Sister's Choice Quilts

For the Love of Quilting

What amazing discussion evolved from my posts of the past couple of days.  You quilting friends are marvelously thoughtful and intelligent individuals.  I got so much out of all your responses.  Many of you pointed out that it is possible to find a balance between taking your time to make a quilt, (including doing hand work or machine quilting), and on the other hand, doing the occasional "get it done" speedy project.  I spent the summer cranking out quilt tops which I now find I cannot afford to get professionally quilted.  It was truly too much, too fast.  I hardly remember my joy in constructing them or my pride in completing them.  It opened my eyes to the zen quality of quilting, which we sometimes loose sight of.  It is a Process; and good work sometimes deserves serious contemplation and a commitment of time.   And sometimes you need to get a gift made or want a seasonal quilt FAST, and you cut corners.  It works both ways and both are wonderful and Right.

Speaking of quilting friends----remember a couple of weeks ago I had stolen ran out of some fabric I needed to complete a Block of the Month project I am working on?  Jeanine kindly offered to send me the 3 1/2 inch square of fabric I needed.  I was thrilled at her generosity and looked forward to the postman's visit with a little envelope from her containing the scrap of fabric.  Imagine my shock when this is what arrived:

 

She sent me the fabric, pictured in the center, plus "some of her favorite quilting supplies"!!!!  A cool collector's edition Olfa rotary cutter, some pins and the neatest pair of Fiskars Short Cut Snip scissors!  Jeanine, you are incredible.  Thank you so much! 

I never would have dreamed, thirty years ago when I developed an interest in quilting what a fantastic society of people my hobby would introduce me too.  You are all so wonderful.

Quilting, Then and Now

     

Well, I had some very interesting comments on the subject of "Tie Offs", including some from a couple of heavy hitters in the Quilting World.  I appreciate all of what so many of you had to say.  It seems that the consensus is that leaving tie offs is not all that typical.  I certainly do not enjoy the process of working them into a quilt, particularly a large one, and many of you agreed with me.  However, that being said, I have been thinking.

Are we just lazy?  Is it our desire just to shop for fabric, piece the tops and have the other more tedious aspects of the quilting farmed out?  Quilting is supposed to be a lengthy process, and I see more and more quick piecing, enormous blocks, idiotically simple blocks and speedy techniques touted in the quilting magazines.  Today's quilting has moved very far away from the quilting that our grandmothers and great grandmothers did.  There are few of us who hand piece and hand quilt any more.  We are all eager for faster, easier, and assembly line methods.  I know I am always in search for the latest gizmo that is going to assist me in cranking those quilts out faster and faster.   The biggest change is that quilting used to be a Thrifty Activity.  Quilters a generation or two ago didn't go out and lay down $100 for a fat quarter bundle to make a designer quilt.  They used scraps.  Scraps from old clothes, curtains, tablecloths and feed sacks.  What ever has happened to us?  At least the tradition of women getting together to sew hasn't changed all that much.  We may not sit around a quilting frame stitching together, but at least we gather for retreats and regular Sew-Ins.

I realize that our lives today are much different than the lives our grandmothers and great grandmothers lived, but they were pretty much as busy as we are.  I know that sounds radical, but compare Great Grandma Higgins who had to pump the water for baths, laundry, and cooking out in the yard.  Who had to wash the clothes in a galvanized tub with a washing board and hang it all up in the yard.  Who had, yes it's true, 12 children.  Who had to bake bread, sew her own and her kids clothes, cook three meals a day, and tend to the garden.  I know my time is limited by having to get dressed in a suit and drive 12 miles to my 8 hour a day office job, but do I really have less time for my quilting than Grandma Higgins or Grandma Clark did?

Who ever would have thought that such a thing as tie offs would get me to thinking?

Can We Talk About Tie Offs?

 

After spending a gazillion dollars to get my quilts quilted, it would be ridiculously stupid not to do the finishing touches and get those babies on my beds, right?  One of the finishing touches is making the binding, machine stitching it to the quilt, and hand sewing it down.  On a big quilt, such as the one pictured above, this alone can take many hours of hand work.  I buckled down this weekend and launched into the quilt I am most eager to begin using. 

My favorite quilter does a magnificent job, and you all know how I sing her praises.  However, when she does a custom job, such as she did for me in the pictured quilt, she leaves numerous threads hanging that need to be tied and then buried into the body of the quilt.  The threads are at the points where she stopped one design and started up another.  With a custom quilt, you have quite a bit of this, which you do not have with an all over pattern that just loops along all over the quilt top, not stopping till the design has filled the entire top.

