LOG CABIN DIAMOND STAR QUILT

This is the last step for the CLCS. I quilted it yesterday and instead of binding it with a seperate binding, I left a 1 1/2 inch of batting and backing all around the quilt.

I then mitered the corners by folding the two ends at the corner, on the wrong side, together and sewed a seam down leaving a 1/4 inch for the turning under.

I then folded that exta binding to the right of the quilt and turned under 1/4 inch and proceeded to sew it down on the right side. When I got to the corners, they were already mitered, so all I had to do was turn under the 1/4 inch, I had left free.

You can't tell that the binding is a self binding unless you turn it over.

This is a total scrap quilt, using only lights and darks but one theme (Christmas fabric). I love all the effects. I see the star, boxes, baby blocks and buildings.

The strip on top is a crazy patch I add later to make the quilt longer, using all the left over scraps.

One could have make the plain blocks also striped like the rest of the quilt blocks, but one was getting sick of it and wanted to move on to something else lol, and the plain blocks look just as nice.

Since this was a custom quilt, some things had to be custom cut. Looking at the quilt, you can see that when the star is finished, you need to fill some spaces in with half diamonds and that was easy. Just cut a plain diamond in half and leave 1/4 inch seam allowance before cutting.

I found some nice Christmasy rose fabric for the back.
For the four ends, I layed the quilt corner on the cutting board, lined up the top and the side and made a paper pattern of that area and added the 1/4 seam and cut that from fabric.

I am happy to report that I have put a good 12 to 15 yard dent in my stash lol.

LOG CABIN DIAMOND STAR QUILT

The quilt fits a single bed nicely but needs just a bit more to tuck the pillows.

I worked on the extention. I had some strips left over and quite a lot of odd pieces, there was a basket full of them and so, not wanting to waste, I decided on S&C (scraps and crumps.


I started working on some areas. I say areas because I dont' want blocks, I want the extention to kinda melt together as one piece.

After I had sort of a beginning on three different pieces, and a couple small ones. I started to built on them. I decide on 17 wide by 86 long, the width of the quilt. This piece will look nice on the pillow.

I feel great about using all the left over scraps. This will take a nice chunk out of my Christmas fabrics, after the backing etc, I will have to take a look and see what is left now.....I might have to do another.

These are the three area that I am going to join for the extention.





LOG CABIN STAR QUILT

HOW TO FIX A QUILT THAT YOU CAUGHT ON FIRE LOL. I will be the first to admit that I am a dummy hahahhaahahahahah..long story short, I lit a candle in the studio and thought I had more that enough room to finish my quilt top.

Somehow I flung the top around to sew one side and thought I saw a flash of light and low and behold the quilt was on fire.

I wasn't too unhappy when I saw that it was small, so I started to cut away the burnt parts.

Here it is all fixed.

The top is all squared up and ready for quilting.

DIAMOND STAR QUILT

I have been working on this quilt since before Christmas for next Christmas lol. I call it the Christmas Star Quilt and the purpose is to use up the Christmas fabric entirely. I think I have to make a couple more quilts to accomplish that feat.

This is what I have so far. All the main Paper pieced blocks are done and all that remains is to figure out the plain print diamonds and what value and where. I have it on the board to see the effect and I will switch it around here and there.

I love seeing more than one thing in a quilt. I love the box look and then the star and who know what else one can find when it is finally finished.

I might make a tutorial.

Pumpkin Seeds and Pumkin

My neighbor gave me two pumpkins the other day. I decided they must be dried up but the seeds would still be good. Sure enough they were. Where I grew up, we always had fresh pumpkin seeds to eat.

The seeds, however, came with their own superstition. They were actually called Macobi Seeds and those who were love sick or their lover left them, they would be eating these seeds. They were said to have Macobi. They were also called pepitos for those who were just eating them to eat them.

When one would eat these seeds, one would be quick to say, "I don't have Macobi" lol. I am just eating them.

I don't know what effect these seeds were supposed to have on love sickness. Imagine the seed itself, it may have some properties that was good for the feel good hormone " Serotonin". I would see people eat a whole bag full and say they felt much better lol.

How I made the pepitos: I washed and drained them and them put them on towels to dry. I then put them on a cookie sheet and all spread out and baked them for ten minutes on 350 to dry some more. I then removed them, sprinkled some olive oil (tiny amount ) and some sea salt and stirred them good and put them in for another ten min. I would stir them again and check to see if they were done. I think it took 20 to 30 min, depending on your oven.

To crack the peppitos (I am assuming that you don't have Macobi lol) put the seed between you teeth on the sharp end of the seed and bite down just a little and the seed will pop open and you can just pull the seed out with you teeth, it's all in the learning lol.

The pumpkins, were also good so I put those in a pan with a rack with water and steam baked them for pies and cakes at a later time. Here is one all done and scoped out.