Sister's Choice Quilts

Books of 2018: My Favorites

Well, I surprised myself by having the best reading year of my life.  I read 102 books in 2018.  My retirement from working had a lot to do with that extra time in which to read, and I hope to continue to enjoy as many good books in 2019.  

I am often told that my book reviews are appreciated, so I thought I would do a re-cap of the books that stood out for me in the past year.  I have some real favorites and runners up, and also some books that I did not enjoy.  In this post I will talk about my favorites.  I gave all of these books a five star rating on Goodreads.  If books are your thing, settle in with me for my list.  In the interest of time and space, I have only made a brief synopsis, but do click the link for a more complete review. 

Favorites of 2018

Heft by Liz Moore 

Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn't left his house in 10 years.  The connections he makes with his housekeeper and a high school boy 20 miles away change everything.

The Observations by Jane Harris

Bessie Buckley is a character you will remember a long while after the book has ended.  Set in 19th century Scotland, Bessie lies her way into working as a maid for an employer who has an agenda far more bizarre than she bargained for.

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

Set in turn of the century Glasgow, this is the story of a young woman who insinuates herself into the household of an artist she admires.  Nothing is as you think it is.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

Love it or hate it, this book was a winner for me.  Such a page turner.  Newlyweds on their honeymoon discover a buried treasure while diving.  Should they keep it?  Who does it belong to?  Who can they trust?  Each other?  Read the book and find out!  Great psychological thriller.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

After the Civil War, a traveling "newsreader" agrees to return a 10 year old white girl who had been captured by the Kiowa back to her people.  And she doesn't want to go.  Great story of family, honor, and trust.

The Widow's War by Sally Gunning

Lyddie is widowed in 1760's New England and due to insanely unfair property laws of the time, all her property and possessions go to her overbearing son in law (her nearest male relative).  Will she be turned out of her home?  Will she become an unwelcome member of her horrid son in law's household?  Does she have any recourse?  This historical novel was a real eye opener as to how unfairly women were treated at the time.

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Loved this book and the PBS Masterpiece series based on it.  Nella is a new bride in 17th century Amsterdam.    Her husband gives her a wedding gift that is a large elaborate doll house which is a replica of her new home.  Price is no object, he tells her, and she contacts a miniaturist to furnish the house.  It soon becomes clear that the miniaturist eerily knows a lot more than they should about their household, its people, and the objects within it.  Unsolicited items begin to appear and the household's secrets are revealed.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

Reuben suspects that his daddy is touched by God. When Reuben, his dad and little sister set of on a heroic quest into the Badlands to find Reuben's brother who has been accused of murder, we find out just how connected to God daddy is.  A truly magical story of family loyalty and love.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

This is an incredible love story told from the points of view of three different people.  The author is a master at getting the reader to see things from the eyes of the three characters as they each have a turn to narrate.  So well done.  My sympathies flip flopped with every chapter.

In my next post I will list nine more books that I loved in 2018:  my Honorable Mentions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Movie Date

My husband and I used to be great movie buffs when we lived in a more populated area.  We went to the movies practically every weekend and kept up with everything that was at the box office.  Now that we live in a rural setting, the movies that play in our town tend to be all about blockbuster super heroes, disaster movies or animated films for the kids.  Not so much our cup of tea, so we have gotten out of the habit of regular movie attendance.

Down here in the Palm Springs area, movies are a very big deal.   Being relatively close to Hollywood and LA, motion pictures are a treasured form of entertainment.  There are gigantic luxury cineplexes in every town.  Yesterday we went to a huge one in Rancho Mirage that had 16 theaters under one roof.  Plus, check out the seating in the photo above!  Each seat was large recliner complete with foot rest.  It was pretty fabulous.  There were a total of six of us in the theater so we felt as if it was our own private screening room.

Oh, and what movie did we see?  Mary Queen of Scots with Saoirse Ronin and Margot Robbie.  The movie was so well done, and gave such a realistic glimpse into history.  The two main actresses were excellent.

We do a few other activities planned while we are here on vacation, but honestly, if we went to the movies every day, I'd be thrilled!

 

 

A Winter Get Away

My husband and I have taken off on a little get away to one of our favorite destinations--the desert.  We love to visit the Palm Springs area a couple of times a year, and this was a great opportunity to escape the rain we've been experiencing where we live.  Only it was raining in Rancho Mirage when we arrived at our resort!

Like Camelot, it was only during the night though, and we woke up to blue skies.  The unit we are staying in is a one bedroom with a "mini" kitchen.  They weren't kidding about the "mini" part.  It may sound ridiculous, but when we travel and I know I will be doing some cooking, I bring my cast iron skillet.  The cookware that is supplied in most resort units is pretty lousy, and I want to use something I can count on.  Obviously if you are traveling by air, packing a cast iron skillet is not an option, but we drove down, so it was easy to slip it in a box in the back of the car.

