VW Bus Quilt Pattern

I've completed the quilt pattern and it's available to anyone who asks, FREE! You can download it from here: VW BUS QUILT PATTERN

OR drop me a line with your email address and I'll send it.

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In the beginning...

I started sewing loooong ago when I was 10. My parents gave me my first sewing machine when I was in college and I've been pretty much sewing ever since. In 1983, right after I graduated from college, I joined a group of friends, including my Mom, we were all ages, in a "quilt group". I mostly did cross stitch at the time and one of the quilt group members designed and sold cross stitch patterns (she was the Cross Eyed Cricket for anyone who remembers that era!).

I had my first real boyfriend then and decided to make him a quilt. I started it in 1983. Hand piecing it (that means not using the sewing machine!) until we broke up. I later finished it when I was married, in 1994. The fabrics I used (YUK) were so cool to me at the time. I loved all things country (gagggg) at the time and was disappointed that my mother decorated our house so "modern"! (Thanks Mom for having good taste!)

I quilted hearts on every other square as you might be able to see in the photo. The back and binding are muslin, doesn't hold up well, the binding is coming off all over the place, also due to hand stitching.

I just happened to notice the quilt yesterday when I was ironing. I still use it for things like picnics, on the hammock, and in the house. I just had forgotten it's origins and it's age!

I'm glad we have such beautiful fabrics to use now. I stopped quilting because of the whole country stigma. I know some people may still love this look, I just don't.


And in other news, my husband, who probably should have married Lilly Pulitzer and lived in Palm Beach if you saw his wardrobe, was wearing pink shorts yesterday. I finagled him into holding up my pieced PINK quilt. He has no idea why. hehehe

Quilt Pattern

My current project is another quilt featuring Heather Ross VW Vans pink fabric coordinated with dot and stripe fabrics. I am documenting the pattern, complete with instructions which I will offer FREE to anyone who would like to try it out. It will just be a .pdf file that I can send you and you can print. But I have to finish a few things to make sure I got everything right. This one is a little bigger than the goldfish quilt. I'm also going to document that pattern if anyone is interested. Stay tuned...

Making Quilts Baking Bread

There is just not enough time in the day. Sigh. I think if I didn't have that pesky 8-5 job during the week I would have much more creative time! But alas, it's a necessary evil and fuels my fabric buys and cooking classes!

So I finished the fishy quilt and I just love it! I learned a few things, too.

1. Even though I pre-washed all the fabric, it shrunk about an inch more after I washed it completely finished. This is probably from the batting which is not pre-shrunk.

2. Washing the fabric after quilting it makes it look like a real quilt! I re-took all my photos after I washed and dried it, I like the way it puckers.

3. I used 100% cotton thread which seemed to work really well and is recommended.

4. I used a 50/50 blend of bamboo/cotton batting and I see no difference between it and a 100% cotton batting. So don't waste your money on bamboo unless you have a different reason for using it. You can buy 100% cotton organic batting, this was also all organic.

5. Linen is harder to quilt than cotton but I didn't have too many problems with it, it's just a different texture, at least the linen I used which is kind of course.

I'm planning to post a tutorial on the blog for this pattern or something similar. Later.

I am currently also baking focaccia! Yum. It's currently rising.

(the focaccia is finished!)

My Next Quilt - Heather Ross

I've been hoarding these Lightening Bug fabrics for awhile and it's time to let them free! I have this idea of combining them with linen and cotton, backed with flannel, for baby quilts.

Quilt Top Finished

I've been collecting fabrics from the now out of print Heather Bailey Freshcut line recently and finally got enough to make this quilt. There are a few other fabrics in there from Erin McMorris, Urban Chiks and Tina Givens.

I've finished the top and am trying to decide which fabric to use on the back and then the quilting begins!

"Secret" Tomato Sauce Recipe

Maybe this is obvious to some of you but I feel like I just made the best discovery! I have made pizza and pasta sauce from scratch using canned tomatoes or sauce many many times but didn't really like it. In my bread baking class, we made pizza and one of the chefs made a sauce so we could eat our creations for lunch. It was incredible so I took several cups home and asked him for the recipe. Here it is. Simple as can be but amazingly good. I don't have proportions, just make them up to taste.

INGREDIENTS:

Canned tomato sauce (any brand, salted or not, just so it's smooth)
Olive Oil
Dried Oregano
Powdered Garlic (not garlic salt, pure powdered garlic)
Red Pepper Flakes (This was the ingredient I had always missed! I couldn't find them in the regular grocery store, had to go to a spice shop. This is similar to the red pepper you see at pizza shops sitting on the tables but without the seeds. The one I got at the spice shop is called Aleppo. It packs a very small heat, adding just a little tang in the sauce).


DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a saucepan until fragrant and simmering, low-med heat.
Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes.
Heat for about a minute.
Add the tomato sauce and let simmer awhile.

THAT'S IT! SIMPLE! I just can't believe how much I like it compared to Ragu or other sauces.

Enjoy.