I felt a bit like the girl in Rumpelstiltskin, having to spin a room of straw into gold before dawn.  An impossible task.  I would finish a vast area of tie offs, think I must be done, and then my heart would sink, as I realized there was at least an acre more of the little rascals.  Tie the threads, thread them in a needle, bury them in the fabric of the quilt, clip the threads.  Over and over and over.

So, I am posing a question to all of you who are expert machine quilters.  When you custom quilt for others, how do you hand the issue of tie offs?  It is very time consuming to do the dozens, maybe a hundred tie offs that occur on a large custom quilted quilt.  Personally, I find it horrendously tedious work, and can't fault my quilter for pushing the job off onto me.  But is that what everyone does?   I haven't ever had to do this before when I have had custom work done, and wonder if it is "standard in the industry"?    What do the rest of you do?  Just cut the miserable little threads off?  Charge extra for doing the handwork?

I do not mean this in any way to be a criticism of my favorite quilter, who is worth more to me than a ton of chocolate, diamond earrings, or a dozen cases of chardonnay.  It is the way she does it, and I am content to live with it.   I know she doesn't do it to torment me.  I am just curious about this whole tie off thing.  It never came up ten years ago, so why now?  Let's talk.

And A Great Time Was Had By All

 

My sisters Kate and Andrea set the stage for the Family Halloween Party on Saturday night.  There were plenty of decorations, but nothing tacky.   Everything was tastefully spooky.   Dad's house looked like something out of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.  We had so much food, it was ridiculous, but that is part of the entertainment. 

The costumes this year were over the top, and I must say, this was probably right up there as the best Halloween Party ever.  There were the usual cast of characters, as well as some fresh blood new guests, and a surprise visitor that caught us all off guard.  Without further ado, as they say, I will share my pictures with you.  Unfortunately I did not get good pictures of everyone.  I will refer you to Andrea's blog or  Sara's blog for the rest of the story.  If you need any costume ideas, you will get them here!  We always have prizes and I will try to remember who won in which category.

My DH and I.  I was Lady Luck and he was my High Roller Whale.  We won Best Couple.  Despite appearances to the contrary, both my boobs really are the same size.

 

My adorable brother in law Rick, who came as Every Woman's Dream Man/Diet Coke.  He won in the category Funniest-- or was it most overall votes?  His costume showed so much creativity and ingenuousness.  He even had a little stool rigged up under it all so he could sit down.  It was a bicycle seat mounted on a cane.  Really.

 

My daughter Sara, her husband the Joker/Winemaker and my sister Kate, the Queen Who Must Be Obeyed. She was enjoying wearing the tiara just a bit too much.  The Winemaker may have won for Scariest, but my memory is fuzzy.

 

Another brother in law, Robert, who arrived as a Gravedigger.  You gotta love this.  He didn't really have to dress up, but how cool is that costume?  You totally get it.  He has a little spade in there with the cross.

   

My cousin Joe, the Cereal Killer and his innocent victim.  He's another one who resists dressing up, yet always comes up with something very amusing.

My super cute cousin Steph/Wonder Woman, who made this outfit herself.

 

Little Natalie from next door, who had a private word with me.  "Nicole, we have been coming to this party since I was a baby, and I have NEVER won a prize.  I think I am wearing the best costume EVER, and should win something".  She is wearing an antique kimono that has been in her family for decades.  Her mommie is a yoga practioner (and also a quilter).  Natalie did win a prize for Most Outspoken.

   

I always love it when the ladies come to the party not looking foolish or ridiculous, but rather Glam.  We had some really beautiful gals at this party.  Here we have a Mod 60's Girl, Miss Martini, and Marilyn.

 

 

This is our Surprise Guest, the Grim Reaper, who won for Most Effort.  She is my sister Mary, from Wisconsin, who flew out as a surprise for Dad.  He was surprised all right!  She wore sunglasses to hide her eyes, but Andrea and Kate knew her as soon as she hugged them!  Who knew that there is such a thing as a Signature Hug!

There were a few political statements as well.

 

 

The Crowd Favorite, my sister Trish, who was so good she may put Tina Fey out of a job:

 

Here she is at the end of the evening with Lady Luck's money.  Guess she needed it to buy more clothes...  I know she won some kind of prize.  Maybe she won for Scariest?  As I mentioned, we were all having fun!

