Sister's Choice Quilts

Rhubarb Whirl

The thing about getting to the end of a project is that I start thinking about the next one.  And often, because I am weak, I say to myself "I'll just audition these fabrics" or "Maybe I will just make one test block", and before you know it, a new project has been started, and the last one isn't quite done.

That is what happened yesterday.  I was just browsing Pinterest, and found a photo on Cathy McCann's (Quilting on  Main Street) Pinterest page, of a quilt called "Rhubarb Whirl".  I loved this quilt, with all its little spinning pinwheels and the interesting pattern made by the juxtaposition of the lights and darks.  I love Cathy's blog and have copied more than one of her patterns and uses of fabrics.  I love her taste.  She is super nice too.  It was driving me nuts that I didn't know how to get my hands on the pattern.  

Well, wonders of the Internet, I just Googled "Rhubarb Whirl" and what do you know, the source came right up.  Even more unbelievable (or not, if you happen to know me and my love of books), I happened to have the exact book right on my shelf.  I get very tickled when things start getting so serendipitous.

Renee Nanneman's Home To Roost, purchased on a great trip to Illinois a few years back.  I bought the book to make a completely different pattern, and never got around to it.  I am not sure how I missed this particular pattern, but it is never too late to rectify a mistake.  Lucky me, I don't think this little pamphlet book is available much anywhere anymore.  ***Added later:  You can get it for $10 at Needl'love.

Since the stars seemed to be lining up so nicely, I pulled out some fabrics by Primitive Gatherings and some others from my stash and made a test block.  You know how that goes.  One thing led to another and I ended up with 10 blocks a few hours later.  I know, the colors are similar to other quilts I have made, but those are the colors I like to decorate with, so it works for me.  The addition of greens to the mix, along with some black makes this quilt have a vaguely Christmassy vibe.

Just so you know, I do have a conscience, and forced myself to sew three more long rows of Antique Stars together.  Can you tell, it's growing?  It is like pulling teeth to get me to concentrate on sewing the rows together.  That lattice--ugh.  It is taking F.O.R.E.V.E.R.

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Making It Right

After tossing and turning half the night having nightmares about my crooked lattice, I got up at the crack of dawn and just fixed it.  Whew.  That's better.

This Antique Stars quilt is ginormous.  You can see the middle three rows across my 72 inch wide design wall, and they don't fit at all.  I am assembling this quilt top in three sections.  The first section is done, and draped over the railing on my second floor landing.  The middle section is almost done, and the third section will be done on Thursday or Friday, with luck.

Isn't it interesting how different the blocks look with and without the lattice?  This quilt is going to be ample bed-size for my queen sized bed.  There is another outside border still to come that will make this quilt even larger.

I have had these blocks up on the design wall for so long, it is a miracle they have stayed up.  Particularly, since my husband got an idea in his head a month or two ago, to put a window fan up in the window in my sewing room.  That blows cooler night time air INTO the room.  Accckkkk!!!  Are you kidding me?  It took me three days to get the blocks arranged just so and with one click of the switch on that fan, they were blowing all over the room.  I finally straightened him out, and started over again with my block arrangement, and (don't tell him this) but I think I like this arrangement better.

Up To Pretty Much Nothin'

I have made a few more Flowering Snowball blocks for the quilt I am making for Eva's Big Girl Bed.  Aren't those blocks cool?  I love the effect those wild Kaffe Fassett fabrics make.  The blocks take very little time to make, maybe 15 minutes or so for each one.  I sat down for an hour or so on Saturday while the family was off on a hike and I think I made five or six blocks.

Don't you wish you lived at my house?  I have half finished quilts draped over every available surface.  You see my Antique Stars quilt, and I have been feeling very bad that I stopped half way along with assembling the rows.  Not very exciting sewing, sewing rows.  However, it is my favorite quilt of 2014, so I seriously need to finish it before the end of the year.  So yesterday I got back to it, and was going along great, until I discovered I forgot my own cardinal rule about making sure the lattice strips lined up.

Uh huh.  It definitely took longer to un-sew that row than it did to sew it.  Dumb.

Saw Grandpa Larry yesterday for his birthday.  He is entering his 94th year, so he says he's 94.  A lady named Peggy who also lives in the Memory Care Facility has taken a shine to him and accompanies him everywhere.  And you know something?  She has an uncanny resemblance to his deceased wife.  It is very strange, I am telling you.  No wonder he told my husband "Mother is here".  Oh, well, I say take your friends where you can.

Oh, and by popular demand, here's that Pot Roast recipe--I am putting it down by memory, not copying it from the Joy of Cooking edition that I have.  It is so simple and makes your house smell so good while it's cooking complete strangers will be knocking at your door to see what's cooking

Joy of Cooking Pot Roast

4-5 lb chuck roast, boneless

olive oil ( I used garlic flavored oil from the shop where I work)

carrots, 2 onions, celery
red wine, broth or water
thyme, bay leaf
flour, butter

 

Salt and pepper the meat and brown it a good 15 minutes on the range top.  Remove meat from pan and sauté onions, carrots, celery.  Add dried thyme and a bay leaf, and one cup or so of red wine, broth or water.  I used wine and broth.  Put meat back in pan and simmer covered on range top for 3-6 hours.  I cooked mine for around 5 hours on super low heat.  Mix a couple tablespoons of butter with a couple tablespoons of flour and add to liquid in pan.  Cook a bit longer until thickened.  Serve with noodles or roasted potatoes.  I think noodles are best because there is so much yummy gravy.

Pot Roast and Cherry Pie

Pot Roast

and Cherry Pie

We had one of those lazy Sundays that hardly ever seem to roll around.  Usually I am either packing up the car for a two and half hour drive to see my father, or scheduled to work all day at the shop.  This weekend we were all still recovering from Halloween, and Daylight Savings Time (why is that so hard I wonder?).  We took our time getting ourselves going on Sunday morning, and wow, by 9:15 we were all dressed and had no plans, so we collectively decided to go to Costco (husband, daughter, grand daughter and I).  

Since the nearest Costco is an hour away, we enjoyed a lovely fall drive through the countryside.  Eva entertained us with a rousing rendition of "Let it Go" from Frozen while we drove.  Is there a three year old in America who doesn't know the words to that song?  Once arrived at Costco, we managed to kill an hour and a half and $330.  Don't ask me how that is possible.  One of the things I picked up was a wonderful chuck roast that I brought home and made a nice pot roast with.

My favorite pot roast recipe is in Joy of Cooking, which everyone has, so I won't retype the whole recipe here.  It is simple and basic and delicious.

Sara was thinking we should have a little something sweet, because after all, the Halloween candy has only whetted our sugar starved appeitites.  So, I made cherry pie.  Now i know where the expression "easy as pie" came from.  Someone who used PIllsbury pie crusts from the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and a couple of cans of cherry pie filling.  It took five minutes to put together and 45 minutes to bake.  It isn't the best cherry pie in the world, but it served its purpose.  Except, good grief, do you know that a can of cherry pie filling costs $4.95?  And you need two of them to make a pie?  Really.  If I had a Marie Callendar's any where near me, next time I think I would buy one of their pies instead!

Regardless, we had a feast of a dinner, and I feel ready to tackle the world.  Tomorrow is Grandpa Larry's 94th birthday, so Eva and I are off to visit him today.  I need to iron name tags into the new clothes we got him at Costco.  New sweat pants and long sleeved cozy shirts.  

Have a great week everyone!