Stacy-Lee Lessell

29th July 1973 - 30th September 2017

RIP My Darling Younger Daughter 

I love and miss you beyond words can say

Hi,

I know it's been a really long time.  But I know a lot of you know how ill our younger daughter had been.  I'm really sorry to say that she passed away 6 weeks ago and was in hospital for 3 weeks before that in the Intensive Care Unit of Watford General Hospital, who were exceptional and really tried their very hardest to save her.

To say we are gutted is putting it mildly.  She was my baby and my best friend.  I know we really looked alike and were very alike, so we really shouldn't have gotten on but we so did.  I miss her so much and really have had my moments.  I think about her as I wake up and for the rest of each and every day.  It's so very hard because it's not the way it's supposed to be.  I'm the mother and Larry is her father and we should have passed away first.

I got a phone call from the hospital at 11 am that morning to say that she just wasn't going to make it and to come as soon as possible.  The problem was James (her brother) and my lovely daughter-in-law and younger grandchildren were all in Synagogue and I had no way of getting in touch with them then because it was our most religious day of the year - Yom Kippur which also happened to be a Saturday.  I knew that although it is a fasting holiday the children wouldn't be fasting and Danielle would take them home and feed them.  So I got hold of her an hour later and she got a message to James and they and our elder daughter Sara-Jane and her ex-Husband and children joined Larry and me at the hospital.

Stacy was laid to rest the following Tuesday, which isn't as fast as we usually bury our dead but it just couldn't be helped.  And whilst we would normally sit Shiva for 7 days and evenings which prayers at around 20:00 each evening we could only sit Shiva for 1 day and night because the next day at sundown Sukkot  started and one is not allowed to break the Shiva for a holiday and then start sitting again after the holiday finishes.  Wish we could have because one day wasn't really enough. But rules are rules.  Anyway my Mom passed away on first day Sukkot so I had to light yet another Yahziet candle in remembrance of her death.

There were in excess of 200 people at the funeral and the even more at the Shiva.

Sara-Jane is on the Left

Dad is in the Middle Top

I'm in the Middle sitting

Stacy-Lee on the Right next to me

James is on the Left next to me

See you soon Patricia xxx
American by Birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I know this isn't soon but ....

Hi,

I've really been away from here, except for the odd post but now I'm really back and sewing on my newly opened sewing machine that I purchased about two and a half years ago. It's been quite a trial with it I can assure you. I have been using sewing machines on and off for a very long time.  I don't suppose you remember but I purchased a Brother something or other 30 and it is now obsolete. If I was sewing clothing on it, it would have been perfect. Or if I'd opened it up when I bought it I could have returned it for something more suitable for quilting, but I didn't!

I have bought more feet for this machine because it came with nothing quilting related!  I purchased the feet over the last couple of years and some more than once and some are useless. Anyway I found out that a quarter inch foot, of which I bought many are no good anymore as you really need a scant 1/4" for all the patterns that are about. The last but one thing I bought was this

But it didn't work, because I had no way of making sure it was a real scant 1/4" and guessing isn't my best thing.  Finally, I found a thing that works beautifully and some tape that even with my shaking I am able to sew perfect scant 1/4" seam.  YAY!!!

Onto the next.  I have been in a quilted postcard swap which I didn't need a scant 1/4" seam for and the first one I sent out last month was this one which was meant to represent summer holidays.  Well seeing as we aren't going anywhere this year I figured that a garden scene would be perfect and I absolutely loved making it and the receiver of it said nothing has fallen off (which I was worried about) and that she loves it.

This months, which is being posted on Monday are these two.  They are supposed to represent song titles.  One is really easy

Whilst the other isn't - except to say it was written and sung by Cat Stevens:

You can guess the titles if you feel like it.

I am so glad to be back and sewing again.  

