Sister's Choice Quilts

New Challenge Project

From time to time, my friend Lisa and I like to work on the same project. She works on hers in Washington, and I work on mine here in California.  We call it a Challenge, but the challenge part is that we encourage each other to keep plugging away at the quilt, and to make regular blog posts on our progress.  We both love doing this, and have about six future challenges in mind.  We both agreed however, that our Summer Challenge would be to use the Prairie Paisley collection in a project that was on the cover of last summer's American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

Lisa is ready to sew already, but I am still in the cutting stage.  I have my project box all labeled and am nearly done with the cutting.  I may finish it this afternoon.  The fabrics are Prairie Paisley, designed by Laurie Simpsonfor Moda.  The pattern is called Paisley Parade.  We will undoubtedly come up with a better name for ours  (sorry, some of these pattern names are so lame).   Lisa called hers "I Love a Parade", which has a better ring to it.   It seems very appropriate to use this happy red, white, and blue All American color scheme for a summer project!

I got my fabric at two different places--In Between Stitchesin Livermore, and Prairie Queensin San Jose.  I have a lot of pieces, but not the complete bundle.  I am pretty sure Lisa has the whole bundle, with a piece of every fabric in the line, so her quilt may show more variety than mine.  At least, our fabric placements will undoubtedly be different.  The pattern is a medallion style, which I seem to love these days.  You really feel as if the quilt is coming together quickly as you add borders around the center.  This is a great style of quilt for you to make if you find the block setting part of quilt making a bit of a bore.

Now, here is something interesting that I found while I was cutting.  What is wrong with this picture?

Oooops.  I wonder if this is like finding a stamp that has had a mis-print?  Could this be worth thousands of dollars to a collector?  Hundreds?  Call me, we can talk.

For those of you who don't get the "ooops"---The fabric pictured above was designed by Laurie Simpson, not Sandy Gervais.  The factory got the wrong label on the selvage.  Making an error like this takes credit away from the designer and causes LOADS of problems for people who use the information on the selvage to identify and locate fabric.

Chain, Chain, Chain

Excuse me Ozzie!  I am trying to take a picture here.  That's better.

This is Licorice Twist, a pattern by Joe Wood (of ThimbleCreek), made with the Dandelion Girl collection by Joanna Figuera (Fig Tree) for Moda.  I did all the pattern directed, but you know what?  I do not think this quilt is finished.  What it needs is a big blowzy floral border.  I just ordered two and half yards of the Dandelion Girl pale yellow rose print (on sale!) that I think will be the perfect touch.  Besides, this quilt is so darn pretty I want it bigger so I can put it on a bed!

I do love a quilt pattern where the blocks form a chain.  These pinwheel blocks are beautifully set off by the alternate block with the dark brown squares.  When designing a quilt top, keep in mind how a simple alternate block such as a snowball block or the one shown above can form wonderful secondary patterns.

There are a couple of advantages to buying your border fabric after you have the main body of the quilt top completed.  First, sometimes what you originally have in mind for the border isn't the color that "speaks" to you once you have the top together.  Once the top is done, you have a much better idea of what would work best as your border.  This is often the case with scrappy quilts or quilts made from a specific fabric collection.

Second, for me, by the time I get around to using a fabric collection, many many months have typically gone by and none of my local stores have the fabric anymore.  No selection.  You might think that this is a big disadvantage, but I beg to differ.  It has hardly ever happened to me that I have not been able to locate a fabric from a collection that is long gone from the stores.  My secret?  www.quiltshops.com  This fantastic website has hundreds of quilt shops all across the country linked to it.  You do a simple search, using the fabric collection's name is usually all you need, and you are supplied a list of links to shops that have the fabric you are looking for.  And the big bonus is, if the fabric is from an older group, it is often at a bargain price.  If you know of a similar website that is a link to lots of stores, please share in the comments section.

Now, if you know in your heart from the start of making your quilt what exact border you are using, then by all means, buy it at the time you get all your other fabrics.  You sure don't want to risk not being able to get a crucial element to your quilt.   I know many times we plan an entire quilt around the fabrics in a border, and actually that fabric is our starting point.  Just as often though, I don't make up my mind about the border until the quilt top is complete.  In those cases, I wait and see what my quilt wants!  Make sense?

