Farm Restaurant

I was able to cross off another thing off my 31 to do list.

21. Get better at putting things away once I am finished with them

22.  Make a ticker tape quilt                                 Completed April 9, 2012

23. Try a new restaurant                                          Completed May 11, 2012   Farm Restaurant

24.  Visit Barrier Lake

25.  Take more photos of life

Last weekend we went to FARM RESTAURANT with my AJ and Jillian.

The restaurant has a wonderful philosophy on their food.

Culinary Philosophy FARM stands for community, sharing good, wholesome food and knowledge, and honouring the farmers, growers, producers, foods and animals that grace the land. We support local, regional, national and international suppliers who are creating food and products that hold integrity and ideally utilize sustainable practices. FARM is responding to Calgary’s growing desire for more natural, locally-sourced foods which are beautifully and simply prepared, fairly priced and professionally served. As a sister business to Janice Beaton Fine Cheese (JBFC), FARM is a natural extension of the products, service, quality and expertise that JBFC is already known for within our community. Taking our passion for fine cheese, meats and foods to the next level, FARM’s main focus is on sharing and exploring food and beverage pairings. We are a casual tasting kitchen concept with a simple, changing menu of artisanal cheeses, cured meats, pâtés, terrines and accompaniments. The menu is complemented by thoughtfully selected wines, sherry, beer, and bubbly.

We started our wonderful meal with a cheese sample platter from the Janice Beaton Fine Cheese Shop which is attached to the restaurant.  We opted to try 3 of their cheese – which came with a spread/jelly to compliment it and some sliced baguette to have with it.   We picked this Brie that was as smooth as butter.  For the main meal I had this smoky mac and cheese.  It was WONDERFUL and very cheesy.

It was a great restaurant with a terrific atmosphere.  You should try it.

 

Ian’s Baby Quilt

I have been trying to write this post for a couple of days now, with no luck.  Better late then ever.  

A while back (February in fact) I shared with you this sneak peak

I am finally able to unveil it.  This is Baby Ian’s Quilt.

He is the first born son to our friends Nathalie and Calum.

This quilt was tricky for me to make.  Not because it was a difficult pattern or anything like that, but because I struggled with my fabric choices.  This pattern is by Thimble Blossom’s called Coming Soon.

Source: camilleroskelley.typepad.com via Jen on Pinterest

This was my inspiration for the quilt.  I had similar fabric (from the same collection), but opted for a darker grey to use as the sashing.  I tried to find a similar teal to use as the centres, but the three fabric choices that I made weren’t right at all.  So I went with the red/salmon? fabric that was in the BLISS Fat Quarter Bundle.  I loved the blocks individually, but as I started to put the top together I was taken back by how BRIGHT it appeared.  I was going to subtle – missed the mark on that one.

I asked EVERYONE their thoughts.  Nate, my friend Lauren, my friend Valerie – who asked her husband for advice too.  Everyone said they liked the red and to leave it.  So I did, and I’m now glad I did.  Once I got it quilted it just felt right.

I have this terrific GRASS GREEN back (by Kona Cotton).

A couple of weeks ago was Nat’s shower and I was finally able to give it to her – and share it with you.

Pattern: Coming Soon by Thimble Blossoms

Fabric: Bliss and Ruby by Thimble Blossoms and Kona Cotton (ash, snow and grass)

Pieced and Quilted by Me.

So this one time at band camp….

Yep I’m at band camp.

Right now I am sitting in a mass band rehearsal while a guest conductor works with my kids (grade 8 and 9) and kids from other schools to make up a band of 105 kids.  I’m listening to a very difficult version of Amazing Grace, which is beautiful when it is played just right.

But that is not while I am writing.  I am marveled by my students.  We performed twice yesterday and they blew me out of the water.  The impressed everyone.  For the MOST part they have been incredibly focussed in these rehearsals and this morning along we have had 3 with two more to go before performance tonight.

I have been marveled by how my students have been with others.  They have shared their equipment, their music, and their time to help.  We are here with a couple of schools who aren’t as “advanced” as us and my kids have stood or sat beside them and taught them fingerings, showed them how they did, and taught them some tricks they know to get through what they need to.

This trip though was tricky.  With this trip I had more students NOT come with us then ever before.  More students who left early then ever before. Why?  Well let me tell you.   I have athletes in my school.  And intense athletes.

1.  One boy got drafted to the WHL yesterday to the Kootney Ice- just before we played our adjudication

2. One boy is at zone badminton

3. One is trying out for the provincial volleyball team

4. One is completing in world Irish Dancing

5. One is trying out for the Canadian Golf Team

6. One is on their way to a ball tournament in the USA

I mean it is truly amazing how gifted these students are, but I am losing members from my band on trips like this and it is killing us

After tonight it is all over and I can rest and get back to a slower pace – I can’t wait.

Where I’ve been

 

My school has been working on a Spring Production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  I’m the musical director and have been working on the getting the show up and ready since November.

Well Thursday it finally happens, we finally perform.  We do a matinee on Thursday and evenings shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.

When it is over – I can get back to sewing it up.

I CAN’T WAIT!

My Quilt has been Featured…..

I’ve had the priviledge of having my HocusPocus Ville Quilt be in the spot light over on Val’s Quilting Blog at Pastimes Online.  It is such a treat for me.  Valerie is the one who hosted the BOM of this quilt.  Check out her site.

