Scrappy Turquoise

I know I'm not the only one who hasn't finished their turquoise/aqua blocks. At least I  hope so! When I finally got the fabric, I did have so much fun sewing them together and they look so purty, IMHO. I finally got time to sew their little snowball corners on Saturday. 

Part of my delay was I galavanted around Riverton, where Nancy Drew lives, on Spring Break. I got to visit 2 of a gazillion quilt shops there--and that's only within a 10 miles radius of her home. Okay, maybe I exaggerate a smidgen. Just a little.

It's amazing to go to Utah from a county that has 2 homegrown quilt stores, 1 Joann's and 1 California-based fabric/quilt/yarn/craft store. When I used to visit Nancy Drew in Massachusetts, her situation there was worse than mine! Now I'm eagerly waiting to go back to Utah so I can visit even more quilt stores my adorable grandchildren!

Here are my snowball blocks for March. I had fun finding some novelty fabric for this month. I guess only about half of these are scrappy. Then again, once I bought them they became part of my stash that I’ve been using to make my blocks! Nod if you agree!

If you number them right to left starting in upper left, here’s the skinny on the blocks.
1,3,5,7,8-10 were all from fat quarters from Utah
2 is a fun one from my stash
7 is a favorite that I keep cutting small pieces off to put in one quilt or another
9 is from a shirt I bought at Goodwill for fabric

I was much luckier this month than last. I had lots of purples to choose from! Next week I’ll show the ones I picked!

Of Grandchildren, Murderous Trees, and Flimsies

Home again, home again jiggety jog!

Coming home from vacation is exquisite! Don’t get me wrong. Vacation is tremendous and this past week was the stuff dreams are made of! After all, who can resist this?

Curly

Or this?

Sweetie

Or for that matter, this?

Nancy Drew

Not me! Definitely not me.

But then, I miss this…horribly.

My Adorable Hubby

Now moving along to the Design Wall and another scintillating view of my garage wall!

I’m sure you don’t have to guess that I didn’t get any quilting done this past week! I bought fabric which you’ve seen on my previous posts. I had brought along a couple of blocks to work on for my Redwork Quilt. I didn’t even sew one stitch!

The week before I left I was chugging along to the finish line of the Log Cabin! I had spiderwebbed the columns and had started on the rows. I’m almost half finished with the rows then the quilt will become a flimsy!! (a quilt top without batting or backing).

I had to drag the beautiful thing out to the garage wall. Once up, I had to back way, way back to get it’s king-sizedness in the frame. On my way backing up, I met Mr. Meyers Lemon Tree. I can hear you all ooo-ing and awwww-ing in gustatory pleasure of the a Meyers Lemon.



Hold it just one doggone minute. You haven’t met Mr. Meyers Lemon who resides in my front yard. Did you know that Meyers Lemons have thorns? Great, big, long thorns? Of course, the taste of the Meyers Lemon is worth it.

Try getting stuck with this a couple of dozen times!

Of course it is! Except when Mr. Meyers Lemon in my yard does not produce lemons! It lives just to poke me and draw blood. Fiendish, blood-sucking thing! I’ve lived in this house for 10 years and never seen even one little blossom. Mr. Meyers Lemon just hangs out there and mocks me whenever I leave the house.

I have dreams sometimes. Wonderful dreams. Lovely dreams…




Maybe I’ll just go out there and show it the axe…
"I want lemons! I want them now! Now!"
Oops, I see I’ve been around my 3-year-old granddaughter too much!

But I digress…Now onto more pleasant subjects. I was backing up to take a picture of my Log Cabin quilt. And ran into the thorny lemon tree. I fixed it! (evil grin). No…unfortunately…not the axe. But I did get the big snippers and hacked away all those new-growth “branchettes”.

Even so, there is some greenery in the picture. This is due to the upstart of a bush that sends its tendrils all over the side of my house. Weaving it’s way through the fake shutters, attaching itself to my screens, climbing up to the roof…

Calm yourself. Deep breaths. You need to be calm.

