Our Favorite Au Gratin Potatoes

I made these potatoes today and thought I would share the recipe.  Anyone who lived in Ohio or Michigan might remember a small restaurant chain called Bill Knapp's.  They offered plain food deliciously prepared at a

great price (which is probably why the chain is not in business anymore).  They sometimes offered a coupon special that included soup, salad, an entree with 2 sides, plus a dessert, all for the unbeatable price of about $6.00.  We usually chose their fried chicken or fish and always a side of au gratin potatoes.  Always!  Dessert favorites were chocolate cake and apple pie.  On birthdays the waiter honored the celebrant with a double layer chocolate cake, often chilled, with a single candle in the middle, no charge.  The perfect ending to a great meal. 

We mourned the closing of Bill Knapp's and even these days sometimes comment, "It's too bad Bill Knapp's closed."  My younger daughter most mourned the loss of Bill Knapp's au gratin potatoes.  With hope, she searched the internet for imitation recipes and found one that is nearly identical in taste.  We've been enjoying them ever since.  If you happen to remember and miss Bill Knapp's au gratin potatoes or if you love potatoes and cheese, here's the recipe.  I hope you enjoy the cheesy potato goodness as much as we do!

Bill Knapp's-Style Au Gratin Potatoes

Dice:  4# potatoes into 1/2" squares
Boil until just tender.  Drain.

Grate or cube:  3/4# cheddar cheese.  Set aside 1/2 cup.

Melt:  1/4 c. butter or margarine
Stir in:  1/4 c. flour

In large saucepan combine & bring to boil:
1 3/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
Remove from heat and stir in butter/flour.  Mix.  Return to heat and bring to boil.
Boil 3-5 minutes.  Reduce heat.

Add:  cheddar cheese (except the 1/2 c. you set aside)
Mix until cheese is melted.

Add & gently mix in:  the diced, cooked potatoes

Pour into 8 greased ramekins or one 9" x 13" greased pan.

Top with remaining 1/2 c. cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

-Nancy.
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February's One Monthly Goal Accomplished

Don't you love it when you can accomplish a goal, especially by a self-imposed deadline?!  I do.  This was an interim goal, one step toward a completely finished quilt.  But I do like to set smaller goals along the way to a grander finish.  I'll celebrate big when the quilt is bound, washed, and dried.  But for now, I'm pleased to have finished this smaller goal along the way to that bigger goal.

At the beginning of the month I wasn't sure I could finish appliqueing 72 circles onto 36 blocks by the end of the month, slow stitcher that I am.  But by last Friday they were all stitched down--a goal met with a week to spare!

I love the look of all 36 layers of those creamy neutrals together.

Now I'm thinking about the next goal for these blocks and this quilt.

I'm linking this post to OMG: It's Finished Party! February 2016 at Red Letter Quilts.  Thanks for organizing and hosting One Monthly Goal this year, Heidi. 

--Nancy.
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Leftover Play

I have these scrappy pieces left from cutting away behind appliqued stars. 

The largest size I can cut is 4" square.  Of course, I have plenty of light scraps I could use to make them larger.  We're just playing.

I have some strips from collars, cuffs, and leftovers from other quilts.

And I have some scrap triangles.

And then I have some circles cut from the backs of the appliqued circles on the star blocks.  (Sorry about the flash photo due to lack of sunlight in recent days.)

I have this conversation with myself about circles:

Me:  I really don't enjoy appliqueing circles.

Myself:  Maybe not, but they're ready-made.  All you have to do is stitch them down.

Me:  The stitching down is the part I don't like about circles.  I could cut them into squares and then I could sew them on the machine.

Myself:  But that would be a waste of fabric and you really don't like to waste fabric.  You should just use the circles.  See, here's what they would look like.  You could put the big ones in the corners between these blocks....

I haven't convinced myself, so we continue to play.

I think I like the lighter cross bars: less contrast and I suppose I'm thinking of spring.

I just noticed that Barbara Brackman published a post about circles today, too:  Too Dots, Two Moons.  Maybe I'll consider the layout in that post.

On the other hand, I'm sure there are plenty of other ways I could use these scrappy leftovers.

I'm linking this post to
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
> Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
> Moving It Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag
> Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
> Design Wall at Patchwork Times
> Main Crush Monday (MCM) #9 at Cooking Up Quilts
Thanks, ladies.

