Toddler Apron and Good-Bye 2017

As one last finish for 2017 I made my 20-month old granddaughter an apron for Christmas. I found a pattern but pretty much cut it "my own way" as I texted my daughter to measure certain widths and lengths on Delaney. So it was guesswork that turned out well! Delaney would not be still for a photo - lol! The few pictures I did take of the apron did not turn out well because we have had cloudy weather for sooooo long.

I used a "Darling Little Dickens" mini-charm pack and loved the soft pastel greens, peaches, aquas, and taupes.

The binding/tie was a bright green print from the Gooseberry line.

And the back was a cute little Japanese print by Megumi Sakakibara that coordinated nicely.

Here is Delaney's initial "D" on the pocket. My Janome does not have embroidery capabilities, but it has a cross-stitch that I used to outline the D. (2018 goal: new sewing machine!)

We had a wonderful Christmas filled with food, fun, and laughter. Here is a Christmas day photo of our "original four. It is rare to get a picture of just the four of us!

As 2017 draws to a close, with several quilting and sewing projects in various stages of (un)completion, as well as many plans - quilting, gardening, bread-baking, house projects, etc - for 2018, I find myself more and more unmotivated to blog. I'm not quite ready to give up blogging, but if you don't see anything here, look for me on Instagram.

Happy New Year!

Flower Power, Texas Flag Quilt, and A Break

I've been working on a pattern I saw on Instagram and immediately loved. It is called Flower Power by Kelli Fannin and is available for purchase here. I am using a fat quarter bundle of Enchanted Pond that I purchased some time ago and this will become a lap-sized quilt for my sister-in-law! I put a 5-inch charm square in the photo so you can see how big the blocks are at 16-1/2 inches square. The blocks go together quickly, and I am really enjoying it!

I have set the Flower Power project aside to start work on a surprise for my husband - a Texas Flag Quilt or Lone Star Flag quilt. He is out of town until Thursday, Sept 28, and I have other plans all weekend, so I need to get it done quickly. The pattern is by Lisa at Things Here Lately, and it is available in PDF here. I spent the entire afternoon laying it out on the design board, and today I will start piecing. I love scrappy flag patterns, and I am excited about this one. I can't wait to see his face when he sees it across our new slate-blue bedspread!

I will be taking a little break from the blog. I know you're thinking "A break from what? She hardly ever posts!" Lol! I plan to be back soon with some Christmas projects.

Scrappy American Flag Quilt Flimsy

Flimsy complete

Back in June I started looking for a flag wall hanging for one of my kitchen walls. I wanted our American flag represented somewhere in the house; plus I knew the colors would coordinate with my kitchen very nicely. When I found a link to Julie's wall hanging at Running Stitch Quilts, I knew it was the one. I love it! (Be sure and click on the link to see her gorgeous version!) She is also on Instagram @runningstitchquilts

Pre-piecing

She was in the process of making a free pattern, but I was impatient. So I studied hers closely and started cutting 2.5 inch scraps. She was in the midst of a move but still managed to create the pattern. When she offered it free for one week only just for signing up for her newsletter, I grabbed it! (Although the link is still on her blog, I'm not sure if it's still available.) Her pattern is very well written and beautifully illustrated and having it really helped answer some of the questions I had.

I want a blue denim-ish fabric for the back and have considered various fabrics but of course none is in my stash! I also want to sew in a hanging sleeve.

Space above bookshelf (with Katy Kitty) is 30 x 46

The quilt will finish at about 26 x 46, and I may have to get a new bookshelf for my cookbooks if it doesn't fit above it. But the kitties will insist it has a nice perch for them!

This post is linked to Mama Spark's World WIPS With Friends

Fresh Tomato Pie

I'm not sure how I missed eating a tomato pie in my lifetime, but now that I have eaten one, I love it! This pie makes good use of summer tomatoes. It's a little like eating fresh tomato pizza - the cheese mixture is like a hot cheese dip, and the tomatoes retain their shape, firmness, and juicy, tangy sweetness. When I first thought "tomato pie" I imagined it would be watery, but it isn't. It smells wonderful while baking and tastes good freshly baked as well as when it has cooled down!

I requested the recipe from @filisfay after she posted a photo of hers on Instagram. I halved the recipe and made a biscuit-type crust, added green onions and lemon thyme from my garden, and used a bit of pepper jack cheese along with cheddar. I'm thinking that additions of Gruyere as well as bacon would be good!

Fresh Tomato Pie
by “Filisfay” on Instagram, tweaked by me

Pre-baked pie crust (I didn't pre-bake mine and it was still great)
5 tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick (I used 2 big beefsteaks for my 8-inch pie plate
Salt
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or other fresh herb
2 cups shredded cheese, any variety
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup diced sweet or green onions (my addition)

Slice tomatoes, place in a colander, sprinkle salt over them, and let stand 10-15 minutes. (This is supposed to "pull water out" of the tomatoes") Blot tomatoes with paper towel and place in pie crust. Add basil on top of tomatoes. Mix together cheese, mayonnaise, onions, and garlic powder, drop in dollops over tomatoes and basil, and spread evenly, covering tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees on bottom rack until cheese is bubbly and a little brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before slicing. Store any leftovers in refrigerator or freeze in individual slices.

