Best intentions

Woohoo! We had some hot, sunny weather this weekend. That called for doing almost nothing. Okay, I did little while Hubby worked hard to get the swing set completed.

Grandma was down for visit yesterday, so we sat in the sunshine enjoying a cocktail or two and visiting in between pushes on the swings and loads of "Watch me, ______!" I browsed cookbooks and finally made my current obsession, a Negroni.

And, as far as cooking goes, making a cocktail was about as far as I got. Grandma took us out for dinner last night. Tonight I got home from an afternoon meeting ridiculously late.  Hubby had already ordered pizza, so the planned steak and ice cream were shot down. Oh, and I should clarify that by making the cocktail I actually mean I told Hubby what to do from the comfort of my chair in the backyard.

What? I took my first walk yesterday in 4 months, I earned the rest. And the drink.

Negroni

Gin
Campari
Vermouth
Lemon or grapefruit

1. Mix together equal parts of each alcohol. Serve with a twist of lemon or, my preference, pink grapefruit.

(PS  That David Rocco book is surprisingly pretty good to read, and inspiring.)

Birthday Treats


It was Smilosaurus' birthday yesterday. This daredevil, evil genius child of mine is now 2. I'm not at all prepared for it. I don't have a baby any more and that's kind of tough to accept. The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that she is an itty bitty thing, and the thought of cakes on birthdays.

We'd initially planned a low key day.  I was at a conference for work, running into doppelgangers of ex boyfriends and nervously parking behind Ferraris. Hubby was lost in a pile of wood and hardware, putting together our new swing set. But on the way home from work I felt like we simply needed a cake for dinner. 

This cake needed to be more than a carrier for icing. Yes, icing is really the best part, but I was actually craving cake and I was hoping to make the girls like it for once. Knowing that I'd preemptively bought cream so I could make ice cream this weekend I decided I would make a simple butter cake and serve it with cream.  Nothing fancy, but just the right amount of pomp befitting a two year old.

So I turned to a classic recipe in this house, one I've made a half dozen times in the year or so since I've had the recipe. Lemon Glazed Butter Cake comes from a treasured Gourmet before they folded. And yes, the girls helped me make the cake. Is it wrong that that kid had to make her own cake? Maybe.  But in my defense, she wanted to.

In my world, one of the best flavour combos is lemon and white chocolate. So I served our cake with white chocolate cream.

The Monster loved the cake so much she ate two pieces and left most of the cream of the side. And Smilosaurus merely played with her cake, rubbing it into her dirty, bare legs as if it was lotion.  So, I think she liked it too. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

White Chocolate Cream

4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Place chopped chocolate in a sturdy bowl.  Heat 1/2 cup cream on the stove or in the microwave until hot, but not scalding.  Pour over chocolate and stir immediately. Chocolate should melt with stirring.  If it doesn't, heat, in bowl, over a small pot of simmering water until melted. Let cool until room temperature.
2. When the chocolate mixture is cool, whip remaining cream with a sturdy whisk and bowl or an electric mixer. Whip until it starts to fluff up and the beaters/whisk leave marks in the cream. Slowly whisk/beat in the chocolate cream, beat until the cream reaches the desired whipped cream consistency.  Serve immediately. Alternatively, you can refrigerate it for a white chocolate mousse.


Shout Out

Nothing homemade today.  No more digressions on modern quilting.  Just a simple shout out to my baby girl.  Smilosaurus turned two yesterday.

I've been choked with nostalgia, yes, nostalgia, over where we were two years ago.  First, in anticipation of the birth.  On Mother's Day I remembered being in early labour. I laughed over my water breaking in the proverbial gush as I stood up during a conference call (from home, thankfully!) I fondly reminisced about the walks we took to get labour going when it seemed all contractions stopped. I cringed just a little at the memory of the nurses, shocked because we stopped at Starbucks on the way to the hospital.  Hey, it was early!

