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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Struck Out Again

Yes, I'm talking about my pizza class last night.  Don't get me wrong, I had a good time and enjoyed the pizzas we made, they just weren't "the ones".  I knew right from the get-go that the crust was not going to be what I was looking for, from the recipe.  It used AP flour and basically nothing special.  Then he said this would not be what we were used to but Italian style pizza crust.  That should have meant Neapolitan but instead it meant cardboard.  Like I said, I like the pizza except when the cheese didn't make it all the way out to the edge of the crust and it really got crisp.  Otherwise the flavors in the pizzas were good, just would have been better with a different crust.  I made the onion pie which first had a couple layers of cheese (mozzarella and swiss), then an onion sauce made with onions spices and cream, then chopped leeks and scallions and more spices.  It seemed to be just about everyones favorite along with the salad pizza, as I called it.  That one had about 3 cheeses layered on first (mozz, swiss and goat) then baked and when it came out it was topped with arugula, cherry tomatoes and a vinaigrette.  Believe it or not, it was tasty.  The other options were with a red sauce, which he made.  Those were topped with all different toppings such as prosciutto, mushrooms, artichokes in addition to the cheeses.  The instructor left much to be desired as far as the recipes and need to do most of the work himself.  No wonder he seemed frazzled at times.  So I'm back to square one as far as my pizza crust.  I brought home some dough to try it at home, maybe a little thicker and see what happens.

Friday, March 22, 2013

What a Day!

Well, went to my class yesterday.  What a day, weather wise!  Of all days when I have to drive over an hour and have already paid for it.  Getting over there was the least of my worries though.  Never did I think it would be so bad coming home.  It wasn't until right before my exit on 90 that visibility got to 0.  I decided to take the back road to avoid any cars.  People on the interstate drive way too fast for me anyway.  So the rest of the way home I followed tracks in the snow at a snail's pace.  But I made it!  Now to the class.  I'm beginning to think this free-motion quilting is not for me.  I can't seem to get the hang of it and end up being very frustrated.  The day was spent practicing and listening to information about workspace, machines and thread.  Most of the talk about the thread fell on deaf ears I'm afraid.  My focus was to learn how to do it before I can even think about using different threads.  I realize some of it was important to know in order to make the process work but I wasn't ready to move on.  I did learn I need a couple more things for my machine to work more efficiently for me.  That extension table I failed to get with my machine would have come in handy.  Also if I intend to use the clear thread I'll need a spool holder to hold it upright which I don't have now.  Shame on you Babylock.  You should have thought of this already.  So my intention of coming home a confident beginner in the free-motion technique and a completed quilted table runner, was not going to happen.  I did get some good ideas on quilting that table runner which I will probably use. 

Monday, March 18, 2013

Quilting Project

In keeping you up-to-date on quilting projects, here's the latest.  No picture yet but there was some drama with this.  A little background first  -  I needed a project for my quilting class on Thurs. so I decided to make a table runner.  The project was to be something smaller like a wall hanging or crib quilt size but I went a step further and did a table runner.  This was mainly so I would be more apt to finish it and not have one more thing hanging over my head.  Years ago I found some flowered material, three different ones to be exact, to make into a runner.  The first was a bigger sunflower print (too green for this), a daffodil print (too small and dark) and the daisy print which was just right.  Sorry to sound like Goldilocks but I wanted it to be right.  My original plan was to use the daisy for the pieced flower and a polka-dot for the center and surrounding areas.  I opted for a light gold center so it stood out better.  It was a good choice.  I made the half-square triangles (HST) after I finally figured out how big to make them.  The instructions for them said to make them 7/8 in. bigger than finished size.  I've make mistakes like this before so I went with 2 1/2 in as my finished size which included the seam allowance.  That was a mistake.  So after I had to cut down the squares I was back on track.  The first block is always difficult or should I say not my best, and this was no different.  By the second one (it took 3) I felt like I had it.  Then as I was ironing the seams, my iron overheated, burned the ironing board cover, the material and thread in the seams.  Thank goodness it was only 2 rows that I was putting together.  I had another iron but I needed a new ironing board cover.  The problem was that it was a small tabletop one and I don't even think they make covers for these.  It was cheaper to just buy a new one, cover and all.  Now I'm in good shape with a better iron and board.  I have all 3 blocks together and just need to edge it and put the layers together, ready to quilt on Thurs.  I'm excited to try the meandering technique with this and I'll keep you posted.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

My Mom's Birthday

Today is my mom's birthday.  I often think more of her at this time and wonder what she would say about things happening now.  Even this blog would have initiated a response.  I think it would have been favorable, remembering how she herself took to new technology.  I've mentioned before about her and the CB craze.  She didn't seem to fight new things, especially not like my Aunt Mary Jane.  Mom would have embraced the microwave, cordless telephone and computer.  She might not have fully utilized their features but she would have made them work for her.  I admire her for that and hope I'm a little that way too.  Who knows what else is coming our way that us old folks will have to deal with. 

