If you read or follow Yvonne from Quilting Jet Girl, Leanne from She Can Quilt or Beth from Cooking Up Quilts you will have noticed that they have been involved in the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Group. This is a group, hosted by these three wonderful women, which gives a chance to people new to blogging to connect and learn from each other and, of course, our talented hosts. I joined up last year and learnt so much and met so many great people that I wanted to do it again this year.
So today is my stop on the Blog Hop. Hello and welcome if you are new here!! My name is Abigail and I blog here as cut&alter and am active over on instagram.
This year I was delighted to be asked to be on of the Global Hosts for the 2017 Finish-A-Long. As part of that I recently did a Meet the Host introduction post and so rather than repeat myself I thought I would cover something different in this post! (By the way if you do want to know more about me then click on over here to have a read!)
10 THINGS ABOUT ME AND MY QUILTS
1. My Latest Finish
So today is my stop on the Blog Hop. Hello and welcome if you are new here!! My name is Abigail and I blog here as cut&alter and am active over on instagram.
This year I was delighted to be asked to be on of the Global Hosts for the 2017 Finish-A-Long. As part of that I recently did a Meet the Host introduction post and so rather than repeat myself I thought I would cover something different in this post! (By the way if you do want to know more about me then click on over here to have a read!)
10 THINGS ABOUT ME AND MY QUILTS
1. My Latest Finish
This is my latest finish and my first all solid quilt - and I'm not sure I really like it! I haven't yet done a post about this as it was literally finished last week to hang at a show this weekend just gone. There were issues with it at every stage but hopefully, after a period of reflection, I may grow to like it. It grew on me a little when I found out it had come 2nd in the Modern Category!
2. My First Show Quilt and First Longarmed Quilt
I bought my first FQs at Festival of Quilts in August 2015 and along with fabric from my stash I made this quilt to enter into the Great Northern Quilt Show in Harrogate in September 2015! I made it in 3 1/2 weeks - you can read more about it here.
3. My First Quilt
This was the first quilt I ever made and I still love it. It is made with Laura Ashley leftovers from the houses we grew up in as children. It was a constant companion on the many long haul flights I took with little children. It is now called the Peanut Butter Quilt, after it was christened thus by my youngest daughter.
4. A Patriotic Quilt
I am from the UK and my husband is from New Zealand - this quilt came about because of that! Should I Stay or Should I Go? was blogged about over here.
5. My First QAL Quilt and First Blog Hop
Soon after I started quilting again and blogging, I came across Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts and she was starting a QAL for her Dog Gone Cute. She had put a call out for people for a Blog Hop and so I put up my hand. My daughter sleeps under this quilt every night, even in the summer - for the full story click here.
6. A Quilt for Me
I love, love, love this quilt to pieces, although technically it is still a quilt top! Last year I asked for this block from my Stash Bee Hive. When the blocks started arriving I loved it so much I knew I wanted it bigger. I made a couple of extra blocks but realised I didn't have enough variety of scraps to get the look I wanted. I was Queen Bee for my Stash Bee Hive this January and so asked for this block again. It was recently pieced whilst on the Jersey Modern Quilt Guild Rainbow Retreat. I have the wadding and the backing ready - now I just need the time to quilt it!
I love, love, love this quilt to pieces, although technically it is still a quilt top! Last year I asked for this block from my Stash Bee Hive. When the blocks started arriving I loved it so much I knew I wanted it bigger. I made a couple of extra blocks but realised I didn't have enough variety of scraps to get the look I wanted. I was Queen Bee for my Stash Bee Hive this January and so asked for this block again. It was recently pieced whilst on the Jersey Modern Quilt Guild Rainbow Retreat. I have the wadding and the backing ready - now I just need the time to quilt it!
7. My Longest WIP
I was so happy when I finally finished this quilt last year and very relieved when I still loved it! It was wonderful to take on retreat and sleep under it. You can read more about it here.
8. A Swap Mini Quilt
I was so sad to see this quilt go when I had to send it to my partner. At the start of this year I decided to make it again after designing it in EQ7. One quilt derived from this has been made, see here, and another is on my 2017FAL list.
9. A Quilt as a Present
Not sure what to get your mum for her 80th? Why make her a Scrabble Quilt of course! Read all about it over here.
10. A Quilt Using a New Technique
At the beginning of the year I attended a workshop to make a confetti quilt. This was a new to me technique and whilst I wasn't quite sure if I liked the technique, whilst I was doing it, I do like the result. The other satisfying thing about this quilt is that it was made, from start to finish, in under 3 weeks! Further details can be found here.
