My cupboard runner is quilted and bound and I love it! I have a new Christmas quilt without spending too much time on it and that is the purpose of this book. Whether you have a charm pack, yardage or scraps, almost every project in the book is small and do-able without making a huge time commitment to a project. Connie is using the Split Square to make couch covers for her daughter – in – law’s new couch. She’ll just be making lots more blocks.
Here is my runner layered and ready for quilting. (I’ve been asked to talk about the importance of pressing and will do that in a new future post.). And here is a close-up of the straight line quilting. As you can see my lines are not perfectly straight – I don’t want that look – as if it’s computer quilted. I want to see some wavy lines and unequal distances between my quilting lines so I can see that it was done “by hand” on machine but with imperfections. Now that’s just me – you can mark each and every line if you want to – I don’t.
And here is the runner on the cupboard – immediately with Millie laying claim to it!
And without Millie.
When your quilt is finished, send me a photo at marye@ncn.net and I will post it here. We will take a break from the book in December but I’ll be ready for a new sew-along in January – won’t you? If you haven’t ordered the book yet and would like to join me in this new sew-along, ask for the book for Christmas or go online to Martingale to order. Mandy at Farm Chick Quilts also has the book ready for shipping. Here is her shop phone number 641-430-6341. Call her, order your book and be ready to start sewing in January.
On December 10 Connie and I will be at Farm Chick Quilts for a show and tell program of all the quilts in the new book. We will be there from noon until two. If you’d like to see the original quilts and listen to a short “talk” about the book “process”, as well as have your book signed, come to Garner and Farm Chick Quilts on December 10 at noon. Bring your book or buy a book that day from Mandy so you can include some notes as we talk.
And now some miscellaneous — I have more 4 patches sewn than I actually need for Bonnie Hunter’s mystery. To all of those doing this mystery, are you ready for Step#2?
And I must show you my orchids- both of these are older plants and they are both blooming again after spending the summer outside. The light colored one has been repotted even and I was sure it would never bloom again but –look at these blooms! And there are more budded stems growing – I can’t believe it. They must love this south window and I hardly water them at all. If any readers have experience with orchids, do you fertilize your plants and if so, when do you do it?
And yesterday was a fun day with Sam and the kids in her kitchen – she helped me make Scandinavian krum kake. Each tablespoon of batter is cooked in this special iron that sits on the stove over a burner.
As you can see, my iron has been used for many years – it is well seasoned. I cooked and Sam rolled each one.
I think we made over 10 dozen of these. I got to spend time with Lucy and Owen – guess I was too busy to take kid pictures but I will next time. Owen is growing like a weed, as they say.
So – I am talked out! My farm post is coming – you will laugh!
I grow orchids also. They do love a south window. Mine have bloomed almost continuously with very little down time. I fertilize them every time I water them which is once a week. I use a gallon milk jug and put an 1/8th tsp. of powdered orchid food in with a gallon of water. Then I flood them once a week in my kitchen sink. They live in my south facing kitchen garden window. They bloomed so much last time I almost couldn’t handle them! I would send you a picture but don’t know how. Thanks for sharing all your talents and your happy pets. Helen
Helen – thank you so much for your orchid advice – I would love to see a picture sometime! I don’t have specific orchid food so I’ll get some. Love my orchids!
Helen…wbat do you mean by flooding them? I rarely water mine but it is so dry here in the winter with the heat running so much. Maybe they need more moisture?
What do you fill the rolls? Oh the runner very pretty! Nice with tree or kitty! 🙂
Mary – I love krum kaka and orchids and I have to say you
Are the consummate sales woman.
I must get your new book
Happy December
Rhoda E
Las Vegas
Rhoda – ha! And thank you! I don’t think you’ll regret getting the book – it’s all easy and fast!
I love your runner and it looks great with or without kitty. I have a dumb question, what is a “charm Pack”? I have orchids and for some reason I don’t know they are almost all putting up spikes getting ready to bloom. a couple are blooming now. I also put them outside in summer (under the deck) and bring them in when it gets cool and they are in a sun room. They bloom for me even though I don’t fertilize them. I used to dip the whole pot, with plant, in a pail of fertilize water. I should do it again to make them happy.
