It's been busy, busy, busy around here. I had set myself a target of gifting a few quilts this Xmas and have worked steadily away at finishing them over this past couple of weeks.{for other Xmas finishes see here & here} Must admit, I do still have trouble enjoying sewing down the bindings. I think I'm too impatient, I miss catching bits in, and, if the quilt is quite large like this one, my hands ache when I've finished (the old a.g.e. problem I guess!).
Anyways, don't you just love actually finishing things?
I completed my last quilt, the 'hadley & cream' one, yesterday. I knew it needed to be simple, graphic, and not too floral. I had 'motherly' thoughts (as you do!) while I made it for my son, I made up a name for it, and I decided on a quilting pattern. And then I had a real panic moment - in recent conversations, it turns out my son & daughter-in-law both prefer my darker coloured quilts! I could just see their new quilt being left here when they move over to Melbourne end of December!
Earlier in the week I took my almost finished quilt to our Monday Modern group and was pleasantly surprised! Liz had this to say...
... I thought it had a real 50's space/atomic age designer aesthetic. That was why I mentioned the Jetsons - it reminded me of that style of design. It's a personal favourite of mine, and I think is pretty trendy at the moment. The quilting really brought it out...
Amazing how differently we all see things, isn't it? And I just love Liz's visual description!
So fingers crossed Peter & Char will like it too! But in future, I will stick to a more darker palette for them!
Edit: I just spotted Amanda Jean's latest post
lots of interesting comments about gifting quilts, have a wee look here !
Linking up with TGIFF here
Finish it up Friday over here
and also here @ santa's sweatshop party over at Porch Swing Quilts!
Finish it up Friday over here
and also here @ santa's sweatshop party over at Porch Swing Quilts!
Time now to start thinking about that turkey for Xmas lunch and just how do I achieve a moist, tender turkey? do I brine it or not? do I stuff it or not? ...any favourite turkey tips {TT}?
You might be overthinking here...I am sure your son & daughter in law will love it. Your quilt is beautiful, it has a traditional vibe which I love. :-)
ReplyDeleteRegarding the turkey, I usually brine it the but this year on Thanksgiving I didn't, I did not have the extra time it takes to do it...
This year, I cooked my turkey on a bed of vegetables (onions, carrots and celery). I put salt and pepper, an onion and a bouquet of fresh poultry herbs in the cavity, I rubbed the bird with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper. I do not cover entirely with foil, just the legs. The turkey was delicious, really moist and flavorful.
I think either way is fine when prepared and cook properly (not overcook).
I am not convinced that the brine makes a turkey more tender or moist.
Whichever way you chose to prepare it, do not only rely on a thermometer...They don't always work correctly...you can trust me on that one.
Here're some useful tips;
http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/articles/top-turkey-tips.html
I love stuffing, but I don't stuff the turkey, I cook it in a separate pan.
I will be cooking a turkey again for Christmas and I am thinking not to brine it. :-)
Good luck!
Great fabric choices, Linda! I'm sure your son and daughter-in-law will love the quilt! Thanks for linking up to TGIFF! Good luck with the turkey! I don't brine, mostly because I don't have a container big enough. I do stuff the turkey though and keep it covered with aluminum foil until the last hour.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, I did wonder what I would actually put the turkey in, if I did decide to brine it!! It's a lot of responsibility being in charge of that turkey.. measuring up to previous year's successes! {I need a sous chef!} Linda
DeleteAlways brine ours and they are always moist. We have a cooler we use to brine, so we can keep adding ice to keep it chilled while brining.
ReplyDeleteLove the quilting!! Looks like you are getting lots of good turkey advice too.
ReplyDeleteI've never brined our turkey... in fact, I'd never even heard of brining a turkey until a few years ago. One thing that has made a huge difference in how tender and moist our turkey turns out, is that back in 2000, I bought one of those electric oven roasters like this one: http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/roaster-ovens-stainless-steel-22-quart-roaster-oven-32229.html I cook our turkey in that covered in foil and then to brown the skin put it under the broiler after it's cooked and just before serving. I do stuff the turkey. And because our family loves dressing, I usually make an extra packet of dressing as well.
ReplyDeleteThe quilt is beautiful and sure to be loved! I have had those moments when gifting a quilt... but the recipient always ends up loving it in the end :) I swear by soaking turkey in alcohol (tequila or champagne - cheap stuff, no need to go top shelf) and cooking a roasting bag (or brown paper bag, that's what mom used to use!). Anyway, I don't know what the alcohol does but every time I do it the turkey turns out fabulous :) You only need to let it get loaded (or soak LOL) overnight. I've never stuffed a turkey before. . . so I don't do that but definitely brining or getting that bird drunk helps :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha reading Judy's comment about getting the turkey loaded reminds me of beer can up the butt chicken that my husbnad swears by, and every single person he's fed loves it. I'd never heard of soaking a turkey in alcohol, huh, who knew. Anyhow! About your quilt! I love the quilting pattern you did! What a cool combo of stars and spirals! Did you invent it?
ReplyDeleteAll these TT are wonderful! I found the quilting pattern somewhere on the internet, forwarded it to Annette who does longarm quilting. She managed to download it for me, and there you go! For details re quilting see this earlier post here -http://kokaquilts.blogspot.co.nz/2014/12/one-down-two-to-go.html
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