Friday 14 January 2022

Sewing Room Dig 2022, Who Said I Yam What I Yam?, Baking, Loving Labradors

  We have Ned's litter mate, Petey, here with us for a while and I've been making sure they have been getting lots of exercise and attention. Being Labradors, they both are needy when it comes to pats and rubs.  All joyful to the two of us as we are basically in isolation and this is a pleasant diversion. It's also like old times to have two dogs again. 

 I've been complaining lately about the lack of  light for indoor picture taking as you know. SIL was so nice to buy me this special Halo light.  It has a very soft illumination and is very light weight for positioning and moving from room to room. This last feature is nice because my Ott Floor Lamp weighs a ton and does not transport easily.  I'll let you know how Halo is to stitch by. 
Daughter brought us over another cake, a dark chocolate one this time. I've been very remiss in showing her cakes and squares... a once a month treat which is continuing. Last time it was a pan of date squares which Hubby devoured. The frosting here is light and delicious.
I told you in this post about baking a loaf of raisin bread in the bread machine. It was delicious though I will tweak it a little, swap out some of the sugar for another tablespoon of molasses. I also found it a tiny bit heavy. I had baked it on the shorter setting for Sweets per the instruction booklet but next time I will use the regular setting which adds more time to the overall process. But there will definitely be a next time probably this weekend. 

Sandra at mmm Quilts has a lovely Etsy shop, Sandra Jane Quilts.  Before Christmas I purchased two of her bags for gifts. They are adorable, pretty fabrics and perfectly stitched. And very well priced. Her service was wonderful as you can imagine from Sandra so do take a peek at her shop.  
What else have I uncovered in the  Sewing Room Dig of 2022???
Okay I found lots but I remembered all the projects except one.  Last winter I'd been sewing scraps together and made this little hand quilted topper that I've used a lot since. I was surprised how much I enjoyed using the yellow which is a colour I'd never used a lot of before.
At the same time I also stitched enough scrappy bits together for this six block pieced runner using more yellow. Almost finished; needs quilting now (and a good press) and was completely forgotten. So that's one topper and one runner that could be finished in no time. But who's counting. Meanwhile I'll continue to share other discoveries from my dig, some so big I'm ashamed they got sidelined. 😞
But I yam what I yam which reminds me of this guy...

Did you watch Popeye cartoons as a kid? I loved them.
Hope there is not an Extreme Cold Warning where you are like we have today and for the next three days. -30 wind chill presently so I wore my balaclava today which freaked out the dogs for a few minutes this morning. LOL



33 comments :

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

seeing your cake and bread started to make me think it was time to make some bread again - I haven't made any in a long time - I will hold off on cake until the beginning of February when it is hubby's birthday.
I love all your projects going on - I'm sure you are prepared for cold weather walks - I remember how cold it was when I grew up in Wisconsin and later when my sister and I shared an apartment in Milwaukee and were so strapped for money we usually walked to work being so cold to the lake we had a mighty cold wind coming off of it - walking in 0-20 is not fun!!

Annie said...

So lovely to see you joining in the fun this week. What a lovely blog. My daughter has two labradors, very similar to your two. They are such lovely dogs and are both really lovely with their three children. I hope you will link in again.
Hugs,
Annie x

Jenny said...

Oh those dogs! Such cute happy expressions, must be fun to have them together for a while. You are so fortunate that your daughter does spe ial baking for you each month, such a lovely gift, I'm sure you look forward to seeing what is coming next.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Ned and Petey look like a happy pair! I enjoyed seeing those pretty patchwork toppers you found in your sewing room dig. It always feels good to finish those kinds of things up and find a spot in the house for them. Yum on the chocolate cake and also your raisin bread! So many things to like in your post!

Donna said...

Well .. YUM .. that cake looks delicious! Seeing the raisin bread .. I think I might just pop one into my breadmaker for breakfast tomorrow.

