Crazy Overlay Crochet

Texture! My favorite aspect of crochet. This new Leisure Arts book, Overlay Crochet: 10 Projects Add Dimensions and Style to YourHome by Kristi Simpson, creates crochet texture in fabulous new ways. “Dimension and style” is no joke here. Look what I made:

Kristi’s book Features a variety of projects:  table décor, pillow, box, hand towel, blanket, ottoman pouf, wall hanging (mandala), granny square style blanket (but it’s not your granny’s style!), and an amazing boho crossbody bag – which is going to be next project, for sure.

I have always shied away from colorful crochet projects because I dislike changing threads. But Krisit has solved that, detailing 5 ways to join yarns. When you use this book, start with the General Instructions at the end (pg. 57). You’ll be amazed at the new tricks even before you dive into the gorgeous projects. Plus, there is a guide at the very end where you can get the exact project yarns Kristi used. I will definitely be hunting the original colors when I try this cover model table mat. Ideal springtime flavors!

Believe it or not, almost all the projects are rated Easy skill level. The Pillow is certainly Intermediate. Box is the beginner level project. My project was this gorgeous hand towel (pg. 48).

LOL – I made a simple mistake right at the begging, setting 9 posts instead of 8. So mine turned out pentagram instead of square and I love it! And it was still easy to finish. I think it looks like a poppy. I’m going to make a few more and see what a blanket of these would be like. Round, I guess. What do you think?

I really love this book – it’s going to keep me busy and happy all year :)

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Show and Tell

Here are a few of my faves from the neighborhood.
Hope you have time for a cuppa and a little show and tell.

Big stitches, beads, feature buttons, applique, and some stitchery.

It all comes together in Lynette's tiny pictorial.

Here is Barbara's tiny quilt - sew cute!!!

Diane worries about the scale of the cats:flowers & birds

 Here is one of Diane's gourds.

The beaded edging is pine needles!

This one is HUGE, I never saw such a giant gourd.
The edging/handle is burned lasso.

 Everyone contributes Rows for Valor.

Then Carolee builds the Valor quilts.

The GFG on the wall really is from Carolee's grandmother.

 I love this one-patch, Super clever design.

Especially the border.

Not to mention, Karen's great workmanship.

I guess this also counts as R/W/B, and as pinwheel?

Foundation pieced pillow case. Also a one patch.

Spinning the biggy/smalls makes it look like a Spool.

Sculptured T-Shirt Quilt.

LOL I should have got a picture of the whole thing. Of course this block was center top ;)

This one is from the museum, and traveling AQSG exhibit.

There were more pictures but my phone ate them. AARG!

Check out the sculptured edge!!!

I would have flipped the sawtooth rows so they appear to come from the sashing instead of from the block....but that might have made the green too overpowering? What do you think?

For sure that is the tiniest dresdens I have ever seen. Paper Pieced?

Pearl says I should get to work now.

Happy Monday!

Blueberry Bow-Tie Pasta

Blueberry Bow-Tie Pasta

 

--for Father's Day--

 

For simple summertime entertaining, nothing beats Blueberry Bow-Tie Pasta.

Full of summers bounty, we created this bow-tie pasta dish for our Grandpa, who loves lemon.

Blueberry Bow-Tie Pasta is good served warm or cold. Grandpa prefers a hot pasta dish, but the hearty portability of this dish makes it a standout for picnics and summer evening pot-lucks.

 

6 large leaves of basil should be enough, but don't chop the basil too small. Go for an even mix of blueberry, basil, and tomato, so keep these to similar sized pieces. You might want to use 2 tomatoes if they are smallish.



• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/8 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 large tomato diced
• 1 lb cooked farfalle pasta
• olive oil
• salt -n- pepper

 

Combine first 7 ingredients with fresh cooked pasta and a drizzle of olive oil.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!



Liberty Angel Quilt

Even in summer, some houses become so cold that you think you can see snow falling, but if you turn off the air conditioning the whole house becomes a sun. Mom's new Flag Day quilt is the perfect size for a lap quilt to keep you warm from your air conditioner. Or maybe it will be a baby quilt for a cute little someone with a summertime birthday. I would like to take this quilt on a trip to a cabin by a lake. Perfect for picnic and watching fireworks! Plus, if you're looking for matching decors, Mom also made a matching mugrugs (check 'em out here). 

If you look closely, you can see stars quilted allover. 

Those quilted stars from the above picture are stitched by following the stars on the backing fabric! Nice pattern, right? 

 See that yellow star? Mom had the best idea of putting yellow and red stars on the inner border, applique style! Hearts are quilted in the red corner blocks. 

She also made round corners with the Dresden patches of the outer border. And there is crappy binding to match the red and blue sequencing.

 Mom found this awesome Liberty Angel fabric which is the main panel in the middle.
More design notes on our Threadbias page.

This quilt stands at the peak of perfection thanks to our models! Lookin' good!

Flag Plate Mug Rug

A quick Summertime project, very easy Flag Plate Mug Rug is made from Dresden Plate Wedges with reverse applique center and bias tape binding. Can be created completely from scraps!

Add an optional verso applique as a guide for quilting interest.  Flag finishes 10.5" diameter.