Pie Crust
1 cup self-rising flour
2 tablespoons shortening
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
Cut shortening and butter into flour. Add milk & stir lightly with fork. Turn into floured board and knead a few times. Roll into circle for 8 or 9 inch pie.

I realize this may not look as good as it tastes, but trust me on this!

Patchwork American Flag - New Projects and Old

There is a wall space in my kitchen that just begs for something quilted, and I think this patchwork flag is going to fit nicely. Julie of Running Stitch Quilts posted her Scrappy American Flag Quilted Wall Hanging, and this is my version.

Julie is working on a pattern, but I am impatient and worked it out myself using a photo of an American flag and a photo of Julie's wall hanging. She used Freedom by Sweetwater, so I ordered six mini charm packs from Fat Quarter Shop and got them for $4.48 each. I picked out the ones that were in the right color scheme, and now I have enough left over for other projects!

Photo from Fat Quarter Style

Yesterday I was looking for some fabric I had purchased back in early 2016 for a quilt called "Tapestry" that is in the Fat Quarter Style book. I found the fat quarter bundle, but I am missing the yardage I purchased for this project. It is possible that I used it as cushion for packing something else when we moved last July, but I've looked in as many unpacked boxes as seem reasonable, and I still can't find it. I am hoping it is hiding somewhere I haven't looked yet, because it makes me sad.

Farm Girl Vintage blocks today

The start of Farm Girl Vintage in May 2015

However, while I was looking I came across the Farm Girl Vintage blocks I started in May 2015, and I happily put them on the design board to see how they all look together. I started off making 12-inch blocks before I realized that if I wanted to use all 45 blocks in a quilt, I needed the 6-inch blocks. When I lay out the blocks for a quilt I will try to have a mix of both. I still have about 10 blocks to go, so I pulled and cut fabric for them and will try to finish those up this month.

I have to include photos of some of the harvest of our first garden here on our acreage. It was an experiment to test the soil, and it is a success. We have 7 tomato plants, and they are loaded with juicy beefsteaks! We have 2 squash plants, 4 pepper plants, and onions that have produced, and corn, okra, and green beans that haven't matured yet. We can't wait to increase the size of the garden and quantity of veggies next spring.

Sewcial Bee Sampler Block #6 - The Seasons

It is already week #6 of the Sewcial Bee Sampler Sew-Along, sponsored by Sharon Holland or Maureen Cracknell. I am enjoying this sew-along more than any other in which I have participated and look forward each Wednesday to seeing the pattern for the new block. The blocks have been simple to sew, and I usually spend more time choosing fabric than sewing.

I am getting a real work-out in HSTs (half-square triangles) and even with careful cutting and sewing there are still a few mis-matched points. I am trying to have a more relaxed attitude about that, but if it bothers me too much, I will take out stitches and redo until I get it right.

I still haven't decided on a fabric for framing each block, and I keep going back to this Kona. There are going to be a lot of bright colors in this quilt, and the gray might be a nice neutral contrast. I would like to make a final decision soon so I don't have to "catch up" on framing each block. The sashing will be a light cream.

Download instructions for this block as well as for all the blocks is here. If you are on Instagram, search for #sewcialbeesampler for an amazing display of all the blocks.

Sewcial Bee Sampler Block #5 - July Fourth

Week #5 of the Sewcial Bee Sampler is titled July Fourth. Although it looks complicated, it was a fun block to sew and a new-to-me way to make four Flying Geese units with no waste.

Again I used fabrics from Maureen Cracknell's gorgeous Garden Dreamer line - Twinklestar Berry and Bumble Beez. I pulled the sage-y gray fabric from my stash and don't remember what it is, but I wish I did because I want more of it.

You can find more information on the blogs of Sharon Holland or Maureen Cracknell, download instructions for this block here, and for all the blocks here. If you are on Instagram, search for #sewcialbeesampler to see how many variations there are for these blocks!

I am almost done with Hello, Bear quilt for my great-niece's little boy. The quilting is done, and today I am finishing it with a scrappy binding.

BUT I'm not sure Jack wants to give it up!

Sewcial Bee Sampler Block #4 - Crow's Nest

The Sewcial Bee Sampler SAL is flying along. Lots of Instagram photos and so much fun to see how everyone else has done their blocks. I have to say, this is the most fun I've had doing a sew-along - maybe because Instagram is so "instant"! For this block I used a Kona solid (I think it's Tangerine!) and Bird Dot in cream by Windham.

Block #4 is Crow's Nest, a variation of one of my favorite classic blocks, the Churn Dash. The first time I made a Churn Dash was for a sampler block in my beginning quilting class at OK Quiltworks in Oklahoma City, where we lived at the time. Although my teacher was a "points policewoman", I will be forever grateful to her for teaching me the basics of quilting.