Stacy still isn't good but she's still here with us for which I am eternally grateful.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Time to say Bye xxx

As much as I have loved this blog in it's day it is now time to say bye.  Too much is happening and I'm spending too much time on my computer and not enough with the people who matter or the things that matter.  So it's been a good run but

Bye and see you on Facebook or Pinterest.  My pinterest name is pattimyself and on FB it's Patricia Lemberger Lessell.

Patti xxx

NIL by Mouth

This is my favourite quilt and I want to make
one for Stacy but larger so it's a lap quilt.

Sorry there still isn't any quilting, apart from the photo above, but more important things are happening in my life.

My poor Stacy is still in Watford General Hospital and it's now 3 and a half weeks! If you remember it started with a Crohn's attack and a chest infection almost 4 weeks ago.

Larry and I have been ill since last Tuesday so that was the last time we saw her until today.  We have spoken to her every day. 

We still aren't well but she was really fed up and I could tell, because she texted me yesterday not to phone so I got really upset and didn't sleep at all last night.  I tried everything to get to sleep but it just wasn't happening.  I texted Stacy but no answer.  Finally I phoned around 10ish and she sounded absolutely awful.

What did I do?  I thought sod it just go there and spend 5 minutes with her but don't get close.  Also to take up my Kindle because her one has stopped working even though it's only a year old, if that.

So we both got dressed and Larry took me because he hates the way I take off and put on the wheelchair from the car and the new hoist is so slow it's like a turtle and I'm not very good at it to be honest, but I'm only telling you guys.  Larry NEVER reads FB he thinks it's terrible and he never reads my blogs either, so I'm safe so long as YOU don't tell him.

I went in and Stacy was hooked up to two new drips and was totally out of it.  She is also nil by mouth which further concerned me as it means she isn't taking any of her medication.

I asked the nurse what was going on and if the Crohns team had been to see Stacy, because Stacy told me they were coming.  The nurse looked at me like 'and who do you think you are?'  So I said to the nice nurse 'I'm her mother'.  The nurse stepped back and apologised and said 'Sorry, I thought you were her sister.'  I can take that. Don't know how Stacy would feel about it.  Does that mean she looks really old or I look really young.  I'll go for the second option, but really don't think I do.

The nurse told me that the surgeon and his team were coming tomorrow to discuss what to do as Stacy was still in a lot of pain.  I really didn't take that well at all.  I told her that under no circumstances could they possibly operate because she has, apart from everything else, PVOD.  The Nurse had absolutely no idea what this was.  Surprise Surprise!  I explained the basic ins and outs of it but am still not sure she understood me.  She gave me the phone number of the ward so I, Larry, could phone in the morning and let the day staff know exactly what is wrong with her and to warn the Surgeons that if they operate they will kill her.

Stacy was sleeping this whole time except for when I tried to wake her up by gently shaking her leg and she opened her eyes and I left her an Apple plug and my Kindle, which I can manage without because I have other ways of reading - like my phone which is fine to read on. But I'm not sure she will remember I was there.

When Stacy is awake she really is fed up with being in hospital and I certainly don't blame her.  She isn't well and has spent most of the last 5 months in one hospital or another.  It really sucks!!!  And I really feel for her.

The whole thing is truly heartbreaking.  I so want her to be able to go on an unforgettable holiday and I so hope she gets better soon to be able to go.  The pledges have stopped because my goal was reached, but I didn't think they would and I hate being greedy but as my son said I should have checked how much everything was going to cost before I put a sum up.  I just thought of a number and away we went, regardless if the amount is enough or not.

Please get better soon my Stacy because we love and miss you, and if you were well we would be seeing you all the time but we don't want you to get sicker by catching whatever we have.

All my Love Forever

Mum xxxxxx

See you soon 
Patti xxx 
American by birth and MOUTH 
but British in every other way

Please Help If You Possibly Can

This photo was taken 2 years ago when
Stacy was better than she currently is.

Please help if you possibly can.  Our younger Daughter, Stacy, has been ill for most of her life with Crohn's Disease which is debilitating to say the least.

