Let's Play with Our Fabric!

My rotary cutter has a sharp, new blade. My bobbins are full. My sewing machine has a new needle. (Yes, I heard a happy sigh from her when I put in a new needle.) If you don't remember the last time you gave your girl a new needle, then it is definitely time to do it! Let's get our mystery started.

We are going to start with easy, peasy 2 patches. Yeah, right...more on that later. (Note you won't need any background fabric(s) this week.)

Let's cut some 2-1/2" strips from our fabric selection. Please, please be generous when cutting your strips. Place that 2-1/2" dot/line marker ON the fabric, not butted up against the fabric edge, but ON THE FABRIC? You will thank me for teaching you to cut this way. I firmly believe that the only reason a quilter needs to master a "scant quarter inch" (whatever that really means) is because they CUT the fabric scanty to begin with.

As you cut the strips of fabric, toss into a bowl. When you cut from Fat Quarters or full width of fabric, sub cut your strips in 10" to 11" lengths to mix it up a bit when you sew.

Now stir your bowl full of fabric up to mix it all up.

What? You prefer shaken, not stirred? OK. Toss them into a big bag, and Shake, Shake, Shake your fabric.  Mix it up, toss it all about. Go ahead do the Hokey Pokey if you want, no judgement here, and it may add steps to your Fitbit for the day.

Choose 2 fabrics out of our bowl (or bag) randomly. Be brave, you can do it! Sew them together lengthwise.

WAIT A MINUTE, that quarter inch seam looks kind of fat. I opened, pressed and measure that first strip. Sure enough my strip set didn't measure 4-1/2"! Dog gone it! People, always do one test drive first. Yep, had I followed my own rule, I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to commune with my seam ripper.

OK, let's try that again.

Much, much better.

Now that I have created a bunch of strip sets pressed open to 4-1/2" wide, it time to chop, Chop, CHOP! them up! This is where the June Taylor Shape Cutter comes in handy.

See? We will be subcutting the strips in 2-1/2" units. When we are done chopping, you will have lots and lots of 2-1/2" x 4-1/2"  two patch units.

Now if you were really, really wanting to cut up 2-1/2" squares and sewing them into 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" two patch units, you go for it. I'm a bit too lazy today to do that, but I applaud your initiative.

Does it matter which way the strips are pressed? No. Be patient, you will see why in a few weeks.

So how many of these 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" two patch blocks will we need for this project. You would ask that I suppose. This sounds suspiciously like my grade school math nemesis, the Story Problem.

Let's see, if there are a bunch of blocks that each need a bazillion 2 patch units...where is my calculator, my slide rule, or Stoney when I need them?

Well after much cyphering and thinking and rechecking...I multiplied it all by 7 and then took the square root of that to arrive at...… 172 each 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" two patch units.

This is how I keep the units together until assembly time. And just for kicks and giggles, I included in the picture my scrap heap that I generated on this step.

So what was I talking about when I said Yeah, right earlier when cutting my 2-1/2" strips? Remember last week when I told you that if you were are careful cutter you could use a Layer Cake on this project? Yeah, well I was carefully cutting 2-1/2" strips, except on 4 squares I very carefully cut a 3" strip. Next week we will see how we roll with it and get out of that corner I backed myself into.

See you next week!

A Stoney's Crew Mystery...What Will We Find?

I guess you have decided to play along on this mysterious sojourn? That's why you're here, right? Right? If not to actually participate in this adventure, then you are just here to live vicariously thru others OR is it you have always wondered how this ditzy blonde's mind works? Join us as we plow thru this together.

What are the housekeeping details of the who, what, where, and when's of how this will work? The How of this program will be contained in each week's clue. I will tell you that the center of the quilt that I have planned is 60"x60" (ish). I wait until my center fun is together before I decide what kind of borders to add, if any. So depending on how you treat your creation will depend on the final overall size of YOUR quilt.

WHO:

The WHO is YOU! I am not going to tell you what color selections to use in your quilt. I want you to make it YOURS, not a facsimile of mine. This is what I want you to do, go to your fabric stash (or your mom's, or mother-in-law's, or sister's, or aunt's, or friend's, or your local quilt shop) and choose the fabrics that make you smile. {Please note I am not encouraging you to steal from any of these locations, perhaps your friend or family will trade that hideous 1973 Army Green Camo fat quarter for a pink duck 30's? Of course your local quilt shop will trade fat quarters for $$$$.}

Will this work for a 30's reproduction stash? Yes! Will this work for a civil war reproduction stash? Yes! Christmas fabric stash? Yes! What about a modern stash of Kaffe Fassett, solids, Batiks, or a hodge podge of all my stowed away treasure fabrics? Yes, Yes, YES! The secret will be revealed in due time. Choose the fabrics that make YOU happy. The more the merrier.

