Bags and Blocks and Sourdough - Oh My!

 

    Honestly, I really don't enjoy exercising. I find it boring. And while I did win a few ribbons in track and field as a child, I've always been more academic than physical. But I know that exercise is important, so I try to do a half-hour workout on a daily basis. However, I can go days, weeks and sometimes even months without getting regular exercise. Have I mentioned my insomnia before? It's related to my anxiety and depression, but continual fatigue does make it more challenging to exercise on a regular basis. And unfortunately, even when I was exercising regularly for weeks and months, I didn't see any improvement in my sleep or mental health. And exercise also leaves me feeling really exhausted. Even when I'm doing it regularly. 
    So yesterday, I exercised. And I was exhausted. But after "recharging my batteries" by sitting and reading, I started the laundry and worked on The Ultimate Travel Bag. Between other tasks during the day, I was able to finish the side and zipper strip and got it all together. 

Meanwhile, I had started some "not refried beans" in the Instant Pot, from this cookbook,

planning to make some veggie fajitas for dinner, from this cookbook.

First I had to make my own taco seasoning. The authors of this cookbook must eat a LOT of Mexican cuisine. Otherwise, why would  you need about 3 cups of taco seasoning? And I was foolish enough to make the whole recipe. I could have halved it and still had enough to last me until I die or the Lord returns. I may have to divide it into smaller containers and start including it in gifts - "I'm gifting you a quilt and including some home-made taco seasoning"... 
    Once the seasoning was made, I then had to prepare the "Mexican Style Chicken" (I had removed the Gluten Steak strips that I had made previously from the freezer) and the Roasted Fajita Veggies for the oven. But by the time these were oven ready, I realized it was already lunch time and I was hungry and I still had tortillas to make. So, I decided to just eat a light lunch (normally, I like to have my bigger meal at noon and a lighter meal at supper time) and have my fajitas for supper. So the "chicken' and veggies went into the fridge for later. I had my light lunch and, in perusing the cookbook, which has menu suggestions, it recommended some things I didn't already have, so I decided to make a quick trip to the grocery store. And after working on the travel bag for awhile, that's what I did. 
    By the time I got home, it was time to get started on dinner. I started the Spanish rice (same cookbook), got the "chicken" and veggies into the oven, and then was ready to tackle Sourdough Tortillas. I'll be honest here and say that I looked for tortillas in the grocery store when I was there, but couldn't find ones without L-cysteine, which is not vegan. I didn't know if I was going to run out of energy before I ran out of tasks to complete. But I did end up making the tortillas. I don't remember if I've ever tackled tortilla-making before, but it might have helped if I'd worked with someone who actually knew what they were doing first. I used my large cast iron frying pan, but soon found that I did not need to have it on medium-high, as my initial scorched tortilla shows. 

I think I've mentioned previously the hispanic pastor who shared how his mother's tortillas turn out perfectly round, but his turn out looking like t-shirts and other articles of clothing. I think mine look more like geography - states, countries, continents. Doesn't that one on the right resemble Africa? Or maybe a piece of cauliflower. I then discovered that patting them out with my fingers first and then rolling them with the rolling pin helps to keep them a little rounder. Of course, mine were whole wheat and I used plant-based butter instead of lard. And I found medium-low worked much better than medium-high for cooking temperature.
The "chicken" was good. The veggies were overcooked and scorched in places and I think roasting for 15 minutes would work better than 20-25. The Spanish rice made a huge amount, and is rather flat tasting. I was afraid it would be oversalted and I reduced the salt somewhat, and shouldn't have. 
    When I finally got around to eating, my energy was depleted, and I totally forgot about putting refried beans in my fajita. I had planned on having a salad as well, but by that time, I was lucky to still be standing. 😁 And I still had to put sheets on my bed as I had stripped it to do the laundry. 
    But what about the blocks in the title of this post - well, those didn't happen yesterday. Since our local quilt shop closed, I have no fabric options in town other than Walmart. And they're not exactly known for quality fabrics. I do, however, occasionally use their fabrics, usually in smaller projects. So, one time, when I was in need of a "fabric fix", I picked up 3 fat quarters and a 2-yard piece of solid in a medium orange/peach colour, intending to make something for my daughter, whose favourite colour is orange. 

Flying Geese, left. Flying Squares, right.

I've been making 10" blocks, 

Chinese Coin, left. Propeller, right.

and was well on my way towards my goal of 7 blocks, 

Square Dance

when my block-making got interrupted by other priorities. But most of my quilts lately have been 3-yard quilts, and while I enjoy those as mostly quick projects, they are generally quite simple, and I enjoy challenging myself by trying new quilt blocks. Especially when I can take a picture that's less than 2" square and turn it into a full-sized quilt block. 

