Not sure why but the sewing room has not been all that interesting this past week. I have wandered in there now and again but really not produced much of anything.
I did catch a tutorial done by Emily Taylor on collage that sort of caught my interest. I have a book Scrappy Bits Applique by Shannon Brinkley that also has some collage information in it and this pattern so thought I would see if that idea sparked some creative interest for me. I got it this far on parchment paper and realized that the fusible was sticking to the paper pretty good, in fact too good. So I did some more reading in Shannon's book and pulled the pieces off and stuck them on non-woven stabilizer. I did put a teflon sheet under the stabilizer, I didn't want the fusible to pass through the stabilizer and then have it stuck to my ironing board cover. Some times quilting is full of all sorts of interesting lessons.
I cut out the leaf. I think it looks pretty nice. Not sure what I plan to do with it. It will need to be quilted heavily to hold down all the edges. A nice heavy weight thread to add vines to the leaf would be nice too. The Morewood Mystery instruction were released on the 3rd. This block requires 60 of these 4 1/2 inch blocks and will keep me busy for a bit. They aren't hard to make, but trimming them is tedious. Did some Christmas baking Saturday. A good friend has given us a loaf of her Christmas Nut Bread every year. This year I asked for the recipe and was graciously given it. Mine are not as pretty as hers, there is a learning curve for these, but they taste great. I am sure after making them once my skills will improve. I did learn a few tricks too. My Kitchen Aid mixer has a dough hook, and it kneads the bread for you, and our Kitchen Aid oven has a Proof setting. Both work great! Oh, the marvels of modern kitchen equipment!
My daughter's peacocks have been standing guard out in front of her home this last week or so. One of her chickens was attacked by a coyote. Fortunately Snowball was rescued by my daughter, and is being treated for her wound and recovering well. The peacocks are the ones that alerted her that something was going on outside. She says they do have a tendency to be watch dogs for the property and obviously are taking the job more seriously now.
oh my, love, love your leaf!
ReplyDeleteChristmas baking - you beat me!
wishing you all the best!!
That is REALLY cool about those peacocks! I think I may have heard that at sometime but wouldn't have remembered it. Glad the chicken is making a recovery. My niece lost all of her chickens in a short period of time and she wound up figuring out it was a raccoon. EW The nut bread sounds yummy and I think it looks great.
ReplyDeleteLove that leaf! I'm thinking that would make a great seasonal runner or hot pad? Those nut breads look scrumptious! We used to make them for Christmas....but somewhere along the line, the recipe got lost. :-( Kitchen Aid is awesome! I missed out on some great Black Friday deals for the stand mixers... now they are all out of stock so I can't even get one for regular price....lol! It's on my list for my (July) Birthday wish list...lol!
ReplyDeleteI agree--some veins on that leaf ought to do it. It's very pretty. I think it would make a lovely little wall hanging.
ReplyDeleteHow very interesting that peacocks work as watch dogs! I know they can be loud, so I imagine that if they sounded an alarm, you would not miss it.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteLove the leaf....so pretty. Reminds me of a Crazy Quilt block.
I can almost smell the bread...yum! The peacocks look so regal
perched there. Have a great day!
Hi DonnaleeQ! So glad the peacocks are taking their job seriously and are on guard. I’m also glad to hear that Snowball is continuing to recover well. Hmm, that scrappy leaf looks pretty nifty and like it was a fun project. You’re right - it will need quite a bit of quilting but adding veining will help as well. Looks like it should be the start of a table runner to me! Thanks so much for linking up today! ~smile~ Roseanne
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful things you create! I just love those peacocks.
ReplyDeletehow interesting that peacocks behave as watch dogs, I would have never imagined it.
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting leaf! It'll look great on something...I'll be so interested to see what you do with it. Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.
ReplyDeleteLove the colors of the Morewood Mystery quilt blocks. I've gotten so old I don't bake much anymore, but the loaves of bread look delicious. Really love the abstract layout of fabric pieces on the leaf, and I'm sure you'll come up with a unique way to finish it. Have a nice holiday season.
ReplyDeleteSuch clever peacocksbeing on guard patrol. Hope the chicken is doing well.
ReplyDeleteLove that the peacocks are guarding the place! They almost made me forget about your leaf, which is quite lovely!
ReplyDeleteLove how the leaf turned out. One of the best tricks I've learned for any collaged appliqué work is to add a top layer of tulle, that either enhances or blends with the project. This way, when you quilt you don't have to worry about catching every single edge. You could simply do the veins many or a few depending on the size. An all over stippling with veins hand embroidered would also look nice.
ReplyDeleteYour leaf collage is very pretty and will look great with some veins stitched in. Watchdog peacocks? Who knew?
ReplyDeleteHow did I miss that you are sewing along with the Morewood mystery too? These blocks are very pretty. The bread looks yummy--I am intrigued that your oven has a proofing cycle. Mine is too basic for that. And the peacocks--how fascinating!
ReplyDeleteChristmas baking smells to add such a nice ambiance to the house this time of year. So glad that those peacocks were keeping an eye open!
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever piece, I love it! There's not much better smelling stuff than home made bread! The birds are posing for you :)
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your link at 'My Corner of the World' this week! Thanks for joining us!
Cool about the peacocks being the watchdogs for the flock. GREAT photo! I raise ducks and chickens. My ducks are my watchdogs. I love it when they start quacking loudly when my truck comes up the drive -- they don't quack at all the other visitors. Glad Snowball is making a recovery. I don't raise peacocks because I don't think I could deal with the child-screaming noise they make. Do your daughter's do that?
ReplyDeleteOhhh I am thinking your bread looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful leaf, and beautiful bread! Go, peacocks, keep those coyotes away!
ReplyDeleteSnowball sounds fortunate to have pascock friends, I wish her a full recovery. The leaf looks terrific, I imagine a group of these would make a stunning runner. Merry Christmas, enjoy your yummy looking baking.
ReplyDelete