Sister's Choice Quilts

A Short Interruption

My regular posting may be interrupted this week while my husband and I are visiting our favorite desert hang out down in Palm Desert.  That is the view from one side of our balcony.  We have such a good time watching the golfers on the 17th hole.  I am sure they have no idea how entertaining they are.

I cannot tell you how fabulous the warmth of the sun feels.  The weather where I live has been in the 50s for weeks and I am so enjoying the high 70s in southern California.  I know 50s probably sound pretty good to those of you in colder climates, but this California girl likes it a lot warmer!

Hope you are all having a great week.

A New Wool Applique Project

I have had this new little applique project prepped for a week or so and finally began the stitching.  How cute is that little blackbird sitting on the thread spool?  There will be some additional embroidery once the blanket stitching is completed around the edges of the shapes.  The bird will be holding a length of unspooling thread in his beak.  The pattern is one from Buttermilk Basin from the In Thy Hands collection.  They are just the right size for a candle or a small bowl of potpourri.  

These little projects go so quickly.  The actual applique takes very little time at all.  If you are thinking of dipping your toe into the world of wool applique they are not a bad starting point.  You will need a basic reference book for how to do the various stitches though.  Buttermilk Basin patterns are simple as far as the shapes go, but offer little in the way of instruction or technique.  I found this book to be helpful as to technique and this book great as a guide to various stitches. 

I hope your week got off to a good start!

First Flake Quilt Top Finished for January

First Flake is finished!  I am happy to have had the experience of making this fun and easy strip-pieced quilt.  The pattern was purchased by me as a pdf download from an Etsy seller.  I was inspired by Thelma's red and white version and will be excited to add this to my January/Winter decor.  It is a pretty small quilt (58 x 58"), so I will probably hang it from my upstairs balcony where it can be seen from downstairs.

In other news, I have brought out all my Moda Blockheads 1 blocks and laid them out on my design wall.  And guess what?  I have an idea for a layout that I am super excited about.  But...I need more blocks.  So I had another brilliant idea (the second this month) to make the six inch size of the current Blockheads weekly blocks and add them to the BH1 blocks until I have enough.  How about that?

Goodness I am loving this sew along.

Moda Blockheads 3, Week 2

I am so darned excited about this sew along, only two weeks into it.  I like the block designs that have been posted, but I especially love my fabric choice.  I have cracked into my fat eighth bundle of 3 Sisters Holly Berry collection, but I have other coordinating collections on hand that I can dip into as the sew along progresses.  I may have to redecorate my house and use more blue.  Everything I am interested in sewing lately has blue in it!

Check out this link to the Instagram post of a block that Becky Marzano put up showing her block for this week.  Is that not amazing?  Some people really think outside the box.

I have remade four of the Blockheads 1 blocks, and am so happy with how they came out.  It is so satisfying for me to have accurate blocks.

Sara and Eva came over when I was in the middle of trying to come up with an easier way to make the block on the lower right.  The method called for just was not working for me.  Those are a lot of very tiny pieces in a 6 inch quilt block, and my block was so wonky.  I was stewing over trying to come up with another method that would work better for me, but I set it aside when the girls came over and literally had nightmares last night about it.  I dreamt I was at a quilt retreat and left my sewing spot to go get some lunch.  When I came back, some terrible hoodlum women had moved my machine aside to take over my space, and my block pieces were all missing.  Now, that was a quilting nightmare for sure.  I woke up in a sweat with my heart pounding, ready to do battle with these nervy women.  Would you believe the first thing I did when I got up in the morning was to go up to my sewing room and go back to putting that block together?  So silly to be so obsessed.

By the way, the secret to me getting a better block was to skip the weird triangle pieces and use 1 1/2" half square triangles in the outer round of units.  Would you believe this block has 61 pieces!!!!!!!!!  This was an alternate block that Lisa Bongean submitted one week when the designated designer's block involved applique.  I ended up making both the applique block and the alternate and I am glad I did.  Didn't I say that the Blockheads sew alongs improve your skills?  They really do.

