Author: louisaenright

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

Turkey Tracks: I Love Stir Frys

Turkey Tracks:  January 6, 2020

I Love Stir Frys

I love to make a stir-fry meal with LOTS of fresh, organic, local-when-possible veggies and a healthy meat.

Just look at this beautiful mixture:  onion, three colored carrots (orange, white, red), cauliflower, green and red sweet peppers, yellow squash, and garlic are in this mix.  I added sea salt, crumbled dried mint that I dried from my garden, and an herb mixture I like (Penzey’s Herbs de Provence which has lavender included).  I can’t do spices with my Histamine Intolerance, if I could I would like the Indian spices, like cumin, cardamon, tumeric, etc.  And some pepper heat.  Basically I use the veggies I have on hand and start to “sweat” them in a little beef or duck fat.  I don’t use olive oil as it is too delicate and fractures under heat, which isn’t good for us to eat.

This time I added a lean ground lamb when the veggies start to brown on the bottom of the pan.  The addition of the meat adds more fat and some moisture, which helps to cook the veggies without burning.  When the meat is almost done, I added, this time, slivered raw cabbage.

Here is the meal finished and ready to eat.  I will get several meals from this cooking expedition.  Note that I don’t like my veggies to get too limp—which means that when I reheat some of the mixture for a meal (covered and add a few tablespoons of water to keep things moise), the veggies don’t get overdone.  Reheating from a cold oven takes no more than 20 minutes.  I use an oven-proof glass bowl, a stray glass top I have that sits loosely on the top, and, often just slide the bowl on a plate and eat from the bowl.

With this method, I can also use cubed left-over meat from other meals—added at the last minute just to heat through.  And if I want, I can put the mixture over rice or, for me, rice noodles.  I don’t do that often though as all I have to do is look at rice forms to put on weight.  I like a sprouted, color mixed, organic rice from Trader Joe’s best of all, and when I make a run to Portland, I stop in and replenish my supply.  Sprouted grains make their nutrients more available for our bodies to use.

Turkey Tracks: A Favorite Tool

Turkey Tracks:  January 4, 2020

A Favorite Tool

I’ve used this tool for almost my whole quilting life—over 20 years now.

It holds 10 THREADED needles.

I started with one that held short hand-quilting needles.  But now it gets used for long, milliner size 11 needles that are set up for binding.  Friend Linda Satkowski gave me a second tool, so I’d have 20 threaded needles all ready to go for a binding session.  And a recent conversation with her surfaced the need for having one of these set up for EPP projects, for instance, so one would not have to remove thread from unused needles for a different project.

The tool has a clear plastic cover which, right now, it is sitting on.  It is from Clover (625 Dome Threaded Needle Case) and priced under $10.  Back in the day they were $5.  You insert a threaded needle, slide the thread just below the needle head into the slit on the side of the dome and twirl the dome around to wrap the thread around the inside of the dome.  I’ve never had one tangle, but I do have a friend who tangled one and had to take it apart and start over.

I bind quilts at night while watching tv.  And I put a pillow on my lap to bring the project higher up than my lap—which helps a lot with neck and hand strain.

And these days, I have a boyfriend who keeps my right leg warm!

If you hand sew a lot, I suggest you get two of these domes.

Turkey Tracks: Done and Hung: Radiating Log Cabin

Turkey Tracks:  January 1, 2020

Done and Hung:  Radiating Log Cabin

Happy New Year 2020 Everyone!

I finished this quilt last night and hung it this morning.  That’s always a production—to get the rod leveled properly—but all went smoothly today.

This block is the “Radiating Log Cabin” designed by Tara Faughnan for Season 1 of The Color Collective, hosted by Amy Newbold’s Sewtopia.  Tara curates a set of solid fabrics for each project; how one combines colors is up to each individual making the block.

I love this quilt!  The block is such a handsome block.

The camera is distorting the rod angle below.  I just checked.  Everything is level in the room.

I hand quilted with size 8 perle cotton—with colors matched to fabric.

The making of this quilt completes all the projects from The Color Collective Season 1.  I did a recent blog post on the six projects I made.

I have so, so enjoyed this journey and am enjoying season 2 and am already a month behind.  LOL.

Thanks you Tara and Amy!

Turkey Tracks: I DID IT!!!

Turkey Tracks:  December 26, 2019

I DID IT!!!

On Christmas Day I met a friend with a dog for a super pleasant hour of exercise for all involved.  It was cold enough that the dog park mud was frozen.  Others came, the thrown balls bounced high and traveled far, and the dogs and people were all happy to spend this time together.

I came home, had a nice lunch, and…started my planned Christmas Day project.  In between I talked with various family members via Facetime.

With the help of a terrific video, I took apart my Brother 1034D serger, cleaned it, greased it, CHANGED THE KNIVES, changed the needles, and rethreaded it.

I had some trouble at the end with getting the thread on one of the loopers right, but this morning…

PERFECTION!