Friday Favorites

Activity:  My favorite activity lately is sleeping.  I have been working every day between my two jobs and the next day off in sight is Monday.  I didn't think working retail was all that physically demanding, but standing on your feet for six hours straight, bored out of your mind really wears a person out.  If things are busy, the time flies, but management has been sticking me up in the Petite department on the second level, where there is little traffic.  I fold tiny tee shirts, I adjust miniature pants and skirts  on hangers, I make sure the price tags are neatly clipped in place.  Every now and then a prototype size person peeks over the counter and needs my help.  Numbingly dull.  My naughty husband took this picture one morning this week when I should have been up and about already.  That big lump Sophie is cuddled up against is me.

Read:  I have begun reading My Abandonment by Peter Rock, a story about a homeless man and his daughter.  Let me say right off the bat that this is a fairly strange book, but has me oddly hooked.  I have just begun to get into it, where the man and the girl are scavenging for things to take back to their shelter in the woods.  From the review I read on Amazon, the girl some how attracts the attention of the police and the pair of them are taken into custody, where it is revealed that the daughter may not actually be his child.  So, it is a mystery of sorts.

Listen:  No music this week.  I have been totally engrossed in an audio book called The Little Friend by Donna Tartt.  I had read the book a few years ago, but when I saw the audio version at the library, I picked it up.  This story is hair-on-your-head-standing-on-end thrilling.  I would classify the story as a Southern Gothic, with the main character a twelve year old girl named Harriet Dufresnes.  When she was a baby, her older brother was inexplicably murdered in their own yard, and Harriet's mission is to wreak revenge on the low life person she thinks committed the crime which destroyed her family.  You do have to suspend belief and accept the plot developements, but this is a heck of a story.  Get the book, get the audio version, you will not regret it! 

Cooking:  The best meals I have had this week have all been prepared by my husband.  Nothing like staggering home from a long day and having a handsome man tell you dinner is ready.

I did make a casserole this week that was mighty tasty though.  It involved mixing corn bread stuffing with celery and onions and a can of creamed corn and baking pork chops on top.  That was good, and we ate it for two nights.

Golden Pork Chops
1 can (14 oz) cream style corn
1/2 cup each finely chopped onion and celery
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 cups crushed corn bread stuffing
4 boneless pork chops
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. spicy brown mustard
Combine the corn, onion, celery and paprika.  Stir in stuffing. Transfer to a 11 x 7" baking dish.  Arrange pork chops over stuffing.  Combine brown sugar and mustard and spread over chops.  Bake, uncovered at 400 for 35-40 minutes.  Serves 4.

Favorite New Find:  http://yellowbirdart.blogspot.com/
Maria told me about this nice blog, Yellow Bird Art, that has a giveaway going on right now.  They went to Quilt Market and are giving away some goodies they picked up there.  Go take a look and see if you might win! 

Added later:  LOL.  Ok, never mind, they just named me the winner of the give away.  But do check out their site, it is very very nice.

Quilting Project:  Huh?  My plans to sew didn't pan out so well this week.  I have plenty of ideas swirling around in my head for new projects, but can't start until I get the borders on Dandelion Girl and Around the Block.

Gratitude:  Happy Birthday Ahren!  I am so proud of you!

Simplify

The simplest thing I could think of.

Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday?  She focused her show on the theme of Doing Without.  Two families were chosen to participate in the program, and the deal was, they had to give up all their electronic gadgets for a week.  No cell phones, no iPods, no computers, no TV, no video games.  Each member of the family had to say bye bye to whatever their electronic drug of choice was.  What a novel concept.  Instead of focusing all their attention on something electronic, families shopped for groceries together, families shared meals together, families played games together, families walked the dog together.  One teenaged girl had some issues the first day and was shown petulantly asking her mother. "What do you expect me to do, READ A BOOK????"  The dad missed watching sports on tv.  The son missed his video games big time.  The daughter didn't know what to do with herself if she couldn't be texting her friends.  The mother was in withdrawal not being able to check her favorite blogs and talk on the phone with her friends.  Recognize yourself or anyone you know?