However about 12 weeks ago Stacy was diagnosed with PVOD which stands for Pulminary Veno-Occlusive Disease.  This disease is so rare it is rare even in the realm of rare diseases, and always terminal with a median time of 2 years from diagnosis.  However Watford General Hospital knew she had Pulminary Hypertension last June, so we have no idea how long she has had this for.  This disease is so rare that only 1 in 10,000,000 - yes you've read this right it's one in ten million people have this.

This has been really awful for all of us, but especially for Stacy, and all she wants is one last holiday with her family, but we don't have the resources to give this to her as we are both just Pensioners on the State Pension.

One night when I couldn't sleep I suddenly thought of Crowd Funding by Just Giving so I have made a page for her where you can donate anything from £10.00.  Every single donation will be so gratefully received.  Here is the link to our page.

Thank you so much for even reading this and we are really grateful for everything donated.

Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I know it's been a really long time

I know it's been ages, but so much has happened in our lives it just isn't true.

Our younger daughter Stacy, middle child - well woman really, had been ill for quite some time with Crohns, amongst other things, and every time she was admitted to our local hospital instead of waiting to see if she was actually having a Crohns attack they just put her on intravenous steroids.

I don't know if you are aware, but, as usual, there is a price to pay for everything you put in your mouth - be it food or medicine.  Well the upside of steroids is they cure whatever ails you quite fast but the downside of them is they can cause all kinds of nasty things.  So along with the Crohns she now has had, for quite some time, Osteoporosis, Avascular Necrosis of both hips (this means they are dead), had her left hip replaced twice and it still isn't any good, the surgeon who replaced it both times left her without a left hip for 9 months. She also has Fibromyalgia and rotting teeth, which all have to be removed, and Watford General Hospital, or somebody there, told her she had a heart murmur.

Call me stupid but I thought you were born with a heart murmur and it wasn't something that just happened later in life.  She does not have a heart murmur.  It turned out she had something way worse.

The last time she was discharged from WFGH, in June, they said that they would refer her to Hammersmith Hospital.  Well nothing happened.  And she kept on getting really swollen up.  She looked like she was on steroids big time, but wasn't.  Her whole body was so swollen it was untrue, so much so that she was unable to even open her eyes because they were swollen shut.  Finally she called our local doctor and he took one look at her and made an appointment for her to be seen at Hammersmith Hospital on Monday 17th August.

An Ambulance took her to Watford General Hospital on 31st July, and Larry and I went before her to complain and wait for her to arrive. Stupid us, we didn't complain but just waited there for two hours for the ambulance to bring her.  We had our two eldest grandchildren with us and Stacy eventually arrived at around 5pm.  At 6 we left Stacy there and took the children for something to eat. The children and I got back to the hospital around 7.  At 1a.m. a doctor came and said that there was nothing they could do for her because it was the weekend and there were no doctors on and if they admitted her she would not make her appointment on Monday at Hammersmith.  I was so angry and I told the doctor that if anything happened to Stacy over the weekend I was holding her 100% responsible.  Didn't seem to even phase her.

Stacy was admitted to Hammersmith Hospital on August 17.  We were told later that week that what she had was rare even in the realm of rare diseases and it affected around one in 10,000,000 people and that it was incurable.  Well I've lived with Multiple Sclerosis for many many years and that's incurable so I thought so she'll manage.  What we didn't know until the following week that what, in fact, she has is a very rare form of Pulmonary Hypertension called PVOD which, well you can read it for yourself because I sure don't want to go into the ins and outs of it and cry I shall be doing again.

Stacy was in Hammersmith Hospital for 8 weeks and we went every day and sometimes twice a day there and back so she could go out and have her hair done, out for lunch a couple of times back to Watford, and have her nails done as the polish had to come off for a procedure.  It was about a 35mile a day journey if we went there and back once a day.

