Saturday, July 16, 2011

Transitions quilted & more jam

Transitions (73"x98")

Days like this, of no particular schedule, are lovely :0) I headed downstairs this morning around 9:00 with full intentions of working on Splendidly Marching Along, and as I walked by the quilting frame, I figured I should AT LEAST take a pass or two on Transitions since I had yet to actually start the quilting, despite having had it loaded for nearly a month.

A couple of passes later, I was back in the quilting-frame-groove.


The backing is mostly the cream flowered pattern shown here, but I needed to put a lil' bit of green along the top/bottom in order to have it fit. It was centered very nicely :0) I don't even recall much of a fuss centering it when loading it onto the frame.

By 12:30, I was wrapping up; trimming off the sides. Binding has yet to be cut/sewn; not putting a goal time on this quilt.....whenever the mood strikes :0)

After some lunch, Caitlyn and I marched over to the raspberry bushes in the 95 degree heat to pick some berries with intentions of making jam. (Yeah---the heat has finally reached Wisconsin! UGH! I don't pity ANY of you in the south where the heat is EXPECTED; why LIVE there??? ;0) Well, 'xept for over the November-March months when the temperatures in the south by FAR beat Wisconsin temperatures :0) Why can't there be a place where the temps are ALWAYS regulated around 70-75 degrees; low humidity; sunny for at least 16 hours of the day--the other 8 are for sleeping--and no severe weather or natural disasters happen?? **sigh** Okay, and then we wake up from THAT dream!)

Anyway.... we ended up with 6 cups of crushed berries; enough for two batches of Raspberry Jam. HOWEVER, I stretched the life of our berries by thawing out and simmering up some Rhubarb from a few weeks back. This allowed us to make three batches (6 containers each) with a 2-1 Raspberry/Rhubarb ratio. Eighteen more containers of jam. YUMMMM! We're set for the year (and then some???)

SO....Sister Jen, if you read this and are interested in some Raspberry/Rhubarb Jam, let me know; I'll be sure to put your name on a few containers :0)

8 comments:

Pieces to Love said...

I dream of having an extra freezer so I can store jam one day, until then I will keep nagging my hubby for a place with a bigger kitchen, 8'x9' just doesn't cut it when you add in a fridge, stove, dishwasher and sink.

Dee said...

What pantograph did you use to quilt that? It looks like feathers and they're beautiful. I'm always on the look out for pantos that will fit on our short machines.

Me and My Stitches said...

Is there anything that you DON'T do? Oh, and this is your sister - yes...please save some jam for me!lol

Amanda said...

When you find that perfect place I'll be moving there too. It sounds like the quintessentially perfect English summer's day, but all year round.

Nancy said...

Beautiful quilt and YUMY!!!!a

scraphappy said...

So nice to have a quilt loaded on the frame and ready to go when the mood strikes. Beautiful pantograph! It may be hot in the summer here, but the winters more than make up for it. S

InfinityQuilter/Knitter said...

Love the panto you used on Transitions. It turned out great!

Candace said...

Quilt, quilting and jam, all yummy.