What a Difference a Flange Makes.....

Hello Everyone,

I had a bit of time yesterday to work on the new Summer's Blush.  I've been auditioning different fabrics for the sashing and the flange.  I put everything out on the floor to get a better overall picture of how this quilt was coming together.  (I don't have a design wall at the cabin....nothing sticks to logs.) Compare the first two images.  What a difference just a little check on the diagonal makes on this block!  Yes, it takes more time, but it is well worth the effort.

This block looks so plain to me....in fact it looks unfinished.  It definitely needs a flange or 'eyelash' as some quilter's call it.

I'm using a lot of Civil War reproduction fabrics in this quilt.  Some of them are quite old, but I still love them just the same.  The fabrics were in my quilting cupboard shouting out, "pick me, pick me!"  When I find fabric that I really like, I will buy 2-3 yards of it.  The black fabric is a recent Bonnie Blue Basic.  The ruffled-looking caramel-colored fabric and the flange material is a Jo Morton fabric from Andover.  The tan background fabric is called Chelsea Boutique from Blackbird Designs.  Sometimes it is hard to find an attractive, tone on tone background.  When I find one, I'll pick up 3-4 yards of it since I know it will not go to waste.

The blocks go together very quickly compared to the flowers in the setting triangles.  I have about 20 hexagon flower made that need to be sewn together and appliqued to the background.  Sounds like a good job while we drive down out of the mountains today.

I hope all of you enjoy your weekend.  I know I will since the football playoffs begin today. I'll be cheering for the underdogs while workings on flowers.

As always,

Lynn

Risotto Anyone?

Hello Everyone,

Last night, Joe and I were invited over to Kaaren and Clint's house for homemade risotto from scratch. What a fabulous treat and a most enjoyable evening! Kaaren and Clint recently returned from a two-month vacation in Italy. Kaaren, through observation and broken Italian and English, learned how to make risotto.

Let me set the scene here. Their home is absolutely lovely. When you step through the door, both Clint, Kaaren, and their home, give you a warm, inviting welcome hug. Kaaren is a quilter too, and this Sandy Gervais quilt is illuminated right by the front door. 

All we had to do was bring and appetizer or "nibble" as Kaaren calls it.  Joe and I made Shrimp on the Barbie!  Do you know how hard it is to find a Barbie-type doll in a small, winter resort community?

Do the shoes remind you of the ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz?  I had to take a picture of the shoes! Red leaf lettuce made a nice ruffled skirt for Barbie.

Kaaren started cooking with her special rice and extra special olive oil.  I now have all of her secrets and I'm anxious to make my own risotto.

Rice, mushrooms, pancetta, garlic, chicken broth and fresh rosemary were the ingredients.  It's the stirring and stirring that breaks down the starch which creates the sauce. (Smell-o-vision would send you over the moon about now.)  After about 30 minutes later dinner is almost ready.

Here we go, a hearty, filling and delicious serving of risotto topped with a generous handful of pecorino cheese. Add a salad, bread, wine and life is good.  We thought we had died and gone to heaven.

Our hosts, Kaaren and Clint sitting across from us at their long, farmhouse table in their kitchen. 

Thank you so much for the delightful evening.  I'll have to put on my thinking cap to come up with a dinner as good as this one when it's our turn to host Kaaren and Clint.  There's no way I can possibly top the dinner we had last night!

As always,

Lynn

New blocks.....finally

Hello Everyone,

In between making blocks and writing pattern directions, I finally have something to show from my efforts for the new Summer's Blush quilt.  This quilt is going to be totally scrappy.  I make the points in the block using a 7" square of fabric.  I'm sure all of us have lots and lots of 7" squares.  I know I do!

This is my favorite block so far.  I love the combination of pink and black together.  I just may make one with a pink pinwheel center and black points in the star.  This is a simple block that gets easier and easier.

Some of the pinwheel centers will be the same as I make them in matched sets.  I'm also pulling the colors in that I used to make the hexagon flowers.  I still have to select the fabric for the flanges on the setting triangles.  I've narrowed the fabric selection for the sashing down to two.  I'll reveal my selection later on this week.  Hint, hint, it is going to involve black.

Starting a new quilt from a pattern you've already made once before can still be just as fun and challenging as the first time around.  This quilt has a unique personality that reveals itself with each completed block and flower.

I have three pages of written directions so far.  Now I just need to get my scribbles into the computer and make some sense out of them.

As always,

Lynn