What I did not feel nostalgic about was the actual final push of labour.  Not fun.  Not fun at all. But then I had my sweet little girl.  She nestled in right away and was nursing within minutes. The second time around you are so much more relaxed and can actually appreciate so many of those little moments. Like her big sister, not even two herself, walking in the room after not seeing me for a few days and only having eyes for her little sister.

I could write a love letter to my daughter right here, but I took care of that already and tucked it into her momento box.  Instead I will share my favourite picture from yesterday and simply say, Happy Birthday Smilosaurus!

Workshop in Progress - May 12

Let's change things up a little bit, shall we? The Workshop in Progress has always been about sharing our works, asking for advice/opinions. Following on the dialogue that started and you can follow here and here, I've decided we should expand the WIP to include more on process.

By process I mean sharing our ideas from inspiration to completion.  This will include things like sketches - as seen above - picking fabric, playing with layouts, challenges with piecing, and even the finishing touches.

I feel like I've been doing this on the blog for quite a while, but I am committed to a much more conscious effort on this. That's why I've included the sketches today.  I have a few commission orders on the go and these were my sketches and notes on my ideas to fill the orders. 

As you can see, sketching is not my forte. But a couple of quick squiggles with a set of markers that are just mine and a few notes and I can capture the idea as I see it. While I do have a notebook that I carry around with me for anything and everything, it doesn't get a lot of sketches into it. Most of my sketches are either like above - on office paper, made at my day job desk - or they are quick scratches in the back of my work notebook. Yes, I do seem to get most of my ideas in the midst of my day job.  Daydreaming? So I make a two minute sketch, set it aside, and resume my work.

How do you capture your ideas?

Speaking of branching out and learning something... Okay, that was a horrible segue. But we do need to share Lesly's latest quilt top.  She's brought it to the workshop before and it is great to see the progression on this piece. This time she is looking for opinions on the appropriate back - one that compliments the front and makes her feel good about the piece.

And here's a technical question for you from Nichole.  What needles do you use? (Schmetz here, size depends on the task and thread at hand.)

So, let's see your process posts.  Don't be shy. Learning how others approach their projects is eye opening and refreshing. Sharing your process is liberating.



Spring to Finish Check-in


Hubby gave me a lovely Mother's Day present this week.  He let me go to my full guild day on the weekend, without complaining about it.  This, after I was more or less gone for a week with Quilt Canada. Such a sweetie.

That meant I could get this top done! It is my Values Quilt Along, only months and months late. My lovely models helped me photograph the quilt in the breeze we had last night. To be honest, I like this perspective of the quilt.  The design pops - meaning, I did it right! But up close? I'm still not sure.  Maybe I should have been more selective about the scraps I picked? I can say that I don't see this as the end of any focus on value.  There is a lot to be done here yet.

And the quilting on my Dad's quilt continues. I would say I am about half done now.  Not bad for a week of only random hours to work on it. If I can keep the sanity level in check with a deadline and Smilosaurus' birthday it might be ready for binding in a week.  Well, it has to be really because I plan on delivering it in less than two weeks!

Above is a detail from the garden and below is the white picket fence. I was able to quilt the names of all us kids, daughter and son-in-law, grandkids, and my mom along the fence.  It's a bit of a different touch. But man, did it ever remind me why I don't cursive right.  I actually had to look up how to do a couple of letters!

As for the rest of my Spring to Finish challenges...Well, other than the sketches for my doll quilts and the purchase of more amazing African fabrics to add to the Slaveship quilt nothing has happened. Everything is about my Dad's quilt.  But Hubby is away next week, so I'll get some quality quilting time in then.

Speaking of those sketches, tune in to the Workshop on Wednesday. I plan to expand what I include there to take in even more discussion and transparency about process. This falls out of the great dialogue happening on my post from last week and a follow-up Rossie posted. Make sure you check them out, lots to think about.

Sunday Dinners

After spending a week away from my family at a Quilt Conference all I wanted to do last week was cook dinner and sit down with my family.  I wanted to chaos of an almost 2 year old emptying her plate on her stylish Marimekko placemat. I wanted Hubby and I to try and talk about renovations, family, and playground sizes over two children screaming, "Mega, mega, mega!" I wanted to have the 'what animals can you kill to eat?' discussion again, and again. And on top of that, I wanted a little kitchen time to set-up this crazy thing called The Family Dinner.

