Welsh Quilt progress

I finished the next border on my Welsh Quilt Study II.  I'm having so much fun watching this little quilt come together.  I'm ready to measure and plan  the next border which will have a corner blocks and overlapping half circles.
Robin

Best laid plans. . .

ARGH!  I left my bag with all the applique stuff at the cannery yesterday.  They don't open again till Monday.  I was going to finish the last two February blocks today so I'd be ready for the new set of patterns that comes out Tuesday.


It's funny when something like this happens, it's as if I can't make myself do anything else.  I have the project in my mind and can't focus on doing another one.  I did try to baste some pieces on the "When the Cold Wind Blows applique.  I fondled some fabric that my friend Marlena gifted me.  It is the wild horses line from Laurel Burch - gorgeous fabric - and I think she bought every piece available in the colorway above.


I worked on my hexie project for about a 1/2 hr.   I quilted on the Welsh quilt for another 1/2 hr.

Then I took a nap.

I just don't adapt well to change.
Robin

Welsh quilt, biscuits/scones, and 1857 quilt

I've finished the center of the Welsh Quilt Study II.  It was really fun to do and it quilted up pretty fast.  The back looks like gray fabric but it is a pretty light clear blue.  The paisley's are called Welsh pears.  I used a nickel to make the circle in the center.  I love the way these quilts are so intricately quilted.

This is the way the center looks from the front.  The center includes the star and the toile border.
I'm working on the next border with corner 1/4 circles that include spirals and a flower.

Shaped and ready to bake

I decided I wanted to find the perfect biscuit (scone) recipe ever.  I used to make pretty good biscuits but they haven't been turning out very good lately.  I blamed it on the bread flour I was using and used some lighter AP flour for these.  I also blame the fact that our margarine is so filled with WATER.  Have you read the label?  Some of them contain as much as 30% WATER.

Fresh from the oven

I don't like all butter (too rich for me) so it's shortening, or margarine for half of my lipids.

This is the recipe I used;

2 cups all purpose Flour

4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Sugar

3/4 tsp Salt

1/4 cup (4 TBS.) butter or margarine

1 cup buttermilk

Bake at 450 degrees  

15 - 20 minutes

Lots of pockets for butter

I just mixed it with a fork until it was all moist.  It was a sticky dough.  I think I rolled it too thin but they 1.  didn't raise much      
        2. were tender but sturdy
        3. were not flaky
Although, it browned nicely and tasted good.

    . . . . . . .  I'm still looking for the perfect biscuit recipe.

I'm getting ready to applique the corner triangles on this heart block and then I'll have one of the four February blocks done.  It's a good thing this isn't a race.
Robin

Stitching a little

I got out the craft iron and starch to make the little berries for the 3rd January block above.  While I had all the stuff out I made the circles for a February block as well.  I used as many reds as I had.

I don't like sewing those pesky little diamonds in the corners but I sure like the way the blocks look together.

Below are all 3 of the January blocks from the 1857 quilt.  (And my husband's  childhood wooden soldiers)

My background seems so dark when I see other completed blocks in blogland.  I still like the color I have chosen but I'm wondering if eventually I'll have to use sashing so the individual blocks will stand out.

Oh well, that's a decision for another day.

To celebrate Valentine's day I made some pink bread.  Isn't it pretty?  It's not flavored - it's just pink.

Have a great day,
Robin

here a little - there a little

I updated the blog from my quilt group "Bound Together" from our January meeting if you want to go check it out.

I put the corner diamonds on the 1st block and finished the 2nd block from the 1857 quilt.  I think I reversed the pattern for the 2nd block but it really doesn't matter.  I hope I can last with this quilt.  I still have one more block to finish for January and last Monday four more blocks were introduced for February.  I don't like to get behind so I'm feeling the self-imposed pressure.

I finished Billy's quilt here but as I was finishing the quilting I found a hole smack dab in the middle of one of the white triangles.

I would have understood finding a hole on one of the plaid pieces because they were from Billy's shirts.  But to find a hold on a new piece of fabric was rather annoying.

I unpicked the quilting and then the stitching, replaced the triangle, and sewed it back in using small applique stitches.  Then I re-quilted around it.  It looks great.  The quilt is all bound, labeled, and ready for Billy's family.

I made one of these quilts from Cherie Soffe Paine's (I know I'm spelling her name wrong) blog from last year.  Actually I made it last year.  I did the embroidery a few weeks ago.  Maybe next Valentine's Day I'll finally quilt it.  Above is a picture of Cherie's original version.

I put Welsh Quilt Study II on the floor hoop ready for intense quilting.

And I put the nosegay quilt on the big frames.  I can now quilt upstairs or downstairs depending on my whim.

I finished the 1st block of Sleigh Bells by Jan Patek.

The steeple is quite slanted - I wonder if it will "quilt out" ha!

Robin