GLORIOUS CREATIONS: April 2014

Monday, April 7, 2014

STARTING A FIRE

This is mostly a quilting and sewing blog, where does starting a fire come in. A cold spring day with rain says start a fire. We are very fortunate to have both a fire place and wood stove (which has a flat top I can cook on).

Today is opening day for the Cardinals. It is a cold drizzle which makes the house feel damp. So far I don't think it is has topped 45. It's the perfect day for a fire. Which is what this blog is about. The wood is on the damp side and will be hard to start by regular methods. I don't use tons of news paper for starting my fires. I have made my own fire starters.

I like to use candles for atmosphere, occasionally we need them because the electric has met wind and ice storms. The nubbins left over along with the scraps from my quilting make great fire starters. I save a couple of metal cans when I make pineapple upside down cake for melting these nubbins in. I wait till I have a fire going. I don't need to waste electric melting the nubbins.

I have 100% cotton scraps of fabric and batting in an aluminum disposable roaster pan (these are saved from take out orders). They will be recycled after this step. When the nubbins are melted just pour them over the scraps. They don't have to be saturated, a little wax goes along way.

These are left to cool and then they are placed in a kitty litter bucket to save for a rainy day.

My fire has heated up the stove, the kettle for adding humidity to the air is already boiling. The porcelain coffee pot with well water in it, is almost ready for its Earl Grey tea bag. I am ready for the tea! I have a little box oven that sits on top of the stove and it will bake our potatoes for supper.

May your life be warmed by the quilts you make and the fires you start with your scraps.

Another hint for those fabric scraps, use the selvages for tying up your plants in the garden. (I had enough coals 15 minutes ago that I toasted my treat. I love marshmallows, they can't be burned though.)

If you sew, please peruse my blog. I have a very easy mystery quilt which a beginner with limited sewing skills can make. I am also participating in an online Block of the month. I am blogging about each block and its construction.

The following are the links to the mystery I am hosting for the Piecemakers Quilt Guild

Introduction: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-mystery-in-making.html
Clue 1: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-mystery-in-making-clue-1.html

Clue 2: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-mystery-in-making-clue-2.html
Clue 3: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-mystery-in-making-clue-3.html

Clue 4: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-mystery-in-making-clue-4.html
Clue 5: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-mystery-in-making-clue-5.html

This is the information where you will find

the Block of the month.
This alphabet BOM is a twenty-six month Trip with

Dorothy Young, owner, of the yahoo group "A Pocketful of Mysteries".

This Block of the Month quilt series began in January 2013, and will continue for the next two years.

The yahoo site for this trip is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apocketfullofmysteries/

I have found the construction of the blocks simple.

I recommend you start with the first block if you are a beginner.

There are simple techniques you will pick up on the journey.

Join us in this 2 year journey. There are several hundred friends taking the trip.

The following, are blogs written each month on my journey through the alphabet.

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/04/block-of-month-p-is-for-pennsylvania.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/02/block-of-month-n-is-for-new-york-star.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/block-of-month-m-is-for-monkey-wrench.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/block-of-month-l-is-for-lady-of-lake.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/block-of-month-k-is-for-kansas-star.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/10/block-of-month-j-is-for-jacobs-ladder.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/09/block-of-month-i-is-for-independence.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/08/block-of-month-h-is-for-hayes-corner.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/block-of-month-g-is-for-glory-boxes.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/06/block-of-month-f-is-for-friday.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/05/block-of-month-e-is-for-easy-partial.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/04/block-of-month-d-is-for-double_7.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/03/block-of-month-c-is-for-contrary-wife.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/02/block-of-month-b-is-for-basketweave.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/01/block-of-month-is-for-antique-tile.html

Other blog sites by me:

http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/

Where I have stories of my cats and other pets

a blog about my courtship with my husband,

and a blog about my most embarrassing moment.

A "Soap box" blog where I do air my opinions.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry,

blogs about Seed sprouting, insects, and garden pictures

Blog about an endangered beneficial beetle

All recipes, pictures, and writings are my own.

I give credit for items which belong to other people in my blogs .

Please do not copy without permission

Saturday, April 5, 2014

BLOCK OF THE MONTH: O IS FOR OCTAGON AND TWIST

I haven't dropped out and I didn't let my blocks slide into the UFO pile. I actually finished these on time last month, but Life got in the way. I didn't have time to blog about them. I headed to Denver, My mother was very ill.

OCTAGON AND TWIST

This is a very intriguing block. It was easy to imagine it as a quilt in a different color scheme. I do believe a quilt using this block will be on my to do list. I know I will make a couple of samples in fabrics and colors I love to audition the block. BTW I find playing with the paisleys is like being given lemons and making lemonade. They are starting to grow on me.

