Pink Kittens & Sunbonnet Sue

RS4 Center Piece

-RS5 Geisha Girl-

Sunbonnet Sue gardening will be the center of RS4.

I'm hoping to post that and a few more this weekend.

RS5 came together quickly.

Directional prints are a little tricky on the side triangles.

To help keep myself on track, I'm adding an arrow to the draft that points up.

With each focus fabric piece I add, I double check that it's lined up

to prevent an afternoon with the seam ripper.

Happy Stitching,
Heather

St. Patrick's Day

"There are good ships, and there are wood ships, the ships that sail the sea.

But the best ships are friendships, and may they always be."

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Fabulous Readers.

Wishing You a Rainbow

For sunlight after showers—

Miles and miles of Irish smiles

For golden happy hours—

Shamrocks at your doorway

For luck and laughter too,

And a host of friends that never ends

Each day your whole life through!



1 Prepped, 1 Done

RS3 is prepped and ready to go for my next applique day.

It seemed like a good night for some quick piecing.

RS4 was a fun one!

Happy Stitching,
Heather



2 Side Triangles

Fabrics have been chosen for all of the right side triangles.

My first 2 side tris are ready to be added to the completed list tonight.

Happy Sewing,

Heather

=)

Top Row Triangles are Complete!

An afternoon of piecing yesterday & some

applique late last night led to 4 completions.

It feels great to have the top and bottom rows finished.

Now on to the sides & corners (kites).

Have a wonderful week!

Heather

5 Triangles

In the last week top row 5 through 9 were completed. 

Today was a good day for applique!

Just 4 more triangles remaining in the top row, then I'll start the sides.

We've had a bit of a warm up this week.

The daffodils are starting to come up next to the house,

the dog has been out stalking the squirrels AND

we have song birds again.

The cardinals, robins & blue jays were out in full force today...

no doubt scouting out nesting areas.

It's so nice to know we're over the harsh weather of winter

(knocking on wood!).

Happy Stitching,
Heather

Jane Blocks, Semi-organized

I've updated a work in progress...

A better view of the finished blocks and triangles are available on

the latest page: 30s Dear Jane.

I'll be updating as I finish more triangles (and blocks, should I get the urge to start redos)----hopefully by the weekend.

Happy Sewing,

Heather

A Guest for Crepes

If you know Mr. Fabulous, you are aware NOTHING tops Strawberry Pie....

at least that was the case until this morning.

Move over Strawberry Pie and make room for the new favorite: crepes.

It turns out Mr. Fabulous wasn't the only one anxiously awaiting his breakfast...

an unexpected guest joined us at the table today.

{Hoping he could get his paws on some, too!}

Looks like a popular recipe all around.

Good thing they're fast and simple.

Here's the recipe I use:

CREPES

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup all purpose flour (still working on a gf version)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil----melted shortening is a good substitute
• 1 teaspoon sugar or equivalent (for savory crepes, substitute with salt)

*optional* powdered sugar for dusting & butter to prevent batter from sticking

 ***************

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

If your batter seems a little thick, add up to a tablespoon of water.

Pour mixture into a Pyrex measuring cup for the best control.

Heat a skillet on medium-high to high, grease pan with butter, one pat per crepe. Add enough batter to lightly coat the pan, swirling the batter in the pan
to ensure even distribution.

 

If you aren't able to flip the crepes to brown both sides, it is acceptable to cook just one side. However, I flip. If you like a crisp outer layer, practice your flipping for a perfectly cooked crepe.

 

Fill with whatever you like. We prefer fresh fruit, but you can certainly use Nutella, chocolate, peanut butter, jam, etc. Top with fresh whipped cream, fruit , filling and/or dust with confectioners' sugar.

 

Enjoy!

