Sister's Choice Quilts

Fabric Box Caddies

A few years back I made these little fabric box caddies and thought they were worth re-visiting. With Mother's Day coming up, it is a fun and easy project you could whip up fast and fill with little goodies sure to please the recipient. 

I found the tutorial here, and ended up making a number of these cute little boxes, most of which I gave away. The creator of the tutorial is Tina Craig of Seaside Stitches. The beauty of the smaller boxes is that they can be made with a couple of layer cake squares. 

The box above was made larger and works great for sewing notions. It would also be a fun gift for a new mom filled with pacifiers, rattles, and small baby-related items. For this larger caddy, I just expanded the measurements in the original pattern and flew by the seat of my pants. It worked out great!

I kept this smaller version for myself and keep it handy near my sewing machine. It has tiny scissors, tweezers, extra sewing machine needles, a seam ripper and other notions.

This one might be my favorite. If you are like me, you probably have drawers full of makeup and rummaging through your collection on a daily basis is kind of a pain. I found I could fit my current favorite makeup supplies in this little caddy and have just what I needed at hand. It is also adorable looking on my makeup table.

Hope you enjoy this throwback idea for a quick project that just about anyone would love to receive and find a use for. 

 

 

Packing For Two Weeks in Europe

I've been trying to figure out what to pack for my upcoming two-week trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England. A couple of people have asked what I plan to pack so I thought I'd share my choices. On the journey from San Francisco to Dublin I will check the 21" bag in the photo above. Fingers crossed the bag makes it on the plane and arrives in Dublin when I do. The smaller cabin bag will be my carry-on, in which I will have packed one extra set of clothes and undies, meds, makeup and other can't-live-without essentials. Just in case... When I go to Edinburgh and London for six days, I will only take the cabin bag as a carry-on. My bags are by Briggs & Riley.

I have come up with a capsule wardrobe of 12 pieces that will be the foundation of my travel look. I am going with a neutral black-and-white color palette, with a couple of splashes of color. Every single item mixes and matches with every other, so I have tons of different outfit combinations. 

The main color statement I am adding is in my "outer" pieces, the sweater jackets or toppers that add that "third piece" that completes an outfit and provides extra warmth. The temperature will be in the high 50s most of the time, so keeping the chill at bay is important to me. I always seem to be cold these days.

I have three sweater jackets. One a black blazer-style sweater, a royal blue Chanel-style sweater jacket, and a red-orange zip sweater jacket. I think they are the right mix of casual and dressed up. The black one is from JJill which I got ages ago, and the blue and orange ones are from Ann Taylor. They will work great as my outer layer if it isn't raining. If it is rainy, I have a lightweight black raincoat to throw over all.

For bottoms I am sticking with black. I toyed with the idea of adding light-wash jeans or ivory denim jeans but decided in the end that black was the more appropriate and versatile choice. I have two pairs of black denim jeans and a pair of dressy slim Ponte knit pants. The Ponte pants are old, the jeans are Talbots Slim Ankle Jeans and Chicos Girlfriend Jeans. Love the fit of both of these brands. 

Lightweight sweaters are also a choice I included since they can be worn alone if the temperature is warmer, or under one of the sweater jackets for extra warmth. I have a black and ivory cashmere striped sweater, a grey cardigan with black stars, and a dressy beige cashmere cardigan with sparkly buttons. We are going to the theater in London one night, so that might look nice with the dressy black Ponte pants. The striped sweater is from Quince, the beige cardigan is from Talbots (no longer available), and the grey cardi is one I bought at Marks and Spencer in Oxford two years ago. 

Next, I have an underlayer to provide extra warmth. They are so thin I can wear them as an undershirt if the day is super chilly. These pieces could also be worn alone as a tee shirt if through some miracle the temperatures soar high enough to allow for bare arms.  

My great discovery is Unbound Merino wool tee shirts. I know it sounds weird, but these pricey tees are silky and thin, yet provide warmth if needed and are sweat "wicking" if the day is warm. They can be worn multiple times before you need to wash them, and are really beautiful garments. I think they were worth the steep price tag. The solid ivory and solid black ones are the Merino wool. The black and ivory striped tee is a cotton/linen blend from J. Crew. 

That's it for my 12-piece capsule wardrobe. I will also pack a cotton nightshirt, a couple of bras, a couple of thin shaper camis, and underwear. 

My shoes are black Skechers that I swear by for trips where lots of walking is involved. They are made from stretchy fabric and have Memory Foam soles, which conform to my feet and make walking on them a dream. Also, they aren't too clunky looking, which allows me to wear them for dressier occasions. 

I'll also have three bags for sundries. One bag for my liquids, one for meds and other non-liquid toiletry items (deodorant, hairbrush, toothbrush, etc), and one last one with makeup that is non-liquid. 

