Our Lefse Tradition!

Both Mr. and I grew up eating and worshiping lefse!  Family lore is that he proposed the day after Christmas (1980) because of my lefse making skills!  And ... lets be honest ... lefse tasting kisses are the best!

We've been making lefse together ever since!  In our 36 years of marriage, there was only one year that lefse wasn't made.  At Christmas dinner that year our seven-year-old son proclaimed it the "worst Christmas of his life!"  Now that Brother and Girlfriend live here in Cordova, we all pitch in and make it together! 

We make more than four people can use, because we like to share with friends.  We go through 10 pounds of potatoes and flour!  My mother learned to make lefse from my Grandma Elsie.  Mom wrote the recipe by stopping Grandma as she mixed the dough.  As Grandma was about the add an ingredient, Mom would measure it.  We use that exact same recipe!

Lefse is messy!  Mr. took this selfie ... it cracks me up!  By the time we're finished everything and everyone is covered in flour!  Part of the reason we only make it once a year! 

A friend from Minnesota sent me a goodie package this fall!  It included a super cute dishtowel with this lefse motif!  I brought it out to use on our lefse making day ... but I just didn't have the heart to get it messy and stained!  It was just too cute!  So I decided recently to make it into a Holiday pillow!  I finished it today and am in love with the results!

Do what you love!  Keep those family traditions!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally 

There's Always Tomorrow!

I love going covert with my dillydallying this time of year ... which means I am unable to share what I am working on!  Like you, I multi task ... sew ... I can share what I did while doing undercover work this weekend!

There's always tomorrow 

For dreams to come true.

Believe in your dreams, come what may.

There's always tomorrow

With so much to do.

And so little time in a day

We all pretend the rainbow has an end

And you'll be there, my friend, some day.

There's always tomorrow

For dreams to come true

Tomorrow is not far away.

We all pretend the rainbow has an end

And you'll be there my friend, someday.

There's always tomorrow

For drams to come true

And tomorrow is not...far...away.

As a child, in the days before videos, my family would plan our lives around when this show aired on television.  It carries such a powerful message, which remains relevant 53 years later. Enjoy the music and relive the moment here!

Do what you love!  Believe in your dreams, come what may!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Teaser - nine-patch love affair continues!

Coping with Coastal Storms

A large coastal storm moved in during the early morning hours today!

Sunrise happened around 9:30 am with wind and horizontal rain.  Perfect dillydally weather! 

I decided to make a Cranberry Eggnog Braid for our guild's Quilter's Anonymous meeting today!  Yep ... coastal storms don't bother a dillydallier!  Plus, everyone seemed to enjoy the treat!

All quilters in attendance were busy!  I am always inspired by the work of others.  I prepared binding for a few small quilts ... layered a baby quilt ... and then turned my attention to a real brainteaser!  Yep ... I threw caution to the wind ... and dove directly into a storm of quilt math!

I had no pattern or directions and was just working from memory ... I KNOW ... now that IS dangerous dillydallying!!!  It worked out ok ...

... but this is what I wanted.  After coming home, I found an image of what I had intended to create.  As you can see ... my center is an octagon (using 8 triangles) while the sample center is a hexagon (using only 6 triangles).  Sew ... where was my error?  All I can figure out this late at night is that I cut isosceles rather than equilateral triangles. Went to my ruler ... yep, I had grabbed the wrong one!  Too fun!  My intent is to make a table runner ... it is just for fun and has no deadline ... so I will return to it with renewed vigor later.  Several 007 projects must come first!

Meanwhile ... the storm continues!  The seven day forecast in predicting more of the same!  No complaints from me ... it is easy for me to cope with this kind of weather ... I have a lot of dillydallying to do!

Do what you love!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Auction Items 2017!

We begin our Holiday celebrations early ...

... our local quilt guild jump starts the season with their Annual Tea and Auction!  Members decorate tables for our guests to enjoy!  I decorated my table with a Thanksgiving theme ... again!  Looking back on prior years ... I need to switch it up!  Now ... let's hope I remember that when next year comes around!

Members make finger foods to serve ... I made mini almond poppyseed muffins and chocolate revel bars.  The revel bars are a recipe from my childhood, they bring back many memories of potlucks at Alida Lutheran Church!

All members make items to be auctioned!  While in Albuquerque this summer, I visited a quilt shop that had a panel of Advent Stockings displayed on the wall.  My immediate thought was that a garland of those would make a great auction item!  I was unable to find the bolt ... when I asked for assistance ... I was told that this was their last panel!  It took a bit of time to find a ladder tall enough, but eventually the display panel was in my hands!  Always fun to shop where there is great customer service!

My ever vigilant Snoopervisor was on hand to make sure I could sew along the printed lines!  By the time I got to 24, she apparently thought I could manage and she took a snooze!  On a pair of scissors!  Silly kitty!

Here the garland is on display at the auction! 

Next up ... a knitting bag!  I love novelty prints ... knitting themed fabrics are a personal weakness!

I made the same bag last year in a Tula Pink fabric ... also made another one for a friend when she moved ... obviously it is a favorite to make! I really wish I had bought more of the dark grey print ... hmmm ... there is a lesson to be learned in there somewhere!?!

