Quick Question

How much thread do you use in a given month, quarter or year?  Do you know?

A few years ago I discovered was taught that the easiest way to choose a thread for piecing was to use a medium gray.  That little bit of information CHANGED MY LIFE! I no longer try to match my piecing fabrics to my thread (an all white quilt would likely be an exception to this rule, but since I've never made one, we'll never know).

Since then I started buying Signature Master Piece 100% cotton thread (granite) and while completing my holiday gifts, this happened...

That, my friends, was 2,500 yards of long staple Egyptian cotton...gone!

I usually buy it at the Mancuso quilt market aka the Quilt Fest of New Jersey X  to save on shipping costs.  This year it will be March 6-9, 2014 in Somerset, New Jersey.  I also love their King Tut quilting thread AND their Bottom Line for my stitch-in-the-ditch.

Since it's usually around my birthday, I use this an an excuse to go a little wild (emphasis on the little).  This year, my list is as follows:

Metallic: Antique Silver                       Metallic: Cranberry                                    King Tut: Obsidian  

...and a bunch of color cards. ~ksp

Stockpiling

I have a deep and abiding love affair with Mary Ellen's Best Press.  I first came to use it while taking a class at City Quilter.  Since then, I use it for sewing and quilting and even ironing my clothes.

Unfortunately, while it was never cheap, over the years it has gotten much more expensive and I no longer work in NYC so it's not so easy to grab a bottle during my lunch hour.  In recent years, I've taken to the internet for purchasing.  This go-round, google told me that there was a sale at Stuff 4 Sewing for cheap, cheap, cheap.  The sale can be found here.

I found an online coupon and qualified for free shipping and I ended up getting it for about $33.00 per gallon with shipping.  To do so, I had to buy three gallons which means I shouldn't need any more until 2015!

God, I love a sale and a coupon!! ~ksp

WiP Wednesday-Snow Day Edition

I was indoors all day due to the colossal snow that NJ got.  Up to 16" in some spots. Yikes!!  There was a state of emergency that included the closing of state offices...so I stayed home to sew.

Here is one of my "in progress" projects...

Here are the bits laid out.

A good friend was a maid of honor for her sorror who is now becoming a mother. We took her MOH dress and cut it up to be in this quilt (it's the sage bits). I backed it with Wonder Under (from my local Wal-mart) and craft muslin (from the stash).  It's a bit heavier than the quilters cotton but I think it will ensure that the taffeta will hold up almost as well.

Here is a rendering of the final project using EQ6:

I'm about 50% through assembling the top. The square that is circled in purple is the final layout and the last manipulation before the top is fully assembled.

 This is for a baby that is due late winter/early spring.  So far, I'm ahead of schedule (#don'twanttojinxit) ~ksp

Thanks, Victoria!

I "loaned" my only bundt pan to Victoria and NEVER SAW IT AGAIN.

She made good on replacing it with this pan from King Arthur Flour.  I used The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pound Cake recipe, found here:

Ingredients

• 3 sticks Butter
• 3 cups Sugar
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
• 2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.
Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.
Remove cake from oven and invert pan until cake drops out.

Good times! ~ksp 

Argyle

One of the quilts in my queue is an asymetrical argyle pattern.  I am trying to decide which is a more appropriate non-juvenile pattern for the eight year old recipient.

Option 1

or

Option 2

or

Option 3

Thoughts??? ~ksp