Monday, June 19, 2017

Quilts and Chicken

I watched Boston dance at the National competition via live stream.  She did very well as did her whole studio group.  Even though the picture quality on the live stream isn't the best, I can still pick her out of a crowd and follow her dance steps.  Loved every second of it.

I did some sewing in between Boston' dances.  I finished sewing the pieces together to make these blocks.





Now I just need to sew the blocks together and then add the batting and backing before quilting.  So many now use quilting machines or even use their sewing machines to do the final quilting, but I am old fashioned, I guess.  I like the look of hand quilting, even though it takes longer to finish.

I don't do fancy art quilts like so many who enter their quilts in quilt shows.  Mine are strictly utility quilts that are made for warmth on beds - not to be hung on a wall and admired.  I love to look at all those fancy quilts, but I make mine from leftover fabric or from fabric that is on sale at my local fabric store.

This is the quilt I will finish only if I live another 10 years.  It is called "Grandmother's Flower Garden."  Each hexagon is sewn by hand - no sewing machine work here.



Please excuse the untidy look of it.  It gets wrinkled while working on it.  All of the flower blocks are done and I am in the process of sewing them together.  I work on it sometimes in the evening while watching something I like on my computer.  Maybe a movie or some other program like Antiques Roadshow.  It takes lots of tiny stitches to sew the pieces together and is time consuming.  But I really like this old fashioned pattern, so I keep plugging away at it.

Lori was going shopping on Saturday and asked if I needed anything.  Our local big box grocery had chicken legs and thighs in the family-sized packs on sale at a good price, so I asked her to get me three packages of each.  In between Boston's dance numbers I filled 13 quart jars with whole legs and thighs.  I use the wide mouth jars  for ease in removing the meat when I go to use it.  That took care of all the wide mouth quart jars I had.  That left me with two package of thighs.  Those are simmering on the stove and when they are done I will take the meat from the bones and can it in pint jars.  There should be some nice chicken broth to can as well.

I hadn't planned to do any canning over the weekend, but when the opportunity presents itself, it seems like a person should take advantage of it.  After all, that gives me another couple of weeks worth of suppers and the way things are going in the world around us, I think I will be glad to have it.  Things are just getting way too crazy to ignore.  We need to be prepared for anything.

14 comments:

  1. It's so nice that you can watch you granddaughter dance, next best thing to being there!
    I really like 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'!

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    1. That live stream thing is great. And Boston gets a kick out of knowing this grandma is watching her and cheering her on.

      The flower garden quilt is my all time favorite pattern. I suppose it might be finished by now if all I did was quilt. The curse of having so many interests. :)

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  2. Aha! You have been holding out on us. Love the quilt work. Post more in the future.

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    1. BW...Not holding out...Just been busy with other things that cut into my sewing time. If I didn't feel it important to keep canning for my food storage, I would likely spend all my time with needle, thread and fabric. Making quilts is what I love to do the most.

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  3. My dad's maternal aunt lived with the family and quilted all the time. She had tiny stitches, too. She did some flower gardens, too.

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    1. Gorges...Nobody in my family made quilts. I learned from books. I wish I had someone who could have taught me the right way to quilt, but I have fun with it anyway. :)

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  4. So glad you are feeling better and able to do the things you enjoy...being a proud Grandma and sewing those absolutely beautiful quilts! While the canning isn't necessarily fun, it gives a person a good feeling to know those jars of food are on the shelves for future needs. Too bad more people are not waking up to how scary things have become. The world has gone absolutely bonkers!!!
    �� I would much rather use my time gardening, canning, and learning new skills just in case things go completely off the rails. Thank you for sharing and stay well. CW from Iowa

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    1. Thanks, CW...was nothing serious. Just a little glitch.

      Canning is work, but you are right about the satisfaction one gets from seeing all those full jars. Knowing that my family will be fed should things go haywire is worth every minute spent preparing. I suppose I could spend more time quilting, but I have so much yet to learn. Finding alternatives to prescription drugs is one of those things high on my list of priorities. And I just read somewhere that over half of the snowflake generation doesn't even know how to sew on a button or read a map. We really need to get back to the basics.

      I just don't get it. Even if a person gets their news from main stream media, it should be obvious that the world around us has gone bat guano crazy. Scares the bloody hell out of me that running over a crowd of people has become the norm and only worthy of attention for one day in the press.

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  5. Some times I have to admit that technology is pretty amazing and adds to our lives. Very fun to watch your granddaughter.
    And, wow, your quilts are beautiful. My maternal great-aunt made a number of quilts. I have one. When one of my cousins came to visit, he laughed and said he had one to match mine!
    Good job on the canning. You're so right about how bat guano crazy the world has become. Better to be prepared. Cheers, SJ

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  6. SJ...I am sometimes amazed at the advances in technology. I'm glad live streaming came along. It sure was fun to watch her in real time.

    My quilts are nothing fancy, but I do enjoy making them. It is one of those things that is relaxing and I like making useful things.

    Wasn't planning on canning but the price on the chicken was too good to pass up. I just don't understand how folks can go on without being able to see how nuts everything is now. Sometimes think the inmates are in charge of the asylum.

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  7. I still have not gotten that pattern because I forgot the name. It appeals to me because it is pretty, I don't have to sit and use a sewing machine, I can lie on my back and hand-stitch, and it seems a good way to use up very small scraps.

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    1. Linda...If you are talking about the Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt, there are all sorts of patterns and instructions on the internet. All the flowers on mine were made with scraps. I love the looks of that quilt and the fact that it is entirely sewn by hand. Most times I like using my sewing machine, but sometimes it is nice to have hand sewing to do.

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  8. I love that hexagon pattern. I know what you mean about being prepared. It's always good to be ahead on your needs.

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    1. Kristina...The Flower Garden quilt is my favorite, too. But Oh, Lordy, it takes time to make. Guess it will be worth it if I ever finish it. :)

      Keeping ahead on preparing gives me peace of mind, knowing my family will be taken care of should a life changing event happen. Don't know if it will, but the way things seem to be going, what with escalating violence and lunatics coming out of the woodwork both here and overseas, I see no reason to pretend all is well. It isn't.

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