A 3rd mini-quilt finished...and of course, some more food!

Last night I had a quilt pattern to write, and as pattern writing is the least liked part of my design process I usually look for a distraction to delay the inevitable task. 

I tell you, I am so grateful for Sarah Fielke's "Quilting From Little Things..." book.  It provides just the motivation I need to do something other than what I am meant to be doing! Naughty, but nice.

The first two mini quilts I made from her book....

 

...taught me a few new lessons about quilting, and about myself. Last night's quilt was no different. Sarah had named this one 'The Woodpile'.

As soon as I saw those wonky log cabin blocks I was reminded of the first original design I shared here on my blog just over two years ago, "Wonky Houses"...

So when it came to naming my version of Sarah's 'The Woodpile' I had to call it, "Wonky All Over Again". 

 

Lessons learned from this quilt -

1. be bold with my fabrics to obtain that 'pop' in the finished quilt (my use of black in the border)

2. if you make a mistake in a wonky design you can get away with it (one of the blocks was begun in the wrong direction)

3. it's okay to not be so structured, to allow myself to go offline for a totally different effect, and in doing so still end up with a beautiful piece of work

4. don't make teeny tiny pieces late at night (those 1 inch wonky sawtooth border pieces were a killer at 10pm under a low light bulb)

The finished quilt is a mere 10 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches, and I am loving it! 

Have you made one of the mini-quilts from Sarah's book yet?

~~~~~

Back to the pattern writing. I completed the binding on my Christmas Quilt for Patchwork & Stitching magazine, and once the pattern is written it will be posted away. I have named the quilt, "We Believe"...

 

 

 

 

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Sorry to those of you who have complained that I am making you hungry with photos of what's been baked in my kitchen. I'll warn you right now to close your eyes, ok? 

Lately I have been trying out recipes at home before we teach them to the students in Home Ec, and as our grade 8 classes will be making a Zucchini Slice next week the recipe found it's way to our lunch table today. 

I haven't made this before, but it's was YUMMY!! 

All that cheese, and the bacon and onion - they covered the zucchini well. You see we are not a zucchini loving family, so I took a chance trying this on the family. 

Served with French bread and a tossed salad it was well received as they are all still talking to me! A good sign in a new recipe. :-)

Tonight I made an old family favourite as we were having dinner with friends and I wanted to bring a warming winter dessert along.  Apple Gingerbread begins with a simple base of freshly cooked Granny Smith apples, and then you cover them with this wonderful gingerbread mixture...

Bake for 30 minutes...

...and serve warm.

It's scrumptious on it's own, but we had extra thick custard on ours tonight.  This is another dessert that can be enjoyed for breakfast the next day (are you starting to grasp the reason behind my choice of desserts lately?).

Before I go I must show you a photo that Jean emailed me. She made my Blackberry Swirls recipe and said, "OH MY GOSH!  Those blackberry swirls are out of this world...Thanks so much for the recipe..I just took them out of the oven, really had to restrain myself to not take one out immediately!"

So glad you enjoyed them, Jean! 

If you'd like the recipe, I shared it HERE.

~~~~~

It seems I can't put that pattern writing off anymore. Or can I? ;-)

Enjoy your Saturday night,

Hugs

Jenny

xx

UFO's, another Mini-Quilt finished, and more biking!

I sat and pondered this morning about all of you and UFO's.

When I first started quilting and embroidering in 2005 it seemed a ludicrous thing that anyone could possibly amass UFO's in their crafting. I stitched every day after discovering the delights of what needle and thread could make for my home, family and friends, and what it did for my mental state of being - that constant need to create which until then only found it's expression in my love of the culinary arts. Unfinished projects simply did not exist for the first two years of my stitching journey. As soon as a project was planned, the cutting of fabric done, and the thread colours chosen, it was head down-bottom up until it was completed. Satisfaction followed soon after.

However, like all good stitchers and quilters, bad habits crept in. The fondness for fabrics of all colours and designs was soon apparent and a hefty stash began to inhabit drawers, bookcases, and plastic tubs. With the purchase of these fabrics came ideas for projects - some were quickly begun, others left to simmer in my mental photo stream. Those which I began (but never finished) gradually increased and one day I discovered I too had succumbed to a life of ever increasing UFO's hidden away and no longer filling the excitable spaces of my mind. Guilt ensued. Shame followed fast as I tried *not* to calculate the expenditure made on these projects that no longer saw light.

And then an answer. Stop.

Stop buying more fabrics. Stop starting new projects. Stop looking ahead, and turn your time to what is already before you.

Relief soon followed.

This is a recipe I can highly recommend. A key ingredient to this recipe was donating as much fabric, patterns, and 'bits and bobs', as I could over the last six months. I gave some to friends, some to New Beginnings, and the rest to our local op-shops. It was freeing indeed, and even though I loved most of that fabric, it had sat there for too long unused and I knew that realistically it would not be chosen for anything in my current style. Once gone, a weight lifted, and I was finally able to set about making my creative space (shown HERE and HERE). Everything I now have will be used, and I still do not need to buy any more fabrics for a verrrrrry long time.

Now, back to UFO's.