And now, after all the build-up! Here is my stunning quilt!

You can see the unsewn rows at the bottom, plus tangled rows on the ground. Yes, but by next week I will have a finished flimsy.

Now I have a question for you amazing, knowledge-able quilters out there:

I bought my fabrics from very reputable, well-known fabric lines. But there are two of the yellows that are fraying a lot. Some are so frayed they are getting close to the seam.

On another quilt, I used bonding crystals and strips of fabric and bonded the fabric to the seams. On another quilt with not as much fraying, I used Fray-Check. I’ve thought of zig-zagging the seams together outside of the seams, then pressing them to one side.

What do you think is the best solution? I await your suggestions!

And…beware the murderous Meyers Lemon Tree!



I’m hooking up with Patchwork Times, Show and Tell Tuesday, Fabric Story, Linky Tuesday, WiP Wednesday, Needle and Thread Thursday, I Quilt, and Fabric Frenzy. All the badges are in the right sidebar. You just need to visit each blog because there are always cool things to see and neat ideas!

Whooping Our Way to Ikea

Here is your roving blogger reporting from Riverton, Utah, home of Nancy Drew, SWH, Sweetie and Curly. Life is going swimmingly. (Love that term!) I flew in on Saturday morning, went to Church on Sunday and then on to the work week. Nancy Drew and SWH went off to work. Sweetie to school and Curly to daycare.

This blogger's "work week" has a different look to it. I got up at 10:00 a.m. Delicious! Before the readers get too jealous, let me state that I went to bed at midnight. Oh wait, I think that really didn't make a justification of ten hours of sleep.

Behold and hear my justifications:  1.  I'm running on California time (1 hour difference, backward).  2.  The higher altitude, from sea level to 5290 feet, makes me more tired.   3.  I'm catching up on the weariness from work.

I think that #2 is the best. What say you?

Since ND worked Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I figured I could at least be helpful! I picked up after myself. I cleaned up the kitchen and put away clean dishes. I made dinner. To be completely forthcoming, I made dinner on Monday night, Tuesday we had leftovers, Wednesday ND brought home pizza and Thursday we had leftovers again. I cannot stress how difficult this has been. Probably why I have had to sleep longer!

ND took off Thursday and Friday for total kickback and fun with Momma, as she calls me. Thursday noon we took off on a shopping! I thought it would be loads of fun to take pictures of each stop of the way and post them, like I've seen other bloggers do. I have a lot of improvement to make. I managed to do it at the very first store. After that, after each stop, as we drove away I would remember I should have taken pictures. The first stop was the most exciting to me.

   IKEA   

I have never been to Ikea! I have drooled over the thought of going one day. Ikea is a few short miles away from ND's home. Number #1 on my list of things to do, even ahead of a Quilt Store, was IKEA.

Here I am!!! I'm going IN IKEA!

I had to hold myself back from buying some cool stuff, like curtains, one of those basket cart thingies that you can choose the baskets that pull in and out, and bumerang, which is not a product from Austrailia. It's a wooden hangers with clips on it for hanging skirts. I found a perfect upright dresser for my bedroom. I only had 13 pounds left in my check-in luggage.

We hit the lighting section and my daughter saw an interesting lamp. 

The Medusa Lamp!

My objective was a little "bendy" light that Bonnie Hunter had raved about on her blog. It is perfect for getting light exactly where you need it on your sewing machine or longarm. After wandering around, and finding cool things to buy, I finally found it!

Score! I found the jansjo!

To hear more scintillating details and pictures, here is where they are on Bonnie's blog, Quiltville.blogspot.com.

After our grueling trudge through the huge IKEA store, we checked out and I decided we needed a treat! I resisted the cinnamon rolls and got us yogurt cones!

We followed up by going to a quilt store!

