Sister's Choice Quilts

Quilts Of 2023

2023 was a good year for quilting. I finished up a few UFOs for sure (which was a goal I set for myself) and tackled some brand-new projects as well. Best of all I sent out a number of tops that had been finished for ages to the quilter. What a good feeling to finally get those quilt tops wrapped up and done. Even though I technically finished the piecing of the tops a year or more ago, I am counting them in my 2023 finishes.

The little quilt above is Mahalo, a mini quilt that I use on my kitchen island for a Valentine's display in February. The pattern is Mahalo Mini by Sherri of A Quilting Life.

Another little table topper, this one is called Let's Play Hearts, a pattern by Atkinson Designs. It's been quilted and will go out on display in February.

Family Reunion from the book Rollin' Along, compiled by Lissa Alexander. My fabrics are by Corey Yoder. 

Take It Easy, a jelly roll pattern by Primitive Gatherings. Fabric is a jelly roll or two by Primitive Gatherings. Top is finished, but not quilted.

Star-Studded Event was a summer block of the week sew-along hosted by Primitive Gatherings. They supplied a weekly kit of the fabrics, but I swapped in a lot of other fabrics in my stash. Those center stars are 2 inches! This one has been quilted and it is in use on the bed in my guest room.

Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery 2011. Obviously, I had this project sitting in a UFO bin for some time. I finally finished the blocks, got my hands on fabric for the finishing setting, and sent it out to be quilted. The quilting is particularly lovely I think. Fabrics are various Fig Tree pieces featuring strawberries.

Don't Fence Me In is a pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. I used a fabric line called Lucky Charms by Andover. This will be sent out for quilting soon and may even be on my bed by St. Patrick's Day.

Grain is a little table topper pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. It is one of the "Little Bites" patterns and is available for download on the Fatquartershop website. I used leftovers from the Don't Fence Me In project.

Mini Donuts is a pattern by the Pattern Basket, and the fabrics are scraps from various Lori Holt lines.

Apple Core and Dahlia are block patterns from various Lori Holt books. I needed a new mat for my laptop and a coaster for my always-present drink of choice.

Antique Star is a Red Crinoline pattern that I made ten years ago. The top has been languishing in a closet for ages and finally got sent out for quilting this year. I love it and am so glad it is finally finished.

Opening Day is an old pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. I had all the star blocks made and pulled this UFO out this year and got it all pieced together. Still not quilted, but it will be a nice gift for someone when finished. 

Piecing the Past Americana. This was a sew-along sponsored by Piecing the Past Quilts during the COVID pandemic. I am sorry I can't remember what they called the sew-along, but it kept me occupied and happily sewing when I was stuck at home. I just got it back from the quilter and it is gorgeous!

Summer Picnic is a pattern by Susan Ache from her book Summer Memories. Fat Quarter Shop hosted a sew-along this past summer, which was lots of fun. Fabrics are mostly by Minick and Simpson.

Haunted Halloween was a free mystery quilt sew-along hosted by Fat Quarter Shop this past summer. I used Urban Chics fabrics for this little topper, which I ended up giving as a gift.

Sewcialites 2 was another sew-along hosted by Fat Quarter Shop. Do they do a lot for their customers or what? It was fantastic to get a new pattern every week and sew along with others. Kimberly always gave great tips and tricks for each block. I made up my own setting which I like because the blocks stand out and really shine. I used fabrics by Lella Boutique.

Halloween 1904. This is a really old UFO started back in 2012. I finally sent it out for quilting and it is a complete showstopper. What took me so long? Pattern is by Blackbird Designs, and may no longer be available.

Sampler Spree was a sew-along from a year or so ago. Blocks are mostly from Susan Ache's book Sampler Spree. I let this languish for some time but got back to it this summer and am so glad I did. It ended up being one of my favorite quilts of the year. Fabrics are from three Sweetwater collections Nutmeg, Cider, and Persimmon. I had enough leftover fabric to make another quilt called Apple Sauce which I hope to get the border on and have quilted this year. 

This little quilt is called Bats and Boos and was a free mystery sew-along by Fat Quarter Shop. I haven't decided whether or not to add a border to it, because I kind of like the size it is now. Jury is still out. 

Blockheads Bonus Blocks Runner. Every year Moda Fabrics hosts a sew along lasting 12 months, called Blockheads. These blocks are from Blockheads 4, and were extras I made for this small table runner for my son. 