Quilting and Blogging Tip
I thought for quite a while about these tips and whilst I could have come up with two separate ones I have decided that my tip works equally well for both - ASK QUESTIONS! If you are not sure how to do something, if you see something someone is making and would like to know more, if you need some advice on fabric choice .... ask, ask, ask. I have never been afraid to ask for help and since joining the online community I have been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I have received. I had a problem with tension a couple of weeks ago and so many people responded which meant that I could continue my quilt and get it finished in time for the deadline. Without that help it wouldn't have happened.
Another tip that works well for both categories is to do what you love - make what you love, blog about what you love. I know it sounds simple but it is surprisingly simple to get caught up in the 'should make, could make, want to be part of' pysche of social media that sometimes you end up sitting there wondering what on earth you are doing. Stay true to what you love and not only will you enjoy doing it more but you will still find your people!
And a question for you ....
Last year I asked what/who your favourite book/author was and I had an amazing response. If you are interested I collated the list over here and have been happily reading many of the suggestions. This year my question is do you have a go to recipe to bulk cook and freeze ahead of time? I quite often find myself close to dinner time with no dinner prepared and no plan as to what's for dinner. I would love to get more organised and bulk cook and freeze so that we can still be eating healthy home made meals even when I don't want to be cooking (because you all know where I would rather be don't you?!)
For Week 1 of this Blog Hop you may also like to visit these other members of my Hive:
Abigail of cut&alter - that's me!
Amanda of Quiltologie
Jess of Sew Jess Handmade
Rachel of Making a Be
Rose of Something Rose Made
but please do go visit the others too .....
there is Yvonne with her Blooming Quilters
and Leanne with her Let's Bee Quilt'n Hive
There are also lots of lovely prizes up for grabs in a giveaway!!
Many thanks for reading and hope to see you again. x
You have so many beautiful quilts in your collection - very inspiring!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I am like you when it comes time for dinner preparation, so I will have to check back here after suggestions have been made ;)
Thanks for popping over Samantha - I always have good intentions re dinner but then time gets away with me!
DeleteHi Abigail, your quilts are just magnificent. Oh and for the freezer a big batch of savoury mince which I know sounds a bit blah but you can then jazz it up by then making spaghetti bolognese (with pasta or vege noodles), add it to a soup for extra protein, lasagna, cottage pie - it is so very versatile.
ReplyDeleteThanks Fi. I hadn't thought about making a generic mince and then using that as the base for different dishes - will keep that in mind thanks!
DeleteAbigail you have such a variety of quilts, but I think your Mom's is the best, Scrabble. My mom would have loved one.
ReplyDeleteOur go to make ahead is pasta sauce. We never tire of pasta and thawing a sauce is quick and easy.
Thanks for sharing your journey so far, can't wait to see your future quilts.
Thanks for popping by Jan - I was really happy with the Scrabble quilt - luckily it turned out just as I wanted and it was made in a couple of evenings before her birthday!
DeleteI have seen your top quilt on Instagram and it is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by Cindy - it was a relief to get it finished and I think it is slowly growing on me!
DeleteWhat fabulous quilts! You have such an artistic eye. Visiting from the New Quilt bloggers hop.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Carole - for the lovely comment and for visiting! It's been a great Blog Hop so far - hope you are enjoying it!
DeleteWhat a beautiful collection of quilts, I recognize your rainbow of wonky stars! I think I used it in a mosaic for a swap :) Your work is stunning!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! I do love my rainbow stars and I think I may have some more in me yet!!
DeleteAbigail, I love seeing your quilts. It is great that you did the new bloggers hop, I thought about it, just not enough time. I love your new quilt and congrats on the 2nd placing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Heide! I did wonder whether to do it for a second time or not but it has been great - in fact I have had more time this year with the girls now at school and so have learned lots of new things!
DeleteWow, Abigail, what a great post! So much fun to see your quilts -- they are amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy - both for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteAbigail, even though I've seen most of your quilts before I never get tired of looking at them. You are one talented lady with an eye for design. Good tips too! Unfortunately, I don't have any good cooking tips for you. My hubby does most of the cooking! (Thank goodness, or we'd starve to death) Thanks for sharing the list of books!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you Janice!! I have to say that I really enjoyed looking through my old photos and seeing things I have made in the past. I am very quick to move on to a new project, quite often whilst still working on things, and so they go out of my mind very quickly. Maybe what I really need instead of recipes is to train up my husband!!
