Another quilt with burgundy and green

 This was a premade panel I picked up at the same time as I picked up the table runner for this quilt. I used the same green fabric from my stash to quilt around it.  I was fortunate that the triangular scraps from my last quilt very nicely filled in the triangle areas on this quilt so I just needed to add panels on the top and bottom and each side to finish the top.  I used bento bag panels for the top and bottom and had to undo the seams to have enough fabric.  I had used the fancy wavy stitch on my sewing machine to stitch those and the raveling of that took a long time because it only came out three stitches at a time.  I used a coordinating floral fabric on the back and a floral flannel for the batting.  I bound this one by stitching the pieces together and turning it inside out and then stitched all the way around.  I added one row of decorative stitching all the way around at about 3.5" and then did three lines of stitching in the green areas of the floral panel which nicely secured the pieces to each other.  This one worked out really well (35" x 44").  So another two small quilts for the Linus project.  

Stella has been making quilt tops for the Victoria's Quilts Canada  which provide quilts for cancer patients.  You can make just the tops or whole quilts and the need is mostly for adults.  It is another venue for making our stashes into useful items for others in need.  

Therese

Burgundy and green quilt

 We took advantage of being a home a day early and had a staycation!!  I did some quilting!!  I did not remember that this top (34.5" x 42.5") was complete so it was a good surprise when I got started.  I added a flannelette batting and a warm brown backing using it to bind the quilt as well.  The middle panel was a table runner I picked up and raveled somewhere along the way and I found this floral fabric that coordinated fairly well.  The green fabric on the sides was scraps from Sylvia and the bottom and top was fabric from my stash.  I had to fill in the triangles on the top and bottom which took a little working out but I managed to figure it out visually  - not mathematically!!  The process of quilting this top went well and I had very little trouble with bunching.  Therese

Mom's room at the Lodge

 A couple of photos of Mom's room at the Lodge.  She had already started to unpack and needed a few things changed and looked at when we were there the next morning.  The humidifier had spewed water on the floor over night so Brian took a look and he managed to get it working properly before we left.  Checked out her cell phone and set up the VCR.  It will be a new learning curve for her because it is a new remote but she will get there.  Stella helped her unpack a bit more and put some art on the walls.  We went and visited Dad in the next building and handed in the photo I had printed for his room.  He is doing well.  We dropped off boxes at the second hand store before heading out.  We had a visit with Gord and Victor when we dropped off Stella and were home by supper time.  

Therese

Last meal at the apartment

 Mom cooked lunch for us on move day.  Used up some of the food that needed to be used before moving to a place with no freezer.  It was good!!  The move went well with so many willing hands and we were finished by 4pm.  Everything clean and ready to be passed off to the next couple!!  Mom and Dad have been blessed to live in a place with so many wonderful neighbours!!!!! Many came by to say their last goodbyes even though she is only moving to the next building over.    Therese

Boxing Day!!

We had a great visit at Madeleine's on Boxing Day.  We picked up Stella in Edmonton and headed east.  It was COLD - 33C when we left home and it got colder as we went.  The highway was a bit icy at intersections but no problems.  We headed out after supper and dropped Mom off at the apartment for her last sleep there before the move.    Therese

Bright dryer balls

 I made a set of eight dryer balls for Sylvia for Christmas!!  I bought a bright pair of socks and cut them into about 3" lengths and tied off one of the ends by gathering the edges with very strong thread.  Next, I made wool balls from felted wool scraps all layered and wrapped with wool strips and wool yarn to keep them all together.  I tied off the other edges in the same way with the same strong thread and pulled the ends through the balls to hide them.  They are nice and bright and colours that she likes!!

Therese

Recipes from Mom for date squares and her muffins

We were out to Mom's last week and she shared her special recipes of the things she likes to eat that she will no longer be making for herself.  We are hoping to be able to make them for her and bring them when we visit.  

The date cookies have the dates included in the dough and do not spread so they can be placed fairly close on the cookie sheet.  It makes about 24 - 2" round cookies.

The muffins are shown to the left.  Mom bakes them in little tins which are reused from a commercial product  - not sure which one.  Maybe, salmon?? They are about 3" around.  She is using gluten free flour which she grinds herself.  Madeleine has the flour grinder at home so if you want some flour you can get some from her.  Some of these are commercially available.  The Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking flour is sold in quite a few places so check your local stores.  I did see Quinoa Flour at our No Frills the other day.  The buckwheat flour needs to be ground by Madeleine as the commercially available is not very good.  I will include the recipes in text below so you can cut and paste them if you want.     Therese
 

Date Cookies

3/4 cups of dates - chopped
1/2 cup of water 
Mix dates and water together, cook into a paste and let cool 
Once cool add 1/2 tsp of soda

1/3 cup of butter

1/3 cup of honey

1 egg

Cream together and add the cooled date mixture from above

1 1/2 cups of flour  

(1 to 1 Red Mill, almond, quinoa, 

stoned ground corn or buckwheat - Madeleine) 

1/4 tsp of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.