WHAT (you will need):

Choosing Your Fabric:

A selection of assorted cottons. Some pieces will be 2-1/2", in my case that happens to be the size I use for bindings...and there is always some left over. It is also well known that I am the Princess of Precuts. Translate that moniker to Jelly Roll Junkie with a healthy dose of Layer Cake Lollygagging and Fat Quarter Flavor madness thrown in. How much of any of it? Well...remember we are flying by the seat of my pants, so exact measurements of each fabric and how many different fabrics is totally up to you. This is a stash-buster event. I can tell you that if you have a Jelly Roll and a Layer Cake that play well together you can use them and you will have leftovers, by some standards A LOT of leftovers. Do you have a Layer Cake that you love the fabrics, but you haven't figured out how to use? It may work for this IF all 40 or 42 pieces (every brand of cake is different) of the 10" squares stand out from the color of background that you choose and you are a careful and thrifty fabric cutter. What does THAT mean? Here is an example. You have a large variety of 30's fabrics in addition to your 30's inspired Layer Cake. They play nice together, so you can integrate some of your stash scraps into each week's clue. Remember a Layer Cake isn't just 10" squares, it is about 2-1/2 yards of fabric. If you choose to use Fat Quarters exclusively, 10-12 Fat Quarters will be more than ample fabric. I personally am going to use a Layer Cake augmented with scraps in my stash and 2-3 Fat Quarters integrated, but then I love scrappy looking quilts.

Can this quilt be a two-color quilt? If by 2-color you mean an assortment of fabrics within the same color wave, then yes, it could be.

Like this.

If you mean a SOLID color and a SOLID background, that would mean a whole lot of unnecessary cutting and sewing and a lot less fun along the way.

Background Fabric:

Here is where the mystery magic happens. You will need a total of 2-1/2 to 3 yards of background fabric. This fabric needs to stand out from the colors you choose. Back to the 30's example, if one of the prints in your Layer Cake is a white background, it will not show up against a white background fabric, so you may want to rethink that square OR rethink your background fabric choice.

Does the background fabric need to be a full 2-1/2 to 3 yards of the same fabric?
No. Background fabrics can make your quilt twinkle. And if we want to truly bust your stash, use what you have within a color range or type of fabric. Background Fabric Doesn't Have to be a Solid. It can be, but have some fun.

Mix and match from your scrap stash of tone-on-tone prints, grunge, batiks, or small scale prints. Just keep the overall color within the same family of color.

Will any special tools or rulers be needed?

Yes and no...it depends on what you have in your Ruler Toolbox. During the Bonnie Hunter mystery that I participated in, I had said on several occasions that I was not going to buy another ruler. Well, I bought another ruler during that mystery. So these are the rulers I recommend for this event:

• EZ Quilting (Simplicity) EASY ANGLE RULER (this is the one I bought during the BH mystery)
• Deb Tucker (Studio 180 Design) V-BLOCK RULER
• June Taylor Shape Cutter

Your standard fabric cutting rulers and squares that you are comfortable using to cut and square up your units.

The EZ Angle Ruler is to make half square triangles (HST), and is not required. I will show you several ways to make HST units, but you may want to check them out when we get to that step. I have seen these rulers at quilt shops, JoAnn's and WalMart.

The June Taylor Shape Cutter will make fast work of subcutting some of the units that we will be making, but is not required. I got mine at JoAnn's years ago with a coupon. Many quilt shops also carry them.

The Deb Tucker V-Block Ruler, is the only way I will show you how to make the V-Block (also known as Peaks & Spikes) units that we will be making. Are there other rulers that will do this? Yes; however, this ruler is a ONE piece ruler with all of the measurements on it. You do the cutting and the square up using this ONE ruler. All of the others on the market are 2 piece units. The smaller piece I was always misplacing. I will give you the size of unit to make using other rulers, but make your life easier. Get Deb Tucker's ruler! I have only seen these in Quilt Shops (support your local quilt shop when you can) and was introduced to this line of rulers at Calico Point in Goshen. Last resort for you folks that can't find it, is Amazon, but please, please support your local quilt shops when you can.

Where and When

Ok, I know that this was a hugely, annoyingly, long post, but now you can gather your materials and get ready to start next Wednesday, May 22 for the first clue. I will post a new clue every week, until there are no more!

A Stoney’s Crew Mystery is Coming Soon!

It has been a while...ok let’s be honest years since I penned anything for your reading pleasure (? ok so maybe that is a bit optimistic) consumption...so hang in there a couple of days while I get my dust bunnies organized and figure out what’s what and where what’s at now that I have decided to partake in this mystery crazy idea I had.  I’ll be back soon!