Turquoise for Rainbow Sampler & Reds for HST BOM

We were a tired pair when we returned home. We hit a shoe store for ND and Deseret Industry, a thrift store, before wrapping up the day. I'd say this was a day worth of Whooping about!

Check out other Friday enthusiasts at Whoop! Whoop! Friday. The badge is on the right sidebar.

An Ode to Buttermilk

Oh, my piquant and captivating friend!
What wonders and delights you hold!
You are always in my refrigerator
Waiting for new adventures untold!




There are no words my tongue can employ
To describe thy creamy liquid wonder
I hasten to pluck thee from my refrigerator
Oh you that brings me such joy.


Yes, I admit it! I am a buttermilk fanatic!
Yes, I admit it! I gag if I have to drink it from a cup!
Okay, where’s the attraction????



It’s all in the baking…yummity-yum=yum. The best bread recipes are made with buttermilk.
It’s a magical liquid. It elevates everything it’s baked in.

Then there are cookies, and pies…

Here’s a favorite from our family. Irish Soda Bread. It is a type of sheepherder’s bread, nothing like what you see as traditional Irish Soda Bread. Once made, pull off a chunk with your hand and butter. And you’re in Buttermilk Irish Heaven!

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp soda
1-1/3 to 1½ cups buttermilk

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a hollow in the center and pour in 1 cup of the buttermilk. Mix with spoon and add enough more buttermilk to make a firm but not dry loaf. 

Turn onto a floured board and knead lightly. Shape into a round loaf and cut across the top so that it will not crack. Place in a buttered cast iron skillet or stoneware shallow pan with edges and bake at 350' for 40 to 45 minutes.

Loaf should be broken, not cut. It is good hot or cold.


And now for another buttermilk treat!

This Buttermilk Raisin Bread came from a beloved cookbook of mine: Bread Machine Magic. I have tried dozens of recipes from it and all of them have turned out to be favorites!

Buttermilk Raisin Bread

7/8 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup raisins
1-1/2 tsp yeast
3 Tbsp sugar

Place all ingredients in bread pan, select light crust or 1 pound setting. Press start.

After the baking cycle ends, remove bread from pan, place on cooling rack, and allow to cool one hour before slicing. (Oh yeah sure! Who can wait one hour? What a crummy cookbook!)

1-1/2 pound loaf

Cooking Tips: Getting it right after baking: Here’s how I make my bread have a soft crust. When you get the bread out of the pan, wrap it in a terry cloth towel (completely wrapped) Place on a cooling rack. Cool completely in towel before putting in plastic bag.

If you find yourself always having leftover buttermilk in the fridge after baking a recipe, here's a website that will show you how to freeze and store it. Very interesting!

And now…let’s find out. How many of you can wait until the bread is completely cooled before you slice it and eat?

Joining Up with Wonderful Hands to Help

I’ve only managed one charity quilt in my quilting life. My intent has been to do more but I haven’t followed through.
Enter Hands to Help Charity Quilt Challenge. Each year between March and June, quilters are challenged to make a quilt for charity. This year there are three charities to choose from:
        Quilts of Compassion
        Hurricane Sandy Survivors
        Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo

You can click on the badge on the right to learn more about the Challenge and find out about each of the charities. 

I hope you join along! 

Sarah, who writes the blog: Confessions Of A Fabric Addict, is an amazing person. She is a compassionate woman who runs a quilt ministry that gives quilts to those in need. She needs quilts to be donated also! 

In addition she hosts the very fun, Can I Give A WHOOP WHOOP on Fridays, runs a blog FOR quilters, BY quilters for sharing compassionate quilts: Quilts Are For Giving. 

And if you think that doesn’t keep her busy enough, you should read one of her Monday posts: Make-A-List Monday. It wears me out just reading it!  

I have chosen to make a quilt for Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo. This was my first choice because of my Mom. She went through chemo in the 70’s for breast cancer. I can picture in my mind how delighted she would have been to receive a quilt while in chemo. You can read more about my Mom’s story here.

