Life Lessons in Quilting

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Jeanne H.

Please walk with me a moment while I explain where I began before I began making quilts.

I wasn’t always a quilter.

In the late 80’s I was in my early 20’s and I was proud to be a Modern Woman. Yes, I was an 80’s Lady! I didn’t cook and I didn’t sew – I didn’t do any of those old fashioned things that kept women tied down and locked into out-dated roles. I was free!

Or, I thought I was free. In fact, I was enslaved to a different set of roles and expectations, the new rules of society that demanded that I conform to their expectations. And society did not make me happy or fulfilled.

But when God reached down and changed my heart, suddenly I found true freedom! I discovered that when I follow His handbook for living (the Bible) then I am both happy and fulfilled. No, it’s not a set of rules that I must follow or be cast to the outer darkness. It is a relationship with a living God who wants to watch over me and protect me, who wants me to enjoy life. What a thought – God wants me to be happy!

Criss Cross; 2000

My First Quilt

So it happens that in 1992, not long after Jesus changed my life forever, that I woke one morning and decided I wanted to do something I’d never done before: I wanted to make a quilt! I drew out a sketch of the quilt I wanted, then figured out the math of how much fabric yardage was needed. Next I pulled out my Craftsman retractable measuring tape, a marking pen, and a pair of scissors. My first quilt, which I am NOT posting here, was a very simple design I called “X Marks the Spot”.

I had no idea what I was doing. After I’d sewn the top, I put a border on it and then stenciled in a leaf and vine design. Yes, stenciled. It was the 90’s. I didn’t know how to put a backing on the quilt or how to “stuff” it with the batting, so I bought a book (one of Eleanor Burns’ early “Quilt in a Day” books) and finally got it all done – lumpy corners, uneven edges, very little actual quilting. It was beautiful! I felt so much accomplishment in that project as I never had before! I was hooked!

American Ladder; 2009

I have photos of my early quilts, but they aren’t very good photos. Perhaps one day I shall post them anyway.

With every quilt I got more practice. My piecework improved so that corners were matching and I wasn’t cutting the tips off my triangles. I found that if I cut accurately, and sewed accurately, I got really great results! I started buying all the specialty quilting tools to help improve my technical skills.

Most quilts I made were given as wedding gifts and baby gifts. And then I became hooked on a whole new benefit of quilting: seeing a person’s joy and excitement in that moment that they realize they are receiving a quilt! This is one of the best parts of quilting for me!

There are 3 steps to making a quilt:

The Planning * The Making * The Giving

I also wanted to do a little fancier stitching on my quilts. I started drawing designs on the quilts and practicing free-motion quilting. The below “Celtic Wheel” was one of my early free-motion quilts.

Celtic Wheel; 2011

Competition

In 2012, I was chatting with a dear friend who commented that she was thinking about showing some of her photography at the local County Fair that year. This got me thinking about showing a couple of my quilts. I mean, why not? I make pretty quilts – everyone says so. Let’s see if I might bring home a ribbon or two.

I chose two of my recently completed quilts and brought them in. I even took time off work so that I could listen to the judge make her comments.

So here’s how it works: you enter your quilt in a specific category so that quilts can be judged against similar quilts. For example, one category may be “machine pieced, machine quilted, large” and another category may be “hand applique, hand quilted, small”. The judge examines each quilt in a given category, having a scribe write her notes. Many competitions will have list of items being evaluated: technical (corners matching, points sharp, borders even, etc) and artistic (colors well balanced, uniform quilting, overall pleasing appearance). The quilts for each category are stacked on a table so the judge may examine them one by one. She then goes down the list having her scribe underline items that are well done and circling items that need improvement. Within each category, the judge then chooses first (blue), second (red) and third (white) place ribbons. The County Fairs often give a small cash prize for the ribbons ($2 for blue, for example). Major competitions may give larger cash prizes or prize packages (sewing machines, books, fabric, etc).

American 9-Patch, 2012

My first judged quilt, pictured above, was in a category with about 15 other quilts. The other quilts were pretty amazing, but my simple design was very pretty in its own right so I was eager to listen and learn. The judge came to my quilt and started issuing comments to her scribe: Circle “corners square”. Circle “straight edges”. Circle “even stitches”. (Remember, “circle” means “needs improvement”!) Circle. Circle. Circle. At this point, I was extremely pleased that we in the audience are required to remain silent so that the judge does not know who made one quilt or another. I was cringing with every new item to be circled. Finally she came to the end and had her helpers hold up the quilt so that she could stand back and look at it from a short distance.