Simplicity 1884 Style for 2011

Well this week I was going to talk about how to make tomatoes, apples, or peaches into something really tasty for the coming winter. But I got a bit sidetracked, by a little table. I guess the info on canning for the upcoming months will have to wait! I also apologize for the rather jumpy entry this week. Our power has been blinking all morning and then I got called away on an unexpected outing; so it is what it is! If I didn't get posted soon it would be ready in time for next week!

Last week on Between Naps on the Porch, Susan shared a recent trip to Urban Relics Consignment Shop. Included in the pictures was a sweet little table for $165, marked down to $132. That table looked very similar to on I found and purchased on Wednesday! An upcoming series that I have planned is how I am turning our dining room in to my personal Home Manager office. So how does this find fit in? Well, I can't show you the complete transformation yet! First I would like to discuss the table itself as there seems to be a bit of interest in what exactly it may have been intended for.

For info on the table I consulted my go to resource for all things antique. My Mom. My Mom does not admit to being older than 39, (yep, she was really irritated when we threw her a Happy 40th Annual 39th Birthday party a number of years ago) but let's face facts. She just might be older than that! Over the past couple of years, I have become the designated driver for day trips to antique malls and shops in the tri-state area for my mom and Aunt Mary (my Dad's older sister). It is fun to poke about these malls and shops and when I run across something that I have not seen before or am scratching my head wondering what it is, one or both of them can usually describe what the use was and whether or not they used when growing up. I like having a personal curator of the past describing these things to me. I think it is fun to get a snapshot of their youth.

My table is clearly marked with "Simplicity Folding Table; Patent June 10, 84; Address all orders to W.E. & J.M. Eldred; Patentees & Mfgs; Cooperstown, NY."

Last Wednesday evening when Mom called, she asked me what I was doing and I replied, "Well, right now I am doing a happy dance!" She wanted to know why. I explained to her that I had just made a purchase that day at one of the antique malls in Allen, Michigan that my preliminary web search indicated that I had gotten for a really, really, really great price of $25 so I was doing a happy dance. So she wanted to know what was it? I told her that I had purchased a cute little sewing table with a yard stick embossed into it and an 1884 patent date on it. She said it sounded like I did all right on that, would I be ready to go on another adventure say about 9 in the morning? And so yes, another adventure was planned for the following day...but that is a story for another time!

During my Sunday afternoon visit, I was picking Mom's brain further on what exactly this little table I had purchased was, the timeframe of it, and how it was used. This is the description she gave me.
Your Grandma Pink (her mom 1886-1981) had one of those tables with a"yard stick" on top. It was in Junior's (one of mom's brothers) bedroom. It sat between the door and the closet against the wall.

I asked if it folded up.
I really don't remember. I can only remember it standing in his bedroom. I know we sold it at Grandma's auction (1980). I remember it had turned spindle legs on it." (I hadn't shown my mom pictures of my table...I hadn't cleaned it up and taken any yet, so she was going solely by my verbal description, such that it was.)

So I followed up asking about how Grandma Pink sewed.
She had a treadle sewing machine and she made all of our clothes. She used to scold Betty (one of my mom's sisters) and I because we pumped that thing until Grandma was sure that it would break and fly apart it was going so fast.

Did Grandma Pink have a Singer Featherweight?
Oh heavens no. Those didn't come out until during the depression. We didn't have money for those fancy things and her treadle machine worked just fine.

So you didn't learn to sew on a Featherweight?
Oh no, I learned to sew on that treadle machine. As background for my readers, my mom was an excellent seamstress and made most of our clothes growing up and ALL of our Barbie and other doll clothes--there were 5 of us girls, so that is more than a few Barbie clothes--and our dolls were always the best dressed around.

So how did Grandma use the table?
I can't remember seeing her use it, although I am sure she did. There was very little in our home that was not used. I can tell you how they were supposed to be used though; I used to see them all of the time at auctions.

And how were they supposed to be used?
They didn't make paper patterns back in those days like we see and use today. Every housewife sewed, and every housewife made her own patterns. Those patterns and cutting the cloth to sew was done using those tables. The tables were shorter, so that they could be pulled up over the lap of the sewer so that she could reach, measure, draw, and cut the materials to make whatever she was designing. You know those armless sewing rockers? You could sit in one of those and work on your sewing project. Sometimes when you find those tables today, you will see a path of dots. Those dots were from a little tool that was a wheel on a handle, kind of like what modern quilters use to cut fabric today, only it didn't cut, it transferred a pattern from one piece to another usually using chalk or transfer paper. The transfer markings washed out in the first wash of the garment. Modern quilters might find the tables useful in piecing blocks together.

But then my Mom isn't a blogger.

So now you are wondering how I intend to use this little wonder aren't you?

