2016 RSC November Week 3, Guild Challenge, Retreat Projects, Solavore Sport Oven Beef, Onions, Potatoes

I waited to show this guild challenge project. Earlier this year the members of my quilt guild participated in a challenge called "All in the Bag". Everyone that wanted to play along brought a gallon bag of fabrics and embellishments to our March guild meeting. The bags were then randomly passed out making sure no one received the bag they brought. Instructions were to use the fabrics and items in the plastic bag to make either a wall hanging, a table runner or a tote bag. One could add fabrics and embellishments from their own stash to supplement if they wished. Fabric scraps and remaining unused embellishments were returned to bag to give back to the owner. The big reveal was during our October meeting. I received a bag with a yard of chocolate brown fabric, a yard of turquoise fabric, a yard of white with a brown and turquoise print, some brown buttons, some white buttons, a roll of turquoise lace ribbon and a roll of black ribbon with gold spots. I made the items pictured. The guild member was pleased and most grateful. Success!!

All I have to show for a RSC finished project is a scrappy red oven mitt. I'm quilting my RSC Wonky Stars quilt and hope to have a picture Saturday.
Last week our guild's quilt retreat was held in Montreat at the Montreat Conference Center located in the small town of Montreat, NC. We had a great time. The food was delicious. Forest Fires nearby created air quality issues. Since our sleeping rooms, sewing room and dinning area was all in the same building, we didn't have to go outside unless we wanted.
My sewing buddy and I each worked on donation quilts and Christmas items. I quilted and bound the bear panel in the picture. I'll take it to guild meeting tonight.

One of our quilt members taught a class about making Christmas pillow covers with an envelope opening in the back. Mine is pictured. I made a Christmas tote and a Christmas table runner using strips of Christmas fabric sewed onto batting. The nine string blocks sewed together and laying on batting is my progress on a future Christmas tree skirt. I hope to finish it this week and post a picture later.

Saturday before last I played with my Solavore Sport Solar oven. After setting the solar oven in the sun to preheat, I filled one pot with chunks of sirloin beef and onions. The meat was covered with Steak and Chop seasoning. I didn't add any liquid. Scrubbed potatoes filled the second pot. It didn't take long for the oven to reach 220 degrees and I placed both pots in the warmed oven. That was around 10 am. The oven stayed about 220 to 230 degrees until about 4:30 pm when it dropped to about 180 degrees as the sun was being partially blocked by trees. I brought the oven and everything in about 5 pm and left the plastic lid in place until we were ready to eat.

I should have been faster with my camera. As one can see, my family had gone for the meat and onions as soon as I took the lid of the pot. The meat was fork tender, falling apart, HOT and delicious. All the broth came from the meat! Every bit was eaten. The potatoes were done, too. Delicious. Next time I'll wrap them in foil or put them in with the meat. This meal was definitely a big hit!