I have also finished my First Flake quilt top and can't wait to show it to you tomorrow.  

A Touch of Red

I have switched up my tiered tray again, this time with some touches of red for Valentine's Day.  I really do have a lot of fun with this tray for seasonal and holiday decor on my kitchen counter area.  It's ironic that most of these little items I already had.  No need to break the bank shopping for new doodads each time I want to change it out.  However, I have to say, when I go into Target, Michael's or Joann, my eyes are peeled for anything inexpensive that would be cute on it.  What I did buy recently was the little wooden heart-shaped sign that says "Home is Where the Heart Is" ($4, with discount at Michael's) and the Rae Dunn "Hugs" mug ($6 at Home Goods).

Speaking of Rae Dunn, are you familiar with the craze surrounding the pottery pieces designed by the artist?  It is nuts.  The simple pieces are distinctive because of the font used to engrave words onto the items.  At Halloween you could find mugs with "Boo" or "Wicked" on them.  At Christmas maybe "Jolly" or "Hum Bug" etc.  Each season and holiday there are new ones.  Cute but not that amazing.  Nevertheless, people line up outside TJMaxx and Home Goods (where her stuff is sold) before the stores open on the delivery days, and charge in and fill shopping carts with every piece they can get their hands on, take it home and sell it on eBay for twice as much as they paid.  It is crazy.  When I was at Home Goods, there was a woman there with two little kids whom she had trained to recognize Rae Dunn pieces who were running around like lunatics grabbing every piece they could hold and bringing it over to their mom's shopping cart.  Wow, some message to teach your children.  I had picked up the little "Hugs" mug and was half expecting the woman or one of her little kids to snatch it out of my hands.  You would think the stores would limit the number of pieces each customer could purchase to avoid this hoarding mentality.  What do you think?  Were you aware of this insanity?

Here's the backside of the tray.  Eva sits at the counter by it every day, so her side has to be cute too!

Hope your week is off to a grand start.  

Lots of Stitching Going On

Lots of stitching going on, and I actually have something to show for it.  I completed my little red stars table runner and love how it turned out.  I just made a whole bunch of 3 1/2" stars and sewed them together diagonally with a 2 inch border.  It will be nice for all sorts of different occasions:  Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Christmas.  Anytime a touch of red would be nice, I can bring this out.  It finished at around 16 1/2" x 31".

I also dragged out my Moda Blockheads I blocks and started thinking about how I want to put them together.  I had made a slew of flying geese units, and also have loads of 2" half square triangles, in a basket, so I have some options that could include those.  I went through all the blocks and measured them to be sure they were all 6 1/2" square.  And guess what?  About five of them weren't.  That bothers me.  So, I decided to remake the ones that were not measuring up.  It's funny, the one on the bottom in the photo above looks way smaller than the two on top, but I swear they are all exactly 6 1/2".  

No surprise, the blocks I had issues with involved tiny pieces.  Lisa Bongean (one of the Moda designers) is known for making blocks with teensy units, and those were the ones I was most unhappy with.  Operator error for sure, so it was good piecing practice for me to remake them and strive for better accuracy when using tiny units.  As I said in my previous post, one really positive benefit from participating in these sew alongs featuring different designers is that you will get a lot of experience making blocks you otherwise might not tackle on your own.  Applique for instance.  I avoided it pretty routinely until I did a few sew alongs and consequently discovered that not only did I enjoy it very much, but that it added a wonderful element to a pieced quilt.  So, I guess my message is, don't shy away from challenges!  

Moda Blockheads 3

I probably have no business starting up another Moda Blockheads project, since I never finished putting my blocks together for the first Moda Blockheads sew along in 2017/18.  I do have all my lovely blocks from that one, and need to figure out a setting for them.  I used Kansas Troubles fabric for that sew along and can easily pick up more fabric that will coordinate for a setting.  Must do that.  I skipped last year's Blockheads 2 since I felt guilty starting another sew along when I hadn't even done anything with the blocks from 2018.  By the way, there is a pattern book for that first Blockheads Sew Along, full of instructions for each block and suggestions for layouts.

