Photo Quilt

Since I've started to quilt, I've made 3 photo quilts. One for my roommate (you know the first wedding I was in), one for my professor from college and one for my cousin (the second wedding I was in). I have pictures of the first two, just not my college professor...boo. Mr. took my old computer and was going to give it to a family friend, but wipe out my hard drive before giving it to them. He thought all of my pictures were in "my pictures" folder, they were not...so I lost a bunch of photos, sad times, I try not to think about it, but occasionally it does still come up...

Anyway, I hardly ever follow a pattern when I make a quilt. I just come up with a design and then go for it. My roommate one was a time consuming one, but worth the effort in the end. College professor was a simple square pattern, and cousin quilt also another easy one.

I don't have pictures detailing the process, but when I do another one, I'll make sure to take lots of pictures and to keep Mr. away from all hard drives.

The hardest (not really), part is to get the pictures on the fabric right? Well you could buy this but you only get 5 sheets and it's expensive, so if you want more than 5 pictures, you'll have to buy two packs and that is only going to give you 10 pictures, assuming you don't mess up. So I'm going to tell you how you can make your own so you won't feel guilty about mistakes, because you know there is always a mistake.

I didn't find this link until I started making mine, but  this is a really good article. I would also like to say that I have not done this before, I skipped the Bubble Jet products, not knowing they existed until after the fact (kicking myself that I didn't know about it), but will be using this product for my next photo quilt.

So you're going to need the following:

• 100% white or ivory cotton fabric (ask your local fabric shop what the tightest woven fabric for printing on is)
• Bubble Jet Set (here*  or here)
• Bubble Jet Rinse (here* or here)
• Inkjet Printer
• Iron
• Freezer Paper
• Sissors
• Pictures (duh)

* I have not used this website before

1. Saturate your fabric in Bubble Jet Set according to directions, and let dry (if it's wrinkly, you can iron it when it's dry)**
2. While you're waiting for it to dry, set up your pictures, I do it in Word, just so I can arrange them how I want them to maximize my effort (don't forget your 1/4 seam all the way around)
3. When the fabric is dry (I find it easiest to do it this way, you can do it however you want, as long as the end result is the same), tear off some of your freezer paper, enough that it's going to cover at least 8.5 x 11 surface. I like to make mine bigger, so I can get two or three out of each go around. 
4.  With the waxy side facing the fabric, and the non-waxy paper facing you, iron the freezer paper to the fabric. I find that it gets a really good hold, and won't start to come apart going through the printer. It will work the other way around, but sometimes the wax just isn't enough and it doesn't stick. Repeat until you have enough for all of your pictures
5. How I save on waste, is that if I know only 1 picture is going to be on that particular sheet and is taking up much less space, I'll cut the fabric/freezer paper smaller, not a full 8.5x11. Cut out how many sheets you're going to need.
6. Print out pictures, let sit at least 30 minutes
7. Peel off freezer paper, gently wash in cold water and Bubble Jet Set Rinse, this will make the pictures permanent and washable.**
8. Cut to size for sewing into quilt, pillow, etc.

 ** I am not affiliated with Bubble Jet Set, I have just heard good things about them.

Now for what I know you guys were waiting for, pictures!

Here's the one I did for my roommate, and the first wedding I was in (sorry, it's a picture of a picture, not the best quality).

This is the quilt I made for my cousin's son, M, on the front is a picture of each month for his first year

On the back, are pictures of her and a kid, him as a kid, a picture of them while she was pregnant, a picture of M as a baby, and then M stats and a "homemade with love, Aunt Sarah"

Finally a Sweater!

It's finally cold enough to wear a sweater without looking like a total nut job! Yay for cooler weather! Hope it stays this time. I have to admit this is my first time pairing a skirt with a sweater and I think I'm liking it for this slightly cooler weather. Gives the perfect balence, not too hot, not to cool. You know because use girls (according to Mr.) has a 2° difference comfort zone.

I love the back of this sweater, it's a zipper, although you can't really tell from this picture.

I would also like to a moment of silence for my shoes...yes, that's right, they've died and gone to shoe heaven, unless I decided to stop being lazy and take it to a shoe repair shop. The stopper on the heel fell off and is now showing metal...yikes, not good for our travertine floors!

