Charms Arrive

Some harder to find 1930s charms arrived today. They may be used in my Dear Jane, with details to come later. I think the eye block in that blue fabric with the white diamonds outlined in black was on my redo list. It's been so long, I could be mistaken.

I was excited to see the Judie Rothermel red lily of the valley fabric. Lily of the valley flowers are my favorite. They were in my wedding bouquet that I designed and arranged. When I was a young girl, they lined my grandmother Lucile's driveway. 

I loved the scent and fragile nature of these beautiful blooms; they'd be nice to have in the yard in the future.

 

My love of flowers started as a toddler when my great grandfather, Eddie showed me how to propagate violets. He grew several perennials, his favorites were his climbing roses and asparagus ferns, a pink and green combination that appealed to me. The grands and great grands have been on my mind lately. It must be time to get that DJ done in honor of my great grandmother, Gladys.

Happy Sewing,
Heather

Embroidery Floss

The embroidery floss took longer to sort than expected. The carrying cases did not work as well as I had hoped but for now, they're sorted and all loose floss has been wrapped around a card. I have a large glass dry goods container somewhere with a lid that could hold everything in one spot. I'd like to keep them off my sewing room counters, if at all possible. 

I'm looking forward to starting some of Aneela Hoey's patterns from her books Little Stitches, Sweet Stitches and Stitch & Sew soon.

Happy Handwork,

Heather

Salsa Fresca/Pico De Gallo & Guacamole

I whipped up some salsa fresca, also known as pico de gallo. It's simple and so delicious! Start with fresh tomatoes, these are heritage varieties that we rarely have access to unless we grow them ourselves. Next, dice half a large or one whole small white onion. I opted to include four jalapeño peppers, sliced, seeds removed and diced roughly the same size of the onion pieces. I'm not a fan of cilantro but LOVE lime juice in my salsa and guacamole. 

Salsa fresca is great served with tortilla chips but I also use it a component of my guacamole. Mash your avocado(s) in a serving dish. Guacamole seasoning is readily available, but I prefer to use the following: 

• Garlic Salt
• Black Pepper or Lemon Pepper
• Onion Powder
• Cayenne
• Thyme
• Chili Powder
• Fresh Cilantro (optional)

Next, add salsa fresca and more lime juice to your seasoned avocado mash. The rough ratio is about one ladle salsa fresca per ripe, soft avocado. If you are making this in advance, be sure to cover in cling wrap, pressing the plastic over the top of the mixture to avoid darkening to a gray-green hue. Be sure to share both the salsa and guacamole paired with fresh restaurant style tortilla chips with guests and family members. Enjoy!

Heather

Embroidery Floss Galore & Feedsack (1930s fabrics) Background

Good afternoon, RF readers. I'm sorting items a bit at a time for my sewing room, starting with my embroidery card collection. While I enjoy taking just a few embroidery floss cards with me for on the go or upstairs with the family, organization of this stash is long overdue. Separating the colors alone has me feeling more accomplished already. I chose an acrylic canister set designed for kitchen use for storage but may need an extra jar or two for the overflow, we shall see. 

It occurred to me as I was fussing over the beautiful colors that some of you might be interested in the background of 1930 fabrics. My focus has been on my reproduction collection, which reminds me of my great grandmother, Gladys and favorite fabric designer, Judie Rothermel. The history begins with garment sewing, common quilt patterns of the day, a revival of charm quilting, and dry goods of the period. The reproduction fabrics are more appealing in the soft, tight-woven quilter's cottons in joyful conversation prints and florals.

1930s Feedsack articles, if you'd like to learn more:

• QUILT INDEX
• SATURDAY EVENING POST
• FEED SACKS
• QUILTDOM

My favorite quilt patterns are from this era, including Nosegay (also known as Bride's Bouquet), various hexagon quilts, Dresden Plate, LeMoyne Star, various basket patterns, Double Wedding Ring, and Arkansas Snowflake (known by several other names including Periwinkle, Feedsack Star & Hummingbird). There are free patterns available if you're interested in the block instructions. I'm attaching a few but they can be made in many sizes; if you'd like something larger or smaller, a google search for the block name(s) should provide the instructions you're seeking. Some of the sites have pop up advertising, which I try to avoid sharing. 

• NOSEGAY
• ARKANSAS STAR & instructions and an alternate pattern
• LEMOYNE STAR
• DRESDEN PLATE
• DOUBLE WEDDING RING

Happy reading & sewing,

Heather

Heather Ross Line Arrived!

The anxiously awaited (pre-ordered) Studio Edit line by Heather Ross arrived today. They'll work well with the rest of her designs that I've collected over the years. I keep thinking that the incredibly adorable illustrations would make a fantastic I-spy hexie quilt in addition to several other future projects. YAY!

Piece,

Heather