But I have to say that as bad as Watford General have been over the years that's how good Hammersmith were.  And when we explained that her Gastro doctor at Watford had put her down as a Hypochondriac, and we believed him I'm ashamed to say, the new doctor who is amazing said she was anything but and was in fact a very sick young lady - well she looks young.

This is why I've been missing for so long and why my sewing machine is still in it's box and all the rest of my stitching hasn't been touched.  No matter how much I want to do something I just can't.
 
See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

No explanations

I will be gone for a while due to stuff happening in our family.  But I shall be back sooner or later.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I know it's been months and months but ....

... I haven't been great and I haven't even opened my machine yet.  It is still in it's box.  Why you ask?  A very simple answer really.  You see on my old machine - well it wasn't old exactly but I did sell it because my dumb arm and hand quit working and with it I sold the best thing I have ever had for a sewing machine.

What is it you ask?

Well this really nice guy from the States asked me if I would like to try out his lighting for sewing machines and instead of the light just focusing on where you sew it lights up the whole sewing area.  I am endorsing this lighting method because I know it's really great and the reason I haven't opened up my machine is because when I sold my other machine I couldn't get my Ecolux Light off, so I didn't have it anymore!!!  I so didn't want to use a machine without it.  Once you have tried it you will never ever want to sew without it.  Here it is for you to see.  I sure wouldn't be without mine that's for sure.  You can buy anything from 3 LED lights up to 9 LED lights and you will never be disappointed with it.   The lighting is just GREAT as only LED lights can be.

Scott has told me that they have now have a new baby within their arsenal of greatness. And it is this:

As well as having a normal power supply to your electric sewing machine you can now plug it into your USB port, that is, if you have a sewing machine that has one.  Me?  I have absolutely no idea if mine does because I still haven't opened it, but I shall soon and share what I am sewing, and there is so much I want to sew quilt wise it just isn't true.

Not only is Scott from Ecoluxlighting sending me a new light for my new machine but he is also sending one for my European readers to have.  Trust me this is the best thing since sliced bread and I love sliced bread - especially with Peanut Butter and Jelly (that's Jam to you Brits) on it.  I also like Peanut Butter on Ryvita too.

I know this last bit of info was more than you needed but hey I just had to share.

So if you click on the Ecoluxlighting logo on the right of this blog it will take you to Scott's website (I hope).  Maybe I ought to put it here too just in case I'm wrong.

Ecoluxlighting

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I'm all grown up

As you will see from the title of this blog I reckon I'm grown up. Maybe and maybe not.  But I have decided to go by my full name on here and my other blog anyway.  I like it.  I've been Patti since I was 10, Patricia before that and after 16 I became plain old Pat which I really don't like.  So what's this all got to do with quilting? Absolutely nothing.  But I thought I would explain how grown up I am now.

If you look to the right hand side of this blog you will see a brand new icon thingy.  It's called Farmers Wife Quilt Revival Class and apparently Karen Walker who teaches this class for The Farmers Wife quilt, which is something I've wanted to do for ages, is just the best class so what can I lose but a little money?  Nothing.

Almost everyone knows about The Farmers Wife

which I have owned for years and years, and I decided because I can't figure out how to get a scant quarter inch seam on my new machine, what with all the quarter inch feet I've bought for it, I figured better be safe than sorry and have a lot of help.  So I've joined this class (icon to the right) and also a Farmers Wife Board on FaceBook which has all of the templates if you want to stitch your quilt using paper piecing which I really like doing because everything is so perfect this way.

Anyway (that's instead of So) I have downloaded and printed the first 5 blocks from the FB Group and now I'm going to look at the first of 10 or 11 lessons that I have bought from Karen Walker and I'll let you know soon which way I like better.

I've also learned a different way of paper piecing without have to rip the paper off.  It is ingenious!  Just watch and see!!  Now why didn't I think of this first?!?

