A Visit to New England Quilt Museum and more...

A Visit to the New England Quilt Museum and more...

This little museum is located in Lowell, MA.  It's location is very near Boston.

  As usual, my family was reluctant to go inside but once they saw all of these amazing quilts they quickly got interested.  I hope the photos below inspire you.  I wish I had more time to be creative because I came away with so many great ideas for projects!

Below are some of my favorite quilts.

I think these Victorian dresses were the March exhibit.  Imagine wearing these while you quilt!

Or go out for the evening,

or a special occasion.  

Upstairs there are two small rooms with quilts displayed on the beds and walls.  

The textured quilts below are awesome.  I'd like to spend more time there to try to figure out how they're made.

Now we're getting to my favorite quilts.  I love crazy quilts.  These are exceptional.  

This was my favorite until...

I saw this!!  These owls must be machine embroidered.  I want this!

My other great love is houses.  I will make a house quilt or a couple of blocks at some point in my life I HOPE!

The texture of this quilt is more like a rug.  These houses look like the free house pattern that's all over the internet.  I have it.  

Get ready...

My favorite is below!  I love this denium quilt.  I can't imagine anyone having so much patience to make this.  It's machine done so maybe it wasn't as complicated as it looks.  This quilt inspired me to buy a complicated book on quilting houses.  I'll keep you posted if I do anything with it!

 

If you're thinking of taking a trip to New England Quilt Museum I strongly recommend you stop at The Quilted Crow in Boxborough, MA.  Here's the website: www.thequiltedcrow.com/  It's about 15 minutes on 495 from the museum and it's amazing.  I have been to many many quilt shops since I began quilting and this by far is up to about a ten on my scale.  If you love Prims, reproduction, French General fabric, etc. etc. this is the shop to visit.  There are loads of wool and felting patterns and kits, bolts and bolts of fabric of every kind, fat quarters, charms, jelly rolls etc. Books and quilts are everywhere in this very old big yellow house.  As soon as you walk in you will get lost in all the little nooks full of all kinds of neat quilt notions.  I'm going back as soon as possible.  AND I'm going to start researching what kind of patterns use French General fabric.  I am totally in love with it!

SO...

If you're staying over, I suggest going to the Taj Boston for a drink.  It's located on

15 Arlington St, Boston, MA 02116

It's beautiful inside.  We've been going there for years and it always reminds me of the pubs we stopped at in England. It overlooks Boston Commons so if you get there early enough and snag a table in the window you can people watch too.

They make the best martini's!

The Taj is located just across the street from Boston Commons.  When you leave the Taj and walk across the park you will find Charles Street.  There is a fabulous restaurant there called Toscano which is located on 47 Charles Street.

Here's the website if you'd like to take a look.

www.toscanoboston.com/‎

I'm looking forward to strolling through Boston Commons in the warmer weather!  Two weeks ago it looke and felt like we were in Syberia!  Happy Spring!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My mother-in-law was 100% Irish.  Her mother was a Corcoran from County Cork and her father was an O'Hare.  Through the years I've tried to keep traditions in our house and what better holiday to be part of but St. Patrick's Day.

My hutch is the first thing that get's decorated.  I don't have a lot of St. Patrick's Day decorations but what we have are small treasures we've collected over the years.

I have no idea where I acquired these Leprechaun flour sack dishtowels.  For some reason I don't think they come from my mother-in-law because I can't remember her ever giving them to me BUT I can't imagine them coming from my mother either because my parents didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I was never home on that day.  Like almost everyone else of my generation I was on a barstool at Malone's having one of the best nights of the year.  Maybe that's why I can't remember!  Anyway, I always forget about them but somehow they magically appear every year in time to be displayed.

This is Paddy O'Leary.  I made him years ago for my husband.  He's out and about all over our house the whole month of March.  Over the years many people have wanted to buy him but he's just too precious to ever leave us and I know I could never recreate him.

 

I checked the internet and eBay for anything like these  flour sack dishtowels and came up with nothing so I'm figuring they're worth something.  As with everything I own, I would never part with them.  Once treasures enter my house they rarely leave.

I made the potholder/hot pad below many years ago when I was a stay-at-home mom.  That's when I had time to make all kinds of neat things.  I enlarged an internet clip of a Shamrock.  Then I printed it out, xeroxed it and cut the pattern out.  I keep all sizes of batting from past projects.  I found a little square and placed one piece of batting and one scrap of Insulate (a heat resistant material found at Jo-Ann's) together and put the copy of the cutout pattern on top. Next I traced around the pattern and cut that out.  Then cutting around the pattern again, I trimmed about 1/2 inch so it will fit easily into the middle of the Shamrock.  There's no need to be exact.  Next I took 2 different scraps of Irish themed fabric and sewed right sides together leaving enough space to turn the fabric and slip the batting and Insulate into the opening.  The Insulate should be right side up because that's where it comes in contact with the hot vessel.  I folded the trimmed piece to get it inside the Shamrock and then straightened it out and sewed the opening closed.  I used embroidery thread (now I like pearlized thread better) and buttonhole stitched around the Shamrock in green for a more decorative look.

