I'm working on my first t-shirt quilt. Last year, I attempted a t-shirt scarf. It was a floppy failure. My mistake was not using an interfacing to give the material some structure. Stretchy jersey knit is not easy to sew. Adding a light weight fusible interfacing has not fully fused to the t-shirt material but it's holding well enough that the fabric doesn't stretch too much while sewing.
There is a striped 100% cotton fabric in between the rows. This made the quilt larger (without waiting for additional t-shirts) and adds to the structural integrity.
Right now I'm about half way done. Pictures will be available soon!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
First Time Canning
Orange Chili Marmalade (AKA: Candy in a Jar)
My Grandmother, Honey, used to can. She would make one of my favorite things: Pear Honey. At 30-years old, I'm finally starting to can. It's been a slow process; my Mother bought me the canning set that I desperately wanted two years ago. So, it's about time that I started.Oranges
I sliced and quartered my oranges, following the Ball recipe for Orange Chili Marmalade.
After cooking forever, it was time to add in the peppers. Spicy Hot foods are not something I normally like. And the dried habaneros were not easy to find. So, I substituted whatever red colored dried peppers we had in the pantry. Then, I cooked the mixture some more while I prepared the jars. Next was to remove the peppers, add a crazy amount of sugar and cook it - you guessed it - more, until the mixture shows signs of jelling.
Knowing what the jelling stage looks like is key. The line drawing in the cookbook was slightly misleading or I totally overanalyzed it. Seven tasting spoons, one saucer (frozen saucer method), and fifteen more minutes of cooking time later and I have severely overcooked marmalade. It is super thick and super sticky but it tastes amazing! Like spreading orange slices candy on bread. And ... It is not spicy - There is just a hint of something special. I'm now a lover of orange marmalade!
My Grandmother, Honey, used to can. She would make one of my favorite things: Pear Honey. At 30-years old, I'm finally starting to can. It's been a slow process; my Mother bought me the canning set that I desperately wanted two years ago. So, it's about time that I started.
I sliced and quartered my oranges, following the Ball recipe for Orange Chili Marmalade.
After cooking forever, it was time to add in the peppers. Spicy Hot foods are not something I normally like. And the dried habaneros were not easy to find. So, I substituted whatever red colored dried peppers we had in the pantry. Then, I cooked the mixture some more while I prepared the jars. Next was to remove the peppers, add a crazy amount of sugar and cook it - you guessed it - more, until the mixture shows signs of jelling.
Knowing what the jelling stage looks like is key. The line drawing in the cookbook was slightly misleading or I totally overanalyzed it. Seven tasting spoons, one saucer (frozen saucer method), and fifteen more minutes of cooking time later and I have severely overcooked marmalade. It is super thick and super sticky but it tastes amazing! Like spreading orange slices candy on bread. And ... It is not spicy - There is just a hint of something special. I'm now a lover of orange marmalade!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Welcome
I'm ending 2011 with a fresh new blog. This blog will include all the crafty parts of me: graphic design, cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and anything else I happen to pick up along the way.
Let's get started! ...
Let's get started! ...
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