And then the judge said, “Now THAT is a pretty quilt!”

Suddenly I was no longer cringing! I was sitting up – mine is a pretty quilt! In spite of all its faults, it was pleasing to look upon and it would serve its function well. The rest – the ninety degree corners and even borders and all the rest – that was all technical stuff that I could learn and improve upon. I bought the little booklet that listed out the standards that the judges were looking for. Now that I had the standard, I could bring my quilts to the next level!

A Life Lesson

I would like to pause and comment that this lesson I learned in quilting was so profound that I have applied it to all of life. Whenever I start feeling terribly pleased with myself, I stop and ask, to what am I comparing? What is my standard? Why do I consider myself to be a pretty good person? Is that compared to the convict serving time? Or am I “pretty good” compared to Jesus, my ultimate example? There is a standard to which I have not yet attained in life. My God is helping me to improve, but it’s a long, long project!

I ask myself: “What is my standard?”

2012 Baby Quilt – 2nd Place at the County Fair

That first year at the County Fair, the quilt I described above did not win a ribbon. The other quilt I showed won a 2nd place ribbon, but only because I’d entered it in the wrong category and it happened to be marginally better than one of the other quilts in the same category. The following year I won several second and third place ribbons. Last year, 2015, each of the quilts I entered won 1st place in their categories – and I even won a ribbon for having won the most blue ribbons! I’ve also shown a couple quilts in national shows (no ribbons) and one of my quilts won a “best first time entrant” award at the Colorado State Fair in 2014 – Mr. Orange is my nod to the Broncos.

Mr. Orange; 2014

But still improvement is needed – I have not yet won a “Best In Show” at the County Fair, nor have I ribbon’ed at a major competition.

Quilting is an Expensive Habit

These days I am constantly working on my piecing and quilting skills. I have been blessed to obtain a “mid-arm” quilting machine. This has a good 16″ from needle to motor so I have plenty of space to quilt down the big quilts! Though it has a computer display, it is not digitized – all my quilting is guided by my own hand.

I also tried my hand at carpentry this last year and built myself a proper work table:

Yeah. I’m not doing that again. But I’m glad I had the experience of making it. And there always seems to be more tools, more rulers, more cutting devices and, of course MORE FABRIC!! I am limited only by my own imagination. And budget.

So I invite you to come along on this journey with me as I seek to improve my quilting skills, and my life skills. Quilting makes me happy – which I know pleases God. And I seek to serve God by serving His people with quilting and cooking and more. What is my standard? There is always more that could be done, if done in love.

Please visit my gallery to view a few of my quilts. I’ll be adding to the gallery periodically. I hope you enjoy!

Big Bold BBQ

Ah, yes – your jar of BBQ sauce is only half full and it’s time to make some more. Summer’s comin’ and you can’t let yourself run out of BBQ sauce!

I love a good bar-be-que with a bold sauce slathered all over chicken or ribs and cooked just right! And you know what “just right” is – it’s bubbly and slightly blackened on the outside with the meat cooked to the perfect doneness… It brings to mind summer days with backyard grill sessions – the men standing around the fire, making their manly grunts while the ladies chatter around the kitchen counter making all the fixin’s and listening to the kids squealing as they play and run through the lawn sprinkler. Ah, good times!

I recently bought some BBQ sauce at the grocery store and decided I like my own better, so here’s my go-to recipe. I’ll mix it up, throw the pot on the stove and just walk away for a few hours.

And since I’ve made this myself, I know just what’s in it. Okay, the ketchup is store bought, but I have my favorite brand I use that I trust. If you make your own ketchup, awesome!

Talk about great “gifts from the kitchen”! I filled pint jars for Christmas gifts one year. I didn’t “can” them, just filled the jars and told my friends to keep it refrigerated. My creative wrapping was simply colored cellophane tied with some jute twine.

So here are a few suggestions to make this BBQ sauce your own:

Vinegar

Who says you have to use cider vinegar? I once made a bbq sauce that was bold enough to call the cattle home from Texas! I used balsamic vinegar, of all things, and adjusted a few of the other ingredients to match the bold flavor. Bold doesn’t necessarily mean “hot”. Go – experiment!

