Linda's Luscious Ladies

Guess who came to Cherrywood...

Yesterday, I opened the door and what to my wonderous eyes should appear....two great Minnesota designers full of good cheer!  Terry, from Atkinson Designs and Roseann from Rosebud's Cottage had ventured north to pay us a visit.  It's such great fun to have to have company! 

.

Terry brought us a great quilt.  She pieced up her new pattern, Fire Escape, using Cherrywood Fabrics.

  We think it turned out great!  Now, we will get it quilted and have it in the booth for our winter and spring shows.  Don't you think it looks great? Can't wait to see it after it's quilted.

After showing the ladies around.... wait a minute, where did they go?  Oh my gosh, lost in a pile of T-shirts.  As you can see we are stocking up for our next show.  They love those hand-dyed shirts.

Any way, down to business.  Roseann has  plans for a shop quilt out of Cherrywood. What colors should  she use? I think they may have decided.
Good for you, Roseann!  We loved your visit with Terry and can't wait to see your quilt! 
 
  
 
 

Time for a recipe....

I made this salad and took it to a retreat last month.  Everyone wanted the recipe so I decided to share with you too!  It is from Lunds/Byerlys Food Stores.

Chicken Cherry Salad

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (2.23 pound) package frozen boneless skinless chicken breast strips

1 (16 oz) package dry shell pasta

3/4 cup thinly sliced celery

3/4 cup chopped red onion

1 (5 oz) package dried cherries

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/4 cup creamy style poppy-seed dressing

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups baby spinach, stems removed

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

-curly leaf lettuce

Heat oil over medium high heat.  Brown chicken strips on all sides until juices run clear (about 15 minutes); drain.  Cool; cut into cubes. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions.  Rinse with cold water, drain.  Combine chicken, pasta, celery, onion and cherries.  Combine mayonnaise, poppy-seed dressing, salt and pepper.  Fold 1 3/4 cups dressing into salad, reserving 3/4 cup dressing.  Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight.

To serve:  Fold in Spinach and walnuts;  add remaining dressing as needed.  Spoon into lettuce=lined serving dish.  Makes 16 1 cup buffet servings. 

I used regular chicken breast and poached them in chicken broth and then cut into chunks.  I did not add the nuts or the spinach.  No nuts because of allergies and no spinach because I didn't want to fool around with that at the retreat.  It was delicious!  Oh, yeah--I used ring pasta because that's what I had.  And it was still good!

Here is a preview of more pictures of Lancaster.  This is Showgirls (friends that work in our booth)Isobell and Kathy, in a quilt shop call Obies, some where in the middle of Lancaster County.  What a wild place...  I hope someday I can find my way back!

 

 

 

Pictures of Lancaster. . .

  We're on the road again-Lancaster's Quilter's Heritage Celebration Quilt Show. We are in Pennsylvania's Amish Country where the landscape is beautiful, the food is irresistible and the quilt shopping is unbelievable!!!!  I just have to show you some pictures I have taken so far!!!

First this is the Farmer's Market.

   

This takes me along time!! It's after midnight and I am fading...more tommorrow night...zzzzzz

Memories of the Mid-Alantic Quilt Show

I did get a chance to take a few photos as friends of Cherrywood came to our booth in Hampton to say hello and show off their projects.  Here are a few:

This is Alice in her Park Avenue Jacket made from Spice Jar.  Isn't she cute!!   

Darlene made this quilt for her husband for their 25th wedding anniversary in June.  It is called Welcome to My Cabin. 

  

Here are Janice and her husband.  I hadn't seen them for a couple of years so we had a great time catching up on everything in our lives.  They have just moved back to Norh Carolina, so hopefully will see them yearly now.  . 

 Sandy and Bill are regulars at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show.  We always have a lot of laughs!!   

This was my favorite quilt of the show.  I saw it at the Road to California Show and fell in love with it there.  I was happy to see it was a prize winner in Hampton.  It was made by Sandy Curran of Newport News, VA. 

Here is a quilt by Minnesota's own, Janet and Karen McTavish.  It is amazing!!!  It's title is "Peacemakers". 

 I have a couple more pictures that are lost in my computer somewhere.  I will find them!!

Trying to get back to Minnesota!!!

I almost think I am in Minnesota the way it is snowing outside.  I pinch myself and find I am still in Hampton, VA!!!!  Schools are being closed and roads are icy!  Out plane is suppose to leave at 5:45 pm.  Hopefully, we will be able to fly out then.

