Big Star Day

Yesterday we held the first of our "Big Star Days" at the St Paul's Lutheran Church, McLaren Vale, South Australia.  I arrived at 8.45am for a 9.30 start and found Penny already set up and ready to go.  The sewers arrived bright and early as well.  All very keen!

I was nominated to lead the Lone Star group and Penny was looking after the Blended Star.  Everyone had pre-cutting to do, so we were straight into the stitching.

 The first part of the lone star involves sorting your fabric strips and sewing the strips all together - 6 strips in 3 different combinations.

 Then the strips get cut at 45 degree angle and put back together

 busy working

 Sheridan shows how easy it is - got to get those points matching!

 Helen looks like it is easy as well

 Many different colour choices, but they all look stunning

 this is the Blended Star - made from lots of pre-cut squares and half square triangles. 

 This is Elaine's stunning colour choices

 One segment almost completed

 Penny helping the girls find the right place for their fabrics

 A pink and green star from Elaine (we had two Elaines and 2 Helens on the day)

 So, do you think it is starting to take shape?  Once all the strips are sewn, they go together very quickly

This was the first of our Big Star Days.  There is another on 19th November.  Anyone wanting to join in may still do so as we have a few place.  Email me Wendy@legendandlace.com and we can make arrangements.  The cost of the day is $50 which includes a delicious lunch, morning and afternoon tea/coffee and cakes.  Yum!  I forgot to take photos of the food.  Darn!

Florentines

When I teach my classes at shops I take along home baked goodies, such as choc chip cookies,  muffins, cakes.  Last Saturday I took along Florentines.  They are just delicious and so easy to make.  I always get rave reviews.  They are not low fat, or low sugar, or in any way healthy, just enjoyable.

the recipe

3/4 cup of sultanas

2 cups Corn Flakes

3/4 cup unsalted chopped peanuts

1/2 cup red glace cherries

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

150g dark chocolate melted.

Mix together sultanas, nuts, cherries, corn flakes and condensed milk until well combined.

Make piles about a tablespoon on baking paper.  I do 9 on a tray.  the recipe makes 18.  Pop them into a moderate oven for about 10 minutes until nice and golden brown

Yum!  this is what they look like when they are done.  let them cool on the trays to go firm, for about an hour.

Turn them over and spread melted chocolate on the back.  I melt my chocolate in the micro wave for about 2 minutes, stirring 3 ot 4 times to check it does not burn

Let the chocolate set for a while

Then make wavey lines in the chocolate with a knife.  All done!  Put them in an airtight container and keep in the fridge.

While I was waiting for them to cool I was watching "Food Safari" on SBS TV.  They had an orange almond cake that I want to try.  It has 6 eggs, and 2 whole oranges.  As I have my own hens I always have heaps of eggs.  Looks fabulous!



Cherry Tree - Number 13

We are now half way through these lovely blocks!  Must not mention the border - it is a bit scarey.  I chose the colours just as Gay, from Sentimental Stitches,  has done, but did them scrappy instead of all the same fabrics.
Hope I can get another of the Circuit Riders Blocks done this week and perhaps something on the Little Sisters.  No, it is not forgotten, just put aside for a while.

More garden photos

This would be about the best Spring I can recall for a while.  Might as well enjoy it before the heat hits in summer. 

 Foxgloves - we have not had any luck with these for the last few years.  this year they are doing well

 Daisy the dog!  Exploring and helping me with the weeds - I think that is what she is doing!

this one is just beautifu!

I don;t often remember to pick flowers for the house.  Now that I am not at work I have more time to enjoy them.  How about these cornflowers?  I picked them yesterday - wonder how long they will last inside?

Got to be careful around here.  John just came in and asked me to inspect his weeding.  he can't tell the difference between weeds and flowers - poor love!  At least he asks me now before he pulls them out.  Suppose it saves dramas later for him.  yes, those ones are weeds, and the chooks will love them!