I redid my first three blocks. I wasn't loving my fabric choices, but now I am happy with the way the sampler is headed. I haven't added frames to any of my blocks, but I am considering the gray I have the block displayed on in the first photo.

It's never to late to join in the fun! Head to the blogs of Sharon Holland or Maureen Cracknell to download instruction for the blocks. Sharon and Maureen are designer for Art Gallery fabrics, and although I should have pulled from my stash for this sampler quilt, I have fallen in love with Maureen's Garden Dreamer line and will be incorporating some of those fabrics in my quilt.

Sewcial Bee Sampler Block #3 - Flock

UPDATE: I have changed the original block, and the photo reflects the changes!

It is week #3 of the Sewcial Bee Sampler Sew-Along hosted by Sharon Holland and Maureen Cracknell, who happen to be designers for my favorite fabric line - Art Gallery Fabrics! Although I am not a huge fan of HSTs, this sew-along is forcing me to perfect my skills, and I have a new appreciation for how pretty they are in a block.

I still haven't decided on a frame for the blocks, but I'm hoping to find inspiration as I go.

This is the original block, and the final block is the first photo.

You can find downloads for all the blocks here and here. There are also giveaways as the sew-along progresses, so don't miss out on the fun!

Sewcial Bee Sampler Block #2 - A Dandy

The Sewcial Bee Sampler Sew-Along is enjoying great success on Instagram and beautiful blocks with hashtag #sewcialbeesampler are posted almost daily. It is fun to see the variations! The sew-along is hosted by Sharon Holland and Maureen Cracknell, who happen to be designers for my favorite fabric line - Art Gallery Fabrics.

This week's block is assembled with HSTs and quick corner triangle units. Sharon has an excellent tutorial and beautiful results for these on her blog. I used Bird Dot in cream (Windham) and two Garden Dreamer fabrics (Art Gallery).

I ordered some fabrics from my friend Bernie's Etsy shop, including a fat quarter bundle of Maureen's "Garden Dreamer" fabrics. Bernie blogs at Needle and Foot. If you haven't visited Bernie's shop, you must! She recently started carrying an extensive line of fabrics along with vintage patterns and many custom goodies such as Chemex covers, key fobs, and pet place mats.

I love the Garden Dreamer line so much that I also ordered another bundle from Lady Belle Fabrics (becasue I don't expect to win it!) and plan to incorporate many of these patterns in the sampler. I posted about Block #1 last week, and already I have plans to redo part of that block. I tend to choose a few fabrics to start and then change them as I go. I simply don't have the eye for color or forethought to pull all my fabrics at the beginning of a project!

You may find downloads for the blocks here.

Valentine Heart Pillow

I wasn't thinking about Valentine's Day at all until I got Amy Smart's (Diary of a Quilter) newsletter and saw a tutorial for this cute little pennant heart pillow. I remembered Janine's post about "Drop Everything and Make It", so I did, and it was almost-instant gratification. In fact it took longer to pick out my fabric scraps than sewing it.

The hearts involve using a pattern for the preferred shape, backing them with fusible interfacing, stitching them into place, and connecting them with embroidery thread. It was easy and fun.

Jack always wants to make sure my projects pass the sniff-test.

This little pillow is now on its way to my daughter's house to add to her seasonal pillow collection from Mom.

Sewcial Bee Sampler Block #1 - Patience Corners

UPDATE: I have changed the photo on this one to show the changes I made to the original block!

The other day I happened to see a post about a new sew-along starting Feb 1 hosted by Art Gallery designers Sharon Holland and Maureen Cracknell. I normally don't give sew-alongs more than an interested passing glance, but this one really appealed to me so here I am on block one!

The first block is Patience Corners and is composed of HSTs (half square triangles). It has been awhile since I made HSTs, and boy did it show. I cut and sewed a total of 3 times before I got it right. There is a reason for instructions, and I obviously did not read and comprehend. I won't detail the errors, but let's just say I was amused the first time and disgusted the second time until I did it right the third time.

I spent part of the day choosing fabrics. I already had a color scheme in mind based on a a palette of Kona colors in bright tangerine, orchid, buttercup, turquoise, gray, and cream, and the "dot" part of Carrie Bloomston's Bird Dot in cream (Windham) will be the sashing. The tentative backing is Flight Patterns by Tamara Kate (Michael Miller). It is pretty busy, but it has the colors and might be a nice contrast to the solids on the front.

This is the original block - I have updated the block as you can see in the first picture

You will find the downloads for the blocks here.

Hello, Bear Toddler Quilt Flimsy

The quilt flimsy for my great-great nephew is complete - now all I have to do is decide on backing and binding!

The Hello, Bear fabric line by Art Gallery is just adorable.

I added sashing in coordinating fabrics, and this gray and cream checked French Farmhouse by Andover Fabrics made a nice neutral contrast. Sadly I can't find any more of it!

Jack is always in on quilting decisions.