Ticker Tape Quilt Complete

I’ve always wanted to make a ticker tape quilt.  What is a ticker tape quilt?  Well….

Source: flickr.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: teaginnydesigns.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: howaboutpinkplease.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

I think it gets its name from the days of ticker tape where paper strip which ran through a machine called a stock ticker, which printed abbreviated company names as alphabetic symbols followed by numeric stock transaction price and volume information. 

I remember seeing pictures of ticker tape parades where those little slips of paper were cut up and thrown into the air.

Source: thestandardedition.com via CillaLilly on Pinterest

And as you can see a Ticker tape quilt is much the same, except there are little pieces of fabric sewn onto a quilt sandwich (backing, batting and a top).

It looked simple enough – or so I thought.  (alright it wasn’t so bad at all, there was only one snag that bothered me the most)

Crazy Mom Quilts did a terrific tutorial on it for Sew Mama Sew.  So I followed along with every step…..sort of.

I started out with going through all my scrap buckets and bins to find pieces that were already small so I didn’t have to do a ton of cutting.  I made my quilt sandwich and unlike Amanda Jean I did not put a piece of fabric down and stitch around it.  Nope, I treated it much like a jigsaw puzzle with space in between each piece.  I instead went through my fabric and cut them into little pieces, nothing really no bigger then 2″x3″.  So I would lay out one piece, then another, then another, etc, etc, etc.  Once I was happy with my layout I pinned each piece down.  Some people recommended glue – I didn’t have any so I pinned – because I had plenty of those.

Stitching them down was next.  This was the part that was my snag.  Amanda Jean recommended doing a small backstitch at the beginning and end of each of the squares so they wouldn’t move.  Someone else recommended bringing the bobbin thread up and tying it, then hiding the thread (that is a lot of tying and hiding – no thank you).  Others said a lockstitch – that worked pretty good, but just pretty good not great.

I tried all of those method.  The lockstitch and the backstitch were the best options, but I still found that it wasn’t as clean on the back as I wanted it to be.

But I did finish it.  Two in fact, because one is being shipped off to the state of NY for my swap partner in the TICKER TAPE swap.

Without further adieu

I’m really pleased with how it turned out.  I wasn’t going for a color scheme (way), but I ended up with one.   Oh well.  I like it and it is another thing to cross off my 31 list.  

Quilting Process: Cutting

I will be honest, cutting for me is the worst part of the quilting process.  I hate the fact that I have to take a wonderful piece of fabric and cut it up into itty bitty little pieces (in some cases).  It is one of the reasons why I enjoy pre cuts so much, they are cut into littler pieces and I don’t feel so rotten cutting them up into more little pieces.

My friend Anne first taught me how to cut my fabric properly – and because in my mind she is one of the best, what she says GOES!  And because she is one of the most careful cutters I know – she is a perfectionist when it comes to her quilts.

First she told me I needed the following tools to cut quilts:

1. Rotary Cutter

This is the standard 45mm Olfa Rotary Cutter.  This cutter got me through my first year of quilting.  It is a good cutter I find, easy to change blade and reasonably priced.  Though I did find I went through blades quite a bit.

This is the GINGHER rotary cutter which I got for my birthday.  It is heavier then the OLFA, but if cuts beautifully, and the blades last 6 months to 1 year.  I love it.

2.  A Cutting Mat.

This is a picture of the standard OLFA cutting mat, it is about $60-70.  It has inches along the sides for measurement.  This is not the one I have.  I have a mat (I don’t know what company it is by), but I got an amazing deal on it and the only difference is it goes by centimeters.  Why did I go with that one – because I was told, by my well respected friend, that I WAS NEVER TO MEASURE MY FABRIC BY THE MEASUREMENTS ON MY MAT.  Why?  Because the mat can change its shape if it is too hot or cold so the measurements can change.

3.  A ruler.  Not just any ruler though.  The Ruler I was introduced to was the 6″x24″ ruler.  I was told if I only had one ruler – this was it

I do like rulers though – so I have a couple more then this.

These were the basic things I needed, so we moved onto the steps.

1. Give your fabric a quick press.  You want to get rid of any of those nasty creases or fabric that has been folded that will cause an uneven cut.
2. Fold the fabric so the selvages (the edge of the fabric that usually has the information about the fabric on it) are together and you have a nice fold at the bottom.  That is going to be the edge we assume is our straight edge for now
3. Square up the fabric.  Right now we don’t really have an edge that is straight – so we need to create one.  Using the folded edge of our fabric as our “straight edge” we line up our ruler with it and we trim away some of the side to create a true straight edge.
4. After that you cut the fabric as it directs in the cutting directions.

I know I should have pictures for this, to show the steps, but I haven’t been able to get anyone to help take the photos.  I will try and post them along with this.

Cutting it into little bits, as I mentioned, isn’t my favorite.  Even with great tools.  I find it, well dull.  I find that if I don’t do it during the perfect time of day I can’t see my fabric well – due to the lights in my home.  I also find that my backs hurts after a bit of this.  Probably due to the fact the the table is not the correct height to cut on – but for big jobs it is the best I’ve got.

Now, with that all said….cutting is one of the most important steps in quilting.  Because if you don’t cut your fabric properly then it doesn’t got together all that nicely either.