Despite the fact that we have two overly energetic kids it is extremely important that we sit down to dinner together every night.  Yup, every night.  Our kids are too young for the near constant drain on our gas tank as we chauffeur them to a million activities, and lord help us if we become those parents anyway. When we sit down we are there to stay, until every last bite is eaten by every single person. And then you must be asked to be excused before you even think about a foot straying from the table.

It may seem old fashioned to be strict about these dinner time rules, but in the end it makes dinner less stressful and far more consistent in the long run. As an added bonus, it means our kids are quite used to and more than able to sit in a restaurant without being too crazy and disruptive to other patrons, for at least an hour. 

Reminder - our kids are about to be 2 and 4. And no, they aren't angels, far from it. But we've got dinnertime almost settled. You take your victories where you can as a parent.

So I am starting a new feature on Backseat Gourmet. Sunday Dinner. For many of us, Sunday might be the only day of the week where everyone is actually home at the same time. Or at least the only day where that might be possible. So every Sunday, or most at least, I will share some Sunday dinner inspiration.

It was awfully convenient then, that a new crop of cookbooks arrived last weekend. With a cup of tea I settled in for some browsing.  At the top of the stack was Rose Reisman's Family Favourites. I've had some of her cookbooks in the past and never got too excited by them. This one, however, immediately grabbed me because of her emphasis on the family dinner.  And then 40 pages of discussion on healthy eating, cooking with the family, and shopping tips.

Flipping through the book I can say that I wasn't overly excited by the dessert section - yes, of course I went there first - but the vegetable side dishes and soups had me very, very interested. So I picked up mint and goat cheese at the market.

The first recipe I made was mashed potatoes with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. I wanted this to be so good, and maybe it could have been.  But I didn't have Yukon Golds and I now disagree with the recipe in adding the chopped tomatoes before you mash. So, mine were dry, but still tasty.

But the Molasses-Coated Carrots with Mint? Holy hell, these were good. Flavourful and refreshing, without the overpowering taste of any one ingredient. I used the regular old organic carrots that I can find at this time of year, but cut smaller and adjusted the cooking time. Carrots deluxe, but still fresh with that carrot taste. An instant classic in my books. And it will certainly be making regular appearances at our house, Sunday or not.

Molasses-Coated Carrots with Fresh Mint
Serves 6
Excerpted with permission from Rose Reisman's Family Favourites
Published by Whitecap Books 2010

1 lb thin carrots (about 6 inches long), peeled and trimmed
2 Tbsp molasses
1 1/2 tsp sherry wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

1. Place the carrots in a large saucepan or skillet. Cover with water and boil for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain well and return to the saucepan.
2. Whisk together the molasses, vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl. Add to the carrots and saute over high heat for 5 minutes or until the sauce is heated through and the carrots are coated. Place on a platter, garnish with fresh mint and serve.

Throwback - A Digression


I'm not a quilt history expert, I'm just pretending to be one right now. After a week of browsing the quilts and exhibits of Quilt Canada I am very tempted to stand up and declare that there is no such thing as modern quilting.

Hold on, so far I only said I was tempted to say it.

Let's take a few steps back. You've heard me say before that I don't like to believe that I have a style in the quilts I do. To me a style meant that you could look at one of my quilts and instinctively know it was mine, or a rip off. I'd like to think I am adventurous enough to try lots of different things and that I can't be pinned down. (Pardon the pun.)

My first observation in having a quilt hung in the Invitational Show at Quilt Canada and seeing it up there next to some 500 or 600 other quilts is that I do kind of have a style. Or at least what I did was markedly different from 99% of what was there. It isn't that this makes me unique, just unique among participants at the show. It forced me to step back and examine the bulk of my quilts and realize that while you can't pin me down on colours, layout, or techniques, you can accuse me of bold, simple designs. Repetition of shapes or construction methods (improv) is quite common in most of what I do. So, maybe after all, I do have a bit of a style.

