February 2018

A cold February, but Jeri helped us all feel a bit warmer with our tropical themed quilt meeting this month. Thanks for hosting and thank you to Robyn for helping with food!

Show and Tell

Caren finished her Pizza Box Christmas quilt. She hand quilted it.

Jeanie made these two tumbler quilts for her great grandtwins. She used the Accuquilt to cut it all out.

Nancy F. made this fun quilt for her granddaughter and it's made of flannel.

Jeri made this flower quilt for her granddaughter using a pattern she got from Jean.

Jeri also made this yoyo pillows using the yoyo's we received last year from Susan.

This is Jeri's dresden quilt that was made using blocks from her husband's cousin's grandma. The material is at least 50 years old and all of it is handpieced.

Close up of the fabrics

Jeri made this Hunter's Star using her batik scraps and then she demonstrated an easy way to make Hunter's Star.

DEMO

Cut 6 1/2" white squares and add 3" contrasting fabric around each side. Then cut 6 1/2" squares from the contrasting fabric and add 3" white borders around them.

Cut each resulting square in half diagonally.

From each diagonal piece, cut a strip 2 1/2" away from the center or long side of the triangles. Then sew two of those strips together matching contrasting colors together as shown above.

Then either cut 9 1/2" squares from both the color fabric and the white fabric, and cut it diagonally...or cut a long strip of both fabrics 6 1/2" wide, then using a ruler like the one marked below or your cutting mat, cut out triangles from the long strip turning the ruler as you go.  Add a white triangle to the side that has the white center piece and add a color fabric triangle to the side that has colored fabric in the center (as shown above).  This will make one square. Place 4 squares together to make a larger square, turning each square so that it will make the Hunter Star design. Jeri's quilt was 7 of the smaller squares across by 9 squares down. She estimates that the amount of white fabric she needed was about 5 yards.

2nd DEMO

Jeri showed us a way to make a more interesting binding. Cut two sets of strips for your binding-the first one is 1 3/4" wide and the second is 1 1/4" wide. Sew them together then fold in half creating something that looks like piping. Attach to your quilt as you would any other binding but the effect is a two tone binding.

LUNCH

Coconut Layer Cake

2 ¾ c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ¾ c. sugar

1 c. butter, room temperature

1 c. canned sweetened cream of coconut (buy a 15 oz can of Coco Lepez – save the rest for the frosting)

4 large eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. buttermilk

¾ - 1 c. raspberry jam  

2 – 2 ½  c. sweetened shredded coconut (you may want to toast ½ c. of this to use on the very top)

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut three circles of wax paper to fit the bottom of three 9” diameter cake pans. Put wax paper in bottom of pans then butter and flour pans.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl until stiff but not dry.  Set aside.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then set aside.  In a different bowl, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in cream of coconut then beat in egg yolks and vanilla.  On low speed, beat in flour mixture and then buttermilk, each just until blended. Fold beaten egg whites into batter.

Divide batter between prepared bans.  Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about  23-28 min.  Cool about 10 minutes then run a knife around pan sides and turn cake layers onto racks to cool completely, removing wax paper.

Place one cake layer on cake plate.  Spread thin layer of frosting over cake layer . Spread ½ the jam over frosting.  Top with second cake, thin layer of frosting and the rest of the jam.  Top with third cake layer then spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.   Sprinkle coconut over cake, gently pressing into sides to adhere.  (This can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.)

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz. cream cheese

¼ c. butter

3 ½ c. powdered sugar

½ c. canned sweetened cream of coconut (leftover from cake recipe)

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.  Beat in cream of coconut and vanilla, then add sugar, 1 c. at a time and beat until fluffy.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Rice on the right is a Rice Medley from Winco. It even has lentils with it.

Tossed green salad with asparagus, strawberries and almonds

 

January 2018

The last day of January 2018, quilt group was held at Jean Hancock's home. Jean's twin sister, Joan, from California was there too!

This flying geese quilt was made by Jeri Moore.  A grandson will be the lucky recipient of this blue and white quilt.

Jeri also made this Americana quilt.

Caren Beal brought this sweet yellow quilt. It is made with flannel fabrics.

Nancy Christensen is showing her humanitarian donation quilt.  Nancy put this pattern together herself, sewing 9 patches on point.

Nancy also made these two cute bunnies for a grand daughter's birthday.

Nancy is in process of making 2 quiet books for grandchildren. Here are some of the pages. She plans to put the pages together making holes and using rings to hold them together.

Susan Tway made this quilt using the "Bag O Bunnies" Ric Rac wool pattern.
Susan also showed two wool Birdie wall quilts.

This blue, peach and cream snuggle quilt was made by Rachel and given to Susan as a Christmas gift. The quilt is backed with a soft minky backing.

Susan made this cute cocktail apron for a friend. The pattern features an offset button on the top flap.
Atkinson Designs "Mom and Me Apron"

The above quilt is made by Rachel Lamm using creams, light blue, peach and light brown. It is a layer cake pattern called "Cake and Ice Cream"

This orange and gray quilt was also made by Rachel. She found the pattern in a magazine, it is called "Limeade"

This is a wool wall quilt made by Rachel. The pattern is called "Fresh Trees" by Buttermilk Basin.

Merry Christmas! Banner was made by Rachel using wool and many hand stitches. It is a Waltzing With Bears pattern.

Jean Hancock made this quilt with fabrics designed by Bonnie and Camille.

This purple quilt made by Jean is to be donated to the Humanitarian cause.

Jean showed this "Snapshot" quilt that she made from the Fat Quarter Shop. Everyone said "Adorable!" (She made some of her own revisions.)

The above quilt is Cindy Anderson's handmade quilt to go to Humanitarian services.  This quilt pattern is from Abby Lane.

Robyn Chamberlain made this purple and green flannel quilt. She had 8 year old girls help complete this quilt by tying.

Diane Spackman made this grocery bag holder to hang in the pantry...french seams and all! You just roll up your bags after putting groceries away, put them in the top, then when you need a bag, you can pull one out from the bottom.

This quilt was also made by Robyn and tied by the young girls. Both baby sized quilts to be donated to Humanitarian causes.

Jean is preparing to show us how to match design/prints in fabrics when needing to extend a piece of fabric for a quilt, either the borders or backing.

Jean showed and explained this Bargello quilt top that she made. Many many squares and rectangles!

Here Jean has folded the fabric and is matching up the polar bears design. She secured it with a glue stick.

Jean then showed where to sew the pieces together to complete a perfect match.  My notes: To extend the repeat of a design: cut, fold, press, glue, press, pin, sew and press! :)

Brownies with cream cheese frosting dollop.  Strawberries dipped in chocolate.

Jean and Joan prepared two different pasta dishes and a lovely salad for us to enjoy for lunch!

Thank you Jean! It was a nice meal and meeting.
Until next time....happy sewing.