 

Think you've seen enough?  Here's Fire Fighter Remy, barking at a tombstone in the garden.  No, I didn't dress up Ozzie and Sophie.  Ozzie would have chewed off his costume and Sophie gets so car sick that she was in no mood to be fussed with.

 

Andrea (front and center with her hand on Remy) organized a group shot, including five dogs and some people who I swear wandered in off the street.  What a mob.  The more the merrier!  Thanks for joining us!

 

Tonight's the Night!

 

Tonight is the night of our family's annual Halloween Party.  It isn't usually too scary, but I must say, we do go all out!  There is much secrecy surrounding everyone's costumes, and there is a rule that you may not repeat yourself within a five year period.  My guess is that due to the alcohol consumption, no one would remember if you wore the same costume five years straight, but that's another story.

My husband and I are going as a couple, which we have done for a few years now.  We have been Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, a Harem girl and a Genie, & Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy.  After the Raggedy Andy incident, my husband swore off going as a couple ever again.  He was the Grim Reaper last year, and I was Mary Poppins.  Not exactly a couple.  I persuaded him to give it another go this year though.  The costumes are not too ridiculous, at least HIS isn't!  Let me just say that he is wearing a tuxedo, and I will be attired all in green from head to foot.  Intrigued?  You have to wait til Monday to see the pictures!

My criteria for what makes a good costume is that my face isn't covered, so I can eat and drink without any difficulty.  Sometimes I need to get clever to make that work out!

The Secret Life of Bees

 

I didn't accomplish much sewing this weekend, but my husband and I did get out to a movie.  The first we have seen in quite some months.  We chose to see The Secret Life of Bees, which we both enjoyed enormously.  I had read the book by Sue Monk Kidd, and loved it.  I was so happy that the director had stayed very true to the author's intentions.  Queen Latifa, Alicia Keyes, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Hudson and Dakota Fanning combined to form a very strong cast of incredible women.  Don't you just love movies about women rising above their circumstances and succeeding against all odds?  This was such a triumphant movie.  Beautiful photography too.  Some of the scenes were like paintings, in that they captured the beauty of a moment so perfectly.

Queen Latifa seemed to be able to manage her bees just fine.  She made it look totally easy.  My daughter Sara, however, is having a devil of a time with her girls.  They keep stinging her.  This is turning out to be a problem because it seems she is allergic to bees.  The first few times they stung her, she had a fairly typical reaction, but this latest time, her arm swelled up as big as a bolster pillow.  She took herself off to the doctor, who warned her that this was just a small taste of what is to come if she continues to put herself in harm's way and continue to get stung.  Some people build immunity with numerous bee stings, others develop a sensitivity that can end up in a very severe (if not deadly) reaction.

So what to do, what to do?  The bees and their hive were an anniversary gift from her husband.  She wants to be a beekeeper.  She feels she has a "commitment" to the bees, as she put it to me.  Harumph.  I told her to get rid of the bees and start cheese making.

You Too, Can Have a Welsh Terrier!

 

I kid around a lot about what a handful my two Welsh Terriers, Ozzie and Sophie can be.  The truth is, they are the loves of my husband's and my lives.  They make us laugh everyday and love us enough to make up for the worst sort of day.  So many of you have emailed me to ask what kind of dogs they are and where did we get them.  As it turns out, Welshies, as they are affectionately known are not all that common.  President John F. Kennedy had one, who was the special pet of little Caroline when she was a child.  They are the original "Black and Tan" of the British Isles, quite an ancient breed.  They resemble a miniature Airedale, with a wiry coat and bright intelligent expression.  They are tough as nails, very loyal, affectionate and cheerful. 

I found out yesterday that Sophie has three brothers from her litter who are looking for homes.  If you are at all interested in a chance to introduce one of these fun loving guys into your life, contact their breeders Mark and his wife Tay at rushcreekwelsh@yahoo.com.  Mark and Tay raise wonderful dogs and have quite a long line of champions if you are interested in that sort of thing.  What we cared about was finding a dog with a great personality from a healthy problem free line.  We got all that and more.  So much so, that we ended up getting two Welsh Terriers!

For all you quilters out there, here is an enticement to acquire your own Welsh Terrier.  This weekend Ozzie found hidden fabric.  No kidding.  I was sewing, and all of a sudden he stuck his head under the bed next to my sewing table.