Martha – love to hear more orchid advice! Guess I’d better flood mine, too – I haven’t since moving them indoors.
Martha – forgot – a charm pack is 42 — 5″ squares with all the squares from the same fabric line. If the line does not have 42 different fabrics, some 5″ squares will be duplicated. These charm packs cost about $10-15 and each time Moda prints a new fabric line, they also produce charm packs and other pre-cuts like 10″ squares which are called layer cakes and 2-1/2″ strips (42 of them) called a jellyroll. Feel free to ask more questions if I have not answered you.
P.S. Love Krum Kake, my mother used to always make them at Christmas.
What a delicious post for the eyes and mouth. Millie knows red looks good on her. The runner looks lovely and the pattern was fun to make. Your orchids are gorgeous and you must have done something right; I’ve never had much success with them. I’ll be thinking about your krum kakes, yum!
Mary, I wish I lived close enough to go for your presentation, would love spending my bday in such a pie way! Just want you to know how much I enjoy your blog entries. The creative ones and animal ones are equally wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing. I have your book on my Christmas list!
I love how your small quilt turned out! Aren’t cats wonderful? I got a kick out of the cat pic on your new quilt. I’m so glad that you don’t feel stressed to have a perfect quilt. I don’t get too stressed over it, either. Must be the laid back country life we both live!
OK,, Mary. I want you to take a picture of your thumbs because I am convinced they are GREEN!! You can grow anything. We had an orchid once–enough said.
Your table runner is gorgeous. The quilting just seems to make it pop even more:) I WILL get one done, but just too much going on right now. Squeak always “tests” my work, too, just like Millie. I think I should put on one of those labels–“Tested or Inspected by Squeak #1”!!
I have never heard of Scandinavian Krum Kake, but they look delicious. I’d like to know what’s inside, too. Rainy and cool here today in Central Ohio.
Mary you are so darn talented – sure wish I enjoyed sewing like you………………beautiful
Hi Mary,
Your runner looks terrific! I am still waiting for my copy of your book: it is on the way, but thses things take a bit longer to get to the Netherlands! I’ll be ready when it does arrive.
Kind regards,
Fiona.
Beautiful quilt and love the orchids. I am always scared to try growing them!
Isn’t “retirement” fun? When I retired from teaching in 2008 everyone told me how bored I would get. I just laughed because I knew between quilting, needlework, rug hooking and anything else which crossed my path I would be busy having fun. So much fun following your blog and such sweet inspiration, I love your table topper and must find the time to make one too. Thanks for you ur sweet smile and lovely inspiration.
I’m a bit behind and am still trimming the blocks. I used the Battle Hymn charm pack and with some extra scraps that went well with them I made 49 blocks so that I can have a square table topper. I have every intension of sewing this weekend. I hope I’m not tempting fate. Mary I love your runner. My orchids are looking very sad. I don’t think they like the central heating.
Love your Christmas runner…so enjoy your blog, don’t always comment but love them all….😊❤️
Your runner is very lovely. When you quilt straight lines like that do you start on the same end every time or do you alternate which end you start stitching. The only project I’ve quilted that way was quite a bit bigger, but it got all twisted and wonky.
Mary – I start at the same end for each row.
The runner looks like little Christmas packages all stacked up…..hmmmm……🤓
Hmmmm haven’t had Krumkake since the late 1970’s. My grandmother often made them for Christmas. I remember them being almond flavored. She would drizzle chocolate inside, them fill with flavored whipping cream.
Now wondering who got the pan? Probably my sister, as she also has the Aebleskiver pan.
Your runner is wonderful and Millie approved. It can’t get any better than that.
Ann – we usually eat them plain but would love to try the filling you mentioned. Have only watched someone make Abelskievers but they are delicious, too.
I bought the book yesterday. I don’t buy many quilt books these days, but I love the fabrics used in the quilts in the book.
I think I’m going to do the charm square version of the Simple Nine Patch first; shown on page 59 with solid grays in the 9-patches and neon green alternate setting squares.
Thank you, Mary and Connie! You say you retired when you closed the shop, but writing books, promoting them, making all the samples and leading quilt-alongs is WORK!
Made my squares using Christmas fabrics last weekend but then fighting a cold this week. Hope to get back to them next week after I recover.