It pains me to admit that and my rebellious nature means I am aching to do something precise and varied in design. That will have to wait until I finish this thing.

The next observation I made is that I am not likely to ever, or at least in the near to mid-term future, likely to show well in a big, conventional show. I'm not saying I won't enter, I just doubt I would show well. There was one Gees Bend inspired quilt in the National Juried show, but that's it. The rest of it demonstrated some phenomenal quality, but only about 1% of it was something I would love to try. Just like machine quilting was a big deal when it started entering in shows in the 80s, it might be a while before a quilter like me could show well.

And I am really only referring to design here because - not to toot my own horn - I think my technique is pretty close in comparison. Except for maybe hand applique and some details, but I'm okay with that. Most people are intimidated by a big show, but I found it confidence inspiring that, barring quilting the life out of my pieces, my skills are pretty good.

So I crutched around the show - admiring quality work, intrigued by the crazy use of layering techniques, blown away by teeny tiny stippling - but I didn't get overly excited by much. There was an incredible 3D piece that resembled a diorama that was absolutely incredible, but that was it. Here I was, in the face of the current show quilt world of Canada these days and I was kind of bored. It was as if I'd met my good-on-paper- guy and realized that we had nothing in common. Pretty to look at it, but nothing to talk about. And certainly no chemistry.

Lest you think I am being disparaging of the artists, let me say that I have nothing but great things to say about the artists, teachers, and quilters I met. They were the inspiring ones, as people.

My last stop on the quilt show tour was an exhibit that was displaying antique sewing machines, furniture, and quilts. And it felt like I was kind of entering a comfortable place, even in a convention center. It should be noted that I am a mid-century modern girl, so it wasn't the antiques. Rather, it was the quilts. Simple, bold, clear colours (despite their age), repetitive designs, and almost exactly what you see being made with newer fabric all around the blogosphere of modern quilters.

Seriously, this display could have almost been a display of quilts from many a popular blogger today. And here we are on the internet flogging modern quilting like it is something we just made up. Yes, the importance of history and tradition is acknowledged, but people often come to modern quilting as either an evolution or rebellion from traditonal quilting. Well, I would now argue that modern quilting is actually just really, really traditional quilting. Before people got caught up in intricate pieced patterns with a million different templates and detailed quilting.

Oh, and just because you throw the word wonky or improv in front of it doesn't necessarily make it modern.

Did you know machine quilting is not an invention of the last 20-30 years? People were doing it over 100 years ago. You just don't see many examples of it because most of it was grid quilting and those quilts served as functional quilts, likely loved and used to death. Thank-you Sue Nickels for this tidbit and example. Okay, none of us think straight lines are new, but it may be argued that the prevalent use of straightline quilting is on the rise among self-described modern quilters (and almost non-existent at the show).

What else is on the rise? Easy, fast quilts. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but I got a great kick out of Mark Lipinski commenting that if the world came to an end but the quilts made it, the next inhabitants of the planet would think our arts were limited to Turning Twenty patterns! He pushed for quilters to return to a little complexity, to take the time on our pieces, to savour the process.

I would add that blogging might make the churn worse. We all want content, right? I don't know many who quilt for the sake of blogging, but ask yourself if you pick simpler projects just to have something to post? At least every now and then? Or, ask yourself how some of your favourite bloggers manage to finish so many quilts? Lifestyle aside, look at the quilts and the detail of the quilting they post.


So, this whole modern quilting thing. I can say for sure that I have a new perspective on it. And I don't think it is as revolutionary as some think it is. It really is a throwback to the traditional, traditional quilting, as this post also mentions. Just with prettier fabrics. (Although, really, so many of the popular designer fabrics are very vintagy, but with modern colours.)

I'm not coming down on the movement. It really is a movement, fueled by the internet. That's why the Modern Quilt Guild is so fascinating to me. From the internet grew a community that is now spreading like wildfire into the traditional guild model. This is awesome because no matter how much we share online (too much, at times) real connections with real people matter. Without it would be like doing nothing but designing quilts on the computer and never playing with fabric.