And now I understand EXACTLY how that looper threading works.

That serger is running like a dream!  The new knives made all the difference—and the lubrication and cleaning, well, the thing is running super smooth.  Now to make the knit garments I have stockpiled for winter sewing.  PLUS, I’ve realized I don’t have to take EVERYTHING apart just to change the knives.  But, cleaning this machine thoroughly may become a Christmas project yearly.

Here’s the very helpful video, and I had a lot of fun assembling the products this generous woman uses for this project.

Look what’s on the longarm today—Bonnie Hunter’s Wild and Goosey block is now in a quilt.  This one has been a LONG project—two or three years all told, off and on.  Many, many, many hours have been used in getting all these blocks done and into a quilt.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

And all my best to everyone for 2020 and beyond.

Turkey Tracks: Cotton+Steel “Slopes” Quilt

Turkey Tracks:  December 21, 2019

Cotton+Steel “Slopes” Quilt

It’s finished, and I love it.

The design is by Amanda Jean Nyberg in her book NO SCRAP LEFT BEHIND.

I used all Cotton+Steel fabrics.  (They are now Ruby Star Society and released their first collection under a new manufacturer last August.)

See the little row near the top of small solids, which are not C+S.  Nybeg’s “Slopes” is made from solids, so her inclusion of this little row stands out more than mine.  Still, it’s kind of a cute surprise when your eye lights on it.

The backing and binding are also Cotton+Steel.

Here are some close-ups of these fun, often quirky, delightful fabrics:

One of my favorite fabrics is the one of bears.  And here you can see the little row of solid squares.

Turkey Tracks: Season 1 Quilts From The Color Collective

Turkey Tracks:  December 16, 2019

Season 1 Quilts From The Color Collective

I’ve almost finished all the six projects from Season 1 of the online class The Color Collective, hosted by Amy Newbold of Sewtopia.  Tara Faughnan designed each block and curated 12 solid fabrics for each project and Sewtopia mailed the fabrics to participants each month and published the videos that helped us with each project.  With each project, Tara taught us a new quilting method.

The first and second projects can be seen in the quilt below:  a machine applique circle method and a foundation pieced cross block.  I thought the two months’ colorways were compatible, so I combined them in this XOXO quilt.

The third project was this radiating log cabin—these blocks of mine are now sewn together and are being hand quilted with perle cotton.  This quilt will complete Season 1 for me.  I’m going to hang it in a bedroom.  On Tara’s website gallery you can see how complicated this block can be.  For one thing, it can be cut up to create whole new looks.

I went down a Lone Star rabbit hole.  I couldn’t stop making Lone Stars via Tara’s method.  I’ve always been afraid to try this block, but once started I could not stop.  There are two more blocks not pictured in this post.

But my favorite block, inspired by Tara’s larger Lone Star scrappy quilt (again, google her web site to see her gallery and her stunning LARGE Lone Star scrappy quilt), is this scrappy Lone Star—made from leftovers of the completed blocks.

This saw tooth block is made by drawing the design on freezer paper.  I love it!  I will always love this method and this design.  It can be varied by drawing, for instance, fat short triangles.

The final project is this 6-pointed star, all made by hand.  The design is drawn on to the fabric, and one sticks to those lines to keep everything working.  I hung this one in my bedroom, and I remain fascinated by how the design changes in different light.  Darker light makes some designs pop out or recede.

In order to keep up, I sometimes made a pillow of the design first, just to make sure that I understood how to make the block.  And, too, to see if I liked the block.  Thus, these pillows.

The method of the seasonal tree quilts come from Kathy Doughty in the book MATERIAL OBSESSIONS.

The Color Collective Season 1 has been a great ride!  My thanks to Amy and Tara for all the fun.  I’m now doing Season 2, and I’m really enjoying the projects.  I have learned so much over the last year, and it is all good.  It has been especially fun to work with solids as they are so graphic and modern.

Turkey Tracks: Sewing Projects, November 2019

Turkey Tracks:  November 7, 2019

Sewing Projects, November 2019

Winter is my intensive sewing time.

The bed is the bedroom next to my quilting room is my project staging area when the longarm holds a quilt.  On the bed there’s a finished quilt top and its backing and binding fabric all set to go when the longarm is empty again.  There are garments—saved to sew in winter.  And, all sorts of other projects, from an EPP project, to The Color Collective blocks, to my own inventions.

Here’s what my design wall looks like now.  The top blocks are meant to use up the solids acquired for The Color Collective projects.  The 14-inch block is from Then Came June’s Checkered Garden Quilt, and I’ve written posted about it before now.  It’s a leader/ender project from Bonnie Hunter’s method.  The big blocks below it are the 20-inch Radiating Log Cabin blocks from Tara Faughnan’s The Color Collective Season 1, hosted by Amy Newbold of Sewtopia.

To the right are various projects—to include just playing with shapes with ideas garnered from a workshop with Amy Friend (curved foundation piecing) and from Nicholas Ball’s new book INSPIRING IMPROV, which I high recommend.

