Friday 29 March 2019

Friday's Stitching Ground ⚾

Today's stitching ground brings me to the ballfield while watching Nathan play baseball. Perfect time to take a photo while he's at bat!


It's about 70° with a slight breeze, bring on spring!

Have you ever stitched at a sporting event? 


Thursday 28 March 2019

Stitching Bags 👜

I saw these at Target yesterday while shopping with a friend. I love bags and these are the ones I've seen people stitch on, sooo...


A couple of them found they found their way into my cart!


I'm thinking a mermaid on the blue, but I'm not sure about the little one. Maybe a dragon?!
Has anyone stitched on them yet? They have a liner inside and I'm not sure if I need to cut it out, or just stitch with it in place.
I'm not sure when I'll be able to work on them, I have a few projects going on at the moment, but I'm excited about them!

Friday 22 March 2019

Friday's Stitching Ground📻

Early this Friday morning brought me to 95.1 SHINE-FM to volunteer for the Spring Fundraiser. This was the last day and after all the rain we had yesterday, this was my view this morning - the moon shining over SHINE-FM!


This was my view for most of the day while helping out, but minus the laptop and showing the view of Baltimore in the background. I brought some travel stitching with me just in case I took a break... not! Too busy getting donations straightened out in the system.


But when I got home (and after I took a cat nap with the kitties), this was my stitching ground. Nice and toasty warm with my helpers.


After a busy day, do you still find time to stitch?

Thursday 21 March 2019

Gathering Honey Update 🐝

On February 15th, I started Gathering Honey.
Scroll on down to see where I am now.

Thanks to Jo @Serendipitous Stitching for making me want to stitch this one! It's such a beautiful piece, I love stitching it.













I think that once I've finished all the gardens, I'll add the backstitching and then see where I want to continue.

Friday 15 March 2019

Friday's Stitching Ground 📺

This Friday evening I have Nathan joining me as he's stitching Pikachu! Not being allowed on electronics during the school week has its advantages. 
We were listening to a dragon book during the week, but today he asked if we could watch Doctor Who! Say what? Yes, yes, yes! 
I haven't gotten very far with Gathering Honey, but picked it up again today. I had an exchange piece I needed to work on first. I did finish it, but now have to fully finish it.



And looking to my right, daylight savings time is looking pretty good!


Looks like audio book and Doctor Who with Nathan and any new to me series on Netfix, Prime, Acorn. Britbox, etc. 
Any suggestions on something you really like? 

Sunday 10 March 2019

Brewing 101 ⚗🍺




DH has been brewing beer at a friend's house for a little over a year now, but they do it outside which limits when they brew.
He found this setup online for sale in Baltimore, so he ran went to get it last fall. He's a happy camper!


This is the unfinished part of the basement, which DH has turned into his home brewing area.


He recently added a sofa, which makes it so much more comfortable to watch it happen! 


He has made many different kinds of beers, but the only one I really liked was an Orange Wit as I prefer a lighter beer.
After me pestering asking several times, ever so sweetly, he said he would make me a cranberry beer. Yay!


So here begins the lesson...

He - Prepping the yeast starter.
Me - Looks like a science experiment.
It's cool because it has a magnet on the bottom of the glass that stirs it.


He - Mashing the grains and the cranberries.
Me - Stirring cranberry soup!


He - Yeast starter with candied sugar to the right.
Me - Still a science experiment!


He - Recirculating the mash.
Me - Oooh, a cranberry fountain!


He - Preparing the hops.
Me - It looks like rabbit pellets.


He - Hop spider in the boil, sweet wort at the start of the boil (no hops yet).
Me - A cone cylinder thingy, looks like boiled milk to me.


He - Leftover spent grains and cranberries.
Me - Awesome, grains for bread!


He - Rolling boil.
Me - Dirty looking water.


He - Wort in the conical fermentor, ready for the yeast pitch.
Me - Great, he's using his "koozie" Christmas present!


He - Cold crashing, bringing the beer down to temperature to carbonate.
Me - Cooling it in the cooler/ac converter thingy he made.


He - The yeast drop/trub.
Me - It looks like a pudding or a shake.


He - Dropping the yeast.
Me - Looks like a chocolate shake, but NOT!


He - More dropping of the yeast.
Me - Now it looks like sludge.


He - The hydrometer tube test, uncarbonated.
Me - Tasting tube for me!


He - The first taste test.
Me - Um, that's a lot of foam!


He - Filling the kegs.
Me - So close to being done!


He - Continue to fill the kegs.
Me - Hurry!


He - Filtering the beer into the keg.
Me - Thank goodness that's not going in my beer!


He - Putting the keg in the keezer (which he made)
Me - Finally!


He - The first pour.
Me - Ah, this is the life! Thank you, honey!


It's official, the bar is open!


He - Spent grains for the deer (for our neighbour).
Me - A cranberry bread supply.


The end result of the cranberry bread, but unfortunately not very many cranberries, they were on the bottom of the bag. 😖 


Playing with food!


He - Edible beer!
Me - It's warm and delicious!



This vent contraption was created after making my beer, because whenever he was brewing, it made the whole house stink!


We do have a wooden frame now, no more towels.


Ming and I breaking in the brew room couch!


I'll think I'll be watching from now on, it still confuses me. I'll stick to baking the bread from the grains, yum!