Beyond that, I think one of the best things about the movement is that it, and the proliferation of such bold fabrics, is bringing younger quilters to the sewing machines. And trust me, after a week with a whole bunch of 50-60 something women who complain their daughters and granddaughters don't want to quilt, this is a very good thing. And who knows, in time, we may be the ones winning ribbons? One day there may indeed be a Throwback category.


Artists, in order of appearance:
1. Forgot to record this one, apologies.
3. Me, in front of Grass
5. Cheryl A. Bock
6. Annette Johnston
7. Forgot to record this one, but it is a Heritage Park Quilter of Distinction
8. Sharon Stoneman
9. Various Antique quilts
10. More various Antique quilts
11. Forgot to record this antique one as well.
12. Flossie Douglas

Workshop in Progress - May 5

So, I can't decide if this is going to be really ugly or really cool. It is my values quilt-a-long quilt. I don't know, what do you think? So far I am loving Smilosaurus' PJs more.

Oh Elle, I adore how you challenge yourself. All of us should be this brave and this open with the process. In the Coop, Elle has been sharing her various challenges - both the struggles and the successes. It really is a testament to my goal with WIP and the notion of blogging. She puts herself out there, is learning from the shared comments and the challenges. Thanks Elle! Her post this week demonstrates that perfectly.

A big thank-you to Lesly at Pickle Dish for hosting the workshop last week.

Taste Adventure - Eggplant


If the kid asks you what an eggplant is and in her prettiest voice ever asks you to buy it - pleeeease? - then you buy it. Then hope like hell she'll actually eat it.

Eggplant isn't something I tend to cook. Although I quite like it, Hubby hates it, so I often don't bother. But when The Monster spied it at the market a few weeks back and asked for it I jumped at the chance. Plus, Hubby was going to be out of town.

Because eggplant is not on the usual dinner repertoire in our house I stood there for a minute trying to decide what else I might need to make dinner. Along came Pierre.  Literally. He appeared and we started talking eggplant. After a few minutes we parted with promises of him sending me his recipe for ratatouille. 

Pierre's recipe is a technique more than anything. When I make ratatouille I tend to chop up all my veggies, toss them with some olive oil, herbs, and a load of fresh tomatoes. Into the oven on high heat. And done. Pierre's technique was to chop up onion, cover them with canned tomatoes in a baking dish, and bake for a 10 minutes. Then top with eggplant and our other veggies. Throw in some rosemary and a secret ingredient or two and let it all bake together. I think the term he used was Blap! it together.

It was fantastic. I loved this method of cooking, I loved the ratatouille - rich, tummy warming, and flavourful. And the girls? Not so much.

The Monster refused to eat anything but the peppers, even after her one bite and reminder that this indeed was the eggplant she asked for. And Smilosaurus took this occasion to string together her first 4 word sentence, "I don't like that!"

Any other eggplant suggestions out there? I'm not willing to give up yet.

A One Track Mind

It might be because I spent a week seeing the award winning quilts from the National Juried Show, but I was in a mood to quilt. And someone how I got it in my head to really quilt this quilt.

Seriously, this sucker is going to be heavily quilted! I won't be going to the extreme of stipple less than 1/8 of an inch big, but I am motivated to do some serious needlework now. I'm not complaining though, I think it will be just perfect.

Remind me, however, not to put my tea next to my pin box next time.

Quilt Canada in Full Swing

Oh wow, I am so tired. And, to be honest, a little overwhelmed with the thoughts and designs swirling around in my head. There are still a few days left at Quilt Canada. I have two more events and a few lectures to attend. I'm not sure I can take all the stimulation!

I know many people come to quilt shows and take away some neat ideas, a little confidence, and probably a lot of merchandise. I'm coming away from this week with new colleagues, tonnes of design ideas, a new business venture, and some confusion. It's going to take me a bit of time to digest it all.