Drop and flatten (will not spread) to about 2" rounds

Bake at 350F for 16 minutes.  

OPTION:  You can add 3/4 cup of chopped

nuts, sunflower seeds or raisins

Makes about 24 cookies

Memere Muffins

3/4 cup of flour
(almond, quinoa, stoned ground corn or buckwheat) 

1 teaspoon of baking powder

dash of salt 

1 egg - beaten

1 tbsp of sugar

1/2 cup of applesauce

2 tbsp of softened butter or oil

Add cream or milk to make a thick batter

and add to greased tins - 3" around.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes

Makes 3 

Christmas tree is decorated

 We decorated our Christmas tree today!! We have added lights, our bead garland and a few ornaments along with our newly refurbished angel.  We have set up our Nativity by the fireplace and put out only a few other decorations.  Therese

Christmas cactus is blooming!!

My Christmas cactus is blooming profusely!!!  It is so nice to have some colour at Christmas time!!
 

Images of Rome - 5000pc puzzle

 Brian has finished his large puzzle!!  It is bigger than the table so he had to add cardboards so he could assemble it all together.  There are 8 pieces missing from the top edge - four in the left hand of the arch and four in the orange of the curtain.  It was a very technical build because so much of the puzzle is the same colours and subject matter in the artworks but that is how Brian makes puzzles so he was happy to give it a go.  He often would sit for two hours and only find 3 pieces but it got much better at the end.   He will be putting it back in the box and passing it on to anyone who is willing to do it.  

Therese

Our visit with Mom

 

Sylvia and I went this past week to help Mom with her move to the Lodge.  Madeleine and Robert and Carmen and Allan were there to move furniture to her room which went very well and the weather was very cooperative.  Sylvia helped Mom with culling in the kitchen and I washed the walls in the spare room.  We visited with Dad and managed the recycling and adding to the list of things that needed to be given away.   We are blessed!!        Therese

Knit blankets

 I had these two pieces of hoodie fleece that Suzanne had passed to me in a previous destashing session and I have been pondering what I should do with them.  Last week I decided that I would just make couch blankets with the two pieces.  I cut them in half and hemmed them with rainbow thread in my favorite wavy decorative stitch in a quarter inch roll over.  The teal ones are larger because the piece was quite a bit bigger.  These will be too big for Linus but the blue ones will be fine.  So they are ready to go and I will keep the teal ones until a home for them comes to my attention.  

Therese

Winken, Blinken and Nod quilt

  I finished this quilt (33.5" x 44") more than a week ago but just finally gave it is final wash.  It is a panel I bought for a few dollars at a thrift store.  I added a thin cotton batting and a green cotton backing material.  I finished it by layering the front and back facing each other and then laid the batting over it.  Trimmed them to the edge of the front and stitch all the way around leaving an opening on one side so I could turn it inside out.  I finished it by stitching two rows of straight stitch about a quarter inch apart around the outside edge.  For inside quilting I used black thread on the top and green on the bottom and stitched several of the black lines in the pattern to keep all the layers together.  There is quite a bit of play between the back and the front but fortunately there were very few lines except the wavy border that went all the way across so the play is manageable.  Therese

Brown embroidered quilt

I worked on the top for this quilt (48" x 35") a week ago and managed to finish it this weekend.  The center is two embroidered pillow shams sewn together in the center and to add the length I needed I added a green/coral border on each end using scraps of upholstery fabric.  The batting is a flannel sheet and for the backing I used a floral fabric with a brown background.  I stitched the batting to the front and then added the backing which I simply folded over on the edges to make the bindng as well.  I added some horizontal lines to the end pieces and then about five more through the dark brown section of the quilt.  Not too much puckering on this one.  I used a plastic foot on my machine and it seems better for letting the top and bottom fabric move together.  Another one ready to go!!    Therese
 
 

Lap quilt for Dad

 Following up on Madeleine's suggestion that Dad could use a lap quilt for when he is in the wheel chair I decided to make one up yesterday afternoon.  I chose this white, beige and gray plaid flannel for one side and a dark green cotton with a bit of a brushed surface for the other side.  The flannel was a long piece which I unraveled so I cut it in half and stitched the pieces together.  The green is from yardage which I bought earlier this year in Nanton - $3 for 5 yards of new fabric!!  I added a light weight piece of cotton as a batting and stitched all the way around leaving an opening.  I turned it inside out, pressed it and then stitched all the way around.  I did added a few more rows of stitching following the lines in the plaid to keep all the layers together.  It is 37" x 40" which is pretty close to the recommendations I found on line for lap quilts for use with a wheel chair.  It should suit the purpose very well and are colours he will like.  

Therese

Tourtieres

I took the time this morning to touch base with Sylvia and Mom about tourtieres.  We had thought that we could make them together but with the moves it is not going to happen this year.  I made six little ones - 4 for Sylvia and 2 for Mom with only a top crust.  I had enough filling leftover to make a small one for us and enough crust leftover to make a single bottom crust.  I thawed some apple pie filling I made in the fall and made an apple pie. I added tapioca to the filling and then crumb topping that I use on top of apple crisp.  I think it will work out very well.  I have included the tourtiere recipe because I have been using it for a really long time.  I wrote this recipe out by hand over 40 years ago and I am still using it.  I am sympathetic with Mom's need to reduce her belongings before the move and how hard it is to give up what has worked for us for so long.

Therese

 

First snow

Our first real snow fall of the year and it was coming down just perfectly!!  It was just what would be nice on Christmas Eve!!  We got better than a half inch  and then the sky turned blue and it has been a great day!!  

Therese

 

Oatflour pancakes without sourdough

 I ususally make my pancakes using my sour dough but this morning I decided to try out a recipe for oat flour pancakes without the sour dough.  It worked out much better than I anticipated.  They were nicely browned and held together very well.  This will give me an alternative for pancakes at the last minute when I don't have time to feed my sourdough.  Here is the recipe (Marissa Moore) I used with the modifications I made.  

Healthy Oat Flour Pancakes

1.5 cups of old fashioned oats (blended into flour)

1 egg

1 cup of milk (soured with lemon juice)

1/2 tsp of baking powder ( I used soda)

1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon (did not use)

splash of vanilla (did not use)

butter for cooking ( olive oil)

Stir the ground oats with the milk. ** I set aside 2 tbsps of the oat flour to which I added 

my soda which makes it easier to incorporate just before you make your pancakes.  I let the flour and milk sit for 10 minutes while my griddle warmed up.  

I stirred my milk and oat flour mixture then added the egg and mixed it in.  

Once my griddle was hot I mixed in the oat flour/soda I had combined earlier and gently combined them into my batter.  

I added a bit of oil to my griddle and used a large spoon to create my pancakes on my griddle.  Cook until bubbles form and flip over.  Serve with your favorite pancake toppings.

These browned beautifully and really held their shape.  The recipe indicates that you get six 4 inch panckes.  I got twelve pancakes which were just a 

bit smaller and between Brian and I we ate seven and I put five in the freezer. 

This recipe removes the white flour which I use to feed my sour dough so in the end is really a gluten free option.  Will certainly be making these again!!! 

Therese

Kitchen Aid mixer in the shop

I have been having a bit of trouble getting my Kitchen Aid mixer to stay in the off position lately.  It has turned on a couple of times with the unit up in the middle of making a batch of muffins.  Fortunately, I was able to stop it quickly but I could see the potential for damage had there been a spatula in the attachment, etc.  I asked Brian if he would be willing to look at it.  He did some research on line and found a YOUtube video which gave the complete step by step fix for the problem - simply a loose screw!!  It pretty much had to be disassembled, the screw tightened and then reassembled but it is a fix and my mixer no longer has screw loose!!  It apparently is a known problem and I am very grateful that there was a good video for the repair.  It took an hour with the laptop in the shop to get it done and I expect it will serve me well for another 15 years!!!  I am much in debted to Brian's keen ability to take things apart and get them back together with all the pieces in the right place.    Therese

Fabric gift wrapping - a few more!!

 I made a few more fabric gift wraps with fabric I had pulled from my stash the other day.  Again they range from 36" to 24".  I found a square scarf while I was in there and it makes a wrap with no work involved!!  I wanted a bit more variety before I started wrapping gifts.  

Therese

Another small quilt - pink and green

 I made another small quilt last week using a pink, green and yellow panel (34" x45") which used to be a table runner.  I added the four green triangles (used to be placemats) to the odd shaped piece to make it a rectangle.  I found the hydrangea fabric in my stash but did not have quite enough to make a strip on each side so I added two little pieces of green in the centers which worked quite well.  I used a thin cotton batting and a nice coordinating cotton on the back.  I added quilting lines in the green line and the brown line in the pattern and in the ditch of the center seam.  I found the dark pink in my stash and had enough to make the binding.  I did the one fold binding again but did not get the corners quite right - they are rounded instead of square.  I will have to print the directions and put them in my quilting box.  I added lines of wavy decorative stitching to the bindingand the green triangles.  This is my favorite colour combination and I am really happy with how it worked out.  I am enjoying playing with panels and pieces.  I have several others in my future quilting box which will appear as time permits!!

Therese

Fabric gift wrap for Christmas

 I have decided to embrace fabric gift wrap this year.   I did a bit of research this week and decided to try Furoshiki  - a Japanese technique of gift wrapping which uses just squares of fabric tied with two knots.  They are a gift in themselves as they are completely reuseable.  I decided to delve in my stash of fancy fabrics and see how many I could get done in a day.  I managed several different ones and six of the red ones.  They range from about 36" square to about 15" square.  Online, they indicated that 12" x 12" was a mini, 15" x 15" was small, 24" x 24" was medium and 36" x 36" was large.  I used what I had for fabric and made them about 34" square.  The pink is the smallest and was ready made in my stash - a dyed hankerchief.  The purple and orange are a bit see through so may have to have another one layered below them but that is easy enough to do.  I really like the shimmery one which I used to tie up a gift in the first photo.  It is very quick and easy to use these fabric wraps and they look elegant!!  I have a few more to finish but I should have what I need to wrap my gifts for the box that I am sending off soon.  I will be able to make up a few more if I need for closer to Christmas.  It was a full day in the sewing room but I am very happy with my progress and will be augmenting my stash of wraps over the next year or so I can liquidate the bit of gift wrap and curling ribbon I have on hand.    Therese

Green and pink baby quilt featuring a panel of hearts and baby images

Suzanne gave me this panel a while back and made a quilt with it last week.  It is 34" x 43.5", has a cotton batting and this fun pink and green plaid fabric for the backing and part of the front.  I started by cutting the batting, then stitched my panel to it using wavy lines of straight stitch.  After measuring and cutting my backing I laid the batting/panel piece in the middle and pressed and pins the sides in place the stitched them into place.  Next I tucked in the top and bottom into each other at the top and bottom and stitched those together using a wavy decorative stitch.  I added rows next to the straight stitching on the two sides of my panel as well.  That finished my quilt in one go at the sewing machine!!  I added straight stitching to the dark pink squares in my panel to quilt all the layers together.  It took me less than a day to get it finished so I can see how quilter would be willing to use panels for small quilts.  Now that I have done one, I will keep an eye open for panels when I am out shopping at thrift stores.  It was really nice to have everything be neat and not bunch up and to have it finished so quickly.  Therese
 

Fall colours quilt

I finished this fall coloured quilt yesterday.  It measures 34" x 45".  The center section was a find in Nanton earlier this year.  I added the border around it three weeks ago using scraps dark on the light side and light on the darker side.  Yesterday I went looking for enough fabric to make another border to make the quilt large enough.  I found this swirly leaf fabric which was almost enough - I stitched the fabric to the two sides and then measured to make sure there was enough and I was missing a few inches so I dug out my scraps and found a couple that worked and added them to the ends of my strips on the top and bottom.  I did horizontal quilting to attach my batting (polyester) to my top and then vertical stiching when I was attaching my back to the batting/front.  It worked quite well and I managed to have enough of my green backing to self bind.  I did two rows of stitching on the binding as it was quite wide.  I have a few ideas on the back burner for the next quilt so we shall see what rises to the top next weekend.  Therese

 

Rearranged my sewing space.

 I have rearranged my sewing space to accomodate a new little desk which my Mom gave me on the weekend.  It comes with a serger so I will have to give that a try and see how it goes.  With it tucked up to my sewing desk it will provide support when I am stitching my quilts.  I have decided that this area needs to be used only for sewing and cardmaking cannot be allowed to encroach.  

Therese

New tea towels

I have made myself six new tea towels using two pillow shams made of 55% linen and 45% cotton.  They are in a nice plaid fabric with light and dark gray stripes on a warm gray background.  They turned out to be 24" x 26" and I finished their edges with a simple fold which I stitched with a decorative stitch using dark gray thread.  I forgot to add loops for hanging so added those afterwards using white twill tape.  I am looking forward to using them and seeing the benefits of linen  - natural antibacterial, very absorbent and quick drying.  