Fabrics, Redwork and a Tale of Woe

Busy week, but not for my sewing machine! I know it’s pining away for me… It’s hard to quilt when your machine is in California and you are in Utah.

Yes indeedy, here I am the lucky Nonnie visiting Nancy Drew and her family including two adorable grandchildren!

Curly, SWH & Sweetie

It makes for a brand-new genre of design wall! It’s called: What did I bring with me?
I bought 4 more fabrics for the Rainbow Challenge. This month the color is turquoise. My daughter took me to a quilt store that was under a mile away from her home! I’m green with envy. On Thursday when she has a day off we are going shopping and visit a few more quilt stores. I’m a happy camper.

I bought this fabric at: My Sister's Quilts in Riverton, Utah.
It's a wonderful store.

 My attempt to at least pull some minutes out for my 30/30. I have a redwork quilt I’m working towards. I started in 2007 embroidering blocks. I had copied pictures from a 1964 coloring book my Aunt Marie kept for the young nieces and nephews to color.


I’m almost done with this one:

Excuse the wrinkles from the hoop. I didn’t want to iron on the floss. I’m pretty sure I tested it for bleeding, but not taking a chance today. Also, it has a water type mark (I hope that’s what it is!) which I’m not messing with today either.

I have left all the faces blank on my blocks, except for two. One of my attempts turned out making the child looking like an alien. The other made the children look deformed. I’m looking up a friend that embroiders a lot to teach me how to do the cute faces from the 60’s.

Well, sad to say, *sniff* I have discovered that the 30/30SC challenge is too challenging. I started out March 1 with 30 minutes. Then March 3 with 60 minutes. March 5th at my weekly quilt night with friend,  I started a tree skirt for Nancy Drew and family.

Hold it right there! 30/30SC is about eking out 30 minutes of quilting everyday for March for YOURSELF. I was so tickled to start and dream about quilting just for me! Me, Me, Me! As you can see it only took 5 days for me to fall apart. I haven’t quilted everyday for someone, much less myself! Ah, shoot, I was so hoping.

That brings me to another more woeful tale. And it involves my evil pets again. First it was my cats. Read about it here, if you dare!

I am hoping your have a strong stomach, cause this ain’t gonna be pleasant. You've been warned…

On Saturday, after a grueling week of slaving away in the sweatshop that someone calls a job, I decided to fritter away my day. Quilt all day. Considering I had been through a week where I cried about an incident at work, plus got indignant about the treatment being dished out to my husband at work…It was all those hours ahead where I could dabble in my quilting room.
I was a-twitter with the excitement of working on the love-bird’s log cabin quilt. I had it spiderwebbed by column and was ready for joining the rows. The finish line was in sight! Time for the last sprint!

Arrival in Quilting Room

Picking Up theLog Cabin Bundle  from Chair

Placing Bundle on Cutting Table

Opening the Bundle

Right….There…In…The…Middle!

Dog Poop!

Where is that mangy mutt? I’m going to strangle her!

Don’t you EVEN try looking cute!

Dog slinks away avoiding looking at my face.

She'd better hide

It will take a few days years eons, okay, weeks for me to look kindly at her.

I punished her by going on vacation! What an evil scheme!

For those who are going to experience this horrific event:

1. I was able to take the three affected blocks out of the quilt since they were spiderwebbed.
2. Soak blocks (quilt) in cold water with Woolite.
3. Let soak for 30-60 minutes.
4. Upon inspection if staining is gone, remove it from water.
5. DO NOT WRING!
6. Place blocks on a hard surface. I used my washing machine top.
7. Gently scrape at any remnants of doody from fabric.
8. Rinse gently…gently…gently.
9. Press blocks together in your hand without twisting.
10. If you have not pre-washed your fabric, you will have to pin the blocks to a flat surface, gently stretching the fabric to the size of unwashed blocks.
11. If you have prewashed fabrics, continue from here.
12. Dry in a place where it will be undisturbed by Devil Dog.
13. Make sure there is air circulation to both sides or place on a thick towel.
14. Let air dry.