Heather

THE *JANE* Supply List

The DJ Supplies List {as I see it}

• A good seam ripper.
• Background fabric---more than I'd care to admit.
• Focus Fabric---an obsession like no other if you're using a unique fabric for each block & triangle.
• YLI Silk Thread and more cotton thread than you could imagine. I started keeping the spools before I switched to cones and am still not done. lol
• LOTS of filled bobbins at the ready.
• Applique needles, machine needles and eventually quilting needles.
• The BOOK by Brenda Papadakis---even if you choose to go the EQ software route.
• DJ templates by EZ Quilting & Brenda Papadakis.
• Software, should you decide to use it also requires lots of ink and tons of paper. I think I have an overflowing recycling bin at this point.
• A new pack or two of flat head pins and a box of Clover applique pins
• Fray Check
• Freezer paper
• F&P pencils
• Clover mini iron & a standard iron that will get a work out.
• Dritz Point Turner/Presser
• A needle case for handwork on the go & little scissors.
• Scissors, shears, rotary cutter & replacement blades.
• If you go in spurts of mass production, you may also need a sewing machine tune up, just so you are aware. I'd get the check up first, but hindsight is 20/20.
• Speaking of vision, you'll want to get your eyes checked out before working with the ridiculously tiny applique needles. Seriously. I have new glasses just for applique, but I'm 40....so proceed at your own risk.
• An organization system of some kind and a PAPER copy of your quilt grid. There are various ways to keep track of blocks/triangles/kites and their storage, check a few suggestions before committing to one and continue it throughout your journey.
• A method for journaling, a pat on the back for each level of achievement, and a can-do attitude.

Challenge yourself to learn new techniques and go with your strengths. This is your baby jane, there are no rules or patterns. It's meant to be a journey of a lifetime and an heirloom when complete. 

You will get there in your own time. 

Know in advance that life has a way of interrupting the very best laid plans. 

Remind yourself of this regularly. I'm a type A personality with a touch of OCD and this quilt helped me break the pursuit of perfection. There are re-dos to be done and I'm ok with that. I saved most for the final steps and am so glad that I did. 

I hope you find fabrics that inspire you, have fun, enjoy the process, and find some tutorials and/or fellow quilters to help along the way. If you are brand new to applique or struggling, please check the applique tutorial tab; they were requested by members of the quit along group that I started the process with.

 

There's a Dear Jane tab as well if you're looking for a specific block/tri/kite on the upper lefthand side and if you're looking for the order that I went in, please check the right side of the page linked by date, starting with the oldest post. A Twitter friend of mine, Jenn, convinced me to create a site to document this quilt progress. I'm forever grateful for her friendship and guidance.

Additional RESOURCES for Jane:

Spreadsheets for tracking completed blocks and triangles

Main Janiac Site

THAT QUILT for some visual guidance
Dear Jane: where you can sign up for the listserve,

find helpful hints & purchase Jane goodies
and the new to Jane page HERE.

Happy Stitching,

Heather

One, Two, Three Tris!

TR4, TR2, TR3

The three triangles for this weekend came together pretty easily

considering the fussy cut bits were from 10" charms.

I was really worried #4 (purple) wouldn't be enough

but thought I'd give it a try anyway.

I LOVE the bells in it.

Working in order is quite different than choosing what you want to do,

as I did with the blocks after I stuck with the initial schedule a while.

I wouldn't say it's more challenging,

but I do find I have to make a fabric choice quicker than I'd like.

That may lead to some redos later on....we shall see.

For those of you interested in a free schedule, please check out the Jane Stickle Cyber Sew on the quiltingboard.

My blocks were done in the order that they appear on this blog.

Its an altered schedule after a few weeks.

Your confidence will be up by the second month and then

you can adjust the plan to meet your needs.

If you are interested in the difficulty levels download,

please keep in mind that not all skill sets are the same.

What is easy and logical to one quilter may be

frustrating and time consuming to another.

I don't pay much attention to the rankings or the amount of time

it took a quilter to complete any given block.

It's all relative.

Happy Quilting!

Heather

Embroidery

Do you enjoy hand embroidery?

I haven't embroidered in years, but I appreciate the time that goes into it and adore looking at hand work of any kind.

I'm drawn to vintage redwork patterns and modern, colorful patterns, too!

A reader recently sent an email question about needlework, and while not my specialty {ok, major understatement, I know lol}...I have been curious about finding a refresher course, so I did a little digging.

I found a great site here for every stitch I've ever done and then some: at Needle 'n Thread so I thought I'd share. This was fun!

If you have a question or topic you'd like some help with, please feel free to drop me an email so we can all benefit.

