12/5/16

Winter is Here

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, 
that it kisses them so gently? 
And then it covers them up snug, you know, 
with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, 
"Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” 

~ Lewis Carroll~


We awakened to snow this morning. It was forecast to begin yesterday afternoon, but started at some point during the night. As I'm writing this, it has been falling for hours, in big fat flakes. Perhaps later, I'll get outside and take some pictures. It seems like a good day for sewing and baking, doesn't it?

On the bread-baking front, recall the seed culture from yesterday. It had risen more than 50%, as it was supposed to do.


Also, there were lots of bubbles, indicating the fermentation taking place...also a very good sign.


Yesterday's task was to discard half of what I had (or give it to someone else...any takers?), and then add another cup of flour mixed with half a cup of water. Here's how it looked when I pressed it back into the container.


I moved the tape to measure its rise...although, looking at this image, I could take better aim. 


After that, I went about my day's business. Mainly, I did housework and cooked up a Dutch oven dinner. It always makes the house smell so good, but it's usually a bit of a production. The only task completed in the sewing room was to get the first stitchery block ready for the "Summer Holiday" quilt. This quilt is the creation of Lynette Anderson. Her primitive drawings are so sweet.


I've made two of her quilts in the past...a doll quilt that I called "For the Birds". This one was swapped in a doll quilt swap.


And "A Kitten's Tale". This is one of Mike's favorite quilts, and it was one of my first embroidered quilts.


When I made those quilts, I became painfully aware of how difficult it is to embroider through fusible applique. Heat 'n Bond is my favorite fusible, but I decided to use Wonder Under this time around, thinking (incorrectly) that it's a softer fusible and it might be easier to stitch through. Well. It continues to be frustratingly difficult to remove the paper backing without having the fusible come off as well. It works better with tightly woven fabrics, like batiks. For the more loosely woven dog fabric on this quilt, it gave me fits. The dog frayed pretty badly at the edges. I think it will be fine, but I'm second guessing myself on the use of Wonder Under. (Yes, I know the pin trick...it still came off in crumb-sized pieces.)

This morning I got a start on the stitching. It's no easier to stitch through than Heat 'n Bond, but it was worth a try. The satin stitching is done, and that's a good thing.


Checking in on the seed culture, it was supposed to have doubled in volume today. Clearly, it has quite a way to go. The book advises me to wait another 24 hours before the final addition, and so I will. No rush.


Bubbles have appeared, and so it is fermenting. Possibly our colder temperatures have made the difference.


It might be a good day to bake some cinnamon swirl bread, because this falling snow puts me in a powerful mood for baking something.

When I last worked on the Summer Holiday quilt, I posted this picture to show you that the leaves on our maple tree were just beginning to turn red. It was the beginning of September.


It's a different world out there today, for sure.


This morning I read that cold air is headed over the North Pole from Siberia...something to do with the "Polar Vortex," which always sounds suspiciously like "Sharknado" to me. In any case, stay warm and dry out there, my friends. There's a cold wind coming.

13 comments:

Lana said...

Your snow scene is so pretty......as long as you don't need to go anywhere! Lol. We rarely get snow here in S. Texas & certainly can't handle driving in it. And your cat quilt is so cute. And yeah, that bread starter might be feeling a bit "chilly" & not wanting to "work!"

claudia said...

Everyone around us got snow. Not us. We are in a "Blue Hole". It will come I am sure, When we looked at the property in 2014, there was 2 - 3 inches of the white stuff on the ground, so all the properties I looked at were pristine and magical. My ground is frozen which is fine with me, when it melts it will be mud city and I will have to walk gingerly so as not to slip when I go out to feed my critters!

Vicki W said...

Have you tried Mistyfuse? It's so easy to stitch through! I'll be happy to send you a sample of you want to try it.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Rather than discarding half your starter, couldn't you use it for a second bread? We had snow too, but not as much as you - although it is to snow the next 4 days (and we are really cold!!!). We had a lot of visitors today (Mom), so I am behind on my paper piecing and finishing that binding.

Quilting Babcia said...

I'm wondering if you tried Lara's (http://www.buzzinbumble.com/) Crafted Applique technique you might have better luck with those appliques than with the fusibles. Worth a try. I guess I would have kept the second half of the starter and just go with two batches, and see what other breads in the book you could make with the second one or give it away to your unsuspecting walking buddy!

crazy quilter said...

Your bread starter is so interesting. I do think perhaps the chilly temps have it confused a bit. We don't get much snow in North Texas but you must have sent us your rain. It has been raining for two days and counting and the temps are certainly cooler. Just stay home and bake and sew and stay warm! Love your finish on the barn quilt! Great finish! I use soft fuse for all my fusible quilting it is soft and the paper comes off like a dream. I believe you can get it on the Internet, as you always say google it! Lol enjoy your day.

WoolenSails said...

I have seen that starter bread, but with my allergies, I couldn't touch it. We got snow too, just a covering and then the rain washed it away. I do love that quilt, it is a fun design and yours is beautiful.

Debbie

Brown Family said...

The snow is pretty, but cold. Did you get outside?

quiltzyx said...

The snow photos are lovely. Especially to look at them from under my toasty covers! It's a crisp 50* right now, at 10:20 pm in So Cal.
Looks like you got a few ideas for other fusibles to try for your embroidery. Yay for generous quilters!

Dana Gaffney said...

I love the snow pictures! I agree with you about the Polar Vortex, it does sound like a Syfy movie, Polar Express would be so much better so people can remember a lovely book while they are being buried in snow. We are very warm here, our lows are where our highs should be, I pulled out all of my long sleeve T's and wore two of them, hoping for cool soon.

SJSM said...

Your snow is lovely to see. We are waiting for the rain to start. Since our rainy season is just starting people still haven't adjusted their driving to the slick roads. Our low for Tuesday night will be 36! That is very cold for us. We will be back to 40-50’s afterwards with highs in the mid 50's to mid 60's. Your new project is so cute! I liked the Kitten's Tale.

You did it again. I now have 3 copies of the Baker's Apprentice. Christmas gifts for the bakers and cooks in our lives. I expect homes will have the pungent smell soon after the opening of the gift. Enjoy you day.

Margaret said...

HI, have you tried French fuse for your appliqué? We did a class and did the appliqué by hand. Much easier to use.

Kate said...

Looking forward to seeing all the blocks for the new project. This one is really cute. We might see some snow flakes this evening, but there won't be any accumulation. At least that's what the weather people are saying. Your snowy scene looks so peaceful.