Penny Pincher, a pattern by Primitive Gatherings, is another top I have had finished and packed away for several years. Finally, it got sent out for quilting and I just got it back. I love the fabric which is also by Primitive Gatherings. Those gold blocks just add so much sparkle and interest to the quilt top. 

I feel really good about what I accomplished this year. I am particularly satisfied to have completed some UFOS that have been sitting around FOREVER, and for getting so many quilt tops sent out to be quilted. It was an expensive endeavor to have such a lot of quilting done, but I am glad to be able to enjoy those quilts now. 

I wrote this post in a bit of a rush (my son is visiting) so if you have any specific questions about the projects or links etc, let me know in the comments. 

Christmas Books

Santa was good to me this year when he left a lot of great books under the tree. Actually, the books are from my son and daughter and I am happy to say that they chose so well!

Ahren gave me two books by Irish authors that I love, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray and Water by John Boyne.

The Bee Sting is described as "a thought-provoking tour-de-force about family, fortune, and the struggle to be a good person when the world is falling apart". It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and has won a bunch of writing awards. 

Water is the story of a 54-year-old woman who escapes to the west coast of Ireland to assume a new identity after a terrible scandal. Her world has fallen apart and she is consumed by reflections on her part in the situation. The author is planning a four-part series on each of the elements (Water, Fire, Air, and Earth) and I can't wait to collect them all. Oh, and my copy is signed by the author!!

This House is Haunted is another book by Irish author John Boyne, one of his earlier works. Set in Norfolk in 1867, the book is described as a "delightfully creepy" ghost story. Eliza Caine responds to an ad for a governess. When she arrives at Gaudlin Hall, she is greeted by her two charges, and there appears to be no adult present. Ok, I'm in.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride is described as a murder mystery, but so much more. The story is set in a Jewish/Black neighborhood called Chicken HIll in Pottsfield, PA. The focus starts with the grocery store but comes to encompass many characters and the question of what we value and what we are willing to do for what and who we love. This book was named Amazon's Best Book of the Year. 

I can't wait to dive into The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong. It is an atmospheric gothic mystery set in post WWI Cornwall featuring a rare bookstore, a creepy manor in the countryside, magic, and maybe even a male witch. 

I also got two new cookbooks, both of which look so good. Have you heard of The Lost Kitchen? It is a tiny restaurant in Maine that is so popular the owners have a lottery every April and see who "wins" seatings at the restaurant for the entire upcoming year. There was a documentary "The Lost Kitchen" on tv that was super interesting. Big Heart Little Stove is the story of the owner Erin French. 

Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, or PW, has a new cookbook Dinner's Ready, and the recipes in this one look very doable and tasty. If you like a cookbook with tons of photos and step-by-step instructions for food your entire family will like, you might love this book.

The very best thing about Christmas is getting new books to read! I am looking ahead to many hours of bliss. 

 

Well, That Didn't Go Well

Well, that certainly did not go well. I invited some family members over for dinner to celebrate the holidays and to visit with our son while he is staying with us. I wanted to make something delicious that I could prepare ahead and that would please everyone. I chose a turkey lasagna recipe from Ina Garten's book "Family Style". It got good reviews and sounded really good. It had all the typical ingredients including turkey Italian sausage, goat cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, fresh herbs, etc. 


First of all, Ina Garten has never let me down until now. This recipe wasn't just bad, it was inedible. Can you imagine, inviting people over and proudly dishing up dinner and....yuck?

The flavors just weren't there in spite of lots of cheese, fresh basil and parsley, and Diestel turkey. But the worst thing was the pasta. The recipe calls for NOT boiling the noodles in advance, but pouring super hot water over them and letting them soak for 20 minutes. What bad advice. That pasta was barely softened. I boiled water in my electric kettle and poured it over the pasta in a 7 x 11" pan for 20 minutes as the recipe instructed. The pasta was somewhat softened after 20 minutes, but certainly not "done". I figured the rest would happen in the oven when it cooked in the sauce. That did not happen. 

I am amazed that my guests could even choke down a few mouthfuls. I was so embarrassed. If you have made this recipe, what was your experience? The online reviews are all raves. If I had boiled the noodles as I usually do when making lasagna, it would have been better, but still, it was pretty flavorless. 

Luckily one of my nephews had sent us a box of assorted brownies from the "Killer Brownie" company, which I served for dessert. At least people left with the taste of something good in their mouths.

Have you ever had a major recipe fail when entertaining? Share your experience and help me feel better. 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! 

