Branch Out

I fancy myself a decent free motion quilter. No, I won't win any prizes for my quilting, but I do think I can do some fun things. That being said, it is good sometimes to push your limits.

This weekend I took a machine quilting workshop from Ana Buzzalino. Ana is a member of my Flying Needles Quilt Guild and an amazing quilter. She can do incredible things with a New York Beauty Block. And her art quilts, which involve painting and stitching are at a level that is both beautiful and well-recognized. Oh, and she is ridiculously nice, genuine, and funny.

Ana's style is so far removed from mine. That alone would discourage many quilters, particularly those of us who identify as young and modern, from taking a class with her. It shouldn't, though. It should inspire us to try something new and push our boundaries.

When you take a class from someone whose work is different than yours the best thing to do is immerse yourself, learn something, then figure out how to apply those lessons to your own work. Do not let style, age, or perception keep you from a new challenge or experience.

I am so glad I took this workshop. Sure, I love dense quilting, but maybe not as dense as Ana was teaching. I still doubt I'll try silk or rayon thread, but she had great tips regarding thread, period. I have more intent in my stitching, some new patterns to try and new inspiration for my own, and I'm heading into the next round of quilts with a boost of confidence in my free motion skills. And next month she's teaching feathers!

Goodness (Recipe: Marshmallows)

It can be messy and sure is sweet, but making your own marshmallows is one of the most rewarding activities. For very little effort you get something that tastes infinitely better than anything you can buy. And the bonus? It makes any hot cocoa better. It is still winter, after all.

Making marshmallows at home is intimidating. This was the consensus at a sledding party we attended in December. I brought marshmallows for the gang, a perfect accompaniment to the planned hot cocoa afterwards. The other parents all thought it would be messy, involve lots of egg whites, and take forever.

In all honesty, it is messy when you do it with a 3 and 5 year old by your side. There are no egg whites, no dairy. There is gelatin, so these are not vegetarian. And the longest part of the process is waiting for them to firm up.

I'm posting the recipe today for parents everywhere. Head into the kitchen with these simple ingredients and you'll have marshmallows in time for hot cocoa after school.

For the best hot cocoa, I use this recipe. For an extra kick add some garam masala. Pair that with marshmallows made with a teaspoon of the chai spice mix added to the corn syrup mixture. You can also swap out the vanilla extract with peppermint or almond to vary the flavour. My girls also like them rolled in toasted coconut instead of icing sugar.

Basic Marshmallows

Adapted from Under the High Chair (Mine are a bit more firm and don't melt so quickly into the cocoa)

3 envelopes gelatin

3/4 cup cold water

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

icing sugar

Prepare a 9'' by 13'' pan by lining it with plastic wrap and oiling the bottoms and sides with canola oil or vegetable oil.

In the bowl of an electric mixer sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Pour boiling syrup over the gelatin. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes with the electric mixer. It will become glossy and stiff, like egg whites. Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds more.

Scrape into the prepared pan and spread evenly. It helps if your hands and/or the spatula are also lightly oiled. This is what keeps the mess under control. Let sit for a few hours or overnight.

Sprinkle a clean cutting board with icing sugar. Turn out the marshmallows and sprinkle more icing sugar on top. Cut into 1-1 1/2'' squares. Lightly roll in more icing sugar. These will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container - if they last that long!

(If you still don't feel up to tackling marshmallows at home I strongly recommend an order from The Marshmallows Company. They make some fine marshmallows and the company is run by a very cool kid!)

Welcome Home

Two very large, heavy boxes came home to me yesterday. The quilts I sent off for Sunday Morning Quilts came home. This includes the quilts I made for the book specifically, as well as many from my collection that also made their way into the book. After almost a year it feels so odd to see them again in person. After so many reviews of the book it feels like I've been with them all along. Within seconds of their arrival the girls had grabbed a handful and by the end of the night my Hubby was snuggling with one.

Now... where to store all these in the midst of our reno and baby prep?

Important Letters

This is a fun little project I've got going on these days. I took some scraps and made letters. Put those letters on white et voila! I can't wait to share this one, but I need to wait as the recipient may be reading...

I'd volunteered to make the quilt for her after a tragic event. Another friend gave me some fabric and it languished. Lack of a clear vision kept me from moving forward. Then, one night, I had a dream. Pregnancy dreams are always quite vivid. And for once it wasn't a nightmare or something completely messed up. I dreamt this quilt. Hormones for good!

While I didn't follow it directly when it came to constructing mine, Elizabeth Hartman has a great tutorial here for making the letters.