In the meantime, here is a little report so far. See that guy there? That's Mark Lipinski, with his arm around me (and my co-chair). He is seriously one of the nicest men I've ever met, or maybe his husband is. Either way, we had a great time being entertaining by Mark on two occasions. His trunk show is part stand-up routine and he had nearly everyone in tears. You need to hear the girdle story yourself  to fully understand. And Mark is already asking when he can come back, but he wants to teach next time.

In addition to the trunk show Mark also spoke at our Professional Development Conference. He was a great start to the day and got us all thinking, a lot. For the next day and a half we discussed branding, marketing, finding balance, taxes, and inspiration. The group was honest with each other and I think we had some great discussions. I only hope that many others got as much out of it as we put in. 
Aside from our evening events, my attempts to direct a fashion show, and that whole merchant mall and quilt show, I had a few other tasks to keep me busy. I sent Mark's quilts back home for him. So, for two days my living room was filled with his quilts. When I was refolding and packing his quilts I saw this label. I hope you don't mind me sharing, Mark!

I'll report back with more next week. And stay tuned for more details on an upcoming adventure.

Torture


As you read this I am busy inspiring (hopefully) and being inspired by Mark Lipinski, Cathy Tomm, Sharole Lawrence, Fran Lauzon, and so many more during the Professional Development Conference at Quilt Canada. That is not the torturous part. The torturous part is that I know that this quilt is sitting at home, waiting to be quilted. I've never wanted to quilt a quilt more.

But Quilt Canada should be an invigorating and exhausting week.  I predict a million more ideas in my sketchbook!

Have a great week everyone!

(And how appropriate that my brother picked out a bunch of Mark Lipinski fabric for the back of my dad's quilt, without even knowing the Quilt Canada connection!)

Interweb Adventures


Today I'm taking you on a little tour of self-promotion. Busy little me has been flying around the interwebs visiting, writing, sharing. This week I am off at a major quilt event, so I thought I would share my internet adventures with you.

Not too long ago I discovered a website that appeals to my heart, especially. Michelle at What's Cooking is working hard to spread a love for cooking to kids, and families. This week she featured my post on making Babka with the girls in a What's Cooking feature on Cooking With Kids.

For Earth Day this week I discussed the joys of visiting farms with your kids. I shared this over at Simple Bites. Making that connection with food starts with knowing where it comes from and who it comes from. As Wade always says, eating local is about eating food you know from people you know.

I also started a new venture guest blogging with Food Network Canada. It's spring, despite the snow storm that hit Calgary last weekend, so I am over there talking asparagus.

Speaking of asparagus, that Simple Bites piece includes a recipe for Asparagus and Feta pizza. Don't forget to check that out!

Now, if only I was actually home to cook this week.

Backseat Adventure - Cowboy Trail


A few weeks back, with Hubby out of town and the weather not quite warm enough for picnics, the girls and I headed out on an adventure. We left the house unsure of where to go. We followed the sunshine to the Cowboy Trail. 

Taking in the towns of Millarville, Turney Valley, Black Diamond and Longview the Cowboy Trail snakes South of Calgary through the foothills alongside Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. To the West you have the Rocky Mountains. To the East you have Prairies and ranchland. In front of you there is entertainment, small town love, and plenty to make you smile.

What we found that day...

A phenomenal breakfast, just incredible, at the Chuckwagon Cafe in Turner Valley. Also discovered there was meat off sales. Not booze, but meat, sold over the counter. And it was damn good meat.

Something else discovered in Turner Valley - sumo wrestling.

Found in Longview - quite possibly the world's best beef jerky. I haven't tried all the world's beef jerky, but this place may indeed live up to their advertised claims.

Also realized on the Cowboy Trail is the proliferation of these lame cowboy cutouts.  We get it folks.

While we did pass a number of working ranches along the way, the only horse we rode was this one.

I particularly enjoy matching garbage and scenery.

Limited access to the Sheep River in Black Diamond, at least as far as crutches go. But we did get a little walk and the girls weren't too disappointed that they couldn't throw rocks.

An old fashioned soda shop in Black Diamond, Marv's. A bit disappointing that the ice cream was Nestle or some general brand and their carbonated ice cream machine was being cleaned, but my saskatoon berry sundae was still good. And as far as kids are concerned, all ice cream is good.

