Quilting and Recycling

The batting is cut to size because I'm planning on binding with the back.

I'm making this little quilt to test out a pattern I drafted for a hexagon quilt that is sown in strips. Mostly I made the top out of articles of clothing. A few pretty tops and a brown skirt and this blue vintage sheet, plus some scraps of plaid. The batting is an airplane blanket.

I love to recycle and re-purpose fabric into quilt projects. I often drool over designer collections and I do buy fabric sometimes, but mostly I find lines of fabric to be pure inspiration for how to pair fabrics in my own stash. So much fabric is readily available in the way of clothes and cotton sheets, so much of it in perfect condition aside from minor flaws that can be discarded when choosing quilt pieces. It is like a puzzle, trying to decide what to use. 

Especially for a project like this one, which is a practice piece. I have it basted and ready to go, just as soon as I decide how to quilt it.

I am inspired to finish up this quilt because I was telling my BC quilting friend Caroline Heinrichs at Good Earth Quilting about my interest in recycling and I won her giveaway! I am so excited not only to win some beautiful fabric but to have made a connection with another quilter who enjoys the economical and environmentally friendly practice of re-purposing fabric.

We have so much surplus in this age when things are made to be thrown away.

Also I just have to bring to light that clothing manufacture is often outsourced to factories where people are paid poorly and have no rights. Banana Republic, GAP, Old Navy, Levi's, Victoria's Secret, etc etc... it is shocking to do some research and investigate how many popular stores and brand names get their clothes from third-world countries with the cheapest labor.  For me, using these like-new but discarded items is a way to honor the people who made them, who might work in a sweat shop, while we in the developed world might buy something and never even wear it.

The age of consumerism is soiling our planet. I love new fabric and I do buy it with pleasure, however I also want to advocate for reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling products whenever possible. For thrift of course but also for the Earth and for our oceans.

Okay, now I will get off my recycling soap box, promise!

Up close and personal with a baby goat's breakfast

At home I am counting my blessings, and among them my three milking goats and the bounty of milk and poo for the garden that they give us. Animals always pick up on my mood and every morning they offer me a reminder to have gratitude for the abundance in my life and to live in the present moment. The goats love having a routine, and they give me a reason to maintain stability in my life.

I might be in danger of becoming a crazy hippie goat lady.

I can always count on these two to help make the milk disappear.

It is my sweet boy's birthday today.

We had a pirate party and he had a wonderful time, greeting every guest at the door with a big "Happy Birthday!!"

Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my rambles!

On this Work In Progress Wednesday I am linking up with Lee at her blog, Freshly Pieced.

Have a beautiful week out there.

Blackberry Patches

Finally I am finished with my FMQ project!

I am so happy with how it came out, mistakes and all.

I'm going to call it "Blackberry Patch" because the little flowery black fabric used throughout the quilt reminds me of blackberry flowers. The quilt also makes me think of blackberry lemonade, with all the yellow squares.

This was the first time I free motion quilted a project larger than a potholder or oven mitt.

The quilt backing is a vintage polka dot sheet.

As you can see I had some tension problems along the way. And, there are a few places where my quilting "skipped" because the weight of the quilt was pulling it away from the machine. This created the odd stitch that was about 3 times too long and veered off in the wrong direction. But, that only happened a few times before I got the hang of how to maneuver the quilt and hold it properly.

I also employed a few techniques from Crazy Mom Quilt's Quilt Making Basics. This is the most popular quilt blog I've come across, and I think that is because this lady is really, really good at writing tutorials. I used a flat strip of binding and didn't do any ironing, I just machine sewed it to the front and then folded and pinned it in place before hand sewing it on the back. So easy!

Poor little guy, look at that sad face. Wrapping him up in the quilt made him feel a bit better but all in all it was a rough and ready photo shoot because little David needed some attention. I just managed to get a shot of his little Easter basket that I made this out of willow this morning - first basket I have made in years. It is really tiny but it was a nice project for getting back into the craft of weaving.

The problem with basketry sometimes is timing. I put this willow on to soak about 8 days ago - it has been ready to weave with for a few days already. I had to make something or else the bark will peel if it soaks too long, and the willow will kink up instead of bending nicely.

This quilt was made with 100% recycled materials, except for the thread and batting.

It measures about 52" x 70".

I am so happy to have saved this project and turned it into a finished quilt. It feels really good to have it all done! Time for a picnic?

Rhubarb

Time to celebrate one of the most wonderful perennials in the garden! Rhubarb crowns are one of those plants that keep producing food year after year, and only require a minimum of care to do so.

Under the shade of rhubarb leaves, few weeds dare to emerge.

One secret to growing healthy rhubarb is to heavily fertilize the crowns. Generally speaking, chicken manure is too "hot" to use directly into the garden. But, not for rhubarb. This plant loves fresh chicken manure and... wait for it... it loves pee. That's right, if you have a garden, tell your husband and sons to "water" the rhubarb!!