 

"Ozzie!  What the heck are you doing?"  "Just a sec Nicole, I think I see something....Let me just get under here a bit more...."

 

"Ugh.  Grunt.  Sqeeeeeeze.  Hold it!  I found something!  Now if I can only get back outta here..."

And he emerged from under the bed with a plastic project bag *stuffed* with assorted Asian fabrics I have been looking for for at least a year.  I was planning to make a cool Japanese Lantern quilt and totally lost the fabrics.  Thank you Ozzie!

 

Sophie hasn't found any fabric for me yet, but her day may come.

They Missed Daddy

My husband has been away this week on vacation in Palm Desert.  We have a time share down there and have weeks of vacation in the bank with Interval International.  I couldn't take time off from my new job and we didn't want to lose our week, so my husband went on his own, leaving me in charge of Ozzie and Sophie.  He left me a detailed list of instructions on how to care for the dogs each day and just as important, a lengthy discourse on how to tend to the lawn and garden in his absence.  Part of my duties were to hand water a gazillion rose buses and potted plants.  His last words to me as he drove off were "Oh, watch out for Sophie, she really loves to play in the water while you are watering....You might want to tie her up......"

Talk about an understatement.  Sophie is insane about water and getting wet.  She is a total water baby.  As I was trying to lug the hose around to do the watering, she capered about trying to bite the water as it came out of the hose, darting through the stream of water, pitching herself onto the wet grass as if it were a Slip N' Slide.  It was pretty funny to watch, actually, and I had to laugh to see her simple enjoyment.  I'm not sure how thoroughly the watering got done, but we did have a good time.  The picture above shows her victorious after the battle with the hose.

 

Both the dogs misbehaved the entire time my husband was away.  I let them sleep with me one night, and when I was deep asleep they got into the Kleenex and shredded an entire box. When I woke up it looked like it had snowed in the bedroom.  Has any one else been TP'd by their own dogs?  One of them chewed the fringe on the new throw rug I bought to cover the stains on the family room rug, another of them (or, just maybe the same culprit) chewed the wicker basket I keep magazines in.  I took Ozzie for a ride in the car to the drugstore with me (Sophie gets car sick, so she had to stay home), and when we got home, he got away from me and I had to get back in the car and chase him down three blocks away.  I tried to sweep the patio and you can see that they got the broom away from me.  Bad dogs, both of them.

By some stroke of amazing good luck, my husband came home on Wednesday, rather than Saturday when he was expected.  He claimed going on vacation wasn't as much fun on his own.  Truly, I think he missed Ozzie and Sophie.  Thank goodness.

We Are Eating Beans and Hot Dogs This Month

I recently had to pick up and pay for four quilts that had been sitting at my favorite quilters for far too long.  A word of advice:  Do not ever let quilts stack up at the quilter's.  The amount of money it takes to get them out of hock is enough to make your hair turn curly, grey, and fall out.  One at a time, that is my new mantra.  One at a time.

That being said, here are some pictures of a couple of the finished quilts.

   

This is Candle in the Window, made with Snow Blooms by Kansas Troubles for Moda.  It is going to be a Christmas gift for Grandpa Larry.  The quilting is terrific.  Here is a closer look.

 

This next one is a jelly roll pattern, and please forgive me, I have no memory of where the heck the pattern came from.  I know I made it bigger than the pattern called for, and that the fabrics are Moda, probably also Kansas Troubles by the look of them.  Brother, this is pathetic.  Too many quilts, I tell you.

 

This one will be a Christmas gift for Grandma Mimi.  Here's a close up of the quilting.

 

People are always telling me that quilting is a very expensive craft.  The truth of that came home to me when I had to pay for all this exquisite quilting.  But you know what?  Some things are just worth the sacrifice!

Sometimes Losing Your Memory Can Be Fun

While I was turning my sewing room upside down this weekend, looking for the 3 1/2 square of fabric I swear Sophie ran off with, I made a discovery.  I love it when this happens.

 

Usually I keep all my future projects in my stash closet where I can frequently admire, fondle and consider them.  Imagine my surprise when I opened a dresser drawer and under some fabric scraps and triangle papers discovered this complete quilt kit.  The fabric looks to be some past Kansas Troubles collection (they all look alike to me) and this easy, fun looking Miss Rosie pattern.  The fabrics are all arranged just so and the kit was contained in a sturdy plastic zip project bag.

