Fractured Quilts/ My Slash and Sew Quilts

I have made a few of these chaotic
picture quilts over the years. It is really fun project
for days when I feel like I just can't stand doing perfect
piecing. Remember making collages as kids? This is the
same idea, only I did it with fabric. I also incorporated my love for stained glass into the concept. The black lines both break up the pictures and frame them to stand out at the same time. It's not very hard and I'll list the steps I take. It is more of an intuitive style of work though. That is why it is so much fun. It is pure creativity after you have freed yourself from all the normal rules. Go ahead, let loose, free your sewing spirit and make one these quilts next time you need a break with quilt therapy.

These quilts are so easy and fun to make. You don't need even a pattern. You just start with a great large print fabric that you have been holding onto. If you don't have any in your stash, I'm sure my friends at Fabric.com can help you. Click on their link for a wide selection of fabrics and notions. I like to use oriental prints for these fabrics. They have the large print and can let the viewer create a story. You need to have your main print and three to five other fabrics you like with it. They don't have to be exact coordinates, just colors you like. Don't forget the black fabric, it creates the fractured look.

Okay, tools you will need are:

Cutting Mat * Rotary Cutter * Sewing Machine * Thread * Scissors * Ruler with degree lines is nice to help plan things a little instead of just winging it (30, 45, & 60)

Let's start by looking at your main large scale print. What images would you like to freeze? Stand back and think about it for a minute. When ready, pick up that rotary cutter.

1) Cut out the images you desire. They can be any shape, just make sure to cut in straight lines if you want your life to be easier. There are no rules on size, how many sides, etc. Just cut out your pictures like you would for a collage. The only guide line is to give yourself 1/4 " seam allowance around images to preserve.

2) Cut several strips 1" wide by width of your black fabric. You could use a color other than black as well. ( Notice the combination in the indigo quilt. I don't recommend borders of satin though. They are beautiful and shiny but will never, ever, ever lie flat. )

3) Start arranging your collage. Place the large pictures only trying to achieve balance within the piece. Add strips of black to the edges in order to frame it. If an edge will be a final edge, it will be framed by the final borders, so you can skip the little black border if you want.

4) Look at your combining fabrics now. They should add some color, design, and flow to the piece. Fill in the empty spaces in the design by using these fabrics. Sew several together to fill a space. This is really where you start to slash & sew.

It is now important to remember that because there is no pattern, you can do nothing wrong!

5) Sew piece to piece, slashing away rough ends to create your next straight sewing line. Keep going back to the collage in pieces on the table to see what you need next. Is it another bold, breaking line? Or is it just a touch of that bright, snazzy red print? Oops, did you get to crazy?Tone it down by sewing in a neutral. Notice both my quilts have an overall tone. One is indigo and the other beige. This helps tie things together and create flow even though we keep breaking it up with those black strips.

6) Just play and have fun sewing stuff on and cutting new lines. Enjoy the freedom of chaotic quilting. Once you have sewn the collage together, you can add final borders. I sew on 2-3" borders of the same background color. You could leave borders off, but this technique looks better with a stop to it somewhere. Framing it with small borders just adds that finish.

7) Quilt as desired. Once again, you have a major opportunity for fun on your hands. Free motion quilting lets you follow the picture designs and enhances them.

Until next time, slash & sew the day away!

The Joys of Chocolate

Oh, it has been a gloriously chocolate-filled holiday season again. I really have never met a chocolate I didn't like. Some chocolate confections are a step above the rest though. I enjoy seeking them out with a desire and lust that surprises even me. I believe it was last Christmas that my mother introduced me to a new gourmet delight. I was intrigued and knew that once I started in on the bacon and sea salt chocolate bar...
Yep, I was right. I could not stop. That incredible combination of flavors was just unheard of before. Never again shall we chocolate connoisseurs be without an excitingly exotic flavor to stir things up a bit. I found the source for the divine and different. It is Vosges Chocolates. I like their products so much, I've posted two links to this company (one on side and one at bottom of page). Everyone should really check out the delectable delights this company puts out.
Next entry, I will share with you one of my favorite piecing techniques. It is called the slash-and-sew technique. It is ideal for large print fabrics. I tend to use my oriental collection for this one. You will learn how to make a quilted wall piece that looks like a picture though broken glass.
So, gather up your fabrics and chocolates and get ready for tomorrow's how-to.