The secret to cooking with rhubarb is to cut the stalks into pieces and then toss with sugar. Allow to sit for a few hours or overnight and the sugar will cause the rhubarb to release its fabulous juices. Otherwise if you add water, your stewed rhubarb will be too runny. If you don't add liquid and try to cook it immediately after dicing, the fruit will burn.

Technically rhubarb is considered a vegetable, but it is almost always sweetened and can be eaten with strawberries or made into jam. My friend makes great "blue-barb" jam with a mix of rhubarb and blueberries. Rhubarb also makes delicious pale pink wine.

When harvesting stalks of rhubarb, do not cut them off the plant. Instead, pull them away at the base so that the whole stalk comes off, like a stem of celery. This way, the crown will continue to grow to replace the harvested stalks. Leave the lovely red skin on the stalk when you cook it for that beautiful pink color.

Healthy rhubarb sends up a flower in the spring, and to encourage the growth of the edible stalks, cut the flower off of the plant as soon as it starts to open.

A budding rhubarb flower.

Also of utmost importance is to NEVER EAT THE LEAVES, as they contain a toxic amount of oxalic acid and are poisonous to both people and animals. I use the big, thick leaves as mulch in the garden for my brassica plants (kale, broccoli, cabbage, etc) because the oxalic acid helps to discourage club root. The leaf cover also retains soil moisture and discourages the growth of weeds.

The best way to eat rhubarb?

A perfect pastry waiting to be filled with fruity goodness.

RHUBARB PIE

 Raw rhubarb is crunchy and sour so just remember to stew the rhubarb before filling the pie shell and baking. My personal preference is a little on the sour side, so for about 5 cups of chopped rhubarb stalks I'll add a scant cup of sugar. Again, rhubarb's favorite companion in the kitchen is strawberries. Rhubarb and strawberry pie or crumble is the perfect spring treat, with a dollop of whipped cream.... heaven.

Bounty and A Bathtub

Finally after a long winter there is purple broccoli in the garden! I also harvested the last of the leeks and the first of this year's rhubarb. In another week I can direct seed root crops like beets, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes.

I finally finished quilting this sucker, it took longer than I thought but it was totally worth it. The whole quilt now has this lovely crinkly feel to it. I was kind of sloppy and it isn't perfect, but this was my first try at free motion quilting a large project so I'm just glad it turned out as good as it did.

I did a basic meandering stippling pattern all over the quilt, mostly in purple except on the lighter squares, which were quilted in yellow.

The weather has been warming up slowly and we've been spending more time outside.

David was watching the backhoe today as it brought my bathtub into the yard!!

I'm going to put a firebox underneath the tub so that I can have a luxurious bath that will stay hot for hours! The thing is cast iron and weighs like 500 pounds.

My boy, curled up under my first quilt with his bunny wabbit.

Boating on the glassy water, looking over at Vancouver Island.

It's almost kayaking weather!

More quilts and stitching to come!

Glue Basting And A Leather Thimble

Check out these two awesome links!

GLUE BASTING

This first link is a little tutorial I just discovered by Cristy at Sew Much Like Mom on a technique called glue basting.  Has anyone out there ever tried this? It sounds totally crazy to me but a few other quilt bloggers out there swear by it. What I gathered from this tute is that basically you squeeze a tiny line of Elmer's school glue onto your seam allowance, place fabric right sides together, and hot iron. No need for shifty pins. 

Is this really possible? I would worry about gumming up my machine needle but apparently if the glue is dry there is no problem. I'll have to try it and see.

Moose Hide Thimble

The second beautiful treasure I found in the blog world is this Inuvialuit leather thimble from Inuvik that was blogged about by the quilting celebrity Cheryl Arkison at her blog Dining Room Empire. It is made from moose leather. She also blogged about her trip with some amazing photos of this absolute remote corner of the world. Inuvik is in the Northwest Territories of Canada, above the Yukon. I've always dreamed about travelling up north so it was really cool to read about this woman's adventures to teach quilting!

Part of my own experience with raising goats sometimes involves using them for meat, and when this happens I always try to salt and tan their hides. Making leather is another homesteading skill that I plan to show on my blog, once I collect enough photographs and finish making buckskin. It is a lengthy process and at times is downright stinky and gross, however it is a wonderful way to honor such a valuable part of an animal. Hides can be used for drum skins, bags, rugs, belts, traditional jackets and pants, and even thimbles, apparently! Goat leather is amazingly soft and strong and I am definitely going to try and make a little thimble.

Shhh... don't tell the goats.

While I am so so close to the end of my personal free motion quilt-a-thon, I still have to make the binding for this quilt. You can see the glow of my headlamp in this photo, taken long after nightfall while I was up late sewing. Of course I am beaming it at my favorite part - the little appliquéd star.