Scrap Quilt - Jewel Box

I expect you think I have nothing better to do than play with fabrics!  This was surprisingly simple to complete, once I had the 4 patch blocks, and the triangles done.  I wanted to take it along to our Big Star day on Saturday to show off.  Penny and I are teaching Lone Star and Blended Star this weekend, and planning a "Scrap Quilt Day" in February.  I needed something else finished to show off.

I will find a stripey kind of narrow border, then something floral I think that compliments the red/green/yellow/blue fabrics.

Something new - 4 patch blocks

In the quilting world, once you have been at the craft for a few years, then you think you know all the tricks.  Not so!  I learned something new today.    I have learned how to make 4 patch blocks a different and fast way.

I made 96 four patch blocks in two hours of sewing, plus the time it took to cut the squares - maybe another 30 minutes, then 15 minutes to trim the blocks where necessary.

 Place the two squares face together, and sew a 1/4" seam at opposite ends.

Cut apart through the centre - measure carefully to get the centre

 Press the two sections open

 Place the right sides together, butting the seams together, and stitch 1/4" seam at opposite ends.

 Cut apart at the centre measurement again

Press open - and there you have two perfect 4 patch blocks.  You may have to trim them a little.

I now feel like I want to make a whole heap of 4 patch quilts now.  Wonder where I can find some ideas?

scrap quilt update

 All my 4 patch blocks and half square triangles all cut up waiting for inspiration

 One option  -  it is amazing what you can do with this combinations

 and another

 this looks like it is turning into something - not quite right though

 Here it is - perfect!

 Block number one all stitched together.  I have enough cut up to make 12 blocks which is a reasonable size with a border.  The blocks are 16"

 When you put them next to each other you then get the secondary pattern

 this is where you will find instructions to make the blocks.  The quilt is called Jewel Box.  By the time I have this one finished it will be my 3rd Jewel Box quilt.

the first one I made was from charm squares from swaps, and the second one was in "jewel" colours on black background.

Another Scrap Quilt?

I have been busy at my fabric stash again.  Another Scrap quilt is on the way!  This time I was prompted to make something a little  more complex.  I was approached by a lady who organises the Melrose Fiber camp each year.  She had heard that I had some easy making quilts on offer.  The plan is to have all the fabrics pre-cut and the quilt top will be finished at the end of the 2 1/2 days of the camp. 

So far I have cut up all the yellow, blue, green and red fabrics I need and half of the shirting backgrounds.  I will cut the rest tomorrow.

 I did start to make some of the parts of the quilt - just to see how they would all look together.

Lots of red half square triangles and lots of 4 patch blocks.  Do you wonder what I am planning??

It may be that they like one of the others that I have completed just recently, but at least I am keeping up with my plan of making those quilts from all the fabrics I am not using.  Something worthwhile I think.

The Quilt that waited - finally finished

I started the first block of this quilt in 1997.  After completing my first applique class and working on a few samples I decided it was time to do something.  The local quilt shop River Cottage Quilts had a BOM that I thought I would have a go at.  You could have pattern only, or pattern and fabric.  I chose pattern only, as I had a lot of fabric.

I got the first block done, on my first rip to the USA in March 1998 - and did not touch in for another 5 years!  I kept collecting the patterns though, and stashing them away.

Centre and first block

After a while I though i had better get this thing out again, and I did, and finished off the other 8 blocks.  Back it went into the drawer.  It had a really complex border and sashing, and I could just not face that.

Another 5 or 6 years passed and I got it out when clearing out for a garage sale.  I was going to sell the blocks......yes I was!  Instead I put them all together, no sashing, and dug deep into the fabric stash, and found the border fabric, which is practically perfect.  It has the same shaped flowers as the applique.

I finished the quilting in 2 months so that I could enter it into the South Australian Guild exhibition in November.  it is not a prize winner, but I am perfectly happy with it, considering the stitching is very amateurish compared to today.

The pattern was from Lisa D Schiller, and I think it was called Stars and Vines - can't really remember, as it was so long ago!