Grab A Fork!

Are you looking for something fun, creative and easy to do (little thinking required) in your spare time? If so, grab a fork: a LUCET fork and a fiber of some sort (I'm using red yarn) to start creating a simple braided cord. I'm hoping to use this to trim out the strawberry basket cross stitch that I just recently finished. I expected it to become a pinkeep but it's a little large for that, now I believe it will become a small pillow, hopefully this handmade cord will beef it up a little. My dear friend, Quiltkeemosabe, gave me the fork. I had never heard of a lucet fork before but now know that it's an ancient craft. I watched this video to get started, threaded up, wrapped the fork, and I was off and running; it really was that simple.

Once I had established the rhythm I found the process reminiscent of the old kitting spool from when I was a little girl. I remembered getting one of these in my Christmas stocking and knitting a long, long tube that stretched across the living room! Those tubes were hollow and squishy, if my memory serves.

So, back to the Lucet fork, the braid created this way is tight and solid; it looks like these tools are readily available on the internet. If you've used one of these and created braided cord please tell me how you've used yours, I can see using it as a drawstring or as a decorative tie but I'd love to learn of other uses too. I'll report back once I've actually put mine to use as an embellishment. In the meantime, I'll be wrapping, looping and twisting my fork! 

Stay tuned~

Life is Good!

Finally, A Finish!

No, not a quilt finish but a finish nonetheless. I believe that I started this one the summer before last but it's done, in a frame and ready for its close up! I had to laugh when I read Mary's Country Threads blog the other day and she referred to quilters who've taken up cross stitch as "jumping ship"! I haven't gone all in, as in totally overboard, but I do stitch to unwind in the evenings and have an outing to a cross stitch shop planned for tomorrow! Maybe I'm in deeper than I thought. 😉  It's been hard to get into the sewing room the past few days what with getting the perennial garden weeded and cleaned up for new growth emerging, and tending to the sourdough! Seriously, keeping up with the starter and using it on a regular basis is like a adopting a baby! Last week I did a big batch of cinnamon rolls and this week I've baked rustic whole wheat loaves as well as bread bowls for soup.  

Whole Wheat

Bread "bowls"; these were yummy!

I did manage to get another (2024) BOM block together in an effort to stay ahead. I'm still working backwards (2023) too, as time allows. I'm also piecing blocks L-E style at the same time; stay tuned for those; they're cute. 

    What's on your "finished" list lately?

Life is Good!

Reflections on January

I don't know where this month has gone. It's been filled with activity, not the least of which is keeping up with breadmaking from two different sourdough starters! What have I gotten myself into? Loaves are being gifted continually. I've branched out into English muffins, cinnamon buns and multi-grain breads too.
Without a lot of words or explanation I'm going to catch up with a post  resembling a photo journal; a look back at this month and what's been finished, what I'm working on and what's been started (there's always something new). 

Driving Age has become a full-fledged flimsy...

...borders have been added...

...quilts have been quilted...

...bulbs have bloomed...

...new starts have made it to the design wall...

...someone has turned ELEVEN, we made our annual pilgrimage to the AG store... 

...sacred stitches have been sewn...

...new recipes have been tried (Pear Pie using Bosc pears)...

...and new perches have been explored!

It's been a snow-less January here, that's not a complaint; we've had some serious cold weather that, hopefully, helps to keep the bug population down come spring. Thank you to those friends who've reached out to check on me in light of my sparse blog posts; I'm  here, all is well... 

 Life is GOOD! 

💗

Twixmas?

A blog-reading friend sent me the link to another blogger  who recently had a most interesting post regarding Twixmas. The term was new to me, but once I read the post I understood fully why my friend had forwarded it to me. After that last post regarding the self-imposed "grace period" granted between Christmas and New Year's, I learned that, according to this afore-mentioned blogger, what I was observing was actually called Twixmas!  

______________________

What is Twixmas?
Twixmas is the term used to describe the days between Christmas and New Year (27th-30th December), when – work and family commitments depending – you can take some much needed down time. For many of us, it's time when we can fully relax and spend our days doing nothing.

Why is it called Twixmas?

Twixmas originates from the old English word 'betwixt' which simply means 'between'.

_____________________

Who knew?

My Twixmas was actually extended a bit longer than the strictly defined time period above, I suppose I have taken liberties! It's been a most relaxing and fulfilling week. Along with finishing that "It's A Wrap" table runner I've also binge-watched three seasons of the Holiday Baking Championship (up until this week I hadn't ever watched even one episode), now I'm hooked. Tomorrow this will all come to an end as we step into the New Year. I've been struggling to choose an appropriate guiding word for 2022, one that will follow the past three:  2019's Focus, 2020's Vision, and 2021's Mindful. 

I've finally selected what I hope is the perfect inspirational word for myself.

Stay tuned~ see you next year!

🥳

Life is Good!

Finishing Up...

I've been trying to wrap up some lingering projects-partially-done by getting them quilted, bound and ready for finishing. When I get on a roll it's really not that hard, I just need to keep focused and on track. 

This is "Fun~fetti" after trimming up. It's one from a couple of years ago where I tried my hand at the split-nine patch using low volume fabrics. I felt it was really much too blah, so set it with a colorful jelly roll that I had in the stash. The quilting design is "Plumage" by Jodi Beamish for Willow Leaf Studio, I quilted it using a darker tan thread that matched the backing fabric (same as the binding). I'm pleased with the results; it's a happy quilt. 