After I put the above on on here I found a slightly better lessons, that is broken up into two parts, if you want to paper piece (foundation piece).  It's cheaper to do (uses wax paper) and is so easy. Also there is no tearing and you can hear better as the one above is really hard to hear - sorry about that folks and no you aren't going deaf if you listened to the first one!  I just think that Karen takes more time and explains everything that much better, in my humble opinion, but you can make up your own mind.

As you can see I've included Part 2 of Freezer Paper Foundation Piecing (ok paper piecing to the British public).  But it really is the best way. Well I think it is and you can turn any pattern into a paper piecing pattern too.

You'll be delighted to know I'm done for now, so what I will say finally is ....

See you soon (hopefully)

Patricia xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I'm Baaaaaack

Hi

If you've gone I really understand why.  It's been 10 months since I last posted but I've got my mojo back now me thinks and it's all because of this quilt that I saw.

I sold my sewing machine last year because I was never going to sew again.  And for this reason I also sold my Acquilt machine but there is a very lovely patchwork store quite near to me that rents out their large Acquilt machine to people and I shall go and use their machine if I need to.

So I was never going to sew again.  Not anything.  Never again.  I was going to be a couch potato because I was so very depressed, although I didn't realise at the time.  The death of my brother really saw me go into the depths of depression.  I don't know why because we had never been close but still.

So here is my new sewing machine. For the first time I knew what I wanted.  A machine that just sewed - nothing fancy but I wanted it to thread itself really and this does.

So I have bought a new sewing machine which is sitting in it's box upstairs and has been for months.  Guess I was still depressed.  I decided to start cross stitching again with a vengeance but my thumb, of all things, has stopped me doing anything.  But it's going to be fixed on Monday (hopefully).  So everything will be a go again.

I do crazy things when I decide to stop doing anything.  When I decided 5 years ago to stop stitching I sold my overlocker which was also a Brother machine so I had to buy another one when I decided to start stitching again because I don't like raw edges and I really am a type A personality and everything has to be pretty perfect or I quit.  So I bought this again:

I told you a young lady in the States with 8 children and one husband gave me my mojo back because I really loved her quilt and this is it and it has everything about it that I love.  So I'm going to share a few photos of it.

So what do you think? I love it.  And shall start it as soon as darn thumb is fixed.  My thumb is a really weird trigger thumb insofar as it should be bent inwards towards my palm.  But is mine??? OH NO!!!  It's sticking straight up and hurts like anything if I try and bend it. So by next week everything will be up and running.  From my mouth to g-d's ears.  If not it will be by the week after when the very lovely surgeon I first saw will do a little tiny op on my thumb and make the darn thing work again.

Thank you so much for those of you that stayed with me over the past 10 months hearing nothing.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

My Brother Brian

This is my brother Brian with his granddaughter Meran

Brian was almost exactly 4 years younger than me, minus 4 days, and although through the years we hadn't been close, for which I was always sad.  We went to see him in February and I found it quite extraordinary how alike we are.  I suppose I should have expected it as we shared the same parents but siblings aren't always alike.  We look alike and were very alike in so many ways.

I had known my brother has been dying for quite some time.  He was given 3-6 months almost 6 years ago when he was told he had stage IV cancer and had had it for at least 3-5 years before it was discovered quite by chance.

Like me, Brian believed in finding a doctor who was proactive rather than being reactive and such doctors aren't so easy to find.  But he managed to find one that kept him alive for almost 6 years.

The growth was on the outside of his stomach and he decided to go an unusual route insofar as after interviewing quite a few Oncologists he decided on an Oncologist who specialised in Pancreatic Cancer as this Oncologist gave him the best chance of a cure.

But his route was not an easy one as the treatment was for Pancreatic Cancer and not Stomach Cancer so his insurance company refused to pay for it.  Brian paid for it himself for the next 5 years at over $1,000 a week.

A year later when he was in hospital having half his stomach, and the tumour, removed the nurses couldn't figure out why he was so happy. He explained that this was because he was still alive when he shouldn't be.