So, could you make the sacrifice?  Give up electronics entirely for a week?  Or less excessively, maybe spend a couple less hours watching tv or surfing the internet?  Spend more time interacting with your family, cooking real food instead of ordering out, reading a book, just thinking ?  Could you?

How many of us are overly encumbered by things that suck our time, our energy, our enjoyment of the here and now?  What could you give up?  Forget the electronics issue, are you drowning in possessions?  Clothes, shoes, fabric, collectibles?  Could you pick ten things a day for the next seven days and throw them out or give them away?  Free yourself of un-needed and un-used possessions?  Could you simplify your life in any way? 

I know this concept isn't a new one, but what do you think?  Is this maybe the way we are headed in our country?  After years of MORE, years of acquiring, years of excess, are we ready for something simpler?

I'm just thinking here, but look at the results of American Idol last night.  In spite of the extraordinary odds, didn't America make the simpler, less excessive choice?  Didn't we?  How unexpected and totally amazing.

OK, no tv for me for 7 days. while I think this through.

Dandelion Girl and Patisserie

I had two and a half uninterrupted days of sewing this past weekend, and got a couple of projects to the "nearly completed" stage.  This is Dandelion Girl, made with a fabric group of the same name, designed by Fig Tree for Moda.  The colors are so soothing, in a faded vintagey way.  The pattern is called Licorice Twist by the charming Joe Wood of ThimbleCreek.  I still have to finish the pieced border, and plan to get going with that this week.  The dark brown fabric is not part of the Dandelion Girl collection and was chosen specifically for the wonderful contrast it makes with the pastels.  That chain really stands out!

Here is the other project I worked on, Around the Block from Heather Mulder Petersen's book On A Roll Again.  I seem to be on a Fig Tree streak these days, and used the fabric Patisserie for this quilt top.

I wish I had made one more red block in this top.  I think it would be better balanced.  Too late now!  I adore the pieced setting triangles, don't you?  There is a pieced border that is going to be added, which will pull out the red in the quilt top.

Now if I sew on one border each day the top will be finished by the weekend!

Evolution of a Quilt

This is the secret celebrity stunt sewing project I did for Joanna Figuera of Fig Tree Quilts.  The quilt has had its reveal at Market, and now I can share the story with you.

Out of the blue, Joanna sent me an email asking if I would be willing to make a quilt top for her on a super tight deadline.  The quilt was to debut at Quilt Market and was to be made using her new fabric line "Mill House Inn".   Feeling a bit star struck,  I agreed without hesitating and received the gorgeous pattern, "Rosettes" and the fabric in a short time.  Trust me, I spent some quality time fondling this new fabric line before cutting into it.  I think it is one of her prettiest designs ever.  You will want lots of it when it is available!

I was so determined to do a really good job on this project, and was more than a little bit nervous!  My husband took over the household chores and cooking, and I barricaded myself in my sewing room until it was finished. 

This pattern is layer cake friendly, for all you Moda pre-cuts fans out there!  Fat quarters would work great as well, and you would have enough fabric left over for a second project.  The block construction was simple enough, but a certain amount of perfectionism was necessary to get all the seam joinings to line up just right.

 

Once my part of the construction was finished, I packed up the quilt top and sent it back to Fig Tree, where it was handed over to the person who would really make it into a proper quilt.  The quilter!  After she did her magic, the quilt was to be washed and made ready for photography.  Check out Joanna's blog Fresh Figs for photos of her booth at Market.

This is the new pattern, which I understand is selling quickly.  The fabric line used on the quilt on the pattern cover is Patisserie.

Being involved in this process was such an honor for me.  I loved every minute of it!  I would do it again in a heartbeat!  Carrie?  Heather?  Camille?  Call me.....

My Stars (and Pinwheels)

My stars, that was a bit of a flurry yesterday!  I guess the Grab Bag idea is popular!  I will have more of those, you can count on it.  Next time, maybe purples and greens.  Lots of greens.   Thanks to those of you who are helping me clear the stash out.