Oh well, a new year, a new project, right?  I have some gorgeous bundles of two 3 Sisters collections that I have been hoarding for just the right project, and I think this may be it.  The fabric collections are Holly Woods (I have a fat eighth bundle) and Snowberry (I have a fat quarter bundle).  The colors are that perfect red, cream and a light/medium blue and a navy. The two bundles are so similar in their color ways that they could have been one bundle, honestly.

That first block shown at the top of this post was not for sissies, I tell you.  Luckily a couple of participants shared some hints for making the construction of the block a bit easier, which I took advantage of.   I will say, the blocks for the Moda sew alongs that I have participated in have really helped me step up my piecing game, so that is worthwhile on its own.  There are 14 different designers participating in the block designs, as well as Instagram and Facebook links to see all the blocks that folks are making.  It is really fun to see the different colors and fabrics people are using.

Corey Yoder from Coriander quilts designed the first week's block, and if you go to her website you can download the pattern and tips for alternate construction of the block that is easier.  Instructions for making the blocks in several sizes are given.  I am making 8 inch blocks.

How about you?  Are you tempted to sew along?

  

Little Projects

I have started another one of those By Thy Hands projects by Buttermilk Basin.  The pieced block is Spools, as you can see.  I used striped fabric in the hope that it will help in the illusion of thread being on the spools.  The wool applique is of a tomato pincushion and a spool of thread with a little blackbird sitting on top of it.  My applique work is on hold until I receive some black wool from an Etsy order I placed.  I thought I had over a yard of black wool, but when I opened the package, it was black cotton flannel instead!!!  How does anyone use black flannel in applique?  I am mystified as to why I purchased it or what the heck I will ever do with it.

These little By Thy Hands projects finish at about 10 1/2" by 15 1/2".  About the size of a small placemat.  So far, I am really enjoying them.  The piecing adds a nice touch and the applique is simple for a beginner like me.  

I have had the best luck buying from Etsy sellers.  Most sellers really appreciate the business and are super quick to ship out.  I placed my order on Monday with three different sellers, and by gosh, on Tuesday morning I was notified that everything had already shipped!  I only had an issue once when I bought a fabric bundle from an Etsy seller.  The purchase information said that my order had shipped, but I never received it and there was no tracking information.  When I tried to contact the seller, they had closed up their shop and disappeared!  I contacted Etsy and they gave me an immediate refund.  I will never know if the seller tried to trick me or if it was some kind of a genuine mistake.  At any rate, Etsy made good on it.

Hope your week got off to a good start.  My walking friend and I are going "shopping" today at a town about an hour away from where we live.  I have Hobby Lobby, Target, and maybe Bath and Body Works on my list to places to go.  And lunch at Panera!  Woo hoo.

Productive Weekend

I did not set foot outside my house for the past three days, and got a lot of sewing done!  My husband being glued to the tv watching various football games also helped my productivity level.

What have I been working on?  Well, a couple of things.  My main sewing project is First Flake in navy and white.  It is simple strip piecing, but you have to have your wits about you when you are laying out the pieces because it is very easy to turn one of those half square triangles the wrong way and end up spending some time bonding with your seam ripper.  I speak from experience.  I have 18 rows completed, sewn into two nine row sections.  I think this is such a striking looking quilt and cannot wait to display it.

I've also done some wool appliqué, which was fun, but ended up looking like a ten-year-old did it.  That's ok, I am enjoying myself and know I will get better with practice.   In 2020 I want to listen to more audiobooks, and these little projects are a good thing to work on with my hands while I do that.