I thank each of you for reading my blog and offering up such great comments throughout the year. Whether I am quilting, cooking, hanging out with my granddaughter, or sharing a good book, I look forward to interacting with you every time I post. Thank you so much for your readership and participation in my life. I am so grateful to have touched so many lives, in my small way, and hope it has been rewarding for you as well.

I hope this holiday season brings you peace and good health and that the new year will be prosperous and full of joy.

Last Books of 2023

I have a few last books of 2023 to share, and they are some darn good ones.

I finally finished Covenant of Water, which was excellent, but I can't give it a full five-star rating because at 700 some pages, it was just Too. Long. Good grief I was glad to close that book after the last page. It was excellent, but I was ready to leave that world by page 450. The writing was amazing, and you will be transported to another world in Southern India. You follow a family for many generations (1700-1977), and learn much about the culture of India and the development of modern medicine. Those who came before us certainly went through a lot that ultimately benefited future generations. You will feel all the feels, and this book is totally worth the effort, but man, it is way long. 4.5 stars

Don't Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino was so good. If you enjoy "women's fiction" this book will be for you. It is set in the early 1960's, and our main character is a feisty 20-year-old gal who wants to live life for herself and not according to her parent's expectations. After an "incident" with the son of the local rabbi, her parents send Marilyn away for the summer to stay with her Aunt Ada, who is not the stern old lady her parents believe her to be. Will Marilyn conform and adopt the life her parents want for her, or will she embrace the unknown and embark on her own path? Aunt Ada is the mentor Marilyn needs in her life right now. The characters in this book will stay with you, and the ending is so, so satisfying. If you want something "light", but also substantive, this could be the book for you. 5 stars.


The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is historical fiction at its very best.  Based on the real-life of Martha Ballard, a midwife practicing in 1789 Maine, this book is positively gripping. I haven't quite finished it, but I think it could be a contender for the Best Book of 2023 for me! After delivering the baby of a local woman, Martha is called to examine the body of a man found frozen in the Kennebec River. She determines the man was beaten and hung, then tossed in the river which subsequently froze. Her conclusion is undermined by a local physician (who may be under the influence of those who murdered the dead man) and she goes to court to state her findings and allow justice to prevail. Lots of suspense and characters you will both love and despise. The book takes place throughout one winter and is based on the actual diaries and journal entries of Martha Ballard herself. This book is just excellent and I highly recommend it. This is the perfect book to read in January! Potentially 5 stars.

I hope your reading year is ending on a high note. I have big plans for 2024 and can't wait to share them with you. I will also have a post coming very soon on my top books of 2023. I have read a lot of great books this year and will have a hard time coming up with a top-ten list!

 

Nothing But Cooking Going On

Honestly, it seems as if all we have been doing is cooking. I made bread in the bread machine and I am not sure what the special juju was, but it was the biggest and best-formed loaf I have ever gotten out of the thing. 

It was nice that the bread turned out because things went downhill from there. Ahren and I set up the pasta machine to make linguine and oh my, we should have read the instructions just a bit more carefully. We forgot to attach the disk that shapes the pasta and the liquidy flour and water/egg mixture all leaked out before we even got started. After a 15-minute clean up we began again. 

Ultimately, we ended up with a nice amount of linguine for our Linguine and Clam dish, but it was a bit chaotic for a while. Ahren had to excuse himself at one point to run upstairs to his room and have an emergency chocolate bar break. Honestly, I need to use that machine more often and not have to reinvent the wheel every time I use it. 

Our finished Linguine and Clam dish was quite delicious, although it is all a bit of a white meal, isn't it? 

Today we all go to puppy class with Archie, and as far as dinner goes, I am going to let the guys figure it out. I am ready for a break. We made pizza on Monday night and that was quite a production as well. Southwestern Bacon Quiche the night before that, which was delicious.

When I haven't been cooking, I have been reading, and I am ending the year with some outstanding books. Tomorrow I will share my latest recommendations and I think I have some good ones for you!

 

Cooking, Shopping, and Hanging Out

Not much is going on here. Lots of cooking, some shopping, and much relaxed hanging out together. What a delight it is for us to be able to be in each other's company again!

On Ahren's first night home, we made clam chowder, which turned out delicious. It does not photograph well, but along with a loaf of crusty bread, it was tummy-warming, tasty, and wonderful. It came from the website "Simply Happy Foodie".

I get so excited talking and visiting that my photos are garbage. I will try to calm down and hold my hands still and compose my shots better, I promise. 