There are so many delicious one pot/pan meals one can make in a cast iron skillet.  Last night we had chicken with tomatoes, arugula and orzo.  Click on the links for the recipes.  I substituted arugula for the spinach.  Two other meals I am planning are beef and peppers with brown rice, and chicken apple sausage with cherry tomatoes and gnocchi.  Each of these recipes takes less than ten minutes to prep and no more than 20-30 minutes to simmer on the stove top.  Everything in one pot, and healthy and delicious.

We always go out for a great breakfast or lunch and enjoy trying some of the fabulous local restaurants.  But at night, we both like to stay in and read or watch television.  Yesterday late afternoon we took a long walk around the resort and then came back to our unit where we lit a candle and had wine while we prepped our meal.  Next time in addition to my cast iron skillet I will bring a good knife!

Hope your week got off to a good start.

2018- Quilting Year in Review- July through December

The second half of 2018 definitely showed a slow down in productivity.  I spend a lot of time with my grand daughter Eva in the summer, and we also had a major trip, plus there were all those holidays...

July

Aurora

August

Maple Leaves

Halloween Logs and Geese

September

Baby Quilt

October

Blackbirds and Stars

November

Christmas Pines

Three Trees

Drunken Frenchmen

Red and White Sampler

That is a good one to end with I think.  I didn't do much sewing in December, other than about two dozen microwave bowl cozies.  

2018 was an excellent year for me, without a doubt my most prolific ever.  I think I need to slow down a bit more in 2019.  I feel as if I was in a bit of a fever to get things done last year.  I want to savor the process more in 2019.

2018- Quilting Year In Review- January through June

I had a great year of quilting in 2018.  It was my first year of being completely retired since I was about 15 years old, so I had a lot of time for sewing.  I made 9 full sized quilts and 19 mini quilts.  I am working on a sidebar which lists the quilts with more details.  Here is what I accomplished in the first half of the year:

January

Triangle Gatherings

Loose Change

Barn Stars

Tiny Town

February

Raspberry Cocoa

Scarlet Stars

Run Around

Courthouse Steps

Pinwheel Puzzle

Luck o' the Irish

March

Pie Birds

State Fair

April

Double Nine Patch

Endearments

Windmills

May

Liberty Road

Leftovers

June

Faithful

Recess

 

 

Something Blue

After all that red and green during the holidays, when January comes around I am definitely in the mood for a more mellow color palette.  Blue seems perfect for the chilly winter days we are having, so I made myself a new table topper.

I have a ton of various Primitive Gatherings "Snowman Gatherings" fabric left over from a project I started awhile back and never finished.  There are lots of navys, lighter blues, and light background prints.

For my little quilt, I made 3" finished square in a square blocks, which I trimmed to size with my Creative Grids Square on Square Trim Tool ruler.  The quilt measures 17" x 26".

My plan is to get this quilted myself this week and put it out and enjoy it!

Are You Stringing Along?

The Moda String Along is officially under way.  It's a New Year, so a fresh project is called for, don't you agree? I had a project in mind and made a few test blocks last week when I had a bit of down time.  The idea is, you use scraps (or not) and make some sort of string quilt project.  You can use paper or fabric as a foundation for your blocks, or perhaps use nothing at all.  The point is to do your own thing.  There are plenty of tutorials out there to Google if this method is new to you or you would like to explore alternate methods of construction.  If you use Instagram, check out #modastringalong for lots of ideas for projects.

Here's what I am doing.  Grab a cup of tea and settle in, this is a photo heavy post.

Of course I didn't use scraps.  Why would I ever do anything so practical?  I saw the perfect string quilt pattern (also called "String Along") and bought it as well as all the supplies needed for the project.  I am using a couple of fat eighth bundles by Linzee McCray as well as some additional fabrics.  It takes a lot of fabric to make a string quilt, and there is a lot of waste, in my opinion.  That's why so many people use leftover scraps for their string quilts.

I am using foundation paper by Carol Doak.  I cut squares to 5" for my pattern.  Then I glued a rectangular solid color wedge to the paper.   Just a dab on two corners of the paper with a regular glue stick works fine.

You want to make sure the corners of the paper are completely covered with fabric.

Next up for my project, is to make lots of strip sets.  Mine are between 4 1/2" and 5 1/2".  The width isn't real important, the sets just need to be at least 4 1/2" for what I am doing.

My pattern instructions call for cutting the strip sets down into 90 degree triangle wedges.  The ruler I am using is called The Companion Angle by Diane Zimmerman.  It is a great ruler with clear markings which are easy to see and line up.  I get four wedges out of a strip set.

Sew a strip set triangle to one side of the center wedge, flip and press. Sew the second strip set triangle to the other side of the wedge, flip and press.

Now what?, you say.  This does not look like anything useable.  Well, here's where the foundation paper comes in.  Flip that unit over.

Oooohhhh.  Right.  Don't even think of tearing off that paper yet.  (Ask me how I know this...)

With the block unit upside down, trim the excess fabric from around the paper, using the paper as your pattern guide.  Now you have a perfectly square block unit.

NOW tear off the paper.  This came off very easily.

Four of these units make a block for my project. 

Before sewing them together, I attached a fold and flip square to the pointy corner of the wedge.  It forms a center square in the block when the four units are sewn together.

