Keeping Up

Happy Friday everyone!  It is a very happy Friday in my house today as it's the last day of the autumn term, the sun is shining and it has become that little bit colder thus signalling the start of snuggling season!

I've been keeping up with my Farmer's Wife block - I am absolutely loving making the blocks.  Working on one unique block at a time from start to finish gives me a sense of achievement and also accomplishment - many of the blocks incorporate traditional quilting designs, many of which I've not attempted before.  it's educational as well as pleasurable!  Here are this week's offerings:

Attic Windows

I loved making this one!  It's the first block in the book and the first one where I've physically made use of the templates to cut the fabric.  For the previous blocks I've measured the printed template and accurately cut to those measurements.  This may be shocking to the purists out there but my logic was that if I repeatedly use my template how can i make sure I'm not shaving off bits of it during the cutting process and therefore changing the dimensions?  With this Attic Windows block I had no choice but to use the templates as they were all odd shapes and I am very happy with the result.  Incidentally I printed out the templates on acetate so they were a bit more sturdy.

Contrary Wife

I absolutely love the name of this block!  I think my husband probably thinks I fit into such a category!  I cut a few corners here (not literally!) by making half square triangles rather than using the templates.  I love the contrast of the red and white fabrics.

Tomorrow I'm leaving both children with my husband for a whole day to go to the Autumn Quilt Festival at Malvern.  I hope to find some lovely fabrics to share next week!

The Farmer's Wife Quilt

When I was a little girl I always wanted to marry a farmer.  I cannot recall why this was and I ended up marrying a doctor instead!  Over the last year or so many, many crafty people I admire in blogland have been partaking in this:


The project is based on this book:

 


Basically it involves 111 different quilting blocks inspired by a collection on 1920s letters to 'The Farmer's Wife' magazine as a response to the question 'Would you want your daughter to marry a farmer?'

I've been stalking several blogs over the last few months trying to decide if I would take the plunge.  As I am a bit of a serial starter when it comes to projects I didn't really want to bite off more than I could chew.   I bought the book and fell in love!  The blocks in the book are in very traditional 'civil war' type colours but easily lend themselves to a more contemporary colour palate.

I bought the book for a friend as a birthday gift, and together we are going to try and make one or two blocks a week.  The idea is by doing it together we will provide each other with inspiration and motivation, as well as giving us something fun to do now that the weather is properly autumny and the nights are drawing in.

Here are my first two blocks:

The block above is called 'Autum Tints', while the one below is 'Basketweave'.  I've changed the arrangement of the block slightly  in the latter, preferring it to the book's layout.

I think this may become addictive.....

Birthday Weekend

It was my birthday last weekend.  Of course, these days I never divulge such events until after they have passed!  I'm officially in my mid-thirties and half way to 70 as my husband has repeatedly told me.  Lucky for me, he'll get there first ;-)

I was very loved and spoilt and got lovely pressies and a fantastic meal here

My girly friends organised a surprise tea party for me complete with scones, jam and cream and these fantastic cupcakes:

My family also ordered a birthday cake - beautifully made by Natalie and inspired by my favourite Emma Bridgewater design: Starry Skies:

I'm so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!!

Summer Days Quilt

There was a little pile of 9 patch squares all over my sewing table for a lot of the summer months.  Work was in fits and starts and a birthday deadline was missed in spectacular style!

Finally the quilt is completed - referred to as 'Summer Days' in reference to the time of year and the lovely fresh fabric prints used.  The fabric line was a Moda favourite for me - 'Oh Cherry, Oh' - sadly no longer available.

The quilt is a modern take on the single Irish chain quilt - I love the way the fabrics automatically 'chain' by alternating 9 patch squares with plain white fabric.  I also love the scrappy look achieved by using a jelly roll:

The back is pieced from various pink and green fabrics I had in my stash as well as a couple of leftover jelly roll strips.  The binding is pink and spotty :-) :

It was a long awaited birthday gift for my good friend Lois, but I think she thought it worth the wait!

Baby Quilt

I think I need to start naming my quilts.  Every time I finish a quilt or project, the blog entry is titled 'another finish', 'finished' or 'baby quilt'!!!!!

This baby quilt was finished about 2 weeks ago but the whole September-back-to-school-thing happened and life has been a bit chaotic.  You would think I had more time to upload photos and write a blog entry with one child back at school, but alas, no!

I love little baby quilts as they are so quick to make :-).  This one was made by framing a 5" square with 2.5" wide strips.  It's for a little boy, hence the predominantly blue colour scheme and little cars and fire engine prints.  Lots of spots and squares as well.  The quilting is simple stippling - so quick and straightforward on a little person's quilt.

I'm hoping to reorganise my time now school has restarted - I have a lot of works in progress that really must be finished!

Tortilla Love

My Baby Boy doesn't really like bread.  This is a nightmare in a house where the rest of us would happily live on bread, brie and red wine - the latter obviously for the adults ;-).  He will eat toast occasionally but his not-fussed-on-bread habit provides me with a lunchtime challenge.

I've been making my own bread for ages now - it is infinitely tastier the shop bought variety - and now I'm in a bread making routine, it's no hassle at all.  I ditched my bread maker a long time ago (not a fan of the texture or sweetness) in favour of a largely hand baked variety - ok I do cheat a leeeeetle by doing some of the kneading in my kitchenaid.  The River Cottage bread book has provided a wealth of recipes and advice and my friend Natalie, who is a Bakery student, has been great with troubleshooting.  I've even tried sourdough - an absolute must.

This week I came across a section in the book that I had largely ignored - it contained recipes for some things I had baked in the past, like scones and soda bread, and other recipes I had never even considered baking for myself.  Here I found the  recipe for tortillas.  My first reaction was that life is too short to be baking homemade tortillas.  My opinion after baking them is that I will never, ever buy a shop bought flour tortilla again.

So easy to make, and so tasty and fresh.  The recipe calls for 250g plain flour, 5g salt and 150ml of water which are mixed together and then kneaded - in the kitchenaid in my case.  The dough is then rested for half an hour in a bowl covered with clingfilm.  After this time the dough is divided into eight balls and then rolled out thinly into circular shapes.  Mine weren't that circular to be honest.  To cook them you simply heat a dry frying pan and cook on both sides for 30 seconds or so (I did mine for a bit longer).  The tortillas can be kept warm in a clean dry tea towel while you cook all eight. 

We've had tortillas with various fillings probably every day this week - the Baby Boy in particular is a big fan :-D

Complete

I completed my Rainbow Bright Blanket!  It only took me two days - must be the quickest thing I've ever knitted from start to finish.  Recovery from illness brought productivity! I snapped this Instagram photo in the midday sun today - two hours later and it is hosing down.

I love knitting, but making this blanket made me realise how much I LOVE knitting.  Even though it is August, I've started thinking about - ahem - Christmas.  I've dug out a load of sock yarn I've been hoarding and I'm wondering how many pairs of socks I might make as festive gifts.  Always better to plan these things early!