Blogger's Quilt Festival Spring 2013

Welcome!  I am excited to share a special quilt with you for Blogger's Quilt Festival.  I know there is a lot of quilty goodness to see on all the many links for the quilt festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side, and I appreciate your stopping here for a bit.  I'd love it if you'd say hi in the comments.

The story of this quilt starts with me doing some cleaning (it gets more exciting, trust me) last October.  In the process of decluttering my basement space where I sew, I moved a big green Rubbermaid storage tote out of the way, which had come from my late mother's house a few years before.  I wasn't sure what was in it but figured probably more stuff to haul to Goodwill.  Boy, was I wrong!

Inside the container was an old quilt top, which I recognized by its handiwork as having been made by my grandmother, Lillian, probably back in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Grandma Lillian C., early 1970s, Louisiana.

Grandma loved to sew, and even when her eyesight faded in her later years, she continued to find a way to piece quilts.  She used just about everything in the way of fabric and scraps.  I even have a quilt she made of polyester double knit hexagons, if you can imagine that.

Grandma's quilt top, c. late 1960s/early 1970s.

This particular quilt top that I found was bold and colorful, which is just how I like 'em.  I think Grandma and I were "cut from the same cloth" in that way.

I had never seen this quilt top before, and I wondered how long my mom had it.  Had Grandma made it with one of her grandchildren in mind?  She was known to do that, and since she lived a thousand miles away on the other side of the country (and perhaps because of her eyesight and/or other reasons), she might send a quilt top to Mom and rely on it being quilted and finished on the receiving end.  As I looked closely at the various fabrics and handled it, I understood perhaps why Mom had put it away and didn't rush to finish it.  There are some challenges to be sorted out, for sure.  But on the whole, there's a lot of love in this quilt, and I think it's beautiful and inspirational, like my grandma.

Mom and Grandma, late 1960s, Wisconsin.

The block pattern really intrigued me.  I mentioned in my post about finding the quilt that I wanted to try making the block if I could find a pattern.  It is entirely pieced, not appliqued.  I hadn't seen anything quite like it, but I thought I might find it in one of my older reference books (no such luck). 

And here is where I tell you what you already probably know:  Fellow quilt bloggers are the best!  Within a very short time of that post, Sandi of Piecemeal Quilts drew up the block in her quilt design program, based on the photos I'd posted, and sent me a PDF complete with templates.  How amazing and wonderfully generous is that!

Two days later, I sent Sandi a photo of the test block I'd made.  Though I didn't have a whole lot of experience piecing curves, it all worked out beautifully.  The block was square and true to size and lay flat and smooth.  I was thrilled!

Sandi responded by showing me a sample quilt layout she had created "just playing around" with the blocks set on point.  It was simply gorgeous, and I knew I had to make it.  Over the next few days, we chatted by email about fabric choices and other possibilities.  This was going to be so much fun!

I got started on this quilt right away, and except for the almost-fiasco where I knocked a cup of coffee onto it in the final hours of assembly, it went together really well.  I finished the quilt top in early January and sent it off to be quilted.

Sandi did the quilting on her longarm.  She filled in the white space with freehand leaves and swirls and did parallel quilting in the cross pieces of the blocks.  So pretty!  When she was done, Sandi, her mom, and her aunt made the couple-hour drive to delivered it in person, so we finally got to meet!

The fabrics I used are from the Vintage Modern line by Bonnie and Camille for Moda.  I loved the turquoise and red color combination.  The soft floral prints have a soft, vintage feel, while the overall quilt has a contemporary look.  

Quilt Specifics

Quilt measures:  80 x 80 inches

Special techniques used:  Curved piecing from templates

Quilted by:  Sandi Walton

Blogger's Quilt Festival Category: Bed Quilt

I'd like to make another one of these, maybe a wild and scrappy version next time around. I think Grandma would be tickled!

Would you like to give it a try?  Stay tuned, because I will be doing a tutorial on how to make the four-lily block in the coming weeks, and I hope you'll join me for that.  In addition, Sandi and I are finishing the pattern for this quilt, which should be available in the near future, as well.

Thanks so much for taking time to visit, and I hope you will stop back again soon!

~P. (Paulette)

Cool Things

Yesterday's post didn't happen, having been preempted by other things.  Instead, I started gathering my thoughts for Blogger's Quilt Festival, which starts tomorrow.

My brothers, Russ and Darrell, 1966.

See you then.  I'll have something cool to share!

8 Tracks

I am trying out this new dealio called 8tracks, which allows you to stream music and make playlists that you can share.  Sort of like Pandora, which I like a lot too, but this seems easier to figure out how to embed a playlist.

This is a mix of songs as they appeared on my mp3 player this morning during my walk.  The player was apparently in alphabetical playback mode, and I had just finished listening to a chapter from Thoreau's "Walden," when it launched into these, all having the words "walk" or "walking" in the song title.  I thought it was an appropriate, eclectic mix for the occasion.  There's even a short poem in there.  Use the buttons to skip through tracks, if you want.  Kinda fun!

Time to to go to work.  Back with more in the realm of sewing, etc. tomorrow. 

Walking from thewayisewit on 8tracks Radio.

Rose Mini

I decided to try making some roses using a helpful how-to from sophie junction (see her "Freebies" tab).  It was fun to play around, especially after having made only a couple of rather unexciting but functional quilt backs this past week.

On the first attempt, I made a pinkish-red rose.  Then some interesting peachy-yellow bits in the scrap bag caught my eye.

This was then completed with a green background and quilted as a mini.  Yay, something finished!  Who cares if it's only10 or 11 inches square?  It'll be a nice mat under a vintage pot, whenever I get around to potting up something.