Happy Stitching!

Heather

A New Look for the Blog

It's hard to believe that the header has topped this page for just over a year. What a year it's been! A new look will be greeting you on the RETRO-Fabulous blog with a few other changes to come {and hopefully a finish or two, too}. I always appreciate your comments and am looking forward to your thoughts on the new design.

Best Wishes & Happy Stitching,

Heather

Red & White All Around

To brighten my sewing room, I made a few

red & white accessories.

A new Scrap holder {next to the cutting table},

a chair caddy and a couple other

items to keep things in order.

Have a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.

Here are a few flowers from the garden

for those of us anxiously awaiting spring.

It won't be long now.

Happy Stitching,

Heather

=)

3 Triangles Today & Debi's Blocks

TR 1, BR 13, BR 12

Today was a great day for sewing.

Adding BR12 & 13 to the finished pile as well as TR1.

The triangles for the bottom row are finished.

That's a good feeling!

This afternoon, I made fabric choices for the top row triangles

& caught up with an old friend.



Debi B (aka Quiltinggirl)'s blocks for RSVP
look to be a fun variation of the Ohio Star.



If you'd like a copy of the instructions for Debi's block, called Sunrise Star, you'll find it here.
For a traditional Ohio Star, please click here. 

Thank you, Debi!

A bit of black and white fabric arrived today {I love fun mail}.

It has me thinking of yet another black & white block.

All in all, a wonderful day.

I hope yours was just as fabulous.

Best Wishes,

Heather

We All Sew's Fave List

What a wonderful surprise!

We All Sew, sponsored by Bernina added the RETRO-Fabulous Blog

to this week's favorite bloggers.

Be sure to stop by and take a tour.

Their Sew to Serve list is a one stop shop

for some of the best quilting/sewing charities online. 

There's a freebie list, facebook faves & twitter feeds to check out, too.

Thank you, WeAllSew.com

and for those of us that tweet, follow @WeAllSew

All my best,

Heather

Two Triangles Today



BR10 & 11

It's SO nice to have two more completed triangles 

added to the mix.

I'm keeping busy in the sewing room as our temperatures

dip down below zero. The windchill is supposed to be

about 30 degrees below zero by morning.

BRRR! Perfect weather for some serious sewing.

Heather 

A Return to Jane

BR9 was completed this evening &

I couldn't wait to post a picture.

Happy Quilting,

Heather

Super SEW Sunday

Poor neglected Jane.

I finished the blocks back in September...some of you will, no doubt remember the post-a-day Block Blitz that ended on my 40th birthday.

Afterwards, I completed a few triangles but have not given my Over the Rainbow 30s Jane much thought since.

Today, I set aside the black and white RSVP blocks

(after whipping up just one more) and re-organized some 30s reproductions.

You know what that means.

It won't be long now.

For those of you new to my total obsession interest in all things Jane related, please take a step back in time to enjoy the madness.

Happy Super SEW Sunday!
{like I'd say Super Bowl! Good one. lol}

Heather

Snowed In & Sewing...

What could be better?

At lunch, I prepped the crock pot of chili and let it cook while I played in the sewing room.

I love snow days.

Happy piecing,

Heather

B&W BLOCK-A-PALOOZA

Today's Blogger BLOCK-A-PALOOZA design is

by Amanda Sasikirana of Sasikirana Handmade.

Shoo fly Geese is available here as a free pattern.

Homemade Applesauce...mmmmmm!

There's nothing like the smell of homemade applesauce wafting through the house on a cold winter day. It's easier than you think and MUCH better than commercially prepared versions.

The trick is to use older apples. If you use fresh ones, they are especially crisp and take considerably longer to cook down.

When we seem to be collecting older apples in the bottom bins, I make a batch of fresh applesauce. It usually disappears in a day or two.

The recipe changes, depending what we have on hand but this time around we had 2 different types of apples---Granny Smith & Gala. The Gala is pretty sweet, so we didn't require as much sugar as usual. If you are using tart apples but prefer a sweet sauce, be sure to use the full amount of sugar/substitute.

Our recipe is for a thick applesauce. For a thinner version, be sure to add more water or juice to the mix.