DeleteHi Abigail, my bee mate! Your wonderful quilts really show the amazing creative energy you have. I love your post, it's awesome and inspiring and really gives a great insight of your quilting life. I am blessed that my husband does all of the cooking so unfortunately I can't offer a recipe. I had to choose between Quilting and cooking and you know what won. Happy Hopping too!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for popping over Rose and for your lovely comments! I said above to Janice that maybe I asked the wrong question with regard to recipes - maybe my question should have been how do I get my husband to do the cooking every day?!!
DeleteAbigail, I never tire of looking at your quilts! You do beautiful work! So glad the blog hop is under way!
ReplyDeleteI forgot...when I make a casserole like Chicken and Rice or Lasagna, I try to make extra and freeze one for later!
DeleteMany thanks Paige! I am having a lot of fun hopping all over the place today. I think I realise where a problem lies with regards to cooking and freezing whilst I like all of the suggestions my two girls seem to be polar opposite in what they will eat so it's also trying to find some common ground. I haven't tried lasagna for a while so thanks for the reminder :)
DeleteGreat to see so many of your spectacular quilts in the one post! Asking questions is great advice and having a forum like the NQB has been invaluable to me. I'm no cook so I can't add to your recipe search!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Sue - I totally agree with you on the NQB. The common theme I am finding with the answers to my questions is that a lot of quilters prefer to sew and quilt than cook - I shouldn't really be surprise at that!!!
DeleteThank you for sharing your quilt finishes! You have made some beautiful ones! Great to meet you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by Laura and for your kind words.
DeleteYour quilts are amazing! They're so beautiful, and your quilting is so fantastic. My favorite is between your Latest Finish and your Swap Mini Quilt. As for cooking ... the thing I'm best at making is online orders for takeout. What can I say, I'd rather quilt than cook :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping over Liz and taking the time to comment. Hmmmm I get a feeling most quilters would prefer to quilt than cook - maybe I should just give in to the fact!!
DeleteYour quilts are amazing!!! They are beautiful and your quilting is fabulous. Now for the cooking, I'm lucky that my husband does a lot of the cooking, because I would rather quilt. But one of my favorite go to meals is soup and then I freeze any leftovers for lunches and quick dinners.
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping over Jess and your lovely words! Hmmm obviously the answer is to get my husband to cook more - now how do I do that?!
DeleteWow! Hi Abigail, It is amazing to see all of these quilts in one place! It shows your journey and exploration! I love it! thank you for sharing. The quilt top you have made for yourself is beautiful and heartfelt. What a meaningful quilt with the pieces from other quilting friends. Just lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah for visiting and your kind words. I am so looking forward to MY quilt - it will really be treasured and although we're heading into the warmer weather I think it will stay out all summer in the lounge!
DeleteA wonderful display of amazing quilts.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Ioleen - both for visiting and your lovely comment!
DeleteWow! There are so many wonderful quilts shown here - you have so much talent Abigail! I love the scrabble quilt! I can't wait to pop over and read more about it. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Beth - your lovely comment is really appreciated! Having revisited the Scrabble Quilt for this post I am quite tempted to make another one!
DeleteI really enjoyed seeing your beautiful quilts all together in one post. I remember reading your blog even before we did the 2016 new quilt bloggers, your quilts were wonderful then and it has been fascinating watching your development. Have a great hop.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Kate - it is so lovely to see so many comments today from friends from last year. I haven't been quite as active as I had planned but I do love all the connections we forged. It has been fun for me aswell looking back at quilts and seeing where I have come from ...... lots more still to go - will we ever make all the quilts that are in our head?!! x
DeleteI hate to admit that I use alot of prepared meals- frozen bags or ready meals from Costco which are quite good. I like your quilts!
ReplyDeletecork@pa.rr.com
I really like all of your quilts. My favorites are your all solid quilt, the scrabble quilt and the swan.
ReplyDeleteI use a crock pot--just throw everything in it in the morning and you have the bulk of your meal ready for supper. Make twice as much as you need and freeze the rest. Can be thawed in the microwave if you forget to take it out of the freezer ahead of time. A lot of suggestion I have heard for this sort of thing depend on how much freezer space you have.
Thanks for popping by Susan! We do have a crock pot but I seem to have forgotten all about it .... will have to get it down from the top shelf, clean it up and actually use it!!
