Piece O' Cake Blog

He's really moving now!

2008-07-15T16:34:00.002-05:00

Here is a new movie of my grandson, Jack, on the floor in my studio. I have the camera. You can hear Elanor who is sitting near me on the floor.

Jack doesn't crawl so much as he swims on the floor. He's fast enough that I have to keep my eye on him. He really likes the printer. I'm not looking forward to the day when he discovers my thread.

Road Warriors

2008-07-14T15:10:00.006-05:00

My son, Christopher, is a big believer in bicycles. He rides as much as he can. In fact, his car spends more time sitting in the driveway than it does anywhere else. This is good and I'm proud of him for doing his part to cut down on emissions. Chris has even taught himself how to repair bikes and has set up a small bicycle shop in his garage. He buys used bikes, repairs them, and sells them. He has refurbished bikes for his wife, Lorna, and for Elanor.

Both of my sons learned to ride bikes when they were young. When we lived in Tulsa they rode them a lot because our street was safe. When we moved to Sherman, TX, the bicycle riding came to a pretty quick halt. Our street was safe enough to ride on but they were getting big enough to want to go places and the city streets here are not particularly bike friendly. In fact drivers can be positively aggressive toward bicyclists. So, even though I know it's a very good thing, when Christopher started riding his bike all over town at any time of the day or night, I got nervous. He assures me that he has found safe routes around town and I believe him - mostly. But I'm a mom so I still worry.

Recently he found (and I admit it, it was with my help) a tandem bike. This is a contraption that attaches to a regular bicycle to add another seat. That makes it easier for them all to take family bike rides! Chris has Elanor attached to his bike and Jack rides in the seat on Lorna's bike. They rode to our house for dinner last week. I took these photos as they were riding off into the sunset to go home.

Please be kind to the bicyclists that you come across when you are out driving around. Their mom's will thank you for it.

Creativity is work!

2008-07-11T17:54:00.004-05:00

A friend sent me a link to a video clip by Ira Glass (thanks, Nysha!). Ira Glass is the host of This American Life, a truly fine weekly radio show on NPR that I never miss.

In this video clip Ira talks about the fact that, especially at the outset, a person has to work at their craft. He may be in radio, and we may be quilters, but he speaks the truth. To see Ira, click here.

Sunny Flowers in Bryan, TX

2008-07-10T15:22:00.002-05:00

I taught the Sunny Flowers class yesterday to 22 lovely ladies from the Brazos Bluebonnet Quilt Guild in Bryan, TX. Anne Perry, the "blog mistress" and/or historian, asked my permission to take photographs of the class throughout the day to post on their guild's blog. I said yes and she discretely took photos (and some videos, also with permission) throughout the day.

Anne does not let any grass grow under her feet! Today she sent me a link to the photos. I'm impressed! This is my first experience with a guild blog. What a good idea! Click here to go to the photos taken in my class. Scroll up and down to see more of their blog.

Ikea Curtains = Fabric!

2008-07-06T11:14:00.002-05:00

I used to have folding doors that, when closed, separated my living room from the studio. In all of the 15 years we have lived in the this house, those doors have been closed maybe 20 times. It occurred to me during the remodel that it might look better with the doors down. It is better!

One set of the doors used to fold up against my design wall. With the doors gone, I have gained about a foot of usable space on my design wall. And, while the doors didn't take up much space, the doorway feels much more open.

The downside was that I was left with a view of the side of my tall bookcase that I didn't like much. So I got some curtains and an tension rod (meant for a shower) from Ikea.

I'm pretty darned sure that the fabric is merimekko. It's cotton, heavier than typical quilter's cotton, but not as heavy as upholstery fabric. Each of the 2 panels is 56" or so wide and close to 7' long. They come un-hemmed.

I washed the fabric in cold with 2 color catchers and dried them in the dryer (not recommend by Ikea). They shrank which was why I did it. I figure that at some point I'll want to wash them again and I wanted to hem them already shrunk. The red did bleed a little, but not enough to be a problem for me.

The 2 panels (one set of curtains) was just under $30. That's a lot of fabric for $30 and that's what I wanted to share with you. You can't (to my knowledge) order these on the internet but if you like merimekko and shop at Ikea, don't forget to check out the curtains!

