GOOD MORNING!!!

My hubby (Jack) and are back from our quick trip to Indiana!!  We had a great time.... We visited with Jack's younger sister, Linda and her hubby, Steve... along with their two wonderful sons, Jake and Luke.  Sylvia and Ted (cousins) came from Illinois - all the guys were going to an antique car show about 1 1/2 hours from us.  While they were looking at cars that were "hot" during their teenage years, all of us gals went antique shopping!  WOW... what wonderful primitives they have.  Cambridge City is full of antique shops along with many of the neighboring small towns.  I saw TONS of furniture that would have looked absolutely AWESOME in the old store...sniffle... made me even more homesick for it. 

THEN... all of the wonderful blooming mums, HUGE pumpkins, AWESOME gourds, and fall decor made me even MORE homesick for the Olde Green Cupboard.  Fall was my favorite time for decorating in the shop... full of beautiful fall flowers and foliage, pumpkins, turkeys...WAH!!!

Then... the favorite of all!  We got to eat a breaded tenderloin sandwich!  Have you ever had one?  It's so puzzling to me that they are only in the Midwest.  You've never tasted anything so scrumptious and sinful in your life.  Here's how they make them.  Take a center cut port roast - cut into LARGE SLICES.  Then pound the pork out until it's as big around as a DINNER PLATE.... but thick enough to still hold juices.  Dip it in a light batter - deep fry it - quickly - until the outside is golden brown and the edges are crunchy.  Put it on a bun with - my favorite - mustard and dill pickle and you are in "HEAVEN".  The silly part is... the meat is so huge (dinner plate size) that when it's in the bun (Burger King size) it hangs out so much that it looks silly!  By the time you have eaten the meat that's hanging outside the bun... YOU ARE FULL!!
I've decided I'm going to make some.  Why not?

You know what?  If I could find someone to start up a simple sandwich restaurant (like a mom and pop kind) that served:

Sandwiches:

Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich - the size of a dinner plate

ORIGINAL Coney Island Hot Dogs - with chili,             onion...mmmm

Patty melt - on yummy rye bread

Reuben - full of corn beef, cheese and the best sauerkraut

Extras!!

Onion hay stacks - Have you had these?  Thinly slided onions... lightly battered and staked on the plate like a hay stack... about 12" - 14" high... with yummy dip!!

Home made thinly sliced potato chips - with melted blue cheese on them


Desserts

Home made apple cobbler with a crumble top and vanilla bean ice cream

Strawberry shortcake - with homemade shortcake biscuits - stacked high - full of juicy strawberries and ice cream

Key Lime Pie - and not one of these skinny little slices that you get in the restaurants.  1/4 of the pie... with a yummy, yummy graham cracker crust!

Cheese cake - the kind that is so moist it melts in your mouth!  Piled high with strawberries!

Hot Fudge Sundaes - with GREAT hot fudge and lots of it!

(So... can you tell I'm on a diet????)

Anyone game???  Got some cash so we can get this awesome menu going?  OMG.. I can see the lines at the door ... waiting to get in! 

okay...back to earth....

I was so excited to find REAL bittersweet!  My cousin Sylvia wanted to get some and I got so excited... do you know how long it's been since I've had REAL bittersweet to decorate with.  I've never found it growing here in Florida... too stinkin' HOT! 

Soon this bittersweet will be in a new table display in my dining room!!  and along with it... I think I'll put my favorite crow!!!

He's just about as primitive as you can get!!!  I LOVE HIM!!  So... when I get enough energy to drag out the fall pumpkins, etc.  I'll take a picture for you!

I guess I'd better get busy for the day!!  I have some orders to fill!!!  YIPPEE!!!  Thanks to all of you that order my patterns!!  I'm in the process of finishing up 3 FANTASTIC new ones... I can't wait for you to see them.  I'm hoping they will be big hits!!

So... Have a super day... Sew until your little hearts content... That's what I plan on doing!!

My new design is with Bonnie Blue's new fabric line - Tavern Blues.  It's a 2 color quilt (blue and tan) and full of stars!  I must hurry and finish... then off to the quilters... it's going to hang in the Marcus Brothers Fabric Company booth!!!  Isn't that awesome!  So exciting!

Ta da... later.... !!!

Gloria

Hello Tuesday!!!  Well... I will admit... I did absolutely NOTHING yesterday!  No...that's not true... I did sew on my wool flower project...LOOK...  Our background fabric is from the scrumptious collection "Little Gatherings" from Lisa Bongean - Primitive Gatherings.  Our flowers are all from wool!  Soon it will become a beautiful quilt that she has designed.  I'm working on this project for Cinnamon's Quilt Shoppe here in Jacksonville.  Karen Covey, the owner, recently attended a week long retreat for shop owners at Primitive Gatherings.  She came home all pumped up and excited with this awesome project!  You'll learn more about it as the months progress!  But if you are a wool lover, or if you've always wanted to try your hand working with wool... this is  your project.  Great for beginners!!

