Lynn Carson Harris

Bow Ties

Traditional style quilts have always been a favorite of mine.  This Bow Tie quilt was inspired by a magazine photo of an antique quilt. It is a true scrap quilt as it is made from fabric pieces left from clothes I made while in the 4-H club and other scraps. I made this one before I started purchasing fabrics specifically for quilts. I made the top and my grandmother hand quilted it in 1993. D sat in my lap while I sewed the blocks. He was fascinated by the machine. It is his quilt.

This quilt has been on my bed since early December when I pulled the top quilt (we sleep under 2 quilts) off our bed and used it as the table cover in my booth at an art show. I set up my table the night before the show so I needed another quilt for the bed. I got this one from the closet and it has been on the bed since. I have enjoyed the change.  I think that I would like to have enough quilts to rotate on my bed at least seasonally. I'll put that on the to do list. A "summer spread" or quilt with no batting would be nice for the summer months.

I like that the color value in the fabrics changes in the blocks - that some of the ties are light and some are dark creating movement in the design.

And again, this quilt has many set in seams. 

Charmed

It is still January and I have high hopes for 2009. I will eliminate clutter in my home, live a simpler life, lose ten pounds, and finish all those UFO's.  I can do that. Well, I can try.

This little quilt, started more than twelve years ago, recently resurfaced. I have it on my cutting table now and I am not allowing myself to put it away again unfinished. If I want to use the cutting table I must finish this quilt first.

I was on a roll when I started it. I got all the pieces cut - each piece from a different fabric. I sewed it together - please notice all those set in seams. I even got the seam allowances to twirl where the six points come together. They lay nice and flat. I basted it together and decided on a design to hand quilt.  The quilting lines were going to be the topographic contour lines of our property.  That, my friends, is where the progress stopped.  I put it away until I could scale a map of the property to the size of the quilt and mark it.  And there it stayed.
Every so often I pulled the quilt out, and then remembered - The Contour Lines.

I found it again a couple of days ago, looked at how small the pieces are, and decided that I really didn't want to hand quilt over all those seams.  D came in and quickly came up with a quilting plan. He also chose some thread and left the spool sitting on the quilt. I am going with his design.
Keep it simple. Finish it. Try not to be fussy about it.

Also, as part of my goal for refocusing in 2009 I have started a year long photo project.
I am taking a photo a day that will be a documentation of the year. I am trying to focus on activities or simple things that are meaningful to me. It helps me to think about what is important in my life, to capture the small everyday things that may be easily forgotten. You can see the year so far here.

Merino Lace Socks

Another pair of socks hot off the needles.

The pattern is Merino Lace Socks by Anne Woodbury in Favorite Socks, 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave.  The yarn is Step by Austermann.  75% wool 25% nylon

I like that the pattern of the instep also continues down the back of the heel.  Too bad I didn't get a picture of that before packaging them to send to A.

I have some Bearfoot by Mountain Colors for my next pair of socks.  I jsut need to choose a pattern and get started.

Thoughtful Sunday 23

"Expect everything I always say, and the unexpected never happens."

The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster, 1961

edit: Oops. I didn't realize I had posted this quote before. I'll try not to repeat myself again.

Sewing Lessons

About 15 years ago I taught children's sewing classes at home. The girls would ride the bus to my house after school.  The first lesson was always getting used to the sewing machine. We practiced on paper first, sewing along the lines of notebook paper. After learning to keep a straight line we then learned to pivot. Then, we moved on to zig zags and curved lines.  Finally, we progressed to dot to dot pages sewing from one number to the next. The girls I taught then were 8-12 years old and used electric machines.
I have three Singer Featherweights that I used for the classes. They are great for teaching because they all thread the same way and use the same bobbins. They only sew the basic straight stitch and have no extra bells and whistles to distract the girls from what they were learning. 
P has been wanting to do some sewing projects so we got out her machine again today. I thought she should learn to be a bit more independent in her sewing. We worked with no thread and I started her on paper too.  Paper is easier to learn on because it is not as wiggly as fabric. 

I tried to teach her the proper way to guide fabric through the machine.

It seems she learned the first step. She also learned to draw her own guidelines with a ruler when I was in the kitchen.  I am sure she will practice straight line sewing  a lot.  Now we can sew together as her desk is conveniently positioned next to my sewing table.

One day P will be able to sew on one of the featherweights and perhaps even have a couple of friends over to sew too. Oh, what fun that will be!

8 two 8

The last few years I have not been able to get to my local quilt group meetings very much because of our busy family schedule. The evenings are very precious family time for us.  However through flickr and this blog, I have met some very talented quilters who have a lot in common with me. This year I have joined in a virtual quilt bee with quilters from around the world. There are eight of us who are participating in a project called 8 two 8.  Each month one of us hosts and chooses a theme for blocks that everyone will make. We each make two 15 inch blocks and send them to the host for her to make into a quilt.
Katy chose first.  She asked for scrappy log cabin blocks that include novelty fabrics for "I spy" and polka dots and or checks.  These are the blocks I made for Katy.  There is a lot to spy there.
 
I am eager to see her completed quilt and am loving being a part of this group.

I have a few months to think about what I want my quilt to be like.

I do hope I can start going back to our local quilt meetings as I miss the social aspect of that group.  I have been a part of that group for almost 15 years.

A Day To Remember

We listened to the inaugural festivities and could feel the hopefulness in the air. I hope you had a memorable day.

Thoughtful Sunday 22

"Sometimes it seems to me that every time a new piece of machinery comes into the door some of our wits fly out at the window."

Understood Betsy, Dorothy Canfield, 1916.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins - revisited

We have really been enjoying our stored garden produce. Yesterday I baked another pumpkin and found a sprouted seed inside.

This morning some of that cooked pumpkin went into muffins.  This is the latest version of the recipe I use. I have been cutting back the sugar and like that the pumpkin flavor now comes through.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grounds nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups cooked and pureed pumpkin (or one 15 oz can)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flours, and other dry ingredients together in a bowl.
In a different bowl, beat the eggs and add oil, applesauce, pumpkin.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
Bake 20 minutes.
Makes 24 muffins.

My Haystacks

Like Monet, I am noticing the difference the lighting and time of day make on my surroundings. Monet painted the haystacks near his home.  I am photographing the icicles hanging from my porch roof.
Morning

Afternoon
 Evening 1
Evening 2 Evening 3
Icicles from last year can be seen here.