FYI- The side of my desk has a piece of galvanized metal screwed to it. It makes a great magnetic bulletin board. We can buy it here at a sheet metal place and Steve cuts it to whatever size I want.

Show & Tell

2008-07-02T17:34:00.003-05:00

Last week Jan Hirth sent me photos of quilts her students made from our Everyday Best pattern (from Quilts with a Spin). That's Candy Martin with her quilt on the left.

The quilts were so much fun that I knew that you all would love to see them. I thought about posting them here, on the blog. But it's hard (if not impossible) to post more than 2 photos in any single blog posting.

I decided that it would be easier to show the quilts on a page on our web site. Can you see the glowing lightbulb over my head? Go to our new Show & Tell page to see the quilts. Thank you, Jan, for giving me this idea.

So, if you have a show and tell photo of a project you made using one of our patterns, please send it to me. I won't be able to post every one but I will try to change them out on a regular basis.

New Web Site

2008-06-30T11:15:00.008-05:00

I have spent the bulk of the last 2 weeks re-doing the Piece O' Cake web site. That meant learning new software (Adobe's Dreamweaver). It has been both infuriating and exhilarating! It's been nice to find out that my brain is still capable of learning a new trick :-).

In re-doing the website (which I hope you all like), I changed every page. Most of the url's changed. What this means is that your old links to places on our site are not going to work.

If you have been to our site before, the old pages are probably stored in your computer's cache. When you go to the site now, you'll need to hit your refresh button - a lot. On just about every page. I'm very sorry about that. My goal was not to make things harder, but easier. But once you have the new pages in your cache, you won't need to hit refresh as often.

FYI - We just sent out an eNewsletter that many of you may have received. In it we announced that the patterns for A Walk in the Mountains, our 3rd block of the month quilt, are now available on the site! If you don't get our eNewsletter and want to sign up, there is a link to do so at the bottom of each page of our site.

My New Table...

2008-06-28T16:13:00.010-05:00

Here is my new sewing table - custom made by Steve Goldsmith. Believe it or not it took longer to make this table than to remodel the back wall of the studio. It is 30" x 85 1/2" and is on casters so I can roll it around... although my studio really isn't big enough to do that much.

I plan to do the majority of my cutting at the end of the table without the sewing machine. I have cut on surfaces both high and low and, for me, I've found I have more power and control of my rotary cutter on a lower surface. Of course, it is harder on the lower back. Everything is a trade-off.

The cabinet doors open to reveal two wide, roll-out shelves. They are just wide enough to hold the three sewing machines that I use the most. I do have a little almost-featherweight still in the closet that just won't fit here. The 4 narrow drawers hold a lot of "stuff".

You might be wondering about the finish. I like that distressed look and have it on the furniture in this room. It's a finish that hides a multitude of sins. Pencil marks, cutter knicks, etc., are really hard to spot.

He's Finished!

2008-06-28T15:57:00.005-05:00

Steve has finished this summer's house project! The studio wall is done and my new sewing machine table is in place, inside. I'll post a couple of photos of the finished piece next.

This is how the outside of my studio wall looks now. Part of getting the outside in shape entailed Steve fixing the fountain (the vase that may or may not look like a fountain to you). It's heavy! Last year when we put it in, we set the vase on a plastic milk crate in the tub that is in the ground. The milk crate broke! So he had to take it all apart and replace the crate with cinder block. It's gurgling happily now.

Steve does have an actual job so I only get to put him on for one project per summer. That's actually a good thing for both of us. Neither of us really wants to do this sort of thing all summer long.

New Sewing Machine Cabinet...

2008-06-23T16:31:00.006-05:00

My wonderful husband is turning into a very fine cabinet maker! I wanted a sewing cabinet made to fit my studio. I can sew at one end and there is a place to store my (4) sewing machines, plus other stuff, under the cutting end. It will be on casters so I can move it - although I don't really have the space to put it anywhere but where it will be.

