How to sew a Brick Quilt

Finished measurements: 35.5 x 42.5"

Squares needed: 48 squares of coordinated fabric, size 6.5 x 6.5"
Illustrations show 3 squares each of 16 different fabrics. You could also use 2 squares each of 24 fabrics.

Steps:

1. Lay out which fabrics you want in each of your eight rows.


 
2. Stitch each row together, alternating fabrics.

3. In every second row, cut the leftmost square in half vertically and add it to the right end of the row.
   
 
 

4. Press your seams flat, left to right.



5. Cut each row in half horizontally. You should now have 16 rows.




 
6. Lay the 2 1/4 inch rows out, alternating the ones with short bricks with those that don't. Note that those with short bricks are now half an inch shorter than the others.







 
7. Stitch the rows together, pinning the center of the middle brick of a shortened row to the middle seam of a regular row and working your way out.

 

8. To avoid warping, stitch four sets of four together first, then stitch the sets together.

Why I love to sew...

I've been revisiting my love of sewing and fabrics of late. Early in my life, when I had more time than money, I made many of my own clothes, made stuffed animals, even did embroidery. Then I went through a long period of working too many hours and being able to buy whatever I needed, so I put all that aside.

Standing in the fabric store the other day, I found myself wanting to buy a multitude of fabrics that caught my eye and started to reminisce... you see, my love of sewing and of fabric was passed on to me from my mother, and I found myself remembering the pieces of fabric she had squirreled away in her cedar chest. When I was a child, we would take them out periodically and think about what they might become one day and then fold them back up for another day.

That must be when I learned to love all the different textures and colours. The vibrant ones make me feel alive and the unique ones awaken my creativity. I can stand in a fabric store envisioning the possibilities for hours. I worked in one while going to school and that feeling never went away, even after a full day shift.

But I realized, standing in the store the other day, how much that feeling is tied to the love I have for my mother. She taught me to see the possibilities and to try new things. Thanks, mom!

Spring meets winter

Just two weeks ago I was thinking spring had come to Texas in January. Now we're getting more snow than the Dallas area has seen in twenty years.

My Easter lillies were popping up...

My maple tree was starting to bud...

I guess snow and mistletoe do go together. But usually that's plastic mistletoe and fake snow. The green stuff in this photo is the real deal. I never knew it was a parasite until I moved here!

But, to me, the ultimate juxtaposition of southern and northern climates is this snow-covered southern magnolia.

Some thoughts on advertising

Let's face it, online advertising works, even if it is only subliminally. They take up real estate when we are trying to read something and yet we are drawn to them anyway.

This week I decided to get in the game and enable ads on this blog. Who knows what they will have cycled through to by the time anybody reads this, but when I checked out the look for the first time I had to laugh. The top ad was for Schwans frozen food. How did they know I was a regular customer?

Seriously, it does look like they picked ads based on my content to date, since there is a lot of healthy food and animal food ads so far, even an ad for attracting hummingbirds. Eerie, isn't it?

But back to Schwan's. I'm not sure how many states they are in and my Canadian friends are probably wondering who they are, but they make a lot of sense here in Texas. When it is 100 degrees outside and your car is even hotter by the time you leave the grocery store, you have to worry about your frozen foods. Or, you can have a freezer truck pull up to your house with your order.... I've been going with the freezer truck since I started working from home.

To be honest, their stuff isn't cheap. But in many cases, you are paying for quality. And there's always something on sale--my driver has learned what a sucker for a sale I am! I've tried a variety of things and keep coming back to the ones that are worth the buck. My picks?
- the best ice cream ever!
- Buffalo Chicken dip (spicy, but that's a plus in this house)
- the new Fresco pastas
- pizza's reasonably good if it's on sale
- chicken on a biscuit

And on the healthy food theme, check out their LiveSmart recipes!

Hummingbird update

In an earlier post, I promised pics if I could get one. I spotted a pair of hummingbirds at one point, but only caught the male with the camera. Turns out he is a ruby-throated hummingbird, probably the most common species. It is easier to see his colours in a freezeframe than in person. The morning sun behind them made it hard to pick them out too.

This picture also shows how my oak tree has decided to absorb the hanger for my regular birdfeeder into its trunk. I have a number of different birds that regularly visit, but I'm partial to the cardinals. I had a pair that looked rough and did some research online. Apparently cardinals will "molt" and get new feathers as they approach maturity and that's all that was going on. They both look great now.

One man's garbage is another man's treasure

I recycle paper, bottles and cans like everybody else does (or should), but I also have another little rule for myself. Nothing goes in the garbage if I think anybody else could possibly have a use for it. Whether I can afford to be wasteful or not, I refuse to become part of a throw-away society.
I once took a silly little toy from my cereal box to my manager and asked her if her young son would want it. She tilted her head and looked at me strangely until I explained I'd rather find a home for it than see it go in our landfill. She then laughed and agreed that was a fine extension of recycling. She took the toy home too.
People are usually touched that you thought of them if you have an item you suspect they'll have use for. If that doesn't work, charities will happily take almost anything.
Garage sales, eBay or Craigslist are good alternatives too. The strangest items will make you money. Or, again, a tax receipt from a charity works too.

Akita love

Much has been said about the loyalty of Akitas, but they inspire a similar depth of feeling in their owners. Akitas have such a strong personality that it is impossible not to love them.

Each of the three Akitas I have owned had a variety of facial expressions that reflected their intelligence and heart. Each of them were special and remain dear to my heart, but especially my girl, Pepper.

Everyone who met her grew to love her, even many people who professed not to like dogs much! How could you not, when she looked at you like this?

Several years ago, I went on a business trip that allowed me to meet many of the folks I'd been working with remotely. Of all the people I met, the one person who stood out and remains my friend today is a fellow Akita owner. I recognized the Akita charm Andrea was wearing and we've been comparing Akita photos and stories ever since. Unfortunately that included consoling each other when our dogs passed, but it was nice to have someone who understood our loss. And I follow the progress of her newest Akita, Lily, on her blog.

I was reminded of how I connected with Andrea when I sold some books online yesterday. The buyer asked me when she could expect delivery so that she could watch for them, explaining that "I have Akita's that are 160 and 130lbs each and don't let anyone out of their car." Protective dogs! Maybe it's time to get another one. I keep thinking about it, but when I look I see dogs that look so much like Pepper it hurts.