We have just had a major cold snap .. now things are warm for a bit. Hope it lasts for a while.

Jackie said...

How sweet that your daughter bring you something special each and every month. I am afraid to do a deep dive on unfinished projects in my sewing/craft room.

God bless.

Brian's Home Blog said...

Oh those pups look so cute together, love those smiles! You've sure been baking lots of goodies. I loved Popeye as a kid and begged to try spinach, which I totally hated then. Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!

piecefulwendy said...

It's both fun and a bit surprising to unearth those projects, isn't it? Sometimes, though, they just needed time to brew, and a new idea is born and it gets finished. The cake looks so yummy. I hope you enjoy the new light, too. My daughter is bringing home a lab pup this week, so there's much excitement going on. I don't think Wilbs will be too keen, but we will see when the pup comes for a visit. (I can still hear the Popeye theme song . . .)

Ruth Hiebert said...

Oh that cake looks so good. I’m a sucker for sweets and especially chocolate.

PaintedThread said...

What a cute pair! Oh, that chocolate cake looks delicious. What a nice daughter!

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. :-)

Michele McLaughlin said...

Those are two happy dogs! I'm thinking of buying a halo lamp as well for the same reason. It's hard to get any decent photos these days as it has been grey, grey, and more grey! I LOVE yellow and think it brightens up any project! Glad you are finding it a fun color to work with these days! Love Popeye! Stay safe and warm!

andy's colours said...

I can hardly imagine such temperatures. The lowest we've ever had was some years ago at 20°C below zero when we had to get the guinea pigs out of the shed and into the house (guest toilet with open window). You do have such a variety of temperatures, flora and fauna! Sometimes I think it's similar to ours in North Germany but definitely not winterwise. The dogs are good to have around. Sometimes wish I had one, but still like to travel, which would make it difficult. Got enough projects for the near future and my list is getting longer with new things that interest me and I am trying out, like aquarell painting (not that I paint well ...) and multi meda arts. Your fotos are always very inspiring. Used to like Popeye, too, but can't remember the natives. Probably wouldn't let my kids watch this one today ... Keep warm and don't stay out too long in the cold (not good for your lungs).
Andrea

Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting said...

I enjoyed breezing through what's going on in your studio and winter home, going through your latest blog posts, Jocelyn!!! We've had some pretty cold days here in Minnesota, too. Those are happy faces on those dogs!!! I'll be interesting in hearing how the halo light works for you. That cake looks scrumptious! And I love your afghan--love that designer's patterns, and your cross stitch, going back to previous blog posts. And yes, a grandchildren are a blessing and reward!!!

MissPat said...

Oh gosh, I somehow fell way behind on your posts, but I'm caught up now. I tried Wordle after seeing so much about it (and apparently copycats trying to cash in). Had beginners luck and got it on the third try. We only have the deep freeze for today, going back to 30's tomorrow, but then up to 12" of snow on Monday. Well, it is January after all. I'm glad to see you're finishing up some UFO's. I'm still having trouble settling down to getting stuff done and a major cleanup is needed in the sewing room. Stay warm and enjoy your furry friends.
Pat

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Your yellow little topper is very pretty! Love the dogs, and the chocolate cake too ;))
Thank you for sharing, and linking up today!

cityquilter grace said...

your canine friends love to smile for the camera...lol! watched popeye myself back in the day...and cold for maryland here...but not THAT cold!

Marie-Francoise de Lille said...

So cute your little topper in grey and yellow.
Hugs from France
Marie-Francoise de Lille

Marie-Francoise de Lille said...

So cute your little topper in grey and yellow.
Hugs from France
Marie-Francoise de Lille

Karen's Korner said...

Your two furry companions look so happy. Please give them a big hug from me. That cake looks delicious. It is amazing what we find when we go digging around in the sewing room.

Kim said...