At any rate, I just went out to see his new contraption that is sort of like a vise that he's using to hold the wood straight up so that he can construct the drawers and it hit me: "Why have I not been photographing this?" (He's pretty pleased with this new vise idea. It is pretty slick, and very simple.)

So, here's the cabinet in progress. I'll upload a photo of it in place in my studio soon (in 2-3 days he thinks). I'm really going to be sad when he has to quit with the projects and go back to his real work on campus.

FYI - We are just about done with the studio remodel. I'm waiting on the blinds before I take another photo. The outside part is very close to being done. I hope to be able to upload finished photos soon.

Jack's First Haircut!

2008-06-17T14:32:00.005-05:00

My daughter-in-law, Lorna, and Jack and Elanor got haircuts today. This was Jack's very first haircut!

I was there to take care of the kids while Lorna got her hair done - which meant that I was also there to take a photo of this particular first. Henri, who cuts all of our hair, is really good with kids (and adults). Jack almost enjoyed the experience!

It is true that Jack has very little hair so his haircut took a total of about 3 minutes. But Henri says this is a good time to start getting a child used to the idea (and the feeling) of having a haircut.

Unintended consequences...

2008-06-17T11:11:00.005-05:00

My studio wall is finished - oh happy day! There is still work to do outside, but that is waiting a few days.

I learned new things on this remodel. We upgraded the windows in our house 12 years ago — from single-pane aluminum windows to double-pane metal/vinyl windows. Windows have changed since then. The window that seemed to be the best choice this time was an energy-efficient, wood, double-hung window. Very nice, works like a charm. Except that when I looked close, I realized that the window itself fills the whole space. There is no room to mount blinds inside the window frame.

We have 2" inside-mount blinds everywhere in the house but that isn't going to work in this window. Oh my. That's when it dawned on me that the small window, the door, and the big window are on the same wall and they all need the same (or very similar) window treatment and the thing I like the most isn't going to work on the door or the big window.

So, yesterday I went to Lowe's and special ordered "paper" shades. I really hope I love them because they cost enough that they're going to be there for quite a while. FYI - There is a cool innovation in shade technology - the no cord option! Hard to explain, but if you need shades, be sure to check it out.

I sat down to work later in the morning and realized something else... my new computer has a very glossy screen. My new window lets in a lot more light - just exactly as it is supposed to. Oh my - the glare on the computer screen is not good. I turned down the brightness on the screen and I taped fabric up on the window and door. It helped some but I am really looking forward to the arrival of the new shades!

Steve came home from lunch and mentioned that he had seen an anti-glare film made for computer screens. Yes, in fact there is a film and it comes cut to fit an iMac! So the need for more light in the studio combined with the new computer screen led to the need for a way to cut down on the light in the studio. Unintended consequences...

Studio remodel... part 3

2008-06-14T18:30:00.005-05:00

We have been oh so busy! I've been telling my husband at the end of each day that I feel like I've been hit with sticks. He tells me that that can't be true since I've never actually been hit with sticks and being hit with sticks is way worse. However, I've been pretty sore the last few nights.

But the hard work is paying off. Yesterday I got the primer on the outside wall. Steve got the inside wall mostly finished. I was able to get the first coat of paint inside late yesterday afternoon.

Painting in the studio is complicated by the fact that the first time I painted my studio I made a mistake and got oil based paint. You can't just paint over an alkyd paint with latex. Since I didn't want (or need) to paint the whole room I had to get more alkyd paint this time. Boy oh boy, does alkyd paint put off fumes. We have my studio sealed off with plastic so it's mostly not smelling up the house but it's no fun. I spend most of my time at home in my studio and not being in there makes me a little crazy.

This morning I got the 2nd coat of paint on the inside wall and then moved to the outside wall. This is not that big of an area so I got 2 coats of paint on the wall and 2 coats of trim paint. I've got the paint (chartreuse!) for the outside of the door but am going to wait a week or so to paint it. It's hot and humid here so I'll need to tape plastic over the outside door opening and I need to wait for the paint to cure so that the tape doesn't pull the paint off.

Steve finished the inside trim, finished the electrical stuff, and saved a juvenile wren that was sort of lost in our garage. He's a field biologist, has nets, and knows how to use them!

