• 14Sep

    I decided I wanted something red and white and simple for the beds in Sweden.  A checkerboard quilt seemed perfect, so I cut  a bunch of 2″ strips from my red and white fabrics and sewed them together.  Then I cut them in 2″ segments.

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    I hauled them to a retreat with me!

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    Then it was just a matter of sewing them together into longer and longer strips.

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    You know the drill.  Once the strips were long enough it was time to sew them together.

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    Here’s the first one when I finished it at the retreat and spread it on my bed.

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    In keeping with the “simple” theme, I just quilted diagonally with wavy lines.

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    But I didn’t go all the way in one direction, I did more of a chevron pattern.

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    I was really pleased with the way it turned out.

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    I found this cute bird print for the back.

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    Each quilt was 40 squares by 50 squares, or 2000 squares!  (Scary when you say it that way!)

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    Yes, I said “each quilt” because I made two of them!

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    Here’s Bob getting his.  I gave it to him before we left home so he could put it in his suitcase!

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    When we first got to Sweden, we had to sleep upstairs because our bedroom wasn’t remodeled yet.

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    But once the remodel was finished, we brought the bed—and the quilts—downstairs to their new home.

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    I didn’t like the way the Dala horses showed through the wallpaper.  It looked like they were in jail!  So, I added some fabric to the back of the headboard.

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    Now I really must do something about pillows!

     

  • 10Sep
    Categories: Everything! Comments: 1

    It all started when our summer neighbor in Sweden, Karin, brought us a bottle of homemade rhubarb saft (pronounced “soft”).

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    Saft is a fruit concentrate that you add to still or sparkling water for a refreshing summer drink.  It’s so delicious, I just had to try making some myself.  And Karin was nice enough to share the recipe.

    You will need:

    4 – 5 pounds rhubarb

    2 lemons

    Boiling water

    5 cups sugar

    2 pinches sodium benzoate

    2 pinches citric acid

    Wash the rhubarb and cut into 1/2″ slices. Place half in a heatproof pan or bowl.

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    Wash the lemons and slice thinly.  Spread over the rhubarb in the pan.

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    Add the rest of the rhubarb.

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    Cover with boiling water.

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    Cover with plastic or a lid and put in a cool place (our cellar worked great) for four days.

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    Strain the fruit through a jelly bag or two layers of cheesecloth.  Let it run about 60 minutes.

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    Add the sugar and boil for 20 minutes.  Let stand for five minutes and skim.

    Add preservatives.  Pour into warm bottles and seal.

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    Pour about 2″ in the bottom of a glass.  Add flat or sparkling water.

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    Perfect on a hot day!