On being an intermittent quilter...

I am, at this moment feeling very smart. I have coined a new phrase for my infrequent quilting related activities. I will now call myself an 'Intermittent Quilter'. Other things like work, the kid and general stuff keeps popping up in my life regularly to dissuade me from hooking up with the machine. 2015 began with a resolution to sew something every week....you might notice i didn't give myself a very unattainable goal. The God of fate and resolutions didn't really like my decision. So i had loads of work coming in....which is good....the kid suddenly demanding a 'something interesting to eat' for every meal and social engagements popping up with alarming frequency. Well, all this justification for just one project in the past 2 months. 

This isn't a quilt...it's a bedspread. I made it for my cousin who got married in February. 

Sushi and a glass of wine

When you love to eat, anything related to food becomes fun.Me and my sister Shweta had a lovely time last weekend at a sushi making party at a hotel in Pune. Sushi is essentially seafood and rice rolled in a sheet of seaweed. We had a good time watching types of sushi being made. The chef made it look so simple. And it was simple....till it was time to cut the maki with a huge chef's knife. Some of us did get it right though...without accidents. All the foodies gathered there had a go at rolling their own Sushi....and we got to eat our own creations. I had the distinction of being the only vegetarian in the assemblage.

 This is the one that i loved the most however couldn't eat it.....California Maki.

Me....trying a hand at rolling the Sushi.

Yay!!! i did it!!

My sister...

Vacations and excuses for lazing around

It’s been a while since I posted anything on my blog. It has been a fun filled summer vacation for us with little trips around the town to places my kid loves, mangoes and more mangoes. We ate mangoes from breakfast till post dinner. If I put on a little weight now all these mangoes would have contributed to a noble cause.

 The woods near my place are much loved and frequented.  We went on frequent walks to see the peacocks and peahens wandering around the woods.

Summer was also a flurry of birthdays and parties including that of my princess. She turned 5 this year. 

Now you know why I haven’t touched fabric and quilting for the past 2 months. I have a couple of WIPs that I intend to finish now that the school has begun. Hopefully I will do so soon.

The hustle and bustle in my life and IMQG updates

There is so much activity happening around me that my mind is struggling to cope with all.

There are a few reasons to celebrate though  - 

1. The IMQG's first ever meet in Pune will happen from April 20th to 22nd. I am super excited about it since it will benchmark the beginning of an exciting period for all the quilters in India (I don't see any male quilters in the group yet.......but i am hopeful! :)). When we started the Guild we didn't honestly have an idea that we would have more than a hundred members so soon!!

2. My home finally looks livable after a month of cement and sand and broken flooring. Trust me, renovating the house 'sounds' like a lovely idea. When it becomes reality....it is a nightmare. What with a spouse whose working hours start extending miraculously the day the workers start pulling up the flooring......and the kid chooses the same couple of weeks to fall ill.......well...you get the picture.

3. This is something i look forward to every April....my birthday! Next Sunday! I have always had a great fascination for the day and i ensure that everyone around me is aware of my birthday :). Even my almost 4 year old daughter isn't half as excited as me about getting birthday presents.

All in all, no time for quilting or even picking up the cutter or fabric. I intend to finish of Madhu's block for the IMQG block party first as soon as i find the box with my quilting tools. Check out the block party details.....it is fun! 

Sneak peak in my life...

I sincerely hope people are wondering about my absence in the blog land. If not, well..... i will still give you an account of what i am up to. Since this year has begun the kiddo has caught cold so many times that her staple diet now consists of cold medications and cough syrups. On the home front.....the flooring of my home had for a while steadily started puffing. When i say puffing....i mean puffing. It feels like walking between mounds of floor. Like we do everything else....we thought for a while about how to tackle the problem. It was finally decided to bring in a contractor and get a professional opinion. We then had a string of contractors telling us that the flooring needed to be replaced. So we then decided to go tile hunting however the kiddo and DH again  caught the cold virus and were down for a couple of days. So i am the only one left to think about the problem and to plan the next step. Whew!!! Now you know how busy i am. 

I had decided on completing one project a month hoping to make a slow dent in my WIP's. I failed to keep my vow for the moth of Feb which means i will have to finish 2 projects in March to catch up with my resolution. :) Do you do the same? I did manage to get something crafty done though. The kiddo's school is holding an arts and craft exhibition. Which means the parents make whatever is required and the kids are only expected to figure out what their parents have done. I made a veggie stall and happily Ira could recognize most of the veggies. 

Resolutions and resolves to keep them.

