A Mystery To Solve

Unmentionables - those articles of ladies' apparel that are never discussed in public, except in full-page, illustrated ads.
~Changing Times

Yesterday was one of those off kilter days.  Do a little sewing; check out something on the computer; do some wash.  OK, back to sewing again.  Wait!  I forgot to start the dryer.  Back to sewing.  Oh, it's time to get ready to go to lunch.  Great food and fun conversation with my BFF.  Back home, change clothes.  Rip out a seam.  Oh no!  I forgot about the clothes in the dryer.  Clomp, clomp, clomp.  Set the dryer to fluff.  Remember - 10 minutes.  Time to pay bills.  Now fold clothes.  Read a couple of blogs.  Put more clothes in the washer.  Do prep work for tomorrow's blog.  5:00 already?!?  And that's how my day went yesterday.  How was yours?

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil is found in nearly every kitchen, and it’s surprisingly useful - but not only for its traditional purpose. From the cookbooks of grandmothers and the journals of contemporary internet homemakers, here are 10 uses for that most unassuming of all shiny flexible metals: aluminum foil.

1. Frosting a cake but you’ve run out of pastry bags? Just grab a double thickness of aluminum foil and roll it into a cone shape, leaving a small opening at the point. Fill with frosting of spreading consistency. Twist the top to close the cone and use the device to make pretty frosting designs on your cake.

2. Sharpen  your inexpensive scissors.  Cutting through 6-8 layers of aluminum foil will improve the cutting surface of most scissors.

3. Make an aluminum foil deflector beanie. You know, for protection from mind control enemies.

4. Shine up rusty chrome. With a bit of water on a wadded-up piece of aluminum foil, you can rub most rust spots off of chrome car parts.

5. Make your soap last longer. Put a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of your bar of soap to keep it from sitting in a puddle of water and wearing away quickly.
6. Re-soften hard brown sugar. Many people put hard brown sugar in the microwave to soften it up, but this can actually backfire and make the sugar harden even more. Instead, wrap the block of hardened sugar in some aluminum foil and bake in a 300° (Fahrenheit) oven for 5 minutes.
7.  Protect your furniture. Pets can’t stand the feeling or the sound of crinkling aluminum foil.
8. Get creative and make fun sculptures with your aluminum foil.
9. Put a wadded-up ball of aluminum foil in your dryer with a load of clothes to reduce static cling.
10. Keep birds out of your fruit trees. Hang twisted strips of aluminum foil all over your fruit trees using fishing line.

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MYSTERY BLOCK DAY

On Tuesday I made the 10th block in the Designer Mystery BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop.  Would you like to play along and help me figure out what it might be?

This is the fabric I was sent to create this month's block. Cheery and bright as usual.

After pressing the fabric, I cut out all of the needed pieces.  Mostly rectangles and a few squares.

First I made 6 flying geese and 2 HSTs.  Any guesses yet?  Too early for me!

Two matching blocks were made next.  Some one's pigtails?

This is where the rest of the flying geese were used - a pinwheel.

Guess it wasn't pigtails.  Fireworks, maybe?

This looks like the start of a journal cover but I don't think that's where we are headed for the block.  Have you ventured a guess yet?

Ta-Da!  Finished.  This block is called "All Tied Up With Pretty Red Tinsel" and was designed by Polly Minick & Laurie Simpson.  This isn't one of my favorites of the series so far but I'm sure it will work well with the others.  Did you guess correctly?

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TODAY'S GOAL

I did work on the hot pad for the swap I'm involved in yesterday.  Maybe I will be able to finish it today.

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GIVEAWAYS
(And there are a lot of new ones to share!)

The Q and the U is continuing her Blog-O-Versary giveaway.  This time Riel is giving away 3 charm packs of Moda Eclectic.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, March 23, at 7:00 pm AST.

Canton Village Quilt Works is having a book giveaway.  You could win a copy of Pat Sloan's new book Tour Ireland.  Be quick as this giveaway ends Saturday, March 19th.

Sewplicity says it's giveaway time!  Jennifer is giving away a SideWinder.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, March 23, at 11:50 pm EST.

Hancock's of Paducah is having a giveaway.  You could win a Beach Walk Quilt Kit.  This giveaway ends April 1st at 10:00 am CST.

The Jolly Jabber is having a Schnibbles giveaway.  You could win one of three sets of the six new Schnibbles patterns – which come tucked into a Schnibbles project bag.   Not exactly sure when this giveaway ends. 
Carol's Crafty Creations is also having a giveaway.  You could win a set of Schnibbles patterns plus a This & That pattern too.  This giveaway ends Saturday, March 19.

The Other Side Of Me is having a spring giveaway.  You could win 6 beautiful Moda fat quarters and a copy of Quilting - 20 Fresh & Fabulous Projects, by Karol Kavaya and Vicki Skemp.  This giveaway ends March 26th.

Pigtails and Quilts is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win stunning hardwood box created by Dave Grunenwald of Quiltboxes.  When you enter, please tell Thearica I sent you over.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, March 23, at noon EST.

Jaybird Quilts is having a Build Your Own Giveaway with the Fat Quarter Shop.  You could win a $100 gift certificate to purchase whatever you would like from the Fat Quarter Shop!  Doesn't get much better than this.  This giveaway ends Sunday, March 20, at 10:00 pm EST.

There are just a couple days left to enter one or both of my giveaways.  If you would like to win a pattern from B. Bumble and Company go HERE.  Or if you want to give a Novel Giveaway a try you could win a book by Jennifer Chiaverini.  Oh heck, why don't you enter both!

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FINAL THOUGHT
I really enjoy reading magazines.  I subscribe to just a couple.  There are great patterns and hints.  Ads to check out and new products reviewed.  Stories on designers and places to visit.  So many things included in those smooth, glossy pages.  I tried an online version of one magazine but I found that I never looked at it.  Luckily it was a test market subscription so it wasn't too expensive.  I guess I like to turn the pages and hold it in my lap.  I can take it with me on the road (since I don't do the driving) or throw it in a bag to read when waiting at the doctor's office.  I used to subscribe to several magazines but had to reduce those number when the subscription price went too high.  For some reason I don't read the magazines the minute they hit my mailbox.  I wait until a few have accumulated and then sit down with the stack for some eye candy and a leisurely stroll through the written word.  Do you subscribe to any magazines?  If so, which ones and why?

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. 
~Richard Steele

May your Friday be fun and your weekend endless!