We were still on a soup kick so we made chicken tortilla soup the next night. I have to say, it was the best I have ever made. We added a pasilla pepper and half a jalapeno and the flavor was amazing. Here is a link to the recipe we used. There were a lot of other great-sounding soup recipes on this site, so I encourage you to take a look. We even fried corn tortilla strips to use as a garnish, which were sensational. I could have eaten those by the handful. Which I might have done...

We have no firm plans for this week. Sara will come to visit, but we are just living in the moment otherwise. Hope you are enjoying this last week before Christmas!

Best Books of November

I think this year I have gotten much better at picking books that I thoroughly love. I have read so many 4, 4.5, and 5 star books this year! It's a new record, for sure. I have read nearly 140 books this year, which is also a record for me. I am happy to say I haven't hesitated to give up on a book that isn't giving me joy. I can get just a bit into it, or more than half finished but if it isn't doing it for me, I can just shut it down and go on to something I like better.  November was a really good reading month and I'd love to share the best of them with you.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio was just excellent. It is in the genre referred to as "dark academia", which typically isn't my favorite, but I did love this book. The setting is a private arts college that specializes in Shakespearean drama. The book is set up in five parts, like the five acts of a Shakespeare play and there are seven main characters who are typical of the characters you would find in a Shakespearean history or tragedy. The blog Literary Lifestyle has a helpful guide for this book that I encourage you to look at if you decide to read it. The book begins with one of the students being released from prison ten years after supposedly murdering one of his cohorts. The lead detective on the case never truly believed the kid did it and finagles an interview with him on his release from prison to find out what really happened. The story is a richly layered tale of obsession, passion, and friendship that pulled me in from the start. Lots of Shakespearean references which (as an English major) I enjoyed. This book is very literary and made me feel like I was spending my time well while I was reading it. 5 stars (Free on Amazon Unlimited)

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree is in a new-to-me genre called "Cozy Fantasy". The set up: an Orc named Viv decides to leave her violent and barbaric life and start anew by becoming the owner of a coffee shop in a small village. Viv has her struggles making her dream come true, and I found myself rooting for her throughout her setbacks. This is a book set in a fantastical realm and full of other-worldy creatures and magic, but has at its heart a cozy feeling. Found family, friendship, loyalty, and starting over are all themes in this unusual book full of strange creatures who have never heard of coffee. Viv's coffee shop will have you smelling the beans roasting and imagining the taste of strong brew and hot creamy foam. It was fun. 4.5 stars.  

The next two books are really meant to be read one after the other. They are both long ones, so it is a bit of a commitment. However if you love a Victorian tale of revenge, murder and deceit, this will be your cup of tea, as it was mine. 
The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox had me compulsively turning the pages. Our main character does some pretty dastardly deeds, but he has his reasons. Our main character, Edward Glyver goes from the grubby streets of Victorian London to Evenwood, a beautiful estate that he has been cheated out of inheriting. Edward is passionate in his quest for justice and revenge against his arch-rival, the dastardly evil poet Phoebus Rainford Daunt. There are plenty of betrayals, treachery, and obsession in these pages. I was totally obsessed to find out what would happen. The atmosphere of Victorian England is masterfully portrayed. 5 stars.

The Glass of Time by Michael Cox builds on the story that has been set up in The Meaning of Night. The narrative continues with a female main character, Esperanza Gorst impersonating herself as a lady's maid to the Baroness Tansor, the previous fiance to the villain Phoebus Daunt from The Meaning of Night. Our fake maid soon learns that her mistress has many secrets, but how it all relates to her remains to be seen. I don't want to give anything away, but this book ties up all the loose ends left hanging in The Meaning of Night. The ending is also enormously satisfying. If you enjoy Victorian drama, great prose, and wonderful characterizations, you might love these two books as much as I did.  I had a major book hangover after reading these two books. 5 stars


With The Madstone by Elizabeth Crook, I really switched gears, but it was wonderful. This book is a Western! Did you love Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry or The News of the World by Paulette Jiles? If so, this book will be right up your alley. Set in Texas, 1868, 19-year-old Benjamin Shreve is minding his own business building furniture when he witnesses a bizarre scene in which a stagecoach passenger is stranded, and the coach takes off with the man's fortune on board. Benjamin is persuaded to help this passenger follow the coach and retrieve his valuables and is thereby drawn into a drama beyond his wildest dreams. The story is epic and you will follow Benjamin into much drama and an awakening of his soul. The story was compulsive and I wasn't bored for a second. 5 stars and I can't wait for this author's next book!