Because of his determination in beating this cancer and the route he took this medication is now funded by insurance companies in the US for Stomach and Bowel cancer as well as Pancreatic.

I'm sorry if this email is disjointed but I couldn't read it and put it together properly because my brother passed away last Friday and was buried on Sunday as our religion dictates.

Brian you beat the odds.  You didn't just last 3 or 6 months but almost 6 years.  You fought long and hard until the very end.  We came to see you in February and we spent every day with you and Sue (your wife) and my nieces and nephews and great niece.  It was the best time we had ever had and I will always remember it and be grateful that I came to see you when I did.

Brian Michael Lemberger you were one very very special person that touched many lives as the Rabbis said at your funeral and my life a life.  I respected you as man, as a brother, husband and a father.

I miss you my brother and will until the day I die

Pat xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Miss C & Mr R

As you all know we (almost said I there) have 4 grandchildren.  The youngest of which is Miss C.  My darling son and daughter-in-love introduced their best friends quite a few years ago and they got married and had 3 sons.  The middle son is called Rafi.  Here is a photo of Rafi with our youngest Chloe soon after she was born:

So he loves her.  He would hug her all the time and kiss her cheek.  Now roll forward a year and this is what we had:

They are snogging.  He's holding her and she's holding him in a full on clinch and they are kissing for all they're worth.  Almost full on snogging (it might have been because we can't see between them).

Okay so roll on another year until yesterday and this is what happened:

  

Now we have a problem (not really)!  She has instigated this one.  It's so cute and all I've said is I love it and hope I live long enough to see them get married.  So Daddy (DS) said to his best friend all in caps "tell your son to get his hands off of my princess!"  But from where I'm sitting it's she that is attacking him this time and not the other way around.  Grandpa said "I hope he can afford to keep her".  Me?  I replied that I hope so too but if he can't then she will just have to work like the rest of us.

I can't wait to see what next year brings.  I will bring you photos of either the rest of the children whom I adore with all my might or else some knitting or piecing or something.  Might even be stitching.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

No Tear Paper Piecing

This is the BEST paper piecing TUTORIAL EVER!

You may have to turn up the sound a lot or use some speakers but it is so worth it.  I LOVE paper piecing with a vengeance because of its accuracy but hate having to remove the paper afterwards.  If you are like me you so NEED to see this tutorial.

I know I haven't posted in the longest time but so much crap is happening in my life right now and I really don't want to talk about it but suffice it to say that since returning from LA there has been no sewing, no knitting, no top-making and no quilting done in this house.  Just buying and looking online and drooling but no making of anything.  Maybe soon.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I need another hobby, don't I????

Okay so I don't need another hobby.  But as most of you know, if you read this little blog of mine that is, that I love Craftsy.  When they said they had this knitting Afghan class I thought why not?  I mean it's not everyday you get to make a knitted Afghan and as I've completely forgotten how to crochet - and no I don't know how this happened because I once crocheted two shawls as Chanukah presents - one of my mother and one for my mother-in-law.  Anyway I kept on looking at this class

and thought to myself 'yeah why not, cause you don't have enough of other kinds of stash do you?'  Umm well maybe I do but hey what's another project.  I think this one will be super yummy.  My only real problem is they don't really sell Lion Yarns in England so I'm kinda up the creek without a paddle.  But no worries I shall find some yarn that is equivalent, eventually.  Please wish me luck with that.  I am so going to sell my cross stitching stash because I really don't need it as I have enough on my plate with hobbies and him upstairs is sick of all my stash.  So eBay I shall be coming.

Huge Hugs to you all (if you are actually there)

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Recipes - NO photos sorry

It's been my mission in life to provide food for the 5,000!  Anyway I have been making Coca Cola Brisket for years and I knew I'd heard of Coca Cola Chicken.  I was going to make Apricot Chicken but when I went to put the soup mix in I found it couldn't use it as the soup mixture had cheese in it and I forgot to get the right one (I am Kosher) so I needed a different recipe for chicken pieces.  So I thought I would share these three recipes with you as they are so yummy and so easy to make.