Very early in my childhood, it learnt that it is a norm to make new year resolutions every January. As i grew older i also learnt (mostly from my own experiences) that most of these resolutions....normally made under the euphoria of a new year party or other influencing emotions....are never kept. I had, therefore, very prudently given up making resolutions. This year though, i have decided to play smart and make resolutions that i know i will keep. So here's my list - 

1. Finish all the WIP's from the last year. 

2. Learn to piece perfectly.

3. Learn to bake.

Now that's what i call doable resolutions. :)

Christmas afternoon

All my husband's cousins live in Pune and we meet us quite frequently over food and gossip. This weekend, over dinner at a sister in law's place, we ladies decided to get together and bake a cake for Christmas. Not that we celebrate Christmas.....it was just a reason to get together to gossip some more. We made 2 quick and fabulous cakes and did gossip a lot more while the cakes were being baked. I had taken the kiddo with me so she could spend time with another cousin of hers of the same age. She enjoyed it too so i have decided to take her along for the next girls' weekend out that i am planning with my cousins.

A respite

I recently realised that i haven't posted in a month. A very strange occurrence is taking place in my daughter's life for a couple of months now. She catches cold and goes through a cycle of viral fever exactly around the 10th or 11th of every month and this is the third time this has happened. The weather in the city is playing havoc with the kid's immune system with cold, heat and rain all in a day for a spell and then a perfect summer weather otherwise. I am thankful for a month's school vacation coming up. It will keep her out of infection's way for a while. However before the vacations commence, it is exam time. I am as excited as Ira is since this is her first proper exam :).

I haven't really stopped working on any of the projects meanwhile. I have the Birdie Stitches blocks 8 and 9 done. I am also planning to finish the quilt top in a couple of days.

And the progress so far.....it just served to remind me how behind i am. :)

A yummy desert!

My aunt came visiting yesterday. While catching up with the family gossip, we swapped some recipes. This is a quick and yummy one that i tried as soon as she left. It is a delicious version of the lovely caramel custard. My husband loved it and so did Ira. 

Coffee Caramel Pudding

250 ml milk

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp instant coffee

1 tsp vanilla essence

Mix the milk and sugar and heat till the sugar dissolves. Cool. 

Whip the eggs and coffee till they froth. Add to the cooled milk and sugar mix. Add the vanilla and mix well.

In a decorative steel bowl, mix 1 teaspoonful of sugar with 1 teaspoonful water. Heat till the sugar is caramelized and coats the bottom of the bowl evenly. Pour the milk and eggs mix over the caramel carefully. Do not stir. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Store in the fridge till you are ready to eat. Invert the pudding bowl on a serving place so the lovely caramel topping would be visible. Cut into wedges and serve. 

I did not obviously remember to click a photograph...i was just busy eating. :)

Show and Tell!

When i was at my mom's place for the last month of my pregnancy i had made a couple of quilts for my baby. I never got to show them on my blog because they were packed up and left on the loft and i am kind of 'out of sight - out of mind' kind of a person. I have recently taken to check all the stored stuff because now the house is bursting at its seams. I found one of the quilts that i made for my daughter. It was a full fabric quilt with a satin and cotton combo. It was hand quilted by my mom as Ira came a week early making me abandon the project. She quilted it in white and hot pink and also added a few sparklers for the effect. Ira loves it even now.

I don't have the other quilt to show as it is well worn by now. 

Between the mad rush of Ira's fancy dress event and my house cleaning i forgot all about this table topper that i had made last week. 

I have sadly run out of batting so this little beauty will have to wait a while before i could finish it. I followed this easy peasy the tutorial that i found here.

My Periwinkle!

Ira had a fancy dress competition in her school today. I cut out a periwinkle from the cardboard and painted it pink! I also cut out leaves and made it look as attractive as i could for a 3 year old. She was very excited about the entire process till last night. This morning she got cold feet and didn't want to go to school. Once we were at the school, she didn't want to wear her flower.....well, after a lot of convincing and watching a few performances she finally agreed to go to the stage. My husband has written a verse on periwinkle which she was supposed to sing and enact. She did sing.......but that was that....and the loudest was her 'Thank you " :).

Well, all in all, whatever she did, she received the first place.....so we both are happy.

P.S - while trying to get her to the stage i promised all sorts of bribes.....chocolates, gifts....she made me get everything on the way home. I tried to restrict all the demands but she said she did as she was told and it was now 'my turn to keep the promise'! :)

My little angel.....ready for school

How quickly she has grown up. Here i am still wondering how the time flew since she was born and here she is ....3 already and going to school. Thankfully the school is only for a couple of hours. She spends the rest of the time chirping around me all the while and all her sentences begin with  'mommy'.

Viruses....not in my computer though!

I have been longing to post my updates to the Birdie Stitches Stitch Along and the 36 patch quilt along. However for the past week or so my daughter and me were stuck in bed with a viral infection. Now the fever's receded and we are left with a bad cough. The timing is bad coz i have to at my mom's place next Monday for a function that i do not wish to miss. I managed to read a couple of books while i was laid up and also managed to sneak some embroidery. DH cooked for us while we were in bed and i guess that was the best part. :)

There's one occasion that shook me a little. The kiddo was kept away from me for a day when i had the temperature and she didn't. She tried a lot of times to come to my room to 'tell' me something important or 'show' me something that she had done. She was being constantly shooed away. She came to my room in the evening and stood by the door weeping. She told me she kept coming to me because she wanted to make me feel better and that she was scared that i didn't like her anymore. I don't understand where it came from but i realised i should have let her come in a couple of times or explained better why she wasn't allowed in my room. I guess that is why that entire day whenever i looked at her she kept on asking me to smile at her. It was her way of reassuring herself. I was very scared in that moment.