Also on my to-do list is to make a quilt for a dear member of our community who has just moved into her new house. I knew that there were several of us here on the island who would love to contribute to a quilt for her, and so... drum roll please... we are putting together a quilter's guild.

It is just beginning and I can't wait to see what comes of it!

So many budding ideas. Thank you for stopping by.

 Wishing you all a fabulous week!

Jenna Jade Designs

I am so excited to share a photo of my new cashmere sweater!

My "Jenna Sweater"

This soft and cozy sweater is made from other cashmere sweaters, that Jenna stitched together on her serger. She has made about a hundred of these gorgeous garments, and all of them are unique and equally beautiful. Some are more like dresses, some are for men, some have lots of machine embroidery and applique. Often they are evocative of forest-dwelling faeries or elves, with peaked hoods and bell sleeves. They are perfect for the west coast.

Mine is a little big on me but I seriously have barely taken it off since I got it, it is so comfy! I love it - especially the appliqued wool stars along the hip line.

Check out some more of Jenna's beautiful work at her site:

Jenna Jade Designs

Up-cycling at its finest.

Jenna works primarily with wool and a couple summers ago she made this fantastic dress and gauntlets out of the green wool pool-table lining from the pub. Such creativity! She has also serged together wool blankets to create patchwork quilts and has a coveted pair of wool pants that were made in the same style.

Jenna sent me a little poncho when my baby was born. I convinced David to model it for me tonight because I can't find a picture of him wearing it as a baby.

It has a little pointed hood with a heart stitched on the underside. Such a sweet handmade baby gift.

Meanwhile in my world...

The fabric pile of shame.

We won't even talk about where my sewing pile is at right now. Boxes of scraps and fabric and clothes and bags are begging for my attention. Cringe.

But I have been furiously free motion quilting instead. It is actually kind of a work-out, or maybe that is because I am really out of shape. But seriously I feel like I've just been wrestling and wrangling this thing through the machine. Only a little ways left to go.

Pins are our friends.

One day I will organize all my sewing junk, and make a fancy pincushion, and have a neat pile of only brand new designer fabric! Well, at least I'll probably do the first two. I am passionate about recycling, and truly the original purpose of quilting was to reuse fabric and make the most of what is available. I'm glad to incorporate re-purposed fabrics into my projects, even if it means that my stash sometimes looks like a crazy heap.

Cheers to the beauty of upcycling.

Gardening In Early Spring

First I'll give you a peek at what I'm working on tonight.

Free Motion Quilting

This afternoon I had a cup of coffee for the first time in about a month. I've been totally off caffeine since I've been sick and in recovery. Thanks to that one cup I am now burning the midnight oil and quilting this baby! Helluva drug.

I am really happy that I'm focusing on finishing a few quilts before adding more projects to my to-do list. I finished up three tops! Let the quilting marathon begin.

David is so excited about his 3rd birthday party. His Nana sent him lots of party favors and goodies for a pirate party! He has been telling everyone about his "pie-wit pawty"

The chickens are smart enough to keep covered as much as possible. Here they are under the grape vines. Oh boy do I ever have some weeding to do there. The long grass is so out of control. At least the birds are appreciating the hide away. 

This grape vine reaches to the top of the Asian pear tree.

There are so many grapes and many of them just grow up and into the surrounding fruit trees. I only prune things every few years. For the most part I surrender to this kind of wild chaos and put my energy into vegetable gardening. The method of edible landscaping in place here is something that is gaining popularity in the permaculture world, called the "forest garden". The vines grow on the fruit trees, and in the understory are bushes and berries, in this case elderberries, black currants, and gooseberries.

Using mulch and cover crop.

The goats have given us a generous amount of fertilizer over the winter. It is being distributed in the garden as  mulch and will add lots of nitrogen which makes for lots of leafy growth. In the background of this photo you can see a square of what looks like grass, which is is fall rye that was planted last October. The thick sowing of this cover crop helped to suppress the growth of weeds, and now it gets turned into the soil, chopped up with a shovel, and allowed to begin to decompose for added nutrients and some yummy food for the worms.

And of course we compost all kitchen scraps, weeds, and soft garden debris. In our society we waste so much food into the garbage. It feels really good to turn this food waste into rich black compost that feeds the next year's crop of vegetables. All you have to do is dump your scraps into a heap, and wait. Every so often I add a layer of leaves or grass clippings or soiled hay from the goat pens, and also the compost pile benefits from being aerated by turning over with a shovel a few times a year. It is really easy and nothing makes plants grow like black compost.

This chicken has one brown feather. Just one.

Our first egg! It is pink, and speckled! Oh, wait... thats chocolate.

My friend Dave the basket weaver gave me this bundle of willow. If I start soaking it today it will be soft enough to weave a little basket for the Easter Bunny.

Glad to see feel the warmth of the sun shining today on our little island. Wishing you all a beautiful beginning to Spring, wherever you are.