Terrific Truffle Recipe

This was my grandmother's favorite Christmas treat. My mother made them for her for many years each holiday. When I was in college, I picked up the tradition. My beloved grandmother, who taught me so much, has passed away. She is still with me though in all I create. I now send these truffles all over the country each year to my family. They are the most scrumptious bites of pure chocolate heaven. Please be aware though that fights have been known to break out over the last truffle. Truffles are a wonderful use of chocolate. So simple and pure, yet versatile beyond belief. I will give the basic recipe which makes about 75-100 truffles depending on size. I will also give all the possibilties for variations that I can think of. The recipe can easily be divided or multiplied for your needs. Melt love into the chocolate, have fun, and wash your hands when you lick them!

Terrific Truffles

1 cup heavy whipping cream
24 oz chocolate
2 sticks butter, softened and cut into small bits
8 T. vanilla/liquor

A Note About Choosing Chocolate: Any mixture of chocolates will do. The finer the original chocolate, the better the final product. There are many great chocolates to choose from: Lindt, Callebaut, Ghiradelli, etc. I usually use a mix of Ghiradelli , strong on the bittersweet side. We like darker chocolates in my family. The darker, the drier though I've discovered. If you want all bittersweet, add 1-2 T. more butter.

Okay, let's get started:
1) In medium sized sauce pan, boil whipping cream until reduced to 1/2 cup. This takes some time, keep an eye on it, swirling pan to prevent overboiling. And yes, it feels wrong to boil cream. Trust me this one time, you won't regret it.
2) When reduced, remove from heat.
3) Add chocolate, stirring to melt. Chips are fine, if you cut from a large block, make sure the pieces are small.
4) Add butter. Return to heat if needed to melt everything completely smooth. Use a whisk and stir constantly. You really don't want to burn the chocolate.
5) When all is melted, add vanilla and/or liquor flavors. You can go all vanilla for pure chocolate flavor or you can really mix it up. I will add 1 T. vanilla because it brings out good things in chocolate. But then, you can use any other liquor for the remaining 7 T. to get whatever flavor you desire. My Grandmother's favorite was rum. I prefer coffee liquors. You might love Framboise or Frangelica. This is where you get to be creative.
6) Mix well to combine and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.
7) Form into balls as nicely round as possible. It was really easy this year as my house was really cold. In warmer climates, they get pretty melty as you work them. I've iced my hands before or used a pastry tube to pipe them onto trays.
8) Refrigerate until hard again.
9) Time to finish them. You can dip in tempered melted chocolate to creat a nice hard finish. I prefer to roll them in cocoa powder. It adds a great bite. I mixed 1/2 cocoa powder with 1/2 powdered sugar this year. I really liked the contrast in colors.
The truffles are done now. Package them up pretty and send them off with your love. It really is best to get them in the mail right away before you eat them all. Trust me on this one. You can still make a small batch for tomorrow and they go great with champagne on New Year's.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT

A COMFORTABLY DECORATED HOME

Tis the season when we spend more time on home decoration. I feel most comfortable when surrounded by beauty. If you can rest your eyes on something beautiful or well-loved, I believe it makes you feel better. Kind of like petting your animals. Some things just make you feel good. I have many shelves filled with wonderful objects from all over the world. These are the best knick-knacks to decorate the home with. They are intriguing conversation pieces for visiting guests. Also, if it was a gift, it probably came with a good story to share.
For Christmas this year, I really was not comfortable with bringing in a tree. Our forest is being devasted by the pine beetles. Even if we dug one up, where to put it bothered me as well. I decided not to do one this year. When Solstice came, I suddenly really wanted to bring evergreens into the house. It is the smell and symbolism that were important afterall. The evergreens enliven the spirit. So, I went and harvested some branches off of trees that got beetles last year. Still fresh and green, but doomed in the near future. I then pulled out my floral supplies and began to create a topiary tree. It came out wonderfully adorable and sits on the table complete with a string of lights. It doesn't take much space yet it gives me so much in return. For me, this season is not about impressing anyone. It is about loving, reflecting, and being joyful that life can be so grand. Fill your home and hearts with love and beauty this season.
Happy Solstice!

Celtic Block of the Month Quilt Pattern

Mountainjoy Quilts just released it's new Block of the Month quilt pattern. I have worked on it for quite a while and taught to several local students.

I have now released the first block pattern

IT ALL STARTS IN THE HEART on my web store over at http://www.mountainjoyquiltndye.etsy.com/.

I will be releasing a new one each month for the next twelve months. Just think, you could start that next holiday gift already. Each block is really quick and fairly easy. I include full instructions and templates. They will all be a 13" square with a celtic knot in stained glass style.