I'll also take a journal, my Kindle, my iPhone, cozy slipper socks, and a battery charger pack with cords. Oh, and a lightweight raincoat (not shown) that packs down to nothing and a small folding umbrella.

It sounds like a lot, but it all fits just fine in my two bags. Keep in mind, I will be wearing one pair of pants, a tee, an outer sweater, and my raincoat. 

Here's the secret to how all these clothes fit into these small suitcases. Compression packing cubes. This is what a small-sized one looks like before I fill it with a lightweight sweater, a night shirt, bra, cami, four pair of undies and a pair of leggings.

The secret is a second zipper that takes out all the air and compresses the contents down to a flat little pancake which takes up way way less room in your bag. 

So there you have it. Everything that I am packing for my vacation!

 

 

 

 

What I'm Reading Right Now

Many of you have told me how much you enjoy my book reviews, so I am going to try to post more of them. Today is Wednesday, so how about a What I'm Reading Right Now post? Most of the time I have three books going at once: one audiobook, one digital book on my Kindle, and one physical book. I get asked a lot how I get so many books read and the reason is that I am a fast reader, I make time to read each day, and lastly, I often wake up in the middle of the night (looking at you Husband) and read until I can fall back asleep.

These are three books I am reading at the moment or have just finished. I will give you a plot summary and a detailed description of what I think of the book so far.

 My most recent audiobook is What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan. This book was very obviously based up to a point on the Gabby Petito murder from last summer. At that time the press and social media influencers went nuts over the story of a lovely blond woman going missing and the most likely suspect, her boyfriend Brian Laundrie. The book was derivative of this real-life occurrence and an interesting portrayal of how the media views these crimes and victims as entertainment. 

The setup is that the seemingly perfect couple Nina and her boyfriend Simon go away for a weekend trip from which only Simon returns. Nina's parents are frantic, Simon's story doesn't quite add up, and Simon's parents don't seem to be cooperating fully with the detectives investigating the case. The parents are frustrated with the way the case is unfolding and ultimately take matters into their own hands, each in their own way. (This aspect of the book deviates completely from the Petito story). Things go off the rails as the reader sees the desperate lengths parents will go to when it comes to their child. 

This story is told from multiple points of view: members of the two families and the detective in charge of the case. The audio full cast narration was excellent. It was a tense story that made me want to keep listening and not take a break. It also demonstrated the terrible harm that can come from the media making rash and unfounded claims that ruin individual's reputations or businesses. I gave this one 4 stars even though I wasn't totally satisfied with the ending. 

 

The digital book that I am very nearly finished with is The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffee. This backlist title was first published in 1958 and will be readily available at your library, in paperback, or on your Kindle.  The book has been described as the original "Sex In the City", and was certainly a shockingly ahead-of-its-time book when it came out. 

The setup is that four girls in their early 20s move to New York City and meet and become friends while working at the same publishing company. I found it to be a sociological study of the problems and situations women in society had at that time and the solutions that were available to solve them. To the modern reader the stories of Caroline, April, Barbara, and Gregg may seem oversimplified and stereotypical, but I found the plot fairly believable (particularly misogyny in the workplace). The sad thing all four women had in common was the hope that falling in love with a suitable man could be the step towards lifelong fulfillment and happiness. It certainly is a pre-feminist take on women in the workforce. If you loved Mad Men or Sex In the City, I predict you will find this book interesting and even compelling. It will definitely make you glad you don't live in the 1950s. I thought the ending was a bit too rushed and "wrapped up". I gave this book 3.75 stars.

James by Percival Everett is my physical book of the week. I am a little more than halfway through it and think it is excellent so far. It could potentially be a 5-star book for me. 

The story is based on Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, only told from the point of view of the enslaved Jim. As in the classic Twain story, Jim and Huck are both on the run and team up for the dangerous journey down the Mississippi River toward freedom and safety. The author's writing skills are off the chart and his retelling of this classic story will amaze you. The book is funny at times, but also very dark. What I loved most was the fact that James lives a double life:  his own eloquent and intelligent inner one (James), and an outer appearance of what white people expect from a Negro of the time (Jim).  His inherent wit, compassion, kindness, and understanding help him survive a hostile world. My review does not do this novel justice, but I can tell you it is an important book and you shouldn't miss it. 

 

 

Pinetree Block, Archie Gets a Haircut, and Eva Makes Snickerdoodles

This is the Pinetree block from the Mercantile sew-along. See how I got my hour of sewing in? I've been keeping up with this project pretty well I think. The last few blocks will be stitched up in the next week or so, and I will have to trim them all down to the same size before I sew them together. They range in size from 13 1/4" to 14 inches. I hope it won't look odd to have the borders different widths.

