Short Attention Span Girl

I’ve started working on my unfinished project for April.  It started out like this:

I made these blocks several years ago at a sewing club at the local quilt shop.  Once a month their classroom is open and anyone is free to come and sew.  I had started this project only to discover that it was a pain in the neck to sew.  The blocks aren’t strip pieced but each piece is cut out individually and sewing together.  It took forever.  So, I set the goal that each month I’d try to go to the sewing group and sew two blocks.

However, once the blocks were done, so was I and they’ve been sitting in a drawer ever since.

This week, I pulled them out and got the top together:

The pattern is Turquoise Trail from a Debbie Caffrey book.  The fabrics are an old Fig Tree line called Folklorique.  I was fortunate that I had several extra pieces of prints from the line that I had bought thinking I’d make a tote bag for a class I was scheduled to teach.  The class never happened, the bag wasn’t made, but the fabric was in the drawer and I had enough of the tan paisley for the borders and a couple of choices for the binding when the time comes.

The goal for next week is to shop for a backing and get it basted for quilting.

- – marcella

Over the last week I managed to turn that unfinished block of the month into a top.

I finished piecing the remaining four blocks.  While I did that I pondered how I’d put it all together.

The pattern called for a checkerboard type border around the center medallion. The remaining blocks had sashing strips between them.  However, the size of the center didn’t work well with the outer blocks so the sashing didn’t match up.  The original pattern called for two sizes of strips to try and cheat it, but to me it just looked funny. I played with it several ways, but in the end I decided to omit the checkerboard and the sashing.  Everything fits evenly this way which makes me very happy.

The finished top is 68 inches square.  Someday it will be quilted into a finished quilt, but for now it’s getting packed up and put away.

On to the next project.

- – marcella

I just cannot kick the bag making addiction.  It’s gotten bad.  Not only must I sew these cute bags I find but I seem to have to make multiples every time too.

A month ago I saw a really cute bento box bag.  I resisted.

Well, I resisted until I went to a quilt show and was confronted with really adorable Japanese fabric.  How could I not buy some Japanese fabric to make a bento box bag?

I couldn’t.  Heck, I ‘m not even a dog person and I couldn’t resist that fabric.

While the sushi fabric isn’t Japanese, I could hardly resist that either, could I?

I love the drawstring top.  It will make these perfect as gift bags for hiding what’s inside or maybe a sewing bag to help me not lose things.  Maybe I just need to think up an event to attend that requires me to pack a lunch.

For now, they sit on my sewing table and I just admire them.

- – marcella

If you’ve paid any attention to my blog, you might have caught on that I have a thing for Block of the Month programs.  I love the idea of making a block each month and ending up with a whole quilt at the end of the year.  Unfortunately, for me, the reality is quite different.  At the end of the year I generally end up with blocks or pieces and parts to a quilt top but rarely a finished top.

Sinta has started a “rehab” program for people like me.  We’re encouraged to pull out those partially completed block of the month projects and get them finished up so we can start next year (with all it’s tempting new block of the month quilts) with a clean slate.  Each Monday we’re to post on our progress.

I’ve been on such a roll getting my UFO projects done for the Las Vegas guild that I decided to jump in to this project too.  Hopefully, my finishing energy will keep up with my desire.

I’m starting with my most recent unfinished block of the month quilt.  My intention is to get it to completed top stage rather than finished quilt stage.  The project is from my local quilt shops Moda Club.  Last year, rather than doing the block of the month quilt put together by the fabric company, they decided to design their own project.  We bought our own background fabric, paid $6 and got the pattern and fabrics for the first pair of blocks.

This is my biggest problem with block of the month quilts.  See, block as in singular?  Then they trick us and have multiple blocks we’re actually supposed to make each month.  In my dreams I firmly believe that I’d always keep up to date if I really only had one block to make each month.  Please, don’t crush my dreams with reality.

Back to the project.  If we made our blocks and brought them back the following month we’d get the fabric and pattern for the next month.  If we hadn’t completed our blocks then we had to pony up another $6 for the kit.  This worked for cheap me and I kept up even through the crazy remodel.  However, by the end of the year I pooped out and missed one month and then never made the last month either because there was nothing to check.

Here’s the start.

We made four blocks and then were sold a kit of fabric to complete the center medallion.  See how tricky they are throwing in a whole bunch of extra sewing to put that together on top of our blocks to sew?  See all those zillions of little pieces that make up those corners?  Yeah, well, it’s still not done.  There is a sashing strip and then a whole lot of little squares that frame it and then another sashing strip to go.

As for the rest of the blocks that surround this center piece:

This is the Joseph’s Coat block and I have four out of four complete.

This Seattle Sights block goes in the four corners of the quilt and I have two of the four needed.

I’ve sewn six of the eight Squares and Stars blocks needed.

