My Very Last 12 for 2012 Post - I Promise!

In addition to the last post about the Very Late Wedding Quilt, I had one more quilt that I had hoped to finish in 2012. This was started again in the Birthday Blocks swap over on LiveJournal. I had finished the top as part of the 12 for 2012 list, see this post.

It's done now though!


Although not in my colors at all, this quilt has certainly grown on me and is quickly becoming a favorite. I wish you only could see better the detail in the quilting that the woman who does my quilting for me managed with this pattern.

You can kind of see it here. At least you can see it the best here, but it really is lovely.



Made up of hourglasses,



and nine-patch blocks,


My goal for this quilt was scrappy. Although I've never been too proficient in the "scrappy" look - I think I nailed it with this one!

And, of course, the back. Simple and done!

A (Very) Late Wedding Present - The Quilt That Almost Wasn't!

So, I've finally gifted the quilt that I finally buckled down and finished thanks to my lovely ladies who are a part of the LiveJournal Birthday Blocks Swap. So, I can finally show pictures! Now, I can also tell the story of the quilt that almost wasn't. It's kind of like I Don't Like My Child.


Jeff and I go back to 1998, when I was in college at Geneseo and he was graduating from high school. Over the course of our friendship we have had tons of fun and many heart-to-heart chats. Over the years he's become a very dear friend of mine and someone I trust implicitly in my own life. He's just a stand-up guy (and an Eagle Scout to boot!). When he and Kim became engaged and then asked me to be a part of their wedding party, I was touched beyond words. (I don't think to this day they know how honored I feel to have been able to be a part of that day.)


After the engagement, and before the wedding, I made them the offer: I'll make you something for your wedding present. An afghan, a scrapbook page mounted on canvas that you can have to wall mount, a quilt, etc. I had picked out a handful of quilt patterns that I felt comfortable executing - they selected the traditional bear paw block. I asked for color, they picked cream and navy. I could work with that.


Problem One: Or so I thought. I eagerly got the fabric home and began. Over the course of the next year, I got half the blocks done. Then I hit a major roadblock. It was boring me to tears - no, not to tears, to nervous breakdown. Yeah, I know, sounds crazy, but I know my fellow crafters will back me up on this. You start to dread a project. Early on, I had no clue why - I love the two of them - I owe Jeff a lot - it's an easy pattern - I like blue and cream. What the hell is wrong with me?

A year in, I moved to the farmhouse in the country. It gets packed and stays packed. It gets unpacked and left on the floor. The fabric is wrinkled and the sight of all that cream and blue reduce me to tears. I look at it for another year. Until I can't take it anymore - this project has become my albatross. I add it to my 12 for 2012 list and resolve right there that I need help. So, I make a 16" Bear Paw block be my birthday block for the Birthday Block swap. I specify dark blue paws on a cream background. At this point, I have no clue what this will do for me - at the least, I'm hoping for inspiration.



The blocks start coming in. I love them! I start playing with them and wait for the rest.

When the rest arrive, I start playing with arrangement and realize that I have a new problem.

Problem Two - how do I make this one unified quilt with all our different cream backgrounds? Sorting through my stash, I start grabbing neutrals until I come up with something I like.


Of course, I can't get too much further before I realize that I have a new problem.

Problem Three: How to get a square quilt to be Queen-sized? I have some ideas, for sure. I could continue the on point theme, do a navy blue border around it and put four triangles on the corners to lengthen it out. I could just border it with cream, or blue and have long borders. Or ... piano keys! (Well, at least *my interpretation* of a piano key border.) But - before I start cutting - I take it to my lovely LFS - Patricia's Fabric House to get some feedback (and buy some backing - AND learn to buy binding and backing at the same time if you want it to be the same fabric!).


Piano keys it is on the top and bottom, and fabric on the sides to bring it to Queen. Make a sandwich and off to the quilter in the fall, back before the Holidays. Binding on and labeled in January.



Finally gifted and warmly received.


Don't you love those loopy hearts? I do. I think they are perfect for a wedding quilt.
And one more shot of those loopy hearts because I love them so!


I don't want you to get the wrong impression - I Love this Quilt! I really do. But I didn't at the beginning, and I learned yet another lesson. I will never be an artist of any sort for commission unless I get complete carte blanche! I know Jeff & Kim love it - but part of me feels insanely guilty that it doesn't look exactly like the book. I just think it's a perfect interpretation of me - perfect in all of its imperfectness. :)

February Finished!

Although I'm editing this in March, February's task is finished - the Apache Wedding Blessing is finally done!


I also finished two birthday blocks!