Ever since I started quilting, I have had a love affair with the nine-patch!  They are like potato chips ... I cannot stop with making only one!  I used a charm pack to make the blocks and then a coordinating print for the alternate blocks.  The friend who bought it recently posted a video of her twins at the table on instagram ... the table topper was there in the background ... my heart was full!  Love seeing things I've made being used and enjoyed ... total dillydally goodness!

This sweet woodland Santa was made by Girlfriend DillyDally!  My son liked it so well and suggested they keep it, but she insisted it go in the auction as planned.  It was a Daisy Kingdom panel from back in the 1990's ... she picked it up at a guild swap table.  It is three dimensional and turned out adorable!  I thought I would buy it and gift it back to them ... but others wanted to take it home as well!  The bidding was fierce, and it soon was above my budget!  I was so happy for Girlfriend and we celebrated her success!

We currently have little snow at sea level ... but our short days are enough to remind us that the Holiday season is upon us! 

Do what you love! Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Hello December!

I have challenged myself to blog every day of December. There ... I said it out loud, now I have no choice!  Right?  Here it is 11:30 pm on December 1st ... and I almost talked myself into putting it off until January!  At the beginning of every month, I like to go back in my blog and read my entries from prior years ... revisiting many memories!  I haven't been a faithful blogger for nearly a year ... am hoping that making myself post something everyday will help me get my groove back!

The first day of December in my remote corner of the planet was brought to us by the color Blue!  Long-time followers know that blue is my favorite color!

Our days are short ... the sun remains hidden behind the Heney Range this time of year.  All of those factors work together and bring us the many shades of blue I enjoyed on my walk today!

All my concerns and worries fade away on my walks ... the ice, snow, forest and sky create a serene quiet.

Our home is located where we receive direct sun the later half of the day year round!  When the skys are clear and the tide is in ... we are bathed in blue! 

What a wonderful way to begin December!  Our coastal weather can change quickly, so we appreciate days like today!

Do what you love!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally  

Farewell October! Hello November!

Those who know me, are well aware that my favorite month of the year is October!  Since childhood, October meant the harvest was finished, the days were warm, the evenings were chilly, and the colors were vibrant!  What's not to love!

10.31.17 - 6:15 pm

As hard as it was to say good-bye ... October ended beautifully here in my remote corner of the planet!  Mother Nature complied and gifted the trick and treaters with a beautiful evening!

Halloween cannot happen without the DillyDally family tradition of popcorn balls!

It was a bit sketchy for Jack this year!  Pumpkins were in short supply ... costly ($24) ... but Mr. DD and I had fun as always!  Jack seemed happy with the results!

November softened my disappointment in ending October by making a gorgeous entrance ... featuring my favorite color ... blue!

As the afternoon warmed to a lovely 50 degrees, Nissa and I took an unusually long and leisurely walk.

Nissa soaked up the sun and, as always, insisted on getting wet ... if not with rain, then playing in the lake! 

Love this girl ... she makes everything fun!

Welcome November!  I am grateful for the power of natural world ... how it sustains, surrounds, and inspires us! 

Do what you love!  Do dillydally! 

Mrs. DillyDally

Let it Rain!

Here in my remote corner of the planet ...

... September 2017 will be remembered for record rainfall! 

In DillyDallydom, September 2017 will be remembered for the knitting fun that was provided by Skeins in the Stacks!

Anna's releases are so inspiring and I love bringing it home with me!  Her Peter Pan inspired yarn packaged with handmade hand cream ... what treasure!

All that treasure in this custom made bag ... the lining brings to mind Peter's instructions to Neverland, "Second star to the right and straight on till morning." 

Cowl and shawl patterns accompanied each skein of yarn.  So much fun ... felt just like Christmas!

The Brambly Hedge inspired yarn really tugged at my heart.

"The blackberries are ripe" colorway reflects my love of eating blackberries!  Blackberries do not grow here, so they are a rare treat!  I bought this teacup early in my marriage (30+ years ago) because of the blackberries in the design!

Many cups of tea were involved while I knit these Half-Mitts! 

When I saw the "Birthday Cake" yarn ... my heart nearly stopped and I knew immediately what I wanted to use if for!

This yarn is yummy ... just like birthday cake!  And this birthday cake stitch marker is too adorable for words!

Yep ... it is on a raft!  Just like the one in Tasha Tudor's book!  Too sweet ... pun intended!

The detail is amazing ... lovely in every way!

I want to use this yarn in a color pattern knitted project.  It is important to me to pair it with a background color that will make the subtle sprinkles of pink and yellow ... sparkle!  A few swatches were knit, and I finally found a gauge and color I am happy with!  This project will be worked on after the holidays, so it has been packed away until then!  I love having something to look forward to in January!

Sunset, 9.30.2017

September ended with a few days of clear weather ... in my opinion, Mother Nature was seeking some redemption.  On Monday, another coastal storm hit ... great weather for a dillydallier! Happy October!  Let it rain!  Knit on!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally