My Favourite Gadget


Do you know what this is? Hands down, it is my favourite tool for quilting. I'm not a gadget, multiple rulers, fancy papers kind of girl. But the day I discovered this was revolutionary.

To be fair, I think it was my sister or Hubby who actually discovered it for me. I remember getting it for Christmas one year. how I survived without it is beyond me. If you are a pin baster then you NEED this.  It's the best $20 you'll ever spend on quilting. The handy Kwik Klip saves your fingers and a heck of a lot of time when you are pin basting a quilt. It essentially lifts the bar of the pin to close it. Instead of you pinching it yourself. Finger saving, I tell ya!

I've seen these at every local quilt shop, but I've also found them on-line.

(If you do decide to search for them on line, be careful of your search terms.  If you only use Kwik Klip the internet seems to think you are looking for a specific gun accessory!)

Workshop in Progress - March 10

Isn't this lovely? It was a surprise gift from a surprising person. More on that story another time.

But what I want to do is handstitch it to some grey linen. I've never done that before so I'm looking for advice. How much tacking down do you need to do? Do you match the thread to the yarn? What sort of prep work needs to be done? Is it better done in a hoop? Anything you can share would be appreciated.

Elsewhere in the workshop today, Elle, as always, is at it with another exciting project. Having known her since before her daughter's wedding and the birth of her grandchildren, I know the challenge she has in getting a quilt done for her. But yay, it's time for binding. With so many colours in the quilt, what do you think she should go for?

Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt has the prettiest pink and brown quilt on deck. The only challenge is that she's set in on point, so she needs some help with picking the right fabric for her setting triangles. What do you think?

Do you avoid certain colours? What happens when you are faced with a challenge to use something that maybe isn't your taste? Andrea at Millions of Thoughts Trapped in My Head is struggling with an exciting use for forest green. My gut tells her to match it with peach, but that may be because my childhood bedroom was that combo. How very 80s of me!

What about the rest of you? If I missed your post, let me know.

Upcoming Event - A True Taste Adventure


This one is not for the kids!

I'm happy to announce a new relationship and upcoming event with J. Webb Wine Merchant Ltd. Lee Hansen and I will be joining forces for a scotch and food pairing class. Actually, there will be two opportunities to enjoy the range of tastes from Scotland and the food we are pairing with it. Think sweet, salty, and meaty. Then think of the scotch!

Join us on March 17 or 18 at the Glenmore Landing location. For sign-up information visit the J. Webb site.

Low Volume Circles


I cannot stress how much I LOVE this quilt top.

First, it came together quickly. Long strips with appliqued circles. Some prep work, but it was all manageable.

Second, it was a lovely project to work on until I felt good enough to be at the machine again. The only machine work on the top was sewing the strips together. And the back is coming together quite easily too. There isn't a lot of up and down for ironing.

Third, it is big (twin size). That means it isn't a small project that I haven't a clue what to do with in the end. My only wish is that I had a precious room and twin bed to decorate around this quilt.

Finally, it is such a contrast to all the bright work I do. The concept of working with low volume fabrics is very refreshing. Kind of like a sorbet course in a big meal. And all that white? So not me, but so, so perfect.

Find the Yellow

I was wearing my spring coat this week, a pastel yellow trench.  Paired with my new yellow, cream, and taupe striped scarf I felt very sunny indeed. When my physiotherapist noticed it we started a conversation about the optimism inherent in the colour yellow. Despite a somewhat frustrating physio session we kept talking about optimism.  On my way out she encouraged me to "Find the Yellow" in my day.






1  Cleaning up after a painting session.
2  Quilting detail
3  Apron trim
4  Stack of quilts (for the article "The Family Quilt" in the Winter 2010 What's Up magazine)
5  Pie crust
6  Yo (from the files, at the Bowden Sun Maze last August)

What about you?  Have you Found the Yellow today?

Workshop in Progress - March 3

There are a few of us back to sewing this week.  Some of us even got to go on a few retreats. Lucky gals!

Elle has moved on to a completely different project, some simple placements. This lady can go all over the place - traditional, modern, and art. Isn't is great.

A few weeks back Katie shared some scrap ideas with us. Check out her finished quilt at the Salt Marsh Path.

I love what Lesly over at Pickle Dish is posting this week. She's taking a traditional block and exploring ways to change it up. From a distance they look the same, but look closely. How would you add your twist?

This post didn't make the weekly round-up, so you may have missed it. But I still want to include the discussion and the final quilt top. Nanann's Woogies turned out a really interesting string quilt, but I loved looking at all her design options.


On my end I am the workshop in progress this week. We've come to the rather painful acceptance that my knee recovery is something that is months, not weeks away. Hard enough to face, but with two little ones, a full-time job, freelance work, and a still slightly broken husband it is pretty hard. I am trying to stay positive, along the lines of my efforts at choosing to be happy. Along with bending my knees it is quite the challenge.

My typical stress relievers and ways to keep anxiety at bay are quilting, keeping the house tidy, and exercising. Well, I've finally figured out some projects to keep me busy with quilting, although it certainly isn't at the same production level that I'm used to. As for tidying, let's just say there isn't much spring cleaning happening at our house! And when you spend most of the time parked in one chair looking at all the clutter the problem is expounded. And aside from my physio exercises, any sort of a work out is still out.  I think I miss that the most.

So, for the Workshop this week I'm asking for your best stress relievers?  Does anyone meditate out there? How do you choose positivity in your life?

I'm also taking on a personal challenge of some self portraits. As the key photographer in my house there are never any pictures of me. But I find that seeing myself in a photo helps me see myself a bit better.  Kind of like testing out quilt layouts through a photo. I could pick out a handful of things I don't like about this picture, but it's honest. Right down to the ice cream I'm devouring.

Atrophy


It seems that your quads are the first muscle to atrophy when you wreck your knees. Despite the layers of insulation covering those large muscles of mine it is quite noticable that they aren't so large anymore. Neither are my calves. But sadly, my ass is still as big as it ever was. Needless to say, ice cream is probably the last thing I need right now.

But oh how I need ice cream. The last 6 weeks have certainly screamed out for comfort food. My mom make us pyrohy, we've eaten countless bowls of pho after The Monster's dance class, managed more than one batch of cookies, and indulged in a heck of a lot of beer during the Olympics. Not once, however, have I been able to convince Hubby to buy ice cream. Bloody diet nazi.

So I added heavy cream to the grocery list. Ha Ha! Combined with the very large bar of bittersweet Bernard Callebaut chocolate in my cupboard and I got him back. The girls and I set out to chop chocolate, dissolve cocoa, cook a lovely custard, and anticipate the ice cream. They were diverted from cooling time and the churning with snow play.

I did save the first taste of ice cream for an Olympic hockey game.  At least my brain hasn't atrophied. Kids and a bowl of cold ice cream means nearly a period of peace for Hubby and I. It worked so well that we used it repeatedly throughout the Games. Minus the bowls I snuck for myself.

The recipe I used was absolutely phenomenal.  It was so decadent and rich, and just perfect. In truth, it was exactly like a frozen pudding. With a bit more effort on my part I could have enjoyed it with a brownie and salted caramel sauce. The knees however can't hack that much work yet. And my ass can't handle that much in the absence of a good workout.

With thanks to David Lebovitz and The Perfect Scoop.  I followed the recipe word for word and it was perfect. And thanks to Tara at Seven Spoons for the photo inspiration on that top picture.

Inspired By...


Why does it feel wrong that I'm inspired by stories of slavery? These are horrific stories of the cruelty of man. But they are also amazing stories of human spirit, triumph, and even kindness. And that's what gets me.

So, after reading The Book of Negroes/Someone Knows My Name I had a design in my head. I wanted to acknowledge the aspect of the story where the main character works on an indigo plantation and discusses the awful clothing made out of osnaburg. But then there are the snippets of sunshine as her station improves and she has access to some money and bright cloth.

Oh, the ideas I have for this!

Fabrics ordered from Reproduction Fabrics and Big Horn Quilts.

A Toast

This past year I've been asked the same question a few times: if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Without hesitation, my answer is my father-in-law. I would do anything to have him meet The Monster and Smilosaurus and enjoy a raucous dinner where he would surely win the nightly roaring contest.

On this day, six years ago, he passed away. We, his family, miss him everyday. And this morning, I will raise a cup of tea to him. He made anyone feel at home, even if you spilled red wine on his pastel couch and carpet within ten minutes of meeting him. He even had the dad gene that allows a man to have a pre-dinner nap in the midst of kitchen chaos and grandkids climbing on him. He laughed every day and made the rest of us laugh too, even if it was at his taste in sneakers or his appreciation of a good deal. Doug was a man who treasured a good meal and cherished good company. He valued his friends and held his family close.

To Doug.

Coming Along Nicely

This is what that pile of circles is turning into. I have 5 panels planned, some with 7 circles like this one, some with 5. In the end the quilt will finish close to twin sized, much larger than I anticipated. With the abundance of TV viewing and drive time I've managed to finish 3 panels in the past week. Barring any more emergencies in our lives, I should be able to show you a finished top next week.

For a split second I debated hand piecing the entire thing.  That is, sewing the panels together by hand. Then I realized I would be doing that on principle. There is nothing wrong with the principle, but it isn't one I absolutely am bound by. Besides, I'm supposed to be exercising my knees. Using a foot pedal counts, right?

Thank-you for all your well-wishes. There is a slim chance I won't need surgery. But for now it isn't even an option. I have what are known as stiff knees. In other words, despite the extent of my injuries I should have far more mobility in my knees. So, I am a strict exercise and physio regimen for the next month. After that I should hopefully be able to lose the crutches and the big brace. Already I am feeling better and actually picked up Smilosaurus this week.  Now, that's a milestone!

And it means I can prep the rest of my circles without much trouble.

Texas Sunshine


I once smuggled a 10 pound bag of grapefruits on a trip from Brownsville, Texas to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Actually, I'm not sure smuggled is the right word considering that there is no easy way to tuck in grapefruits around your body. I could have gone for the fake pregnancy, but that would have been one lumpy baby. In the end I got through customs without any trouble. The officer probably smelled the citrus on the university student (I also had key limes) and was just relieved it wasn't pot.

How could I not bring them back with me? I'd just spent a week with my mom in Texas. She was living and working there courtesy of the 1990s health care cuts in Alberta. I spent Reading Week there, soaking up some sun, food, mom love, and absorbing the mystery of South Texas culture. Seriously, that is an odd place. Full of Winter Texans on golf and shopping trips, Mexicans coming across the border to have American babies, and every manner of poverty and riches on the same street.

I'd happily eaten grapefruits growing up in cold Canada, a winter staple in our house. But something about buying them from a roadside stand, still warm from the sun ,elevated them to smuggle-worthy status.

Sadly, we aren't in Texas this February. But with the quality of organic produce available in some stores, and the morning light streaming through the white dining room curtains I can fool myself into believing that this half circle of sunshine is actually still warm from the Texas sun. Sort of.

Besides, the fact that my mom used to live in Texas makes it local, right? How about the direct flight between here and Houston? Oh whatever. It's Canada in the winter and if I want a grapefruit I'm going to eat it.

Actually, we usually go through about 3 in the morning because the girls insist on climbing up next to me and sharing the segments as I cut them out of the fruit. I don't mind sharing. And one day I'll take them South to pick the fruit themselves, once my mom moves back. But I'm keeping them away from the crazy people who talk about buying handguns while they tan their feet.

Some More Circle Inspiration

The circle quilt is coming along. I have about 10 of my 29 circles appliqued on. And I love how it is turning out. I've got a drive ahead this weekend as we travel for a surgery consult, so I should have lots of progress to report on next week. In the meantime, I thought I would share some other circle inspiration.

Sandra Saunders produced Grandma's Hands Quilt. This is an amazing quilt - combining a family album concept, hand prints, and glorious circles. make sure you click through to her Flickr stream for a process pictures and a tutorial on how to do those reverse applique hands.

Red Thread Adoption Quilt is a simple, yet extraordinary quilt. This is so for the story behind the piece, but also in the construction and fabric choices. Using the 6 minute circle it includes outlines in dark fabric, as opposed to just circles. And even some low volume spots like the project I have going on.

For a simple, modern quilt that makes circles the focus check out Sun and Moon. So often circles are bright and bold. This is still bold, but there is a softness to this quilt I adore. And check out that quilting!

One of my favourite Flickr finds has been this Turquoise Circles quilt by Peppermint Pinwheels. It might be the scrappy nature of the circles, the red binding, or that gorgeous turquoise, but it all works for me.

