come of this--
perhaps a small piece; 
maybe seasonal pieces--like  
                                       [Weird Christmas or perhaps Spring ]. 

I don't want to strain my eyes (like I did a week ago!!) so I am working 
slowly--I also don't want to sew my fingers (ouch!! )

Can you tell I am frustrated???Really??? My appointment isn't 
until MARCH 26th...maybe I'll just go and eat chocolates
til then...👹
**************************************** 

Hubster is practicing his Alto Sax while I write this --
he is working on long tones and scales...
he is trying to get back into playing shape after his 3 operations ...
not so easy...at almost  80 yrs. 

His birthday is March 13th...and my daughter has invited us and the family to her home for a celebration..so we are looking 👀 forward to this...
event...
we do not do surprise gifts to each other --(having had 53 yrs
of marriage and some less than exciting presents...heh heh)
 but usually just each get something that we really want 
and not just something we need per se...
Altho' that's ok too--

He hasn't as yet come up with anything from me ... 
                      👴time's a wastin' tick-tock--👵

(I cannot even see those emoji--and why are they so small???)

So, from Foggy SE CT I bid you a good rest of this Sunday...

Hugs, Julierose, La blageuse (wearing dark glasses-euse)

SUNDAY SELECTIONS

                     Side borders are sewn on Stone Soup
            Now to decide on top and bottom; I was thinking of:

                            
                         This lovely rich print...to pick up the purples....
                              and sort of anchor it all together...

**********************************************

                  My Snowballs are amassing...slowly but steadily....
                             I have 6 more blocks set up:
Here:

                       All ready to be trimmed and sewn into blocks...

I am running out of little corners..
but I think that rows of 4 wide by 6 long 
will be big enough with borders ...we shall see...
👀
AND
speaking of "seeing":

I am told by my eye Doctor that I have eye issues that are going to be 
resolved by some laser surgery in late March and early April--in office
and "not a big deal", 
so they say....;0000

In the meantime, my vision has really taken a beating--
my eyesight is like looking
through a dirty car window right now..ugh..

so I am trying to limit my reading, sewing, postings, crosswords--
all the things I L O V E to do , etc etc
what a.................................... 
                                              BIG DRAG!!! ;((((

*******************************

A N D .........on a brighter note 👀

My Red Surprise amaryllis is throwing up an entirely new set of 
shoots after its prodigious first blooming ;))) 

Will there be a flower in there?  

Anxiously awaiting while  coddling her along....
**************************************************

My posts may become more infrequent until my issue is taken care of...
be assured that I will be following your postings, a few at a time, 
each day...
Hugs, Julierose La Blageuse (👀 impatiently-euse)

MR. DARCY WON

                                      My Valentine's Day Gift from Mr. Wonderful💕     

                      The lovely clothbound hardcover Penguin edition of :

AND
This book from Mr. Darcy's perspective...

                                                              the first in a new series .............

I am thrilled with my gifts....Someone knows what I like....💞
hugs, Julierose La blageuse (enjoying-euse);)))

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

                                           Heartfelt Wishes to all my Peeps..💓💘💖


*****************************************************************
Look what DAWN sent me for joining in on her STONE SOUP challenge...

This lovely little table topper that JUST fits on my mantel...I love it!!
AND........

                           this cute little soup-making-chef potholder

AND..........

                                A Micro bowl holder...I've been wanting
                                           one of these for ages...
                          thanks so much Dawn for the  lovely gifts....
                                             so appreciated....
Hugs to you all, 

Julierose, La Blageuse (into the chocs-euse!! 
P.S.
I wonder what MR. Wonderful got me???Stay Tuned...; )))

FRIDAY PROGRESS

                       Soup bowls are on the "table"  and up on my design wall

                              I have sprinkled bits on top....

                        I am still not sure if I like these in the centers...


********************************************************

                                   SNOWBALLS MOVING ALONG..............

***************************************************
and..........
New Diamond Painting 
                                                    "GIRL":

                                  A cute Christmas giving picture....

************************************************
Another grey and rainy day here,
On The Menu....
Pork Roast dinner tonight with boiled potatoes 
and almond string beans..
Hugs, Julierose, La Blageuse (resting day-euse)

SUNFLOWER DP & WATERCOLORING

                                     My Sunflower Diamond Painting is finished...
                                           &  All the extra drills are bagged by color 
                                                                     and put away.......
I loved the brilliant colors in this one...
gave me such pleasure on these
gray days.....

I am waiting to frame my various canvases until I have a few done,
so I can decide which ones to frame in a grouping. 

*****************************************************************

                    Here's a little watercolor I did in my Hobonichi Weeks...
                             if I don't have much to write,
                                 I like to fill the pages with my little watercolor trials...
                     I used watercolor pencils and a waterbrush for this one.......


*************************************************
A rather warmish day today for February; it's  clouding over right now 
in preparation for the rains to come this evening into tomorrow...

Hugs,
Julierose, La Blageuse (DP-ing-euse)

TOM BRADY OR MR. DARCY?

                     Tonight's Superbowl hunk.....Tom Brady......[sigh]

                                                  OR.....

                         Hunky Mr. Darcy from "Pride and Prejudice?

I am watching the Superbowl and rooting for The Patriots....
                                          while
Re-reading "Pride and Prejudice" and thinking of Mr, Darcy.....lol

Who would be your choice, I ask.......????? 
Discerning quilters
NEED to know...;)))) {be still my heart}

hugs, Julierose, La blageuse (dreaming-euse)

IS IT SOUP YET?

                 Stone Soup blocks are all sewn into "bowls" now; 
I am looking for setting ideas and eye-balling fabrics...
                                and thinking to myself that 
                                  this looks like Borst Soup...

                        { "Imagination is funneee.." songs again;))) }

I think you float sour cream on top...???
                     NOW....there is a challenge to depict that
                         in trim, which is one of our Stone Soup rules
                            --maybe in my Crazy Quilt basket
                                    I can come up with something...

                                 
                Maybe this fabric laying there will be the "tablecloth"????

and this:

                                              For the borders....
                        a country print that uses some coordinating colors.

And I'd like to include this one--
altho' the color is not in the same family--
                                                        but ..."I like it"..;)))

*****************************************

On the diamond Painting front:

Sunflowers is coming along pretty well...

only about 1/8th more to go....

******************************************

My Hubby cooked his homemade spaghetti sauce 

and we ate an early dinner -- @1:00

It was especially good as i haven't eaten any

REAL CARBS (!)

all week long on my lo-carb journey.

I have lost 4 lbs (+/-) ;)))

And am taking today and SuperBowl Sunday

off...

[G O   P A T S  ]

**********************************

I am reading a "new to me" book by Jane Haddam

[In her Gregor Damarkian series]

called "Hearts of Sand"

********************

I leave you hoping you are having a wonderful

sewing day or crafting or reading or

whatever you really want to do...

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse (doing it all-euse)