Oh my goodness, I simply cannot compute such freezing temperatures! It is a beautiful hot, summer's day here. =) All your pretties dancing in scrappy fabrics reminds me how I love scrappy-ness delight! Love the yellow table topper. I loved Popeye and Olive when I was a kid. As for those two Labs; their adorable faces are magical. And....the raisin bread looks delicious!

Janice said...

I’ve just been catching up on reading what you have been up to since Christmas. I think a lot of us were feeling a bit down before the big day. It didn’t feel much like Christmas here, as the weather was still quite cool compared to usual and we were all occupied with COVID related stuff. I’m glad you sound more chirpy now. I’m playing along with RSC again this year, after a year off, but I don’t seem to have a great deal of red fabrics to play with. I’ll find something. Good luck with your digging into your sewing room. If you get a few projects done and dusted it will have been well worth the effort. Zen joy the baking from your daughter. What a thoughtful thing for her to do.

Linda said...

The puppies are so adorable. We love labs too. Oh that cake! Glad you got a good light for your photos. That is always an issue here, and I look longingly at photos on the "famous" quilter websites with their bright studios. Love the yellows! Yes I used to watch Popeye cartoons, even into my teenhood - lol!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Lucky you to have a wonderful SIL that buys you a great lamp - and lucky also to have special cake deliveries from your daughter. It was a joy to see those happy furry faces greeting me when I arrived at your blog.
And I have to say that I've never watched Popeye. We didn't have a tv until I was in grade 11 and I very rarely watched it even then. If we watched anything in the cartoon vein it was always Bugs Bunny and the Roadrunner. Ed Sullivan, I Love Lucy, and Red Skelton and Carol Burnett. Otherwise the tv wasn't on.

Miaismine said...

What cute doggies - they have love written all over their faces! I'm so curious about your halo light! Interesting! It sounds like you have a sweet daughter! Hmm..I'm going to have to try baking snack breads in my bread machine. Lovw that background quilt! Your table toppers are lovely and the last one is so ready to be finished! What a great post! Take good care!

Karrin Hurd said...

I did watch Popeye, and Roadrunner, I Love Lucy, and then there were a bunch of shows I had to compromise and watch with my brother like the Lone Ranger and Gene Autry and the Rifleman. I have been digging in my sewing room this week and I discovered the lighthouse quilt I mentioned on my blog today, but also a Sunbonnet Sue BOM that I have 1 block done. That cake looks absolutely delicious! My lighting is poor at night too, or even during the day when I am trying to take pictures. That Halo lamp looks promising! Hope you have a great week!

QuiltGranma said...

That cake looks decadent! Our dog is white lab and... another large breed that I don't currently recall, a long nosed white sheep dog breed, and he keeps the deer and other varments out of the yard. Have fun sewing! We are currently in freezing fog warning here.

Karen said...

First cold, now snow

The Joyful Quilter said...

That is my favorite kind of cake and your daughter's looks delicious! Does she share recipes? Looking forward to seeing what other treasures you find in the Great Dig of 2022. :o))

Quilter Kathy said...

What a fun blog post to read! First... I love your winter embroidery header photo! And your adorable labs made me smile :)
I'll be interested in your thoughts on the halo lamp and if you like it, maybe I need one also!?
Popeye... a golden oldey from the 1960s I remember it well!

kiwikid said...

What a gorgeous photo of the dogs, such happy smiling faces! Lovely cake you have there, seeing your raisin toast makes me want to go and make some toast for me! Your are finding lovely things to finish sewing.

Angie said...

Jocelyn - such adoring eyes from those Labs! The melting butter on the raisin bread is just as irresistible! Our weather has been warmer here - yuck! It just makes everything very slick.

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

Love those Labs! They look so happy and wanting soooo much attention. The halo light looks like it will fill the void of some good sunlight. And of course, the sweets look so delicious! Hugs PS - I loved all the old cartoons, Bugs Bunny, RoadRunner, and of course Popeye!

Deb said...

Oh my the cake looks so good. I love the yellow topper and the halo light is interesting.