Turkey Tracks: Bonnie Hunter’s Quilts at Maine State Show

Turkey Tracks: July 27, 2015

Bonnie Hunter’s Quilts

At the Maine State Quilt Show

(Pine Tree Quilt Guild 2015)

It’s always fun to see Bonnie Hunter’s quilts at a quilt show.

Maine’s state quilt show, Pine Tree Quilt Guild Show 2015, is no exception. There were six that I saw.

(Bonnie’s web site is quiltville.com, and you can get to and sign up for her blog from this main site.)

There was one Grand Illusion, Bonnie’s 2014 Thanksgiving challenge quilt. It’s so interesting to me to see the color variations in quilts made with Bonnie’s patterns.

TWO “Celtic Solstice” quilts, Bonnie’s 2013 Thanksgiving mystery quilt.

First, one using Bonnie’s colors:

And one using red and green and creating an alternative block for some of the blocks in the center, by turning the green square pieces outward:

I love the use of wilder neutrals in this quilt. My version used fairly tame neutrals… I am slowly gaining courage.

You can see the two different blocks in this picture. Look inside the white diamond/star.

One Scrappy Trip Around the World:

Great use of the dark blocks to set off the edges. This quilt is much lighter than the one I made.

One Perkiomen Daydreams:

And one “Narrogansett Blues” with a fall colorway–which hung outside the show:

(Not a great picture here as this quilt is very vibrant.)

There is a Narragansett Blues in my future…

Turkey Tracks: Pine Tree Quilt Guild 2015 Show

Turkey Tracks: July 27, 2015

Pine Tree Quilt Guild 2015 Show

Yesterday was the final day of the Pine Tree Quilt Guild Show, the big state show in Maine.

I came off the windjammer J&E Riggin on Saturday and turned around by Sunday to get myself to Augusta to both see the show and to bring home our Coastal Quilters’ Challenge Quilts, which were hung in the show. (You can see those quilts on the Coastalquiltersmaine1 blog if you like.

My favorite quilt in the show as a quilt made by our own Sarah Ann Smith–which did win a blue ribbon. This winning quilt is a portrait of her son Eli, who is both a runner and a wrestler. You can see this quilt and one of her oldest son Josh on her terrific web site: www.sarahannsmith. Click on gallery, and then people. (Sarah is a nationally known quilter who teaches all over the country, including at Houston. She is one talented woman.)

But, not having Sarah’s artistic talent and being a scrappy quilter, this quilt by Kathy Boudreau drew my attention and is still singing around my head:

Look at the use of the selvages!!!

Here’s some close-ups of the birds:

Oh my goodness!

Turkey Tracks: Stash Obsessions

Turkey Tracks: July 17, 2015

Stash Obsessions

I have been obsessed with a quilting project for almost a month now…

…clearing out the 2-inch squares bin…

…it’s been about four years…at least.

And the whole purpose of cutting up all useable fabric after completing a quilt is that…one day…you need to use them.

Bonnie Hunter’s rule is that when the bin gets full, you have to slow down and USE THOSE SQUARES.

Well, here’s the project. (And I think I wrote about this before.)

This year is the American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine‘s four-patch challenge–which Bonnie Hunter is participating in as well.

So I’m going to turn the 2-inch squares into four-patch blocks.

When I got obsessed, I had already gotten this far with the block Bonnie is using:

But, right in the middle of putting the gorgeous magenta sashing on these blocks, I have lost my mind. I have not attempted to make the four-patches as a leader/ender project.

No, I thought I’d just sew them all up.

Do you have any idea how many squares there were in that bin?

I am now counting them just for fun. There are 600 in the quilt above.

So, I realized as I sewed a light square to a dark square, that I had a lot of blue and neutral and red and neutral possibilities.

(These are NOT all the two-inch squares by a long shot.)

Here’s a larger version of the block Lissa Alexander used in American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine–which I used to made “Happy Baby Quilt.” Put on point, one gets a long chain of the red squares.

