FAQ Friday

Gee guys, thanks for all the cozy pillow talk.  And all the PB orders!  I'm so up to my eyeballs with stuff to do around here but will get them out as quickly as possible cuz I know you're all eager to get stitching on your projects.  I'm still really excited about the patchwork pillow too for some reason.  Maybe it's because I'm finally doing something with all these charms and strips instead of just admiring them.  Or maybe it's because it's just so super quick and easy; here's proof of that . . . just look what momma pajama did yesterday!  (Great tip Paula about omitting the side-strips to fit a smaller pillow form too.)

OK, I have lots of new patchwork pillow ideas to ponder over now, in fact I'm in a tizzy (a supremely good one) but it will all have to wait a tad longer while I finish up the patiently waiting Maple Leaf Quilt.  The much anticipated b&w plaid binding arrived yesterday (hurray!) so now I'm ready to race to the finish line with it.  Just need to fill in that goofy little gap and I'm done.  Will try and get some good pictures this weekend and post them on Monday. 

Before I forget, Teresa wanted to know what I used for the sashing between the leaf blocks.  It's actually a printed fabric that I cut in narrow strips.  The fabric is older, like from the 80's I think, and is long gone except what I have in this quilt.  I used another stripe print for the outer border as well, just in case you were wonderin'. 

Since it's Friday, time for another FAQ update before I dash off to clean the floors.  (Can you tell I'm procrastinating here?)

{This is where you will find answers to questions concerning my projects, patterns, and other things you may wonder about. I regret that I'm not always able to answer each of your questions individually, after all, there's only so much a busy mama can do, and besides many times I'm asked the same questions, so this forum just seems to make the most sense.  Feel free to ask questions in the comment box or email them to me and I will address a few here when I have time. Before asking a question though check here first to see if it's already been answered. T.Y.}

Q.  About those charm packs and jelly rolls, do you wash them first? ~Natalie

A.   Normally, I wash fabrics I'm going to handle a lot, but these are small and ready-to-use so I don't pre-wash them.  But if I ever need to...I 'd probably do a quick swish-and-soak in the sink with a little dish liquid and let them air-dry on a folded towel to prevent any fraying edges and shrinkage.

Q.  What is an FWYH?  I am in the dark on this one!  ~Anne

A.   Sorry Anne, I sometimes forget how many new folks drop in here and wonder what in the world I'm talking about.  Anyway, I started a "Finish What You Have" (FWYH) "campaign" last year (in June 2006) that involves digging out your old quilts, knitting, sewing, and other projects that have sat too long.  I invited others to join me in the quest to tackle UFO's (Un-Finished Objects) and started a Flickr group, that I just noticed has grown to 125 members--yay!---where we can share our finished projects and stories to inspire each other to reach the "finish line"; hence the cute flag-waving banner courtesy of  Justine's talented "other half ".   You can read some of my original posts about it over here, and another here.  Anyone is free to join and share their progress, and, I just extended the invitation to include seven additional languages, which I think will be interesting and also fun to see what others are making (and hopefully finishing) elsewhere.

Q.  Please, would you share how you do your refried beans [from this post]...I prefer to make them from scratch, but they never seem to taste as good as the canned ones.  Thanks!!  ~Mariah

A.  I always cook my beans in a crockpot:  Rinse 2 cups dry pinto beans to remove any rocks and dirt.  Beans will double in quantity once they are cooked, so don't overfill your pot.  Cover with boiling water until there's about 3 inches of water above the beans.  Set the crockpot on high and cook for several hours.  Stir them occasionally.  (I sometimes start the beans before I go to bed at night, and cook them on low.)  When they are soft and tender, you can eat them as is, or mash them with a potato masher.  Add a little butter and sea salt, which improves the texture and flavor quite a bit, and a dash of Tabasco sauce (more or less to taste).

Q.  My daughter is interested in making a dollhouse bakery & we were wondering what kit you used to make yours.  ~Diane

A.  We ordered our dollhouse kit from this online source.  I shared more information about how we converted the house to a bakery in this post here.  (There are additional posts and pictures under the Dollhouse Bakery category in the left sidebar too.)

~That's it for now...time to get back to work!~

Comments

[rike]

love your site and your style!
greetings from germany

rike

[Mariah]

Thanks for answering my question about the beans! Now, if I could only figure out how to make decent tortillas.... :-) -Mariah

[sabine]

Thanks to FWYH I am working on things that were lying for ages in a cupboard somewhere...
Such a wonderful idea!

[Natalie]

Good tip on the charms... I had already washed mine and it was kind of crazy pulling them out of the dryer and smoothing them out again. Next time I will try the dip in the sink and drying them on a towel... sounds simpler! Thank you!

[Junie Moon]

I really enjoyed your FAQ post, it's interesting, helful, and very charming.

[Cece Marie]

Thank you for the pillow tutorial! I look forward to giving it a go! Cece

[Lana]

Love the embroidered oak leaf ~ variegated flosses are wonderful!

[Bec]

Hi. I know this is in the wrong area, but the comments to the lambkin post are closed.

Thanks for the free little lamb pattern - I'm making a "sofite" lamb for some underprivaliged kids, organised by Pip from "Meet me at Mikes" More info at my website http://www.honidesign.blogspot.com/
I was looking for a nice pattern to make a soft toy for some child to love this Christmas, and your pattern was perfect. thankyou.