Just Too Pretty To Use

I just ordered thread from Connecting Threads. They have really great prices on their sets of thread. I ordered three sets pictured here, that's 37 large spools, but their deals are even better if you catch them when they are offering their sets for 30% off.  I still need to order another set or two in order to completely fill my thread rack with the same sized spools, 'cause that thread rack needs to be full of matching spools.

Some of my quilting friends only use those very pricey threads.  I have never had ready access to such threads and have managed just fine, thank you very much, with just plain old whatever-is-available thread. Sometimes I think that there is a certain amount of thread snob appeal.  If I am going to succumb to snob appeal, it's going to be for something way bigger than thread, like a brand new Lexus, maybe.

I know, I know..., I'm nuts to want my thread rack to look nice, but it always looked so untidy with all of those different sized spools with different labels.  It REALLY made me crazy when the labels would fall off and the top of the plastic spool was visible.  Aaarrggghhhh!!! Those ugly spools are all now stashed in a drawer, out of sight.

There is probably a name and acronym for this weird matchy disorder of mine, maybe something like TTA... short for "Tidy Thread Analness".  Hey,... maybe I can start a support group for my fellow sufferers of TTA. Raise your hand if you have TTA!  Raise it high! Anybody....?  Come on, admit it.  Own your TTA-ness!

OK, I get it.  It's probably just me in the TTA support group, just one... solitary... lonely... member.  I'll bring the cookies to the meetings.

Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

Our family enjoys my Neopolitan Meatloaf, especially on a cold and rainy day.  This recipe is best described in two words... Comfort Food!  Notice how the recipe cleverly inserts spinach into the works.  That's GENIUS!  I found this recipe years ago in Woman's Day magazine and it can be found here:

                 http://www.womansday.com/recipefinder/neapolitan-meat-loaf-121663

I have altered the Woman's Day recipe a bit to better suit our needs.  I have increased the amounts of the ingredients in order to have one of those wonderful, Cook Once/Eat Twice meals.   I'm crazy about that concept.  It's kind of like a little present, just for me, when I go to the freezer and find that I have our dinner entree' already prepared.

I should also mention here, especially with all of the recent news regarding the use of "Pink Slime" in ground beef, that I buy mine at Costco, and from what I can learn online, Costco does not use that disgusting stuff! Thank goodness.  I don't cook with ground beef very often, but I certainly do not want that gak mixed in.

So here is my version of ...


Neopolitan Meatloaf

Serves: 8

Total Time: 1 hr 35 min

Prep Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 2/3 cup finely chopped red pepper
• 2 large cloves of minced garlic
• 3 large eggs
• 3 slices of firm white bread
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• salt and pepper
• 1   16 oz. bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed.
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• about 15 very thin slices (about 4 oz.) of salami (We prefer hard salami.)

So let's begin.  Place the chopped spinach in a colander to drain off any liquid.  Then squeeze it dry.  This step is important.  You want your chopped spinach to be somewhat flaky.

Cut up the three slices of bread.  I used Cracked Wheat Sourdough here but any firm white bread will do.

  I like the cubes to be small, under a half inch square. 

                                       

 Place three eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk. 

                                   Add the bread cubes to the whisked eggs, mix and set aside.

Meanwhile, saute' the chopped red pepper and onion in the oil.  Add the two cloves of minced garlic.  

Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned and soft.  Remove from heat.

Next, add the two pounds of ground beef to the egg/bread mixture in the large bowl.  Add the onion/pepper mixture and mix everything together, using your hands.  Really get in there and mix it up. No photo necessary here, we all know what mixed up meat loaf looks like, don't we?

Pat out the meat mixture on a sheet of foil until it measures about 19" by 10".  

And yes, I am just geeky enough to use a measuring tape to get it just right.

Then begin layering the chopped spinach, then the grated mozzarella.

Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

The final layer is the salami slices.  Then roll up the entire works, jelly-roll style,

beginning at the shorter edge.  Be sure to seal the edge and the ends, otherwise the 

cheese will make it's Houdini-esque escape while the meatloaf cooks. 

At this point, the thing is huge!, kind of like the "Meatloaf That Ate Chicago", so carefully place the loaf in a baking dish and pop this monster in the oven set at 350 degrees for 70 minutes.  Let it stand for about 10 minutes when it comes out of the oven.  

Slice, serve and enjoy!

