Interlocking Seasons Quilt

Dear Hubby tried taking several different pictures--inside mostly, but  they just didn't turn out.  He wanted to hang it from monster paper clip things off of nails mounted on deck rail--NO!!!  Finally, he tried out over the railing and bench--think it turned out really nice and love how the rose bush was so accommodating to coordinate!!

Just love this quilt and excited to share it at Blogger's Quilt Festival!  When first seeing the Interlocking Seasons block tutorial on The Parfait Cafe  (http://theparfaitcafe.com/?p=228), I just knew it was something worth trying out.  Was needing a nice block for my nephew and his sweet wife--John and Nikki wedding quilt.  I made up a sample in reds/golds/black and it was complicated at first, but so stunning. Here's the post where I tell about making the blocks and how I lined things up: http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7854712989797547840#editor/target=post;postID=7142662119301878825  After the first few, I figured out to do it assembly line style--and it really helps to re-read the instructions several times with complicated blocks.  She had some very good hints that would have saved me a lot of un-sewing!

A finished block with black triangles.  Someone commented they                                                                                            wished there were pictures of one of them, so here it is!!

A finished inner block--at one point thought about just using these and not adding the black triangles, but really love it en point!  

 Nikki sent me a sample of her red--sure glad she did as it was more on the marroon scale.  It was so sad that I HAD to buy more fabric...HAHAHA!   Pattern uses 1.25 strips and makes up into 12.5 inch square.  I wanted a large block, so doubled it and used 2 inch strips (to double something, deduct 1/2 inch for seam allowances (.75), multiply by two (1.5), then add back in the seam allowances.  Did the same thing for all lengths and just plugged those into the chart.  My squares ended up being about 23 1/2 inches.  The inner square is beautiful alone and have lots of extras since at first I thought about making it without the black triangles putting it en point.  I'll be making runners and whatever with all the extras.  It's always fun for me to find I'm in love with new combos of colors I never thought I'd care for before!  

Showing back with funky red pieces (didn't want to buy more black and what I had wasn't big enough so added red strips from fabrics in the front)--this was quilted in four large squares made up of four blocks each.  I sewed two of the large squares together on the front by machine, then handstitched the back seam to make two long sections.  Then sewed those sections together and again stitched that long seam.  Because of shoulder problems, I can't handle a huge piece like this to machine quilt it and the quilt as you go (qayg) worked ok.

Showing whole back with the random red strips--specifically did not want it to be matchy matchy so other than making sure they would line up, I didn't care where they were as sandwiched each piece (actually as DH sandwiched and pinned each piece--he's definitely a keeper) 

It's fantastic that Amy is willing to host the quilt festival each year.  It's always full of amazing inspiration and so many opportunities to learn something new while "meeting" oodles of talented   quilters out there! Thanks so much, Amy!!! Go to her site from October 26 to November 9.  You will be amazed by the hundreds of participants there.  http://amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/  For some reason, I have never figured out how to add those buttons you click on--need my daughter to fix it for me!!


It's about 94 inches square.  Decided not to add borders and very happy with that.  

SNEAK PEEK

Back of latest quilt.  I wanted it to be "interesting" and fun.
Think it turned out that way!

 Quilt was done "quilt as you go" sort of--sewed four blocks together (each block was about 23 inches square) so ended up with a pretty good size square.  Backing was a piece of black with a strip of two reds--one piece much larger than the other.  Wanted it to be random in the back so didn't pay attention to how that red strip went onto each square other than to line it up so it'd be straight.  Sewed two of the big squares together on front, trimmed batting and then hand stitched the back seams.  Next I sewed those two double-square pieces together and finished back seams.  There is no way with my old shoulders that quilting could be done on the whole quilt.  

It's ready to bind, but may wait for a day or two since left shoulder is a bit unhappy after wrestling with the whole thing to sew the back.  Wanting it to be done for Blogger's Quilt Festival (http://amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/ ) when I can show the whole thing.  It's for family and hoping they don't pay attention to my blog!!  But, it still won't be quite the same as seeing it in person.  The fabrics are really pretty and that Interlocking Seasons Block is one of my all-time favorite.

Nothing to do with quilting, but dark brown and red!  Aren't they adorable?  My grandson, Adam the younger, and I made them.  They  even have a creamy filling that he had fun cutting the holes and piping the cream into.  We made 18 of these cuties so he could take two home for each of his family and leave a couple for my brother--if he gets up here tonight!!!

Adam's Book Cover

Little Adam (named for his Uncle Adam who's very tall) with  fantastic
book cover he made yesterday

Adam practicing sewing a puzzle on paper--if you look closely you'll see the tip of  his tongue sticking out as he concentrates--a sure sign he's related to me!  First time at a sewing machine and he was quite precise on all those l

More practice showing window where he can look out and see our hills and mountains--when it's clear enough (in the kitchen area where we set up a temporary sewing room). We've had over a month of smokiness due to wildfires all around us.  Today was pretty good because of a slight breeze--don't want too many miles per hour movement or it exacerbates the fires.  So thankful for fire fighters who's worked so hard in central Washington to save people and their property.  Can hardly wait for possible rain this weekend!!

 Didn't get as many pictures as I thought I had for the process.  He did a great job of ironing, cutting, and sewing. We used the book "Sewing Machine Fun For Kids" from Possibilities for directions to make this and for pages we could print out for him to sew on.