Archie got his first proper haircut yesterday. I think he looks quite sharp. Except his tail is so skinny!  His fluffy tail was definitely one of his best features I think. But I guess the groomer thought it would look weird for this shaved down dog to have a big plume of a tail! He also has a bit of a pencil neck, but I won't let him know I said that.

Eva made Snickerdoodles for Baking Day yesterday and Archie was paying rapt attention.

I have a question for my well-traveled readers. For part of our upcoming trip to visit Ahren in Dublin, we plan a side trip first to Edinburgh, then London. We've been to London many times and always know where we want to go and do, but Edinburgh is new to us. I understand they have more bookstores per capita there than anywhere else on the planet. Do any of you have suggestions of cool things to do in Edinburgh? My husband and son will rebel if all I can think of to do is visit bookshops! Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas for me.

Getting a Grip, Making a Plan

I sure did get a lot of encouragement, empathy, and practical suggestions from you all on my last post. I have been feeling overwhelmed with the amount of quilts I have piled up everywhere, the number of projects I have in progress as well as planned for the future. I guess I am more of a "process" rather than "finished project" type of person, and it felt good to hear that many of you were the same. Others, who manage to finish what they start, had some great suggestions on what I might do with my no-longer-wanted quilts, UFOs, and surplus supplies. Read the comments from my last post for some outstanding ideas. 

What are some practical steps I can take to manage my projects and goals more effectively? I think it starts with an organized plan. I have always kept journals and find the practice helps me not only plan ahead, but to set goals and measure the steps I take to accomplish those goals. The top photo is from my 2023 journal. 

So, going forward, I will start up a new journal page with current works in progress and list the steps that remain to complete them. Importantly, I will check in with this journal page weekly and monitor what I have accomplished.

Here is my new page all ready to be filled in. Notice I didn't leave room to write down too many projects. That will help me feel less overwhelmed to see just four or five items in each category. I will prioritize the ones I am most excited about. On the next page, I will note each project and what needs to happen to get it done. 

Years ago, I did a post on scheduling a time to quilt every day. I think my minimum was to try for an hour in the sewing room each day. I want to get back to this practice because every little bit counts toward a finish, and if I am persistent, I will reach my goals. Even if my sewing mojo seems to be on hiatus right now, spending time in the sewing room will be therapeutic.

Getting my head above water will not happen in a day, and I need to allow for some flexibility. While I am on vacation in May, I will solidify my plan to take down all my quilts from their storage shelves and categorize them as to whether I want to sell them, donate them, or keep them. I would love to end up with quilts that I switch out seasonally, use on my beds, and decorate my house. My friend Thelma (Cupcakes 'n' Daisies) does a monthly Quilt Parade on Instagram, showing how she showcases some of the many beautiful quilts she has made. It is inspiring not just to see her work, but to see how she uses them in her decor. 

To show you that I haven't just been sitting around thinking about being productive, here's proof that I got something done yesterday! This is the block Quarters and Dimes from the Mercantile sew-along. Only four more blocks to go!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

 

Lazy Blogger Syndrome

I do apologize for the lack of posts lately. I have not been doing much sewing, and have, in fact, been giving my hobby some serious consideration. I have so many quilts and it is becoming harder and harder to justify cranking out more of them. I am feeling overwhelmed with the number of quilts I have completed, planned, and have in progress. I am still working out how I feel and will eventually come to some conclusion on how to proceed.

In the meantime, I have been trying some great new recipes, planning our upcoming trip to Ireland to visit our son Ahren, and attempting to spend some time outdoors every day now that our weather is beginning to cooperate. The photo above is what I made for dinner last night. It is simply called "Lemon Pasta" and is an excellent choice when you want an easy meatless meal. The recipe is from Love and Lemons and is definitely one that I will make again. I made it exactly as described and it was delicious. My husband made some asparagus to go with it, and seemed very happy with his dinner. 

Speaking of my husband...The two of us celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary this week. Our daughter Sara had given us a very special bottle of wine, which we took to our favorite local Italian restaurant to have with our celebratory dinner. For those of you who aren't real familiar with wine, a zinfandel from Ridge Vinyards is truly a singularly valuable and delicious thing. 

My plan is to get some sewing done today and over the weekend, I may even work on some book reviews for you all! Wish me luck to get out of my funk! Have a great weekend everyone.

 

Patchwork Star

This cute block is called Patchwork Star and is one of the last five blocks in the Mercantile sew-along, hosted by Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet. I am enjoying making the blocks and think the quilt is going to be lovely, but to be honest, I am looking forward to having the sew-along be over and done with.

I think I am ready to just work on some projects at my own pace and not have to adjust my progress to any sort of schedule. I am in the mood to continue working with bright, summery colors and think I'd like to get back to the Jubilee blocks (from The Pattern Basket) that I started last month.  

