Wow! Where did the second half of May and the first week of June get to?
I have been working on quilting projects, but feeling very haphazard in my use of time. Sometimes it's hard to stay focused when your sewing time only comes in short spurts. Summer distractions like gardening and family time seem to keep me away from my fabric therapy!
Since my last blog post, I managed to complete another block in the Gathered Harvest BOM I'm doing via my local quilt shop. This one is called "Fresh Pineapple". I'm prepping the appliqué shapes with freezer paper and starch, then using invisible thread to machine appliqué the shapes in place - using a narrow zig-zag stitch.
Since this block had LOTS of leaves, I tried a new-to-me technique: I made leaf templates using card stock, then used a running stitch in the seam allowance and gathered the allowance around the template. Then used starch and a hot iron to press the seam allowance to the back of the leaf shape (i.e. the same idea as the "perfect circle" technique). It worked like a charm!
Another finish: a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project made from pinwheel blocks. I saw a quilt in this style in a decorating magazine, and since I love nine-patch blocks, I was smitten.
I searched Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns and the Quilt Index - finally discovering the name of the pattern as Flutter Wheel. I drafted my own pattern and made pinwheel blocks every month in 2017 as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. The original quilt doesn't have an outside border, but since the pinwheels tend to stretch, I decided a solid fabric border would help prevent wobbly edges to the quilt.
Close up of the pattern: nine patch of pinwheel blocks with pinwheel sashing squares and plain sashing.
Non-quilting, but cooking related
Dear Husband and I are cookbook collectors. Not only do we enjoy preparing new recipes, we both tend to read cookbooks like novels. We've purchased many cookbooks for ourselves, and been gifted many more for holidays and anniversaries. Needless to say, we have quite a cookbook collection. Some are frequently used favorites and others are more for reference.
A few weeks ago, Dear Husband decided we needed to put the collection to a more frequent use. He issued a family challenge: Sunday night dinners must include a recipe from one of the cookbooks in our collection. Since our oldest Dear Son is currently living at home, that meant 3 rotating Sundays of different cookbook recipes.
Today was my first Sunday dinner as part of the challenge. I chose a cookbook from way back "in the day". Long before the Food Network or HGTV, those of us who were interested in food watched PBS for cooking inspiration. I remember watching The Frugal Gourmet on PBS - I was a SAHM with small children and always interested in new ways of preparing meals. My inspiration for tonight was a Frugal Gourmet - Jeff Smith - book titled "Our Immigrant Ancestors". My immigrant ancestors mostly come from the British Isles, but I chose a recipe from somewhere completely different - Thai Beef Salad. Which, I'm happy to report, was a big success, and will probably enter the rotation as a frequent summertime meal!
