Sunday Stitching

There is a linkup group called Slow Sunday Stitching and they post pictures of what they are working on each Sunday.  The projects can be anything that does not require a machine such as knitting, crocheting,  cross stitching, embroidery, or hand piecing and quilting.  I would love to get to this point but I. Have. Yardage.

I discovered this project at one of the local quilt stores:

The store does not put the kits together but merely provides a place for us to discover them.  We sign them out, including name, phone# and date.  When finished, we return them to the store and someone retrieves them.

Here is my first finished group.  Ten shields that will hold a washable sanitary napkin and allow girls to go to school instead of staying home one week a month.

So this will be my Sunday Service Stitching.  I would like to do one pack per Sunday but realistically I will be happy with every other week.

Girl Power.

March Baby Quilt

Finished this in record time!  I used one charm pack I had on hand from a long time ago along with yardage from the same line.  I bought this fabric when I worked at The Cotton Shop and was so taken with it because of a bed runner that ChrisAnn had made.  So that's about 6 years ago, not a record for aging fabric in this household.

The quilt finishes 39x45".  The batting is 100% cotton, the other half of the piece I used on the February Baby Quilt.  I just used my wiggle stitch along each seam and I am very proud of the heart I quilted in the center.  This was walking foot quilting as I needed a rest from the free motion quilting I did on the February Baby Quilt.

I'm caught up on baby quilts!

Thursday Morning Sewing with Carol

This was so fun!  Carol needed a new cover on her small ironing board.  In the back of the picture, you can see that the old one has scorched marks from the spray starch we use with our quilting fabrics. Carol's mom had recently given her some fabric that we are fairly certain came from the 70s! Carol decided it was perfect for the ironing board cover, it certainly will be slow to show any scorch marks.

The fabric was pre-washed so that there would be no shrinkage issues the next time it is washed.The old cover was laid over two layers of the fabric.  Then a cutting line was drawn half inch beyond the edge.  Right sides together and sew at 1/4 inch all around but leave an opening for turning.

Once the cover was turned right side out, it was pressed and then a line of stitching was done half inch from the edge to make a channel for the cord.  To finish the channel you will need to stitch down the raw edges you used for the turning right side out process and then feed a cord through the channel.

Layer two pieces of 100% cotton or wool batting down on board, lay cover over top and then draw up cord and tie in a bow.  That's it!

Carol left me some scraps so I cut up some 2x3.5 rectangles for my Ode to Amanda Jean quilt project.  That will take 1,620 pieces and some serous cutting time.

*Note the price on the Middy Braid, it's from my stash and I  think that might be from the 70s too.

February Baby Quilt

photo taken Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Not exactly a timely finish and there was a lot of learning on this quilt but I really, really love it.  It's hanging in the kitchen right now.

Some Favorites

Sometimes I can easily pick the most favorite Book of the Year but not this year.   So instead here are three books that make The Favorite Books of 2016.

Food in Jars - Marissa McClellan, 
     I had a lot of fun with this book during canning season.

Why We Get Fat - Gary Taubes 
     Science easily understood

The Quilters - Women and Domestic Art - Cooper and Buferd
     This is a compilation of interviews that is a warm historical treasure.  

The Extender

It's something Amy didn't use because the ends were too thick, making them too difficult to get under  a piece of meat and turn it over in a pan.  Take it she said.  OK!

This is the topmost shelf in the staples cabinet and there is another cabinet on top of this one.  Higher ceilings and no pantry is why this happened. It is 83" from the floor making access a step stool requirement.

Ha! Not anymore.  Those thick ends make easy gripping, not to say some caution isn't required as I would not want to sustain a head injury due to relaxed vigilance.  Still, there was nowhere else to store 26 cans of broth at $.40 per can.

At 24", there was not a drawer that could be rearranged but I did find the perfect  storage space...

Hanging on the side of the basket that holds the garbage.

Oh, and the extender came in handy this morning, too.

Catching Up

The January baby quilt was completed but it was completed in February.  It took two charm packs of Kate  Spain's Honey, Honey and the pattern is a split 4-patch   It's bordered with 2 1/2 inch strips of coordinating solids. Finished size is 44x44, a good size for a baby quit but just big enough that I had to piece the back. Quilting is stitch #18 on my machine which I call the wiggle stitch. I quilted over every seam because I had pressed all those seams open. Won't do that again.

It's washed and ready to gift when needed which means it gets counted against the stash and placed in the fabric cabinet. Yay, d-o-n-e.  Better late than another UFO!

Ranch

Not Utah, but it is a googled picture of a ranch in springtime and it is truly a Spring Day here, sunny and 66 degrees.  Windows and doors have been appropriately flung open!

So salad sounded good for lunch but I did have to mix up some dressing.  This Ranch Dressing recipe from Barefeet in The Kitchen is my favorite.  I pretty much make it as per but I did reduce the milk to make it just a little thicker.

Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup buttermilk or regular milk
3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon finely cracked pepper
freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste, 1-3 teaspoons

Whisk together mayo, sour cream and milk until smooth. Add spices and whisk until combined. Add the lemon and whisk again. Pour into a jar and chill in the refrigerator before serving. 

Notes:  I keep dry buttermilk on hand also I like 3 teaspoons of lemon juice but only a teaspoon if I have to use the stuff in the green bottle.