9/24/16

A Little of This and a Little of That

Yesterday was my day for the Big Squash. You know what I'm talking about. Since my health insurance changed this year, I went to a different facility than the previous ten years or so. Always before, I've put on a sort of top-half of the hospital gown. It always worked fine at providing a modicum of modesty. Yesterday's covering was described as a "cape," but was actually more like a small handkerchief. And let me tell you, when you take off your brassiere and things start flapping in the breeze, it didn't cover much. It was something like this, but less evenly hemmed.


I stood looking in the mirror and spinning it this way and that way trying to figure out how this scrap of fabric was supposed to work, but eventually settled at the "opening down the front" position. Hm. Only a few short triangular edges of the handkerchief seemed to have any function whatsoever. Fortunately, it was just a few public steps to the room with the machine. Geez. It made me wonder why they bothered with any covering at all. 

Well. After that affront to my humility, what could I do but try a new recipe I found this week for Apple Upside-down Cake.


I've tried several recipes for apple upside-down cake over the years, but they always leave me a little disappointed. Usually, the cake is too dense and dry. This one was delicious, and I'll make it again. It took me twice as long to cook the sugar to caramelization, and so if you try this, be a little patient during that process. Also, the nuts added a nice little crunch. The recipe called for 1/4 cup, but when I make this again, I'll add a half cup. Even more might be better, but I'd start there. Lastly, I used Gala apples. The Google told me they were a good substitute for the Romes. We never see Rome apples in our local grocery. Okay, and I felt significantly better about having to start my day in such a discomboobulating condition.

While the cake was baking, I wanted to hang the two quilts I finished this week on the wall in my quilting room. The "quilting room" (not to be confused with the "sewing room") is where Eliza resides along with my desk and computer. When I was a working person, I often did paperwork in this room, and so it has pictures on the wall that would reflect that a social worker lives here. Since that seems like another lifetime, I'm slowly switching out wall items for things more appropriate to my current life as a quilter/catter/baker/photographer/intrepid traveler/wannabe gardener/etc. (Don't let the "etc." worry you. It's all legal.)

So anyway...I saw these little doo-dads on somebody else's blog, and I'm sorry I can't recall where it was. If it was you, my apologies, and thank you. You probably have the same concerns I did about the "damage-free" claim. Like a grand inquisitor, I read the reviews and couldn't find any that didn't extol their virtuous non-damaging quality, and so I decided to give them a try.


When you take them apart, they look like this...the two sides are identical.


The directions say to stick them together until they "click," and they're something like velcro, but not exactly. They're very easy to stick together by pressing on each side with your fingers.


Then, you pull a strip from one side, revealing the "sticky" underneath.


This, you stick to the back of your quilt. (I stuck the first one right in the corner, but then realized the quilt would sag. It was very easy to pull it off again and reposition it closer to the center.) When I had both sides stuck on, it looked like this.


Then, you pull off the second strip to reveal the sticky backing and stick them to your wall. (The instructions say to wait 8 days on a freshly painted wall, but otherwise, you're good to go.)


So, okay, that was easy enough. And then I did the second one. (A little crooked, but I fixed that.) It's looking more like a quilting room now, isn't it? And there's still plenty of wall space. Guess I'll have to make more quilts. Darn.


The quilt on the left has been stuck firm since I first hung it. The one on the right fell off the wall after about an hour. It seems the sticky stuff didn't stick to the back of the quilt very well. I tried sticking it back up again, pressing firmly and rubbing, but it fell down again about an hour later. So then I wondered if the dense stitching was the problem, and I turned the quilt 90 degrees where the sticky pieces could stick to the fabric, rather than the quilting thread. Since then...no problems. 

You'll have to decide for yourself whether you're comfortable with that sticky stuff on the backs of your quilts. I'm fine with it for these little wall hangings. Also, I would only use this on small quilts. They don't seem strong enough for large quilts. These are available on Amazon, and that's where I got mine. They're also available at Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and other department stores.

