Dusting Off My Quilts

It has been way too long since I’ve had time to spend working on my quilts – probably since some time before Thanksgiving. My sewing desk has looked pretty much like the above picture since then – except for when I had some Christmas overflow piled on top of it. The quilt laying across my machine is my Farm Fresh quilt. It is one of my absolute favorites – mostly applique, and full of flowers, pumpkins, and country containers. I have had these pieces for the next block all ready to go all this time, just taunting me on the shelf! -

Another quilt that I have been wanting to get back to is my Tree of Life quilt. Sarah and I took part in a half-square triangle swap at the quilt shop, and came home with hundreds of little squares in many different combinations of fabrics. I am using mine to make this lovely quilt -

I have all of the tree tops finished, and am ready to work on the trunks. This quilt is sitting on another shelf in my bedroom, quietly calling to me -

I recently bought this lovely jelly roll in beautiful blues and browns that is begging to be worked with -

After Christmas I used an Ebay gift certificate that I received as a gift and bought a quilt kit to make this wonderful wavey American flag wall hanging -

It will be a new challenge as it involves curved piecing, but it uses these pretty patriotic fabrics, so I can’t wait to start it -

I haven’t ordered it yet, but eventually I want to get the kit for this lovely blue and white quilt from the Connecting Threads catalog -

And then there’s my basket of Block of the Month packets that are patiently waiting for me -

I really don’t mind having lots of quilts going at once – it allows me to be able to work on whatever I feel like at the moment. I think, maybe I would like to schedule a quilting weekend soon, and spend lots of time reaquainting myself with my old friends.

Blessings,
Nancy

Civil War Sampler Quilt and Summer Cherries

I have a number of quilt projects going right now. Some are being sewn by hand, some by machine, and some are applique quilts. I generally work on the machine during the daytime hours and save the hand sewing for the evenings in front of a movie. I certainly don’t have time to sew every day, but I try to grab snatches of time whenever I can.

Most of the quilts I’m working on now are block of the month programs through one of the local quilt shops, but I have a few others that I’m working on as well. The first one I want to show you is what I call my Civil War Sampler quilt. I believe the official name of this quilt is Civil War Celebration, designed by Joe Wood from Thimble Creek Quilts. I have a habit of giving all of the quilts I’m working on my own names – just how I remember them best – for instance, the Star Medallion quilt that I’ve been working on for awhile (and which is close to being finished if I would just get around to picking it up again!) is affectionately known as the Waltons quilt, due to the fact that I sewed most of it during our late night stint of watching old Waltons episodes.

Anyway, the Civil War sampler is a block of the month program. The finished quilt will look similar to the lead-off picture at the top of this post. (I took this picture at the quilt store so that I could refer to it.). I have sewn twelve blocks so far – four each of three different patterns. Each set of four is made from four different fabric combinations, but using the same pattern. Here are the ones I’ve completed ~

All of the cream fabric in the quilt is muslin and it will have dark chains running diagonally throughout the quilt and between the sampler blocks (see picture at top). I haven’t started on the chains yet. I am sewing this quilt on the machine.

Another quilt that I have been working on I have named my Summer Cherries quilt, because the fabric is so summery, with flowers and cherries galore. The fabric is “Charlevoix = Summmer…Beach…Rural Americana…1910-1935″ by Polly Minick and Lauri Simpson for Moda fabrics. It is a rail quilt because each block is formed by sewing strips of fabric together like fence rails -

I started with a jelly roll of fabric – for the non-quilters out there, a jelly roll is precut strips (2 1/2 x 44-45″) of an entire fabric line, all rolled up like a jelly donut. I saw this quilt at another local quilt store and fell in love with it, so I bought the kit they were offering and started on it. I am sewing it all on the machine, and am just needing to sew on two borders to have the top finished. Here is how it looks right now ~

That’s all I’m going to show you for today – if I spend too much time writing about it all, I won’t have any time to sew! I have several other projects to catch you up on – soon!