Monday, March 11, 2013

A Weighty Issue

I started a class at the Y recently using weights.  I've been through most of the classes that meet after 9 am and before noon that I can just pop into so this was the next step  -  signing up for Women on Weights for a 6 wk class.  There's just one other newbie besides me and the rest just keep coming.  They do different exercises so it's not the same thing exactly.  It feels good to be strengthening my muscles this way and heaven knows I need it.  But I had to get my goals in line for all this.  I'm doing the weights because of "use it or lose it" and because it makes me feel good, at least once I get into it.  The instructor made a comment about one of the machines we use and said it will give us a nice back.  It made me think of all the videos I've seen where they talk about bikini season and firming up our bodies.  Not for us ladies I'm afraid!  There will be no miracle transformation during this 6 weeks or year for that matter with what we're doing in class.  That I can be sure of.  Any promise of it just sets us up for frustration and failure.  Even to say we'll lose some weight is probably not in the cards.  Mind you, I'm not trying to be argumentative or difficult, just realistic.  I also am determined to keep my objective for all this simple  -  do it because it feels good.  Whatever may happen will be a pleasant surprise. 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Quilting Techniques

After going to that quilt show, I started thinking about some of the patterns I'd like to try.  I need a small piece to take to my class in March to machine quilt and I thought I'd do a table runner for the cabin with my flower fabric I've accumulated.  I got some daffodil material on sale a while back and would like to do something with that.  I also bought some sunflower fabric on an impulse and afterwords wondered how to use it.  I may have found a pattern for it.  We saw quilts using the One Block Wonder block that fascinated me.  It could also be called Stack and Whack (don't you just love the terminology).  You are supposed to use some of those big prints that are so difficult to use in traditional blocks.   What you end up with is a kaleidoscope design and each one is different.  The One Block Wonder is one material that has been cut into these hexagon shapes that make up all different designs and they are put together in a watercolor sort of fashion.  They are intriguing to say the least.  The Stack and Whack is the same principle but the hexagons can be used individually with other designs.  I'm not sure what exactly I will use for my table runner since I don't have a lot of time but at least now I have an idea of what to use that sunflower print for.  It's funny because these patterns are not new but it's the first that I've seen or used them in my short quilting career.  I've been exposed to some of these but never wanted to try them until now.  I guess that's where keeping an open mind comes in.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Anatomy of a Quilter

I recently went to a nearby quilting show.  Here's a few things I've learned about quilters over the past couple of years.
  1. I'm surprised at how many women wait until at least in their 50's to start quilting.  I guess it isn't that different from me starting after retirement when we have more time to do it.  Of course, you still have some young ones who talk about quilting for years and they had to have been sewing before they could speak.
  2. I'm not the only one who likes a bargain.  At first I felt guilty going to JoAnn's and not the quilt shop.  But I couldn't do all the sewing I want and pay over $10 a yard for fabric.  Then I started talking to people and seeing them when I shopped and realized that we all go where we can get the best deal. 
  3. Quilters are very innovative.  More often than not it's because they are looking for a better, easier way of doing something.  At the quilt show I learned about Triangulation which is a software program for making half-square triangles.  It really saves time compared to the old fashioned way of using triangles.  This also makes things go a lot quicker for us older ones who have that bucket list and the young ones who still have the job and kids to work around.
  4. Quilters need to be good at certain skills such as math, geometry, spacial concepts, and above all how to use a ruler.  Trust me when I say there are still those out there who cannot figure out how to use a ruler.  To successfully finish a quilt puts all these skill to use in a timely manner.  It should be put on a resume as past experience. 
In conclusion the most important thing I've learned about quilters is that they are friendly, helpful, polite and overall a great bunch of people to associate with.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

I Chewed It Up

I've been watching The Chew in the afternoons, at least until I get busy with something else.  But this past week there have been a couple shows that interested me enough to sit and watch the whole thing.  They were the Cooking Class and Pies.  I was disappointed with both of them, I'm sorry to say.  As far as the Cooking Class goes, they tried to handle way too much into an hour show along with all their regular things.  They had several people from the audience working along with a regular to make something at his direction.  The other regulars were helping them do it and at times had to take over so their people could watch and do the next step.  I could see the frustration on their faces.  I mean who teaches someone to make pasta in a 3 minute segment?  The problem with the Pie show was that they never once gave a recipe or instructions on making crust.  That's what it's all about, people and I'm sure they all knew that.  It would have been much better to do pie making from beginning to end and make one decent pie instead of several with no basics.  I'm sure others just like me were watching and waiting for the crust how-tos but they never came.  It seems to be a fun show but like I said, they try and include way too much stuff for an hour show.  Oh well.