That despite the apparent challenges of parenting with limited mobility and a travelling Hubby, it isn't that hard to get out of the house and have an adventure with your kids.

Calgary Meet-up?


The internet is an interesting place. It allows us to be more open and honest with, perhaps ourselves, and others. We make friendships we might never have started or maintained in the 'real world'. And it allows us a chance to create a community without ever needing to borrow a cup of sugar.

One of the reasons I volunteered for the Local Organizing Committee of Quilt Canada was to meet more local quilters and become engaged in the real world community here in Calgary. And for that it has been fantastic.

As time moves on, however, I find that there are more and more quilters in Calgary that aren't a part of the real world community, rather they are engaged in the on-line world. And that is awesome too.

So, I've decided to host a little get together/meet-up for my readers that are local. I'm also inviting the newly formed Calgary Modern Quilt Guild.

These are my two suggested times.  Sorry, but I do have to work around my Quilt Canada obligations.

Thursday April 29 6:30 pm Drinks
Friday April 30 1:00 Desserts

Once I have an idea of who is interested I will confirm location, but it will be somewhere really close to the Telus Convention Centre, site of the Merchant Mall and shows.

So, grab your horse and come down to meet up. Who's in?

Workshop in Progress - April 21

So, in the Workshop this week I wanted to talk scraps. This is the bag of brand new scraps left over from piecing my Dad's quilt. I'll be honest, it makes me kind of giddy to look at it. I almost wish there were more!

My question for you is about selvages. I never used to keep them, but I do now. For those of you that collect, do you like partials, or does the entire row of text and dots need to be there? And how much of the actual fabric is necessary to cut off with the selvage?

Now, on to the rest of you.

Elle is back at her original WIP project. Her Wind and Water piece seems softer to me now. I love watching it evolve.

Somehow I missed the naming of this quilt, but remember we helped Felicity on the name game. Check out this post to see what she went with.

Next week I will be well and truly insane with all the goings on for Quilt Canada. If you are around next week, find me - I'm the one on the crutches with the long black hair. I am chairing the Professional Development Conference and helping out at all evening events. I hope to see you!

Because I will be away, I've asked Lesly at Pickle Dish to host the workshop. Make sure to check in with her next Wednesday. And if you have any posts get them up there in the blogosphere and let her know. 

Mmm, Pizza


One of the first things I got off my butt to make after my knee injury was pizza dough. I was facing a deadline and needed to work my hands a little. Mostly I needed to work my hands. It is amazing what forced exile from the kitchen can do to a cook. I might have gone through a bit of withdrawal, shakes and all.

Yes, I know you can make pizza dough in a food processor, or easily in that 5 minutes a day way. But sometimes you need to pile up flour, make a well for your liquids, then scream for your husband to clean it up when the walls break and floury liquid is running down the front of the counter. With the next batch I used a bowl.

This dough is totally inspired by David Rocco. I watched a lot of Food Network when I was laid up. But I couldn't remember the recipe exactly, but I loved that he made pizzas and calzones with it. So I made it up in my head when I did get to the kitchen. Turns out it is pretty damn close to his recipe. So, thanks David. Now go kiss those adorable twins of yours. (Seriously, could you make the Italian countryside more beautiful?)

An easy dinner in our house is now calzones made with this dough. All that means is you fold over the dough, roll the edges, and bake at high heat. Homemade pizza pocket. And when you do make it as a pizza, it is a lovely, thin crust. But calzones now rule because, according to The Monster, the Pizza Man makes the pizza, not Mama. I need to rectify that situation ASAP.