Blessings,
Nancy

Blue and White Quilt

These beautiful fabrics make up a lovely blue and white quilt that I am slowly working on. It is a block of the month program at a local quilt store that I am participating in. The quilt is centered around twelve navy and cream blocks that are each different. Each month I make one of the twelve, and eventually I will get around to finishing the rest of the quilt. Here is a pattern diagram of the quilt design ~

My absolute favorite fabric in this quilt is the blue botanical print – I fell in love with it when I saw it, and it is what made the quilt irresistible to me ~

So far I have made six of the twelve central blocks ~

This is a Thangles quilt, which means that I use Thangle paper templates to sew the half square triangles on the machine and they turn out beautifully every time ~

I’ve got block #7 all prepared to sew when I get a few minutes to work on it ~

I can’t wait to see this quilt finished. Blue and White is my favorite color combination and I know that I will love this quilt when it is finished!

Have a nice day!

Blessings,
Nancy

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

Back in May we purchased an electric grain mill and a Bosch mixer and I started making homemade whole wheat bread for my family. I did a bit of research and was amazed to find that wheat flour goes rancid quickly after it is milled and therefore, the wheat flour on the shelf at the grocery store is already rancid when you buy it. Milling my own grain at home when I am ready to use it gives me fresh, healthy flour, full of the nutrients that our bodies need. I also researched grain mills and mixers and felt confident that the Nutrimill and Bosch mixers were the best choice for my needs.

The recipe that I have been using to make our bread comes from the Joyful Living website. We purchased our appliances from them, as well as our grain and a number of the ingredients for making the bread. It is a simple recipe that has turned out well for me. I set everything out on the counter before I start so it is handy when I need it. Wait a minute! What’s that chocolate frosting doing there? I must have been baking a cake the day I took these pictures – just pretend you don’t see that! -

I start with grain – this is Prairie Gold Hard White Spring Wheat (which you don’t see in the above picture because it is in a huge tub on the floor!) -

I grind about 8-10 cups of wheat berries in the Nutrimill -

It turns out soft and fine – about 12-15 cups of fresh whole wheat flour -

Here are the rest of the ingredients in the recipe (minus the chocolate frosting) -

Into the mixer (with kneading arm installed) I put -

5 1/2 cups warm water (140 degrees)
2/3 cup oil (I use Safflower oil)
2/3 cup honey (we get ours straight from the beekeeper)
2 Tablespoons sea salt

I mix these together very briefly (a few seconds) -

I then add 5 cups of fresh flour and mix again briefly -

I then add -

2 Tablespoons Instant yeast
2 Tablespoons Dough Enhancer (optional)
About 5 more cups of flour

I turn on the Bosch at a low speed and while it’s running, I continue adding flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl -

I then knead the dough in the mixer on low for about 6 minutes – that’s all it takes to get it thoroughly kneaded. I oil my hands and form 5-6 loaves, placing them in oiled loaf pans as I finish each one -

I let the dough rise once in the pans until doubled in size -

Then I bake the bread at 350 degrees until a hollow sound is heard when thumped (at least 30 minutes) -

I like to brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter right when it comes out of the oven -

I am still in the learning process of bread making, and am not an expert by any means. My first try using this system resulted in flat topped loaves – I think that I let it rise too long and it fell. I hope to improve my skills as I go along. Kristy Bell has some wonderful variations for this recipe on her Joyful Living site – pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, herb bread, sticky rolls. I fully intend to make use of these in the near future.

Another great website to learn about bread-making that I like is The Urban Homemaker. Marilyn has a great recipe there for homemade bread, and she also has the instructions for kneading it by hand if you don’t have the big mixer.

I used to make our bread using a bread machine, and I did like how it turned out, but I could only make one loaf at a time with it, and my family could (and would) eat that loaf up in one meal. Now I can make 5-6 loaves at a time and freeze some to pull out as we need it. I don’t need to bake it as often this way.

There’s not much to rival the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven – except maybe eating the homemade bread, spread with butter, fresh out of the oven!

Blessings,
Nancy

What just arrived in the mail . . .