My girlfriend, MerryAnne, is coming over later for our sewing day.  She's such a kook...love her to death!  She, Jack (DH) and I have the best time together.  She's retired from the railroad (dispatcher) and enjoying her retirement as we are.  We sew for several hours, laugh and have a blast. 

Have you seen my newest...bestest... friend?  Here she is!!

Her name is RUBY!!!  HA... don't you think that's appropriate?  My little red fan and I go everywhere together when we are sewing!   LOVE HER!  It's amazing how much better my disposition is when she's with me running full force.  I oh.. so.. hate.. to sweat!  If you too would like a friend like mine... WALMART!!

I'm also working on designing a wool applique project for on a jute bag!  I found this super bag at Hobby Lobby and it's a perfect size for toting my projects back and forth from the house to Cinnamon's (quilt shop).  Since it has a great background of the jute fabric (love the texture)... I'm thinking I might add some wool applique to the outside!  

Here's my design too... I can't wait to get started... of course.. there are many times that we start on a project and it just doesn't come out as our vision thought it would... so here's keeping my fingers crossed!! 

This week my honey, Jack, and I are leaving for Indiana!!  I haven't been there in....let's see... way before 1976!  We are visiting his younger sister and her family!  Cousin Sylvia and her hubby are also joining the crew!  They guys are going to a car show (Jimmie Dean car show???? ... never heard of it...) and the girls are going to every antique store we can!!!  Now.. Linda (Jack's sister) and Sylvia are a riot!!!  I simply can't wait to hang out with them.  I know my sides and jaws will be aching from laughter!  PLUS... I can't wait to see what scrumptious goodies I will find.  They are in the antique capitol of the world!!!  YEE HAW!!!!!  I'll have to post photos of my treasures!  Thursday we will take off... can't wait to get in the cooler weather... low 70's!!  Now that's my  kind of weather!!

Today it's to the doctor (ugh) then a few errands then sewing... !  What a good life!  Chat with you soon!!!.

Yippee!!!  It's Saturday!!!  I'm not sure why I'm so excited about it being Saturday... everyday is like that for me lately... (aaahhhh.... I simply LOVE this retirement life.....)

I thought I would share what I've been working on this past week.... NO... WAIT... I have something I  need to show you!  Take a look at these wonderful, sweet, hen & chicks that now live at my house!

Aren't they wonderful?  They are made of some type of stone with the old patina.  I just fell in love with them.  This weekend I'm putting them in a table display in the dining room!  Won't they look wonderful in a big basket with greenery... or fall leaves?

Kelly, my Enchanted Antiques friend (she's the owner) and I were visiting in her store the other day when I spied them.  Yes... I gasped with excitement!  There they were.. clucking my name!!  "gloria..cluck.cluck.gloria.cluck.cluck"... HA!

Speaking of Kelly - she will have an antique booth in our big quilt show here in Jacksonville this coming weekend!  Prime Osborn center - downtown Jacksonville - Thursday - Saturday.  You must attend!!  It's the biggest one in North Florida/South Georgia (next to the Mancuso Show in Palm Beach).  They will have over 400 quilts, over 70 vendors... it's great fun!  All 7 quilting guilds in Jacksonville work together to make it happen ... and WOW.. .is it ever a lot of work!  Don't miss it!

Now that you've met my newest 3 friends... check this out:

Tavern Stars !!

We are so excited!!  I spoke with Marcus Brothers (Patty) and asked if we could use some of Bonnie Blues new fabric line - TAVERN BLUES - to make one of our new pattern designs and if they would like to hang it in their booth during market they could!  Well, here it is one of the blocks... Tavern Stars is about to be born!

Paula Barnes has designed this gorgeous line of fabric for Marcus Brothers.  You can see the entire line on their website Marcus Fabrics .

I will surely need a minimum of 1 yard each of these prints... they are to die for!

These stars are perfect for the beginner (and for those of us that love easy blocks)!!  The design is perfect for never missing any points on your star!  They float in the background.... see how much background fabric is between the star points and the edge of the block?  Cool huh?  It's a simple design but when you put 90 of these stars together in one big quilt - it's just darn right AWESOME!  When we have it pieced and quilted - I'll post a picture for you.  You'll be able to order the pattern the first of November.

See this great bag?  It's made from jute and very sturdy!!  I'm designing a wool applique for both sides!  It's a surprise for some lucky, lucky people.... announcements will be made in several months!  You won't want to miss this one!  It's going to be so wonderful and a blast!!!

Ok... gotta go.. those Tavern Stars are calling me... have 20 finished - 70 more to go!!!

Happy Sewing and remember...................  "Celebrate Handmade" !!!

Ahhh....the smell of French Toast!  What a morning... my poor DH has been very sick this weekend... I do believe he's caught a bit of the flu!!!  He's hardly ever sick so this is a big deal around our house.  He's slept and slept and slept... gets up to eat and then sleeps some more.  This morning he was feeling a little better and decided to make him some French toast.  Before I knew it - he was no longer in the kitchen... "he couldn't have eaten that fast".  I finally found him... he was mad at the French toast and had thrown it in the garbage.... "IT WAS NOTHING BUT MUCH... I threw it away".  What a hoot!  So.. I made him GOOD French toast...he's full and happy and went back to bed!  Why did I tell you this story... because I COOKED!!!  Mark this down in your history books. (can you tell I don't cook much anymore?)  Now that he's napping.. .I can chat with you !!