We went to church this evening so tomorrow I'll be back at work early (after I get the paper read) getting my studio back in shape! Oh happy day! Maybe the fumes won't be so bad and the plastic can come down. I do hope so.

And - I keep forgetting to post an answer to a question on the granola but I'm remembering now and since this where I'm typing, here goes... I use whole flax seed in the granola itself. I grind a big spoonful of flaxseed each morning and sprinkle it on my bowl of granola. I will add this info to that post as soon as I have time.

Studio remodel... part 2

2008-06-11T18:10:00.003-05:00

This morning the little window (that used to be over my sewing machine) moved to its new location. And I decided I wanted a light on the outside of this wall with a switch in the inside. And I wanted it where I wanted it to be, not where it was easy. I'm so lucky to have a husband who smiled and said OK. It did slow us down a bit but the window made it into the wall.

Next the open spaces got insulation and OSB (a chip board that will be under the Hardy siding). Steve spent time putting in other electrical boxes... don't want to rush that.

He mudded the interior sheetrock before calling it a day (that's not in the photo below). I'm hoping to be painting soon. Well, I will be painting ceilings starting tomorrow morning. I hate painting ceilings but this summer it just has to happen. No one but me knows they need it, but I know that there are several ceilings in my house that need it.

Steve will be working on trim and exterior siding tomorrow...

Studio remodel... part 1

2008-06-11T18:05:00.003-05:00

My dear husband, Steve, is re-working the back wall of my studio! This is a project that has been on the books for 2-3 years. Steve is dean of the sciences at Austin College here in Sherman, TX, and he has a pretty small window of opportunity for home improvement projects. This is the week!

My studio is not getting bigger, but the light is being redistributed. He took out the old glass double-french doors and put in a single door that has better insulation. The little window above my sewing machine came out and a newer bigger window went in...

Who thought this up?!

2008-06-09T17:23:00.004-05:00

Now I know that Ami Simms has collected some wonderful photos of signs but I think this one is pretty good - or bad depending on how you look at it. A friend, Kim Snipes, saw this in Scotland and shared it. Here is what she says:

"It's from Grantown-on-Spey, Highlands, Scotland. When we drove into town from the Inverness Airport, I couldn't believe the sign. Since we stayed at the same hotel in Grantown for the whole time in the Highlands, we saw the sign at least twice a day. It became a real joke for everyone on the tour. One of the guides suggested that the lady was picking the pocket of the gentleman."

How-To Photos and Chocolate Candy

2008-06-05T16:30:00.007-05:00

When you flip through a quilt book and you see the "how-to" photos, have you ever thought about what goes into setting up those photos? There's more to it than I ever would have believed before we started Piece O' Cake.

It is important to think about the photos as you write a book. We make a note of where photos need to be placed in the text and what those photos need to illustrate. After the quilts are made and the text is complete we go back and put together the "props" for each and every photo that you see in our books.

Sometimes it's important to show a progression of steps. For example, it takes several steps to make a 9-patch. On photo shoot day there isn't time to cut strips, sew strips, cut some more, sew some more, etc, while the photographer waits. It's just like a cooking show - each step has to be prepared individually, in advance.

The baggied-up bits in the plastic bags in this box will be turned into wonderful how-to photos in our next book. I'm always amazed at how little space they take up. Of course, the quilts will be shipped in other boxes :-).

In addition to working on the photo samples I had my 5 year-old granddaughter, Elanor, for a couple of days this week. Steve and I took her to the pool yesterday afternoon - to wear her out a little. It ended up wearing us out too! We all slept well last night.

Elanor and I made some tasty and easy candy today (see instructions below). We played with rubber stamps and pretty paper. And we went shopping! For Barbies and pretty ponies!

I have to admit that I was never a fan of Barbie. Elanor, however, is all girl and Barbie makes her very, very happy. Especially the bridal Barbie we got today. Ken is still at the store so I don't know if Barbie will ever be Mrs. Barbie.

Rocky Road Candy

1-2 cups of chocolate suitable for candy making. In a pinch Baker's Semi-Sweet bakers chocolate will work. Chocolate chips might work, but your candy will be prone to melting easily.