On a happier note.......she's back to being the normal brat seeing that i am now able to be with her once more. I would pray for more understanding and patience where she is concerned henceforth.

My mini vacation....

A half day drive through a beautiful trail. It was raining intermittently and wherever i looked...it was green. I love the rains and i love the small places that we can visit near our city during rains. Simply refreshing and relaxing....maybe not for the DH coz he was the one driving for 4 hours.

The best part was that the kiddo had a lot of fun too and i did not have to worry about entertaining her. :)

Another quick recipe.....

Wonder what everyone must be thinking! I tried this one up on a whim and i loved it so much that i thought i would share it :).

So here goes -
1 small pack Bingo Mad Angles Tomato Mischief (You can use whatever your favourite chips are)
2 cheese cubes
3-4 teaspoonful milk
Some Patience (very essential since the chips are yummy by themselves too).
Oregano and chili flakes to taste.

Shred the cheese and combine the milk and cheese in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for around 30-40 seconds. Stir a couple of times in between or else the sauce will burn.
Arrange the chips in a dish and pour the cheese sauce over them.
Sprinkle oregano and chili flakes or tomato salsa or whatever else takes your fancy and they are ready to eat.

I have no photograph to show until i make my next batch. Should give you an inkling of how irresistible this is :).

New Year Celebrations!

This is how we celebrate the Hindu New Year. We hoist a 'Gudhi', the family gets together, we cook a scrumptious meal and generally have fun. My family is a big foodie. Whatever be the occasion, the fist discussion is about the menu and everything else is unimportant. So we had a lovely spread yesterday, traditional, of course but yummy! The kids ran around the house having fun and looking at other people's Gudhis. My daughter felt everyone else's paled by comparison to ours :). Traditionally, one is supposed to buy gold or something precious at least on this day. I tried to convince my husband for additional diamonds :).....i even told him that it could be an early present for my birthday next week....i promised if i get the diamonds i won't ask for anything else......well, it didn't work at all! No diamonds but he did tell me to buy whatever else i wanted for myself as long as i didn't drag him for the shopping! Wonder if this trick would work every time???? :P

Yay, Yay, Yay, Yay.....

That's how my daughter chanted when the India Vs. Pakistan World cup semi final match concluded. I bet she didn't understand the match at all but the enthusiasm of others was so infectious that she just joined in the cheering :). 
This was a crucial match for the Indian team and the viewers as the winner of this match would enter the World Cup finals and play against Sri Lanka. (Any match that India plays against Pakistan is equally crucial since it is not just about the game, it is about patriotism too.) So to make this event more happening and to engage more and more people to share the building tension and the joys and sorrows, the management of our residential complex decided to hold the screening of this match in the garden. And oh! it was fun! All the kids (and we have loads...of every age group) and their mothers, mostly, cheering and discussing the match minutely. So we had older people sitting in a group and a big group of housewives who had to watch the match and keep an eye on the smaller kids, mine included. It was a heady feeling....watching the tension mount up , cheering with the players and exclamations of disappointments when Pakistan seemed to gain an upper hand. The last couple of overs were viewed with absolute silence and then.....ear splitting noise of the cheering that went on when India won the match! The entire mood was so euphoric! Crackers and cheers followed!

I don't really follow cricket though my husband is pretty into it. However for me too, this was an event to remember. Now i am eagerly awaiting the final match on April 2nd. Plans have already begun of carrying the dinner down with us so we won't miss a single minute of that infectious energy! :)

A kitchen adventure...

An overzealous housewife, a glass bowl, a scream, sound of running feet, blood, stitches and painkillers. Oh, and by the end of this all a frustrated husband! :)

Not a plot for a new story, however 'it happened to me' last night. I was drying the crockery and a glass bowl slipped from my hand. It smashed on the kitchen platform and before going to pieces took it's revenge on me by giving me a deep cut on my wrist.
One scream and a shout later i rushed to my father in law's (a doctor) for a dressing. He took one look and rushed me to the hospital for stitches. The doctor at the hospital kept asking me if i would panic through the procedure and if i wanted my husband to hold my hand while he stitched the wound. I said no and he produced a big stapler and stapled the wound together....

Well, now here i am, on painkillers, antibiotics and with a sling in my neck to support my arm. All the photos that i wanted to post of my recent finishes will have to wait....also my stitching will have to take a backseat till i recover.

The brighter side -
Ira wasn't in the kitchen when this happened.
My husband was home so he could look after her while i rushed to my father in law's place.
My in laws stay next door so i always have help in case of emergencies.

Ira, though only 2 and a half understood that i had limited mobility and dressed herself for school this morning without a fuss and i am once again proud of my baby. :)