I went to take the pictures of the blocks and discovered I had already sent my swap partner her block so I won't be able to show it to you (Unless she sends me a picture of it)

I love Wahoo or Eureka moments. This edit is one I am so glad to do. I went to our "journey" site and realized I did have a pic of the swap partners block. I just hadn't filed it in my quilt project folder. Her block is on the left. I enjoy working with the fabrics I chose for her block

This is my primary paisleys. I still am not enthralled with the colors but the are growing on me. I find myself with each block trying to find a more attractive way of using them together.

When working on this block be very careful with direction of the Partial seam Units with the snowball blocks.

My second paisley color combo is turning out to be a winner I am enjoying using these "dated" fabrics. Most of them do not seem to be as heavy a fabric as the burgundy and blue Paisleys. Remember I am only using paisleys from my stash and most of these are at least 40 years old. The light one in this block I know I purchased about 2000, maybe even earlier. The newest paisley in my collection was a Hoffman challenge fabric which I never used for that purpose, but did have designs to use it for that. Instead it is now in it's own quilt I participated in one of Bonnie hunters mysteries. These are the blogs for that:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2012/12/easy-street-mystery-step-one.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/02/easy-street-im-almost-there.html

Sorry to say it is almost a UFO. It is sitting out where I can see it so I will have thoughts to finish it into at least a "flimsy".

Right now my time has been devoted to this BOM and the mystery I am hosting for guild. You can find that on my blog too. If you would like you can play along here:

Introduction: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-mystery-in-making.html
Clue 1: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-mystery-in-making-clue-1.html

Clue 2: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-mystery-in-making-clue-2.html
Clue 3: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-mystery-in-making-clue-3.html

Clue 4: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-mystery-in-making-clue-4.html
Clue 5: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-mystery-in-making-clue-5.html

See you next month with Q.
I can't imagine what Dorothy will present to us.

This alphabet BOM is a twenty-six month Trip with

Dorothy Young, owner, of the yahoo group "A Pocketful of Mysteries".

This Block of the Month quilt series began in January 2013, and will continue for the next two years.

The yahoo site for this trip is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apocketfullofmysteries/

I have found the construction of the blocks simple.

I recommend you start with the first block if you are a beginner.

There are simple techniques you will pick up on the journey.

Join us in this 2 year journey. There are several hundred friends taking the trip.

The following, are blogs written each month on my journey through the alphabet.

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/04/block-of-month-p-is-for-pennsylvania.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/02/block-of-month-n-is-for-new-york-star.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/block-of-month-m-is-for-monkey-wrench.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/block-of-month-l-is-for-lady-of-lake.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/block-of-month-k-is-for-kansas-star.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/10/block-of-month-j-is-for-jacobs-ladder.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/09/block-of-month-i-is-for-independence.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/08/block-of-month-h-is-for-hayes-corner.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/block-of-month-g-is-for-glory-boxes.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/06/block-of-month-f-is-for-friday.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/05/block-of-month-e-is-for-easy-partial.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/04/block-of-month-d-is-for-double_7.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/03/block-of-month-c-is-for-contrary-wife.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/02/block-of-month-b-is-for-basketweave.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/01/block-of-month-is-for-antique-tile.html

Other blog sites by me:

http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/

Where I have stories of my cats and other pets

a blog about my courtship with my husband,

and a blog about my most embarrassing moment.

A "Soap box" blog where I do air my opinions.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry,

blogs about Seed sprouting, insects, and garden pictures

Blog about an endangered beneficial beetle

All recipes, pictures, and writings are my own.

I give credit for items which belong to other people in my blogs .

Please do not copy without permission

Friday, April 4, 2014

BLOCK OF THE MONTH: P IS FOR PENNSYLVANIA

This block is very comfortable to complete. You already have the skills needed used in other blocks you've completed on the journey.

Just recently in "New York Beauty" you did the 3.5 inch bar unit., and also the half square triangle unit.

In "Independence Square" you had experience in constructing "the 9 patch Unit".

This block will be a breeze as long as you press. Follow her pressing directions and you should complete your block toute suite. Pressing each step allows the block to lie flat and your seams crisp.

Looking at my version of "Pennsylvania" you will notice I strayed into the box. I used a third fabric for the 9 patch. I wish I had done it on the other two blocks I made. I like the focal point it makes.

This is my green paisley version with the standard center. I really like the third fabric addition in my first block.

Below is the version I made for my swap partner.

See you next month, in the meantime I will get those pictures taken of the six blocks I was behind (they are completed, I am all caught up) and post my "Octagon and Twist" Blog.