COCA-COLA BRISKET

has to be made the day before you need it

(SERVINGS 6-8)

3lb piece of the leanest Brisket you can buy
1 can of full fat Coke (NOT diet)
1/2 jar of Mango Chutney

1. The Brisket has to be unrolled so if you get it rolled up just take the string off and unroll it
2. Cut off as much of the fat as you can see cause you sure don't want this greasy 
3. Get a large roasting pan (I use the tin foil throw away ones)
4. Put the Brisket in the pan and spread the 1/2 jar of Mango Chutney over it
5. Pour over the can of Coke
6. Put in the oven at 150 degrees centigrade for 3 hours
7. Let it cool down
8. Take the cooked brisket out the pan leaving the juice in
9. Slice the brisket as neatly as you can trying to leave it still in one piece
10. I use a fish slice to put the brisket back in the pan
11. Cover and put in the fridge overnight until you need it the next day
12. Cook again for around an hour at 150 degrees centigrade

Apricot Chicken

(Servings 6-8 depending on how large the thighs are - Kosher ones are HUGE)

8-10 chicken pieces (I use chicken thighs)
3 cans of Apricots in LIGHT syrup (DO NOT get Apricots in juice because I won't work)
2 sachets of French Onion Soup

1. Put 1/2 chicken pieces in large oven proof pan
2. Pour over 1 can of Apricots
3. Sprinkle over 1 packet of French Onion Soup
4. Put other 1/2 of chicken pieces on top of first lot
5. Sprinkle over other packet of French Onion Soup
6. Pour over both other cans of Apricots
7. Cook at 150 centigrade for around 3 hours
8. 1/2 way through squidge down as much of the apricots as you can to make the sauce
9. Take the chicken out and squidge down the rest of the apricots because they make a really yummy gravy/sauce

Coca-Cola Chicken

By 

Jamie Geller

I didn't know this was a standard recipe, known to cooks of many countries. I received it via my sister's friend, Jennie, all the way from Israel. I waited five years to get the precise measurements in this recipe, but it was worth it!

Servings

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) bag chopped onions (or 2 large onions, sliced)
• 1 chicken, about 3-1/2 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup Coca-Cola
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place onions in prepared pan.
3. Rinse chicken and pat dry; arrange on top of onions.
4. Season chicken with garlic powder.
5. In a medium bowl, place Coca-Cola, ketchup, apricot jam and soy sauce, and mix well.
6. Pour Coca-Cola mixture over chicken and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Serve warm.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

It's been so long

It really has been a very long time since I wrote anything on this blog.  Sorry guys but it's going to be longer still.  We are going to Los Angeles in the morning and will be gone for a little under 2 weeks.

I have made a couple of tops - well most of the tops.  I got the patterns from Moda's website and neither was as large as I would have liked and I was meant to be taking them to California with us but have decided to make them bigger and then I shall show you the tops, then quilt them and show you them again and mail them to LA and hope to g-d they don't get lost.

This is one of the Patterns I've used, and both are by
www.swimbakequilt.com
I am making it for my new Great Niece, daughter
of my Niece and her husband and have
made it using White Kona and Posy by Aneela Hoey
but it isn't big enough and;

This is one of the patterns and I used
White Kona and Wishes by Sweetwater
for my nephew and his lovely bride who
married in San Diego last July and
this wasn't the size I wanted either

I have a couple of new photos to show you of our two youngest grandchildren which I know you are just dying to see.  So here they are and I shall return in around 2 weeks or so.  sorry for the long delay but so much cr*p has been happing and I hate moaning with a total vengeance so quiet time is what I decided.

