Author: louisaenright

I am passionate about whole, nutrient-dense foods, developing local markets, and strengthening communities.

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mothers’ Day Retreat, Part 4

Turkey Tracks:  May 21, 2018

The Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mothers’ Day Retreat, Part 4

 

Jan Corson’s “Stained Glass” quilt, which is her own design.  It’s foundation pieced and came out of a workshop with Amy Friend on IMPROV PAPER PIECING, from that book.

Lynn Vermeulen worked on this top, but also on one of the Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild’s traveling quilts, which will have another “reveal” next Thursday.  (We can’t wait.)  And she worked on her Long Time Gone blocks, where she is using solids.

Becca Babb-Brott got this big hexie top together.  She is going to hand quilt it with pearl cotton.

And she played with making some curves.  Wow.  I really like what she is doing here.  She is also working on another spider web/selvage quilt.

Here is Vicki’s newest project, being made for a young family member.  I love this block and its colors.  They shimmer in the light.

Vicki also got borders on her EPP hexie quilt.  How fun to see it finished.

Linda Satkowski and I are both working on Bonnie Hunter’s “Wild and Goosey” blocks.  Linda’s are on the left.  We were sharing a design wall for a bit when this picture was taken. You can see some of mine on the right.  I’ll post more info on what I did at the retreat in a separate post.

 

 

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mothers’ Day Retreat, Part 3

Turkey Tracks:  May 21, 2018

The Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mothers’ Day Retreat, Part 3

Tori Manzi

Tori puts us all to shame.

She came prepared to put together FOUR quilt tops.

So, I think she won, don’t you?

Here’s Tula Pink–our Coastal Quilters challenge quilt last year–from 100 MODERN QUILT BLOCKS book.  Tori is going to NOT use sashing and has arranged her blocks by color families.

Here’s her Summer Sampler 2017.  This quilt is all foundation pieced.  See Instagram #summersampler2017 for other examples of this quilt.

Tori’s second Summer Sampler.  I’m not sure of the year on this one.

Tori introduced the Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild members to this bubble log cabin block.  Many of us, including me, have so enjoyed making it.

Here’s one of my favorite blocks:

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mothers’ Day Retreat, Part 2

Turkey Tracks:  May 21, 2018

Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mothers’ Day Retreat, Part 2

The Alewives Crew

Pat Tracey and Cheryl Reif were new to our retreat.  Pat brought her Katja Marek Millifiore to share.  Oh my.  It’s gorgeous!

 

Heidi August brought hr BIG square-in-a-square block quilt–with its centers filled with super fun motifs!  See below.

Here is Heidi with the “light to dark” quilt top.

Deb Hazel started with a quilt made with BIG hexes linked with triangles.  This is a big version of the kind of quilt on the cover of Katja Marek’s book THE NEW HEXAGON, but which is made with 6-inch hexes.  I’m doing that quilt now and really loving it.

Deb switched to this project after a bit:

 

Deb Torre (now known as “Farmer Deb” as she has purchased a farm and is stocking it with all sorts of wonderful animals) put this quilt top together.

 

And, then switched to hand work.

 

 

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mothers’ Day Retreat, Part 1

Turkey Tracks:  May 20, 2018

The Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mothers’ Day Retreat, Part 1

Seventeen of us attended the Coastal Quilters’ 2018 Mother’s Day Retreat.  Most of us arrived around noon on Thursday.  By Sunday late morning we were all gone–tired but having had a terrific time.  About half of the attendees were not Coastal Quilters, which is really fun because we all get to see all sorts of work being done by other quilters.  One person comes from Vermont, two from Massachusetts, and the rest are scattered up and down our Maine coast.  With each retreat, we are becoming better and better friends, and that is fun too.

I am going to break up this post into parts as I have so many pictures.

First, many of us are doing Jen Kingwell’s “Long Time Gone” quilt as a challenge.  And many of us brought their blocks to date to share.