Pizza Dough
Makes 8 hearty calzones or 8 individual pizzas*

2 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil

1. Stir together water and yeast. Let sit for a few minutes until it is foamy, or the yeast has bloomed.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center of the flour. Pour the water, yeast, and olive oil into the well. Start incorporating the liquids, using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula. You will likely have to switch to mixing with your hands. Once it has come together as a dough, dump it out on a floured countertop. Knead for just a few minutes until the dough is smooth.
3. Divide into four equal portions. Cover lightly with a lightly damp tea towel and let rest for an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

For calzones:
5. One portion at a time roll into a rectangle about 8 by 6 inches. Cut in half at the 4 inch mark.
6. Top each half with a tablespoon of tomato sauce, leaving an inch without sauce all around the edges. Add a half cup of shredded cheese and toppings of choice.
7. Fold each calzone in half, pinching and rolling over the edges to seal. Brush the tops with a beaten egg.
8. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely before eating as fillings will be very hot.

For pizzas:
5. Roll each portion into a rough circle about 8 inches around.
6. Thinly cover with toppings of choice.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden.

*I usually freeze half the dough for another day. After the dough has rested, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a  freezer bag. Let thaw completely and use according to recipe.

Baba and Dido's Garden


It was a whirlwind quilting weekend, a retreat of sorts at my house. My sister and sister-in-law came down to work on a quilt for my Dad. After what seemed like 48 straight hours of quilting, interrupted only by babies needing Mama and not Daddy/Uncle, we finished this quilt top.

Inspired entirely by the garden/yard at my Baba and Dido's house in Hafford, Saskatchewan, this quilt is a tribute to that memorable part of our lives spent there. Even if we hated it as kids it is such a strong part of our identity. It seemed only fitting to make sure our Dad knew that since this was also his place.

My sister came to the table not having sewn in decades, but my sister-in-law is also a quilter (my evil influence). When we started talking about what design direction we wanted to go in it was a very short discussion. Independently of each other we came up with the exact same concept. So we quickly started pulling fabric, books, and sketching.

Before long we were sewing and my house was taken over by strips and scraps, rulers, machines, coffee, cheese, and loads of cookies. There was only one moment where we had to stop sewing, my sister and I sharing tears of laughter over a silly childhood story. We were three tired Mamas getting a break to sew - when all we really wanted to do was sleep. It is the natural instinct when someone else is watching the kids.
The entire project took every corner of my small house. My stash was spread around the living room for easy access. We used both The Monster's and our bed for layout, in addition to the living room floor when all babies where sleeping. My dining room became a literal sweatshop. In the midst of all these we had three kids - mine and my nephew.  Hubby was AWESOME, taking them all to the park and zoo to keep them out of our hair. It didn't stop the girls from sitting on our laps to help us sew and snip threads. Nor did it stop my nephew from being so damn cute.

Probably the most important part of this quilt is the garden. My Baba had an enormous garden. Seriously, a home garden to make anyone jealous. It was meticulously tended by hand. Every day in the summer you would see her stooped over weeding, watering, and picking. When we came to visit we had the watering duties, and when she wasn't looking we snuck strawberries. Then, every fall, the family loaded up to help with harvest. This entailed two vehicles so we could bring home the bounty.  And every year my mom would exclaim, "What am I going to do with a dozen heads of cabbage?!

We briefly debated paper piecing the garden, a la Ruth McDowell. But of the three of us I am the only one who knows how to paper piece. So Tash recommended we improvise things - she did learn from me after all! So we grabbed fabric and scissors and started sewing our garden.

The only thing we had to go on was our memories and the start of the house. You see, I've had this idea in my head for at least 5 years now, if not longer. I started one day then never got anywhere. I guess it just took the right motivation, many hands, and loads of work. The quilt is gone to Edmonton for backing and basting. I will get it back for quilting in a week or two. Can't wait!
(PS Mom, if you read this, DON'T TELL DAD!)

Workshop in Progress - April 14

My Monster is demonstrating just how I feel right now. So busy playing, but needing the time to take a rest in the middle of it all.

I am in so deep with Quilt Canada stuff these coming weeks, so very little to report from my end. But I can share that there are still tickets left for the evening events during the week, lectures, and even some of the classes. But if you can't do classes, we are still taking volunteers, particularly for white glovers.

In the meantime, this week's Workshop question comes from What KT Made Next. Remember her modern Dear Jane? She has another fabric question for you.  All those lovely pinks! But is this one the right one?