Green Tomatoes and Weekly Goals

      Last week it really felt good to get so much done in the yard on warm days and then in my sewing room when it turned cool. Since night temperatures were getting close to frost, I decided to pick most of the vegetables that could be hurt. I picked a gallon of bell and banana peppers, a gallon of green tomatoes and ½ gallon of green cherry tomatoes. I saw a recipe for green tomato bread on Jo's Country Junction blog and thought this would be perfect to try.

I followed Jo's idea of substituting applesauce for half the oil. I also used only 1 ½ cups of sugar and added raisins. I used my food processor to chop the cherry tomatoes and drained the water.

Instead of bread pans, I was able to make 18 muffins which only took about half the time to cook. Very tasty. Much like zucchini bread. I have another 2 cups of chopped green tomatoes ready for another batch and more green tomatoes to use for something else.

How I did last week:
1. Work in bearded iris beds. Done We had a couple of beautiful days before cool days. I still have more I want to do and we are supposed to have beautiful 70 degrees days this week.
2. Quilt a comfort quilt. Done I finished quilting one, trimmed it and passed it on for binding.
3. Add border to QOV. Done The top is complete and waiting for quilting.
I even completed a couple of projects not on my to-do list. I found some already prepared appliques and added them to a couple of kitchen towels. I also made a set of 4 placemats as a birthday gift, but I don't want to show them now in case she looks at my blog. She knew I was making them, but at least how they look will be a surprise.

My Goals for week of Nov. 8:
1. Work in the yard: rake pine straw and reset some bearded iris.
2. Quilt a comfort quilt.
3. Finish placemats for a housewarming gift.

    A nephew recently purchased a house. The interior is very neutral so I hope he will enjoy a set of placemats for a little color. I chose 2 1/2” strips of blues and greens and stared sewing strip sets. 

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: 4.25 yds Added: 0 yds
                    So far this year- Used: 102.75 yds Added: 27.5 yds

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Something to Whoop About

      It feels great to have accomplished so much in my sewing room this week. I finished a couple of projects and made great progress on 2 more.

     While straightening up scraps, I found prepared fusible applique pieces for pumpkins perfect for this time of year. The original design “Jo's Pumpkin Patch” was published in Quiltmaker Sept-Oct '13 (#153) as appliques on a quilt. I bought 2 kitchen towels and added the applique. I couched brown yarn for the pumpkin vines. I think they will be nice gifts to add a special touch for the fall; just need to decide for whom.

    Next I quilted one of several comfort quilts that I have sandwiched. It used Eleanor Burns' easy "Piece of Cake" design.  Here it is quilted and trimmed before I passed it on to another member to add binding. I quilted large swirls.

    Then I added the border blocks and corners to finish the Quilt of Valor top. I know it is busy but I hope a veteran will enjoy it.

    I also needed to  catch up on the Old School BOM and done after making Pat Sloan's October Courthouse Steps block design. Every month there is a block from a different designer.  One month I chose a different block to do instead of hand piecing small hexagons.  Here are 10 blocks together.

They need some type of sashing to help calm it and make the various blocks look more cohesive.

     I hope I can keep up the momentum and get a few more projects finished before the holidays and end of the year.

I'm linking up today with Sarah for Whoop, Whoop Friday and Alycia for Finished (or Not) Friday.

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.

Weekly Goals for November 1

    Our SC fall weather has been enjoyable with cool mornings perfect for brisk walks and afternoons nice for activities outdoors. Last week's goals were simple and both were accomplished with ease.

1. Work on a UFO. Done

2. Enjoy time with GDs. Done

Check out Friday's post to see a few of last week's fun activities. I also had time to use my new Accuquilt dies to cut up scraps into usable units. I made a nice dent in the scrap box.

    Let's start November off right. This week I am back to my yard and quilting. I love bearded iris and have many different varieties in beds around my yard. I try to work in them in the fall and spring to keep them blooming beautifully. There are at least 4 comfort quilts sandwiched and waiting for quilting which I would like to start on. I enjoyed using my recently finished Halloween Bats and Boos quilt (free pattern from Fat Quarter Shop) and now I want a new fall wall-hanging. I love my mini fall quilt 

and the table runner I made in 2009 for a beginner quilting class I taught. 

 Hope I can fit a new project in, although not a priority.

My Goals for this first week of November:

1. Work in bearded iris beds.

2. Quilt a comfort quilt.

3. Add border to QOV.

Stash fabric used or added the past week- Used: 0 yds Added: 0 yds               (I did not try to estimate yardage of scraps I cut up)

            So far this year- Used: 98.5 yds Added: 27.5 yds

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.