Here is Cari's block. She chose purple, black, grey and white, quilter's choice, so I found this pattern called "Woven Ribbons" that I may use in a year or so with different colors.



The next block is Ralu's. It is from a McCall's pattern and is called "Best of All". I was initially a little scared of all the pieces as I hate detailed piecing. But, with a scant 1/4" seam, and pressing all my seams open it worked perfectly, and came in at the right size. I find it really striking, too!



I also have a bonus finish of the binding getting sewn on the pink and brown quilt. That'll be posted soon too, I just need a not freezing day to get it outside to take a picture!

January Bonuses

I also managed two needlework finishes for January and I just got one back from the framer.


This is Barnwood Buttons by Rosewood Manor. Although there are lots of things I don't like about this piece, I do love the fact that I was able to use up some silk I already had on hand. I also love that I was able to incorporate some antique buttons that I've inherited into this piece.
You can see some of the detail on the buttons here.


And here.



And the quote, just resonates. I appreciate it even more having been in Muir Woods.

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." - John Muir.


Or this gem, from Mount Rainier National Park,

I also have a hardanger class finish from the month. It's the third hardanger class I've done and I'm really enjoying it. This piece is 1/4 that will be done over the year 2013 and framed together.

Veganize it - Bob's Red Mill Redo

Those of you who know me in real life may know that I've been participating in a program offered by my local yoga studio, Breathe Yoga called 'Reclaim Your Diet'. In brief it is an introduction/refresher to the idea that we've lost our connection with the food we eat, ala Michael Pollan, etc.; based on the movie and book Hungry For Change.

I've always eaten pretty healthy, although there are things that we can all do to eat *healthier*. I have especially always enjoyed cooking, although between theatre productions and the holidays I got very far removed from that love and process. Finding that drive, motivation and inspiration has been great.

So, fast forward to almost being finished with the program and really wanting to make these Blueberry Coconut Muffins. Reading the recipe, I was aghast, 2 eggs, 1/2 c. heavy cream, 1 stick butter?! Seriously, even if those were all organic, that is pretty heavy! So, I consciously made out to make them vegan and see what all these nutrition classes have taught me. I also wanted to switch out the sugar, but there wasn't many dry ingredients left after I made the other changes, so, maybe next time.

Amanda's Veganized Blueberry Coconut Muffins

*Based on Bob's Red Mill Blueberry Coconut Muffins found here: Blueberry Coconut Muffins

1 c. unbleached flour
½ c. whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 c. sugar
½ c. organic, unsweetened, unsulfated flaked coconut
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ c. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 banana
½ c. organic light coconut milk
1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen


Preheat oven to 350o and line muffin pans with liners. Beat sugar and coconut oil on low speed until combined. Add banana and beat that at low speed until really integrated and you see few chunks in the batter. Add coconut milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet, mixing at a low speed. At this point batter will be well-combined but stretchy. This is okay. Fold in blueberries and coconut flakes. Drop by heaping spoonful into lined muffin tin. Bake at middle rack of oven for 20 minutes. Makes approximately 14-18 muffins.

13 for 2013 - January Update

January was an easy month for me as I wanted to get a couple of projects that have been sitting around out of the way.

First up, Alex's blanket. It was fleece and easy, I just had to *make* the time to get it done. That's what these projects are all about, making the time to finish some things.



And since I was sending something to Alex, I couldn't neglect his older brother, Ben, who I had already made a blanket a couple of years ago. For the older, some more mature, Star Wars pillowcases.




I also have a couple of bonus finishes, but those will come in a separate post. Onto February!

13 in 2013

Due to my massive success in my 12 for 2012 goals, I've moved on to 2013, finally picking my projects. There are more than 13 here, but the goal is to complete at least 13 of them. I learned from last year, so hopefully my months are better structured. I've added Birthday Blocks as bonuses as I can really churn those out in a weekend and really tried to list the "main" project first, those things I've been putting off forever.

To 2013!

January - Finish Alex's blanket/Ben's pillowcases
February - Finish Apache Wedding Blessing/Two Birthday Blocks
March - Finish Craft Room Cushions/Two Birthday Blocks
April - Finish Book Bag
May - Finish Curtains for Upstairs Window/Two Birthday Blocks
June - Finish 1 Antique Quilt Top
July - Finish Stack and Whack Quilt/Two Birthday Blocks
August - Finish Overdue T-Shirt Quilt (2012 Goal)/Two Birthday Blocks
September - Finish Fall Leaves Top/Cut Pieces for Fall Leaves Back
October - Start Cutting/Dying Scraps for Latchhook Rug
November - Finish Fall Leaves Quilt (if back from longarmer)
December - Finish Red Crochet Scrumble Blanket