--Nancy.
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Five Down

I continued the quilting as I began and am stitching a quarter an inch from most of the seams.  I think it works for the quilt, though you can't really see the quilting in this photo to tell.  We had the greyest day today so photos were, once again, taken with a flash.

I've finished five blocks and have 33 yet to quilt, plus 20 half blocks around the edges of the quilt.

Below is one of my favorite blocks.   The red is fabric from maybe the 1950s, possibly earlier.  The light stripes are from a shirt.   When you make scrappy quilts, do you have favorite blocks, too? 

I haven't quilted any of the blue sashing yet.  I'll stitch a quarter of an inch from the seam and maybe across the center so the quilting aligns with the quilting in the cross pieces of the block.  I'll have to try it and see what I think.

I'm linking this post to
- WOW at Esther's Blog and
- Let's Bee Social #113 at Sew Fresh Quilts. 
Thanks for hosting, ladies. 

I invite you readers to click the links above to see what others are working on this week.

--Nancy.
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A Few More Antique / Vintage Quilts

The antique mall in our area is a fun place to visit not only because of what's inside but also because it was originally home to some fraternal organization.  There are nooks and crannies, steps going up the front and steps going up the back, and steps going down.  Little rooms and big rooms and plenty of hallways, too.  All filled to the brim with objects from earlier times.  Too fun!  Every visit offers old quilts, always different than the last time I was there. 

This string quilt had a variety of fabrics including corduroy.

It was machine quilted but the border was hand-stitched, and very primitively, too.

This red and white quilt was in poor condition--almost threadbare in some places.  Well-loved, no doubt.

It was hand quilted with Baptist Fans.  The border was pink!

This quilt of simple strips of pink and blue was quilted with cables.

There was a collection of bow ties, four to a block.  I didn't count how many blocks but there were a lot.  They were all hand stitched.

This was the first time I saw Sunbonnet Sue blocks at this particular antique mall. 

This tulip quilt made me think of Audrey of Quilty Folk because she so often appliques large flowers on her quilts.  Each of these blocks (one flower) was 15 1/2".  The space was too small to open the quilt all the way so I don't know how many blocks there were.

And last, these blocks were 12 1/2".  Again, close quarters prevented me from opening it to see its full size.

Do you ever see old quilts and think, I wish I'd made that!?  I do!

I hope you're having a great day.

--Nancy.
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More Stars

I finished appliqueing circles on stars on Friday so moved on to this quilt.  It's interesting:  my day just doesn't seem complete without a needle and thread in my hand for at least a few minutes.

I started with red thread on the stars and white on the light backgrounds.  But now I've changed to a pale brown that blends with/almost disappears on both.  But I'm still considering whether to use the brown or use red on red, green, and blue fabric and cream on light fabric.  Either way, I'll stick with a light color on the center stars.  (My hand quilting is not good enough yet to use dark thread on light fabric.)

The other thing I wonder with this quilt is whether outlining the star points is enough quilting.  The square toward the center of each quarter is 2" finished.  (I wonder about these things because I'm still relatively new to hand quilting.)  I'm using Soft 'n' Crafty 80% cotton/20% poly which suggests 2"-4" quilting distance.  I think it should be fine to quilt the star points the way I'm doing it, right?  I guess I'll know after washing and drying the quilt.

I stitch first, then photograph later, which explains the not-so-great photos taken with a flash. 

I'm linking this post to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Click over to see the hand stitching others are doing today.

I hope you're having a restful Sabbath today.

--Nancy.
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Workhorses of the Kitchen

I think of hotpads/potholders as the workhorses of the kitchen.  I couldn't cook or bake without them but neither do I give them much thought or attach too much importance to them.  I just want them to keep my hands from getting burned.

One of my daughters was using a folded flour sack for a hotpad so I made her a few new ones.  Experimental ones, you know, because I wasn't sure how many layers of batting to use, or whether to stitch with wrong sides together and turn, or to bind around the edges.  And I wasn't sure how much the batting would shrink after being washed and dried.  You can see I used a few different quilting styles.

This one is made from cotton upholstery-like fabric.  It finished at about 7" and shrank to about 6 1/4". 

