Country Baskets

 

I did this quilt about five years ago. I had found the pattern in an old book from Better Homes and Gardens called "Quilting pieces of the Past". Being a fan of baskets, when I saw the picture of this quilt I "fell in love" with it at first sight! I had a lot of brown fabrics and scraps in my stash and thought it would be a good opportunity to use them. For each basket I used a different fabric. 

The quilt is single bed size and is machine pieced, machine quilted and hand applique.

Rail Fence UFO

I wonder why, some years ago I had a red and black period! Obviously it was not at all my style and I  quickly gave up this project. Until last week that my niece came to visit me. She is going to get married next June and I proposed to make her a quilt. Her lounge is decorated with grey tunes and a little red. As she told me she would like a quilt in those shades, I remembered this UFO, and when I showed her this project she loved it... so let's go on with my Rail Fence quilt!

Christmas Quilt

 

When I entered a quilting group about twenty years ago, everyone was working on an Eight Point Star quilt. They showed me how to proceed, and I did my first quilt using this pattern. With the enthusiasm of the beginner I finished it quickly and started at once a second one with the same pattern : this Christmas lap quilt. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. Every Christmas since twenty years I enjoy taking it out from the closet and display it on a sofa.

Mini Nine Patch

For many years Lucy's blog was one of my favorite sources of inspiration. I love Lucy's creations and pictures. This mini Nine Patch quilt is a reproduction of one of her miniatures. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. The size is 10.5" x 8". 

Tomato Red

Antique quilt

It's amazing how everyday life can be inspiring if only we open our eyes. Coming back from the market with some plum tomatoes in my basket, I found attractive the combo red and beige. And I instantaneously built a project of a quilt with red fabric mixed with all the hues of beige, going from off-white to dark brown.

Plum tomatoes

However, the purpose was not to quilt, but to prepare a tomato paste! But look how beautiful is the contrast between the red of the tomato jars and the dark brown of my old rusted saucepans!

Tomato paste

For those who are interested, here is how I prepare my tomato paste :

I wash the tomatoes and leave them for 3mn covered with boiling water.

I peel them, cut them in four and put them in a high saucepan with salt, a little sugar and a little olive oil.

I let them boil without lid for about 1/2 hour, until the juice evaporated.

I mix and pour the sauce in glass jars, adding a little olive oil just to cover the sauce.

Ripe tomatoes

During summer time in Greece, the tomatoes are absolutely delicious. I love them best the simpliest way :

cut in slices with olive oil, coarse salt and oregano.

Tomato salad

Oh! I forgot : wonderful with a slice of grilled bread rubbed with a little garlic!

Tomato salad

Enjoy your lunch... and your stitches!

Christine

Easy Log Cabin Tutorial

Today I will show you the EASIEST possible way to make a LOG CABIN block.

WITHOUT measuring any strip length!

Finished block

The finished block measures 7 1/4" x 7 1/4"

Selected fabrics

My fabric selection : a red center, three dark pink and three light beige. 

You can use any colors, but always a dark side and a light side.

Center

For the central square, cut 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"

Strips ready

Cut your strips from the Cross Grain (from selvage to selvage), width 1 1/2".

Two squares

The first piece to add to the red center is a square, same dimensions as the center.

Two squares pieced

 Piece those two squares right side against right side. Open and press. Turn once CLOCKWISE.

Add the strip of the same fabric, sew right side against right side.

Cut the remaining length of the strip.

First row

Open and press. Turn once CLOCKWISE

Add the light color strip for the second row.

Cut the remain. 

Go on the same way all the time for the other rows, always turning ONCE CLOCKWISE

 and ALTERNATING two dark strips and two light strips.

Second row

Third row

Fourth row

Fifth row

Sixth row

Press hot without moving your iron.

Your block is now finished, you may just need to trim the sides to get an accurate square of 7 1/2".

Enjoy your Log Cabin!

Christine

Antique Doll Star Quilt

Another antique doll quilt from THIS BATCH.

As I am a "basket collector" I store most of my stuff in baskets, and here are my little antique doll quilts in this lovely Greek basket.

Cherries are my favorite fruits! I eat a lot of them during the season, and also I make marmelades, syrups and cakes. Today I will make a sour cherry cake, and write the traditional french recipe in my next post.

Nothing nicer than those small stitches!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Christine