Here are Heidi August’s blocks.  Note the pineapple blocks below.  Heidi loves this block and has made many beautiful quilts with it.  She helped me learn how to use the Creative Grids pineapple ruler.  I loved it so much I came home and bought the big version too.  And in turn, my ruler was passed around so others could learn it while we had Heidi with us.

 

Here are Betsy Maislen’s blocks.  Note how she has formed the flying geese block on the middle left.  So clever!

 

Here is that block finished.  Who knew all these shapes were in that block?  Betsy also learned the pineapple ruler.

Karen Martin came on Friday and worked on these blocks AND learned the pineapple ruler.

Here are my samples–not Cotton+Steel which I am using in my “Long Time Gone” version.  These will go into my “parts department” box for a future improv quilt.

Turkey Tracks: May 2018 Quilting Retreat Group Project

Turkey Tracks:  May 20, 2018

May 2018 Quilting Retreat Group Project

This is the project I took for everyone at our recent Coastal Quilter’s Mother’s Day weekend retreat.

Each person got one of the flour sack towels and 21 hexes with which to play.

The flour sacks can be ordered from Amazon.  I paid about $18 for a set of 12.  Amazon has some sort of algorithm that will up the price on you if you order once or look more than once, so be aware…

I had fun using some different paper piecing shapes–the pentagons, for instance.

 

The towels are large and very white and very soft.  It’s fun to decorate them.  I used a fine thread so the back remained pretty clean.  You can bury knots of pearl cotton or embroidery thread under the hexes if you don’t want knots to show on the underside of the towel.

They are fun to use in the kitchen and the bathroom I think and would make great gifts.

Turkey Tracks: The Hot Tub is Going

Turkey Tracks:  May 20, 2018

The Hot Tub is…Gone

 

I gave it to a young family.  The father came with an uncle and a brother a few Saturday’s ago.  It took longer to prep it to move than any of us thought.  And it turned out to be way, way too heavy for three big men to move, especially with a fairly steep hill to negotiate.  I never knew the bottom underside was so thoroughly closed off.  Probably wise given that the underneath would be toasty warm in the winter.

What is puzzling all of us is that when the hot tub came, it only took three men to bring it up the really steep hill.  Now it is super heavy.  Is there water inside in the pumping system?  Is the motor really that heavy?  Questions…

I loved this hot tub for many years and used it a lot.  The stars at night in the clear cold of winter are amazing from the inside of a hot tub.  I’ve been out there many times in bitter cold, with frozen hair, but warm and happy as could be.  You can see the whole of the Milky Way in Maine in the winter.

But, I am not using it.  Somehow, I don’t need it anymore.  And taking care of it in the winter is not what I want to be doing.  It’s time for it to go to someone who will use it and love it.

Thanks to Tom Jackson and his crew and a very big tractor with a crane and bucket, the hot tub is now…gone.  And thanks to Eric Chontos (MidCoast Power Washing and Carpentry) for hauling it off.

 

Turkey Tracks: An Amazing Quilt

Turkey Tracks:  May 20, 2018

An Amazing Quilt

I am behind on posts.  This picture came from our Coastal Quilters’ meeting in early May.  Spring is so busy for me.  And, I just returned from a wonderful quilty retreat.  More on that later.

But feast your eyes on this gorgeous quilt top.  The maker, a new member for Coastal Quilters, said there is one more border to do before this top is done.  I can’t wait to see it finished.

Turkey Tracks: New Grill!

Turkey Tracks:  May 20, 2018

New Grill!

My old one was 5 years old and beyond my ability to clean up I think.  Not because I’m lazy but because I can’t do the chemicals that would clean up rust due to my histamine intolerance.  I can’t get the grill down to the garage on my own, so it is under cover, but outside.  I have to rethink this issue.

I got the same model, but it has some improvements.  It still has the fuel gauge I love. I also love the heat gauge, so I know when I should start cooking.  One shelf is fixed and serves as a kind of handle to push the BIG WHEELS around.  The weight of five feet of snow smashed the older tiny wheels down until they really did not want to turn.