This book is my source for the blocks I've been making. And recently, I decided I needed a bigger challenge than 3-yard quilts, and completed 

Bachelor's Puzzle

the final 2 blocks I need. 

Crazy Ann

My plan is to use 3 blocks on point for the table runner and the remaining 4 - not on point - for placemats. I'll share them when I finish. But again, I've got other quilting priorities. The bags - the travelling bag for my grandson, and a backpack for my daughter - were meant to be Christmas presents, so I want to get them done ASAP. Plus some other quilts that need to be completed. 
Future quilting idea: did you know that there are 7 different blocks named "Bachelor's Puzzle" and 8 or 9 named "Old Maid's Puzzle"? I'm thinking of a sampler quilt, maybe call it "Singles' Puzzle Sampler Quilt", using all of those blocks.

Democracy Defended

Last year, for my birthday, I was given the Christmas 2024 edition of Quilter's World magazine, A Very Merry Quilted Christmas. As I flipped through the pages, I found the pattern for "Noel Surrounded" by Lyn Brown. The green colour appealed to me because it wasn't the traditional "Christmas green" and I thought I might make it work for one of my great nephews, whose favourite colour is green. When it came to purchasing the fabric, however, I switched out the red for a dark purple, not wanting it to appear to be a Christmas quilt. I also decided that I wanted my quilt slightly smaller, so I left off the final inch and a half of the border.

The quilt block used, Burgoyne Surrounded, is a rather large and complex block, It finishes at 22½" square and is composed of 97 pieces! Yes, that's per block. But there were only 6 blocks and the designer simplified the process by using strip piecing techniques. 

Unfortunately, that did leave me with a lot of already-stitched together leftover strips. If I were to do it over again (and I have no intention of it), I would have completed the last few units from individual pieces rather than strip pieces, which would have left me with more usable fabric leftovers, rather than already stitched-together strips. However, I do appreciate the fact that trying to write that into a pattern would have made it overly and unnecessarily complex. 
I have to admit that I really love my fabric choices. The green and the deep purple together just really "zing". 
As I was working on the quilt, I was trying to come up with a name for it. Certainly, "Noel Surrounded" was not appropriate for a quilt that wasn't a Christmas quilt. The designer included this blurb with the pattern: 

Hmm, as a Canadian, I tended to side with the British. Canada is a member of the British Commonwealth, and officially, King Charles III is still our head of state. And we were able to peacefully evolve into our own sovereign nation without bloodshed. And without severing ties with the British crown. And my feelings were further complicated by the fact that the current president of the United States is threatening our sovereignty, and has made himself - essentially - our enemy. No, I definitely did not want to celebrate the United States of America by calling this quilt "Burgoyne Surrounded". Not to mention the fact that that name would mean nothing to the recipient. Or the vast majority of anyone other than the astute student of the history of the USA. 
So, I was still looking for a name for this quilt when I started seeing photos and videos of the protests against ICE's (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) heavy-handed tactics in US cities, like Portland. And of course, I realized that there were many US citizens who were not happy with the decisions and directives coming from the White House. And so the "No Kings" movement was born, protesting the fact that the president, instead of being the servant of the people, was acting like a dictatorial monarch. And because of an inflatable frog costume worn at a peaceful protest in Portland, the frog became an icon of "the resistance". And more and more frogs appeared. And I found myself siding with the frogs, and the unicorns, and dinosaurs... Because we all recognize that democracy is at stake. 

And as I looked at the green in this quilt top, I realized it was the same green as the frogs (or very similar), and I decided to quilt it with frogs in solidarity with the protesters. 

(The design is Pond Lily, and I just used it recently in Swan Lake Surprise.)
Initially, I thought about calling the quilt Portland Defended. But then I realized it was much broader than that and decided on Democracy Defended. And I believe that that is very consistent with the original meaning behind this quilt block. - freedom from autocratic, dictatorial control. And makes a lot more sense to the non-historian than "Burgoyne Surrounded".
I have to admit that I was thinking of Betsy Ross as I was working on this quilt. But what difference will a quilt make? What difference will all of the protests make? Will they make a difference? Or is it too late in this world's history? Allow me to explain. 
I believe that the United States is portrayed in Bible prophecy in the book of Revelation:

 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Revelation 13:11

If you want to know the explanation for why and how I believe this beast is the United States of America, this video gives a good overview:

The question is: Will the United States recover from this, or is this the beginning of the final downward slide that leads to the enforcement of the Mark of the Beast? I guess only time will tell. But the Bible gives us this admonition: 

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man (Jesus) will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 

Matthew 24:44 NIV

Tulip the Decepticon and Other Quilt Blocks

 

I honestly did not set out to make a quilt block that looks like a Transformer. It's actually supposed to be a tulip. A Tennessee Tulip, to be precise. But my choice of fabrics for this Sew Along resulted in this block looking more like a Transformer than a tulip. 