DeleteIt was nice to see these beauties again. I'm sure I gave you a book suggestion last year but I can't give you the recipe because like you I'm often stuck last minute trying to figure out what to cook. I'll come back and check out your list though.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! You did indeed give me a book suggestion last year - All the Light We Cannot See - which I read and really liked! Hmmm it seems a lot of us are in the same boat when it comes to cooking!!!
DeleteGreat post, Abigail! I loved every one of the quilts you shared, especially the Scrabble one and that swan is amazing. I've never heard of the confetti technique, though. Do you know of a link you could give me so I can get an idea of how it works? I love making Pizza Pasta Casserole (though, honestly, I tend to just make it one at a time on the day I need it) http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pizza-pasta-casserole Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHi Leanne - thanks for taking the time to visit by stop on the Blog Hop! Your kind comments are very much appreciated. I have just looked for a link for confetti quilts and can't find a tutorial. The basis of it is to build up a picture, akin to colour by numbers, with small bits of fabric. This then gets FMQ all over to keep them in place. Thanks for the recipe - just checked it out and it sounds delicious!
DeleteI'm the wrong person to ask. As a vegetarian, I often make small bowls of "Go-to Pasta", which for me is a bowl of pasta topped with olive oil, garlic, and grated cheese. My partner is not a vegetarian and he prefers hamburgers, which I make into patties and freeze individually.
ReplyDeleteOh Beth I could easily eat your Go-to Pasta 3 or 4 times a weeks and just change the toppings but like yours my husband loves his meat and I have two girls who seem to have totally opposite in their food ....... Thanks so much for stopping by.
DeleteGreat quilts and quilting. Thanks for inviting us to view your blog during this hop.
ReplyDeleteAs for food freezing meals, it's not something that I do. I have always liked my food fresh cooked and I generally do not eat leftovers. But I do meal plan and it worked when I was raising my children. Usually I plan what I want to eat weekly and buy those ingredients a week to 2 weeks out. I like a lot of fresh vegetables and not so much meat.
I hope you find something system that will work best for you.
Thanks for stopping by my stop on the Blog Hop! I think planning probably could help a great deal aswell - it's very difficult to know what to cook when there's not much in the cupboards or fridge!!
DeleteHi Abigail, very amazing quilts you have on display here! I've seen them on instagram but it was great to see them all together in a post. The scrabble quilt is just perfect and I love how the confetti quilt came together.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave such lovely comments. Like you I often see quilts on IG but then love reading more about the quilt and the processes in a blog.
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ReplyDeleteYour quilts are beautiful! It's lovely to have you in the blog hop!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Leanne. It's been a great group to be involved with again and I have learnt lots of different things this year. Thanks for being one of the hosts.
DeleteI am so glad you joined the hop again this year! Doing two introduction type posts near to one another is a challenge and I like how you were able to share so much and differently with us here. I do hope the quilt you just finished continues to grow on you, I think it is amazing and I look forward to reading more about it. In terms of bulk cooking, I tend to grow a lot of tomatoes in the summer and make homemade pasta sauce to freeze and enjoy over the winter.
ReplyDeleteThanks Yvonne - it's been a great group again this year. I was a little worried about what I was going to share but I think this worked out OK! A post about my latest finish is imminent - having the girls home for Easter holiday has postponed quite a lot of things. Hmmm homemade tomato sauce - that sounds great. Our freezer used to be full of that in NZ but with a very small garden here I haven't got into the swing of growing any food .... plus one daughter does not like tomatoes!!
DeleteNot much new for me, but just curious -- how long ago did you get your long arm?
ReplyDeleteHi Diana - I got my longarm 18 months ago now. Initially I did quite a lot of Project Linus quilts but then had a few months when Home Ed took over and it became very expensive storage. Now the girls are at school I would like to think I will have more time to practice new designs.
DeleteYour quilts are so lovely! Your show quilt and the mini swap quilt really speak to me though. I must have a thing for rainbows right now. So glad you're part of the New Quilters this year!
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer - thanks for stopping by. It's been a fun group again this year hasn't it? My rainbow thing doesn't seem to be going away so I have just embraced it!!
DeleteCongrats on the second place on the most recent finish. It's a very elegant quilt, not quite as bright as your others. Maybe that's why it's taking you a bit to fall in love with it. I'm lucky that I'm not the main cook in the house. My Guy and Drama Teen like playing in the kitchen, so I'm off the hook for dinner most nights. So I'm no help on the freeze ahead recipes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate for stopping by and commenting. I hadn't really thought about how different the quilt is colourwise - it really is isn't it?!! Aaargh I need a My Guy and Drama Teen of my own to solve my problem!!