And the RED makes me smile whenever I see it.  I keep it inside a cover when it is not in use.

I love flank steak.  It may be my most favorite form of steak.  It has so much flavor.  And on a hot grill, cooks super fast.  But first, the veggies:  here’s a pan full, including sugar peas that are just coming into our markets now.   My oven gas burners are really HOT (14,000 BTUs), so I can sear a pan full of veggies in no time.  When they start to sweat, I turn the heat down.  I use duck fat or coconut oil for the fat as it will stand up to this kind of high heat.

Here are the finished veggies:

My first steak on this new grill:

Slice flank steak across the grain.  Look at all the extra meat I will have–some to freeze for my quilty trip and some for leftovers.

Here’s my Friday night dinner:

And here’s a leftover meal.  I only had these thin rice noodles.  They just soak in hot water for ten minutes.  The veggies reheat in a glass bowl in the oven in under 20 minutes.  (I gave away my microwave some 15 years ago.)  I like this kind of dinner when I’m sewing.  Easy to reheat, lovely to eat.

Turkey Tracks: Me-Made-May

Turkey Tracks:  May 9, 2018

Me-Made-May

I am well on my way with garment making this year.

I probably can’t wear something I’ve made every day for the whole month of May yet, but I am not far off.  I can probably do it if I wear things multiple times.  I LOVE sewing clothing.

Looky, looky at new additions to my wardrobe:

Grainline Studio:  The Morris Blazer:  The coral knit is not very stretchy.  I’m still figuring out where I fit between a 12 and a 14, especially with tops.  And I’ve learned I do better with a 12 in a top if the knit is stretchy.  This garment fits, but only just.  So I wanted a sleeveless layering piece to go with.  I will make this adorable jacket again for the fall in a 14.

Grainline Studio:  Willow Tank top.  Pattern also extends to a dress.  I used double gauze and LOVE this top.  Will wear both pieces with either a jean or natural skirt.  Or, stretch jeans.  AND, I will be making this one again and again for this summer.  Overlaying it with a garment shirt would also be lovely.

100 Acts of Sewing Dress No. 3:

This is my second dress from this pattern.  This pattern is very…big.  Cheryl Rodriguez (my sewing teacher) and Becca Babb-Brott (see her Etsy store Sew Me A Song) have helped me to tighten it in the right places and to redraw the neckline and shorten the sleeves.  I just finished this one last night.  Our Maine spring runs cool to warm, so I can wear various types of white t-shirts beneath it.  Or throw on a pair of leggings.  The fabric is Essex Linen.

Here is a close-up of this gorgeous steel grey and cobalt blue fabric:

And you can see how pretty white sets off the fabric.  I will get a lot of summer wear out of this one for sure.  So pretty too with my Ka Ora silver bracelets–see earlier post.

I am cutting out accumulated fabrics now and will have a sewing marathon when I get home from my quilty retreat to the Franciscan Guest House for Mother’s Day weekend.

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Who Ordered All Those Bulbs Anyway?

Turkey Tracks:  May 9, 2018

Who Ordered All Those Bulbs Anyway?

Every fall, I am done with the summer and ready to move into our fall/winter seasons.  Or I’m almost done cleaning up and winterizing and am ready to start intense sewing again.

Of course, that is also when the fall bulbs arrive in the mail.  You know, the ones I ordered way last spring.

I am, inevitably, disgruntled at the need to plant them.

BUT, here’s why one might order all those bulbs in the spring…

The daffs really love my little meadow down front.  They are spreading so nicely.

The daffs below were planted last fall and have not had time to bulk up yet.

The front yard is now full of the Siberian blue scilla that are spreading.  And we (my friend David Hannan) planted (not pictured here) bulbs in front (shown above) and on the far side and in the back last year.  In a year or two they will be thicker.  Also, deer don’t like daffodils.  They adore tulips.

It’s time to go find the Fedco bulb catalog…