See what I mean? I have therefore nicknamed this block Tulip the Decepticon. It's Brackman 785.7, if you know what that means. Brackman, as in Barbara Brackman, the author of the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. I finally own my own copy, the newest third edition, just out last year. As someone who loves trying new blocks, this comprehensive volume has been on my Amazon wishlist for quite some time. But then I found out that Electric Quilt was bringing out a new edition. Why pay $150 for a used second edition when I can get a brand new third edition for far less than that? Yay! In addition, they also brought out an updated version of the BlockBase software, Blockbase+. Double yay! So, instead of drafting the blocks myself from 2" line drawings, I have software that will print out rotary cutting instructions, foundation pieces and/or templates in whatever size block I want. That makes me a very happy quilter!

And then I found out that Electric Quilt was having a sew along to teach participants how to use the BlockBase+ software. What better way to learn the software that learning by doing? So, I joined in. 

This are the fabrics I chose for the project. And here's the first block, Brackman 1273. 

Since some blocks have many names, and some names refer to several different blocks, Barbara Brackman assigned each block a number. That way it's much easier to keep track of which block is being referred to. 

But before I started this sew along, Bernina started an Old Block Quilt Along. I don't usually join in on these things because I generally have more than enough projects on the go. But I love old, traditional blocks, and I love trying new blocks. Besides, at the end of the year, I could win a Bernina! What's not to love about that? Owning a newer Janome, and a Brother (plus my vintage Singer...), I figured I would give the Bernina to my daughter if I won it. She just had a cheaper Singer, but then she told me that she bought herself a heavy duty Singer, plus she will someday get my mother's Janome, which is currently in my possession, and I figured I will keep the Bernina if I win it. I can't have my daughter owning more sewing machines than me. LOL! 

So, here are the fabrics I purchased to use in the Bernina project: 

These fabrics are stunning and I think I could make the ugliest quilt blocks around and people would still love them just because of how beautiful the fabrics are. 

Here's the first block, Brides Bouquet. 

By the time I made up my mind to join these projects and purchased the fabric, I had some catching up to do. 

Quilter's Delight

Bird's Nest, which I christened Rat's Nest, because it was such a mess. Still people loved the block just because the fabric is so pretty. 

Cross and Star. So, having caught up on the Bernina project, I then had to catch up on the BlockBase+ one. 

Brackman 2898

Brackman 1638

Brackman1915b.

The Bernina Quilt Along is one or two blocks a month over a year, for a total of 20 blocks (I think) and the quilt will be a maximum of 60"x80". The blocks are different sizes, so it will be interesting to see how they are all arranged together. 

The BlockBase+ Sew Along, on the other hand, has only 8 blocks, one block every 2 weeks. The participants can chose what size to make the blocks. I chose a uniform 12" for all of the blocks and decided to add more blocks to make it at least a throw size. 

Brackman 1232, one of my own additions. There are some incredibly challenging quilt blocks in this book. 

Morning Star. Still having to keep up with the Bernina project. 

Brackman 2328, another one of my additions. I messed this one up because it should have had two of the solid purple triangles on the top and bottom, and two of the print triangles on the sides, instead of one of each on all four sides. But with all of those bias edges, I didn't really want to start ripping out seams. And I really wasn't that happy with my choice to use all purple fabrics. 

Brackman 3953. This one used a combination of foundation paper piecing, regular piecing and applique. And I think it's a truly amazing block. I likely would have never attempted some of these more challenging blocks if I didn't have BlockBase+, but this is one I chose to include. 

Mill and Stars. For the Bernina Quilt Along, my goal is to use some of all 7 of the fabrics (6 coloured fabrics, plus the grey texture for background) in each block. (The 8th fabric in the picture, the border print, is for the backing). This makes it challenging to keep it from looking like a "rat's nest" because the fabrics are rather busy. But I'm hoping I learned from the Bird's Nest block.

 

Brackman 2734. For the BlockBase+ Sew Along, I chose not to use all of the fabrics in each block, generally following the guidelines for the number of fabric choices by the number of colours in the book and software. 