We had a wonderful time at the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show.  I have lots of pictures to share and will post them when I get home.  I will do some editing and they will be ready.  Sounds like I will have plenty time while sitting around the airport!! 

Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival--Hampton, Virginia

 

Some great reference books...

I have had these 3 books for quite awhile.  I pour over them and try to apply them to my body!!  I have found them very informative and will let you know which ones I use for each of my altering techniques.

       

Fitting Finesse by Nancy Zieman is a book I've had for probably 10 years.  I purchased it when I worked for House of Fabrics.  It uses a slide technique and seems very easy.  I saw Nancy on Public TV one day just a few weeks demonstrating this when altering a top.  I wish I would have it the record button on the dvd whatyacall it.  But my reactions are too slow!

Fast Fit by Sandra Betznia is a classic.  It has a section on the "rounded back".  That's why my hem raises in the center back.  This is the way I will try to get this fixed.  I was talking to a lady on the phone today and she has the set of tapes that goes with this book.  I'm going to try to find them.  She said they we older, but not out of date--that is what is so great about "timeless" fashions.

Life is Not A Dress Size by Rita Farro is a fun book.  She describes different body types and shows us how to use clothing to our advantage.  I am Winona Wineglass-"all her weight is up front and on top, in her bodice, midriff, and stomach.  She has no butt at all and very skinny legs."  Well. . .my legs aren't that skinny!  There is also a great chapter on accessories.  Rita was the keynote speaker at a Sewing Expo I attended as teacher back when I owned a quilt shop.  She was a riot!!

I have the courage...

  I saw this vest on a lady several years ago at a quilt show somewhere.  She was a tall, stately woman and looked wonderful.  She shared the pattern name and designer with me and I immediately ran through the booths looking for the pattern.  I have since dreamed of this classy looking lady in her great fitting vest that of course she had embellished with only the flair a fiber artist can have.  I knew that I would look just as good as her if I could only get this vest done!  Well, about a year ago, I pulled out this pattern, cut out a XXXL, and started sewing it together.  I had the shoulder and side seams sewn and was ready to try it on.  What a deal.  The shoulders hung down to my elbows, the back center pulled up, the side seams hung down and there was were wonderful folds of fabric all around me.  So, this is why I'm suppose to do a muslin?  To make an incredibly awful story as short as possible, I tryed to recut, take in seams, and "make it work", I finally threw it in the garbage.  No, I'm not kidding!  And yes, it was Cherrywood fabric!

Last week, I cut out a new Chanchanko Vest in a size XL.  It is better but still needs work.  Now, the courage part.....  Karla took pictures of me in this muslin that happens to be flawed Cherrywood-I just can't do the muslin thing.  It seems so pointless.  I am just like most Luscious Ladies--I hate pictures! I did learn that it is good to really be able to see what the garment is doing and where changes need to be made, instead of some one just telling you.  So I'm going to post these before pictures (before I chicken out) and then start making   changes                                                                                                

           

This is where I'm starting.....

Finally.......

I'm ready to start Linda's Luscious Ladies (LLL)!!  I've been thinking about this for ages and my friend RoseAnn from Rosebud's Cottage said I could do it.  I am addicted to RoseAnn and Pam Holland's Blog and my day is not complete until I see if they have news for me.  I hope I can do as well.

I am having trouble!!!!  I love to sew!  I use to make all my garments when I was "young" and my body was a perfect size 18--except for my waist. (Notice, I said 18-not 10, not 8,not even a 12!  I've always been a Luscious Lady!)   I could cut out and sew up anything in a very short time.  I left my sewing behind for about 12 years while pursuing a career in the world of food-with Bonanza Family Restaurants.  I ended back up in House of Fabrics in 1993 and found quilting.  What a rush!!!! I loved it.  Nothing had to fit a human body--just sew like crazy and buy fabric.  In 2002 I was lucky enough to start working for Cherrywood Fabrics.  Eat your heart out!!!!!!  Cherrywood is not only good in quilts but it crys out for clothing.  After 7 years now of wearing Cherrywood in A-line jumpers and  3 vests that I'm not really happy with, the time has come!!!   Accept the body size and learn how to alter those patterns.  It just ticks me off that my body is not the same--now I have fat arms, rounded back neckline and what little waist I did have has been lost since 1989.  How to alter those patterns.

Take the journey with me as I explore patterns and books and construct clothing to fit this luscious body.  I travel all over to shows with Cherrywood and I am sure to meet some interesting people on the way.  There will be other things as well, because it's a great big quilting world out there!!