. . . this order from Connecting Threads! Now let’s see . . . what goodies are included in this box? First there are fabrics from the Canning Day line by Mama’s Cottons – reminiscent of feed sack fabrics from the 1930′s -

And a pattern to make the “Kitchy Stars” quilt with these fabrics. The finished quilt will look like this -

Also in the box is this fat eighth sampler of the “Firecracker” fabric line – looks just like the 4th of July!

And finally, there is a fat quarter sampler of patriotic fabrics – beautiful colors!

It couldn’t have arrived at a better time – we are having a lovely rainy day and evening – just made for working on my quilts.

Have a nice evening!

Blessings,
Nancy

Quilt Progress

Thought I’d update you on my progress with my Star Medallion quilt. This is a large quilt made from reproduction prints in many different colors and patterns. I am hand piecing it, which I have so much enjoyed so far. I took some pictures this afternoon so that I could share my progress with you. This is the center star of the quilt showing the whole center block and then a close up of just the star -

These are the four “Churn Dash” blocks that are in the quilt -

There are four “Log Cabin” blocks – one will be in each corner of the quilt -

Here is a close-up of one of the blocks -

I am now piecing “Cup and Saucer” blocks. I have made half-triangles and many flying geese, which are pressed now and ready to be sewn together to make the completed blocks -

I’ve posted this before, but here is a picture from my pattern of what the quilt will look like when finished -

I look forward each day to sitting down in the evening in front of my “Waltons” dvd and sewing on this quilt. I’ll post more pictures later as I complete different parts – Checkerboard blocks will be next!

Have a nice evening!

Blessings,
Nancy

Quilting Books

Cindy asked me to recommend a good quilt book for learning to quilt. There are two books that I have been referring to as I make my way along this journey of learning to quilt. One is this book ~

This book has been good about taking my hand and talking to me as a beginner. It gives instructions for both hand and machine piecing, quilting, and all of the rest that goes along with the craft ~

I have also lately really been enjoying referring to this book ~

It is also good at teaching the basics, but in a question/answer format. So, when I don’t understand something or have a question about something, I can go right to the question and find my answer. I have cleared up many questions using this book. It’s a convenient size to keep in my quilting basket for whenever I need to refer to it, which has been alot lately since I am moving into new territory working on borders and soon into the quilting portion of my quilt.

Another great source for learning to quilt is a local quilt shop. They are popping up all over the place and they offer classes at every level and are always willing to answer questions that you may have. They also usually have a book section where you can find how-to quilt books as well as books full of patterns. I am sure you can probably find lots of information online, as well.

I have tended to get overwhelmed with the learning process as I felt like there was so much to learn, but I’ve found that just by taking it one step at a time, it has really not been difficult, and I learn more all the time. Just be patient and enjoy it – that’s the point of it anyway!

Lynn asked what a Be-Attitudes quilt was, so I am posting a picture of mine in progress. This quilt was designed by Nancy Halvorsen, as were the fabrics used in it. This is the quilt after sewing the blocks together, but minus the four borders that I am working on right now ~

I’ll post more pictures when I finish the top.

Blessings,
Nancy

Stamp Club Fun!

I am a member of a Stamping Club that meets once a month for an afternoon of card-making, stamping, and fun. Our club started up about 3 years ago, and has seen the coming and going of some of the gals, but some of us “originals” are still around. It’s a fun group, and we always spend much of the afternoon laughing together.

Our fearless leader is a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator who always has the most wonderful ideas and beautiful cards for us to make each month. Sometimes we learn a new skill, or try out a new tool or method, but many times we just enjoy stamping and putting together the cards she has for us each time.

All of the club members take turns being the hostess of the month. The hostess brings the snacks for the meeting and gets credit for the “party”. Each club member has committed to put together an order each month for a predetermined minimum – usually around $20 so that the hostess for that month will get a number of free items from the Stampin’ Up catalog. It is a great way to build our supplies and stamp collections and help each other out as well.

