Mmmm, I was hoping to show a finished top to join the Kaleidoscope of Butterflies link up, I've only completed the central piece - and have a bit of a disaster on my hands. You can probably see why in the photo below. Two issues with this a) my iron decided to spit out gunge on the cream fabric second row from bottom b) the dark fabrics are showing through two layers of the cream by the seam lines, in some cases. I was extremely careful to trim away any excess knowing that it's so easy to get a shadow effect, I should have used a heavier weight cream fabric - lesson learned! I am so cross with myself, I don't know whether I can bear to put the border on! I guess I could quilt 1/4" away from the seam which would hide any shadowing through. My little companion cheered me up as we played in the garden here she is against a backdrop of weeds and now just over one year old! Oops my watermark has landed across her little white paws. Off to join the link-up with Ann and Cathy Have a happy weekend. Maureen
Last Year Emma (aka Brian is the Messiah) was kind enough to donate a large pile of fabric for me to make quilts for Siblings Together. I noticed that we had reached our target before I got around to making them, so thought I should make them for 2016! One is already complete, made from 2wenty Thr3e Fabric by Eric and Julie Comstock for Moda. The pattern I used is here on the Moda website - it's free! So recently I have been working on another version in Rob Bancroft microMod fabrics from Emma! This time I have been focusing on the circles you can make by fabric placement - I couldn't manage this without my design wall - and even with it I still managed to swap some bits around! Oops! Both quilts are made with this block, which you can find papers for here if you prefer foundation piecing. I followed the Moda tutorial and used a Simpli-EZ 45° Triangle Ruler This is what a page of these looks like! And this is what the second Kaleidoscope quilt I'm making for Siblings Together looks like.... I am always fascinated that fabric choices and placement can make such a difference - it is part of what keeps me making quilts! What about you? Edited to add the final finish: I quilted those tortuous loopy things in the circles - my brain finds it really tricky to start the loops going in the right direction but once I've worked it out each time it is easy Then I quilted a simple squared off zigzag in those in between pieces The backing was also sent by Emma - a gorgeous newsprint text fabric! And I made a scrappy binding from the leftovers ! And so here is the ta da moment: Linking this finished quilt for Siblings Together to the Link Up as part of the tally towards our 100 quilt target. I will also be linking this quilt to the Finish-A-Long 2016 at the quarter end This quilt is on my FAL2016 list here
If you've been following KnitHacker over the last decade, you may recall that I love Hélène Seners' knitwear designs. I am the proud owner of several of her pieces and hope to add something new to my collection this year! Here are a few recent pieces that I think are standout! See more of Hélène's
If you've been following KnitHacker over the last decade, you may recall that I love Hélène Seners' knitwear designs. I am the proud owner of several of her pieces and hope to add something new to my collection this year! Here are a few recent pieces that I think are standout! See more of Hélène's
The ouroboros is a snake or dragon (often described as a "serpent") eating its own tail. It has a long and storied past.
These Christmas and Winter Kaleidocycles are such fun to make and play with. Visit Hattifant to learn how and grab your FREE printables! Merry Christmas!
All I can say about this Kaleidoscope Quilt is WOW! Any quilter with experience in piecing half-square triangles will enjoy making this gorgeous quilt.
Suspended from gallery ceilings or strung across an open courtyard, innumerable lengths of yarn comprise the chromatic installations by artist Eric Rieger, aka HOTTEA (previously). He arranges the soft textiles in concentric circles or wide gradients that stretch from wall to wall, creating vibrant fields of color that shift in composition depending on the perspective.Continue reading "Loose Threads Dangle in Bright, Bold Gradients in HOTTEA’s Kaleidoscopic Installations"
Nestled in the shadow of the Acropolis and more famous districts like Plaka, lies one of the city's most creative and charming corners.
Dumpster Diving 3.0 is FINISHED! 48" x 62" Quilted with vertical wavy lines using Glide thread in Bark. The back was not what I had planned to use - it's better. I did a favor for Jill S. in Illi
I have always admired two-color quilts, the contrast is so striking. And I've always admired the optical illusion of Winding Ways (aka: Whee...