Artichoke Cheese Dip aka Heart Attack in a Dish

So here's that recipe that I was going to give you yesterday. It's definitely a crowd pleaser. We've taken it to several parties and it's always the first thing to go.

What You'll Need

Extra arteries...okay I kid...sort-of. Seriously though, this is what you need:

• 1 large jar or 2 small jars (I prefer two small) of artichoke hearts, I like to use the marinade kind, but if you don't have that on hand the regular artichoke hearts is what the recipe actually calls for.
• 1 package of cream cheese - softened (I take it out an hour or so before I want to make, so I don't have to wait for it to soften)
• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of Romano Cheese
• Garlic salt/Dill weed to taste - I was out of garlic salt so I used just powdered garlic and table salt
• Bread, we like to use the long baguette types, but anything will work really...heated up is preferred but not necessary 

*I made a double batch, because I wasn't sure how many people were coming to the party.


Step 1: Set oven to 350°F
Step 2: If you're using the marinaded kind, drain and dump onto chopping board

Step 3: Cut up into small pieces (this is a picture of just two jars, so double this look if you're going for the double batch). Set aside

Step 4: When the cream cheese has softened a bit, add the sour cream, mayo and cheese to the cream cheese

Step 5: Add the artichokes in (the directions say to do this last, but how can you season to taste with the dill and the garlic salt if you don't have the artichokes in there?)

Step 6: Cut up dill, add that and garlic salt to taste. I usually hate when people say to taste, since you have no idea what it's supposed to taste like. So...for the double batch, I used almost all of the dill except maybe 1 or 2 small sprigs from that package. Garlic salt...I did maybe 5-6 shakes to start off (remember double batch).

Step 7: Spread into 9x13 dish, or 2 9x9 dishes. Put in oven until golden on top, about 25-30 minutes...maybe longer depending on your oven.

Step 8: Enjoy! Sorry people were enjoying it too much and I forgot to take a picture of it on bread...trust me it's good!

 

 

And that is how you make Artichoke Cheese Dip that everyone will ask you for the recipe and you'll feel like Rachel Ray for 2 seconds.  Now go make it this weekend, you know you want to!

Weekend Recap

This was the best weekend! First off I got my new camera! It's a Canon S95, it looks like this:

It's the most awesome camera EVER.PERIOD. Okay maybe not ever, but for a point and shoot it's the bomb! It takes pictures quick, even with Baby Fox running all around it captures everything, not like that other camera. So back to my weekend.

Saturday

I went to get my eyebrows done, yep I need that every 3 weeks, I know right? Every three weeks, else I look like, what the Mr. lovingly refers to as "bush woman". Okay it's not that bad, but I don't get my hair done that often, so I get to splurge. Then went to the gym...ugh, but I got it out of the way. Then when I got home, played with Baby Fox for a bit before swim lessons! He's becoming a little water baby.

1,2,3...under

Some back floats

And while the teacher wasn't looking, who doesn't love a good "Dirty Dancing Water Lift"?

At the end of class he gets to run on this foam thing, it's his favorite part hands down. 

And...the big announcment? Baby Fox has graduated to Advance Parent and Me Class! Woo hoo, look out Michael Phelps, you have some competition! Okay truth be told, he'd still sink like a rock if we just threw him in, but we're getting there.

During Baby Fox's nap I made an Artichoke Cheese Dip, recipe and pictures coming tomorrow.

*truth: I forgot to upload the finished product at home, so I could write this at work, hence just the ingredient picture

Then we were off to my Aunt's house for dinner for her Mother-In-Law, Betty's, 91st birthday, yea she totally rocks at 91.

Birthday girl to the left, duh

The lady on the right, her name is Lisa, she had breast cancer and had a double mastectomy in late August, she's rocking some new boobs, and is cancer free. Woo hoo to early detection, get your boobs checked people!

I like taking self portraits...get used to it...I do it all the time.

