Blocks complete. Now it's time to sew the top toge Blocks complete. Now it's time to sew the top together. Look for this fun new quilt pattern coming soon from @sewhookedontreasures!

#holidaytrimmingsquilt #quiltpatterntester #patchworksampler
Fun fabric pull to test the lovely #holidaytrimmin Fun fabric pull to test the lovely #holidaytrimmingsquilt by Shereece @sewhookedontreasures. 

Does the new Hustle and Bustle fabric by @official_basicgrey on a Grunge Hits the Spot background put you in the holiday spirit?
This is my most recent finish. I stitched the last This is my most recent finish. I stitched the last bit of binding just about a half hour ago! I love the fabrics in this quilt and they were just random fabrics from my stash. The pattern is #theellaquilt by @kitchentablequilting. I may have to hang this in my family room until it finds a new home.

#igquiltfest2022 #igquiltfest2022day14 #patchworksampler
Today's prompt is pressing matters. I love flat bl Today's prompt is pressing matters. I love flat blocks and these three items are my essentials for achieving that: white fluffy bath towel, cheap Black & Decker iron that steams like crazy, and a Jackson's Woodworks square clapper.

I have a wool pressing mat, but I like the bath towel better. It has enough nap to "grab" the fabrics for a super flat press and it can be tossed in the washer and dryer. 

#igquiltfest2022 #igquiltfest2022day12 #patchworksampler
One of my cherished quilts is one I didn't make. T One of my cherished quilts is one I didn't make. This album quilt was made by members of a club I ran for many years when I had a brick and mortar shop. Several members continued to meet in my home monthly until COVID hit. 

It is special to me because it is a reminder of what is important; the friendships, camaraderie, and encouragement that developed within the group. 

#igquiltfest2022 #igquiltfest2022day9 #patchworksampler
This super scrappy quilt is one of my favorites fo This super scrappy quilt is one of my favorites for a couple of reasons. First it is proof that any fabric works when you cut it small enough and second I pieced it on a little mini retreat with a couple of friends. The pattern is Rectangle Wrangle by Bonnie Hunter.

I love, love, love scrap quilts, the more fabrics the better, and that's how I justify buying all the fabric I do.

This particular quilt was chosen for today's prompt because tomorrow it will be on its way to Poland along with nine others from my "quilt room" (see day 3 prompt).

#igquiltfest2022 #igquiltfest2022day8 #patchworksampler #scrapquilt
Lesson learned. I could write a book on all the th Lesson learned. I could write a book on all the things I've learned through quilting, but one I can't seem to get through my head is that I don't like foundation piecing, paper piecing, or hand piecing.  Slow stitching is a concept I can't wrap my head around.

This String Spiderweb was started at a retreat so I jumped on the bandwagon without thinking it through. I have a bunch of these units made but no interest in continuing. As I was snapping the photo though, I had an idea. Stay tuned.

Are there quilting techniques or methods you don't enjoy?

#igquiltfest2022 #igquiltfest2022day7 #patchworksampler
I'm not really sure what to say about my quilting I'm not really sure what to say about my quilting origins. No one else in my family was or is a quilter. For some reason my Grandma Ruby had this old quilt top, had it finished, and gave it to me. She didn't make it and I don't know who did, but I still cherish it.

As for me, I walked into a quilt shop in 1988 and the rest is history. My heart still races when I walk into a shop!!

#igquiltfest2022 #igquiltfest2022day6 #patchworksampler
Why I quilt: 1) Fabric. It is so fun to cut littl Why I quilt: 
1) Fabric. It is so fun to cut little pieces of fabric only to sew them back together and see how the colors and texture work together. 

2) To fill a need. I enjoy donating pretty quilts to those who need them. 

3) Community. Early in my marriage we moved every three years or so. I always found new friends in guilds and classes. It's even easier to connect with other quilters with the internet.

There are many other reasons like fun and creativity, but those are my top three.

#igquiltfest2022 #igquiltfestday5 #patchworksampler
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Make quilts. Use fabric. Have fun.

quilting · February 13, 2021

White Ivy Book Review and Sugar Cookie Showdown

White Ivy cover

Book review: White Ivy

This is a hard book to review. White Ivy is maybe the only book I’ve ever read where NONE of the characters had any sense of morality. While the store is compelling, the characters are not likable. You will not root for anyone in the whole book.  