I worked with his older sister, Sagie, and a book about one yard projects for her to make a bag; above you can see his older brother, Trey, working on a pouch bag he wanted to make and just figured out himself.  Those didn't get done as they had to go home.  We plan to "facetime" to get those finished.  We get to "keep" Adam for the rest of the week.  So nice to not have quiet all the time for a change.

JUST HAVE TO SHARE THIS

Interlocking Seasons big blocks--about 23 inches each of the blocks.  Will make four sets like this and then quilt each set then sew them together and add borders.  Not sure exactly what those will be.  Anyway...just wanted to share this for now.

PAELLA--OLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Challenge from Daring Cooks was to make paella.  Something I'd always wanted to try but seemed daunting.  It isn't!  Mine isn't as fancy--pretty simple with just shrimp and sausage, but very delicious.

Whole family was here, so made two pans.  In one I put white rice, in other brown. Brown took longer to cook and rice was a bit chewier--which I loved!!

Mise en place for paella.  That's just kielbasa sausage that was sliced and fried up.  

Generally, paella includes seafoods--clams, mussels, shrimp, some sausage, sometimes chicken, sometimes lobster tails.  It can probably be just about anything you'd like and even vegetarian.  There are all sorts of recipes and many youtube type videos out there.  Mine included what's shown above and shrimp.  Best we could get here were frozen.  It usually also includes saffron but the challenger said we could use paprika, so that's what I did.  There is a special pan "paellera" that can be humongous as in one video online, or much smaller.  I used two different type of pans--one is a wide, curved side 12" skillet, other is a large saute pan.  I'd like another 12 inch skillet if I were doing two again, or the gorgeous copper paellera I saw--it was "only" in the three hundred dollar range!  Whatever, it all turned out deliciously and was enjoyed by almost all--a bit spicy for a couple of my little girlie girls.  

You really should try this--I know you'll love it!

Blog-checking lines: Our Daring Cooks’ September 2012 hostess was Inma of la Galletika. Inma brought us a taste of Spain and challenged us to make our very own delicious Paella!

BEJEWELLED--triangles are a girl's best friend!

Couple weeks ago dear hubby came home with Bejewelled runner pattern
by Karen Montgomery and a strip set to complete it.

Back of runner showing quilting.  Started with the idea of following the seams, but I'm just not too good at that!
As it turned out,  just love the sort of haphazard way the designs worked on the triangles
and the sort of crazy quilting on the black.

Cute hubby taking above picture of the runner for me while
trying to not get his toes!

All pieces done in strips.  As it turns out I misunderstood the way to press the seams. It's diagrammed on the pattern, but will pay more attention next time!.  Because of how it's sewn, you can't change the direction after compiling each strip--unless you pick it all out (NOT happening)  It made for thick seams.

DD and DGD picked out 20 lovely batiks from my stash for me to make one for their home.  Lovely colors and anxious to see it come together.  The pattern shows batiks in purples and greens, but any colors would be nice.  It's 60 degree triangles out of twenty 2 1/2 inch strips.  I think any combination of colors and fabrics would work out well--maybe not too large designs, but who knows?  

 

PUFF BALLS, HEARTS, SWANS!!!

This was one of the more entertaining and delicious baking challenges with the Daring Kitchens Baker's Forum.  Pate a choux is really easy--REALLY!!  I've made small puffs for years and years.  Mom always made them for any party she had and filled them with shrimp or crab salad and so did I.  Don't think had ever tried sweet ones, but with whipped cream and with chocolate ganache (also ridiculously easy) inside some and on top of others, it was fun.    I also froze a few of the sweet ones to give to family that came this last weekend--YUM!  You should really, really try these.

Shrimp salad filling on these.  Would make them smaller next time .

One of a few swans I made--isn't her beak cute?  Didn't plan that, it just happened.

All the pieces that one recipe made.  Cut them immediately or it's almost impossible to not have breakage--guess how I know that????????????

Pate a choux  (cannot be doubled)

½ cup (4 oz) butter     1 cup water      ¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour    4 large eggs

Directions: Line at least two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, or grease pans well.  Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F. In a small saucepan, combine butter, water, and salt. Heat over until butter melts, then remove from stove.   Add flour all at once and beat, beat, beat the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot.  Add one egg, and beat until well combined. Add remaining eggs individually, beating vigorously after each addition. Resulting mixture should be somewhat glossy, very smooth, and somewhat thick.  Using a ¼” (6 mm) tip on a pastry bag, pipe out about 36 swan heads. You’re aiming for something between a numeral 2 and a question mark, with a little beak if you’re skilled and/or lucky.  Remove the tip from the bag and pipe out 36 swan bodies. These will be about 1.5” long, and about 1”  wide. One end should be a bit narrower than the other.   Bake the heads and bodies until golden and puffy. The heads will be done a few minutes before the bodies, so keep a close eye on the baking process.   Remove the pastries to a cooling rack, and let cool completely before filling.  Can make many different shapes--saw a turtle, crab (they used slices of stuffed olives for eyes) and someone colored their pate a choux red to make ladybugs!!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOKqFsQG3mA  and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeRQA6cNLR0  are videos showing how to make first swans and then what's called brest.  

Blog-checking lines: Kat of The Bobwhites was our August 2012 Daring Baker hostess who inspired us to have fun in creating pate a choux shapes, filled with crème patisserie or Chantilly cream. We were encouraged to create swans or any shape we wanted and to go crazy with filling flavors allowing our creativity to go wild!