• 2 bags of apples washed, cored & peeled, netting roughly 10 cups diced apples (sprinkled with one tablespoon lemon juice to prevent premature browning).
• 1 cup water (apple juice can be used if you reduce added sugar).
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar----or equivalent substitute
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (if unavailable, sprinkle a pinch of clove or use a splash of vanilla).

Combine all ingredients in a pan & bring water to a boil. Simmer until softened on low-medium heat (this batch took over an hour but was larger than usual). 

Stir occasionally until apples are fork tender.

Cool & refrigerate in an airtight container.

* If you prefer a consistent texture or are making this recipe for toddlers, puree in a blender or food processor after your apple mixture has cooled.*

If you're a crock pot queen, mix ingredients & set on low for up to 6 hours.

I let mine cook on the stove while I'm prepping & cooking dinner and cleaning up my mess. By the time everything is done, I have dinner on the table and the sauce is cooling for dessert.

Bonnie's RSVP Blocks

Bonnie Brodmerkle was kind enough to create the following 3 blocks for RSVP:

Album: free pattern available here.



Peace & Plenty: free pattern available here.



Carrie Nation: free pattern available here.

Beautiful blocks and great pattern ideas!

Thank you so much, Bonnie!!

Happy Piecing,

Heather

Skirt REMIX

One {plain} tan skirt + one cute print shirt = a new to me skirt:


The Skirt REMIX.


The ruffle was made from strips cut from the full width of the shirt and the circles were constructed from the sleeve areas. 


Have no fear...the buttons have not been forgotton. Waste not want not. They're in my button stash for another project.


Add a simple black top to my 'new skirt' and I'm officially ready for 
date night. 

*Hint Hint*, Mr. Fabulous.

close up of the circle details

Before Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, it was 

"Use it up, Wear it Out, Make Due or Do Without". 

How do you upcycle?

RSVP Designs

The ladies at RSVP are beginning to turn their blocks in. 

The latest arrivals include several from Nora Braun & Shirley Johnson. 

Great job, ladies! Thank you for supporting RSVP's annual quilt fundraiser.

Indian Trail FREE pattern available here.

 The directions for Hidden Well can be found here. Nora's is an original variation of this block.

piece.

Heather

A Little {adorable} Sewing Project

I have been browsing through Sandi Henderson's Sewing Bits & Pieces: 35 Projects Using Fabric Scraps since I received it from the the incredible Sew Mama Sew site. 

Aside from being fantastically delicious eye candy, the projects included will surely inspire you to add another goodie to your repertoire. If you have a moment, be sure to browse Sandi's site: Sandi Henderson Design. GORGEOUS.

To make the "Mary Jane Slippers", I chose to incorporate a well loved dress that no longer fits. I probably could have held on to the frock for another neighborhood munchkin, but it's a fave...and we're a bit attached. 

For those of you utilizing clothing in your projects, there is no need to rip seams. 

Simply cut along both sides of the seams and collect the larger pieces of fabric for your pattern. 

I also included a RK Jennifer Sampon print called "Block Party" to add some contrast. Love that fabric!

{In hindsight, wish I'd have purchased another few yards (OK a bolt) of this fabric...it goes with everything}.

 Divine footwear for the Lil' Miss...perfect for hardwood floor skating. 

OH Yay!

Happy Sewing,

Heather

=)

A Contrary Wife

McCall's Quilting Bear's Paw Variation or my personal favorite,
EQ's Contrary Wife Variation

RSVP Block 2: Contrary Wife Variation

McCall's Free Pattern {Bear's Paw Variation} can be found here.

I hope you're piecing up a storm and keeping warm this weekend.

If you haven't checked out the BLOCK-A-PALOOZA button, be sure to take a little tour. Quilt Dad is coordinating a blog tour with free patterns for a fun Waiting for Spring quilt along.

I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

piece.

Heather =)

What's Black & White & has Dots all over?