Did you know it was National Sewing Month?  It's hard to believe that we didn't have a day for all of us until President Regan declared it to be!!!  My family have been sewers as far back as I can remember!  My Grandma Ruby sewed everything...she was awesome... suits, fur coats, slips/under garments, clothing, furniture covers!!  Then my mom sewed too!!  She had two of us that she sewed for in the summer... my twin sister, Vicky and me!  Then she sewed for our older sister, Linda!  She had her hands full... we dressed alike back in those days... can you imagine making two dresses just alike? (we weren't allowed to wear slacks and shorts to school in those days....)

I remember my favorite dress... it was big black and white buffalo check with printed stagecoaches printed around the bottom of the full skirt.  I thought I was hot stuff.  Funny... I loved that dress and Vicky doesn't even remember it!  She thinks I made it up.... NOT!!!

PLUS... to help celebrate National Sewing Month - MODA has a great BLOG HOP we can all participate in!  Each designer has a certain day... they tell about their State Fair memories, food they love to eat at the fair and then have a little project for all of us!

United Notions Website   Click on this link and take a stroll through their website.  They are always coming up with wonderful ideas for their shop owners and us!!!  I love them all !!  What a wonderfully group of talented designers and employees!  Mr. Dunn ... what a team you have!!

Here is my newest challenge.  I just love this antique block !!!  I've adapted the basic shape and have made a new pattern design.  It took 144 of these little flower "crowns" to make 36 blocks!  They are now all finished and I'm piecing the rows together.  I've named it "Victoria's Crown" !!

I think it may be one of my favorite quilts ever that I've designed... of course.. my latest one... "Plum-i-li-cious" is pretty awesome too!!  When I get a good photograph of both... I'll post them to my blog!

It's time to sign-off.... I'm off to the shower and then on to get my toes and nails done!  Then back home to take care of my DH and make sure he gets well... then it's SEWING TIME!!!

Have a great Sunday!!!!   



Good Morning!!!  Sunday morning... September 11.... Oh how I remember this day...  I had been running some errands for the store and stopped in to grab a goodie from Panera Bread.  There was a long line and everyone was buzzing about the news that a plane hit one of the twin towers.  In my little pee-wee mind (not thinking about it in great detail) I prayed that no one was hurt... not even thinking that it actually went INTO the building... (where was my brain?).

Once in the car - the radio was full of the details.  I couldn't believe what I had heard.  Then upon arriving back to the store... the second plane had hit.  I remember sitting in the car - dumb-founded... not really understanding what actually happened.

Finally when I got my wits about me I went inside and told my daughter and one of the girls working with us.  We closed early that day.... unable to work and wanting to get home to our families.  Isn't it amazing that awful tragedies have to happen for us to FULLY know how much we all love each other........  God Bless the families, friends, firefighters, and our hero's that gave up their lives. 

September 8 already!  What happened to August???  For the remainder of the year... I have a challenge for all of you!  Let's FINISH PROJECTS!!  What do you say?  Are you all game?  Once you finish a project - take a picture of it and email it to me (oldgreencupboard@aol.com).  I'll post it on my BLOG so everyone can see how much we are all getting accomplished!

I'm so excited to be able to help Cinnamon's Quilt Shoppe with her wool projects.  Eventually she wants to add wool to her fabric mix!  Is that exciting or what?????  She's given me several projects to finish as samples.  They are both from Primitive Gatherings (now how darn cool is that... love her stuff).  One is a AUTUMN GLORY'S TABLE MAT and I'm almost finished.  Here's what the completed project looks like.  Isn't this GORGEOUS???

Then... this little fellow is a class I will be instructing at Cinnamon's this last quarter of the year.  It's so fast to make!  Mine is already finished and ready for it's stuffing.  These are super projects to make - one for each of your friends!



Then...........  Karen has asked me to begin a special "wool project" that will begin in January.  I don't want to tell you too much... I'm not sure if it's a surprise or not... I'll wait and ask her.. !

Ok... I'm off for another cup of coffee and then to my sewing machine.  Along with making all of these wonderful wool projects... I'm still sewing on 2 new quilt designs... and I LOVE THEM!  Can't wait to get them finished for you to see....

Remember.........  "Celebrate Handmade"  !!!

Here are my girls..... Jaimi is holding Lexi and to her right is Elizibeth and Eden in front.  They guy in the picture is their Uncle Lane!!!  He was watching a football game!  LOVE THEM!!

Who might you think these silly girls are????  Give up???  They are my silly grand daughters - Elizibeth and Jaimi!!!!  Now... here's how pretty they are.....

See...isn't that better?  Gosh how I love them!!!  They are the sweetest little chickies alive!!!
Then there is my Eden and Lexi - I'm search my photo data base to give you the best picture.... BRB!!!