Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

On Being Perfect

I have a problem with perfectionism.  I'm sure it stems from a need for affirmation, praise, and recognition from my dad when I was a kid.  Success was expected, acknowledged, and rewarded and was the ultimate goal.  At an early age I tied doing the best with getting attention and ultimately, love.  That's a deeply rooted connection and a hard habit to shake.

I always remember Martha Stewart being asked if she needs to be perfect and her reply was (and I'm paraphrasing), 'well, of course I do!  Why wouldn't you want to be perfect?'.  Perhaps that is the reason for her drive to succeed and excel at whatever she does and I agreed with her view that one should always strive to be perfect.  I realize, intellectually, that it is neither attainable nor realistic to actually be perfect but I still believe that it can be something to shoot for.  I know it's not healthy to put that much pressure on yourself and it can lead to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, the need to compare and perhaps, low self-esteem.  It is a totally self-imposed standard.

It's amusing that I recognize this trait in myself so vividly when I am working on a quilt.  Quilting is a craft born from a simple necessity for basic warmth and lack of supplies.  Although beautiful creations were hand-sewn from scraps of old clothing and feed sacks, perfect construction and even stitches were not critical components of the project.  Today, with all the high tech machines, tools, and techniques one would think that a perfect quilt would be the natural result but that is not the case, whether from a factory overseas or a sewing machine in North America.  Piecing and quilting still require concentration, attention to detail, and skill.

Joining the blocks in my DWR quilt has been a challenge and I was unsure whether my points were meeting correctly in the arcs and setting triangles.  I asked instructor Gail Kessler whether I was hitting the mark and she replied that I should just relax and enjoy the process and when the quilt is done, and quilted, and on my bed, no one will either see or care if the points match perfectly.  It has been difficult for me to let go of that goal - even though it is a totally frustrating pain - and let the process occur.  I struggle with the line between the pull to make it perfect and 'close enough is good enough' (that's an Angela Walters quote).

I think I will work on taming my need for perfection - and it does get easier the older I am.  My father is gone and as I head soon into my 50th year, I'm learning to believe in myself more, relax, and appreciate the person I am and what I have achieved.  It's easy to end up comparing one's work to everyone else's on the internet and to feel inadequate as a result.  However, the realization that there will always be someone more advanced, more talented, more creative, and more successful than you (or more fit, more wealthy, or more attractive, if that's your thing) should hopefully calm the need to self-judge because you need only be the best you can be.

 

As Gail suggested, I will stop worrying about perfect points and enjoy the process!  The advice has led me to complete three rows of joined blocks - some great joins, some not-so-great(!) - in much more pleasant and less frustrating sewing sessions.  I'm half way done and starting to see the secondary designs forming in the pattern.  It's very exciting and rewarding!

Do you have thoughts to share on this topic?  If so, please leave a comment! :)

ABCs of Longarm Quilting

As much as I would love to have my dream Gammill right now, I realize it will be a long time coming before I can fit one into my life.  Until then, I am still studying and learning all I can about longarm quilting and practicing the general techniques (on a much smaller scale) every time I use my frame system to quilt a quilt.

I continue to watch my various Craftsy classes, such as Creative Longarm Quilting, with Mandy Leins and my favourite, Machine Quilting Negative Space with Angela Walters.  Actually, Angela has started filming awesome how-to free motion quilting videos and shares them on her YouTube channel.  It is a super way to get quilting design ideas and it is very helpful to have Angela demonstrating them on an actual quilt.  The videos are a great companion tool to have along with her books.  You can choose which design you want and then get a quick lesson on how to quilt it out.

Another resource I am enjoying is the ABCs of Longarm Quilting.  This is one of the books I picked up at the crafting festival I went to in the spring and I just love it.  It is the perfect publication for me because it not only spells out the basic skills of longarm quilting, from loading the quilt to adjusting tension (topics I haven't really ever found printed in such detail, with photos, step-by-step), but also covers 'commercial confidence' in depth.  To have a book actually describe the business aspect of longarm quilting is so helpful and the chapters range from building relationships, developing a business plan, and marketing, among others.  There is even a chapter on 'Your First Customer'!  This is insider information someone considering longarm quilting for a career needs to know!

Even though this life path may be many years away for me I am still interested and excited to learn all about it now.  I'll have a good foundation as a starting point and will be able to leap right in when the time, situation, space, and finances, (and Jupiter aligns with Mars) merge into the ideal opportunity.

Deep Fried Pickles

My niece posted about deep fried pickles on Facebook and of course, I had to try them!  I'm not a huge fan of unusual deep fried novelty foods but curiosity always gets the best of me.  I've had deep fried Oreos and Twinkies in Vegas and threw them away after one bite.

I took the kids to Harvey's (our Canadian fast food hamburger place that makes flame-broiled burgers with toppings you select) for lunch and they are currently featuring the pickles.  They looked pretty good, coated in a deep-fried bread crumb mixture.  The first bite was interesting, and a bit shocking, as hot pickle juice pops out of the batter.  They weren't bad but I wasn't overly impressed.  It's a little strange to have the experience of a usually cold, crisp crunch of a dill spear be warm and soft.  The flavour is dulled somewhat by the heat and the intense vinegar properties are missing.  I realize deep fried pickles are a treat for some but just weren't my cup of tea!

Have you ever had any really unusual deep-fried foods and if so, what did you think??

Knotted Jewelry Tip

Do you ever end up with a knot in your necklace?  It is so frustrating and sometimes feels impossible to get out. Here is an awesome tip to help you do just that.

Use two pins to gently pull apart the links in the chain. For some reason it works like a charm.  Once the knot is separated from the rest, it is easy to undo by carefully pulling the ends through the loops, re-tracing the path of the knot in reverse (if that makes sense!). I have fixed many tiny knotted chains this way, for myself, my mother, my daughters.

Also, to prevent tangles in the first place, it really helps to do up the clasp on the chain after you take it off your neck so there are not two loose ends looking for trouble!

Wine Storage Tip

I enjoy a nice glass of red wine but we almost never finish an entire bottle.  There's always the problem of storage and I usually just put the cork back in and stick the 1/2 bottle in the cupboard.  However, it's of course never as fresh the next time you drink it because of the oxidation, which turns the wine sour. Apparently, storing the bottle in the fridge helps preserve the wine but only for a day.

I was very interested to read THIS ARTICLE on the Today Show website testing the various methods of wine storage, including the air vacuum stopper and airtight bags.  The best way they determined was actually really cheap and easy: mason jars!  Now, I have a basement filled with mason jars from my canning days so that appealed to me.  By selecting a jar with a capacity close to the amount of wine you have left over, you can reduce the air hitting the surface and the rubber-lined lid creates an airtight seal.

I'm very excited to try this with my next bottle of wine.  Of course, I went a step further and cut out the middle man: we have mason jar wine glasses that now not only keep out the fruit flies when enjoying a nice serving of red, but will also be the perfect storage container for any remaining Merlot!!!!

Using the jars kept the wine in near-perfect condition up to five days!

Catching Up...

It has been very busy around here!  We celebrated three family birthdays.  We moved one child to university, the farthest away, and into a new apartment requiring everything from a frying pan to new curtains (the thing I hate doing most!).  We got her well on her way to being settled and now have one down and two to go.

We survived my 90+ year old mother's fall - although I think my heart stopped for a moment. We took her out for lunch and she tripped and went down hard onto a tile floor, barely missing the pedestal of a table.  It was terrifying and I thought she would be broken all over (she already has a fragile neck after her C2 break last year) but she is a tough old bird apparently and only had some bruises. We dodged a bullet that day.

I haven't been able to do any more on my DWR quilt.  I sewed a few squares together last week and I think it is going to be very challenging.  Not only will it get unwieldy being so large but matching those points, as I suspected, is tedious!  I didn't have much success with the first few and picked out some stitches and tried again without much improvement.  It will have to do.

Since the house has been bustling with kids I've been spending my quiet time watching my newest entertainment, "Call the Midwife".  Another of those British shows set in another time (this one only goes back to the late 50s), it follows the cases of midwives in the poor East End of London.  It is very poignant and has great stories and actors, although I have seen enough babies' heads being born for quite a while! I'm all caught up now and will have to wait for Season 3 to be released on Netflix.

My nails are coming along nicely despite all the fall cleaning (e.g. finally getting into the kids' bedrooms!), shifting furniture on moving day, and cake and pie making for birthdays.  I bought a new bottle of my favourite NailTek, this time I got the heavy duty one for really troubled nails.

I found a nice replacement for my Mac Swoon blush (which has been retired): Pro Longwear Blush in Whole Lotta Love.  It's almost an exact dupe.  I know it looks very bright but it really isn't once applied.  I like the rosy cheek look of a cold day or a good bottle of wine anyway!

That's about it for now.  I have a week left of 'kid summer' and then will hopefully get down to work on my quilting.

DWR Progress: The Blocks are Ready to Join!

With all my blocks complete I am ready to start joining them into rows.  The problem is that I don't have room anywhere to set out the blocks.  I wanted to make sure that I didn't screw up the order of plum and blue/light and dark arcs so I knew it was necessary to somehow have them side-by-side.  I have a small, empty wall at the bottom of my basement stairs which I decided to use as a design wall.  Sadly, it is not big enough to hold the whole king-size quilt - I can get everything but the last row on it.

I cut some batting to cover the wall and just used push pins to hold it in place.  It actually works really well and I think I might just leave it there until hubby complains - it will be perfect for smaller quilts!!!  I love how the quilt looks and am quite proud of the work I accomplished.  I'm sure it will take a while to join the blocks and rows, and even longer to quilt, but I think I've made good progress since I only started on June 20th.  I am surprised how little time it's taken since I thought I would be working on it for years!

It will be a miracle if I am able to join all the blocks with matching points but at this stage, there's no turning back!  The Double Wedding Ring will be a really pretty quilt when it's finished and I'm sure I will treasure it because of all the work and time it represents.

Fabric Sale at Craftsy!!

Don't miss out on Craftsy's Whale of a Flash Sale! Just 48 hours to enjoy up to 70% off fabric, yarn & kits before they sell out. Click quick to save! Hurry, offer expires August 22nd at 11:59pm MT. Shop Craftsy's Whale of a Flash Sale!

And do you know what's on sale???  The Downton Abbey Double Wedding Ring Quilt Kit!  It's a great deal for all the fabric you get to complete the king-sized quilt top (under C$100!!).  It's so pretty and as you know, has been my focus all summer.  Just thought I'd let you know...lovely fabric, great price.  (The backing fabric is 50% off - that's crazy - about $5 bucks a YARD Canadian!!  Too bad I didn't wait...:(

Scissor Mishap

Ugh!  I was trimming the background fabric from behind the DWR plum arcs and as I moved the block to the pile of completed ones, in the blink of an eye, the fabric was sheared by the open blades of the scissors still in my hand.  I am using my Tim Holtz scissors which seem very similar to the Perfect Scissors by Karen Kay Buckley that Gail Kessler uses in The Classic Double Wedding Ring class.  They are perfect for getting under the fabric and are super sharp - great for cutting, not so great for fingers and accidents!

It happened so fast but I learned my lesson and made a conscious point of making sure the scissors were closed as I changed cutting positions after that.  It was a bummer after finishing so many blocks with no problems to make the mistake.  Trimming the fabric from the arcs was quite nerve wracking because the thought of accidentally nicking the arcs under the paper, which was a very real possibility, was stress-inducing.  I could see it happening easily but never would have thought I could cut through the background fabric in the way that it happened.  My daughter said 'can't you just make another block?' not realizing about six weeks of work went into it!

To fix the tear I decided to use some fusible batting tape.  Like a band-aid, I pressed it to the wrong side of the fabric over the cut to hold it.  It seemed to keep it together pretty well and I think once the block is quilted the wound will be barely visible.  I'll try to remember to put this particular block in a less prominent position on the quilt.

I was still aggravated that it happened but reasoned that there are plenty of mistakes all over the quilt and this will be just another war story of its creation!  Moral of the tale is to not run with scissors and keep the blades closed when you are not cutting!  (The good news is that I am now finished ALL the full blocks for the quilt!)

Cherry Supreme

I think many people already have this recipe or a version of it.  Although I love a baked cheesecake and feel I have perfected making them (you can watch my video recipe HERE) sometimes I want a quick, no-bake dessert and Cherry Supreme fits the bill.

I haven't made it in a long time and happened to have the ingredients on hand, which needed to be used up.  It was also a celebratory finish to our meal after sonny boy's team won the big championship tourney!

I originally got the recipe from my m-i-l and I have to admit, it's pretty darn tasty.  It takes no time to make and everyone loves it.  Should I tell you that we devoured the whole 9x13 pan of it after dinner?? Here's how you whip up the scrumptious cheesecake-like dessert:

Cherry Supreme

 

Crust:

2 cups graham crumbs

4 Tbsp white sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix together and press into 9x13 dish

 

Filling:

Whip 8 oz. cream cheese. Add 1 cup icing sugar.

 

Prepare 1 envelope of Dream Whip as directed or use 1 cup whipping cream, whipped. (This is what I use – the real deal!). Combine with cream cheese mixture.

 

Put filling over prepared crumb base. Top with a can of cherry pie filling.