McCall's Free Pattern: Kaleidoscope Variation
EQ version: Spiderweb Maltese (with addition of lines between row 4 & corner pieces)
My latest sample block for RSVP! I had to include some polka dots....I heart dots!! 2011 quilt blocks for donation are black and white, if you'd enjoy piecing along with us.
You may find a free download of the Kaleidoscope pattern here.
For readers unfamiliar with RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program), they're an amazing group of talented people who give their time generously to local communities in 4 counties in Northeast Indiana. There are other RSVP agencies throughout the US but the Auburn office is particularly close to my heart since they have so many active quilters who share their experience with beginner quilters, regardless of age.

That's not all they do....here's a short list of some of their activities:

Food Pantry: volunteers assist in all aspects of the pantry, benefiting numerous community members

Pack the Backpack: school supplies are collected by seniors, packed & distributed to local schools

Crisis Bears are made for children in need, distributed through local hospital staff & law enforcement officers

Clothes for Preemies  are sewn & sent to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.

Lap quilts, Cane Bags & Walker Bags are sewn & delivered to Nursing Homes.

Quilts for Campers: RSVP volunteers create quilts for each young camper with a debilitating illness at "Camp Whatcha Wanna Do".

Mentoring: Experienced seniors  assist 4H members interested in sewing

The majority of fundraising for this agency is done through a quilt show, an auction & a quilt raffle. The blocks collected will go towards the raffle and other quilt projects.

The group can certainly use any sewing related items including fabric, notions, templates, patterns, thread, etc. The fabric can be any color, preferably quilter's cottons & flannels (for some preemie items).

How can you help?

If you'd like to donate blocks and/or fabric, please contact me for details at heatherl02 {at sign} yahoo {dot} {com}.

If you have extra sewing supplies that need a new home (it's a good one, I promise!) you can mail your goodies to me for delivery or send them directly to RSVP.

If you are no longer in love with a quilt top (or finished quilt) and would like it to go to someone who will greatly appreciate it, please let me know. It can be mailed directly to RSVP c/o Shirley Johnson.

RSVP/RETRO blog

107 West 5th Street

Auburn, IN 46706-1740

USA

(260) 925-0917

I post a free pattern almost every Friday on Twitter & will be adding some more samples and links on the blog. I hope you'll join in the fun!

Thank you.

HAPPY QUILTING!!

Heather

2011 Resolution to Organize

Organization challenge?? Bring it on!

If your new year's resolution has ever been to reorganize your stash, clean your sewing room or to de-clutter the house, back door storage could be the solution you've been looking for. When limited space has you feeling a little cramped, why not utilize some space that you take for granted…behind the door?

Behind the door storage rocks!

It’s out of the way, You’ll have easy access to it, AND you can find a super deal on an organizer! I chose an inexpensive shoe organizer for about $10 a couple years ago. With a clear vinyl holder, you’ll save time searching for your bits & pieces. Originally, this system was for sorting scraps. It works well---but collecting selvages takes a considerable amount of time so I thought this would be best for a long-term selvage storage solution. Since I like the color of the fabric showing on my selvage projects, this method of organization is perfect for my purposes, dividing pockets by color as I did initially with scraps.

Don’t collect selvages or scraps?

You can always use this for your spare tools, acrylic templates and/or gadgets in the over the door storage {saving your scraps and selvages for a quilty friend}…or you can use a pegboard system for those and find another option for your shoe sleeves.

Not a gadget girl?

What about extra sewing and quilting pattern storage? I like to keep patterns in sections of similar projects and by size. The larger pocket organizers would work well in this case.

Holiday fabric taking up needed space? Many quilters keep their holiday fabric separated from their main stash. For those of you organized enough to prep yours in advance {unlike me!} a sturdy version might be just the thing for you.

Are your stash strips in sad shape because they're no longer in the pretty jelly roll bundle? Perfect storage solution!

Binding, trims, ribbons and embellishments are all well suited for this type of system, too. If you have rickrack and binding jammed into a drawer, set your drawer free and see everything you have on hand at a quick glance.

Stick to a theme for your behind the door storage and you’ll always come out ahead. Now this is just in the sewing room...imagine what's possible with these little beauties! When purchasing, look for metal grommets & hooks, especially for fabric storage. Patterns, trims & selvages won't weigh much initially, but over time, you'll be happier with your purchase if it has the ability to hold what we all hold dear.

Happy Organizing,
Heather