Here is a short synopsis of the story. Ivy, the title character is a poor Chinese immigrant who longs for the WASP lifestyle of her classmates. Ivy has a teenage crush on Gideon and when Gideon invites her to a party at his house, her parents create a cringeworthy ending to the evening. Soon after, Ivy’s family abruptly moves across the country.

Several years later, in an improbable coincidence, Ivy meets up with Gideon. She is still in love with him and will go to any lengths to be with him. Gideon spends time with her but is always holding back. He has his own issues, which I guessed early in the book. I continued reading to see if I was right (I was) and to see if there was any kind of happy ending (there isn’t). Truly, anyone in this book will do anything immoral, illegal, or underhanded to get what they want. 

I enjoy reading books about other cultures and I was excited to read this one. However, this book isn’t about Chinese culture only the reprehensible behavior of the characters.  White Ivy was an Amazon best book for November 2020, and on many Best Books of 2020 lists. It was selected as a club read for Jenna Bush Hager’s book club. Apparently, many others enjoyed this book more than I did. The writing is good, but it was not one of my favorites. White Ivy has a 4.1/5.0 rating on Amazon and 3.68/5.0 on Goodreads. The book is available from Amazon here and from Barnes and Noble here. 

Sugar Cookie Showdown

We watch our grandchildren once a week while our daughter-in-law gets groceries and runs errands. We love the time with them but at ages 1 and 2½ we are always looking for activities to keep them entertained. With Valentine’s Day approaching I thought our granddaughter might enjoy dropping sprinkles on sugar cookies, so I made cookies last weekend. I am hoping to play around with some recipe plugins to make it easier to share and print recipes. For today though, I’m simply posting links to the recipes I used.

The first recipe I made was called “The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe” and can be found here. I made it exactly like the recipe except for using parchment paper. I replace all my cookie sheets every 2-3 years with new non-stick pans and have no trouble making cookies without the parchment. In every area of my life, if I can save some time, I will.  Haha! I did not use the optional Bourbon Glaze. 

sugar cookie ingredients

The ingredients are standard with nothing unusual, flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla

Cookie dough

Once everything is mixed the dough is stiff like you would expect for cookie dough. 

cookies prebaking

I used a scoop to shape the dough and rolled each in sugar, then flattened with a drinking glass. 

sugar cookies These baked for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F and looked good but of course, the true test would come later. 

Second batch: America’s Test Kitchen Sugar Cookies 

The second recipe came from my America’s Test Kitchen cookbook but the same recipe can be found here and at several other places online. 

sugar cookie ingredients

This recipe is a little different in that you melt the butter and add vegetable oil and cream cheese. 

cookie dough

The dough is soft and smooth which is kind of unusual for cookies. Because you start with melted butter, they are a cinch to mix up. 

sugar cookies prebakeI used the same scoop and the same rolling and flattening technique for this batch. 

sugar cookies

These baked for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Out of the oven, they have a crinkled appearance. 

Both batches smelled delicious and tasted very good. I was surprised the America’s Test Kitchen recipe was a little crisper. I thought with the cream cheese and oil, they would be softer and chewier. There is a definite difference in taste. The Best Sugar Cookie recipe has a richer, more buttery flavor. That isn’t surprising since there is more butter in the recipe. 

sugar cookies

While I liked both cookies and Jim could barely tell the difference, I will put The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe in my permanent recipe file. Next time I want to make sugar cookies, I won’t have to search for “the best!”

The placemat is from a Christmas gift exchange with my quilting group. I have a set of four and they are perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Decorating kept DGD occupied for quite a while. This cookie was her play cookie and she put sprinkles on, took them off and put them back on a few times. We sent home other ones home for her mom and dad. 

While his sister was busy with the cookies, our grandson took the opportunity to play with the figures in the rice bin. 

The little ones are coming back today so their parents can have Valentine’s Day dinner in peace and quiet. We have so much fun with them and it breaks up the monotony of sheltering at home.

Hope you have a fun weekend too! 

 

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