When everyone was home for dinner I used to make a big St. Patrick's Day feast.  I would serve corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, scones and beer.  For dessert I always made a white cake with coconut frosting.  Now because we are almost never all home together, I mostly go to the deli and pick up corned beef and fresh rye bread.  I'll make a variation of a Reuben with homemade coleslaw and thousand island dressing.  No holiday ever goes unnoticed in my house-I've just tweaked the menus. 

When I met my husband he had his own apartment and he was a pretty good cook.  I should have let him continue to cook but I made the fatal mistake of taking over that chore.  After that like everything else I owned it.  He brought some really good cookbooks to our new house and I've tried a lot of the recipes and some of them are still our favorites.  Below is a really good Irish Soda Bread recipe.

  At the time I wrote on this recipe making homemade buttermilk was a new procedure for me.  It's very easy.  For instance, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of buttermilk (I like to do this in a 2 cup measuring cup but a small bowl will work fine) add 1 tablespoon of cider vineager to the cup of milk.  Give it a quick stir and let it sit for 5 minutes.  It will bubble up.  When that happens it's ready to use.  You can figure any measurement out by that rule.  Another example, if the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of buttermilk, use 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 tablespoon of vineager.  All the other little notes are just my preferences.  The bread is moist and tender and the next day fabulous for toast.  Traditional Irish Soda Bread doesn't have any fat in it but it's also hard as a rock so I would rather cheat a little and be able to eat it!

A few weeks ago I said goodbye to all of my winter decorations.  It took me one whole Sunday to sort all of my pine cones and put each color in their own container in the basement.  I kept everything up a lot longer this winter because it has dragged out so long.  When everything was put away I felt hopeful maybe pretty soon we would see a sign of spring.

I redressed my wine bottles.  This year I'm into burlap and I've found a lot of neat ways to use it.  Next time I'll post my new in-between seasons front door wreath.  

I really like this bottle.  It's on my counter and actually makes me like standing near the stove and cooking!

This bottle sits on my bar.  I have a big peacock feather near the mirror so this little one kind of compliments it.

It's really hard to see this but I attached the seal of the label with a thin rope because it has a saying on it.  The name of the bottle of  Cabernet Sauvignon is called The Dreaming Tree and it's a North Coast 2011.  I love Cabernet and this is a good full-bodied wine which is a perfect pairing with wine and cheese.  The label  reads 

Standing here - The old man said to me - Long before these crowded streets - Here stood the Dreaming Tree- 

The theme in my sunroom is beachy so I used starfish to dress this bottle.  I hung them with rope and decorated the bottle with a little raffia bow.

I'll light these glasses and bottle all summer when it gets dark.  I have a few more bottles lined up for my husband to drill holes in.  When he does I think I'll decorate those bottles with sand and shells. They will look great outside on the deck IF we ever get outside on the deck again.  I think the last time I was out there was October!

Now that basketball season is over we're really rolling along.  Here's the latest progress on the family room bookcases.  They're starting to look like something and it's very exciting.  This wall has been in renovation since October too!  Lots of things stopped in October.  I'm hoping for a big change in the weather and my family room in the next few months!

Paddy is hanging around waiting for spring too.  

Hopefully next time we visit there won't be any more snow on the ground!

Another Winter that Won't Quit!

Another Winter That Won't Quit!

When I saw both of these recycled gorgeous creations I decided to get together a couple of things I've been working on and post them all.  It's still cold, wet, dreary and depressing but these photos are very inspiring and I hope they help some of you get through the rest of this month. 

My friend Diane from Quilt/Craft group sent me this photo of her latest fashion creation.  Her description is below.  Diane is a gifted, talented artist.  I'm not sure any of us could "see" what she sees but I'd certainly like to try!

" I found a skirt in tiers at Goodwill and there were some squares that were damaged, so I took them out. Then there were the squares with yellow in them - they didn't fit in my vision, so I took them out, too. I put it all back together again in a shirt. Materials - velvet and rayon.  Pattern - Vogue. Very time consuming. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

*****

This is a pillow Jen made.  Her work is always amazing.  She also has the visual eye.  I'm still waiting for it.  I hope it comes soon!  Her description is below...

"I made a pillow for my Mother from some of my Dad's ties and it came out good.  I took the ties apart and then  sewed them onto a muslin backing because they are silk. Then I used a nice weighty cotton for the back."

*****

The skirt below belonged to my mom.  It's from the 70's and was long with a slit up the side.  I remember so vividly the night she wore it.  It was for one of my dad's Christmas parties.  She wore it with a black knit "shell" which is our equivalent of a tank top.  Her accessories were a beautiful chunky gold necklace and gold sandals with a pretty heel.  I didn't think my mom was stylish at the time because the only thing young people wore in the 70's to be "in" were jeans.  Now that I look back I know she was. I wish I could tell her that but that goes with all the things through the years I would have liked to tell her and loved her to see.

I'm so glad I kept some beautiful things of my mom's.  Through the years I've had many plans for this skirt.  It was going to be pillows.  But it never matched anything.  I was going to line it and make a rug but nothing in my house matched it.  Then I forgot all about it.  I don't know if this winter just got to me or I feel like I'm getting so old I might die before I do anything with it, but I decided to shorten it and make it into a skirt I could leave the house wearing.  It has an elastic waist and I had to take out the old elastic and put in a longer piece.  I think everyone was thinner in those days-at least that's what I'm told myself!

The fabric is chenille.  I haven't seen this in years but it's got so much texture.  I know you think it must be bulky and look awful but it's just the opposite.  It's lightweight and hangs beautifully.  I wore it with a black turtleneck sweater and long gold necklace and I've never gotten so many compliments.  Someone could make a fortune if they brought this fabric back.  One of my co-workers said she thinks it's something "Loft" might have.  Now I'm so happy I took a chance and just did something with it!  I still have the remnant.  I'm thinking of making a matching scarf or small pillows!  I'll see if it "talks" to me again.  If this winter doesn't end soon it probably will...

*****

Here's a recycled project I just finished.  It's supposed to be a Civil War mini quilt.  It's really pretty.  Can you tell why it had to be recycled?  Probably not-but because I can it can't be a quilt!!

Look carefully below and see how the diamond points don't match!  It's not noticeable to someone who doesn't sew or quilt but to a quilter it's a very bad mistake.  I had never worked with a diamond border before so I didn't realize the points have to match. And I didn't know I needed to fudge all the seams to make them match.  Unfortunately I trimmed the blocks so sewing them together would be easier. By doing that I didn't have a chance to play around with what little seam allowance I had.

The best part about belonging to a quilt/craft group is if you ever get stuck and need help there is always someone there who is smarter, more experienced and knows exactly what you're going through.  I asked my guru Donna what I should do.  She is a really calm, sweet person and gives great common sense advice. She said don't waste any more time on it.  Make it into a tablecloth and move on.  So I did take her advice but I modified it to make the "loss" of this quilt a little easier to take.  I got some very thin muslin and sewed the right sides together and then turned it to the right side.  After a really good pressing, I tied the solid squares with pearlized cotton so the two layers of fabric would stay together.  Then I thought I should secure the ends more because after it's washed  maybe the ends will get funny and no longer lay flat.  I got the idea to buttonhole stitch around the edges.  I'm not sure if this is a good idea.  I'll show it to Donna next time we meet to find out!  Now I love it so much I'm not sure I want to use it as a tablecloth because it might get dirty!!  Another problem to solve!  I spend way too much time on thinking about my projects!  I'm beginning to wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing...

*****

I can't leave another bleak weather forecast without a great recipe for a "snowed in" night.  This is my family's favorite pork chop dinner.  Spray a big pan with vegetable spray. Put the pork chops in the pan.  Put BBQ sauce on them.  We like Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet n' Spicy.  Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle pepper on the chops.  Open a can of pineapple slices and place one on each pork chop.  Add the juice to the bottom of the pan.  The pineapple is acidic and automatically tenderizes the meat.  This is a no fail recipe for pork and chicken.  Place in a 350 degree oven and bake until done.  The time depends on how thick the chops are.  Just before you take them out of the oven turn the broiler on.  Leave them in until they are browned and crispy,  Serve with the juice.

 When I put the pork in the oven I wrap some small yukon gold potatoes and baby sweet potatoes in foil and put them alongside the baking pan.  

My family's all time vegetable side dish is peas and corn.  This is a recipe from my mom.  I make it when we have a special dinner.  It's always on the Thanksgiving menu.  It's so easy and it's tastes so good.  Spray a large frying pan with vegetable spray. Open a can of peas and a can of corn.  I sometimes use the large cans if we want leftovers.  Rinse the peas with cold water in a hand held colander.  Then rinse the corn the same way.  That's to get all of the salt out.  Dump them in the frying pan.  I use Bummel and Brown all the time as a butter substitute.  I might use real butter for Thanksgiving dinner but it's really not necessary with this recipe.  Put a few heaping tablespoons of Bummel and Brown in the mix.  Then drizzle some olive oil over it.  Add pepper.  You will know how much you need as you see the mixture start to brown.  You can add as much or as little as you like.  It's the crispiness and crunchiness of the dish that is so delicious.  It gets caramelized the more you let it cook.

Special occasions always get a little bread along with dinner.  I sliced and froze the pumpkin and cranberry bread I made from scratch from Thanksgiving.  Once in a while I'll take them out, wrap a couple of slices in foil and put them in the oven while dinner's cooking.  Then I cut the slices in half so everyone gets a little square.

*****

Flip couldn't hold out.  He finally had go out!  But he's not happy!  

Here's hoping for spring soon!