Add a little heat…

Just because it isn’t listed in the ingredients doesn’t mean you can’t add it. To make your BBQ hotter, increase the Tabasco. Or use “hot” chili powder. Or add some cayenne pepper or cumin. You can make a BBQ sauce that’ll singe the hair off your toes, if you want.

Or make it milder…

Maybe your friends and family like to keep their toe hair. Maybe they prefer to savor the flavor… use a lighter vinegar (white wine vinegar or rice vinegar), eliminate the Tabasco entirely, use a mild chili powder. Or any combination thereof. It’s YOUR sauce.

Sweetners

Every marinade contains four components: Sweet, Salt, Seasoning and Vinegar. BBQ Sauce is a specific type of marinade, but a marinade nonetheless. We’ve already talked about vinegar, and touched on seasonings, salt is in the garlic salt and worcestershire… now for the sweet! The sweet component balances out the rest for a fully rounded flavor profile.

I call for brown sugar because it dissolves well and has a particular flavor. But I recognize that many of you are limiting your processed sugar. So use your favorite go-to sugar alternative. Honey is fabulous in BBQ sauce!! I have not experimented with other sweetners, but keep in mind that you are going to simmer this thing for several hours. Be careful that the sweetner you choose can take the heat.

Go Forth and BBQ

I hope you see what I’m trying to do here. I attended culinary school and the entire time our chef instructors were telling us to put away our books and recipes and just GO MAKE IT! I love this sauce because it doesn’t need tending. You can mix it up and let it simmer all day, if you want. And after you’ve made it a few times, and tweaked it to your own personal satisfaction, then it becomes YOUR sauce, YOUR flavor, YOUR signature! No one else will have a BBQ sauce quite like yours.

Big Bold BBQ

You can make this BBQ sauce as bold and spicy or as mild as you want - just make it all yours!

CourseSauces
CuisineAmerican

Servings	Prep Time
2 quarts	10 minutes

Cook Time

3-4 hours

Servings	Prep Time
2 quarts	10 minutes

Cook Time

3-4 hours

Big Bold BBQ

You can make this BBQ sauce as bold and spicy or as mild as you want - just make it all yours!

CourseSauces
CuisineAmerican

Servings	Prep Time
2 quarts	10 minutes

Cook Time

3-4 hours

Servings	Prep Time
2 quarts	10 minutes

Cook Time

3-4 hours

Ingredients

44 oz bottle ketchup
2 cup brown sugar
1 cup yellow mustard **see notes
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup chili powder
2 Tbsp black pepper
2 Tbsp worcestershire
1/2 cup garlic salt or to taste
2 tsp tabasco more for spicier/hotter; optional
1 tsp celery salt optional
1 Tbsp onion powder optional

Servings: quarts

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a large pot and simmer on low for 3-4 hours, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. (I happen to like a very thick bbq sauce.) Stir occasionally.

Recipe Notes

I use mustard so rarely that I will "make my own" for this recipe. 1 cup of yellow mustard can be made by mixing 3 Tbsp of powdered mustard with 1 cup of cider vinegar.

Share this Recipe

Route 66 – Preparing for my Trip

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Jeanne H.

What an exciting time! Every five years, my company gives me a one month sabbatical in addition to my regular vacation time. In 2011, I took a motor-coach tour of the UK. This year, 2016, I am driving the length of Historic Route 66. From my home city of Denver, I am driving up to Chicago. From there I will embark on a leisurely tour of America, embracing the joy of slowing down. I shall treat the local speed limit as the limit – I don’t need to go that fast! I will stop for the night at whatever inn or motel should capture my fancy. I will enjoy meeting people, tourist and resident alike.

But as casual and lackadaisical as I would like to be, some planning is appropriate for an adventure like this. Understand – normally I am an extreme planner! I know where I’m going to be on what day at what time and what I’m doing at all points in between.

“You can be as spontaneous as you want,

if you plan well enough!”

So planning on not planning is actually a big deal for me. I know the day I am leaving, the friends I am seeing at the start, and a general idea of friends I will see when I land in Santa Monica. But once I’m on the road, I’m wingin’ it! So here’s me not planning:

1. Books on Route 66

I have picked up three sets of book/maps. I chose these based on recommendations from various Route 66 sites and Amazon.com reviews. I am happy to recommend them now.

The first is the “Route 66 Adventure Handbook” by Drew Knowles. This is filled with all sorts of stuff to see along the way. He also includes a section on “how to fish” – that is, how to locate a route that, technically, no longer exists. It’s interesting reading and I am filling it with little sticky notes to remind me of what I want to see as I’m passing through a given area.