Have fun picking out your own color scheme, it is practically endless with today's fabric lines. You could also use a different color bias tape. You lose the stained glass effect, but one of my students did an amazing piece using copper metallic bias tape and fall colored fabrics. You also get to choose how many you feel like doing. Quilted in single blocks, they are cute table pieces. Three or four quilted together make a great wall piece. All twelve, when put together with sashing strips and borders, will give you a queen-sized quilt. It's the perfect time to start a new project. How else are we quilters to keep warm in the winter?

Food with Intention

Several years ago, I had just watched the film Like Water for Chocolate and was very intrigued by the idea that our intentions and feelings can be transferred to food as we make it. I decided to make my husband a wonderful feast. It would look great, taste wonderful, and convey my love for him. It was mid-summer and the garden was bountiful. All day long, I went from garden to kitchen creating with joy and love.
The two things that stand out best in my memory were the appetizers and the cheesecake. It was to be a plain New York style cheesecake with fresh peach compote on top. It took all day long to set. I finally opened the oven thinking it had to be done by now and was moved to tears by what I saw. A perfect heart had cracked in the center of the cheesecake. I couldn't have done that on purpose if I had tried. As the cake had decorated itself, we had the peach compote on the side.
Now the appetizers I made really knocked my socks off. I don't even like eggplant or tomatoes. I tried to like tomatoes every year for 21 years. They always let me down until I grew some for my husband. There is nothing tastier than a fresh home-grown tomato. This simple recipe was one of my best spur of the moment, fresh from garden ideas ever. I hope you enjoy!

Eggplant Medallions

1) Take any eggplant (I grew small fuschia ones that year) and slice 1/2 inch thick. Arrange in a dish and sprinkle with salt all over. Use a good deal, you will wash it off. This leaches bitterness from the eggplant.
2) Slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick. Tomatoes should be same or smaller in radius as eggplant.
3) Slice thinly as much smoked gouda cheese as you want to use.
4) Rinse eggplant and arrange single layer on greased baking tray.
5) Top each eggplant round with slice tomato then gouda cheese.
6) Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7) Broil until done. Keep an eye on them 5-10 minutes depending on broil range.
Serve warm and eat up the compliments.

Cakes in the Mail

A few years ago, I moved away from Colorado for a little while. I'm still not sure what we were thinking. Anyway, while we were gone, I decided to keep the tradition of making one of my dear friend's birthday cakes. I made the strongest chocolate cake I could and put it in the freezer. The next day, it got mailed overnight in the middle of summer. It still tasted wonderful. The gooey mass that arrived was greatly appreciated and stories of it's fame continue. It really usually is the thoughtfulness of a gift that touches people. Now that I live way up in the mountains again, I have learned to appreciate mail-order food.
Bake Me A Wish is the perfect place to find cakes. If you can't be with your loved ones for the holidays, you can still send them a gourmet cake. This New York bakery is a wonderful find. They carry Angela Logan's Mortgage Apple Cake and they also have programs to deliver cakes to soldiers. I only advertise for company's that I believe make a difference. This truly is such a company. When you order cakes from Bake Me a Wish, they come beautifully boxed and with full guarantees. No mistakes like in my story. They have a fabulous selection of classic flavors and make Viennese coffee cakes as well. Check out their link and send cakes to someone you love today.

The Holiday Hustle

Here I go again, the last weekend to get all the holiday stuff finished and in the mail. Last minute gift creating is what I am best at. I have everyone used to recieving an assortment of delicious chocolates. I usually make them myself but in a pinch, my friends at Chocolate.com always come to the rescue. Sometimes it is just more fun to look at all the different types of chocolates than to make them myself. Besides, they do a great job at wrapping!
Now, who can I get to finish all those quilts I'm supposed to be doing? Just kidding. The quilts are my joy. I'm quilting one now that my brother designed and my mother pieced it. I'd love to show a photo here, but that will have to wait until January. Also, I have to go finish it before Monday.
Until next time,
Happy quilting, cooking, and eating this holiday.

Chocolate and Quilters

I believe almost all quilters have a strong love for chocolate. I can not believe it is only me and my quilter friends that share this love. Maybe the traits are connected on the same gene, if you like pretty fabric you must love chocolate. I also know that we can be very picky when it comes to chocolate. The most divine forms of chocolate are truly appreciated and savored. At the same time, I'll gobble up just any old chocolate too.
I'm going to share with you now where to order some of that most divine-type chocolates. I just discovered them and they are fabulous. Any chocolate your heart desires can be found at Chocolate.com. I've posted a link on the side bar so you can get there faster. Remember, it is not a good idea to drool into the keyboard so use protection when visiting this site! This is one of the largest selections of fine chocolates I have ever seen. They carry finished products such as fudge and truffles, but they also carry baking chocolates. They have organic, vegan, and kosher chocolates. With a huge selection of holiday assortments and sales, you chould check them out in time to order for yourself and everyone else who has been good this year. Even if you are not a quilter, don't you need some chocolate right now?