1-2 cups of salted, roasted peanuts

1-2 cups of mini-marsh mellows

Elanor added 1/2 cups of red hots and they're pretty good.

We added 1/2 cup of pecans because my husband likes them.

Add other ingredients to taste.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over very low heat.

Stir in all ingredients.

Spoon out in mounds on waxed paper.

Put them in the refrigerator to make them solid quicker.

We put the candy in baggies for her favorite people after it got hard enough to handle. Elanor made cards to go with each bag. She was very pleased with the gifts she made.

If you have never made chocolate candy before, know that almost anything tastes better with a chocolate coating. Oreos, cornflakes, nuts, graham crackers... you get the idea. There is some really fine chocolate made especially for candy making. Google "chocolate for making candy" and you'll get lots of information.

The younger version...

2008-05-30T10:25:00.003-05:00

My husband has always liked this photo of me. He took it when we were both 22 in 1978. It's funny that this old photo is so similar to the new picture that I posted on May 28 showing the new hairdo. Steve says I still look the same. Isn't he sweet! I, however, can see the difference time has made.

Right now I'm not unhappy with the changes time has wrought. I do wonder, though, what I'm going to think when I look at myself in my 80's. My grandmother told me (when she was about 95) that looking in the mirror always gave her a shock. She felt a lot younger on the inside than she was on the outside. As a consequence she didn't look in the mirror much—which seems like a decent solution to me!

New hair!

2008-05-28T13:58:00.003-05:00

I got a haircut today! That in itself is not unusual because I get my hair cut every 4 weeks like clockwork. But today I got lots of hair cut off! Henri, who has cut my hair for more than 13 years, agreed that it was time for a new look. Little did he know that this is, in fact, an old look for me. This is what my hair looked like when I was in my 20s.

My husband, Steve, likes the new look. That's nice since he looks at me more than anyone else does. He took this photo at lunch today so I could show you. I had forgotten how my ears feel without hair over them. It's cooler!

Healthy powdered peanut butter...

2008-05-27T17:23:00.004-05:00

I keep forgetting to share this news. When I was teaching in Sarasota, FL, the ladies there shared with me a sample of a peanut butter that has 75% less fat. It was pretty tasty! Not as wonderful as full-fat peanut butter, but close. It's called PB2 and you can find it online at Bell Plantation.

There are other good things on that site but I haven't tried them.

As long as I'm sharing food news... my home-made granola recipe is attached below. It's a Word document that I hope most of you can open. I eat my granola with non-fat, plain yogurt. I strain my yogurt to make it thicker. That's not hard to do... just let the yogurt sit on cheesecloth suspended over a bowl (use a rubber band to hold the cheesecloth up) and let the liquid drain off. Your very own Greek-style yogurt!

FYI - I use whole flax seed in the granola. I do grind up a healthy spoonful of flax seed each morning and sprinkle it over my bowl. It has a nutty taste that I like a lot.

Granola.doc

A day well spent...

2008-05-26T18:10:00.012-05:00

My very good friend, Laurie, is in charge of the garage sale at her church every June. The money they raise goes to mission work. Spring is an excellent time to organize so I usually have things to give Laurie. I always have clothes and sometimes I have fabric. The local quilters love it!

I spent 3 hours this morning weeding out my fabric. I know that sounds horrible to some of you but I want every fabric in my stash to be something I can actually use. I don't want fabric that I loved years ago but no longer can get excited about. Linda taught me the virtue of a clean stash years ago and I'm so glad she did.

Laurie got 5 big bags of prewashed, folded 100% cotton, good-quality cotton. I hope she sells it all and raises lots of money. I didn't have the least bit of remorse seeing it go.

My fabric stash is much happier. FYI - the top of the top shelf is about 6' off the ground and the shelves are 5' wide. I still have LOTS of fabric in my stash :-).

Spring in Connecticut...

2008-05-24T16:42:00.005-05:00

I am continually surprised at the size of the USA! It is hot summer in north Texas right now but it is spring in Hartford, Connecticut. I've been in Connecticut since last Wednesday, lecturing and teaching. Quilting is alive and well here! Isn't it nice that quilters are the same no matter where you are?

