Crabapple Jelly

Well, my friend Lee was telling us at coffee this morning about making crabapple jelly.   It was a nice story about a crab apple tree that she admired in her neighbourhood for some time.   She happened to cross paths with the owner of the tree.  After having a nice conversation about the tree, she offered Lee some of the crabapples.   Lee prepared the jelly and said how beautifully clear and pink the jelly was.    It sounded so nice.

That's all I needed to hear..   I've never made it before, but I have been watching a crab apple tree in my secret garden.  The apples are so red this year, they are visible from quite far away.    I couldn't wait to come home and see if I had enough of the little beautiful red apples.    Sure enough, I did.   More than enough.    After a quick trip to the store to buy cheesecloth,  my husband helped me prepare the juice.   A few hours later, and using this Certo recipe, we have 8 beautiful jars of Crabapple Jelly.

St. Dunstan's Raffle Quilt Update - Week 3

The Ohio blocks are a dream to sew.  I just loved making the hour glass blocks.  I got most of the blocks sewn last Tuesday at the Ville.  I finished the last 4 blocks this morning, and gave them a press.    Let's see what they look like.

I've laid out the on-point arrangement.   The eight colors are a depiction of the fall harvest. Purples, orange, greens, yellows and reds.   I've tried to mix up the colors pretty good.   I've taken this photo, and will look at it again tomorrow to look for anything that bugs me.  I find it helps to look at the arrangement through a camera.   Already, I can see a couple of things I will change tomorrow.

Stay tuned next week for another update.


  

CQA Quilter's Sewing Kit

In the Fall CQA Newsletter, there is a pattern for a Sewing Kit.  It's just darling and so useful.   

I had scraps of fabric in my scrap bag, so I made up a prototype.   It's nice. I love some of the nice thoughtful details.  In particular, the scissor cord end is neatly sewn under the spools of thread.  And when you close the kit up, the spools of thread, and the thimble are off-set with one another to reduce bulk.  The scissors, if small enough can be put in the zipper compartment, or you can store binder clips in it.    Smart thinking...   Thanks CQA.   I'll definitely be making another one or two!

A Coat for my Cutter

I made a small project this week.  It was very simple.  A holder for my favorite rotary cutter.   It was quick because I had some already quilted fabric sandwiches laying around.     Why not make a coat for your cutter..   Click here for the free pattern and tutorial.

Presenting my sweet Duffle Bag

While I'm at home and overseeing our landscaping, I dug out a bag of supplies that I brought home from Florida last spring.   It's to make a small duffel bag.  I really was attracted to the colors and the size of the bag.  I put it on my to-do list.    I've been thinking of digging it out for months now.  The directions call for all kinds of stuff that a quilter would not normally have.  I've read through the pattern a few times, but until you actually get started, the directions had very little meaning.  Actually, it all looked a bit scary..

Well, this was the week.   Knowing the landscapers were coming and I would be stuck at home for a few days, I cut out all the parts on Monday.  It seemed like there was 30 pieces of all sizes.   Well, there wasn't that many, but with the different fabrics, piping, interfacing, foam, strapping etc, my brain was mush after cutting everything out.  It was good not to even look at it on Tuesday..    I started it yesterday morning.  I followed the tutorial, step by step.  After re-reading some steps several times, I got the hang of it... The two side pieces done.   I found that I had cut two pieces incorrectly.  It was throwing me off.  I was tired from thinking so much... the sewing part was easy.   I was done for the day.  Way too much thinking..  It would have been easy to put it all back in the bag and finish it later...   haha..

This morning, I looked at it... and loved what I had accomplished yesterday. It was motivation enough to continue.   I worked on the zipper panel and the bottom part.   The zipper was a little tricky.  It was a big zipper... with big zipper teeth.  I just couldn't just sew through that like I usually do with zippers.   I got it done..   With all the components ready,  it all got carefully pinned, and clipped together. The sewing was simple. Although, it was really weird to use a 1/2 inch seam allowance.    Yippee, it's done.  I'm so pleased with it.  

I'm glad that I remembered to put my name patch on it.  It's going to hold supplies for when I go teaching.  Probably for a wallet class.   I'll test it out...

The big question is, "will I make another?"   Maybe.   Are you feeling brave?   Want to make one for yourself?  The free pattern and picture tutorial is here at Sew4Home..  

Drawing the Line

Before going to my Sew Tuesday group this week, I decided to draw my diagonal line on my 48 white blocks. These will be for my 96 hour glass blocks for the Ohio Stars.   I came across this post. (Wait. I can't find the YouTube, but I will continue to look for it).

The suggestion offers a slightly more efficient way of handling the drawing of the diagonal lines.

Take a piece of fine sandpaper, tape it to your desk.   Use this as your work surface to draw the diagonal line.  It stays in position nicely and helps the pencil marks adhere...  I did like the technique.

Then I was nicely working away at my diagonal lines and down to the last dozen to mark, and it dawned on me to put two of my squares on the sandpaper at the same time.   It was slightly more efficient and I wish I had thought of it earlier... 

The good news is, Tuesday has come and gone, and all the hour glass blocks are done.   This week, when I have 10 minutes at a time, I will trim these up to 4.5".   Next Tuesday, I should be able to sew up the 28 blocks.  

Getting Ready for Sew Tuesdays this Fall

I'm so looking forward to Tuesdays this fall.      We've started a group of Tuesday Sewers at the Ville.   It's a very nice way to get work done on your projects and have a some social time too.

Last Tuesday, I worked on a few different things. One of the things that I'm most happy that I got done, was 32 hourglass patches.   See these are the first ones that will go into the St. Dunstan's raffle quilt.      They are sitting next to my sewing machine and sometime that I have half an hour this weekend, they will get sewn up.   

And again, this week, I'm preparing for the Tuesday sewing by pre-cutting pieces for the rest of St. Dunstan's Ohio Stars quilt.   I have blocks cut to make 24 blocks.   Wouldn't that be awesome if I got all the hour glasses done.   So that's a total of 96 hourglasses.    Well, might be a stretch to get done, but we'll see.

Time is slipping by, and I really want to give this to the St. Dunstan Quilters by the end of October.   With my new found Tuesday time, it will be no problem at all. 

One thing that I realized last week, which was the first Tuesday of sewing, is that I should only bring a couple of projects to work on.  To have a little break from the hourglass blocks this Tuesday, I will bring another small  project to work on.  I'll show you next Tuesday.

Sew, what are you doing on Tuesday's this fall?.   Want to join us?... There are a couple of spaces left.  Contact me and I'll give you details.