I thought this dog was the cutest thing when I got her!

I should have recognized the signs…

Hooking up with:

Patchwork Times
I Have to Say
Quilt Story
Linky Tuesday
WiP Wednesday
We Did It Wednesday
Needle and Thread Thursday
Fabric Frenzy
I Quilt

Picture of Woman’s Surprised Face credit: http://carseatblog.com/3405/baby-on-board-2/

Up, Up and Away!

Strike up the band! It's Spring Break!

It's a blessed week away from work. And here I am toodling away on a bus to the airport.. .. Here I come Utah! Ready or not.

I got up at 4:00 a.m. The flight is at 8:00. Last night I got packed early enough so I could get some semblance of sleep. But no, I stayed up watching Bones. I got to bed at midnight. Everyone can run on 4 hours of sleep, can't they?

I'm off to see my cuties. Curly and Sweety. Seven marvelous days with my daughter, Nancy Drew,  SWH and the most adorable granddaughters ever. I'm so excited!

Inventory time. Did I remember my pajamas? Did I bring my wallet? Did I bring all my charger cords? What about my shoes, extra sweater, make up and pills?  Thank goodness my iron has automatic off or I'm sure I'd be wondering about the proverbial iron otherwise.

This is my first time writing my blog from my phone. New adventures every day.

My real purpose of writing this morning was to let you know that kindness exists in the most unlikely places.

It wasn't that cold this morning. Maybe 40°. I'm just wearing a sweater. There was only one other person there at the bus stop. We talked a little. Of course the obligatory weather chat ensued. I mentioned where I was going and how it was colder there. I hardly ever bring a coat with me. My daughter has plenty of coats I can use.

I started to say that I hadn't brought a coat to tell him about my daughter's closet. I didn't make it past "I don't have a coat when he quickly asked,  "Would you like to use mine? "

At first I was going to protest when it struck me how kind an offer he made. I then thanked him sincerely and declined.

How amazing. So thoughtful of him. I can tell you that he had made my day even happier than it was before.

I'm so glad to share this with you. I hope it makes your day happier too.

Off I go. .. To family.

Oh shoot! I forgot my charger for my Nook!  Well I can rest in peace now. No more worrying. I figured out what I forgot.

Toodling Along and Using Fabric

Ah yes, the second month of the year has gone by and now it’s report cards on the quilting front. In some zany coincidence, it’s report card time at school. Thank goodness I’m a teacher and not the student. It definitely is easier to give the report than to read it!

For February 2014:

used this month: 3.5 yds

used ytd: 6.75 yds

added this month: 6 yds

added ytd: 6 yds

total this month +0.75 yds

I like ledgers. The old black & red notations. So stark. So truthful. So wonderful this month!

I have a reason (excuse) to buy 6 yards this month. Really. I ran out of the darkest blue for my Log Cabin. I found it online, through the help of my lovely readers. I figured I need 4 yards. But what if I ran out again? This fabric is a year old and I found it at Thousands of Bolts. I was pushing my luck to find it this time! Besides it is g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. I will always find uses for it in future quilts.

AND I did end up in the black!

See? I really did have a reason

30/30SC

Wait! Before you run and get your Lil’ Orphan Annie Decoder Ring… Here’s what the title means:

30/30 Sewing Challenge

Over at Berry Barn Designs there is a lot of excitement! Sarah has started a new challenge for the month of March.

Sew 30 Minutes

for

30 Days

I really long for quilting every day…it just never happens. Which is really hilarious because I really want to do a bit of housekeeping every day…it just never happens! Hmmmm.

Today is the day to show what I want to accomplish during the month. AND! it has to be for me. So goodbye Log Cabin: use some other minutes in my day! 