We like to have this with roasted red potatoes and green beans or asparagus, stir-fried with a tiny bit of olive oil along with some fresh garlic.  

Top that off with a green salad and you have a delicious, hearty meal.  

Glutton for Punishment or Just Plain Nuts?

Am I crazy or what?  I have just begun making a hexagon quilt.  I have been busily basting 1930's reproduction fabrics to 7/8 inch pre-cut hexagon paper foundation pieces. I really love the way that my fabrics look, all stacked up here in the photo. All I need to do is make a few thousand more of these little hexagon thingies and I will have enough pieces to make a quilt! All work is done by hand and if I thought that my fingers were sore from sewing down all of that binding that I mentioned in a previous post, I had another think coming

As an aside here... my father always used that same phrase, "You've got another think coming", especially when he would say, "If you think that you are leaving the house in that short skirt, you've got another think coming!".  That was long ago and far away, back in the late '60's, the era of the mini-skirt and I kind of rocked those short skirts. Wow, that was a blast from the past!  I just heard my Dad in my head..

My inspiration here was the quilt made by Patti R., pictured above.  She's a newer member of the Guild and this was her quilt that she shared at our recent retreat in Gold Beach. We each layed a quilt that we had made on our beds and then we had a little room-to-room quilt show. I was completely captivated by Patti's quilt!  I quizzed her about just how she put this thing together, she was so incredibly helpful and as soon as I got home from the retreat I dug out my 1930's fabrics and ordered the green fabric for my "garden paths".  Then Patti invited me to her beautiful 1920's vintage home to go through her amazing collection of 1930's reproduction fabrics and choose what I liked to add to my quilt!  My quilt-to-be and I are absolutely indebted to her.  I imagine women long ago, making quilts using this same pattern, sharing bits and pieces of their fabrics with their friends...

To continue, I have always loved handwork and that makes this project perfect for me.  It will take forever, and then even a little longer, but I am trying to grow myself some serious patience here, something that I have often been a bit short of.

I love the portability of it all.  I carry my little vintage sewing basket along with me wherever I go.  I make hexagons while Mr. T. and I are traveling from one place to another in the car, while waiting on our meal in a restaurant, while attending the Grand Boys baseball games, or during the lulls while I am making dinner. This is like found time to sew, little moments that turn in to productive opportunities, one tiny hexagon at a time.

I knew that there was a certain way to sew these little hexagons together into the flower blocks so I did some looking around online to see if I could find the directions. I laughed out loud, I LOL'ed, when I found the directions that I was looking for. They were posted on a website called Quilt-O-Rama and the post was titled "How to Make a Hexagon Quilt in 492 Easy Steps" !!!

I am indeed, crazy nuts....!

All Quilts, All The Time

I feel as if I have been totally immersed in quilting for the last two weeks, beginning with our 1st Annual UVQG Guild Retreat at Gold Beach with 30 Guild friends, and also finishing up the two quilts that I shared recently.  Add in a Guild work group that I led just after returning from the retreat and I'm a bit maxed out at the moment.

I seriously need to hold off on the quilting/sewing for a few days. I have 52 rose bushes that are screaming at me that they need pruning, and tons of other yard and garden related tasks that I want to take care of. But late last week our guest speaker at Guild was Marsha McCloskey, the Queen of the Feathered Star.  Google her.  She's... well... she's right up my alley. I so admire women who have made their way in the quilting world.  So many of them are women who are just like me, mothers and homemakers who have found their creative outlet by using a sewing machine, fabric and scissors. (Make that rotary cutters for we modern quilters!, but we all started with scissors, didn't we?.)

The Guild contracted with Marsha to lead us in workshop on her Radiant Star block the following day. This was a workshop that I could not possibly pass up!, even with all of those rose bushes waiting on me. Marsha is a thorough and patient teacher.  Now my head is just about to burst with all of my new knowledge on how to draft my own Feathered Star pattern, how to use her amazing techniques for cutting all of those tiny one inch triangle squares and new tricks for piecing.  I finished my very own Radiant Star block pictured above, early the next morning.  I was up at 5:30 a.m. to sew.  I just couldn't sleep until I finished it.