This one isn't finished, yet, but I can't get it out of my head.  The colours, the story, the pieced circles, they are all good. Jacquie is showing another winner, in my books.

So many circles, so little time.

Taste Adventure - Pistachios

We went nut-free for such a long time in this house because The Monster was at high risk for allergies. With the risks behind us we've welcomed the gradual return to a nutty life. I still remember the first peanut butter cookies we made together and their crumbly, sweet taste. Now, without thinking about it we're back to adding toasted hazelnuts to roasted veggies, walnut oil in salad dressings, and eating classic out of hands nuts like cashews and pistachios.

A few weeks back we were helping our neighbours plan a kitchen reno.  The girls ran around, chasing the cat, banging on the piano, and scoping out some 1970s toys Poppa and Grandma B have lying around. Then it got eerily quiet. If you've got kids, or even been around them for 20 minutes you know that too quiet usually means trouble.

A quick search found the two girls huddled, not over a beaten cat or something breakable being used in a creative way, but around a container of pistachios. The Monster easily figured out how to get the meat out the shells and a little pile had already appeared. Smilosaurus was frantically begging her sister to shell more and more for her grabby little hands. Happy that nothing was being destroyed we let them be and tried to figure out just how our neighbours could fit an island in their kitchen.

Fast forward a few weeks to me packing snacks for an outing to the zoo. Remembering the girls' love of pistachios I threw some together with a handful of dried cranberries. And when we stopped for a warm-up and treat they promptly picked out all the cranberries and refused to touch the pistachios. Okay, so we need more exposure to establish a pistachio habit, fair enough. Or, so I thought.

The other day Hubby is picking up groceries and upon his return he declares that he bought a treat for the girls. As a mom, I kind of cringed, knowing that they'd already had a fair amount of sweets that day. But it wasn't red licorice or fruit gums that he pulled out, it was a container of pistachios, in their shells. And the sheer excitement of the girls' faces as they gathered around the coffee table superceded even the performance of the aerialists at the Olympics.

So, in the nut adventures in this household, apparently shells rule. 

Workshop in Progress - February 17


A fun week in the Workshop! I don't have much to report other than my latest circles. We're Olympics crazy in this house - you should see the Monster attempting figure skating on the living room carpet and the two of them cheer for Canada - so I'm sharing this photo.  This was after they painted their own bobsleigh. So, not much sewing in our house, but it looks like a lot of you have been busy.

Oh that Bargello! Have you seen Elle's yet? She poses a very interesting question about binding today. What's your vote on her binding?

Katie finished a lovely quilt over at Katie's Korner. But she is stuck on the backing. I am a firm believer that the backs are just as important as the front.  You need to love them too. Do you have any suggestions for her?

Another Katie, at Katie's Salt Marsh Path is working on really neat batik project. She's struggling with some colours in the quilt and ways to change it up before she gets to borders. Can you help her out, she has a few questions on the table?

I have a feeling I will be sewing vicariously with What KT Made Next and her modern Baby Jane. You've helped her pick fabrics, check out what she chose and her first block!

I'm looking forward to another week of creating and challenges from all of you!

Back to Circles

It might be the inspiration from the Olympic rings in the winter snow. Or I was just looking for a bigger hand project than the previous two.

I've spent the last week prepping some circles for a new project. I've picked 29 different fabrics, cut out 29 freezer paper circles, ironed, and almost finished the basting stitch (by hand) on all of them. And so far I only had to stand for the ironing.  Today I will do the same to press down my gathers and get the circles ready for hand applique.

All 29 circles will be appliqued on a plain white background. I know, me and a white background?! But I got it in my head to make a low volume quilt inspired by Malka Dubrawsky. Somehow it seems appropriate in these low volume, but slightly sunnier days of February.

In case you were wondering, I'm still doing handwork because my knees aren't getting any better. In fact, I found out last week that surgery is inevitable. We're just waiting to find out when that will be. Cross your fingers that it is sooner rather than later.  

Chocolate And Friendship Day


We've never been huge Valentine's Day fans in this house.  Well, that's not 100% true.  I adored Valentine's Day when I was single and wistfully dreaming of a lover to buy me flowers and spoil me with treats. But when I met my husband and the reality of a relationship and my man's opinion of V-Day hit me I realized that I would be lucky if he even remembered the day. I also realized that I am damn lucky to have him, every day of the year.