And what about a Jacob’s Ladder block for the blue and white?

Here are two of these blocks stacked together. Wow! I really like this block.

I have spent many, many hours now sewing the light/dark squares together and that’s all done:

So the bin is now full of the two-square strips.

I’ll move on to making the four-patch blocks next.

But first, Bonnie Hunter’s method of pressing open strips of blocks BEFORE cutting them apart really works. Visit her web site (Quiltville.com) for tutorials on handling your stash and tips like how to press FAST.

I am still loving the four-patches inside a square–and especially as I am using the 3 1/2-inch blocks to make the outer square. (Cut them on the diagonal.) So I will make more of these as I go along.

Quilt count from this effort? A red/neutral quilt, a blue/neutral quilt, the almost finished Bonnie Hunter block quilt, more of those blocks, and lots and lots of four-patches.

Yep. It’s good to slow down and create some “assets” from time to time.

Turkey Tracks: Gardens in the Watershed 2015

Turkey Tracks: July 17, 2015

Gardens in the Watershed 2015

(of the St. George River)

Giovanna McCarthy and I headed out for the annual “Gardens in the Watershed” (of the St. George River) last Sunday (July 12th).

It was a bright, sunny, and very hot day–perfect for a garden tour.

The first garden blew me away! It was “The Secret Garden” of Daria Peck and was built along a culvert for rainwater.

Let’s take a little tour of the six gardens:

Along one STEEP side of the culvert Daria Peck has planted right up the wall:

Who knew this treasure was tucked away next to a sleep residential street in Thomaston, Maine.

I fell in love with a huge hosta at the entrance to the garden. Giovanna said it’s named “Guacamole.”

Here it is up close:

What an inspiration this garden is.

This rebar (yes, rebar) archway of roses is a central feature of Gregory Moore and Kathleen Starrs’ “Hands and Knees Gardens.” Flower and vegetable beds extend out to either side of the archway in this charming garden. Flowers bloom everywhere in the many, many beds. Kathleen told me that she cuts flowers for various concerns in Thomaston, so this garden is also somewhat of a business.

Isn’t this garden shed wonderful? See the chimney pipe? There’s a wood stove inside likely.

I have long been intrigued by this horse feature on the road to Cushing. Well! It’s part of the Bernard Langlais Sculpture Preserve–left in an estate to Colby College and now purchased by The Georges River Land Trust. The Preserve is undergoing restoration and conservation. There are 70 acres of trails, a home, a studio, and outdoor sculptures created by Langlais.

Here’s another piece of artwork–a carved panel:

The gardens and house of Peter Kukielski and Drew Hodges out on Davis Point are an outstanding example of what it’s like to live on one of the points overlooking the river. (Peter was curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden.)

The house (1826) is a terrific example of what is called loosely in Maine “Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn” architecture. And the house is part of a 16-acre salt water farm.

Here’s a view of the opposite side of this house:

And here are views from the front of the house:

There is a great fire pit:

And on a table just back of the house, one of the best displays of succulents in a long planter I’ve seen:

Aren’t these terrific. They stay outside all winter…

Phyllis and Wes Daggett’s property is lovely. The house has sweeping lawns that run down to the river. And you just know there’s a lot of good living in the house.

Here’s the back of the house:

Here’s the view to the river:

Tucked away in south Thomaston Is the garden of Susan Egerton Griggs and George Griggs. I fell in love with this property at first sight. And if I am not mistaken, it’s for sale: asking price $245K.

The view from the back of the house:

The side of the studio:

Lots of raised beds on either side of a central path:

The back of the house:

Gathering in wood is a serious business in Maine and takes place in the summer:

The tour was terrific. The day was terrific. By now we were hot and tired. So we took ourselves to Owls Head Lighthouse for our picnic lunch where we acknowledged our gratefulness for people who garden.

Turkey Tracks: Chefs Secret Moka Pot

Turkey Tracks: July 6, 2015

Chefs Secret Moka Pot

Where did June get to?

I cannot believe that it is already July 6th!

This summer is fffffllllllyyyying by so fast I am dizzy.

One of my very favorite things to do these days is to have a coffee some time after lunch.

And not just any coffee-something involving espresso. Two shots. Vanilla. Steamed whole milk. A latte…

Nothing replaces the espresso that comes from a big industrial machine. But… My budget needs help on this one. And I’m not crazy about the sugar in commercial vanilla flavoring. Even though I dictate “not too sweet,” the sugar level does not feel great.

A friend told me about Moka pots–which can make espresso on your stove top.

The resulting espresso is pretty darn good. Especially as I can use my whole raw milk and local wild honey.

I found a STAINLESS STEEL Moka pot at Amazon: Chefs Secret. It costs between $11 and $16, depending upon Amazon’s mood. (Do NOT buy an aluminum pot: aluminum is toxic.)

This little pot holds 6 ounces of water–so is a good amount of espresso for my BIG coffee cup.

(Note that this 4-cup pot means espresso cups, which are TINY–just a little over an ounce.)

Here’s how the little pot comes apart.

The base has that little gold valve–and you fill the pot WITH HOT WATER (or it will take forever to heat). I measure the hot water into a measuring cup (6 ounces) as it’s hard to see where the valve is on the inside of the pot with the hot water steam getting in the way.

Then you drop in the espresso cup–filled with coffee. Do NOT tamp it down. And you’ll have to experiment to see how fine to grind your coffee. Too thick, and the coffee is too diluted. To fine, and things get clogged up. And, screw on the top–you’ll need a hot pad to hold the now-hot base.

Here’s how the coffee part fits into the base.

Put the little pot on the heat and it will start gurgling. When it finishes, which only takes a few minutes which pass quickly as the pot is singing to you, remove it from the heat and let it sit for about 45 seconds. (I don’t know why; that’s just the advice given online.)

NOW I’m going to up the ante.

Years ago, I bought a frother to make heated frothy milk.

I LOVE this frother.

While the pot sings to me, I let the raw milk SLOWLY get warm. And while the silent pot sits, I froth up the milk.

VOILA! My homemade latte espresso coffee treat.

I sent immediately for a second pot so I can make a cup for a friend as well.

Turkey Tracks: “Happy Baby Quilt”

Turkey Tracks: June 30, 2015

“Happy Baby Quilt”

What a good time I had making this baby quilt.

The design came from Lissa Alexander and her quilt was featured in the American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine‘s four-patch challenge earlier this spring (April issue).

Lissa called her larger quilt “Rainbow Rows.”

You can follow how about a dozen nationally recognized quilters are using four patches if you go to the magazine’s web site for the list OR to Bonnie Hunter’s blog site (search for the American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine‘s four-patch 2015 challenge.)

I used Anne Bright’s 10″ “He Loves Me” pantograph with a cream-colored thread. The quilting is lovely if I do say so myself!

Lissa used different fabric borders around the edges–and I really liked showcasing some of the very modern “neutral fabrics on the market today.

You already know I am dotty over polka dot fabrics these days…

The block is actually pretty simple–a nine patch featuring a light/dark four-patch and neutrals. I am already thinking how this block would work with my stash strips–especially the 2 1/2 ones combined with neutrals. These little squares are 1-inch from 1 1/2-inch strips.

I fell in love with the little red lobster fabric. If I see more, I will be buying it. The bicycle comes from the backing for this year’s Bonnie Hunter Thanksgiving mystery quilt “Grand Illusion.”

So, there you have it.

* * *

Bonnie’s block for this challenge is so much fun. Here’s my version. I’m going to use a yummy purple sashing.

I was going to just sew the blocks plain and, maybe, quilt them in the more modern style. But I found this yummy purple fabric and I think the cornerstones will carry the eye down the lines of dark squares. Or at least I hope so. The next row will tell.

I bought this brown/green bee fabric some years ago for a backing at something like 40% off. The binding will be the dark purple on the left. The printed magenta will be the outer border; the tiny square an inner border, and the solid is my sashing. It’s not really solid as it has a lot of texture in the print.

Making these four-patches and setting them into a square is…addictive!

My 2-inch square AND 3 1/2-inch square bins are going down in size with this project.

Turkey Tracks: Peonies and Zoots Coffee

Turkey Tracks: June 28, 2015

Peonies and Zoots Coffee

My coffee/latte habit is a delicious event every day.

Usually I drop in to my favorite local coffee shop (Zoots) some time in the afternoon–though I have discovered a way to make “almost espresso” here at home and more about that later. (Nothing really replaces the espresso that comes from an industrial machine.)

Peonies LOVE Maine. They adore the cool spring.

Here’s an example of how lovely they are–from a vase on the Zoots counter while waiting for my vanilla latte of the day.

Look at the pale pink blush that suffuses this petals…

And here’s a close-up of the fabulous center: Nature in all its glory in one small place.

Beauty and the treat of an afternoon latte means life is so good.

Turkey Tracks: “Purple Delight” Quilt

Turkey Tracks: June 24, 2015

“Purple Delight” Quilt

“Purple Delight” ( #115) is another version of a quilt I did a few years back (#70) called “Nature: The Greatest Show on Earth.”

The idea of setting a traditional block on point and surrounding it with a striped fabric came from Susan McDermott. Her version appeared in QUILT Magazine some years back.

At the time I liked the quilt enough that I put together a purple and green version.

Here it is:

It’s kind of WOW!

The backing is kind of Wow! too. And I do like the use of the stripe in the border.

Here’s a close-up of some blocks:

Here’s an inside corner:

Combining purple and acid/spring green is a classic combo in many color books.

Here’s an outside corner:

I used a variegated thread, and I like the way it came out:

The pantograph is “Lovely” from Urban Elementz, by Denise Schillinger.

I have decided to make a “big” quilt for each of my seven grandchildren for when they are teenagers–in case for some reason I can’t do it. This one goes into that pile. The girls all love purple…

Turkey Tracks: Star of Bethlehem Flowers

Turkey Tracks: June 15, 2015

Star of Bethlehem Flowers

When my grandmother, Louise Phillips Bryan of Reynolds, Georgia, was a young married woman, she went down into the Flint River swamp, brought back some flowers she found there, and put the tiny bulbs in her front yard.

Decades and decades later, long after she was dead, the flowers carpeted the large front yard in the spring like white snow.

Grandmother called these flowers “Star of Bethlehem.”

And when I came to Maine 11 years ago, I planted some of the bulbs in memory of her.

Here are mine now:

The fancy name is Ornithogalum.

Seeing these flowers bloom this spring has been particularly poignant for me as Grandmother’s great-great grandaughter, Elouise, named for Grandmother’s lineage and honoring her name, was born this April.

I will make sure Elouise knows about these flowers that remind me so much of my Grandmother.

Turkey Tracks: Family Fun in Charleston

Turkey Tracks: June 1, 2015

Family Fun in Charleston

I’m just back from 10 days on a family trip to Charleston, SC, to see my family.

I don’t ordinarily like to leave Maine’s glorious and long-awaited spring days, but the lure of a new granddaughter called to me. AND, I did not travel this winter, so I had not seen my family since Thanksgiving–which is way too long.

Isn’t this the sweetest picture?

Here’s a group picture of some of the kiddos:

Here’s our scholar working on a math assignment:

Seven! I am so blessed.

This granddaughter was out of school, so we had fun together. She spiffed my toenails right up

There was a braiding session with me advising:

I missed on building this castle on the beach:

Or, this one, made before I arrived:

There was the much anticipated (by me) trip to Hominy Grill for down-home Southern cooking. They have the BEST chocolate pudding:

And before I knew it, it was time to come home.

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