I wonder if W.E. & J.M. Eldred would be amazed that 127 years after they invented and patented the table for the everyday housewife to use, an everyday housewife would be using one to send information instantly to the rest of the world about their humble creation.

This post has been linked to Metamorphisis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Monday! A Fresh Start and a Happy Place!

Well it has certainly been a while, hasn't it? Time to start anew, refreshed and ready to go on this adventure. What lays beyond those doors on this Monday adventure?









Monday here at the homestead includes laundry, so it seems fitting that recently while spending the day doing this never ending chore, I decided that my laundry "room" was really boring, lackluster, and a real snoozeville of a place...definitely NOT a happy place. Time to change that I say! So I did! Here is what it looked like before...


and here is what it looks like now...

Much, much more friendly isn't it? This was a simple presto, change-o that took very little time, money, and no energy on Stoney's part (remember the last time in our mudroom?) In fact, he probably doesn't even know this metamorphosis took place!






It all started last April when while visiting The Princess I was looking for a change pot for the laundry room. I happened upon a booth at an antique mall with 50% off going out of business sale. Enter this cute little honey pot for $5. Quarters fit through the opening (for those rare high-dollar laundry days) and I thought the black would go well with the brightly colored laundry essentials that live in this center of the Monday universe. Now I have an inspiration piece, what next? I knew I wanted something bee related.

I could paint on the wall.
Nope, don't want to have to move the washer and dryer out, take down the shelving and otherwise rehab a freshly painted white wall. And painting some bees on the wall would require more bending and stretching than my wii yoga workout.

I could paint canvas pictures.
Nope, have you priced even a small canvas...and I needed 4 for something that no one would most likely ever see.

I could print off some pretty bee pics and frame. Maybe even utilize some scrapbook embellishments.
Possible, need to find some really cheap frames tho...and start digging through the vast Internet for happy bee pictures. Oh, well off to Hobby Lobby I go.

While meandering the vast domain of a company that I should own stock in by now (if my sales records are any indication) I found the summer clearance items...and much to my great excitement there were 4 little yellow bee plates just begging to come home with me. The price $2.99 each, but then take 70% end of summer clearance and the heavens parted and a bright sparkling light that is my calculator said...that means these are 90 cents a pop... THEY WILL COME TO STONEY'S WITH ME!

So after picking up the plate hangers that HobLob so conveniently carries (and yes, they did, in fact, cost more than the plates) I went home excited to fulfill my dream of a happy Monday place.

The tools I used were a hammer, a pen, a tape measure (I debated the need for these 2 tools, but thinking my "just eyeball it" skills might be a little rusty I caved and actually measured and marked), and my trusty box of straight pins. (Our home is all drywall, so anything lightweight, like these melmac plates and small picture frames, I hang using straight pins...less holes to patch come the next painting time, AND if I want to move something, the size of the pinhole becomes invisible.)

And the rest as they say is history! I now have a happy place for busy bee Monday's. Perhaps one of these days, I will find some happy flowers or baskets to hang inside on the doors, so that when the doors are open on Monday, the whole hallway area looks happy too... but that will be an adventure for another day!







Today I am hooking up with Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. If you want to stop over and see what others are doing to morph this week click here!

New Things Coming Soon...

I've been reading and looking and thinking and planning...and finally soon there will be some new things headed your way...I am just working on my stockpile of stories and interesting (hopefully) ideas and links to tickle your fancy...so be patient just a bit longer...and just because I'm a tease..here is a picture of something that is planned for the launch of the new Stoney's Crew...see you soon!

How about a substitute for sour cream?

One of my favorite cookbook authors is Joanna Lund. She was the creator of the Healthy Exchange Diet. Her premise was simple, all recipes had to be made of easily obtainable items at her local Kroger in Iowa, had to be taste tested and approved by her husband and fit within her diabetic diet.

Another blogger was discussing yogurt this week, when it tweaked my memory to actually share a recipe of hers that I make without even thinking about it. A yogurt substitute for Sour Cream. There are a couple of ways to do it so here you go, give it a try!

Fast!
3/4 cup of plain fat-free yogurt (I have also used plain, regular yogurt)
1/3 cup non-fat dry milk.

The dry milk stabilizes the yogurt to the consistancy of sour cream.

Slower Method!
Line a sieve with a coffee filter, place sieve and coffee filter over a bowl add 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt and refrigerate for 6 hours. The end result in the filter will be a near consistancy to sour cream.

To stabilize the yogurt when cooking (either recipe) add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch when cooking or baking with it.

Need a dip or potato topper? Add Ranch Dressing Mix, French Onion Mix, or your favorite mix to the yogurt as you would sour cream and you have a great alternative. Another option is to add 1 cup of your favorite salsa to the yogurt turned sour cream for a great topping for tacos, burritos, and baked potatoes!