Stop everything and make this bread! Does that sound too demanding? Too urgent? I must be understating things. YOU NEED THIS BREAD. I've promised my recipe for months now but I hesitated to post anything until I felt I had a really solid grasp on it and could answer any of your questions about the process from experience. Well, after about three months and over 30 kilograms of flour, I'm happy to report that I've found it... one bread recipe to rule them all. You can tell this is epic if I'm dusting off LOTR jokes ;) Here's the origin story of this perfect bread: I was determined to make sourdough bread from scratch. The sort where you make your own yeast, essentially. You mix flour and water, let it ferment (sour as a verb) over weeks, and then use it in a high hydration (read: very wet) dough that makes angels sing. Except after weeks and a massive Costco-size bag of flour there was no singing. Just a lot of muttered choice words as I put boule after boule in the compost bin because it never rose (did I mention the rising time for most of these recipes was 24 hours? Who has time for that?!). I had made some classic country boules before using Pinch of Yum's no-knead recipe and found it easy and good, but I'd never go on record saying it was incredible. The reason everyone loves sourdough is the complexity and depth of flavour. My country boule recipe was more Wonderbread than Sourdough, but it was still a treat to pull out of the oven. This recipe combines the ease of my old basic bread recipe (with it's use of commercial yeast and guarenteed rise) and the flavour of sourdough (deep, rich, sour, yeasty - all good things I promise, even if they sound like questionable adjectives). It's the best of both worlds and has become our hands down favourite thing to build a meal off of. With jam and tea. Topped with curry chicken salad for lunch. Warmed in the oven with almond butter, sliced bananas, and chocolate chips for dessert. Or just plain, this bread is perfection. Want the recipe? OF COURSE YOU DO. Ingredients 6.5 cups (2lbs) all purpose flour 1 tb yeast 1 tb salt 3 cups (1.5lbs) luke warm water First tip: get a kitchen scale! They cost $10 at Canadian Tire, Walmart, etc. and are so useful for baking! Measuring by weight is especially helpful if you're playing around with different flours which will have different densities, plus most measuring cups are slightly off. STEP 1 In a giant bowl, add all of your ingredients at once. So easy, you can't mess this step up. STEP 2 Stir together all of the ingredients until a shaggy ball forms. It won't look pretty, don't worry. STEP 3 Cover your shaggy form of dough and let sit to initially rise for 2 hours. Completely hands off, no stress. If you leave it a bit longer or shorter, again, no stress. This recipe is insanely forgiving! STEP 4 Using your scale ideally, but you could eyeball it, cut the dough into three equal portions. You'll need a good amount of extra flour for this part. Form three unique balls of dough coated in flour. Now for the choose your own adventure bit. You can bake right away after this step or store the dough balls in the fridge for a week or so. Bake Today If you're baking today, take your ball of dough and shape it into a neat ball with a good amount of flour. Once you have the shape you want, let it rest for 30-60 minutes in the vessel you're cooking it in (see notes), then slash the top (see notes), then place on parchement paper in the vessel and bake at 450 for 30 minutes with the lid on. After 30 minutes, remove the lid to brown the top for 5-10 minutes more. Let cool fully before cutting. I know it's hard to wait, but trust me, the bread is at it's best when cooled, I promise! Fridge Rise This recipe makes three small sized boules or two medium sized boules, so either way you'll have an extra ball or two of dough that you're not baking straight away. Place dough balls in individual containers with lids in your fridge for up to one week. Though it's cold in there, they will continue to rise! They'll probably double in size or maybe even more, so make sure you choose a container that has room for your expanding dough. When you're ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge, shape the dough with heavily floured hands, slash, and bake with the same instructions above. You don't need to let this dough rest for 30-60 minutes, only as long as it takes for your oven to preheat (for me this is around 15 minutes). right after making the dough, ready for the fridge after 12 hours in the fridge The Vessel I use a dutch oven, and I'm convinced they're the best option. You can find these cast iron heavy duty casserole dishes with lids almost anywhere. I have one from Cuisinart that I found at Winners, another Le Creuset which was a thrift store find. I've used this recipe in IKEA dutch ovens too. All you need is an ovenproof vessel with a lid. Slashing After forming your dough ball with heavily floured hands, slash the top with a sharp knife (serrated works best). Slashing adds air to the boule so more bubbles form in the dough (little holes in your bread). It's supposed to help with rising and texture but honestly, I just do it because it looks pretty. The cuts may seem deep but once the boule bakes they are usually filled completely, adding only very slight dimension.
Foreword Modern-day Renaissance couple. Imaginative thinkers. Multimedia artists. Inventive parents. Founders of Eternity Stew. Owners of an art + design studio, CHIAOZZA (pronounced CHOW-zah). Preface CHIAOZZA began on a rainy September Saturday night at a dive karaoke bar in Chinatown NYC circa
The vibrant and expressive nature of abstract art can inject a burst of energy and playfulness into your home. Infused with a profound love for art from her earliest days, Shelley Bolton, aka Sheebo, has found creativity in every journey of her life. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi, Shelley settled in Memphis, Tennessee, alongside her husband and family. Shelley's artistic repertoire is a kaleidoscope of mediums, inspired by the unfiltered, imaginative flow of children's artistry, as well as the captivating realm of Cubism. View all Shelley Bolton Artworkpainting, art, artwork, canvas, original, unique, handpainted, paint, shelly, memphis, tennessee, tn, abstract, multicolor, bright, colorful, dark, black, orange, yellow, blue, green
I just love Stack N Whack because the possibilities are endless. I just finished this today- started last week when my quilt group theme was Christmas in July. The block setting was inspired by my favorite Stack n Whacker, Linda Rotz Miller.
Photographer Mehrdad (aka @m1rasoulifard) tours the mesmerizing mosques of Iran and looks upward for inspiration. As he's wandering through both ancient
