Stash Enhancement

This tiny pile is what I purchased in the Lancaster area to enhance my stash. Look at those shirtings on the left. Eat your heart out, Bonnie Hunter. And thank you Sylvia Petershiem for carrying them.
The pile in the middle is of Civil War fabrics for the Economy Block quilt Donna Laing sent me a picture of several years ago. I didn't have enough fabrics to make many more blocks and I found just what I needed. (Yes, I needed that fabric, I didn't have it.) (And I have the magnet on the refrigerator too.)

Isn't this a beautiful version of a New York Beauty, and in my favorite pinks.

I am happy to report that I have the blocks for the Jacob's Ladder sewn together. Now to cut a red border, sew it on, then finish sewing the blocks together for the outer border. Once they are sewn on it's off to be quilted.

Chris

A Cast of Six

Do any of you have a cat who brings home a gift for you. Apparently this quilter does.

We have Rose in pink, Karen in blue and the other four of us together: Jackey, Debbie, Helen Marie and myself. Some nice man came out of Jennie's Diner and volunteered to take a picture of the four of us.

Jackey got to the airport at 1:15 am today at Springfield, Missouri. Then she had to drive home without her big suitcase. She got a call this morning to ask what was in the suitcase to identify it in case the name tag was gone. Fabric for a wedding quilt and Wilbur's Chocolates. Shouldn't be many suitcases with those two items.

This morning I washed a load of fabric. Glad I put a Shout Color Catcher sheet in the washer. Some fabrics ran a bit. I had red, browns and dark blue in the load.

Now back to sewing together the Jacob's Ladder top. I'd like to get it done this week so I can hae it quilted soon.

We have an interesting program at Triangle Guild on the 7th of April. Nancy Summers is coming to talk to us about her alpacas. I'd love to go visit them. I love their sweet faces.

Chris

Home and Happy

First I need to correct a couple of shop names. BittyKinna in Intercourse and Dutchland Quilt Patch down past Ronk. On the way to Intercourse is Sylvia Petershiem's shop.
We had a wonderful time, speed shopping and to the show. We also went to the rogue malls to shop.
On Saturday we drove out to Burkholders where their spring collections greeted us. I bought several pieces of the Bliss on Blossom Street fabrics. I chose the yellow background. That will make a happy quilt.
The weather was beautiful. Friday the temperature reached 79.
Came home to 50 degrees and woke today to find snow on ground. It was raining a while ago.
We ate a late lunch at Dieners on Saturday. Great food. Bread filling that was so tasty. On the dessert buffet I found egg custard like my Mother made.
I was able to find fabrics to finish a number of projects, Economy Block quilt, Hexagon quilt binding, Anita's Arrowheads, more black and white.
This week I am determined to finish my Jacob's Ladder quilt. I've sewn more of the blocks together. I'm using the 4 1/2" squares for the outside border as leaders and enders. That will get them together much more quickly.
Will get the pictures of the girls and the show posted soon.
I especially enjoyed the Karen Kay Buckley collection.
Chris

Moo

Evelyn brought some fabrics she had leftover from her sewing room to guild last week. I picked the cow fabric and a Charlie Brown fabric to take home.

I fussy cut some cows and used my MOO fabric and a yellow. One cow is just bordered to make a 12 1/2" block. Another is done in the Album II block of the month and another is made in the Shoofly pattern. The fourth is a Mile a Minute (or Crumbs and Chaos) idea. I can't say pattern as there is no pattern for it. Bits of fabric are sewn together in a crazy quilt style.

I'm at the Old Amish Inn in Ronk, PA right now. Debbie's sleeping. I woke up early. Maybe my chat room friends will be up and in chat now.

We have met with HMM, Fabaddict, Sage, RMuffin and had lunch and dinner with them yesterday.

Debbie & I drove down Thursday night.

Yesterday we went to a number of shops, Sylvia's, Zooks, Old Country Store, Bitty Hanna, Log Cabin Quilts, Weavers and Dutchland Quilt Pantry. I did add a bit to my stash. Will have to estimate how many yards I purchased.

We had lunch at the Smoketown Diner. Good food at a very reasonable price.

Today we are going to Burkholders and to the AQS Show. Home tomorrow.

Hope to get some quilt pictures to share with you when I get home.

The temperature was in the high 70s which was wonderful.

Chris

Why Am I Awake So Early?

We set the clocks forward last night and here I am up already at 4:30 a.m. I'll get this time change worked out in a couple of weeks.

An Irish Country Courtship is Patrick Taylor's latest in this series. I enjoyed reading it.

The Police Were NOT Called

The Campfire Girls met here yesteday and the police were not called.

Sharon came down the road to see what we do. She brought a pitcher of iced Winter Spice Tea. Delicious.

I made the Spice Cake from Yankee Magazine, May 1979.

June picked through a scrap bag for floral pieces for some pincushions she is making.

We expect a show and tell when she comes back from Tennessee in a month or so.

Here's the cake recipe.

Spice Cake

Mix in 4 quart saucepan:

2 cups sugar

2 teasp. cinnamon

2 teasp. nutmeg

2 teasp. ground cloves

2 teasp. baking soda

1 teasp. salt

Add: 2 cups raisins

2 cups cold water

2 sticks butter or margarine

Cook and stir until bubbles appear on top. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Add all at once:

4 cups flour.

1 cup nut meats.

Mix and pour into 13" by 9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

I like to use cream cheese frosting on this cake after it has cooled. I don't think I've ever used nuts in it.

This is a dense cake. The amount of spices may seem like a lot but it is not overpowering. Your house will smell delicious when it is cooking and baking.

Enjoy.

Chris

Tearing Hair Out

Correction to names of blocks:
Top: Spinner
2nd: Old Kentucky album
3rd: Twin Sisters
Last: 4 Patch X

Chris

She's Sewing

As you all know, I'm a Bonnie Hunter groupie. I got out all the 2010 Quiltmaker magazines and checked those off that I'd done Bonnie's blocks from her Addicted to Scraps pages.
This one is Old Kentucky Album from Jan/Feb '10.

The one on the right is Spinner from March/Apr 2010.

This is 4 Patch X from Sept/Oct 2010. These two are Twin Sisters from

July/Aug 2010.

I showed the Scrap Basket in a previous post. Three to go and I'm caught up. They are Carolina Chain, Hot Cross Bun and Jack in the Box.

Today I need to make several donation blocks for our guild quilts.

We went into Binghamton yesterday and found that many side streets were plowed one lane wide.

Chris

I Really Have Been Sewing

This week I sewed a bit. (And I squeezed in a bit of reading too.)
I like the Bonnie Hunter page on using scraps in Quiltmaker. This 6" basket block is her latest in the March/April '11 issue. Anita's Arrowhead block is from the Nov/Dec '10 issue of Quiltmaker. I have a batch of squares cut out to sew. Oh dear, I don't have enough of the black and white fabrics. Whatever will I do?

This little 6 1/2" square goes by several names, Crumbs and Chaos or Mile a Minute. These blocks are mindless. Just grab your bag of tiny pieces that most people would toss out and sew away. I square them off to 6 1/2". Just the block to make when you want to sew but don't want to pay attention. Sometimes I square up at an angle. Makes them more interesting.

It was 41 degrees when I got up today. The March winds are blowing.

Chris