How to Bake Bread and Quilt

It is days like today that I feel my cabin is actually inside a snow-globe. It is not snowing. The wind is whirling the light, glittery snow in such a crazy fashion that if you imagine being in a snow-globe, you can sense what it would be like. Snow-globes remind me of the holidays, which are upon us. This time of year is filled with tradition. Most of my traditions and memories are of the fabulous foods. My mother always had cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. I made some cinnamon bread the other morning. Isn't it wonderful how certain foods can conjure memories. The bread was great and it is so easy to make bread. I read in a quilting book that one should take a break and move around every hour to keep from stiffening up. Well, I discovered making bread and quilting are good partners. So, without further ado, here is what I do.

First, choose which quilting project you will be working on for the day. Piecing is good.
Then, it is time to start the bread. I will give you my plain white bread recipe but it is very versatile. You can use whatever flour combinations and sweeteners you wish.
Oh yeah, a word about my precise measuring technique. The palm of my hand is calibrated to Tablespoon and teaspoon measurements. Yours is too, but you might not know it yet.

Okay, Ready, Set, SPONGE:
1) In large bowl, mix 3 cups warm water (not too hot or yeast will die) with 3 Tablespoons sugar or honey and sprinkle on 1 1/2 Tablespoons dry yeast. Stir a bit then add 1-3 cups flour, enough to make something very wet but holding together. Scrape down sides and beat well for a minute or two. This is your sponge. Cover and let rest for about 50 minutes.
2) Go see how much piecing you can get down in 50 minutes. Stand and stretch.
3) Back to the bread. It should look like lunar scape by now. Add 2 Tablespoons oil and stir. Add 2 Tablespoons salt and stir. Start adding flour slowly and mixing in. This is where the muscles start to matter. Keep adding flour until you have a stiff dough. Turn onto floured board. Knead for 5 -7 minutes. Place in greased bowl and cover again.
4) Now you can get back to sewing again. You'd be surprised how much you can get done now that you are warmed up. After the bread has risen for an hour, you need to go check on it.
5) Grease 2 loaf pans. Press down the dough. Form 2 loaves. I usually leave one round and braid the other. Place in pans, cover, and let rise again.
6) You should know by now that you have another hour to sew again. What are you waiting for? Just wash the oil off your hands really well.
7) Get up after 1/2 hour and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8) When the bread has risen to twice it's size, put in oven to bake. Set timer for 45 minutes and check. The timer is important if you are still quilting!
9) Bread is done when all golden and looking yummy. Let cool for a few minutes before taking a break. I recommend eating hot bread with butter and admiring your quilt work from across the room.
If you want cinnamon bread, when it is time to form, roll out the dough, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up tight and make sure ends are tucked under. If there are leftovers, it makes great french toast.
It is really a lot of fun when you get into it and "race the bread". It has become one of my favorite traditions which I do at least once a week. Traditions bring us back to our childhoods, back to easy times when life was mostly about food and fun. Take your loved ones back in time with some great recipes in the book A Homemade Christmas. This is a great ebook I found with so many of the our favorite holiday recipes. You can find it on the sidebar link. It is quite well priced and comes with the bonus ebook All Time Favorite Christmas Cookies. My brothers and I each had our own favorites. Do you remember yours? Of course, why don't you make a batch this year. Happy Quilting and Cooking

Quilting with Community

This quilt was made by the community for the community. Over a dozen artists helped in this quilt project. It was my honor to be the quilter.

As a quilter, there are many ways to give to the community. I think quilters in general are very giving, loving, caring people. That is why so many wonderful foundations have been formed where quilts are collected and given to people who need them. There is something very special about receiving a quilt that was handmade. Quilts have value beyond compare because of the love that is in every stitch. Quilts can also be made by several hands. The making together bringing people together. Maybe you can find something in your community that could use your hands and heart.

I want to share my local project that is dear to my heart. It is a youth garden group. The kids range in age from very small to 18 years. The older kids plan, grow, and sell at the farmers market. This teaches them so much. They also learn how to prepare their produce and share that knowledge with others. They give to the local food share progam. I've just barely covered the surface of how great I think this program and the kids are. Every year, they hold a benefit dinner. I make a quilt to auction using the youth's artwork. I give them fabric and markers and tell them to show what the Cultiva Project means to them. It is amazing what they returned to me this year. I pieced the quilt using my husband's tie-dye fabrics and then quilted it heavily. It is a challenge to work with others artwork. You want to define and add to it but not distract from the original artwork. I was so pleased with how it came out. I wonder what next years will be.

