Saturday, September 17, 2011

Christmas Stripes


'Twas a few months before Christmas,
and with nothing to do
I sat in my quilt room-
seemingly blue.

The UFO's rested untouched on the shelf
and none of the BOM's seemed to 
bother myself.

Then in the corner a package 
caught my eye,
some new Christmas striped fabric, 
I just HAD to buy.

Full Striped Fabric
 Armed with a triangle template* and a sharp rotary knife,
I thought to myself, "Now this is the life!"

Just a few simple cuts and some seams 
sewn together--
I instantly had table runners for the 
snowier weather.
   




Layer two identical stripes, cut like this.




Poinsettias, reindeer and snowmen with S'mores--
What more could I make behind these closed doors?

A head start on Christmas 2052--
Because that's how long it takes me to finish things---
How about you?

    
 
  




Sew together end triangles first and then center seam.
Finished detail.   

*For the 60 degree triangle template I used in this piece:

http://www.online-quilting.com/

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas"

By Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;


The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,


When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.


The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,


With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;


"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"


As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.


And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.


He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.


His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;


The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.


He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;


He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;


He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT! 

Classic Poem from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/christmas/resource/4051.html

Friday, September 9, 2011

Peach Cobbler

The Purple Cook's Website Link

Hi Quilting Friends,
Here is my latest post through a girl friend's fantastic website!
Check out The Purple Cook!

She regularly comments on our CSA vegetables and fruits and how to use them on your family's table. She also has ideas about freezing, meal planning, etc.

I love her work and am thrilled to participate with one of the two desserts I made this summer. Frankly, I'd rather be quilting than cooking, but baking I can handle!

Enjoy!!!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

For the Love of Autumn


"Autumn is the eternal corrective. It is ripeness and color and a time of maturity;
but it is also breadth, and depth, and distance.  What man can stand with autumn
on a hilltop and fail to see the span of his world and the meaning of the rolling
hills that reach to the far horizon?
-   Hal Borland*

"The winds will blow their own freshness into you,
and the storms their energy,
while cares will drop away from you
like the leaves of Autumn."
-   John Muir*

  
I love autumn! The season brings with it change. 
Change in our schedule as we return to school, new activities and our non-summer/ more "normal" life. This also means new adventures, new friends, a new quilt guild year, new projects, new classes, the resurrection of deeply loved old projects yearning to be finished and, of course, apple and pumpkin picking and my personal favorite-- hot cider and doughnuts!

One of the first events in the Fall is our church's Dutch Fair and silent auction. This year the chair of the silent auction is my mother, so I've donated this table runner/ wall hanging.
From Pieced Tree Patterns (Forest City, Iowa), "Falling Leaves" features four easy Maple Leaf blocks which not only allow one to practice their perfect, or not-so-perfect, point making techniques as well as time playing with these rich and lovely Fall florals. The pattern is designed to create a wall hanging banner with three sections. My piece is a modification from the center section.


In order for the piece to be more versatile, I've added "Fast Finish Triangles". They are squares folded in half and sewn into the binding of the corners. This way small pieces can be hung with a simple piece of wood underneath the corner trianges (seen below). I learned this technique from my work with the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (www.alzquilts.org). Here is the link to the "Fast Finish Triangles" tutorial: http://www.alzquilts.org/paqdisplay.html
Other hanging techniques are also available on that page which include hanging sleeves and the use of the multi-purpose soda can tab!



* Quotes from http://www.egreenway.com/months/autumn.htm#Autumn