Parade of Quilts 2012

Just a small collage of what I finished this year.  I know there were a few more but I forgot to take pictures of them.  

I had 23 items on my 2012 UFO list.  I got ten of them done. The quilts that didn't get finished this year will be in the top ten to get done for 2013.

2012 UFO LIST

• 16-Patch Leader & Ender
• 2007 Fall Strip Exchange  ~ DONE
• Americana Table Runner - DONE
• Appliqued Chickens ~ DONE
• April Cornell Charm Quilt - DONE
• Blue & Turq Mini Double Hour Glass ~ DONE
• Blue and Turquoise Double Hour Glass
• Carolina Crossroads
• Cathedral Stars ~ DONE
• Civil War Log Cabin
• Double Delight
• Double Hour Glass #1
• Double Hour Glass #2
• Fiona's Album Block Quilt ~ DONE
• Flying Geese Something or Other ~ Done
• Little Birdie Stitches
• Pink Disappearing 9-Patch ~ DONE
• Pink Lemonade Stars ~ DONE
• Pinwheels in Amy Butler Fabs ~ DONE
• PS I Quilt Fascade
• Roll Roll Cotton Boll
• Seaside Rose Disappearing 9-Patch
• SITP

My goal for this year is to start as many projects as I want.  I am not going to worry about getting them all done.  Just enjoy the process and the finished product whenever that happens.  With that in mind, I need to tell you that I have started FOUR projects while waiting for each Easy Street clue to come out.

Confetti

Feathered Baskets

Katie's Quilt

Pigeon Hole  

Wishing all my quilting friends a healthy, happy, safe, and prosperous 2013. 

HeartStrings New Year's Sew Along

I am joining a lot of nice ladies here making HeartStrings Quilt Blocks.  

I am busting some serious stash while waiting for Clue # 7 of Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Mystery Quilt.  

My progress so far.  

20 little six-inch blocks.

In my color controlled world

Stitching Snowflakes

Have you heard about the Snowflake Drive for Sandy Hook Elementary?

The Connecticut PTSA for Sandy Hook Elementary school are asking for donations of machine embroidered free standing lace snowflakes to transform their new school into a winter wonderland when the students return after the new year. 

Baby Lock, Designer’s Gallery Software, Amazing Designs, and Embroidery Library have teamed up to offer FREE embroidery designs for anyone and everyone who would like to help.

Free designs here and here and here

 Use the heaviest Solvy for your project.  

  It took about 45 minutes to stitch out one snowflake.  I made the largest size which is about 5 x 5".  So far I have just made three.

These are from Embroidery Library

 

The snowflake request is for any and all snowflakes, so any donation is welcome. 
All snowflake donations should be sent by January 12 to: 

Connecticut PTSA
60 Connolly Parkway
Building 12, Suite 103
Hamden, CT 06514

Easy Street ~  Step 5

Tropical Cabanas

To me these look like little beach cabanas

 chain piecing garland (again)

Mystery Monday Link-Up

  

Herbed Butter Recipe

image source:  StoneGable

The annual Sew and Sews Christmas Exchange

Three talented ladies

Every year, we all make either a handmade gift or give a fun quilting related item to each member of our quiting bee.  We always have a delicious luncheon, exchange gifts and have a fanstatic show and tell.    

This year I decided to make an herbed butter loaf for each member of my Sew and Sews Quilt Bee for our annual Christmas gift exchange.  

Every year my neighbor orders farm fresh butter from a cheese shop in Hillsboro, Wisconsin.  The butter comes in 2 pound logs.

Here is my adapted recipe:

Herbed Butter

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 clove garlic minced
1 medium shallot sliced very thin and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsely
splash of white wine
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Allow butter to soften, combine all ingredients together in bowl.  Mix well.  Place in freezer for 10 minutes for butter to harden slightly.

Place butter mixture on plastic wrap and roll into log shape.  Wrap in parchment paper, twist ends to seal.  Add decorative baker's twine on each end if desired.

Makes one large log or two small logs.

 

 Spread on crusty bread, use on baked potatoes,  add to steam veggies,  spread on top of a toasted bagel.  Yum!

It lasts for about a week in the refrigerator or you can freeze it for about 3 months.  The flavor intensifies within a day or two in the refrigerator.  

Easy Street

 Part #4 Complete

I like to keep my projects in pizza boxes.

A cold blustery day here means staying inside and getting Step #5 done.

  

Why?

Today I wanted to post my progress on Easy Street.  

But I can't. 

 I didn't get to it.  I couldn't.  I couldn't sew anything that needed me to think through and read any directions.  

Yesterday, as I watched the terrible tragedy in Connecticut unfold,  all I could do were string blocks.  Tears were falling and thoughts were racing.  String blocks are the only things that really take my mind off tough things.

Pray for these families who lost so much. Give your kids, grandkids or anyone who means so much to you an extra hug and kiss.  I mean a really deep serious hug.   There is no such thing as too many hugs. 

The Haberdashery Department

Did you know that the lovely Brits call sewing and crafting supply sections in stores Haberdashery Departments?  

There is a lovely department store called John Lewis all over the United Kingdom.  Every department had something I loved.  The problem is that our American dollar does so crappy over there that everything costs way too much. 

While in England this summer, my daughter and I took fun day trip to Cambridge.   It only took us about 2 hours to get ready to go.  Packing up baby supplies, feeding baby, changing baby, gather up change of clothing just in case for baby, wet weather stroller stuff in case of rain.   Her diaper bag weighed more than me.  We had a wonderful day.  We were exhausted by the time we got back to her teeny tiny little town of Bury St. Edmonds, UK.  

I was white knuckling it all the way in her car.  Well, you know, they DO drive on the wrong side of the road there.  She did just fine and had to keep reminding me that she knew what she was doing.  She did take a class to learn how to drive there she kept telling me.   Their speed limit is like crazy over there.  It's Way too fast! 

My fun excursion into a John Lewis Department Store's Haberdashery Department.  

I found these lovelies there.  I wanted to take one home with me but they won't work here with our electrical currency.  

I wanted one in every color

Me trying to phone home to get more money!!!

 Cath Kidston Stores too.  

"No pictures allowed inside please"  I was told.  

Right in time for the Queen's Jubliee.  

I know it's winter here almost and we are all hoping for snow.  Well, maybe some of you are not.  Be we here in the "Z" household are.  Here are some June blooms from the old abbey founded I think in the year of 633.  

                               

More tomorrow.  I think.  

Easy Street Steps 1, 2 and 3

I am having loads of fun doing my Bonnie Hunter Easy Street Mystery

Here are my completed steps as of now. 

I had to make an emergency run to a quilt shop yesterday.  I am running out of black on whites.  I felt as though I wasn't getting enough of a variety and there were too many polka dots.   

Chain pieced wing units.  I kind of like this as a little garland 

I just goofed around and set four of my units into blocks.  

My June Tailor Shape Cut ruler in action for my 2 inch strips.  I can really crank the strips out.  I seem have more control and am not getting any slippage as with my other ruler.  

While am I waiting for Step #4 to come out on Friday, I am working on a Leader and Ender project.  

Look at this waste of time.  There is probably a whole quilt here.  So,  I've cut, and cut and cut tons of 1 1/2",  2 inch, and  2 1/2" strips and squares so I won't have this waste again for a while.  I do have to admit though that I do get excited about making the other quilt at the same time and totally get off track and start working on the other project.  We all do that. Right?