Finishing Homework

Homework Machine

by Shel Silverstein

The Homework Machine , oh the Homework Machine,

Most perfect contraption that’s ever been seen.

Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,

Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds time,

You homework comes out, quick and clean as can be.

Here it is – “nine plus four?” and the answer is “three”.

Three?

Oh me…

I guess it’s not as perfect

As I thought it would be.

I had a flashback this Friday. A flashback to late night science projects, late night history papers, late night dioramas, late night math cramming. This Friday night found me desperately finishing the homework for my mod-pillow quilting class at Modern Domestic. 

A mess of fabric. Improvisational piecing taught by Elizabeth of the blog Oh, Fransson!
And I found it incredibly hard. A fantastic exercise in getting things right but not "perfect". I had to let go my symmetry and grids and just let the pieces come together. 

And come together they did. 
I three squares done early in the week and felt pretty good.

Then, the week exploded and nothing more got done. The second day of class loomed closer and closer, until...
Friday turned into a late night sewing frenzy with pieces going together until 3:30am. But I finished them. 9 blocks of improved goodness. I "squared" them up. Laid them out. Admired. I mean- look at them. Even with the bad lighting I find them awesome. 

I got the sashing between them. Snapped a picture. Dragged myself to bed. Homework completed. Just in time. I spent class Saturday morning yawning. 

Coming soon- a completed pillow. Both the front and back are quilted, I just need to sew them all together.

Goodbye 2010

A Song for New Years Eve
by William Cullen Bryant

Stay yet, my friends, a moment stay— 
     Stay till the good old year, 
So long companion of our way, 
     Shakes hands, and leaves us here. 
          Oh stay, oh stay, 
One little hour, and then away.

Before we hit the town we hosted a (fancy) dinner for good good friends.

Out came the fine fancy china, a gift from my mother-in-law.  I gave in to temptation and made napkins to match the china. I again used the purl bee tutorial, but increased the dimensions by 2 inches. Bigger napkins are tres tres fancy.

A beautiful fancy table. Ready for dinner, conversation, laughter and toasts to what has been and what will be.

The food. Oh my goodness the food. In courses! In fancy courses!We started with roasted red pepper soup then on to roasted pear halves stuffed with goodness over a bed of lettuce.

Our fancy main course consisted of a root vegetable gratin and stuffed pork roast with apples. Then, a dessert that allows a small glimpse of nirvana in each bite. Coconut milk, palm sugar, vanilla, bananas and pineapple. Warm and served over ice cream. A recipe from our honeymoon in Bali. 

A sweet and delicious goodbye to 2010. And everyone loved the napkins. 

 Happy New Year.