Putting it all together will be another adventure.  The pattern designer didn’t figure the math quite correctly for the blocks to fit exactly around the center medallion.  Sashing was added between the blocks to make them fit, however it’s different widths between different blocks.  I’ll just say it.  It looks wonky.  Wonky enough that people in class complained and we figured out a way to make it even instead.  Now I need to figure out my notes so that it turns out the way I want it to.This is why I will by happy just to get this project into a finished top and deal with the quilting another time.

Wish me luck!

- — marcella

It’s nice to be back.  There hasn’t been much sewing going on around here.

I did really want to finish at least one quilt for the quilt bee project.  This Wednesday is guild meeting and bee members are showing the quilts they’ve made for the NICU babies before they are donated to the hospital.  I did manage to squeeze in enough time one evening to finish the last of the quilting and bind the swoon quilt.

I used up the last of the charm squares making the hourglass blocks that I used as the border.  That made the quilt 36 inches square.  We are asked to make the quilts at least 24 inches and not more than 45 inches on a side.  The quilts can be square or rectangular.

The quilting was simple.  I just sewed down the diagonal seam in the hourglass block and carried it across the center to match up with a block on the other side.  It went pretty quickly.

Now as long as I remember to take it with me on Wednesday I’ll be good.

You can see what other quilters are working on over at Patchwork times.

–marcella

Things have been so busy around here that I haven’t even been in the sewing room.  I am very behind in my quilting!

Yesterday, a little fabric arrived in the mailbox.  It’s always fun when a “squishy” arrives in the mail.

It’s some fat quarters of Flea Market Fancy that has recently been re-printed.  These fabrics remind me of dresses I had growing up – you know those dresses with about 4 different kinds of fabric all on one dress?  Kind of clashing and horrible, but at the time we thought it was cute.

No plans for this fabric yet.  For now it will go in the very crowded drawer with the other Denyse Schmidt fabrics.

- – marcella

I love going out to the mailbox.  Maybe there will be “real mail” like a card or something from a person we know. Perhaps a good magazine will be delivered.

Yesterday I received a post card:

I was completely confused how I got on this mailing list.  I’m not one to buy calendars of scantily clad men – even if they are draped in quilts.

Turns out it’s a fundraiser for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and I have registered to attend that.

The back of the card tells me there will be a premiere party with “Guys – Auction – Raffle” and I can’t help but wonder if those guys are what is being auctioned or raffled.  If you win, how long do you have to keep him?  Apparently this event is supported by “Bronco Billy’s Ranch Grill & Saloon”.  The mind just reels, doesn’t it?

Really, I don’t think there can be anything in today’s mail that will beat this one.

- – marcella

Hurrah!  I was able to finish my February unfinished quilt project by the end of the month.

The rick rack took FOREVER because I sewed close to the edge of each side in and out and in and out and in and well, you get the idea.  I knew if I didn’t do that the edges would curl up when the quilt was washed and that would make me crazy.  The polka dot border is quilted with a plain old stipple and it’s bound in white.

Then, to further amaze you all, I picked out my March project before the middle of the month.  Really, I am on a roll here.

A couple of years ago Anelie Belden taught a guild workshop on her dresden plate method.  I made three blocks in class.  Not having any idea what to do with them I bagged them up and put them into the closet.  Fortunately they were packed up with the rest of the navy fabric.  I used the navy to turn the blocks into a table runner.

Basting and quilting next.

See what the other quilters have been up to over here.

- – marcella

One of my very favorite things for breakfast is granola and fruit with plain yogurt.  I’ve pretty well mastered making my own yogurt.  The fruit part is easy.  The granola has taken longer.

After a little tinkering this recipe is now my top granola.  It’s not as sweet as most.  It has that bit of saltiness that I really like.  There is no dried fruit to get in the way of the crunch.  And there is a lot of crunch in that bowl.

Oats, of course, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flakes of coconut and chunky pecans are all mixed together. This time I had the big flakes of coconut which I love.  I’ve also made it with the regular sized coconut shreds and that is yummy too.  Usually granola recipes seem to call for some sort of oil.  I switched out the vegetable oil for coconut oil, which I melted so that it would mix in easily, upping the coconut flavor.  It’s sweetened with a mix of brown sugar and maple syrup and some flaky salt is added.  Feel free to add a little more salt if you really like the savory side of things.

I look forward to breakfast when this is on the counter.  I knew it was a winner when I found myself eating it straight from the container all day long.

Crunchy Granola

makes about 7 cups

3 C oats
1 C pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 C sunflower seeds, hulled
1 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1 1/4 C pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 C light brown sugar
1 t kosher salt
3/4 C maple syrup
1/2 C coconut oil, melted

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Place everything into a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

Pour the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes.  The granola is done when it is golden brown.  It will crisp up as it cools.

Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Print the granola recipe

- – marcella

This is what is going on in our backyard right now.

Eight deer came for a visit.  Maybe leap day is a holiday for them.

- – marcella