I had a chance to sew for a bit today and finished my pinwheel blocks.  Tomorrow I shall endeavor to sew the blocks together with the alternate blocks and work on the pieced border.  Here are my pinwheels:

And here is the layout of the blocks.

I saw this quilt in person at Thimblecreek in Walnut Creek a year or so ago.  The pattern is designed by Joe Wood, owner of Thimblecreek.  His quilt was made of lovely striped shirting fabric and looks so different from this version!   The fabric I used (and shown in the picture) is Dandelion Girl by Fig Tree for Moda.  Don't you love the addition of the dark brown chain to the pastel prints?  The dark brown is definitely not part of the fabric collection, but sets the lighter, more delicate fabrics off so well.

Ok friends, here's a question for you:  What do you do with all your little trimmings, bent pins, and snipped threads while you sew?  Do you toss them over your shoulder like Eleanor Burns?  Do you tape a brown lunch sack to your sewing table and use it as a receptacle?  Share with us!  What do you DO with those wasted bits?

Here's my solution.  I received a souvenir cup from a quilting camp I attended in the Sierras, and it seems just the right vessel for my sewing detritus.  I keep it on my sewing table and when it gets full, it gets dumped in the waste basket.

Have a simply MAHVELOUS weekend Dahlings.

Before and After

My sewing room is a total disgrace.  Things have gotten so far away from me that I couldn't get in there and find anything, much less SEW.  The Tuesday Sales have been a great help in clearing out some shelf space and showing me some hidden treasures I had forgotten I had.   See, there is a bit of empty shelf space exposed!   I worked every spare minute this last busy week and this is what I managed to achieve.

Bed all cleared off, check.

Books organized.  Mom and Dad beaming at me proudly for cleaning my room so nicely.

Cutting board cleared off and ready to go.

And best of all, the closet is organized!I can actually see what I have in there, and look at all the batiks I have collected!  Who knew?  They were all jammed in a Rubbermaid tub.  I have an entire shelf devoted to Fig Tree fabrics--what a groupie I am!

Projects labeled and waiting to get finished. 

I am so delighted with my tidy closet, that I had the door open yesterday afternoon while I was working on my pinwheel blocks.  I was so enjoying glancing up and admiring my organized stash.  Ozzie has come in to say "hi", and like a flash, grabbed *two* of my Miss Rosie patterns off the bottom shelf and went tearing out into the back yard with them, Sophie in hot pursuit.  Before I could get the patterns back, they had ripped open the plastic envelopes and had the pattern pages blowing all over the place.  Darn dogs.  Guess I will have to close the doors and post this picture of how I want to keep my stash closet.

Who can work in a messy, cluttered space?  This is SO much better.  I have a couple of spare days coming up where I will be able to stay home and sew (huge happy face), so I should have something to show for it by Monday!

Enough About Sophie

Hey, everyone, it's me Ozzie.  That darn Sophie has been stealing the lime light lately, so I thought I would give you an update on how I am getting along.  She is a trial to live with, but I am coping pretty well.  As you can see from the picture above (don't I look dapper?), I still have my sense of humor.  I am sitting on the back of my favorite chair, where Nicole lets me lie if I promise not to drool or nibble on the leather.  She keeps putting these quilts on top and I have to say they are pretty comfy.  Sophie is outside chasing birds, so I have a minute to chat with you all.

Oh man.  Just when I start to get really cozy, Sophie has to jump up and horn in on my space.  That's her on the left, trying to nudge me right off my spot.  I tell you, she is so pushy.  Did any of you have a younger brother or sister who always had to being doing whatever you were doing?  Well, then you know how it is for me.  She follows me everywhere.  I can hardly get away from her to hide my bones and toys like I like to do.  I do have a few secret spots in the yard she doesn't know about though.  When my hidden treasures get nasty enough, I will dig them up and won't she be jealous?