Because I got started on making some of the most challenging quilt blocks in Brackman's Encyclopedia, I asked in a Facebook Quilting group for recommendations on what they considered challenging quilt blocks. Someone recommended Brackman 3806.5. This one has 8 mini stars, each less than 2 inches square, as part of the design, including 8 tiny Y-seams! There is no way to make these stars using foundation paper piecing. I tried using the templates, but the pieces are so small that it's virtually impossible to stitch on a sewing machine. Hand stitching? Not my forte. And then I thought of English paper piecing. Yes, it's still hand stitching, but the cardstock would give a little more structure to the pieces while being stitched. So, the above picture is the first of the mini stars. Far from perfect, but still recognizable as a star. You'll have to watch this blog to see if I actually end up completing this block. 

Meanwhile, I've got several quilts that are works in progress and I want to get them finished, so I'll get to those projects and put these blocks on the back burner for now. 

Too Many Projects on the Go

While working on Practice Makes Perfect, I decided to see if I had sufficient fabric left over to make the practice quilts for the two Angela Walters classes I own. One is Quilting With Rulers: Free Motion Made Simple, which I own online (hopefully, the new Craftsy will get our pre-owned classes sorted out soon). And the other is Help! How Do I Quilt It?: A Machine-Quilting Manual, which I own on DVD. Like the previous class, these are both taught mostly on a domestic machine, so I will have to be creative to make them work on my longarm. But, after all of the time and effort I invested in Practice Makes Perfect, I really am not in a hurry to do another quilt using free motion or rulers. I just wanted to get the quilt tops done so that they'd be ready when I am. And I can put the remnants of the fabric in the scrap bin. 

This is the quilt top for ruler practice, which I will call Practice Makes Perfect 2. But I had gotten sidetracked while working on Practice Makes Perfect, and started on something more interesting. 

I think I will call this Fall Frolic. It's made from the Jordan Fabrics pattern, Teatime, and it gave me the opportunity to use my Strip Tube ruler for the first time. I am actually farther along than this picture shows, needing only one more border and then it will be ready for the longarm. It will be for my nephew, Andrew. 

Back to making practice quilt tops, I got this far on Practice Makes Perfect 3 (pattern from the "Help!" class) and discovered that my HST border was too long. I've been revising the instructions as I saw fit and even though I starched the fabric before cutting HSTs, the bias still stretched. A LOT! I have some ideas for how I'm going to remedy this, but I wanted to work on something more fun for awhile. (I also made templates for the paper-piecing part - those diamonds in the centre - because I realized that I would run out of fabric if I did it all with paper-piecing). 

I had seen this video and thought that those quilts would work for baby quilts. Not that I have run out of ideas for using HSTs in baby quilts. But I certainly am not opposed to finding and trying new ideas. My local quilt shop sells precut metres of fabric for $7/metre and I resolved to give this a try. So I picked up 3 coordinating fabrics the next time I was in the shop. 

And this is what I tried next. 

This one is the Jigsaw quilt, demonstrated by Misty starting at 17:29 in the video. Full cutting directions are not provided, because, of course, they want to sell the book, which you can find here:

(And if you purchase through this link, I'll actually earn a small pittance. I have no idea how much because it's never happened so far). 

I'm going to keep this author's books in mind because I really like the idea of a 3-yard quilt and they will be great alternates for HST baby quilts. Unfortunately, I don't currently have backing fabric for this one, but that's not a big problem since I also don't have a recipient in mind. 

Meanwhile, I did a little doodling. 

This is one of the quilting designs (or at least my version of it) in the "Help!" Not bad for a non-doodler, eh? But I don't think I will ever master the serpentine lines!

October started with daily emails of quilt block designs from Moda arriving in my inbox. These are part of the #ModaStitchPink project for Breast Cancer Awareness month. I don't usually join Quilt Alongs, since I already have more than enough projects to work on. However, my oldest niece, Julie, celebrated her 50th birthday on October 11th. And her favourite colour is pink. Plus I have a sister who is a breast cancer survivor and an aunt who died at 95, who was a breast cancer survivor as well. So, I thought, "Why not?" Especially since I like trying new quilt blocks. I picked up several pink fabrics at the quilt shop, including a very pale pink solid that I'm using as the background. And I added some pink fabrics from my stash, and started making blocks. 

I think I need to move purchasing a new camera higher on my priority list. My cell phone camera just doesn't capture colours very well. 

I've only got the first two blocks done so far. As usual, I don't always follow directions exactly if I know a method that I think works better. In the above block, I used the no-waste method for making flying geese. 

I hate wasting fabric, or trying to figure out what to do with triangles that I've had to cut off corners. So, this method works really well for me. 

I told my niece that it would be a combined birthday and Christmas present and she'd probably get it closer to Christmas, but I didn't tell her that it's a quilt. I suspect that she'll probably guess. 

Well, back to the studio. In addition to these project, I've also got some more masks to make.