That super cute mug is one of my favorite new things, from Anthropologie.  Only $12 and worth every penny.  I love the look of the tiny subway tiles and the beautiful initial.  Don't worry, if your name doesn't start with "N" they still have you covered.  It makes me happy when I have my coffee!

Pizza!

I have been completely obsessed with making pizza lately.  Several of you requested my recipe for pizza dough, and I plan to include it in today's post.  I'll also tell you about some of our favorite toppings so far, and what other accessories come in handy for making pizza at home.  We do not have a fancy pizza oven.  We just use our regular oven and our results have been so good.

The photo above is of a pizza challenge we did with our son Ahren when he was visiting from Ireland over the holidays.  He wanted to make pizza the way he would have to do it when he got home--that is with no fancy pizza stone or food processor for mixing the dough.  He made the dough by hand, and cooked his version of pizza in my cast iron skillet!  And you know what?  It was delicious.  You do not need any fancy stuff to make pizza in your own kitchen.  The toppings he used were marinara sauce from a jar, pepperoni slices and lots of mozzarella cheese.  The size of his pizza was determined by the size of the cast iron skillet he baked it in, which was 10".  This made for a thicker, more doughy crust, which I thought was fabulous.  You do have to preheat the pan in a 500 degree oven and then spread the dough in the blazing hot pan, which wasn't as tricky as it sounds.

Here is the recipe for pizza dough that I use.  It can be made in the food processor, which is fast and easy.  If you don't have a food processor, it can be made by hand, you just have to knead it for five minutes or so.

Pizza Dough
2 3/4 cups Bread Flour
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
2 tsp salt (I used Kosher)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1 cup warm water

Put the bread flour, yeast and salt in the processor and mix to combine.  Slowly add the olive oil, slowly add the warm water.  The dough will form a ball and whirl around in the bowl.  Process for 1-2 minutes.  Plop it out on the counter and knead it around for a couple of turns.  Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rise on the counter for 20-30 minutes.  Divide into two balls, wrap both in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you want to use.  

I make my dough in the late afternoon, let it sit in the fridge until dinner and use one ball of dough for a 12" pizza to feed my husband and I.  You can leave the second ball in the fridge for 24 hours, but if you aren't going to use it within a day, freeze it.  It unthaws quickly and tastes just fine if it's been frozen.  To roll out your dough, sprinkle some flour on your counter and roll it out to about 12 inches. You can pick it up and twirl it around like a pizza chef if you think you want to do that. It is very forgiving, but don't drop it on the floor!

   

My all-time favorite pizza is Italian sausage and mushrooms.  Cook the sausage and mushrooms separately ahead of time, spread over marinara sauce and top with lots of mozzarella cheese.  I added green onions because I had some on hand.

This one has pesto sauce, caramelized onions, pancetta and mozzarella.

I was feeling fancy and used goat cheese, cooked chicken, sauteed shallots, corn and cherry tomatoes.

I do have some accessories that I like to use which I think make the process easier.  My son would disagree and say you do not need anything other than a cast iron pan.

I have a pizza paddle which I place my rolled out dough on.  You put all your toppings on the dough and slide the whole thing off the wooden paddle onto your pizza stone.  You do dust the board with corn meal so the pizza slides off easily and does not stick.

This awful looking thing is my pizza stone.  You put it in your oven, turn the heat up to 500 degrees.  When the oven and stone are up to temperature, you slide your pizza onto it using the wooden pizza paddle shown above.

Your baking time will be anywhere from 8-12 minutes, depending on how thick your dough is, how many toppings you have piled on the dough etc.  You just have to keep checking it.  When it looks right, take it out of the oven.

I have a cookbook called Truly, Madly Pizza which has my dough recipe and lots of topping ideas.  When Ahren made his version in the cast iron skillet, he watched a Pioneer Woman video of her making cast iron pizza and how she spread the dough in the hot pan.

I hope you will try making pizza at home.  My husband and I make it a joint effort, and it has been a lot of fun.  If you do make it for yourself, do tell us about your results.