I have way WAY too much fabric by Kansas Troubles, and have sworn off buying any more until I use up what I have.  I made two quilts this past summer to make Christmas gifts for the grandparents, and used up quite a bit of the stash.  I probably stuck this in the drawer out of guilt for purchasing more fabric from this designer.  Good Lord, I am like an alcoholic hiding bottles of Jack Daniels out of sight for a rainy day.  Or rather a "dry" day.  Sure wouldn't want to run out or anything.

Isn't that just a kick?  I don't remember buying this fabric, and I certainly do not recall putting it away in the dresser.  I may be losing my mind, but gee, it is kinda fun sometimes!

Designer Mystery Block of the Month Club

Still on the subject of Block of the Month Clubs, I want to share with you all another BOM I am participating in.  This one is called The Designer Mystery BOM and uses the fabric collection Peace on Earth by 3 Sisters for Moda.  I was late getting started with this project and had four blocks stacked up to make.  Determined to catch up, I dived into the project with gusto this past weekend.  I started in no particular order.  I think that is Block Three below.  Notice, as I commented yesterday how complete the instruction sheet is, and how it includes a color photo of what the block will look like.

 

A half hour later I had my block finished.

 

And then the next:

 

And the next...

 

I was so happy, zipping through these blocks in one day.  Only one more to make and I would be all caught up!

Oh no oh no oh no oh no.  I have turned my sewing room upside down and inside out. I have gone through the trash, looked under the bed, behind the sewing machine and I cannot find that one segment.  I thought Sophie had snatched something at one point during the afternoon, and got up and went into the family room and asked my husband "Did Sophie just dash by with something in her mouth?"  No, he didn't think so.

Now I am up the creek.  I only had enough of that green print fabric to make four green and white segments.  Help!  Can anyone send me a 3 1/2 square of that fabric so I can finish my block?  I will be in your debt forever!     I'll trade a charm pack of Dandelion Girl for it, how about that?

Block of the Month Clubs

Have you ever joined a Block of the Month Club?  I love them because regular as clockwork, a new block comes in the mail each month.  If you stay on task and make the block each month, at the end of a year you have a gorgeous quilt to put together.  The most recent BOM Club I joined is called Simply Sophisticated, offered by the Fatquarter Shop http://www.fatquartershop.com/Simply-Sophisticated-Mystery-Block-of-the-Month.asp?Store_id=499&T=1  The entire quilt will be constructed using the Harvest Home collection by Moda designers Blackbird Designs.  I received my fabric and pattern for the first block on Friday and got straight to work.

 

If you join a Block of the Month Club that is sponsored by Fatquarter Shop, you can be certain that the amount of fabric given for each block will be just right and that the instructions will be clear as can be.  They offer a color swatch sheet of all the fabrics in the collection, plus a color pattern instruction sheet that leaves no confusion as to what fabric to use where.  It is quite brilliant, and I am never disappointed with anything Fatquarter shop offers.  You can still join this BOM, so if you like the fabric collection, go on over and sign up.

This project is a mystery, in that you do know what fabric you are using, but the block you get each month is a surprise.  It will be a sampler kind of project, as each block will be different.  This first pattern yielded not just one block, but two!   Hmmmm, that is part of the fun--to see where the project might be going!

TGIF

It's Friday, it's Pay Day, I have no plans for the weekend except to sew, and life seems truly good. 

Sara told me she is missing Sophie and needed a dose of cuteness, so I took a few pictures of the dogs last night.  I was happy to oblige and had in mind that I would take some photos of the two dogs romping, racing, and being rowdy.

We had left Sophie and her brother Ozzie out in the back yard all day while we were at work and they had amused themselves by digging a big hole in the middle of the grass.  Not good.  After being scolded Sophie was a bit subdued, so I couldn't really get her to smile for the camera.  She has that "Gee, I get yelled at, and I didn't even do anything" look on her face.

 

Notice the new throw rug I bought at Bed Bath & Beyond?  It covers all the stains and camouflages new ones.

I tried to get the kids to look lively for a treat, but no go.

All that romping and digging must have been really hard work because after their dinner, both Ozzie and Sophie were totally zonked and just wanted a bit of a rest.  Here's Sophie, trying to keep her little eyes open.

 

Both of my pooped pups finally just succumbed to the desire to have an end to their hard working day.

 

Ozzie must have done most of the work, because even Daddy's bony knees feel comfortable.

