Bargello quilts are simply mesmerizing. They are among some of the most intimidating pieced quilting patterns out there. Then again, their beauty can draw many of us into attempting their creation.
Bargello M is a gorgeous gold-laced quilt created by my good friend Margret. Not only did she sew this quilt top, the design did not come from a pattern. Instead she decided to tackle both the Bargello design but also to create her own pattern.
The moment I loaded this beauty on my machine, I knew I was looking at something special.
Choosing thread and pattern
As I mentioned, the fabric was flecked with gold throughout. This made thread choice easy – GOLD! Of course, many of you know that I really love gold thread on so many quilts, but in this case there was no other choice.
We originally discussed an E2E Pattern of sharp petaled dandelions; however, as soon as I started setting the quilt up I knew this was a mistake. Sometimes our vision does not match reality. Instead Margret and I discussed my thoughts and options and she chose Adagio.
Adagio is elegant, flowing and nests so beautifully. In addition, the flow and movement of this pattern mimics that of the pieced pattern to add softness and compliment.
Bargello M
Bargello M
Do you plan on creating a Bargello in 2019? I just might!
Ever wonder how your fabric gets on the bolt that you so lovingly pet at your local quilt store? Take a look at this magnificent machine. Have you ever watched “How it’s Made?” I just love this show! Recently, while in the Dallas Fabric District, I witnessed how a roll of fabric becomes a bolt – from roll to bolt!
This contraption has an amazing purpose,
The machine in the image above is quite interesting as it stands, but if you look at it there is some real genius here!. The machine takes up a minimum amount of space as it is configured vertically. The roll is loaded below, then the fabric is threaded to where the bolt is inserted and finally the bolt is loaded with your favorite fabric.
Roll the Tape!
This from roll to bolt machine (at least that’s what I call it) was in use at Golden D’or Fabrics. The operator was nice enough to allow me to video it’s operation.
The process is almost mesmerizing!
After I drug myself away from this impromptu demonstration, I checked out the deals. While I didn’t find anything on this trip that was meant to be, I did see a beautiful gown that I fell in love withl
Beautiful Gowns!
Did you attend the semi annual sale at Golden D’or? If you did, then what deals did you find?
Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get back to projects again. One quilt I recently had on my machine to quilt I like to call Primary Mystery. This is a version of our guild’s mystery quilt that was done in the most striking primary colors
Primary Mystery
There are so many things about this quilt that I love – from the vibrant colors of the pieced blocks.
…To the Adagio pattern stitched in bright yellow thread. There is just so much to like about this pretty lady.
You may recognize this pattern as I have had similar quilts on my long arm in 2018. My version of The Mystery Quilt for 2018 was in Christmas colors.
I was also very happy to see a bright orange backing fabric laced with bright yellow quilting – How fun!
And for those that are interested, the E2E pattern came from Urban Elementz.
Not only was there a lot of quilting going on in 2018 – there were quite a few 2018 reproduction garments as well. As many of you know, I love to create and sewing is a perfect outlet for creative energies. Also, I prefer to create something useful, so sewing for Renaissance Festivals is a perfect choice.
Below are some of the garments from 2018 – unfortunately, I am unable to wear all but one of these and that one is with some major adjustments.
Did I say unfortunately? HELL NO! this is a good thing. In a bit, I will be posting about some major changes in my life. Until then – what non-quilting projects have you worked on in 2018?
If you are interested in seeing more garments, check out Queen Selesti’s page as well as these links:
As I mentioned in the first installment of our Keto journey, I wanted to revisit what we are up to and expand on some of the different elements that have evolved over the course of the last few months. As with any journey, there will always be adjustments along the way.
Drinks
Water, Water, Water – yep that is a mantra that we should be
chanting all through life. Doing the
Keto diet (more of a lifestyle for us now), is no exception. There just has to be more to life tho.
Coffee – We are all coffee drinkers, and thankfully we gravitate to black coffee. For others this can be a challenge. The best alternative I have found to milk is heavy cream and this will help you to keep up your fat intake as well.
You will hear a lot about bulletproof coffee – I hate it. To sum up, bulletproof coffee contains coffee, butter and oil. There are many varieties and some pre-packaged versions as well. The one piece of advice I hear a lot about is to blend your coffee well, this makes it more palatable.
Soda – No, just no.
me
Artificial sweeteners – So far, there is only one sweetener that I have found that stays true to no sugar and healthy. That is Stevia. I recommend only using the liquid version in drinks. The keto journey doesn’t have to be without some sweetness.. Another great sugar free drink is Sobe Water. I am in love with the Yumberry Pomegranate. The downside is that this is pretty pricey.
Sweet Tea – living in the south, it is darn near impossible to throw a rock and not hit a glass of sweet tea. Happily, I can report that this is something we drink quite a bit of. I simply brew tea on the stove, add it to a container filled with ice and splash the liquid Stevia on at the end. This is saving me from sweet cravings and helps keep me hydrated when I get sick of water.
Stevia Sweetner
Fat Bombs
I touched on the importance of these little cuties in my
last post. Do not let their importance
escape you! Not only do they do a great
job of keeping you regular – they are also a perfect sweet treat. Our family has one or two every night after
dinner.
I posted the original recipe on my last post. For reference, here it is again:
I also said that I had made some alterations. Here is what you may want to know
You can use other forms of nut butter, just be sure to watch the carbs. I add up all the carbs in the batch and divide by the quantity of bombs made.
For nut butter, I like to use a ½ to ½ mixture of organic peanut butter and Tahini sesame seed butter. Tahini has 4g of carbs per 2 tbs, or 16g of carbs for the entire recipe.
You can use other forms of fat too! I use Ghee instead of coconut oil and not only do my bombs retain their shape and don’t melt prematurely, they are delicious! You can also use butter if you like. Just don’t make the mistake of using a liquid form of coconut oil. Your bombs will never set – even in the freezer.
When it comes to Fat Bombs, I don’t get too creative. The fact is, our diet has become much less
varied, we eat to live – not live to eat.
Keeping things simple really works for us.
Bomb Ingredients
Finished Bombs
You can find a gazillion recipes for fat bombs if you search. Just be careful that you keep tabs of your total carbs or before you know it, you are gaining instead!
Wrapping it up
The most important thing I wanted to relay is that this is our own personal journey. We spent no money on programs, plans or prepared foods. If we can change our lives like this, so can anyone who wants to. It’s your life – it’s your journey!