Therese
 

Washed the car inside and out

 

The weather has been gorgeous so Brian and I took the opportunity to wash the cars.  I did mine inside as well being as it had been quite a while since it had been done.  Feels good!!

Therese

Trip up north

 Lunch together before we headed home!!  It was good to see each other and have time to talk a bit about options for Mom and Dad as time goes on!!

Therese

Happy Halloween!!!

 Happy Halloween!!!!

I carved my two little pie pumpkins this morning and Brian will set up the chute for delivering hot chocolate to kids just before supper.  We are making fries for supper which was our tradition when the kids were at home!!  I have had 22 kids last year but with the good weather and more vaccinated people this year we may get more.  The sun is shining and we are anticipating a high of 5C though it was -8C this morning.  Still frost on those areas where the sun has yet to shine.  We pray for Dad and Mom and take it all one day at a time!! ]

UPDATE:  Went up north right after lunch to see Dad in hospital.  He is doing better!!

 Therese

Cat quilt is finished!

I have finished quilting my last quilt top( 65" x 42.5") !!  It took the better part of a day but it worked out so well.  I used cotton flannel for the batting and navy blue poly cotton for the backing. The piece was just wide enough for the backing so I had to find something else for the binding.  I chose this orange poly cotton.  I cut it 3" wide and used the single fold method which I think it how Mom does the binding on her quilts but I don't recall having used it before.  It worked quite well and I used a decorative stitch when I did the top stitching with blue in the bobbin which gives the back side of the binding quite a bit of contrast.  It is nice to have all my finished quilt tops made into quilts.  I will have to start another project - there are several in the queue!!  Therese
 

Slow stitching to mend Brian's winter coat

I used slow stitching to mending the lining of Brian's winter coat.  You can see below that it was worn in several places.  I cut some brown patches and hand stitched them into place to cover the wear.  I used orange thread and they look kind of cool.  Very similar to Boro Stitching used in Japan to mend their clothing which when done repeatedly adds some artistic quality to the piece.  It will give his coat another few years of life.  

Therese

 

Slow Stitching - mending a sweater

I have been slow stitching mending.  This sweater has added patches and they were simply sewing on with a line of stitching with raw edges.  With a bit of wearing and washing the patch was coming undone where the raw edges have pulled away from the stitching.  I added two rows of stitching with dark gray mending wool to reinforce the edges in hopes that the patch will stay intact.  Slow stitchng is relaxing regardless of what the project is.  

Therese

 

Turkey for lunch

 Sylvia and I needed to connect this week so she could bring Mom's Christmas gift which we will bring with us when we go to bring the DVD's we ordered for her (La Terre Humaine).  Brian had requested turkey dinner at home so I decided to combine the two so I made turkey for lunch yesterday and invited Sylvia to join us.  It was a wonderful day and driving was good.  We visited longer than we expected in the afternoon but with good weather she got home in good time.  

Sylvia and I bought a set of books for Mom - Books 1-6 of the Angelic Letters Series by Henry Ripplinger.  The newest book - #7 - The Heart of an Angel  - was not part of the set we bought.  I had borrowed this set from friend and it is excellent and I have yet to read the last one.  If anyone is looking to buy something for Mom for Christmas the last book would really be nice so she will have the whole series.  Book #6 finishes off with so many things hanging in the air!!

Therese

Large leaf quilt

 

I used a soft green backing on this quilt and I really like how nicely it frames the quilt as it also was used for the binding.  I stitched one edge of every second strip for this quilt.  It worked very well but I did forget from my past experience that I should go back and forth instead of always starting on the same side which allows the back to shift a bit and reduced what was available for binding on one side.  I had to undone several rows to but it was worth it because the binding went very well.  I double stitched it with two rows of regular stitching.  I used a cotton flannel for my batting.  Therese

Care Bear quilt

I have been working on this quilt off and on.  I dedicated a day last week to get it done and I am very happy with how it worked out.  I used the decorative scallop stitch to quilt the three long pink strips and then again on the binding.  The blue fabric matched the blue Care Bears very closely and I am glad I chose that colour as it creates a very nice border around the edge of the quilt.  I used a cotton fabric as batting.   After washing it I did have to do a bit of hand sewing where the binding had not sufficiently caught the top.  I have a few quilts in my box now and I have three more to finish before I can consider any new projects.  Therese

 

Sparrows eating sunseeds

The sparrows were snacking on sun seeds this morning. I inserted the stalks I had removed from the flower bed into the fence so they could finish them off.  I expect they will make short order of them now that the hard frost has come.  Therese