And after I get that wrapped up, starting a red, white, and blue quilt project is at the top of my To Do list. I am thinking that I want to do the Moda Bake Shop "Summer in the Country" project from a couple of years back. Click on the link to take a look at the project and the blocks. If you never got around to making that quilt, you might even want to sew along with me! I'll keep you posted as to when I am ready to start. 

I have been a real homebody lately. I have been reading, starting a new journal, planning a trip to visit Ahren next month. Just general puttering. Auditioning clothes to pack for our vacation has been the most fun thing I've been up to.

I bought three rain jackets from Nordstrom which all got returned. These days I think most of us are shopping online. COVID really changed the shopping experience didn't it? The stores don't seem to carry as much inventory, and lots of us just got away from the habit of regularly going to the Mall. The biggest problem with shopping online is not being able to try things on to get a good flattering fit. I've bought a slew of things from Nordstrom, Talbots, Ann Taylor, and others. Most all of it went back. Nordstorm is great about offering free return shipping, but Talbots charges $8/95 to ship it to you and deducts another $8.95 from your refund if you make a return by mail!!!

Once I get my wardrobe sorted out, I'll share with you what I am packing.

Hope your week got off to a good start!

Unexpected Hazard of Rotary Cutting

No, I didn't cut myself. I pride myself on how careful I am when using my rotary cutter. Knock on wood, I've never had an accident. 

However recently, I've been experiencing some twinges in my right arm that extended to my chest. I was concerned enough to consult my doctor because this was definitely a symptom I haven't had before. He checked me out this week and said he felt no lumps or other abnormalities, but felt we should have a diagnostic test just to be sure.

I had the test yesterday and got the results already.  My doc says my discomfort is due to "a musculoskeletal strain or sprain and should resolve over time", no doubt caused by excessive rotary cutting. The only exercise my right arm gets lately.

Whaaaat? 

I know. 

Well, I am certainly relieved that it isn't a more serious situation, but who knew rotary cutting could cause arm strain?


So, I'm going into the weekend relieved about my medical diagnosis but wanting to get back in the saddle with some sewing, and yes, rotary cutting.

Archie, in the photo above, is pretty proud of the big stick he found. That is the cardboard tube that Ryan's striped cushion fabric was wound around. Archie thinks he has hit the Motherlode. He has never met a stick he didn't love.

Have a great weekend everyone. 

Let's Talk About One Block Quilts

I admit it, for the past few years I have been a huge fan of sampler quilts. I've made quite a few of them, and really enjoy the challenge that comes with tackling a variety of blocks with different levels of difficulty. A sampler quilt features multiple different quilt block designs within a single quilt top. They are a great way for quilters to practice and showcase their skills with a variety of piecing and quilting techniques. 

I've enjoyed the fact that sampler quilts offer a dynamic and versatile canvas for exploring different quilting styles and design possibilities. That being said, I think I have forgotten the joy that a simple one-block quilt can bring. A one-block quilt is made up of repeated instances of a single-block design. There is plenty of creativity to be had with a one-block quilt in that quilters can experiment with color choices and block layouts to create a wide range of visual effects. 

There are so many blocks that lend themselves beautifully to a one-block theme. Square in a Square, Log Cabin, Churn Dash, Bear Paw, Ohio Star, and so many more. Arranging the blocks to create a secondary pattern presents endless possibilities for creativity and expression.

I've made my share of one block quilts in the past, and when reviewing some of them, I am thinking it is time to make one again. I will share some photos of past one-block quilts I've made, and I'd love to hear from you what some of your favorite one-block quilt projects have been.

Crumbler 

Jacob's Ladder

Paganini

Steam Punk

Blue and Yellow Study

Into the Wind

Viola

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Break is Over...

"Spring break" is now over, such as it was. We sure didn't have spring-like weather, but it was nice to have unstructured days and no plans. The good news is, things are supposed to warm up this week and I am all on board for that.

I did get all caught up with my Mercantile blocks. The latest four (for the last two weeks) are in the photo above.

Here are all the blocks so far. There are five more to go and this top will be a finish! I think I am going to have to buy more of the low-volume backgrounds to make the setting triangles and a narrow outer border. I am pleased with the way the blocks stand out on those backgrounds.

One of the main reasons I decided to take on this Mercantile Sew Along was because I wanted to use up my stash of Lori Holt fabrics. As you can see, I have not made the slightest dent in that bin of fabrics. Honestly, I am not buying one more thing until I use up what I already have on hand. 

I do have an idea for using up more of that stash, however. Do any of you remember a Moda Bakeshop sew-along from a couple of years ago called Summer in the Country? It featured an adorable line called Back Porch by Me and My Sister. 


I think I have enough Lori Holt reds, dark blues and light blues to give this quilt a good shot. It would be a wonderful summer quilt. Have any of you made this one? The block patterns are all free on the Moda Bakeshops website. 


I never seem to run out of ideas for new projects. Or fabrics in my stash...