Murder in the Family was my first book by author Cara Hunter, who is hugely popular in the UK. This book is so unusual in its construct. It is written as if it were a documentary in a Netflix-type drama. The producer of the drama is a family member who experienced the death of his "step-father", the much younger husband of his wealthy mother. Most family members were home at the time of the murder, but no one saw anything. The now adult son has pulled together a dream team of investigators (detectives, journalists, forensic psychologists) who all come together to try to solve the puzzle of who murdered "Luke Ryder". As the new series "Infamous" unfolds we wonder if this cold case will actually be solved. This book was a completely different format than I have previously experienced and was a definite page-turner, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The fun part was trying to see if I could figure out the outcome along with (or before) the experts! 5 stars. 

Those were my November highlights. If you read any of them, I sure hope you enjoy them as much as I did! 

Christmas Craft Projects and Dinner Shortcuts

Who can resist this face? Archie seems kind of chilly since his haircut Monday, so we put a sweater on him. At first, he wanted to eat it but has thankfully given up that notion. I laugh every time I look at him with those fuzzy floppy ears. He is adorable. You can probably tell he is wishing I'd let him in the house.

Eva's ornament gifts have turned out super cute. All I did was glue the felt backing on each one, and frankly, I made kind of a mess of it. My glue gun is absolutely worthless and is going in the trash as soon as it cools down. The glue doesn't even feed through it. I have to push the glue stick through with a spare finger while also pressing the trigger and guiding it around what I am trying to glue. It is so frustrating to use it.

Seriously, that is just a mess. There was no control at all. Does anyone have a link or the name of a glue gun that actually works reliably? I'd love to know.

My Instant Pot and cookbooks by Jeffrey Eisner are keeping me sane these days. If you use your Instant Pot regularly, you must try his cookbooks. Aside from a tendency to put a package of Boursin cheese in every dish (optional), his recipes are delicious. The Boursin is good in some of them too, you just need to use your judgment. I'm writing this on Tuesday afternoon and plan to make his Tortellini Soup for dinner. With no Boursin.

In other news, I am on a new diet. It is called the Chardonnay and Christmas Cookie Diet. Every time I pass by the tin of cookies my sister Kate gave me I have one. Or two. We shall see how that serves me.

Archie's First Haircut, Eva's Ornaments, and the Best Cookies Ever

Archie got his first haircut Monday. He did pretty well. He didn't like his head messed with much, so the groomer couldn't do much with his ears, which look super floppy and furry. I kind of like it. He was a good boy during the experience, so that's a plus. The groomer tells us we need to brush him more regularly so he doesn't have so many knots and snaggles. Oh my gosh, that is one cute dog. 

Every Christmas Eva likes to make a homemade gift for her loved ones. Last year we made soap, which was an experience I hope not to repeat. This year we found a YouTube video (several actually) showing how to make these ornaments using tiny embroidery hoops, five-inch fabric squares, festive ribbons, and various adornments. They are turning out super cute. We are experimenting. You can use a glue gun or tacky glue to affix the decorations. The trickiest aspect turned out to be attaching some kind of backing to hide the raw edges of the fabric. We opted to use black felt, and it is going ok. Trimming the raw edges with super good sharp scissors after the glue dries is the secret to having it look good I think.

Speaking of holiday traditions, my sister Kate makes everyone in the family a tin of cookies each and every year. Receiving this selection of cookies is truly a magical experience. There are macadamia bars, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate-dipped bites, chocolate Krinkles, Mexican wedding cookies, some kind of coffee-flavored chocolate drizzle cookies, and more. She has been doing this every year for more than a decade and we are all so blessed to be the recipient of such amazing cookies. I swear she must go through 100 pounds of butter.  There are a LOT of us. My personal favorites are the macadamia bars, but honestly, there isn't a bad bite in the bunch. Now that is a commitment she is never going to be able to get out of.

As you can tell, we are in the midst of our Christmas preparations. Lots of house cleaning going on, and menu planning for all the meals we want to cook when Ahren is here. I am counting down the hours until I can wrap my arms around him in a great big hug. 

I did get an update on my nephew's condition. He is recovering from his cardiac arrest very well. He has a new pacemaker with a defibrillator and is now well enough to return to work on a reduced schedule/capacity. This is an outcome that is so much better than what we all feared in the early stages of his situation. We have much to be grateful for this year for sure. Thank you all again for your prayers and good thoughts.