What's On My Plate

Finally, back to my blog. When I began this, I hoped I would be disciplined and post on a regular basis. Well, so much for good intentions. But, I did have good intentions to create a workspace in the basement and though not really complete, it's comfortable and in use nearly every day, if only for a short time. I still want to empty a couple bookcases down there and shelve all my quilt books and supplies. The wonderful thing about this space is silence. The only sound I can hear is the furnace behind the wall. No tv. No radio. I do have a mini travel dvd player that is rarely used but keeps me from feeling deprived.

The pieces on the plate are for an English Medallion quilt. The pattern is by Bettina Havig. So far the directions are precise and everything is going well. Knock on wood! I actually feel like a real quilter since I moved into this space. My work table from the second hand store cost only $20. The top was a little worn but that didn't bother me and I just applied a couple of coats of varnish and painted the legs. It's big enough for my old portable sewing machine which boasts the names of New Home and Janome. Must be New Home sold to Janome? I haven't checked that out. The only reason I chose that one is my hubby's grandmother had a New Home treadle which I have down there, and intend to get cleaned and running, in the cutting area. I forgot to mention I have an eight foot banquet table elevated with pvc pipe in an adjacent room. Lucky me! No bending over to cut. The other machine, the one pictured here, is a birthday present to myself a couple of years ago. It's a dandy little white Singer Featherweight. I swear when I switched to this machine my sewing improved dramatically. When I feed the little pieces under the presser foot they slide right in and through. No more thread tangling and pulling the fabric down and out of sight. It's so nice to have both machines always on the same table. Always ready to sew. Always ready to sew with a friend. :)

~~the 2nd photo is supposed to be here but haven't figured that out :(

The second photo is my batting covered wall. This tip I learned from a local gal who taught me to use the rotary cutter and mat and gave me the confidence that I can make quilts. Just like the old Colorforms plastic dolls, the quilt blocks stick to the batting and it makes a huge difference watching the quilt come together. Even the large center assemblage is just clinging without any pins.

It's snowy and cold here tonight. We are so blessed to be warm and safe.

Thanks for visiting.

Wheat Harvest in Amish Country

Driving the back roads of LaGrange County Indiana recently, I came upon a field of standing wheat shocks which were harvested in the labor intensive ancient way. The ripe golden wheat is first cut using cast iron farm implements drawn by a team of sturdy draft horses driven by the farmer. In this particular field the crop was raked into small bundles, hand tied with green twine, and then the small bundles stacked into the larger shocks shown in this photo. You can see a closeup of the individually tied bundles in the previous post. The raking, tying, and stacking is often the work of the women and children. The women work in a long polyester dress, apron, and bonnet. This is only a portion of the field.

The beauty of the scene is breathtaking.

And so is the work behind it.

Close up of wheat shocks

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Here's a closeup of the wheat shocks in the above post.

If you look closely you can see the green string that holds each small bundle together.

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Maybe an edit is due?

In the About Me section, I hope for another twenty five good years. I'm wondering if I should edit that to twenty.......naaahhhhh, maybe I should add five more years. Another thirty years is entirely possible!

Quilt Festival

Shipshewana, IN had its first quilt festival in June and it did not disappoint. There were just over 80 quilts selected to be shown and I am happy to say mine was one! I was surprised to see how longarm machine quilting dominates hand quilting. Naively I still imagined hand quilting is preferable. I've had one top machine quilted and the quilter did a fantastic job. I went the machine route because I will never hand quilt all the tops I piece, only select ones. So, I shouldn't be surprised. A quilt top finished by the hands of a skillful longarm quilter is beautiful in its own way.

The grand prize was from Michigan. It is trapunto applique, machine quilted and very striking. It's the white with red. I was lax and didn't take the notes I should have.

An applique quilt with playful puppies also won a ribbon and is just a delightful piece.

My entry (top photo) was a variation of the pineapple block called Windmill Blades and I did hand quilt this one. I got excellent marks for my fabric choices, however the corners of the binding were my downfall. Still, not bad for only the 2nd quilt I've made. I feel because when I participate I succeed.

Sorry all the photos are at the top. Wasn't meant to be laid out that way but I just don't know how to insert them!

Into the Beautiful North

Earlier this year I had the privilege of going to Kankakee, Illinois for the kick-off of the book tour of "Into the Beautiful North" by Luis Alberto Urrea. As a child every Saturday during the summer my friends and I walked to the imposing sandstone library complete with turret and bronze lions. We scoured the card catalogs and stacks always eager to discover a new treasure to read. "The Black Stallion'' series by Walter Farley was by far the favorite of our little tribe. It was a joy to return to my childhood stomping grounds, but I was not prepared for the impact of the evening gathering.

So, here I am revisiting the lions who now reside in front of the new library. The old library, now I believe the library for lawyers, still stands though somewhat less dazzling without the lions guarding the front entrance.

I have not reviewed this book yet. I'm still digesting it. However, I can endorse it and its author. Meeting Luis and having books autographed was an unexpectedly rich experience. I am a huge fan of "The Hummingbird's Daughter" and am happy to report my old tattered copy is now autographed and even graced with a sketch of a hummingbird on the title page.

More to come on "Into the Beautiful North". I can tell you it is being considered for film production and "The Hummingbird's Daughter" is scheduled to begin filming in January 2010.

Also, if you are not a fan of the chain bookstores or big-box online stores, check out a fabulous Oregon book store with a website: Powell's Books. You can find them at www.powells.com with a large and varied online store. They also have a program called "Indiespensables" which offers subscriptions. You choose the length of subscription and every six weeks will receive a box, always a surprise, that includes a wonderful autographed book and a few extra delights. Check it out. It's a great gift for yourself or someone else.

Check back. This post is in constant revision. You may peek inside "Into the Beautiful North" via the link below. When the page opens use the blue toolbar at the top of the page to see inside the book.

Harvesting the Roses

Here's a photo of the process of harvesting rose petals to make Rose Champagne Sorbet. First you make a base, freeze it, then process with champagne in an ice cream freezer. I use a KitchenAid. Absolutely indescribable but I'll try: delicate, effervescent, subtle rose flavor. Heavenly! You can see the petals in the colander and the pulp in the food processor. These roses are an antique variety that blooms only once in June. And, they are organic.