Next is the “EZ66 Guide for Travelers” by Jerry McClanahan. Spiral bound, so it’s easy to lay flat as you pour over your maps, this book is itself a series of maps with notations of things to see. It’s easy to read whether you are traveling westward from Chicago or eastward from Santa Monica.

Finally, I have “Here It Is: The Route 66 Map Series” by Jerry McClanahan and Jim Ross. There are actually 8 maps, each map covering one state along Route 66. These will help round out your experience and find all those treasures of Americana history.

2. The Budget

Ugh. Gotta talk money. Alas, God has not seen fit to bestow unlimited funds upon me. Not that I haven’t asked on occasion, but as He has given me so many other blessings, I have no complaints.

The big question on every traveler’s mind: what will it cost to drive Route 66? And every blog and article and book will tell you that there are lots of variables and everyone’s trip is unique. They’re right, but if you really want to get down to brass tacks, you need some numbers.

Lodging: From the research I’ve done, the motels along the Mother Road will run, on average, $50 – $70 per night. Some will be more, some less – that’s why I’m saying this is an average.

I love this website! It has links to so many of the motels along Route 66. You can spend plenty of time checking out the different places that you may wish to stay.

Now, I’m not terribly fastidious about needing 5-star comfort. In fact, I’m looking forward to the occasional run down dive – the sort that makes for really great stories! But only occasionally. I think I’ll budget $60/day for lodging.

Food: I can hardly wait to get out there and blow my diet! But, once again, the budget is limited. Plan how much you intend to spend on food each day and remind yourself that every dollar spent on food means the fewer trinkets and souvenirs that you get to bring home with you.

But food has it’s place in the memories! So don’t think I’m saying to avoid all greasy spoons along the way. I’m saying to choose wisely. Plus, “blowing my diet” does not mean throwing all caution to the wind. You can still eat healthy on the road. Stop at the occasional grocery store to buy the fixin’s for sandwiches. You can enjoy peanut butter sandwiches in the car. And warm soda pop (don’t question this – it’s part of the experience). And grapes. I remember road trips with the family when I was little and the best part was when Mom would break out the green seedless grapes from the cooler!

I figure you can get away with $15-$20 per person for food each day. On average!

Fuel: The other big expense! Whether you’re renting transportation or driving your own, you need to fill ‘er up. On the website DrivingRt66.com, they had this link to the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator. It’s a sweet, little tool that will help you get a good estimate of what to expect. For my trip this year, using my little ol’ jalopy, it is suggesting a little over $400 round trip. So I’m going to estimate $20 per day for fuel.

The daily total: These are my big expenses: lodging, food and fuel. I believe that I can make this 3 week trip on $100 per day. (Be sure to read my later entries to see if I actually accomplished this!)

You’ll notice that I haven’t budgeted in souvenirs. That’s because, when push comes to shove, I don’t have to buy the dashboard bobble-head doll or another t-shirt. But even if I choose to go hungry, I cannot opt out of fueling my car or finding a place to sleep. (I’m not twenty-something anymore so sleeping in the car is not an option.) This budget is the bare bones minimum. If I don’t have $100 per day for the length of my trip, then I’m not leaving home.

“You walk a little taller

when you have some money in your pocket.” – Dad

I know I’m going to spend more than $100 per day. As you can well see, I’m a quilting junkie! The one thing none of these books talk about are the quilt shops along the way. I’ll be adding in my quilting adventures as I blog my way down the Road. Quality quilting fabric is expensive! But I am setting my mindset ahead of time as to what “extras” I am willing to buy so that I don’t blow my walking money on every bit of shiny I see. (In both England and Africa, I ran out of cash partway through my respective trips. Not fun.) If I watch my spending, I will be able to bring home a few treasures and make a fabulous quilt to commemorate the trip.

Okay, I know, you’re coming from the UK (or Australia, or Minnesota…) and I haven’t talked at all about what it costs to rent a car or what tour groups are out there or finding the best airfare to get to your starting point. And I’m not going to. This is enough to get you started. I now charge you to go and google to your heart’s content to find more specifics for your trip.

*************

Yeah, so, that’s it. That’s me not planning. Check back with me soon as I’ll be posting more about the upcoming trip and then, very soon, you can come on the road with me! I’m the sort that sees sunshine through the rain, so we’re going to have a great time driving down Route 66!

Save