Mr. O who decided I needed to take
photos of him pulling all kinds of faces
I can show you more if you like

Ms. C with her very large
Hello Kitty stuffed toy wearing her crown
which she got from nursery school for
her 2nd birthday which was in November

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I almost forgot

Now my birthday is April 30 and my friend Kathy's birthday is May 1.  Now as most of you know I have an enormous stash - well if you didn't you do now.  So when Kathy, of Kwilty Pleasures made an oath not to buy any more fabric, because her stash is probably as large as mine, until her birthday and as mine is the day before I joined in.

Then what happened??? I FORGOT!!!

Yep.  But!!!  I remembered just in time before I pressed the buy button on The Eternal Maker's website. Whew wasn't that lucky!!!  And here is what I was going to order.  I so wish I could but I promised not only Kathy but him upstairs too because my buying and not doing has become an obsession.

Now this one is really old and I don't know if
I'll be able to get it later but such is life.

This one is fairly new here in the U.K. so I am
assuming that it will still be available by my Birthday
and if not you know what they say - such is life

I thought this one was old but it's appearing on the website
as new.   So again I hope it will still be available.

I love all these fabrics but then again I loved everything I have upstairs, a lot of which I don't love anymore.  We are going babysitting for our two youngest munchkins soon and tomorrow is a really full on day and Tuesday is a day of nothing so .... we shall see.

After I have cut and stitched some blocks I owe I am going to cut, sew and quilt two quilts to take with me to the States so please wish me luck, because I'm sure gonna need it.  I will be using my stash.

If you want to join in with us in not buying any more fabric and using what you had to have please just leave a message on this email soon.  I mean really soon.  So now I'm leaving you with photos of my two youngest munchkins to enjoy.

O is in 1st Grade - way too young IMHO but
already learning to read and write in English and read in Hebrew
 I am so impressed - heck I can't even read Hebrew and he's only 4
AND C is at Nursery School and loving it

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Okay so I haven't ....

... cleared up my sewing room yet but I will tomorrow.  I know I've said that before but this time I really will because I'm desperate to get sewing again and I can't whilst my room is in it's current state.

But I wanted to share this with you, if I have any readers left after a two month hiatus. Well I know I have one at least.

I saw a SAL advertised via following Craft Buds Blog which is Lindsay Connor's blog that it starting in January 2014.  I love blogs, don't you???  Not just mine but other peoples too so that I can see what I really want to make.

And some of these quilts, if not all of them, are totally gorgeous malorgeous.  Go on and have a look you know you want to.

 

I have a list of what I am going to do after my sewing room is in a fit state and here it is:

1. Catch up with my bees 
2. I really want to start sewing this the Marcelle Quilt and I have bought the book, albeit the eBook so I have to download the patterns - no big deal and it was way way cheaper than the printed book too
3. I want to start this bee and make at least 2 quilts from the Modern Bee book
4. I want to start the Farmers Wife quilt
5. I want to start the Tula Pink quilt too
6. I almost forgot I want to do The Feather QAL as well.  Boy I will be up to my neck in quilting but I LOVE it!!!  It's such a cool quilt and what's more it's paper pieced which I love doing.

You can see my favorite books here where the above quilts come from and you can look inside each book (I hope):

It isn't very often that you will hear me say I love and adore a quilt book once I actually get it and look through it properly.  But these books are in a league of their own and are the ones that I truly love and adore and nobody is paying me to say this.  

In fact when I clear out my sewing room tomorrow there are going to be quite a few that bite the dust because I don't love them and if I don't love them I'm not keeping them - so away they shall go.  I won't be selling them because it's too expensive to mail and my name isn't Amazon!

I forgot to put that I'm going to be using my stash for this coming year.  I did order some fabric today (it as 1/2 price) but I'm not buying any more - NO MORE FABRIC.  I have enough for England, Ireland and all surrounding countries.  I NEED NO MORE FABRIC!!!  And some is heading for eBay or somewhere else to sell it me thinks.  

Well that's all from me until tomorrow after I have cleared up my sewing room.  

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH but
British in every other way