After that, I made my block for the September Block Lotto. This was a fun block called a Barn Door. It's much easier than it looks.


After that I had to choose between the last two projects on my to-do list for September, the Rainbow Scrap Challenge or Wind in the Whiskers. Since I really want to finish up Wind in the Whiskers, I opted to go that direction first. The backing is cut now.


And I traced and fused the first of the applique. Looking at those tiny pieces made me tired for the day and I quit there.


Today is a canning day and I have about 20 pounds of tomatoes to can. If I have time, I'll continue on with Wind in the Whiskers this afternoon.

Until then, I'll leave you with some more pictures of quilts from the Northwest Quilting Expo. Today I have the quilts of another featured quilter, Joyce R. Becker, who does very dense thread work for some interesting pictorial quilts.















Here's one for you dog lovers. This was another of the unmarked quilts on display. My apologies to the quilter for not being able to identify you, but your quilt is adorable, even to this cat lover.




Still lots more to come from the show. I haven't even gotten to the quilts entered for judging and competition yet.

11 comments:

Linda M @ Pieceful Kingdom said...

I bought some of those velcro-like sticky things to hang wall hangings as well. I've only done one so far and it has held fine. I think the instructions on mine said to put it on the quilt, then remove the sticky side facing the wall and put it up. Then it said to "un-hook" the velcro stuff and take the quilt down, leaving the other half on the wall. Then leave it for a while...I don't know if it was an hour or 24 hours...then you can put the quilt back up and it should hold. Not having the weight of the quilt pulling on the wall side while it "cures" allows it to stay up better. I love the photos from the quilt show - thanks!

Doreen said...

Luv the "review" of your hanging strips experiences. I'll have to check them out. The recipe looks awesome (anything apple has just got to be, hmmmmm???). The quilty "shares" are always appreciated, too!!!! Hugs.........

Quiltdivajulie said...

Our son and DIL used Command Strips to hang all of the artwork in the nursery - worked well and nothing has fallen off or had any issues at all. I haven't tried them but we have a package waiting for the right moment to happen.

Lana said...

Thanks for the quilt pics. Those are truly pieces of fine art! The dogs are adorable. Such talent.

gpc said...

I have used them many times for many places with only one problem. One time, only one time, I removed on and took along with it a softball sized chunk of plaster from my old plaster wall in the front room in my 1920 house. It was a horror story but all better now. And there have been a few things just too heavy to hang. But mostly I've had good luck with them. Love those quilty scenes and am yearning for that cake. Maybe I could accidentally bake one tomorrow. :)

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Never used any of those sticky hangers. The apple cake looks delish. Interesting pieces today.

beaquilter said...

Great quilts n blocks. Busy busy

Debbie said...

Love Rome apples for baking and cooking. They are just the best. I usually buy a case of NC Romes and start the apple sauce and apple bread going. Your cake looks so good.

Anonymous said...

There's a cat counterpart to that dog quilt. I bought one pattern a long time ago and made it for a friend. It was a cat as an artist. Can't think of the name of the designer.
After putting Gus down over a week ago, our house "feel" empty. He was just one of three cats, but just one missing makes a difference. We're going today to Pets in Need, a no kill shelter, to pick out a kitten: here are our choices. My daughter, the "cat whisperer," will be going to help us. See: http://www.petsinneed.org/kittens/
Rosemary

quiltzyx said...

The quilts look just right next to your threads! I tried some Command strips MANY years ago to hang a painting, but they do not work on the walls of my mobile home. I guess they aren't smooth enough. But then my sister Judy & I saw a commercial for "Monkey Hooks" and they work wonderfully on my walls! I just ordered more from amazon so I can hang up the other 2 of my b'day paintings from (& by) my sister Nancy.
Great fun quilts! I admire all the techniques she used on those landscape quilts. And the patience to do all that blanket stitching on the pups - Yikes! But such a cute quilt!

Brown Family said...

That is an interesting way to hang small quilts. I may have to try it.