On a cold winter night, a quilt provides warmth, comfort and a feeling of being cuddled in a fabric hug.
Quilts have a long history that was originally economical and utilitarian. Pieces of leftover material from clothing construction or the less worn pieces of older clothes were salvaged and pieced together in two or three layers to create a warm blanket.
Those with an artistic eye pieced and blended the fabrics, colours and patterns to create a theme in shapes and harmony of colours.
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I have fond memories of my grandmother’s dining room table covered with fabric pieces that she was forming into quilts for my brother and I.
That same table has been in our home for most of our married life and I have put a number of quilts together on it.
I don’t have the time or the patience that my grandmother had, so most of my quilting projects have been simple and often started with a printed fabric to which I added borders, fill, backing and ties.
To continue the family tradition, I made a quilt for our first granddaughter, Keira, using a soft, napped, synthetic knit fabric that was called Cuddle Luscious.
This fabric was cuddly but also stretchy and slippery, which made it difficult to work with and called for non-traditional quilting techniques.
The quilt had 25 nine-inch white and yellow squares. Alternating the colours, I pinned each row together and used my serger to sew the squares together to form the five rows. Each row was then serged together.
The back of the quilt was printed flannelette.
I didn’t use batting because the Cuddle Luscious seemed heavy enough with the flannelette.
With the wrong sides together, I pinned the quilt top along the first row of blocks to the flannel backing.
Then I used numerous pins to secure the first serged seam that joined the rows together to the backing.
Using my sewing machine and a medium length stitch, I sewed the outside edge of the quilt to the backing and then I stitched the serged row seam allowance to the backing along the serge stitch line.
I again laid the quilt on the table, removed all the pins and smoothed and pinned the next serged seam to the backing and stitched it.
I repeated this until all the row seams were stitched to the backing and then stitched the other outer edge of the last row to the backing, which resulted in six rows of stitching across the back of the quilt.
Finally, I stitched the sides of the quilt and backing together.
Laying the quilt out flat on a cutting mat on the table, I used a rotary cutter along with a straight edge and square to trim and square up the edges of the quilt.
I used three inch (7.5 cm) wide strips of flannelette to bind the quilt edges. The result was a soft, warm, cuddly quilt.
The idea for this quilt was based on the McCall’s pattern M5642.
Patchwork quilting book
The Company’s Coming publishing company has developed a series of craft books. I have a copy of Patchwork Quilting and enjoying browsing though it.
The book has projects for beginners and experienced quilters. The beautiful pictures and coloured illustrations show step by step how to create the pictured projects.
It features patterns for quick housewarming gifts such as tea cozies and coasters, table toppers, decorative wall quilts, cozy throws and bed quilts, as well as fun designs for babies and teen quilts.
Patchwork Quilting is available from www.companyscoming.com or where the company’s books are sold.
I adapted the book’s rag seam baby quilt to make a quilt for our second granddaughter, Skye, who was born Jan. 1, 2010.
This quilt has 10-inch flannelette squares for the front and back, with cotton quilt batting sandwiched between the squares. The batting is secured with a corner-to-corner diagonal line stitched to within an inch of the edge of each corner.
The block sandwiches are pinned wrong sides (back of the quilt) together and stitched with a one-inch seam allowance. The raw seam allowances are on the right side of the quilt.
Once all the squares are sewn together, the seam allowances are clipped to within one eighth inch of the stitch line every one quarter inch down the seam allowance.
When it is washed and dried the loose threads form a soft raggy decorative seam around each quilt block.
Many people find it relaxing during winter to work on quilting projects. I know of a number of community groups that gather to socialize and make quilts that are given to those in need.
Our church has been making quilts this winter to send with a mission team to Mexico. The team will be building a youth centre and men’s workshop in Vicente Guerrero and the quilts will be used or distributed from there.
Oatmeal crisps
Dear TEAM: Do you have the recipe for molasses oatmeal crisps? It was in The Western Producer in the 1950s. It was my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe and I would appreciate a copy. I got it from Emmie Oddies’ column. I remember the soda was mixed into the molasses. Thank you so much for your help. – V.S. Wakaw, Sask.
Dear V.S.: I wasn’t able to find Emmie’s original molasses oatmeal crisp recipe, but this is a family recipe that sounds similar.
Molasses oatmeal crisp
1 c. vegetable shortening or butter or a mixture of both 250 mL
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed 375 mL
1 egg
1/2 c. corn syrup 125 mL
1/4 c. molasses 60 mL
1 tsp. vanilla 5 mL
2 1/2 c. old fashioned or quick-cooking rolledoats (not instant) 625 mL
2 1/2 c. flour 625 mL
2 tsp. baking soda 10 mL
1 tsp. cinnamon 5 mL
Cream the shortening or butter, then add the brown sugar and egg, mix well. Add the corn syrup, molasses and vanilla and beat until well blended. Measure and add the baking soda and cinnamon to the flour and mix. Add these dry ingredients along with the oats to the batter. Blend together with a large spoon or use your hands if necessary.
Roll into one inch (2 cm) balls. Arrange on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a floured fork and bake at 350 F (180 C) oven for nine minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes six dozen.
What is baking soda?
Baking soda is also known as bicarbonate of soda. It is used in baking as a leavening agent to make cakes, cookies and breads expand or rise.
Carbon dioxide bubbles are produced when baking soda is combined with an acid such as lemon juice, buttermilk, sour cream, sour milk, vinegar, yogurt, cocoa, cream of tartar or molasses. These bubbles cause the dough or batter to rise.
Baking soda reacts immediately when moistened so it should always be mixed with the other dry ingredients before adding liquid, and the mixture should be baked immediately to take advantage of the leavening action.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