After a hellish month, however, I'm looking for any small amount of comfort and love. Today that came in the form of a quiet afternoon writing and visiting with a friend while we sipped garam masala hot cocoa and she gave me a reflexology treatment. It was simply so nice to be spoiled. And to enjoy some company with my friend.

I'd been waiting to try this hot cocoa until she came to visit. Although she is originally a farm girl with a Metis background, she has surrounded herself with East Indian friends and boyfriends. I knew she would appreciate the spice of this cocoa better than Hubby.  I was right. It was rich and warming, with hints of spice and the Indian coast. It doesn't seem like the flavours should go well together, but if you think of Mexican hot chocolate with its chili heat, this isn't far off. But there is something exotic about it and so comforting.

Sitting with her this afternoon I felt my spirits lift, old friends have the power to do that. So does chocolate and a foot rub, but not as well as friends can do it. If only I could ask her to move in, or at least to this city.


I made this with the Garam Masala mix from Silk Road Spice Merchants, ground in my brand new grinder. Keep in mind that you will want a fine grind with this.

Garam Masala Hot Cocoa
Adapted from Arvinda's recipe

1 cup milk
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground Garam Masala

1. Heat milk.
2. Combine cocoa, brown sugar, and garam masala in a small bowl. Stir in a few tablespoons of milk until you have a runny paste. Whisk cocoa paste into milk. Serve hot.

Thanks to Mary Luz Mejia for sending this recipe my way.

What Does Modern Quilting Mean to Me?



Over at The Modern Quilt Guild this week they've had a series of posts from some significant bloggers in the the modern quilt movement. I've rather enjoyed the conversation, so I decided instead of just commenting on all the posts, I would create my own post. So, what does modern quilting mean to me?

Central to modern quilting, I believe, is the idea of Freedom. Unlike traditional quilting which can feel very restrictive in both construction and design, modern quilting is about freedom. Freedom to throw tradition out the window or tweak it with fabrics, layouts, and improvisation. Freedom to try something new in colours or construction. Freedom to do what you want without fear of the quilt police knocking down your door.

Improvisation is also central to modern quilting.  This doesn't just mean the wonky log cabin. Improvisation is about starting a quilt and seeing where it goes, without a detailed plan. Maybe you could also talk about process here.  When I was asking you about The Whys of quilting, process was something that was central to me at the end of that discussion. I think modern quilting stresses the process as much as the final product (regardless of your technique) and improvisation is central to many a modern quilter.

Even when a modern quilter is using calm colours or simple designs, The end result is always something quite bold.  It might the fabrics themselves, or the final design, but when I think of modern quilts, subtlety does not come to mind.

I know that there are many traditional quilters out there under the age of 40. And there are modern quilters out there over the age of 50. But when I think of modern quilting I tend to think of youth. Perhaps it is because there is an energy to the work and the movement? It might be because most (but not all) of the bloggers I've encountered are closer to my age than my mom's age? But that youthful enthusiasm and energy has, I think, a powerful influence on the quilting world as a whole.

It would be remiss to not mention the role of technology in modern quilting. I don't just mean the design software. Blogs, virtual quilting bees, Flickr, and Etsy are all having a powerful influence on quilting. Have you heard of Web 2.0, where we the readers are also the content providers and help determine the present of the internet? Well, technology has allowed us to have Quilting 2.0 as well. Not only are we connecting and working together in a way that wasn't possible beyond the traditional guild, we are also working with each other projects, lending opinions through workshops and our blogs, and generating a never ending cycle of inspiration.

Finally, I want to highlight, that for me, it is important not to throw out the baby with the bath water. That is, there is a lot in traditional quilting that shouldn't be thrown away just because we like a modern aesthetic. This includes basic technique - we still want a quality piece at the end, not just one that looks good in a small on-line picture.  It also includes colour theory and design basics. We're modern and it is up to us to push the boundaries a little. Like modern architecture though, the building still has to stand on its own.

In a somewhat contradictory twist to this conversation I will be attending my first guild meeting tomorrow, a traditional guild. I'm quite excited about it, and it seems that this guild has some modern tendencies and vibrant members. With The Modern Quilt Guild springing up across North Amercia, maybe one day there will be a Calgary chapter?