 

The Princess prefers soft quilts for her beauty rest.

I tried, Sara.  Maybe this weekend I will have better luck photographing Ozzie and Sophie actually doing something!

Not Vanilla Latte, Quilted

I can't quite get the lighting right, but here is a look at my first layer cake quilt project.  I finished the top in June and it has been at Prairiequeens for ages waiting to be picked up and paid for. 

"Not Vanilla Latte" was finished on June 20, 2008. It was made with a layer cake of mostly At Water's Edge fabric (Blackbird Designs for Moda). The pattern was from "The Sweet Life", a book by Heather Mulder-Petersen and was called Citrus Punch.   I highly recommend this pattern for its speedy construction, great directions and beautiful results.

 

Doesn't the border fabric tie all the colors together?

 

I generally use the color green in most of the quilts I keep for myself because I decorate a lot with green.  I can just see this one on the back of the couch in Spring or Summer.

It was quited in an all over design, which I think is one of the prettiest florals I have ever seen.  Debbie really knows what she is doing.  I always tell her "Use your best judgment" when she asks me how I want something quilted.  She knows so much more than I do, and I totally trust her to pick the perfect design.  Here is a close up that shows off the gorgeous quilting:

 

Debbie, if you read this, would you tell me the name of the quilting design?  Everyone who reads my blog is going to want to use it!

Added later:

Hi Nicole,
Debbie is out of town on a much needed vacation. The quilting pattern is by Ann Bright (our favorite pattern designer) and I believe that it is part of the Fruitopia collection. Thanks for trusting Prairie Queens with your family heirlooms. It's always nice to put a beautifully pieced quilt on our frames!
April B at Prairie Queens

This Should Be Easier

Thanks for bearing with me while I make some changes to my page banner.  I thought it was time for something more seasonal, but when I went to swap the old picture out with a new one, it turns out that I had forgotten exactly how to do it.  If I ever did know.

My idea was to go in quickly, make the change without any fanfare or discussion, and ta da, there's the new banner.  My first effort was as big as a circus tent.  Some nice reader emailed to say she "liked the quilt where my banner used to be".  Then Sara had a go at fixing it, and it turned into a wee small banner no bigger than my thumb.  Now the picture is the right size, but I can't get text on it.

With any luck and a good deal of help it will evolve into a proper looking banner today.  Hopefully.

The quilt in the new banner?  It is called Tessellations.  I don't have a pattern because it was a class project and I lost the instructions after the quilt was finsished.  But, that's ok, because never in a million years would I make this quilt again.  I love the finished quilt, but it was SO DARN DIFFICULT to make!  Each block was comprised of the fabrics in the block above, below and next to it.  Talk about having to plan ahead....  I had to make all the blocks in four pieces and spread them out on my cutting table like a jig saw puzzle.  If a breeze came through the window or a door slammed I had a nervous breakdown for fear the gazillion pieces would shift.  Thank goodness we didn't have Ozzie then, just Grandpa Jeeves, who spent all his time sleeping on my favorite chair.  I had no fear that Jeeves would jump up on my table and scatter things to the four corners of the world.  Anyway, I digress.  I don't have the pattern, but there are some books out there that illustrate Tessellation techniques.  Maybe you can find one that won't make you crazy!

Not So Very Blended Quilt

Greetings friends.  I am a bit slow getting on with my fresh week it seems.  The weekend went by in a blur, but I did accomplish a couple of things that were high on my priority list.  Numero Uno was getting up to Prairiequeens to pick up four, yes FOUR, finished quilts that had been taking up residence at the shop far too long.  They were gracious as always and didn't give me a guilt trip about my busy schedule and cash flow issues.

Here is my pride and joy, my Not So Very Blended Quilt, that I did as a challenge with Perry, Cindy and Lisa.   I still have the binding to put on and some tie offs to attend to, but I am so thrilled with this quilt.

 

Debbie did an awesome job with the custom quilting, as you see above.   Here are some close ups of the skill and thoughtfulness she demontrates with her quilting.  Sometimes quilting speaks louder than words, don't you agree?

   

What I Have to Show For My Week

Yes indeedy.  I was full of grand plans on Sunday night to sew for an hour every day and make at least 10 more blocks for my Flowers For Clara quilt.  That didn't happen, but here is what I did accomplish this week!

I made a Jarlsberg Chicken Quiche (from a recipe Turkey Feathers had posted years ago:

 

One pastry crust for a 9" pie dish.