So here are my 3030SC:

1. The next thing up on my UFO list is quilting two quilts. Then there is finish a Lone Star that only needs one more corner square added. But what I really want to do is work on my Farmer's Wife blocks. I've made 94 blocks. I'm still trying to decide whether to make queen or king. I'm 17 blocks away from a queen and I'll make my decision then.

The photography on this isn't the best...I'd advise squinting or half closing your eyes, but that's what it looks like now. This was taken early into the making of the blocks; I have a lot more now.

Just for fun, here a few blocks that I've done.

To see other challengees, find badge on left column. Maybe you’d even want to join!

Decisions! Decisions! I Need Help!

I have been talking about this quilt for so long and now I am pleased and thrilled to announce that I have finished ALL the blocks! All 64! Sixty-four! Six tens and four ones. Omigoodness! I've been teaching young children too long...

Behold and see!
 
I wanted to try a more “artistic” (read interesting) way of photographing my blocks. I mean…how many times can you see a log cabin block over the course of months?

I’m so excited to start sewing the top together. Soon it will be a flimsy! Aspiring to be a quilt. I love that name “flimsy”; I just heard it a few months ago. I didn’t know what it was originally then figured out it meant a quilt top without batting & quilting.

I’m also working on my Spool Quilt as a leader ender. I had started it last summer then switched to the Sister’s Choice quilt blocks. I realized that there are a lot, many, many blocks to make for the SC. The Spool Quilt is much more manageable, as in less blocks in the quilt. I switched back to the Spools to get it done first. You can see some of the blocks and even a log cabin progress report here.

I asked for your help last week in finding more of the darkest blue fabric for the Log Cabin so I could continue with making blocks for a quilt for myself. You are wonderful people, do you know that? Well, you are! I found it at Thousands of Bolts. Yes the fabric AND at a bargain price of $5.95/yd. I paid $11/yd the first time I bought it.

I bought 6 yards of it. Just a teensy weensy bit overboard, I should say. I thought 3 yds would probably do, but that blue is the last two strips of a 14” block. I figured I’d buy a bit more to be safe…which I had done in the first place. And you know where that landed me. Hmmmm. I knew 6 yards was more than enough, but I love, love, love that fabric so much I thought of future quilts that could have parts of yummy blue-ness in them. My head started to swim. I clicked on the “Order” button, finalizing the 6 yards and thought, “Whooppee!”

Of course, my stash count next week is going to take a hit. But I’m sure all will be well over the months.

So thank you, thank you gracious readers. You sure are a swell bunch!
And speaking of your help and stash counts, I need another helping hand of your knowledge. I am participating in the HST BOM at Quilt Arts Design. (See the badge on the left sidebar.) I’m joining in a couple of months late, but figure I CAN do it. I know a cool, quick way to make HSTs and I love them.


Now here’s where your help comes in. I’ve always wanted to make a red & white quilt. I’ve chosen two gorgeous fabrics: one dark and one light. I think I need a third fabric for mediums. I’m not doing scrappy here, just the two materials above and one more.

Could you pretty please with a cherry on top, leave answers in the comments below and let me know what your experienced (or non-experienced—because we all can tell what we like!) answers.

Here are my questions:
1. Do you have any ideas for a medium piece? I’ve looked through my stash and have nothing. Should I choose a fabric with red, black and white that is medium? The red flowery/star fabric has black in it. What would you suggest?
2. Do you think I should have more than three fabrics, for instance: another dark, another medium (makes 2) and another light?
3. Could you come to a quilt store with me and help me pick the fabrics? Cookies provided!
4. Do you think I should go scrappy? I love scrappy. I thought just the unity of 3 or 6 fabrics would be fun.
I’m looking forward to reading your answers! You helped me before with my Spiderweb quilt borders, so I know I can count on you.

Have a lovely week!

Sharing with: Patchwork Times, Fabric Tuesday, Show and Tell Tuesday, Free Motion by the River, We Did It! Wednesday, WIP Wednesday, Needle and Thread Thursday, I Quilt, Fabric Frenzy Friday