I hope you are inspired now. Speaking of teaching children, I just came across a great book I thought I'd let know about. It is an ebook called Cookin Kids. If you want to have a great time spreading love in the kitchen, you should really check out this ebook. You can find it at the link in the sidebar. Enjoy the holidays with children you know. They do warm the soul. We can all do so much to make this a brighter, cozier world.

Until next time, happy quilting and cooking.

Holiday Gift Giving

Almost everyone is doing something about holiday gift ideas at the moment. Thinking, purchasing, or already wrapping and being proud that you did it again. I've been busy with my web store over at Etsy.com. If you don't know about Etsy, you might be missing out. Since I discovered them, I've been really tickled. They only have handmade or vintage stuff. It's really cool! If any one wants to see my stuff, the site is: https://www.mountainjoyquiltndye.etsy.com/
Once you visit the main site, I'm sure you will add them to your favorites.
Books are one of my favorite gifts to give or recieve. Knowledge is the gift that keeps giving. I've learned so many things from books. Once, a friend asked how I'd learned to quilt like I do. I said I read a book. Her rather wry final comment was that, "You must read better than me." So, if you read and want to try a something new, here are some books to check out. Just clink on the links on the sidebar to read more about these books.

The Art of Cake Decorating , Create Professional Cakes at Home for Fun & Profit
This is a great book for begginers and beyond. You don't even need to know how to bake. Just get decorating for the holidays. Learn how to impress everyone, yourself included.

Herb Gardening for Fun & Profit is also wonderful. A How-to garden guide that also comes with four other bonus books. This is an incredible deal for anyone wanting to learn the basics. They are also perfect for making your favorite gardener and book collector pleased.

Enjoy the holiday shopping!

Thanksgiving, Cranberries, and Bears, Oh my!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving shared with our friends. One of my friends likes to ask if we've seen any wildlife lately. For some reason, whenever he does, a bear or two will come strolling through the property. It never fails and Thanksgiving was no exception. A small bear came to see what smelled so good. Luckily, no damage was done. I love watching the wildlife but not enough to bait it purposely. Accidents do happen though.
Shortly after moving back to the mountains, I found an old bag of cranberrries in the freezer. Well, I thought I'd be nice to the birds. It was spring and food sources were scarce for the returning birds. So I threw the berries off the porch for the birds. The cranberries glistened like rubies on top of the snow. It was so pretty. My husband came home from work and casually asked me if I thought bears liked berries. I couldn't believe that I had not thought of that possibility. Needless to say, he picked up every single little jewel-like berry and disposed of them properly. No bears visited us that time.
This year, all the cranberries were eaten by us humans. I made up a batch of my favorite Cranberries in Port Wine. Over the years, I've learned to make these with more sugar than the original recipe. Adjust to your own taste as recipes are just springboards. Great ideas that can be completely tailored to suit your life's desires. That being said, here is how I make my Cranberries in Port Wine:
1) Wash and pick over 16 oz bag of cranberries. Put in heavy medium-size saucepan.
2) Add : 1/4 Cup Port Wine of choice
Juice of 1 Orange
1/2 Cup sugar
3) Bring to a boil. Let boil until the cranberries are soft and popped. The syrup should be
fairly thick. (The more sugar, the thicker it will be.)
4) Remove from heat and add fresh orange zest and lemon thyme if you've got it.
Let this cool and keep it in a jar in the fridge. I make them before Thanksgiving and they are really good by Christmas. Don't keep past the New Year though unless properly canned.

Mountainjoy Quilting and Cooking

Mountainjoy is where nature reigns supreme and life is art. It is where a couple a simple artists enjoy all the goodness of a rustic mountain life. It is a place where Mother Nature calls the shots. During the long winter months, a need grows for warmth and comfort begins to develope. This need grows as the winds continue to howl around the cabin. What would you turn to if your only way out sometimes was a snowshoe trek of many miles?

Now, don't be misled. I love where I live and really like to take my dog snowshoeing. I have many hobbies but my favorite things to do are quilt and cook. Both hobbies fulfill the warmth and comfort quota nicely. Working on quilts through the day while good smells come from the kitchen is just about a perfect day for me. Being a chef at over 9000' elevation has it's challenges. I have figured out how to make level wedding cakes on houses whose floors defy physics. I also make a delicious woodstove stew and biscuits. I look forward to sharing my experiences and all of the things that make mountain joy.