And there you go.  I have to  make 17 of these red blocks, then some blue blocks, green blocks and yellow blocks!  They are addicting once you get the first few done and are familiar with the method.

Looking forward to lots of sewing in the next week.  Happy New Year everyone!

 

Easy Gift for Kids to Give

Eva wanted to give her parents something for Christmas, but as with most 7 year olds, she needed some adult assistance.  We decided to make home made Ranch Salad Dressing mix and package it in small mason jars. Isn't that a sweet little present?  And who doesn't love Ranch Salad Dressing?

The recipe was super simple-the most difficult thing was finding dried buttermilk powder at my local grocery store.  They had it though, on the bottom shelf with the other dried milk products in the baking section.  It will be a handy ingredient to have on hand.  How many times have you wanted to make a cake or muffins on the spur of the moment, but the recipe you wanted to use involved buttermilk, which no one has in their fridge ever?

Here is the recipe:

Homemade Ranch Dressing  Mix

1/2 cup dried buttermilk powder
1 T. dried parsley
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

This makes enough salad dressing mix to fill one small mason jar (8 oz size). Since we were making more than one jar, we used separate little bowls to mix each batch.

Eva did all the measuring, mixing and jar filling herself.  She also cleaned up and put everything away when we were finished!

We cut fabric circles to fit over the top of the jar (secured with a wide rubber band) and tied a pretty ribbon around.  Eva spent quite some time making her gift tags.  At the time I am writing this post, she had not quite finished her embellishments.

She was kind of worn out after all the tag decorating, so I helped out with the instructions for the reverse side of each tag.

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful Christmas holiday with your families.  I am so excited to have my family around me this year and look forward to sharing our celebration with you.

Merry Christmas, and thanks for visiting my blog!

 

String Quilts

Have you ever made a string quilt?  Moda is sponsoring a "String Along" project If you are interested.  The recent post on Moda's blog The Cutting Table got me thinking about the fact that I have never really made a string quilt.  Oh, I made a little string quilted heart one time, but that was 20 years ago.  I didn't really know what I was doing.  I have a feeling that string quilts are making a come back, so when I saw this pattern called "String Along", I gave it a second look.

Well, I did more than that.  I bought the pattern and two fat eighths bundles of Linzee McCray's new collection "Feed Sacks Red Rover".

Red Rover is a retro feeling collection that is bright and cheerful and just the fabric to work with in the gloom of January.

I love the challenge of trying something new, and I think this may be a great project for me in the new year.  The pattern involves foundation paper as well as using a 90 degree ruler, both of which are intriguing to me.

The Moda String Along  starts December 28.  It seems as if folks are welcome to do any sort of string quilting project that suits their fancy.  There are some good suggestions and lists of what you need to get started on the blog post.  There are a couple of additional tutorials on string quilting you may be interested in checking out:  Sherri McConnell has one, and so does Amanda Nyberg.

I think it might be fun to try something new and learn a different technique.  I am thinking that i may just have to jump in and give string quilting a try in the new year.  How about you?  Are you intrigued too?

Laura's Gingerbread Bundt Cake

This festive looking cake is a recipe by Laura Vitale, a popular YouTube and Food Network personality.  The cake is called Gingerbread Bundt Cake, and I know it is going to be a mainstay in my holiday baking repertoire.  It has just the right amount of rum (in the icing) to make it interesting, yet not overpowering.  And trust me, your house will smell fabulous while it bakes.

I found it helpful to watch her video (linked above) as she demonstrates in depth each step in the process.

Gingerbread Bundt Cake by Laura Vitale

For the cake:

3 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1-1/2 Tbsp of Ground Ginger
1 Tbsp of Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp of Ground Cloves
1 tsp of Baking Soda
1/2 tsp of Salt
1 cup (2 sticks) of Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
1 Cup of Molasses
1-1/2 cups of Brown Sugar
1/2 cup of Granulated Sugar
4 Eggs
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
3/4 cup of Whole Milk
Zest of 1 Orange
2 tsp of Vanilla Extract

For the glaze:

2 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
4 oz of Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
1-1/2 cups of Confectioners Sugar
2 Tbsp of Rum
1 tsp of Vanilla
About 2 to 3 Tbsp of Milk

Preparation:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, spray a bundt pan well with some non-stick baking spray and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, stir together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt, set aside.
3) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both kinds of sugar for about a minute, then add the eggs, molasses, orange zest and vanilla and continue to mix until well combined, add the sour cream and make sure it’s well stirred in.
4) Add the dry ingredients and the milk and allow it to mix until you have a nice smooth mixture, pour into your prepared pan and pop it in the oven to bake for about an hour and 15 minutes. At the 1 hour mark, check it and if it looks like the edges are getting too brown, turn the temperature down to 325 degrees for the remaining baking time. 
5) Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a rack over top of a baking sheet and allow to cool completely.
6) To make the frosting, in a large bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, rum and vanilla until really smooth, then add a drizzle of milk at a time to get it to a nice smooth consistency. 
7) Pour over the cake then sprinkle the top with some festive holiday sprinkles.