 My Feathered Star - 1993

I had made the Feathered Star quilt pictured above about 20 years ago.  Wait... was it really that long ago? Am I really that old?  OK,... I guess I am...  Anyway,  I made this quilt for our son, the G-man.  He was 12 years old when I completed it.  I won a ribbon for it at the quilt show in Auburn CA that year. The quilt was on his bed from the time that he was a boy up until the time that he was young a man.  It was queen sized and hand quilted.  I'll say that again.  It was hand quilted.  But then... the quilt was lost.  I won't go in to how that happened, I don't know the details, it really doesn't matter, but suffice it to say that when you gift a quilt, it is out of your hands. I love my only son, this quilt is somewhere in the wind, but the G-man is older and smarter these days and I will make him another quilt. His older sister, "Butterfly", thinks that his ex-girlfriend confiscated it when they parted ways....  It could have happened, and if it did, I hope that she enjoys it.  But in reality, I'm betting that it's a dog bed or a painting tarp.

Marsha McCloskey's radiant star block has 115 pieces in it!  Well, I think that's how many pieces there were.  It was really hard to count them all. The Radiant Star block is so beautifully complex.  I have chosen these materials to make another block, and if I love it as much as I think that I will, I will make a whole quilt using these pretty Robyn Pandolph fabrics.  Making another Feathered Star quilt has been right up there on my Quilt Bucket List for a very long time.

Hanging Basket Quilt - Still on a Roll

I am over the  moon and inside out!  Two, count 'em, TWO finished quilts in one week!  That is definitely some kind of record for me!

This is my Hanging Basket Quilt.  I had wanted to hang this quilt from the side of our barn to get a great photo in natural light, but it is raining cats and dogs here and I couldn't wait to post my photos. Maybe when the sun comes out.... in June... it's Oregon...

I blogged about this quilt way back in September of 2011.  Scroll down. The blocks measure 10 inches and they were made using the paperless paper piecing method.  I dearly love making blocks this way. Paperless paper piecing allows for exacting precision and blocks just seem to go together better when they are paper pieced.  For the first time ever, I had someone else do the quilting.  It was done on a long-arm machine, aptly named "Gertrude", by Jeanne E., the custom quilter at my local quilt shop, "The Country Lady". http://www.countryladyquiltshop.com/   Jeanne did a stunning job and photos here do not do justice to her quilting prowess.  It was a big decision to hand off my work to someone else to do the quilting, but I felt that I just did not have it in me to hand quilt this thing.

So when Jeanne called to tell me that the quilting was completed, 

I was at The Country Lady in a flash to pick up my quilt.  

I spent all day today working on the piped binding.  See it pictured above, along with a peek at Jeanne's  beautiful free-motion feather quilting from the back side.

Each block is a bit different from the next.  I keep looking at the quilt, saying to myself, "that's my favorite block", then I look at another and pronounce it to be my favorite block.  I could go on and on.  I love them all.  Can't wait to do more of this small and precise paperless paper piecing

I promise to post that future photo taken with our old barn as a backdrop, just as soon as the weather cooperates.

Hung on the side of the barn.

Finally!  With the help of Mr. T., I managed to get this quilt photographed, a task that is not quite as easy as one would expect.  I put a long bamboo pole into the sleeve, then we both climbed big ladders to lay the pole on two very large nails hammered into the barn siding.   It's a big quilt, 94 x 94 inches, so I had  move WAY back and stand on a ladder to snap my photos.  I had thought that I would want to take these quilt photos in the sunshine, but soon found out that the quilt was completely washed out in bright light, so down it came.  We put it up again early the next morning while there was still a bit of cloud cover.  Much better results and a lesson was learned.

I have photographed a few quilts hung on that same bamboo pole, laid on those big nails on the side of our big ol' barn, but this is the very first quilt that has hung PERFECTLY square!  I'm pretty excited about that!

On Being Productive

   

I finished a quilt today.  Notice just how very casually I make that statement.  I'm really just trying to be super-cool, tempering my glee, and not typing too many exclamation points here.  It has been a very long time since I have completed an honest to goodness bed-sized quilt.  So before I burst, here are my exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!  I just could not help myself! The quilt looks rather nice here on the antique iron bed in our teeny guest room, don't you agree?.

There is a very real sense of accomplishment for me in completing such a project, especially since I have felt like somewhat of a fraud as a quilter for some time.  I called myself a quilter, but it had been a long time since I had actually produced a body of work.  But I am happy to say that I am presently on a very real productive roll here, having finished a number of things lately.