So, she got my spot on my favorite chair.  That's ok.  I can find something else to do, like watch Dennis get ready for work.  He puts this white stuff on his face and then scrapes it off again.  It makes him looks very strange.  He put some of it on my nose once, and I could smell it all day long.  People are so odd.

Nicole spends a heck of a lot of time sitting here looking into this thing.  I wonder what she sees in it?  Seems kinda boring to me.  Wait, maybe if I push these buttons, something will happen....  Whoops!

All in all, things aren't too bad.  I have to say that despite the pesky little sister, I do get my share of loving around here.  They keep telling me there is enough love to go around so everyone gets their fair share, and I guess it's true.  Love it when they rub my neck.  Yawn.  Time for a little shut eye.  So long for now.

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites!  Thought I'd share a few of my faves for this week.

Photo:  Sophie with a rawhide bone.  What can I say?  She is intense.  Everything she does, she does it full force, no holds back.  We have had our issues with this strong willed little dog, but she has been behaving lately.  She is a girl who wants a job.  With a capital J.  She is busy all the time, constantly on the alert, ready for anything. Any Thing.  I wish I could leave a list of tasks for her to complete while I am at work during the day.  I know I'd come home and they all would be done.  If only she could fold laundry.  She spent today protecting our garden from some kind of creature--it could have been a gopher, or maybe it was a big ground squirrel or prairie dog.  Who knows, last I saw she had it scrambling over the back fence.

Reads:  While in the car, I've been listening to an audio recording of a book called The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes.  It is a fictional story of a landlord and his wife who take in a lodger that they believe could be Jack the Ripper.  Do they turn him in and give up the rent money that they so desperately need?  This is such a suspenseful tale I find myself driving past my own house I am so caught up in the story!  Don't miss this oldie!

On my bedside table is The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.  The characters in this book move from Pre World War 1 to the present, and between Brisbane, Australia and Cornwall, England.  Morton's books are best sellers in England and Australia, and I am so pleased to have discovered her.  I recently finished her House at Riverton and couldn't wait to get my hands on more of her works. 

 

Listen:  Pink Martini.  If you don't know Pink Martini, your life is incomplete!  This is their third album, Hey Eugene.  They have quite a global sound, and one of their songs that I can't get out of my head when I hear it is "Donde Estas, Yolanda?" from their Sympathique cd.  Fun music, always lifts my mood.

 

Cooking:  My fave meal of the past week has to have been the Shepherd's Pie I made when my son Ahren came from Cal Poly.  You hardly need a recipe for this stick to your ribs dish.  Brown a pound or so of hamburger along with some diced onion, carrot and celery.  Add a couple tablespoons of flour to thicken.  I also added salt and pepper, some broth and Worchestershire.  It needed something else, so I put in a squeeze of lemon juice.  Put it all in an oval baking dish and top with mashed potatoes.  Yum.  I sprinkled on some cheddar cheese for color and cooked it for 30 minutes at 350.  Supposed to serve six and the three of us ate it all at one sitting.

Favorite New Find:  This gingham skirt with a botanical print from Talbots.  So cute with a black tee and a narrow belt.  Add your favorite strappy sandals, and you are good to go anywhere.  I adore this skirt and it will be in regular rotation all summer long!

 

Out and About:  I think I neglected to mention that I have taken on a second part time job at said Talbots, mentioned above.  They have me working this Friday and Saturday, so that will pretty much be my outing!  With any luck I will not be scheduled to work Sunday and can get up to Palo Alto to see my dear dad, who I have missed the past two weekends.  Sunday Dinner with the family is what feeds my soul!

Quilting Project:   Fabric is Dandelion Girl by Fig Tree for Moda.  Very pretty colors of pale blue, yellow, pale coral.  I am making two blocks, a nine patch surround block and a pinwheel block.  The nine patch block will form a chain pattern on the quilt top and will be a strong contrast to the pastels.  I hope to get some pinwheels finished this weekend in my spare moments.

Gratitude:  My children are safe and happy.  Sara and Ryan bought their first home in Angel's Camp, California and the deal should close escrow this following weekend.  Ahren is doing well in graduate school and doesn't ride his motorcycle anymore.  That is one worry gone from my life!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!