4/18/15

Slow Sewing Saturday

This morning I sat and stitched the latest block for Lisa's retirement quilt. This one was created by Bailey, a kindergarten student. Here's Bailey's original block:


Here's Bailey's block rendered in fabric and floss...and crayon.


So this is the next block I'm going to do. This one is by Hannah. (I realized as I was posting this picture that there is also another Hannah block.) This is the reason I requested the red yarn last week, and so now I'm looking for suggestions, warnings, instructions...call it what you will, but I'm going to try something, and I'm hoping it will work. It should, but if you know something I don't, please chime in. So here's a picture of the original block design.


This one will be done with a combination of embroidery and applique, but I'm going to try to use actual yarn for the hair. I'm thinking I can just pull it through the fabric with a needle and knot it on the wrong side to hold it in place, just like embroidery floss. I'll do that at both ends of the yarn. Then, I'll shape the strands by using a monofilament thread and a long zigzag stitch, and I'll just couch it on top. It should work, right? Am I missing something? What do you think?

Today I'm going to start a mystery project. It shouldn't take long, but I won't be able to show it to you until next month. After that, I'll get started on my project for this month's


This month, I'm making a table runner from a Patrick Lose pattern I printed years ago. I've had fabrics matched up with it too. Finally, finally, finally, I'm going to make it. Don't you love Let's Book It for getting those ancient projects off the books? Here's the runner, and it's a good time of the year to be making it:


I don't know if I'll get finished with this over the weekend, but I'm going to give it a try. The weather is beautiful today, and so I want to get out and do a little more planting. Also, we need to pick up some wine from one of the wineries. We have a few other errands to run too, and so...all of that to say that maybe I won't get as much sewing done as I'm hoping to. It'll all be good, no matter what.

Before I go, though, I wanted to tell you about the little cake I said I was going to bake yesterday. This is a Lemon Cake with White Chocolate Mousse frosting. I'd love to give you the recipe, but the cookbook is new, and so I don't feel right about publishing recipes at least until it's been out for a while. Anyway...it was such a nice little dessert. It would actually serve four, and so it would be a good choice if you're having dinner guests and don't want leftovers sitting around.


In the book, she served it with thin slices of lemon on top, but I just used some zest and sprinkled it over the top. The frosting is basically whipped cream mixed with melted white chocolate and just a smidgen of confectioner's sugar. It's fairly soft when you frost it on the cake, but then you refrigerate it for a couple of hours and it sets up like regular frosting. The cake was nicely lemony and moist. In a word, delicious. So far I'm batting a thousand with these little mini-desserts.

Okay...time to get a run at the day. I hope you have a nice weekend planned for yourself.

8 comments:

Carole in Nebraska said...

My suggestion for the yarn would be to not knot it but pull through a single strand long enough for 2 sides. When you couch it, it should stay put especially if some of the stitches catch the yarn rather than just go over it. That way you can both avoid the bump of a knot and also not have any ends that might show through.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Those memory blocks are just too cute and such a boost to different creative techniques to accomplish the 'look'. The little cake looks yummy and the perfect size for a little get together.

Kate said...

I love the memory blocks! And you should get a commission because I'm going to end up buying that darn little dessert book.

Dana Gaffney said...

I think the yarn thing will work if you use just the right curse words while you're doing it.

Barb H said...

I agree with both Carole and Dana--Don't knot it on the wrong side. Just leave a length of thread on the back so it won't pull out and then couch it in place on the right side. And, of course, cuss words would be helpful as well. :) Also some of that beautiful looking cake.

Dar said...

Go with the no knot process. Couching will hold most things well. Delicious looking dessert again.

quiltzyx said...

Yes, I too agree with Carole & Dana. You should be able to use one length of yarn for 2 "strands" of hair with the couching to hold it in place.
The lemon/mousse cake looks so good - cute cake stand too!

Brown Family said...

Lemon cake! Yumm~