I did some pebble quilting in the center, which got old in a hurry, because I couldn't see my stitching very well against the fabric without taking off my glasses and putting my nose dangerously near the quilting foot.  Picture that.  Yep, it was comical.

* * * * *
I am happy to report that the grass was long enough for its first mowing this weekend.

(Image Source)

Believe me, Norm was hardly as excited as this little guy, but isn't he adorable?  

* * * * *
Mama mallard was back in the yard, checking out the real estate.  Daddy duck stayed on the ground, securing the perimeter.  

There is no nest in the tree; she was just measuring rooms and flushing toilets.  

Right after I turned off my camera, a squirrel scuttled up the tree and scared the quack out of her, and off she flew.  She may have an issue with the neighbors barging in unannounced.

Yesterday the weather was just ducky, and my sister and I took a six-mile evening walk along the marsh.  Oh, I wish I'd have taken my camera.  I've borrowed this photo to give you an idea.

(Image Source)

A gorgeous pink sunset illuminated the water.  A thin haze of smoke from a small controlled burn blurred the scene just enough to make it surreal.  I can't think of a better visual finale to the weekend!  How was yours?

Spring's A-Poppin!

Finally!  The snow is gone, the grass is green, my daffodils are dancing in the sunshine.

And check out the thermometer yesterday.  Today is more of the same.

Time to toss the gloves and hats to the back of the closet, sort out the summer clothes (and realize you need to walk off those few pounds that have settled around your midsection while you waited out winter).

In quilty stuff, I finished the Hands2Help quilt top.

And a backing for it, making use of an overabundance in same color scheme of Denyse Schmidt fabrics in the stash.  But can there really be too much blue and green?  (Apparently so.)

Finding new music is always fun, too.  Today me and the daffodils feel like Tom Keifer at 26 seconds into this song from his debut solo album.  YEAH!!!

Favorite Things Friday, the Finale

Eek, it's Friday night!  I say that not that it's a bad thing, but because I've been meaning to do a Favourite Things Friday post, probably the last Favourite Things Friday post ever, because our fabulous hostess Shay at Quilting in My Pajamas has declared it to be so, in that she's been doing the Friday linky for two and a half years and has decided it's time to put her baby to bed, which I totally understand, and this is hands down the longest run-on sentence in the history of this blog, I guarantee!

Whew.

So while Norm is out gathering necessities for the weekend, i.e. good coffee and chocolate at our neighborhood Walgreens, I am going to try and do a post real quick.  Because when he gets back, we've got some Netflixin' to do.  No, that is not code for something, we're going to watch a movie!

So I had some things in the freezer—namely, last year's rhubarb—to do something with before it's rhubarb time all over again in six weeks or so (emphasis on the "so").

I love rhubarb, but because you need to sweeten it to make it palatable, and I have been trying to avoid sugar (and kinda failing at it lately), well, let's just say the rhubarb has been pretty safe in the freezer for almost a year.

But then last weekend a friend (cleaning out his own freezer, I suspect), gave me several packages of strawberries from his garden last year.  And raspberries.

I also had a frozen gluten-free pie crust in there left over from holiday baking.  Pretty much all the main ingredients for a rhubarb-strawberry pie.  Look out sugar, here we come!

But you know what?  Turns out you don't really need all that much sugar for this pie.  I admit I like a tart pie, and my taste buds have adapted to eating less sweets, so factor that in.  Most recipes call for about 1-1/2 cups of sugar in a pie of this sort, but I cut it down to 1/3 cup...and then added in another tablespoon or so as insurance an afterthought.  So essentially I used a scant 1/2 cup sugar total, and it was just fine.  So fine and so yummy that I am declaring it my favorite thing!

Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie 
(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Lower Sugar)

2-1/2 cups chopped rhubarb (½-inch pieces)

2-1/2 cups strawberries (sliced into halves or quarters is probably best;mine were whole frozen so I didn't bother)

Zest of half a lemon, freshly grated (I pare off a thin part of the lemon rind and chop it very fine)

½ t. cinnamon

3 T. arrowroot and/or tapioca starch flour

1/3 cup + 2 T. sugar (or around a scant ½ cup)

Mix everything together thoroughly in a bowl and spoon mixture into prepared crust* in a pie plate.  (Fits nicely in a regular/shallow Pyrex pie plate).  I didn’t want a top crust, but if you want one, feel free to pop another crust on top and crimp the edges/cut slits.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then decrease to 375 for 40-50 minutes, or until it's bubbling nicely and the rhubarb is soft. You may need to cover the edge of the crust with foil if it’s browning too much. Cool at least one hour before serving (or longer, if you can stand it).  Enjoy!

*I use this gluten-free pie crust recipe but substitute either cold ghee or coconut oil for the butter.  Ghee is clarified butter, but the casein and lactose are removed in making it, which works for casein-intolerant folks like me.

H2H Progress Update

I have had my Hands2Help charity quilt blocks done and set out on the floor for over a week.  I need to sew them together now.

Here I have auditioned the three borders.  I think this is going to be it.

There is a Hands2Help progress update linky at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Lots of pretty quilts in the works!

One more story from the wild kingdom:  We have a pair of mallards that walk through the yard regularly.  This seems to happen every year in spring with a nesting pair. 

The hen (in the dull coloring) leads the drake wherever she feels like going.  Back and forth they waddle, across our yard and the neighbors', checking everything out.  If the hen pauses to look at something, the drake stops a step or two behind her and waits.

It reminds me of a husband dutifully following his wife around a shopping mall.  If the drake were a man, he might be holding her purse.

"Honey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, babe.  What is it?"

"Just wait here, I'll be right back." 

"I want your opinion."

"Just a sec..."

"Almost ready..."

"Does this tree make my butt look big?"

Have a good day, wherever you may roam!