This scrappy hexie has been hanging around, half done, on the design wall for way too long! Last week I pulled the bin of already cut pieces and made quick work of adding the last six rows. I consulted with a few trusted quilter friends on whether or not to add a border and the consensus was "no", so, off the wall it came and in an hour is was loaded and ready for the Snowbird to give it some quilted texture. 

"Popcorn" is the chosen pantograph for this one (also Jodi Beamish for Willow Leaf): fun and lively. there are 280 4" hexagons from the scrap bin in this one.  I've decided to name it "Off the Wall", because it finally is. Hopefully it will be off the rails today too, and added to the stack for hand finishing.

After binding I hand baste the bindings down so that they're all ready when I am. 

The perennial garden just outside the door is putting on a colorful show right now. If the afternoons cool off just a bit I may carry that finishing handwork out to the side porch to fully enjoy this sight, not only do I delight in the blooms, but the birds and the butterflies too. How are you spending your summer days? It's such a good feeling to be finishing things. I'll dig around to see what else I can pull from the closet to put together, there are loads of nearly-completed things in there; and, luckily, I don't have to dig too deep!

 😉

Life is Good!

Another Week...

Another week, another month; they keep sliding one into the next, seemingly without much change, but time's marching ahead and here we are in September already. We've been dealing with the COVID craziness for six months and I've never moved so many projects onto the done list. If everything cloud has a silver lining, the stack of accumulating quilts around here is proof! I did finish up two customer quilts and a quilt restoration of sorts (dog chewed a hole) for friends this week and managed to get this Tucker University sampler sashed and bordered. I was determined to use up every bit of fabric that I had pulled for this and the size of the sashing/borders was determined by what I had on hand. Believe me, there's a LOT of piecing in that outer cream border. (Hopefully, once it's quilted, all those seams will fade away!)

This was all that I had left from the borders! This measures 66" X 52" and will be a perfect donation quilt for a lap quilt or a child.  If I could find that focus fabric from my LQS (purchased a few years back) I would back this quilt with it; we'll see. At any rate, I'm happy to have this ready for the "to be quilted" queue. From the "go with" leftover pieces I had enough to feed the always hungry scrap basket.

My criteria for basket scraps are those pieces too small to re-shelve but large enough for the die cutter. 

This is a new find for me: Faultless Premium Luxe Finish ironing spray. I just stumbled onto it the other day when I was looking for spray starch at the local big-box discount store and this caught me eye, (I like to use sizing when pressing prewashed fabrics) I thought it might be good for Mr. G's dress and sport shirts if I didn't like it for pressing my fabric pieces. It's a winner! This imparts a really nice, smooth, but not stiff, finish and just the right amount (to suit my purposes) of body. If you're looking for something new in the ironing arena you might also like this, I'm pleased.

"The Quiet Road" has had its piping and binding attached; as well as its hanging sleeve and label. 

Time for handwork.

Life is Good!

Loafing Around?

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen last week, moving forward with my bread-making pursuit. At this time I have two, different, sourdough starters going. These loaves are a result of the second starter, it's a recipe from my life thirty years ago;  originally, I received a cup of starter as a gift from a neighbor. At that time, with children at home, I made two to four loaves each and every week! This starter that is fed with instant mashed potato flakes, sugar and water. 
Getting that going is all thanks to a good friend; how do you spell friend? I spell it: Y-E-A-S-T! This particular starter requires a boost of instant yeast and I got such a surprise when this baggie arrived. I got right to work. Now, to keep it going, I'll be feeding and baking once a week, I need to assign a bread-baking day.

So, that "wild" yeast starter is the trickier one of the two. I'm NOT giving up on it though. Last week I measured out a cup and set it aside for something less ambitious than loaves. Pictured in my mother's original, antique measuring cup. After doing much reading and research I decided to try my hand at English Muffins.

These turned out perfectly! They go through two risings; one before they're cut out and one after, then they're griddle baked on each side for ten minutes. They smelled wonderful during that baking phase. The great news is that they tasted every. single. bit. as good as they look! I may never go back to store bought. 

Buoyed up by the English Muffin success, I tried more rustic loaves with that same starter. They rose just fine, but I was underwhelmed with the outward, lumpy appearance. I would prefer a smoother, more elastic dough. I'll keep at it this week, I'm not about to quit yet. 

Sliced, these loaves did not disappoint. It's a denser, heartier bread- perfect for going beside soup or with olive oil for an appetizer. The flavor is quite good, it has a pronounced sourdough "tanginess". 

This one, the first bread that I mentioned (above), is sweeter and lighter, perfect for toast or sandwiches. Mr. Goodneedle couldn't wait to cut into it; even hot, right out of the oven! This received a thumbs-up.

YAGOF* was completed last week and in its rightful spot on the porch. As cool as it's been the last few days, it's nice to have it out there right now. Spring temperatures have retreated temporarily.

I backed this one with a wicker print. 

"Sweet Sixteen" is currently under the needle, just in case you thought I never left the kitchen-- I did!

And, once again, the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks have returned to the feeder. They've appeared every year for as long as I can remember, they don't stay long, a week at the most and then they're off.

This post is a recomposition of one created yesterday, I think that this is a reasonable duplicate of what I wanted to say. There's few things more frustrating (at least for me) than losing something in an instant while at the computer. Here's hoping that your week is a happy and productive one. 

Adapting in an upside-down 🙃world: We'll start to see a few things returning to the "new normal" here in North Carolina this week, we're in Phase #1 of re-opening. Fingers crossed that all goes well. I need to get back to my LQS, hopefully they'll reopen this week, I'm running out of supplies!! Wash your hands, my friends,🧼 stay safe!

"Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word." - Psalm 119:74

Life is Good!

*You're A Grand Old Flag