I think there is a flying geese project in the making, done with 6” wide blocks and bright colors.  And the Jen Kingwell “Glitter” blocks are ongoing and will probably wind up in an improv quilt.

Below, hidden are the improv bird blocks I’m making off and on.

My quilting life is very rich I think.

I’ve moved blocks around and around below, but I think I like this arrangement, so will sew it together later today. L Then I have to decide if it is a 60-inch wall hanging or a lap quilt AND how on earth to quilt it.  Hand or machine, for starters.

The “shapes” blocks are fun.  I’m going to cut the teal blue/green block on the right in half and see what develops.  These blocks will go into my Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild “prompt” quilt where other members will make blocks for me as well.  But, my turn will not come up until NEXT November as there are many of us in this challenge.  So there is plenty of time to play with shapes and clear colors over the year.

My Cotton+Steel “Slopes” quilt from Amanda Jean Nyberg is on the long arm now.  I quilt until I get tired, then stop and play with other projects.  It all gets done.

The winterizing outside is DONE, so it’s time to move into my winter sewing in earnest.  And we may get SNOW tomorrow.

I love the change of seasons and enjoy each and every one.

Turkey Tracks: Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild October 2019 Stay Retreat

Turkey Tracks:  November 3, 2019

Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild October 2019 Stay Retreat

It was fun.

A Stay Retreat means those who can’t travel elsewhere for various reasons can quilt for two days at our local Lions Club alongside other Mt. Battie Modern QG or Coastal Quilters members.

A Retreat offers a time for intensive sewing where projects can be finished while sharing time and projects with other quilters.

I finished the top of this YEARS LONG project:  a quilt made from Bonnie Hunter’s Wild and Goosey quilt block—an intense foundation pieced block that is fun, but time consuming to make.  Look at all those tiny, tiny pieces

I like how the neutral border came out—a light grey binding will stop the eye and the light border holds the quilt middle nicely.  Thanks Betsy Maislen for this idea.  I like, too, the bits of color in the neutrals.

This block can look very, very different in other hands—like Linda Satkowski’s.  Her quilt with carefully chosen colors and a darker background is so handsome.  She has been my quilting companion during this long, long project—for both of us.  At this retreat she is sewing rows together—I think there will be 7 or 8 rows.

I have a very cool backing for this quilt—again thanks to Betsy Maislen who found it summer before last and brought me a fat quarter of it.

I have the Slopes quilt top on the longarm now—from Amanda Jean Nyberg’s NO SCRAP LEFT BEHIND.  Mine is made from Cotton+Steel fabrics—the dark colors, not neutrals—collected over past years.

Turkey Tracks: Lone Star 4-patch Done and Hung

Turkey Tracks:  November 2, 2019

Lone Star 4-patch Done and Hung

And boy am I happy with this project, which TODAY replaced a quilt that had been hanging in the stair well for 15+ years.  The old quilt, light-faded and still lovely, is downstairs in the washing machine as I write this post.

A friend from Augusta who was visiting the dog park this morning came home with me and helped me hang this quilt, which involved stair-well drops and a tall ladder.  Thanks Kathryn!!  She made me feel very safe up on the ladder.

I quilted with size 8 perle cotton—and tried to match colors.  The background fabrics are from my stash, but the rest of the fabrics were curated by Tara Faughnan who taught this online class for Amy Newbold’s Sewtopia.  Season 2 of The Color Collective is under way now and promises to be as exciting as Season 1 was.

I used the green color (Kona Pickle) in all of the Lone Stars and bound the quilt with it, and it does seem to be working to unify the project.  Otherwise, I went down a Lone Star rabbit hole of wondering what would happen with light/dark backgrounds and how color and light/dark placement affected the Lone Star.

Now to finish up the Radiating Log Cabin project (probably today for the blocks!) from Season 1.

 

I am having so much fun!

Turkey Tracks: Tori’s Prompt of “Words”

Turkey Tracks:  October 27, 2019

Tori’s Promp of “Words” (Matter)

This post is overdue, as the Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild members turned in their challenge blocks for Tori Manzi’s “prompt,” which was “Words” (that matter).  She asked us to also use fabric in our creations that spoke in some way to our word.

Here is my main block for Tori:

But I also made these letters for Tori, as I thought her name also matters—since she is an inspiring and exciting quilter.  I did not connect the letters as I don’t know if she will want to use them vertically or horizontally.  The fabrics are all Alison Glass, the compass collection, since Tori loves Alison Glass.  I had the colored fabrics and some of the neutral, but ordered a yard of the neutral as I can always use neutrals/low volume.

The blocks that came in were AWESOME, and you can see them on the Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild Facebook page.  Do go over and take a look, as the creativity of our members’ work is worth the look.  The prompts we have finished are also on that page.  Some of the first prompts are about to come back, finished as quilts, and we are looking forward to seeing them.