I used two layers of Cream Rose cotton batting.  I layered this right sides together with the batting behind, stitched around the edges, then turned and stitched the opening.  I used perle cotton to "quilt" it.  I don't think it is thick enough but will offer some protection from the heat.  Sometimes I use two hotpads if I know I'm going to be holding a hot pan or cookie sheet for longer than half a minute.

This one measured about 7" and now measures nearly 6 1/2" after being laundered.  It also has two layers of Cream Rose batting.

It seems thinner than the first, probably because the fabrics are all either cotton shirts or quilting fabric.  I layered this one as above but machine-stitched around the edges after I turned it and also stitched across the center strips. 

This one measures 7".   It hasn't been washed and dried yet so I don't know how much it will shrink.

I used four layers of cotton batting, then machine-stitched/quilted the layers together.  I stitched around the edges and used binding to finish it.  I think this one will offer the most protection but I don't think machine "quilting" worked well on so many thicknesses of batting.

They're just little finishes but I'm pleased to have them done.

I hope you're making progress on whatever you're working on and perhaps have a finish, too.

Go to these websites to see what others are working on and/or have finished this week:
- finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
- WiPs be Gone at A Quilter's Reading Garden
- Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
- Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework

--Nancy.
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Out and About: Finding Old Quilts

While in Versailles (pronounced ver sails in Kentucky) a few weeks ago I had a bit of free time while waiting for my daughter.  I happened into a little vintage/antiques shop and found a sweet little log cabin and a few quilts.

I loved this little building but decided to leave it for someone else. 

These quilts caught my eye.  Knowing I wasn't going to buy any of them, I didn't pull them out to examine them more closely.

I can't guess a date for either the quilt above or the quilt below.

And then there was this blue and white quilt.

The fabrics looked older, perhaps early 1900s, maybe earlier.

Blue is not one of my favorite colors but I'm a sucker for blue and white quilts.  Sadly, I left this one behind.

I left the store empty-handed except for some fun photos.

--Nancy.
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Stars with Circles + Hand Quilting

After sewing the circles on this star I have just four more stars to finish.  Getting all those stars sewn was my One Monthly Goal for February.  I won't claim it an accomplished goal yet, though.  Anything can happen in 12 days!

Assuming that things go smoothly, when the circles are finished it's on to decide arrangement (5 x 7 blocks or 6 x 6 blocks or...), placement, and then sashing and borders. 

This work in progress (or non-progress) has been on my mind lately.  It's been gently folded in a bag near where I quilt awaiting my return to it.

I laid it aside because I needed something small to work on after surgery last November and also because I'm not thrilled to be quilting a quarter of an inch from the edges.  I can't decide if it's because quilting that way is new to me or because I really don't like it.  You know how sometimes the unfamiliar is also uncomfortable until you gain experience....  When I was thinking about the quilt in bed last night I thought of taking out the stitches I've finished and quilting Baptist Fans.  And then I looked at a photo (poor and not shown here) that showed of the quilting and I liked it again.  Is it enough to like the finished work to put one's self through the struggle of doing it when one doesn't like doing it?  Ha!  The quilting has been a work in progress for a few months; another week or two won't hurt while I decide.

I'm linking this post to
--  WOW at Esther's Blog
--  Let's Bee Social #112 at Sew Fresh Quilts
--  Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication
Head over to all three blogs to see what others are working on.

I hope you're enjoying whatever you're doing.

--Nancy.
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Perle Cotton Questions

Maybe perle cotton would be a good choice for quilting the stars quilt.  But before I decide to use it I have a few questions.  Thanks to any of you dear readers who can answer any of them or who have any experience to share about quilting with perle cotton.

Is size 8 the best size to use?  As I looked at the different sizes at the store I thought size 12 just just a step or two larger than quilting thread.

How much perle cotton will I need for a twin size quilt?  Or, how much quilting can one do with a 10 gram ball?  I have four small balls but I doubt any of them would be enough to finish a whole quilt. Can one buy different size balls of perle cotton?

Which brand have you used and like to use?  I know DMC and Valdani both make perle cotton.  Is one better than the other (in your opinion/experience)?

