Here she is, the completed Apple Pop quilt.
Given the current wind chill factor, I wish I could crawl under a pile of quilts for the day. Alas, off to be a dutiful school volunteer…better take my Airborne before I leave.
Archive for January, 2008
Quilt avoidance
Remember this?
Well, I still love it, but I’ve been avoiding it because I couldn’t decide how to quilt it. Nothing like a deadline to shake off the avoidance. I’m not sure I love the quilting choices I’ve made and I’m still kind of avoiding some areas, but it has to be finished. Love it or leave it.
I’ve kept my nose to the presser foot for some time now.
The apple core quilt is DONE! (OK, maybe the bias binding needs a good steam press…)
The Posh Tot quilt just needs the binding sewn down.
And diligent quilting on the Paper Plates quilt. I thought I was really getting somewhere. And then I got a phone call that a fabric collection–for which I’d committed to making a sample–had arrived. I’m usually not bummed out when pretty things come in boxes. But it too must arrive at some state of completion over the next eight days. I suppose I ought to go get the fabric sometime soon…more avoidance.
While sewing down some binding or other, I caught The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun on Sundance last night. I love a good documentary. This was a little tricky. There would have been greater progress on the binding had I not had to look up to read the subtitles and look at the castle. If you should happen to run into this film, I highly recommend it.
I brought you some flowers
Florabundant by Julie Schlueter, Orange, California
These flowers don’t stink…like some I know.
A synopsis of recent interactions with my seven-year-old
Setting: While doing homework, a drawing of her favorite part of The Witches by Roald Dahl.
She said: Do you know what this is? [pointing to the area of the drawing in question]
I said: No, I don’t. What is that?
She said: I don’t know.
Of course you don’t.
A favorite tool
Pam asked about favorite tools. I happened to stop at the hardware store today and what did my eyes light upon?
My favorite quilting gloves from Atlas! How did Ace know I needed a new pair? I wouldn’t have thought to look there as I purchased my previous pair at the quilt store (of course, they are billed as gardening gloves…). If only they had had the lime green ones! I settled for this lovely purple pair because they didn’t have hot pink in my size. Oh well, the purple is far better than the sickly chalky green ones I’ve been using.
I love these gloves because they are coated all the way down to the palm, not just on the fingers. Once in a while, one is in the midst of a machine quilting frenzy and needs that extra grippy area on the palms until one can move one’s fingers. I needed a new pair because unhooking basting pins has taken a toll on the finger tips. Hmm, maybe I’ll get an extra pair to have in reserve. Or maybe I’ll wait and see if they come out with gloves in Kaffe prints next year!
Quite possibly…
my favorite piece of fabric of all time.
Kaffe Fassett’s Lichen in Lilac
Listen, don’t buy it all. I’m gonna need some more.
Here’s what happened to the first piece:
This could also be named “Quilt Top in the Blink of an Eye.” It’s so cute and fast and the possibilities are endless. I might have to make 872 of them.
Well, until I get a quilt backing for this, I suppose I’d better tackle the binding on the apple core quilt. Not so much looking forward to the twists and turns there, but it must get done!
In my mind’s eye
I love fabric. No, really. I LOVE fabric. Yesterday I had one of those spells where it feels like one has been at the bar far too long. After seeing some Westminster color groupings, I got overly emotional about fabric. “I love ya, man.” Clearly, the fabric had not imbibed and sat mutely on the table.
I’m not quite sure what it was, usually I get excited when seeing the new prints and colors that are usually grouped by print, but my heart was just racing when I saw color “stories” made up using a variety of old and new prints. They were stunning.
Earlier in the week, I was poking through the Quilt Index looking at old quilts (a person has to do something else while watching a presidential debate). It’s always inspirational (the quilts, not necessarily the debate…). I became fascinated by comparing the thumbnail photo to the larger photos of the quilts. While perusing the thumbnails, my mind’s eye usually saw something completely different than what was in the larger photo. I think this could be a very good exercise in quilt design, and a pencil and paper will be required alongside the computer the next time I visit the Quilt Index. It could be a little game. Pick an interesting thumbnail and sketch what you think the quilt looks like. Click to see the larger photo and compare.
Which brings me to today’s dabbling. I need to quilt the applecore quilt, instead I am dabbling and playing. Gotta keep fresh, I guess. Tomorrow WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT, the creative side of my brain that does not abide commercial interruptions will just have to do something a little more rote, so today I played. Anyhoo, so my mind’s eye joined up with the Quilt Index and the Westminster color stories and a great tutorial from Amy at Happythings to do this:
I’m not sure it’s as exuberant as I envisioned, but it’s in the realm of the happy place in my mind’s eye. I must say, somewhere along the way, my brain must have been working well. While searching the dysfunctional stash, I stumbled upon a cache of Kaufman solids purchased during one of Hancock’s of Paducah’s solids sales (they were practically free). Many of them will be quite happy in this quilt…I’m not so sure about that brighter yellow though…
Anyway, I encourage you to go play!
Moving on with an Ohio star
The applecore top is completed. I wasn’t going to bed last night until the last two rows were sewn on! I’m so happy that’s together! I’ll get it quilted and then post a photo.
Today started out with snow, some perhaps pointless voting, Target, a visit to the hair whisperer, picking up meds at the vet and baking one of these. It didn’t leave much time for sewing, but I did a little test block similar to something pictured in the Quilted One Block Marvels book. Fun!
Pretty flaky
Impress your friends. Impress your family. Call them pain au chocolate or chocolate croissants. Pardon me, I’m giddy from buying my first package of puff pastry.
You do need to keep some on hand for sophisticated chocolate emergencies.
Chocolate Croissants
1 package frozen puff pastry
1 egg
Some chocolate of your choice or chocolate chips
Thaw puff pastry. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a sheet of puff pastry to make a 10″ square. Cut into four squares. Place 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate/chocolate chips into center of each puff pastry square. Brush edges of square with beaten egg. Fold over diagonally to make a triangle, press edges to seal. Brush top of each triangle with beaten egg. Place 2″ apart on greased or nonstick baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 8 croissants. Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden. Allow to cool on baking sheet for two minutes before removing to wire rack to cool thoroughly.
And then devour.
Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts 