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

Vintage Finds

Now that I have a full barn of vintage machines and cuckoo clocks I'm 'forced' to search for smaller accessories when visiting antique stores. Easter weekend I found a few charmers that I was delighted to add to my collection. First, I went in knowing I would search for the old fashioned sewing basket, the wooden cantilever type from the 50s and 60s. Some go for an outrageous price on Ebay but I found several of them all around $40 bucks. I picked the best one that opened smoothly and had a nice finish. I'm pretty pleased with it and it looks good sitting on the floor (it has legs) next to my old Singer 15-88. There are so many storage compartments that I'll never fill it!

The other find was this retro plastic lime green sewing organizer. I have the exact same version from my mom but hers was clear. I don't really need another one but I just couldn't resist that vibrant, horrible, avocado green! haha! They are super little containers and have labelled spots for all the notions: spools, bobbins, thimbles, etc. (even a MISC section!). This particular one was so clean and pristine so I had to snag it; a little pricey at $18 but there isn't a scratch on it. I will keep it with the Bernina of that same era.

It was definitely a lucky day because I found TWO boxes of Singer feet (and a few vintage bobbins - always the best to use) which are always valuable. I was able to not only supply a box to a couple of my machines which lacked them, but also round out the foot inventory. I have a list of which original feet would have been included initially so I donated the missing ones where I could. I took that opportunity to note 'who' had what. Amongst them all I have access to whichever foot I need.

I also picked up this early buttonholer. I already have one but this included an original machine manual and some cool cams for the early Singer machines. I just added the whole lot to my display cabinet. Those old green and white boxes just sucker me in.

Craftsy Classes on Sale for $19.99!

Just a quick heads up that this is the last chance to get ANY Craftsy class for $19.99! That's a great sale if you've been wanting to take one of the newest classes but don't want to pay full price. I recently signed up for three of the latest releases and am really enjoying them so far. The sale ends tonight so hurry if you want 'em! You can click HERE to go straight to the sale and pick your classes.

I had a nice Easter weekend away and got some small sewing jobs out of the way. One was picking out the stitches of about 100 2-1/2" squares I'd pieced for that postage stamp quilt (the ones I'd tossed in the bucket). I had happily sewn them together when I had a few minutes but suddenly realized I was supposed to join them to a cream or white square, not another print fabric! Ugh! It didn't take that long to get them all apart but it was still a pain but also was an easy job that I could do mindlessly while enjoying the family chatter around me.

I also started sewing some Batik strips together to make gorgeous fabric for a variety of quilt projects. They are all from the amazing Strip Your Stash Craftsy class and I have been loving the process! It was the perfect project to take away and I set up my Featherweight by the window to stitch. I didn't have to be too fussy with my seam allowance or take too many supplies with me. I packed up the little Singer into its suitcase and brought my bucket of pre-cut widths of yardage. All I had to do was join them together and make beautiful fabric. It kept me busy all night while the guys watched sports and the kids hung out with their cousins.

I want to make two quilts from the results, one involves circles of colour popping out from a white background and the other is a kaleidoscope quilt that is simply stunning! I'm having a blast sewing the strips (a great task on the FW) but I'm also itching to cut into the fabric and start the quilt!!! I have a bit more to sew together first and then I'll plan the next step.

I did some antique shopping while away and picked up a few cute sewing things to share in another post. Don't forget the CRAFTSY SALE!

New Cutting Mat

Self-healing cutting mats aren't cheap but they are obviously such an important tool to have. I can't imagine the days when quilters cut their fabric with scissors; the rotary blade has made things much faster and easier but of course, require a mat. I have had mine since I started quilting, about 4 years or so. It was time to get a new one because even after a good cleaning there were grooves where I cut the most. It is hard to get accurate cuts when the surface is not healing itself any more and no longer smooth.

The new mat is so nice but boy does it smell when you first unwrap it, kind of like tires or something. There is a warning on the label that the product contains phthalates so that is not very good. I will have to do research. I prefer the Omnigrid 24"x36" gridded cutting mat because it's what I started with and am used to. It's big enough for yardage and allows me to cut more before I have to move the fabric. I'm still keeping the old one for other projects and uses (e.g. I'm going to start some strip quilting and have lots of fabric to cut that doesn't have to be precise) but for the more fussy measuring I'm glad to have a pristine surface to work on.

Penne Pie

I am very impressionable. Here is another Today Show recipe I had to make after seeing it, Penne Pie. Matt Lauer and the cast raved about this very simple dish and it sounded fast and easy to make. I only needed to pick up the ricotta cheese and a jar of good quality marinara (I didn't have time to make my own). As the pasta boiled I sauteed the meat and onions. I whisked up the eggs, cheeses, sauce, and spices then stirred in the noodles, meat, and onions. The mixture is spooned into a cake pan (I used a springform pan), topped with mozzarella and more parm, and then baked for half an hour until bubbly and golden.

We all loved the Penne Pie and I will be making this again. I was surprised there was no addd fresh garlic in the recipe but it was tasty and mild without it. I served the pasta with a green salad. Mine pie turned out looking more saucy and cheesy than the photo from the recipe even though I made it exactly as written. No complaints from this house when there's extra cheese involved. Yum! This dish is a keeper!

Piece of Cake 2 Quilt

I have a few projects on the go and while the Wheels quilt blocks are finally set out on the design wall and ready to sash (this took me quite some time and many, many black & white converted photos later, I arrived at a very pleasing and balanced layout), I started something else! The Piece of Cake 2 quilt is another Camille Roskelley Playful Piecing Techniques Craftsy class project. I wanted something simple to piece after the more intensive Wheels and since I have so much Bonnie & Camille fabric in my stash, I knew another of Camille's patterns would work. (She is both one of my favourite designers and Craftsy instructors!)

I actually feel a little guilty because the quilt makes use of a Layer Cake (package of pre-cut 10" squares). I didn't have one that I wanted to use so I made my own squares out of fat quarters. It kills me to cut into a FQ and not use the whole thing but I think there is still enough left over for another small project. I love the Scrumptious line so much (which I'd already dug into for my Goody Goody Binding Kit) and I had an assortment of fat quarters to choose from. I paired 30 of them and set to cutting my own Layer Cake. I have a bit of aqua yardage for the background but no border, backing, or binding fabric for this quilt yet.

The patchwork is so simple but I think it allows for the gorgeous fabric to shine. I still have to sash each block and then set them out but I think I'll pop back to the Wheels quilt first. I'm having a blast sewing on my Bernina and once all the units are pinned, I can zip through the stack in no time. I love the sewing part so it tries my patience to get everything ready to be stitched but when I get to the chain piecing, I'm in the zone!

Fat Quarter Shop Order

This was my first time ordering from the Fat Quarter Shop and I must say I'm delighted. I purchased a gorgeous quilt kit (which will be a gift so I'm not going into detail), the backing fabric, a lovely Aurifil thread set by designer Vanessa Goertzen (Sunshine, which is perfectly matched to her Little Miss Sunshine fabric collection), and a fat quarter bundle of Lella Boutique's Gooseberry line. All. So. Yummy!

I couldn't resist the cute Moda tin. I don't know what I will put in there (it can hold a little sewing kit, a few small spools of Aurifil, or whatever goodies you'd like!) but it's so sweet I had to grab one. I think I will use it to transport filled bobbins for my Featherweight when I travel.

Everything came securely packaged and wrapped in sealed cello bags. The order came very quickly and the whole process was handled so efficiently. I am excited to get started on the new quilt and dive into the FQ bundle of Gooseberry.

  

One Pot Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

My daughter sent me the link for this recipe for a chicken pot pie inspired pasta and requested I make it. It seemed very straight forward and although I had my doubts, it actually turned out very tasty and satisfying. I would make it again and the only thing I did differently was to add a clove of chopped garlic. I usually add some garlic to my pot pie anyway and of course, it is a staple in any good pasta recipe!

If you don't feel like fussing with pastry but want the flavour of chicken pot pie, you'd probably like this version just as well. You can find the recipe HERE from Jo Cooks. Remember too: one pot to clean up! :)

Wheels Quilt

First of all, it might be the Guinness' fault but when I wrote about the Wheels quilt I said that I was using the same fabric as the Spools quilt: Honeysweet. Um...no I'm not. The collection is actually Sweet Serenade by Basicgrey for moda. It's also soft and lovely with wonderful prints but it's not Honeysweet. (But still 'Sweet')!

After I finished the first 5 blocks and was happy with how they were turning out, I started more mass production and assembly line work. The biggest chore was marking the diagonal lines on my 2-1/2" squares. I know there are other methods for establishing the stitch line (pressing, eyeballing) but I really like the exact seam I get when I physically mark a line. For me, it's just more accurate. Once I grit my teeth and got all 176 marked I set to chain piecing. I could sew two squares on each piece of fabric before having to stop and trim, then I could stitch on the opposite two corners. After pressing those and chain piecing the other units (fast and easy) it's now time to join the fussy points. I must say I'm quite pleased with the pinning now (not doing it but how it's turning out) and I'm enjoying the challenge. Sure, some still don't come out perfectly but overall, the points are good.

I'm amazed how differently the blocks look depending on the value of the 'wheel' fabric versus that of the 'spoke'. The eye either zooms in on the outer circle or the inner cross. Setting the blocks for the final quilt top will be interesting and will definitely need to be done carefully to achieve a good balance.

I'm piecing this quilt on my older Bernina 1031 which is proving to be a wonderful machine. I love how it stitches, the foot pedal is amazing, and I'm really getting a feel for how she works. One thing I love it being able to tap the foot pedal with the edge of my heel to have the needle stop in the down position. It's a super feature.

Guinness Cake

I find it hard to resist trying a good cake recipe and even more so when it contains a secret ingredient (like Ketchup Cake) or special theme (Elvis Presley's Favourite Pound Cake). Today is St. Patrick's Day and even though I am not Irish I love a good pint of Guinness beer and that's why the Guinness Cake featured on the Today Show needed to be made.

The cake is so simple to prepare and the only thing I did differently was bake the batter in 4-mini cake tins instead of the half-pint glasses recommended. I don't have 4 Guinness glasses (I only have two!) and I would be nervous to put them into a hot oven regardless. The recipe uses a half cup of the beer plus 2 tablespoons in the icing so that meant there was enough left over for a good drink for the baker!

The cakes smelled scrumptious and looked great. I baked the small individual desserts for about 23 minutes and cooled them completely before adding the cream cheese frosting. They were definitely a hit; very tender and moreish (as my mum used to say). You can find the recipe from the Today Show HERE.

Perfect Points and the Wheel Block

I just started a new quilt that I've had in the planning stages for a very long time, just over two years in fact! The first quilt I made from the fabulous Simple Fresh Quilts with Joanna Figueroa Craftsy class was this SPOOLS quilt and I really love how it turned out. The new one is called the Wheels quilt and I'm using the same Honeysweet fabric collection. I already had all the fabric for the project, along with the pattern from the class materials, tucked away neatly in a bin. I just never got to it until now. Both quilts rely on precise piecing and point matching which is funny considering that Joanna Figueroa hates to use pins!

It's been so long since I worked on that first project and even longer since I did the Perfect Points Quilt Along (2012!) so I couldn't remember exactly how to pin and stitch pleasingly pointy patchwork. There is a lot of cutting in the Wheels pattern so I was already impatient to get to the sewing part. My first units were not very attractive and I missed the points horribly. I knew I'd have to figure it out or abandon the work out of frustration. I'm pretty persistent so I searched for some help and found myself back at the amazing tutorial by Ann Johnson for Connecting Threads. You can find (and print!) a copy HERE and I recommend that you do just that if you struggle with points in your piecing.

The instructions were a sanity saver for me and the next unit I sewed was MUCH better! I can live with this level of point perfection; it's good enough for me. If you are interested in teaching yourself more about the positioning pin and perfect points, the free pattern, lessons, photos, and tons of discussion and pointers can be found HERE. I'm definitely going to re-read all that stuff myself so I can really get control over this technique. Now that I (almost) have one block completed I'm feeling excited and ready to stitch together the other 15 and see how this Wheels quilt will turn out.

P.S. My Fat Quarter Shop order arrived and it's fabulous! More about that in another post...