This is my Bear Paw Sampler quilt, one started just because I thought I might be actually be able to complete it.  I began it in September of 2010 as the Block-of-the-Month project for my Quilters' Guild.  Each month we received a variation of the Bear Paw pattern. I thought that I could certainly manage to get just one block made per month, even while shouldering my duties as Guild President to 110+ of the most creative and accomplished quilting ladies imaginable.  I actually told myself that I would be such a very sad and hopeless case if I could not complete even a single block per month.

So I puttered away, making my one block each month, each one just a bit different, and then put them together with sashing that I thought looked interesting.  Along the way,  I decided to actually quilt the thing on my Bernina.  I broke it up into units and then put the units together after quilting.  I added the scalloped border to make it fit on it's intended bed.  I'm not completely thrilled with the results since I am always my very own toughest critic, but then I am just beginning to do machine quilting, so it's not really so terribly bad.

The good news is that if you kind of sqiunt at the quilt, it appears to be heavily quilted, which was my goal and intention. And the quilt is comfy, seriously cozy and comfy.  I know this to be a fact because I actually nap-tested it this afternoon.  I was completely bagged after hand stitching all of the binding.  PHEWWW!!!! My fingers are raw and sore!  They only bled on the quilt twice.  Had to dig out the Hydrogen Peroxide to removed the blood stains...

I supposed that I can't expect perfect quilting results as a beginner.  I kind of call this exercise a Life Lesson.  I have almost always had success at most anything that I try.  I am a pretty good hand quilter if I do say so myself... but not so much with this machine quilting stuff.  I know that it will take lots and lots of practice to become as proficient as I would like to be.  But that's OK.  It's the learning process that I enjoy.  I'll get there, eventually... with time and patience.  And sore fingers.

Who's on Pinterest?

OK, I just have to say, I am so LOVING Pinterest.  For those of you who have yet not taken the plunge, Pinterest is an online pin board, wherein you "pin" things that you like or love, things that move you, amuse you or just interest you.  Think "collections"..., virtual collections, perfect for those of you who have limited space for real collections. There are tons and tons of interesting recipes and cool ideas.  I love having all of these super ideas for future use stashed/pinned all in one place, kind of like my own personal library of fun stuff to do.  I have files and clippings and ideas floating around in my head, but Pinterest helps me to virtually catalog them all.  Whatever your interests are, Pinterest has even more ideas for you.  I have my fingers crossed that I will have a long enough life to make all of the things that I want to create.  Thank you, Pinterest, for keeping my inspirations and ideas organized.

Meet Georgia, my Singer Featherweight

Say Hello to my girl, Georgia, another one of my Fabulous Vintage Finds.  She is so named because she found me at an estate sale when Mr. T. and I lived on the South Georgia coast on Oak Grove Island. I swear, I heard her calling to me the moment we walked in the door. She was sitting on a table in her case, all snapped up.  I opened the case while trying to still my beating heart...  I took a quick look inside, slammed the case shut, looked all around to see who was going to try to take her from me by force and then carried her away to show her to Mr. T.  He and I usually discuss our estate sale purchases, decide whether it is a "want" or a "have-to-have", but this time I just announced to Mr. T. that we were buying this and he did not even question me.  There must have been something in the look on my face.

I knew that the price of $90.00 was basically a STEAL!!! since these little beauties in good conditin usually go for upwards of $400.00, with ones in pristine condition going for even more.  Georgia has a little decal wear forward of her needle plate, but that just shows that she has been a hard worker over the course of her life and I love her for that. She came with her original case, tons of attachments, bobbins, the original instruction manual and the original oil can.

She gets to do a bit of traveling these days.  I take her to workshops and classes, where she is often the Belle of the Ball. As you can see, she has been gently used and well cared for.  She's looking pretty snappy for 75 years old, don't you think?  Seriously, I hope that I look that good when I am 75.

Oh,... and did I mention that she sews like a dream? She positively purrs....

Georgia has the lovely Egyptian scroll work on her end plate, a beautiful touch by Singer that is prized by collectors. I was able to learn her manufacture date by her serial number. She was born on March 15th, 1937, which makes her a seriously senior Featherweight model, a real Golden Girl!.  These machines were manufactured by Singer from 1934 to 1961. They still function as they were intended to all those years ago.  They are lightweight and portable, but they are also little workhorses. My Georgia is a genuine peach, a real, honest to goodness Georgia Peach!