4" Dresden wedges created with Easy Dresden Ruler, or you can cut wedges 4" long with 1" wide base and 2-1/4" top. Requires 22 total wedges. Cut 7 blue wedges, 7 red, and 8 white. You will also need a 6.5" scrap for center, a 12" scrap of batting and 12" square of backing fabric.
Optional: fussy cut a clever shape and apply ironon interfacing for verso applique.

Stitch blue pieces together along 4" sides. 1" base will be in the center, and wide top edge of edges will be on the outside of "plate" or wreath. Next, starting with white peace, alternate red and white pieces until flag is complete.  [In this example, red stripe fabric are the 7 "red" wedges, and 8 "white" wedge placements are a combination of solid red and white scraps.]

Press in one direction. From the back of your flag, press seam allowances clockwise or counterclockwise. Press center circle under 1/4". Tack center seam allowance in place with glue stick or basting glue.

Choose a scrap about 6.5" square for the center of plate. With right sides up, align plate Flag and center with basting spray or pins. Hold in front of a light or window to check alignment of center piece.

With 12" square scraps of batting and backing fabric, create "Quilt Sandwich":  Layer flag with center scrap over batting and backing.  Hold together with basting spray and/or pins.

Stitch around center circle. Stitch through all layers including the pressed under (glued) seam allowance. Seam allowance will be a scant 1/4" from edge of plate center.

Here is what first stitching looks like from back. Good job! You just finished a reverse applique circle :)

Optional: Add a decorative fusible applique to the backing fabric. Pick something that will create an interesting shape on the top of your quilt when you stitch around it. Next, start stitching in the ditch.  [Stitch on top of the wedge seams.] Be sure NOT to stich through applique shape.

Once you have finished all the stitching, trim the batting and backing to match Flag plate top.

Only one more step to finish! Bind Flag quilt with purchased 1/2" extra wide double fold bias tape. Follow package instructions. [This binding color is Stone Blue, a near denim blue that goes well with red and blue.]

 

Long may she wave!

House's House Quilt

This is relevant under the heading of Quilt Watching. Don't you just love when quilts turn up in unexpected places?

Speaking of unexpected finds...discovered this Hugh Laurie album in Starbucks a year ago. That's right - Dr. House is a killer jazz pianist. Honest!

 

[here is the link since YouTube is refusing to show in post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGiNa-7opKk ]

Didn't It Rain album is simply excellent. [See what I Mean!? Evenin' is my FAVE. Which one is yours?]  All superb musicians with The Copper Bottom Band.
Take time to read Mr. Laurie's liner notes!!! Equally superb writing.

So after a year of dreaming and waiting impatiently, yes stamping my little foot the entire time, HL & The Copper Bottom Band [with  Elizabeth "Trombonista" Lea -  showstopper extraordinaire!] finally came to town! We got tickets third row center!! And this is what we saw!!!

House Quilt :)

 

In the spirit of One For My Baby...and One More For the Road (which they bring to a new standard on this album, btw), here is our original favorite Hugh Laurie piano, from way back, remember Jeeves and Wooster?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnCNJD3-e7g

 

"Oh, and one for yourself...of course."

 





Flag Day Quilting

Finally dove in the r/w/b stash. I only meant to finish this adorable Debbie Mumm panel.

Instead, I came out with 3 projects!
Decided the panel was so perfect alone that I only need add borders. Inner border has simple corner blocks with Debbie's starts (from panel surround) added in raw edge applique.
The outer border was really fun! I used my favorite Easy Dresden Ruler by Darlene Zimmerman to make 4" wedges for my round corner border; instructions here.

However, this time (because the 4" pieces were smaller and because I wanted lots of blue against the red corner blocks) I used 5 wedges on each corner point and gathered them to fit:

Well, I had so many wedges left over, I was able to make 4 Dresden Plate Flags.

Dresden Plate Flag by Road Home Quilting

So how should I finish these? 11" diameter Dresden plates. Please give me your ideas!

Lastly I salvaged a silk screened flag remnant someone had donated to my stash. But two of the red stripes had been cut off, so I wasn't sure what to do with the poor old thing. Finally decided it could work as two Flag Day Banners.

Finished with simple rolled seam. There are grommets at the top corners for hanging, and Velcro pockets on the bottom - to fill with trinkets (washers, rocks, anything heavy) so Banners will hang straight and not fly around. Will it work? I'll let you know on Flag Day tomorrow :)

This should have been the simplest of my 3 Flag Day projects but, you guessed it, turned out to be tricky splitting the stars. Have you noticed the way stars are tilted on our Flag? Well, thankfully there is enough blue between stars to get full seam allowances for both sides. But one side has single star points, and the other side finishes in double points! And hardest of all to figure out, the stripes only aligned well with the single point side. Here you can see on the double point side how I fudged the red line by growing the seam finish width:

I actually have a reason for ranting like this. The moral of this story is, please tell me, was 1/2 a day entirely too long to spend on a salvage project?

Pearl helps sort Dresden pieces

Summertime Kitchen

Working on new recipes...

Here is the start of a tomatilla & tortilla casserole....