DeleteHi Abigail! I follow you on IG and I am always loving your quilts. Your quilt show here on your blog is impressive....can't pick a favorite! I don't freeze ahead...just leftovers are sometimes frozen. My crockpot is my friend on busy days!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for popping by Sharon and your lovely comments. I have neglected my crock pot this winter but think I need to get it down, dust it off and start using it because I always have good intentions at the start of the day which wane by tea time!!
DeleteAbigail you are a phenomenal quilter, which I knew, but seeing these all here, many of them for a second time, since I've followed you for a year now, and reading a bit about them is such a treat. I have a great Italian Minestrone Vegetarian soup recipe I've been thinking about posting; I'll let you know when I do!
ReplyDeleteOh why thank you Sandra - has it really been a year? I will have to keep a look out for that recipe - we all like soup so that's a good choice for us, usually with stewed apple or crumble for pudding!
DeleteYour first quilt is the one I love the best. I want to take it home with me!
ReplyDeleteThe one dish I make and freeze is lasagna, an expensive dish when it comes to ingredients I think, but well worth the effort.
Why thank you Tami! I think I need to try lasagna again and see if the children like it more this time. It definitely is something to make more off and freeze because my recipe's pretty time consuming!
DeleteYour work is just so beautiful every time. I've enjoyed following you on Instagram since last year's blog hop.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing to stock the freezer is chicken cutlets. I slice the chicken breast thinly, dredge in seasoned flour, dip in egg, then dredge in seasoned bread crumbs and fry it. I serve it as chicken parmesan, chicken picatta, or plain with mashed potatoes. It is a lot of work and makes a mess, so I make a lot if I am going to do it.
Thanks for popping over Jen - and for your kind comments. Great recipe and one that I think will work for all the members of the family!!
DeleteYour quilts are inspirational, they are so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved reading about you.
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting Vanda - I really do appreciate it!
DeleteThis is a lovely post Abigail, I loved seeing all of your beautiful quilts! You have such a variety but I think my favourite is the Patriotic Quilt, I love the colours. Lovely to meet you.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you Diane! It's was a fun post to write and look back over my quilts and there really is quite a lot of variety there isn't there? Looking forward to learning more about you on your stop on the Blog Hop.
DeleteI absolutely love seeing this round up of quilts! Such a great idea for a post. I'm amazed at the challenge you gave yourself for your first ever longarming project. That quilt is gorgeous! I started simpler and worked my way up.
ReplyDeleteI have a "I'm not sure I really like it" moment with every quilt I make! Your quilt is lovely though. I don't have any meals that I freeze but I do make shredded chicken in the crock pot at the beginning of the week and then I use that in two or three meals. It helps cut down on prep time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to approach your second New Bloggers post - I really enjoyed seeing all these quilts together in one place. I'm useless at cooking and freezing - always think I should but seems like the more I cook, the more they eat!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great question! I'll cheat a little and give you my favorite recipe website: https://www.budgetbytes.com/ I'm sure the budget part won't translate well to another country, but the recipes themselves are great. And like many others have said, I love my slow cooker!
ReplyDeleteI will also share my method for freezing casseroles. When I make any sort of casserole, I try to make a double (or sometimes triple) batch and freeze whole casseroles. I have several identical 8 x 8 casserole dishes. I make the recipe and divide between the correct number of dishes. Once cooled, I cover the extras and put the casserole dish (pyrex) in the freezer. A day later, I essentially pop it out like a really big ice cube. (If it doesn't come out, you can put some hot water in your sink and hold the frozen casserole over; that loosens it enough it will pop out.) Then I wrap up the frozen brick, label with what it is, and store in the freezer. When I want to eat it, I unwrap, put it back in the casserole dish, and defrost in the fridge for a day, sometimes two. (If you forget, you can cook from frozen but it takes a lot longer.) Then I bake as normal for that recipe. We did this a lot when I worked crummy hours,and I would use my days off to bake a big batch of something.
Also, the book Parents Need to Eat Too has some great recipes for big batch cooking--that's where I got my freezing method. I also really like her twice baked potatoes--those are easy to make in a variety of "flavors" and they freeze & reheat well and make a great side.
I loved revisiting some of your past quilts, and your Stash Bee quilt looks fabulous!!!! I can't wait to see it finished!
Hi Abigail! Love how you have 10 different categories and quilts to go with each one! Your quilting is fabulous! Love the swan quilt and the quilting. And the quilting on the mini swap quilt is great. I'd love to visit NZ someday.
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