My BEE-SHARP Thread Catcher

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been working on the new design and pattern for a Thread Catcher that my Guild-mates and I will make and sell at our Annual Quilt Show in April.  These sewing room necessities are always big sellers for us. I have just finished my prototypes and they turned out pretty nicely, don't you think?  There are three different detachable pincushion designs to choose from and each one has a needle sharpening pad filled with emery. I suppose that I could have called this "The Have It Your Way Thread Catcher", with those three different pincushion options,  but... I'm captivated by bees, hence the name, BEE-SHARP. I hope that my Guild friends have as much fun making these as I did. The fun is in choosing the fabrics that go together in just right way.

Scrappy Strip Version

Color Block Version

Lattice Version

Smoked Chicken, Spinach and Bacon Pasta

Years ago, when our family lived in the Sierra Foothills near Auburn, CA, we enjoyed eating at "Original Pete's", a little restaurant on Highway 49 that served delicious Smoked Chicken Pasta.  This is my copy-cat version or that dish. But honestly, mine is even better than the one that I copied. I'm just sayin'...

You can vary the ingredients for the pasta to suit your tastes.  We've tried a number of combinations.  Sometimes we use artichoke hearts, olives and fresh tomatoes.  We have also used roasted red peppers, olives and feta,   You can use any combo of ingredients that suit your tastes, or ingredients that you have on hand.  Remember, it is the smoked chicken that is the BIG STAR here.

It's easy to smoke your own chicken.  I use a Cameron's Stovetop Smoker, available through their website www.cameronscookware.com  or through Amazon.com.  You can choose your own favorite wood chips to use and it's been fun trying different ones. I used hickory chips for this recipe. We have also tried alder, oak and sometimes we add a bit of  mesquite. I find that mesquite is often too intense to use alone, it can taste somewhat bitter, but it's nice to add a few mesquite chips along with another wood chip flavor.

So, as you read this recipe you may think that this is a lot of work.  True,... this is not a quick recipe to make, but the chicken makes it SO worth the time it takes.  I usually make a double batch of the smoked chicken and have the leftovers cold on a salad for lunch.  Delicious!



Smoked Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Pasta  - Serves Four

1 package fresh chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing
3 or 4 cloves garlic
1/2 pound linguine pasta (farfalle is also good)
1/2 pound fresh baby spinach
5 or 6 slices of bacon
3 slices white onion
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. grated parmesan
a little chicken broth
a little white wine
fresh grated parmesan for garnish
chopped green onion for garnish
4 lime wedges

OK, here we go.  I prepare the chicken early in the day. I wash and pat dry the tenderloins.

Then cut off that little membrane thingie...

And cut out the tendon, or whatever that thing is...

The next step is to marinate the tenderloins in a zip-lock bag with one of the garlic cloves, minced or pressed, and 1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing.  Refrigerate for about 4 hours.

When ready to cook the chicken, I turn on the grill to high heat.  While the grill heats, prepare the smoker by lining the pan with foil.  I also cover the tray with foil.  Clean-up is much easier if you do this step.  Add about 1 cup of wood chips and 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan.

Then place the tray and rack on top of the chips.

Place the smoker on the heat source.  Our grill has a burner on the side and I find that this works perfectly for me.  I know, the smoker is called a stovetop smoker, but trust me, you do not want to use this thing indoors.  I have also used an inexpensive hotplate outdoors when I did not have a burner on the grill.  Turn the heat on high in order to get the wood chips smoking.  Once that happens, turn the heat down to low.  

Now, grill the chicken at high heat, just long enough to make nice grill lines on the meat, usually about two minutes on my grill.  Turn and grill the other side until the meat no longer looks pink.  Don't worry about grill lines here, you just want to make sure that it's not pink.  You want your tenderloins to be a smidge underdone.

                                                                       Looking good!

Next, place the grilled chicken on the tray of the smoker, taking care to leave a bit of space between each piece.  Then close the lid and smoke for about four minutes.  The temptation is to open the lid to see just how much smoke you have going, but try to resist.  After the four minutes are up, turn off the burner and let the meat sit in the smoke without heat for an additional six minutes.  It's still smoking in there, I guarantee it, but by turning off the heat earlier you are less likely to have dry chicken.  But really, folks, smoked chicken is good even when it's on the dry side.  

