U-Tube Video's, Learn What you Wish

One of my favorite quilts, ever! Thank you Rose. Whoever the lucky person was to receive this service project I hope they realize it was not easy for me to let it go...just saying. Someday I want to copy it. The nine patch is an amazing block.

 So much goes on in Sewtopia as I am sure in your life as well. This morning I have been harvesting the Regal French Onion Chive. I am so fortunate that many of my herbs from last year survived this brutal, miserable Winter. This is the second year these particular chives have prevailed and they are amazing.
 

On the breakfast menu was one of our favorites, Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Chives. We first enjoyed these on the train between Paris and Rome a few years ago. Good times. It is important for delicate dishes that one cuts the chive right before use. This keeps them well trimmed, tender and flavorful without being too strong. I have been harvesting all five plants weekly for about a month now. Yes, even in the snow!

Of course, I frequently have more than I can use in one cooking so I have devised multiple uses for them. Since one tiny bundle costs around $5 in the grocery I do what I can to make best use of them. I add them to my chicken and beef stock, I make a garlic butter with chopped chives for toast, basting and spreads. One of my favorite techniques is to incorporate the chive into softened butter and freeze them in tablespoon measured portions. Then I can retrieve the amount needed for certain recipes. I will compile a recipe list on Kitchen Chronicles one of these days and provide a link. Note I said one of these days.

A happy little fabric collection that is calling me, it was tucked away in a drawer.

Back to quilting. I referenced the beautiful nine patch quilt above for a reason. I have gathered some nice little video's for you and one of them addresses "the perfect nine patch" construction. All of the video's are well done and easy to follow for the novice as well as the experienced quilter. Continuing to educate oneself about your passion is always a good thing. I have picked up a tip or two from each of these, hope you will too! 


video of binding technique

Basting with Elmers School Glue!

machine binding using your decorative stitches!

The 'perfect' nine patch

More binding tips

• Bad health news about another long time friend this week end. It seems that it has become the norm. How does one see beyond such difficulties without faith?
• While looking for a particular pottery out in the country we took a wrong turn. Sometimes the wrong turns in life turn out to be a delightful surprise. Beautiful countryside around each turn, reorienting my MIL who is suffering dementia and finding a new direction for a project made the wrong turn a good thing.   Grazing animals in verdant green fields...how peaceful is that?
•  Off to do the end-of-the-month super clean. I find that if I do this my other weeks are less tedious and I have more time to sew. Works for me!