These are my UFO storage drawers. There are 10 of them, so 10 UFO's live within.

 

Gradually I am making my way through each one, and the first UFO completed just last night was this Huswif, a free pattern from Kaaren...

I had all the stitchery done, but needed to add the felt, ribbon, wadding, backing, and then bind it. It took me an hour and I now have a gorgeous new sewing caddy - with fabric that has been crying out for a stage.

 

 

~~~~~

On Saturday night I chose fabrics for the second of my 12 mini-quilt challenge projects from Sarah's book. (You can see my first one HERE.)

Mine is very different to Sarah's original with the American stars and stripes effect...

 As I began to cut the fabric and make the templates for the triangles I was struck by images of a circus tent. So I present to you, my version of 'Rebel with a Rotary' - 

"Saturday at the Circus"

 

This mini-quilt is 16 inches square, and I LOVED making it. 

Lessons learned: 

* How to make a plastic template (and not be afraid to use it after years of just rotary cutting)

* How to cut the stacked strips accurately with 45 degree angles.

* How important it is to make the quilt 'my own' with fabrics of my choosing - to not be influenced by the fabrics and colours chosen by the quilt designer. 

~~~~~

On Sunday Mr E and I rode with the Townsville Ullysses Club for a Poker Run up to Tully Heads. As we have an extra 260 klms added to our day's riding due to living in a different town, Mr E and certainly had tired bodies that night. We did a 700 klm round trip, leaving home at 6.45am and arriving back 11 hours later. 

A Poker Run is fun. There are five checkpoints on the ride, and at each checkpoint you choose a card from the deck of cards and that card is recorded in your 'hand' by Rhonda...

 

At the last checkpoint we each have our poker hand and the three with the best hands get the prizes. Our checkpoints were Yabulu, The Frosty Mango, Ingham, Cardwell, and our destination Tully Heads. 

Our stop at the Ingham checkpoint was McDonalds and the poor staff did not know what to do when 25 bikes arrived and the riders and pillions are piled inside for some breakfast! 

Mr E and I didn't win any prizes, but we had a great day - his smile says it all. :-)

Have a lovely week!

(and maybe make a plan for your UFO's...)

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

Two finishes...

Finish 1:

I completed my first of twelve mini quilts from Sarah Fielke's book, "Quilting from Little Things"! This 12" square quilt comprises all 1" squares and cross-cut triangles. I hand quilted with Perle #12 threads, and have the needle-pricks on my fingertip to prove it. ;-)

 

As I progress through all twelve of Sarah's mini-quilts I will learn new skills and lessons. From quilt 1, the lessons learned are - patience, wear a thimble when quilting, don't think that because something is small it is quick to make.

The next mini-quilt in Sarah's book is this one, and it will be my June challenge to self....

~~~~~

Finish 2:

The second finish today is that of my creative space. Yesterday I completed the other side of our verandah area, normally referred to as my office. Our bedroom opens up through French doors into this area...

 

 

 

 

 I am feeling organised.

I love that feeling.

Now to create!

Have a lovely weekend,

Hugs

Jenny

xxx

My book challenge, and some sneak peeks...

The other day I shared with you that I had given myself a challenge for the next twelve months, and the inspiration for the challenge came through Sarah Fielke's latest book of gorgeous quilts, "Quilting from little things..."

This book is not just a book of 12 amazingly creative and funky quilt patterns, but it also teaches techniques. Before you make any of the larger quilts in the book, Sarah shares a pattern for a mini-quilt as a practice of the techniques she'll be using in the main quilt.

There are 12 large quilts, and 12 mini-quilts - all different, all lovely, some incredibly gorgeous!

As I am a self-taught quilter and stitcher, this book offers me 'classes' in new (to me) methods and diferent blocks that will gradually challenge me as I work through the levels.

The first mini quilt is 12 inches square, and consists of four, 6 inch pieced blocks. Every square in the block is a mere 1" completed, so this particular challenge is one of patience and care with tiny piecing.

One finished, only three more 6" blocks to make!

The finished 12 inch mini quilt will look like this...

 I intend making 1 mini-quilt per month, and perhaps next year I'll make on the large quilts?

If enough time can be found next week I'll finish this and show you. 

Just a thought, but if you also have the book perhaps you'd like to join me in this (ad)venture?? Leave me a comment if you can. :-)

~~~~~

The reason my time is scarce has more to do with some deadlines I have than with home and school at the moment. I have basted my newest quilt design, "Circles of Life"...

...finished the machine quilting...

...and begun the hand quilting.

The plan is to have it finished for June. I can't wait to show you!

~~~~~

A few other things taking my time are this sneak peek of a Christmas project...

...and finishing all the available blocks for "Things We Love" BOM previously shared by myself and the other former Gum Tree Designers. 

This one is Dawn's...

...and this is Fee's. 

I have done my borders and sewn the two top rows together...

When it is finished it will be a lovely remembrance of our time together. Don't forget, the blocks will only be available from the Gum Trees blog until June 1st. You can get them all HERE.

~~~~~

It's constant rain here today and tomorrow so Mr E and I are lamenting a no-riding weekend. Bother. Bother indeed.  

Hugs

Jenny

xxx