1 cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 bunch green onions, chopped fine

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

5 eggs, beaten

½ cup Half and Half

1 ½ cups Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

½ tsp dried thyme

Pre-cook chilled pie shell for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly before adding other ingredients

Toss chicken, onions and garlic together; put into the pie shell.  Top with the shredded cheese.  Sprinkle with herbs.  Tent quiche with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until center of quiche is set.  Remove from oven, let cool-15-20 minutes before serving.

This was fast, easy and elegant.  I served it with a Caesar salad and it was as good as it gets.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I read a book from start to finish.

 

This was a dark, but enthralling tale set in the time of the Salem Witch trials.  Here is the review by Publisher's Weekly-

Starred Review. A family's conflict becomes a battle for life and death in this gripping and original first novel based on family history from a descendant of a condemned Salem witch. After a bout of smallpox, 10-year-old Sarah Carrier resumes life with her mother on their family farm in Andover, Mass., dimly aware of a festering dispute between her mother, Martha, and her uncle about the plot of land where they live. The fight takes on a terrifying dimension when reports of supernatural activity in nearby Salem give way to mass hysteria, and Sarah's uncle is the first person to point the finger at Martha. Soon, neighbors struggling to eke out a living and a former indentured servant step forward to name Martha as the source of their woes. Sarah is forced to shoulder an even heavier burden as her mother and brothers are taken to prison to face a jury of young women who claim to have felt their bewitching presence. Sarah's front-row view of the trials and the mayhem that sweeps the close-knit community provides a fresh, bracing and unconventional take on a much-covered episode.

As I said, it was dark, but un-put-downable.  It kept me company for one entire insomniac night.

Interesting note:  The woman on the cover is a real girl from Poland from around 1920.  Aren't her eyes haunting?

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And ta da!  I loved up my puppies, snuggled under my Jelly Bellies quilt.

 

Don't ask why the sofa cushion cover is off.  It is in the wash for a very good dog related reason.

And, yes, you keen observers are correct, I STILL haven't gotten around to sewing the binding down on that darn quilt.

But you know, all in all I can't complain.

Mother's Little Helper

No, I am not referring to chardonnay, but some of you might argue with me about that.

I really want to make more time in my day for doing the things that are important to me.  I miss chatting with my friends, and I have missed reading books on a regular basis.  But the thing that has just got to change is the lack of time I have had for sewing. 

I decided that I need help in order to fit in all the things that make life meaningful and enjoyable for me.  So just what kind of assistance is it going to take for this mother to squeeze in all her favorite pastimes?  I can't afford a housekeeper or a cook, so that is out.  No one is going to drop out of the sky and handle my household responsibilites.  My husband takes on enough with the cleaning and taking care of our two dogs Ozzie and Sophie, I can't ask him to do any more.  So what is my plan?

Well, being a lot more organized about meal planning and food preparation would be an excellent place to start, don't ypu think? 

 

So, I got out some promising sounding cook books and made a meal plan for the week and a shopping list.  Chicken Jarlsberg Quiche, Corn Chowder, Pork Chops and Applesauce, and that great Chicken Piccatta Penne Pasta from last week.  DH and I piled into the Honda and headed out to our local big warehouse store, Costco. 

We stocked up on everything we needed and got most of the items I need for our dinners for the next two weeks.  I don't call Costco the Two Hundred Dollar Club for nothing.  Our grand total was $202!

 

Here we are, home again, and it is time to put all this away.  Check back and see if being so organized is any help with my goals!

Assembly Line

 

I have a little trick I'll share with you that makes sewing quilt blocks together easier for me (especially blocks that have a lot of units).

I start constructing the block by sewing the first two squares together for each row.  I do not clip my threads so the rows stay connected.  I then start at the top and sew the third block in each row.  In the photo above I am just starting to add on the fourth block in each row.  All the rows are connected.

When all the rows are finished, they are connected together in the exact formation of the finished block, and all I have to do is sew the four rows together.  If I get interrupted mid-block, it doesn't matter.  I can see exactly where I am what piece goes on next.  Does that make any sense?

 

I had all my lovely fabrics spread out for cutting.  Aren't they beautiful?

 

Over the weekend I finished 13 blocks!  I decided to do all the cutting and get my triangle papers pinned on many of the squares, so I would be all organized to stitch up my half square triangles.  It was my goal on Saturday to come home from work each night this week and sew together at least two complete blocks.