I’m signed up again to teach a few classes at a local store – Wholly Craft – which, btw, has an AWESOME craft supply trade section, where people donate old craft supplies, and then other people buy them. Proceeds go mostly to charity, some to the store. I think it’s great and came up with some classes designed to teach a few quilting basics and to use up some scraps from the scrap bin. I have been offering and Intro to Cross-stitch and done a few intro to quilting classes. But I wanted something simpler than even a baby quilt for these classes – something that could be finished comfortably…
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Deer Repellents
Back in May we had deer issues – not too bad, and I think we nipped their interest in our plants in the bud. (Get it?) The first night they came in and chomped down several feet of tomatoes and pepper plants. We put out Irish Spring soap all around those plants by taking plastic cups, placing a half-bar of soap inside, and wrapping tulle or pantyhose around the cup. Then we hung the cups UPSIDE DOWN so the soap doesn’t get wet and wash our garden in the rain. The tulle keeps the soap in and lets smell can get out, We hung our fancy contraptions from the tomato cages.…
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How I Machine Sew Binding
I won’t bore you with a bunch of stuff about binding from start to finish. There a lot of great places to learn about binding, like from Jaybird Quilts or from Sew Happy Geek. I just have one thing to sort of add to the conversation. I machine sew my binding on. Some people hand-sew it, and I’m sure that’s great, but eh, not for me. Generally, people say that when you machine sew your binding, you should sew it onto the back of the quilt, and then fold it over to the front. Here’s where I’ll toss out my opinion: Instead, I sew my binding onto the front of my…
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Cathedral Window Block
I found – and finished ! – this block. Here I have photographed it in front of something that looks like barnwood, because I love Regretsy. I really love the colors! As an obsessive process point – the windows are a little wonky because my squares I started with were not exactly, exactly square. I thought, eh, what’s a smidge here and there? It’s a lot, people. But not enough to scrap the block. I am thinking of making it into something for my new little niece that will be born in June (!!!!). But that got me thinking that maybe having the little white Red Riding Hood in the…
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Pretty Little Lost Projects
Sooo, I’m so excited to say that I won a fat quarter bundle of A Walk In the Woods courtesy of Happy Quilting Melissa (who has an adorable baby, among other amazing quilting talents) and the Fat Quarter Shop. Excited? Delirious? I don’t normally win things. This was basically better than that kabillion dollar lottery prize everyone is fussing about. I have a whole list of quilting goals which are written on a whiteboard above my desk. HOWEVER, when this fabric arrived in the mail, what choice did I have but to cut straight into it, to prove that it was real, and really mine? I have been wanting to make a…
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Rearranging Triangles
I love that stage in working with Half-Square Triangles (HST’s in quilt language) where you can totally change your design and make all kinds of crazy patterns. Like diamonds! Or some kind of flying geese/chevron hybrid! Or maybe a more centered diamond. Yesss…. I wanted these to look like stained glass, or more quiltily – like when you hold an unfinished quilt top up to the light and you can see all the seams. I love the way that looks, and am trying to replicate it. The problem with these lovely triangles is that it makes me want to make ALL THE QUILTS! Too many options can be a bit…
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I Need a Seam Ripper Theme Song
I have been going out on a limb a little, using batiks for the first time. I love it when other people use batiks, but it’s not very natural for me. I have been really unsatisfied with how it’s looking, and I can’t decide if it’s because I don’t like the colors or I don’t like that it’s not what I’m comfortable with. After much fussing (and more grumping) I’m taking a seam ripper to about half my colors and giving them the boot. And then I guess since I turned this queen sized quilt into a lap quilt, I’m going back to the store. Blergh! On the bright side,…
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Organic Windmill Quilt!
I got a bunch of organic cottons – specifically Daisie Janie Shades of Grey – over the summer and haven’t been able to find a place for them. But what better use for them than some windmills? I am mixing them with my preciousssss green Moda It’s a Hoot fabric – which is not organic – but the white fabric is…and the green fabric came from a charity auction – and also WINDMILLS and GREEN. So, basically, this quilt is saving the earth, people! Anyway, I’m just really proud to be using up stuff from my stash, since I’m not allowed to buy any new fabric unless it is SPECIFICALLY…
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Media That I Am Currently Enjoying
In case you are looking for pleasant entertainment suggestions: Moving Pictures with spoken words: Dexter (re-runs): A bit gruesome but with hope and wit and manageable amounts of moral ambiguity mixed in. Parks and Recreations: The best thing TV has done since Arrested Development? Just pictures: This quilter is pretty awesome. Just words: I have decided to re-read some Kurt Vonnegut, starting with Timequake, since that’s what was on the shelf. I like it! It’s funny and sad, but not too sad. An old man in 1996 wandering around through his life and trying to imagine the year 2011. Spoken words: Pop Culture Happy Hour – recent find, it’s a…
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Vegan Apple Cake Success
This recipe was my second attempt to come up with some kind of vegan apple recipe to use up the half gallon of apple butter that we didn’t can (ran out of jars!!!). I suppose I could freeze the apple butter (???), but I’d rather freeze it in some kind of usable form. I got “Canning for a New Generation” by Liana Krissof as a wedding gift, as well as another book about canning. I am pretty happy with her book, it’s cute and friendly and casual and MOST IMPORTANTLY has lots of tips for the lazy, non-perfectionist person (like, you don’t have to peel everything). Yay! It’s really usable…