Remove the chicken from the smoker to a plate.  Cover with foil and set aside.

Now, I get my ingredients together for the pasta part of this recipe.  Boil water for the linguine, add a bit of salt if that's how you like it.  Slice the bacon into small pieces and cook in a large saute pan until lightly browned.  

                         

Drain on paper towels and set aside.  I pour off nearly all of the bacon grease, leaving just a tiny bit in the pan for sauteing the spinach.

 I take the stems off of the spinach leaves and cut the onion into pieces.  My photo does not show it so well, but you need a MOUNTAIN of spinach.  It cooks down to nearly nothing so you need lots.  When you think that you have enough, add more.  

Add 1 tbs. olive oil to the pan and saute the onion for about 1 minute, then add two or three cloves of garlic, pressed.  Next, add the spinach and stir gently while it cooks down.  

Add bacon bits, reserving a few for topping, oregano, thyme and cayenne.  I add a little chicken broth and a little white wine at this point and stir for a minute to reduce.  Sprinkle on the parmesan, stir it in, then remove from heat.  Do not overcook.

Drain the pasta.  I add a few drops of olive oil, then stir it so that the pasta does not stick together.  Put a serving of the linguini on a plate and top with the spinach mixture.  Garnish with a little fresh grated parmesan, chopped green onions and the remaining bacon pieces. I gently warm the smoked chicken in the microwave, heating at 30 second intervals.  Two chicken strips are usually enough for a serving.  We like to squeeze a wedge of fresh lime over the top or of it all.  

Enjoy!   

Bunny Quilt

Some people do Spring Cleaning, but I do After the Holidays Cleaning. Yesterday I was tidying up my walk-in closet, otherwise known as the wade-in closet, and came upon a quilt that I had made a few years ago.  I have kept it rolled up on a cardboard tube to keep it pristine until the time comes to give it away to just the right baby girl, hopefully, a future grand-daughter.  I have my fingers crossed.  We still have two children who are sans offspring. (Really, no pressure here, Butterfly and G-Man...)  I made it just because I loved the fabrics and,well,... just because I dream of a grand-daughter one day. And hey, if I don't get a grand-girl, maybe it can be for a great-grand daughter.  By that time it will be VINTAGE!!!

I hand appliquéd the bunnies and carrots and then hand quilted the rest of the quilt.

Detail of the quilted carrots in the border.

I drew out and added the sweet little quilted carrots in the borders.  The only machine work that I did on this quilt was the sewing on of the binding, but I finished the binding by hand.  This quilt won a first place in my class at the local quilt show as well as a first place at the county fair.

The Bunny template is from "Baby Patchwork", by Gianna Valli Berti.

So, to my much wished for future grand-girl, whoever you are, this quilt is waiting for you.  Come claim it for your own.  Grandma loves you...

August 31, 2018 - HAPPY UPDATE!  This quilt has a soon-to-be-born owner and is already happily ensconced in it's new home, the sweet nursery of Baby G., due to make her appearance on or around November 12 ,2018.  This quilt does not match the lovely nursery as far as colors go, but it was gratefully received.  And I'm making another in soft greys and blush pinks.  I'm just so happy to be able to see it in it's new home! And, of course, I can't wait to hold our new grand-girl!

"Chubby Chicks Quilt"! Finished at Last!

Finished at last! I woke up at 4:30 yesterday morning and knew that this was nature's way of telling me that it was time to get this quilt bound. I love working at my machine early in the morning. It is dark outside, the coffee is hot, the house is quiet and Bozz, the cat, is especially chatty. And then... I watch the sun come up.  It's my most favorite time of the day, I think. I had the binding finished before Mr. T. even got up.

I machine quilted these cute little curly tail feathers, not my original design, but one that I found online that another quilter had used for her Chubby Chicks quilt.  Sweet!

I am very happy with the way that my piped binding turned out.  I have only used this technique on smaller items, never on an actual quilt.  All four corners matched up perfectly!

Moving Right Along - "Chubby Chicks" Quilt

Under the needle.

I am so excited to be nearly done with my "Chubby Chicks" quilt.  I should probably say that I am so excited to be finishing ANY quilt.  The machine quilting is done and actually went better than I expected.  I am rather new to free motion quilting so this is kind of a big deal for me.  I will be using the piped binding technique that was taught to us by Guild member, Doris K . Stand by for the finished product.