Judy, who was in charge of me on Wednesday and Thursday, took me by the house and garden of a lady who is famous for her house and garden! I only got a quick look (and photo) but I was impressed. The cars were zipping by so I tried to see lots, fast.

Don't you love the starfish around her front door?! Her plants were young and on the small side because it is still spring here, but it is obvious that her garden will be incredible as it gets warmer. I wish I lived across the street so that I could look at her yard all summer long!

Lasting Memories from Quilt Market...

2008-05-19T14:42:00.009-05:00

I'm home and unpacked and have been thinking back on market. I have to say that my strongest memories are of the people I got to visit with there. It's always nice to re-connect with friends that I only see once or twice a year, and this year was no exception.

I met many people for the first time and for many of them, this was their first market. They were as stunned at the enormity of the quilt industry as I remember being 14 years ago. It was nice to share in their excitement!

Clear, fresh colors were big at this market. Linda and I love these colors, so that is happy news! Green in many shades was much in evidence - as was pink.

I got a chance to see a new product that will have our name on it at this market. We have worked with Superior Threads on 3 sets of thread pre-wound onto bobbins - made especially for applique! Linda and I chose 36 of the colors we use the most from Superior's Masterpiece line. Masterpiece is one of the threads we recommend for hand applique, piecing, and machine quilting. Masterpiece is 100% cotton (we don't use silk), strong, and fine.

There are 12 colors in each set. Each of the 12 bobbins has 85 yards of thread. (I had no idea that much thread fit on a bobbin.) Bobbins are a great way to carry thread - they are a lot less bulky than spools. We'll post the bobbin sets on our web site when we get them in stock - probably in June.

Lastly, I want to share with you one of my quirky finds in Portland. I ended up in a toy store (Little Finnigan's) that sells odd toys. I happen to like odd toys. They live in my studio. Anyway I saw these Horrified B-Movie Victims on Friday and resisted them.

Luckily, I had just enough time at lunch on Saturday to sneak out of market and go back and buy them! They are about the size of the GI Joe figures that my boys had when they were little. I think they look great perched on top of my computer.

More about market...

2008-05-17T20:55:00.005-05:00

I also worked in the C&T booth, telling shop owners about our new block of the month, Aunt Millie's Garden. It hung behind where the sales folks worked on their orders. Part of the quilt was hidden, but that didn't seem to matter! It's too bad Linda wasn't there to hear the lovely things people said about her quilt - but I'll do my best to share their comments with her.

I did have a little time to get out and about in Portland. There is wonderful public transportation here. I rode the bus, the light rail, and the streetcar! This is just one of the cool sculptures I saw on the streets. Portland has a lot of good public art.

Quilt Market in Portland

2008-05-17T20:41:00.006-05:00

I got to Portland last Wednesday. I admit it... I should have taken more photos during market, but I didn't. There was just too darned much going on!

I stayed at the Silver Cloud Hotel on the NW side of the downtown Portland. It was a nice place with good (way too good) shopping nearby. There is not a lot of time off during market but what time I had, I spent walking in a variety of downtown areas.

Market started for me on Thursday with a Schoolhouse presentation. Schoolhouse is an event where you get a chance to tell shop owners about your new products. For us, it was the block of the month, Aunt Millie's Garden. Linda is in FL at her niece, Magan's, graduation. Usually we are both at market so her not being there was different.

Friday I had some time to walk the rows at market to see what's new. I took this photo before the doors opened and it got crowded. Walking market is sort of like walking the vendors at a quilt show, except that there is not a lot that you can buy and have right now. This is a wholesale market so you see fabric that you'd love to have (right now!). It is the same for me - I wanted a lot of the new fabric - but I have to wait like everyone else until it comes to a shop near me. Market can be a little frustrating if you don't know that before you come.

It's nice to visit with the people Linda and I have both come to know over the years. That's probably the best part of market.

I worked in two booths at this show... below is a picture of one of our quilts in the P&B booth. The quilt is made from some of our new fabric, Elanor's Picnic. The fabric will ship in August. You will hear more about that when we have it in hand!