Sometimes they turn out great

Sometimes they don't

Baby Fox played with the million wine corks

 Yep, that's a skull on his shirt, he also has a skull on his jeans...daddy dressed him

Then showed off his strutting skills

 Then Mr. and Baby Fox tried to put together his portable attachable high chair...

and failed...so Mama Engineer had to come and get it done

 We didn't like this high chair, so I returned it the next day.

Then came the food, oh the glorious food...there were appetizers, but again, I was too busy eating to take pictures, must remember to take pictures next time.

Salad, with everything I'm allergic to on the side for everyone else

Bolognese Spaghetti Sauce

Roasted Chicken

I'm a bad blogger and was enjoying the food too much to actually take pictures of plated food

Sunday:

Baby Fox was sleeping in the same room as us, so he woke up early and saw us sleeping and thought it was time to play, he woke up 2 hours early...ugh!

Suffice to say when we left around 9:30am, Baby Fox pretty much slept the whole way home, and then took a 3.5 hour nap later in the day. We all took naps actually, it was glorious! 

I took a picture of Baby Fox eating bread, seems simple, but this is the FIRST time this has EVER HAPPENED! Seriously no joke, he hates bread. But not that night..he almost ate a whole roll, okay 2/3rds but still...

Then I took another one of these with Baby Fox. I try to get pictures of me and him together because I'm always behind the camera and want him to have pictures of me and him.

Then Mr and Baby Fox rocked the Lego world for a bit

It was an awesome weekend and am looking forward to this weekend and our Halloween party...bet you can't wait to see what we are, huh? Guess you'll have to wait.

If you made it this far, I commend you, this turned out longer then I thought. And don't forget to go vote for the us in our costume contest here! Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Until next time, hope you have a great Tuesday!

 

Halloween and Costume Contests

Happy Monday everyone! Since Halloween is right around the corner I thought I show you what were were last year. For whatever reason I was extra ambitious and decided that making three bears costumes would be fun. I found the fuzzy bear fabric, had to go to three stores to find enough to make for all of us! I found this pattern for Baby Fox and this pattern for us at Joann's and they were on sale, score for me!

Laying out the pattern on the fabric

 

All the pieces for Baby Fox's Costume

 

Working during Baby Fox's naps and on weekends, 1.5 months later I got this:

I had never sewn an outfit together, so if I can do it, you can do it! I did have to call my mom a few times for help with the directions, but I probably could have found them on youtube or the internet if I didn't have her to call.

On another note, I'm so excited, I entered this fantastic girls costume contest and we're in this weeks top three pick! Yay for us! But if we want to be in the running for the grand price we have to win favorite costume this week! So head on over to Brie's neck of the woods and comment that you like the three bears the best...

Because you know, how can you say no to three cute bears plus a husband that is willing to dress up in a bear costume for his wife.

Hope you had a great weekend! My weekend recap will be tomorrow! We had a fantastic family weekend. Hope you did too! 

Wedding Season is Over...and Fun Facts Friday

With wedding season officially over, I thought I would share all the weddings I've been in. I've been in 7, 8 including my own. I was in two weddings just this summer. Both of them were planned quickly, so I ended up having to buy two bridesmaids dresses in the same month, ugh! But I was so excited to be asked to share in each of their big days. One of them I was even the Matron of Honor (who else hates that term, seem like it should only be used for old people, I'm not THAT old).

2003 - My roommate Sarah got married to her college sweetheart Matt at the church at our college

I don't have a picture of the backside, let's just say that it was NOT flattering...

think of the song "I Like Big Butts and I Cannot Lie"

2004 - My cousin Jessica got married just after the new year at our hometown church

2005 - I got married! In the same church my cousin got married in

 

2006 - My cousin Melissa got married in Santa Barbara in this cute chapel just outside of town

My sister, cousin Jessica, Me and my cousin Susie...guy lurking in background, my cousin Jimmy

2008 - My work friend, Val, got married in San Luis Obispo, at this really cute winery

2009 - My college friend, Julie (she was also a bridesmaid in my wedding) got married at her hometown church in Monrovia

 

2012 -  My brother, Matt, got married in the same church that my cousin and myself got married in

2012 - My best friend and college roommate, Christine got married at this cute place in San Diego