Like, Totally En Masse

Last Sunday, my friend Louise @imfeelincrafty, her son, and I met up to see the Like, Totally exhibit being held at University Unitarian Church in Seattle. Louise was designer of the Like, Totally design, and host of Seattle MQG's 2024 BOM, and we were really happy to be able to see nine of the quilts made from her pattern exhibited. So here they all are, the first being made by Louise, and the second by me. Then others made by our guild mates. Note that this isn't all of the ones made, as the exhibit only had space for a selection of them.

Like, Totally by Louise Wackerman @imfeelincrafty

Like, Totally by Debbie Jeske @aquilterstable

Is That In the Valley? by Beth Ratzlaff @goodlaffgirl

Ojo de Dios by Margaret Treleven Murphy @margarettrelevenmurphy

Like, Totally by Lynne Shandley @the_yarnivorous

Like, Totally by Noelle Remington @noelleandria

Like, Totally by Aline Cauley @augustdreamsquilts & Marion Lisko @marion7486

Brightness Encircles by Anne Crow @anncrow19

Like, Totally by Elizabeth Gould @eagouldquilt

I couldn't get a photo of all the quilts at once, as Louise's was on one wall, then the others all lined up on another very long wall. But still, so good to see!

April Fabric Usage

April was a good month fabric-wise! And productivity-wise, with my Pantone challenge entry, Brew; catching up with our guild BOM, Cascade Calendar; making a final piece for Block Studies Collective, Abstractions Redux; mini Easter baskets for the family brunch; AND my latest Open Jar response, Birdsong. To be honest, that all felt really good, and I'm excited about moving into a fresh slate of a month.

For fabric intake, there was just two yards of Prisma Dyes Artisan Batiks as possible bindings for the Lucky Stars quilt I am repairing for my daughter. Luckily, the darker fabric works! 

Another reason my fabric numbers look good is that I went through my entire stash and gathered up things I thought someone else could make better use of - 11 yards worth! So I'll be taking that all to the next guild meeting for the free table. Fingers crossed it'll find a better home than mine.

So that all finally put me in the negative for the year - a whopping net -10.67 yards used. That feels good, yes it does.

April Fabric Usage

Used up: 21.8 yards [7.45 projects + 2.46 recycled + 11.89 donated]
Brought in: 2.0 yards
Net: -19.8 yards

Ode to Joy

It's time for a new Bee Sewcial @beesewcial prompt, and it's my turn! The theme is "Ode to Joy," and I want my beemates to think about things that give them joy. What is their bliss? In what do they find a sense of wonder?

Here are my instructions to them....

I'm asking for six to eight 6.5" blocks (untrimmed is ok). Be a minimalist. IE. each 'design' should be constructed in a minimal way. It can be a recognizable thing (like my fork, which represents my love of cooking, trying new recipes, and eating out); or it can be less or non-recognizable (like my 'circle' of family). Either is fine. 

For colors, think black and white - ie. white background and black 'figure'. Various substrates are fine as long as they are washable. A mix of white and off-white (snow) is good, but not much darker, please. For the black, I'd really prefer black-black if you can. Occasionally feel free to use a small/partial colored element instead of black in the figure; but no more that what you see that I've used in a block though. Don't feel like you have to use color beyond the black and white, but you can if you feel inclined to.

I'm planning on making two more blocks, but I've really enjoyed what I've made so far. Of course I can't wait to see what my beemates make!

At the Table :: 2025 Rainy Day Bites January to April

Again, I know this post won't be for everyone, and trust me, I'll be back with some fun quilty content tomorrow, but I really appreciate documenting my participation in Rainy Day Bites Cookbook Club @rainydaybites, so here are all the recipes I've tried since January 1.

January

Featured book: What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers @carochambers (Note: This book is a new favorite! I tried A LOT of recipes, loved them, and am still cooking from it regularly.)

Smashburger Sammies with Well-Dressed Greens

Crunchy Refried Beans Taco-dillas with The Greatest Kale Salad

Enchilada Rice Skillet

Melty Mexican Cauliflower

Panko Honey Mustard Chicken with Frico Broccoli

Peanutty Pork-Zucchini

Cannellini Caprese with Burrata

Cheesy Rice and Beans + Burritos

Everything-Crusted Tuna

Foolproof Herby Omelet

Parm-Crusted Tuna Melts

Peanut Chicken Chop

Saucy Eggs

Sausage and Kale Pasta

Sesame Fried Egg Rice Bowls

Veggie Peanut Noods

February

Featured book: What Goes With What by Julia Turshen @turshen

Greek Orzo Bowl

My Usual Chopped Salad

Sticky Pork and Broccoli

Black Bean and Cheddar Cornbread Pie

March

Featured book: The League of Kitchen’s Cookbook: Brilliant Tips, Secret Methods & Favorite Family Recipes From Around The World by Lisa Gross @lisakyunggross and the women of the @leagueofkitchens

Afghan Eggs Fried in Ghee with Garlic and Turmeric by @the_league_of_k_

Burkinabe Chopped Meat Sandwiches by @benonaline

April

Featured book: Sobremesa: Tasty Mexican Recipes for Every Day by @holasus (Another big favorite!)

Adobo Verde Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Charred Tomato and Red Pepper Salsa and Spicy Chipotle Crema

One-Pan Zucchini and Corn with Crema with Homemade Beans and Spicy Margaritas

Burrata with Toasted Corn

Roasted Potatoes with Tangy Mayo

Spiked Coffee

January/February baking book: Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel @bromabakery

Funfetti Crumb Cake

Coffee Cake Cookies

Red Wine Brownies

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Brownies

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

March/April baking book: Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez @smallorchids

Egg Tarts

Bulla Snickerdoodles

Maria Cookie Icebox Cake

Dominican Brioche [aka Pan Sabao]

Though I don't usually participate in @rainydaybites' bread group #greatgrainsgroup, their global bread recipe challenge for April was Mexica: Tortillas, which fit perfect with our cooking from Sobremesa, and I'd always wanted to try making them. So....

Traditional Flour Tortillas recipe from Treasures of the Mexican Table by Pati Jinich @patijinich.

Corn Tortillas from Sobremesa

The end of the month baking party, and our theme for 2025, is The Year of Flavor.

January 1/31: Vanilla - Vanilla Scones from Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel @bromabakery

February 2/28: Chocolate - Single-Serve Double Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel @bromabakery

March 3/31: Nuts - Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti from Skinnytaste by Gina Homolka @skinnytaste

April 4/30: Berries - Strawberry Cloud Cookies from Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman @smittenkitchen

Whew! That's A LOT of new recipes tried, and a good number of them got stars in my books! This next period, May to August, is going to be a little bit different as far as how many books we cook from and the challenges will be broader. Check out Deborah's @rainydaybites post if you want to know more.