I took some pictures of some of the cards that we have done at some of our Stamp Club meetings. Most of the stamps are current or retired Stampin’ Up stamps ~

I always look forward to seeing what creative ideas our leader will come up with next!

Have a lovely day!

Blessings,
Nancy

Quilt Notes

This past weekend has my quilting fever running high. I paid a visit to my local quilt store, which I was really excited about because they have moved to a new location since my last visit and I was eager to check out the new space. I was not disappointed because the new store is much bigger, with lots more fabric, and a wonderful atmosphere that makes me want to hang out there for unlimited amounts of time. (Jeff, just take deep breaths now . . . in . . . out . . . in . . . out).

While I was there I saw a beautiful new line by Nancy Halvorsen called “Garden Song”. It features this lovely panel with garden sayings and graphics ~

I especially love this part of the panel ~

The fabric line had several wonderful spring plaids and scrolly prints, and I was hooked, so I found a pattern for a panel-centered quilt and then set to work picking out fabrics to finish the quilt with. With the colorful busyness of the panel, I decided to go with calm blues and creams for the outside borders ~

I can’t wait to start working on this quilt – thus the beginning of my fever.

Little did I know, but Jeff paid a visit to the quilt store the same day to do a little Valentine shopping. It’s a good thing we didn’t run into each other and spoil his surprise! Well, on Sunday evening I was presented with this lovely new jelly roll ~

It is called “Flag Day Farm” – and he certainly knows me well, because it includes my favorite colors and prints in it. I had actually already purchased some of this fabric earlier in the year when it came out, but did not have enough for a quilt, so the jelly roll will come in quite handy. I have been perusing this book lately ~

And have a quilt already picked out that I want to make with this jelly roll, and, of course, I can’t wait to start this one either – my fever rises.

While out shopping this weekend, we purchased a new quilt for our bed (yes, I know – I should probably be making one, right? But we needed one now, not next year when I might possibly get one done!). It is a lovely blue and white floral patchwork that I simply love! Here is a little sample of it ~

So, with all this focus on quilts this weekend, I am burning up with the quilt making fever, so I sat down with my basket last night and finished up the blanket stitching on the December block of my Be-Attitudes quilt (also by Nancy Halvorsen) ~

I have a little bit of embroidery to do on these blocks, and a number of decorative buttons to sew on, and then I can start sewing the blocks together, adding the borders and then I will be ready to quilt it. This is my first quilt to actually get this far with, so it is really exciting.

And with all of the others (including about 4 or 5 I have been collecting but haven’t started, and didn’t mention here) waiting in line to be sewn, I will be nurturing my fever for quite some time!

Blessings,
Nancy

Easy Homemade Chocolate Frosting

If you happened to read my Daybook yesterday, you would know that I planned to bake a chocolate cake for dessert with last night’s dinner. Well, I knew that I had a chocolate cake mix in the pantry when I planned that, but forgot that I did not have a canister of frosting in the pantry as well. Now, this tripped me up for only a fraction of a second, because – after 26 years of planning meals – (laughing at myself here!) I have finally come to realize that I can actually make something from scratch, not having to rely on a premade processed food (which is probably better for us than the store-bought version – although in the case of chocolate frosting, I’m not sure that I can claim that it is good for us at all!)

So, I pulled out a few cookbooks, and searched briefly on the Internet and came up with a recipe that looked simple and included ingredients that I already had on hand. The result was that my family got to enjoy chocolate cake WITH frosting for dessert last night, and I added another notch to my “Cooking from Scratch” experience. The recipe that I used came from Cooks.com, where you can find many, many chocolate frosting recipes if this one doesn’t fit your needs. Here it is ~

Easy Chocolate Frosting

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in cocoa until dissolved. Add confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add more milk if necessary to make soft spreading consistency.

This recipe made just the right amount of frosting to frost a two-layer cake.

My family liked it – but then, who would complain about being served chocolate cake with chocolate frosting? None of the people living in my house, anyway.

Maybe next time I’ll try making the whole cake from scratch – novel idea, huh?

Blessings,
Nancy