Where do you by perle cotton?  I've checked the local stores (JoAnn, Michael's, Hobby Lobby) but have found limited colors (black, white, red) in the balls.  I've looked online but thought recommendations from friends would be better than ordering blind.

Do you have any tips or recommendations for hand quilting with perle cotton?  Loosely?  I suspect it shrinks more than quilting thread.  Can it be washed and dried in the same way I do with quilts with thread?

What should I know about perle cotton that I didn't ask?

On another note, my sewing machine is lonely and has been calling to me.  It insists I've spent too much time appliqueing.  It's true.  Maybe tomorrow I'll pull out some scraps and sew a few sample blocks to use as hotpads for someone I know who needs them.

Thanks again for any help with my perle cotton questions.

--Nancy.
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Applique Repair

Cutting a hole in the front of an already-appliqued piece of fabric isn't a disaster (at least not on the scale of an earthquake, tornado, or hurricane) but it felt like a catastrophe to me.  It was the first time I'd done it.  (You can see the hole in this post.)

I repaired the hole and here's the finished block.  As one of my readers commented, a scrappy pieced circle works with the scrappy pieced backround.

I cut the original center circle from the last small scrap I had of that checked fabric, just trimming the corners off to use it.  For the repair I chose fabric as similar to the original as I could find from fabric on my shelves.  The repair itself is decently okay, and it wasn't really too hard to accomplish.  I'm especially grateful I didn't have to replace the whole circle with no fabric behind to support it except for a 1/4" edge.

That block was part of my progress (then regress, then progress) this week.  The rest of my progress includes some of the blocks below.

My cumulative total of stitched blocks is 20 but I can't remember how many I've done this month.  I think I started the month with a few already stitched. 

I have 16 blocks that still need circles stitched onto them.  (One is missing from the photo below: it's in progress in another room and missed the photo shoot.)

 
I'm still moving the circles around a bit.  The colors look different depending on the light -- morning, afternoon, night, sunny day, cloudy day, etc. 

I think I'm on track to finish these circles by the end of the month (barring any catastrophes).

I'm linking this post to
> WOW (WIPs on Wednesday) at Esther's Blog 

> Let's Bee Social #111 at Sew Fresh Quilts
Thank you Esther and Lorna.

--Nancy.
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Oh, No! An Applique Mistake!

I always think I am being so careful when I cut the back of applique blocks.  But somehow, this morning -- the first time ever --

I cut through the rust-colored fabric into checked fabric of the top circle!  The rust fabric behind the circle is completely cut away.  I was trimming inside the circle a little more.

Now what?  I searched the internet but didn't find any information about fixing a mistake like this.

Can I patch it?  Can I unstitch part of the plaid circle, sew a straight seam to add fabric, trim it, and re-stitch?

I doubt I will be able to unstitch the whole circle, replace it, AND have it come out looking remotely round.  I don't have the experience or ability (yet, if ever) to do it.

Will I need to begin again, from the background fabric up?

I stitched the rust circle yesterday while watching Downton Abbey.  I stitched (and cut the hole in) the checked fabric this morning.

This is what it looked like before I cut the slice out of it.

Have you ever had a problem like this?  If so, how did you resolve it?

I'm linking this post to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts and Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework.  Thanks, ladies.

I hope you're making progress (and not regress, as I am) with your quilting endeavors!

--Nancy.
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About a Book: Quilt Local

Heather Jones's book, Quilt Local:  Finding Inspiration in the Everyday, is a beautiful book.  The photographs are as bright and beautiful as the fabric she uses to create her quilts.  Heather travelled around Ohio, photographed various places throughout the state, then took inspiration from what she saw to create quilts.  Many of the quilts in the book are based on architectural details.

Chapter 1 includes the author's thoughts on  the process of obtaining inspiration from the everyday things she sees around her and four ways that help her keep track of the inspiration.  Chapter 2 focuses on her "idiosyncratic lesson" in color theory (with gorgeous photographs!).  Chapter 3 covers her process in sketching and planning a quilt.  And in Chapter 4 are basic methods of quilt construction.  The rest of the book is devoted to the quilts she's created.

There are directions to make 18 quilts with color variations for all.  Each quilt is named for the location of its inspiration with names like Lebanon, Dayton, Eden Park, Terminal, and Red Lion.  She introduces each quilt with a "biography."

The book is photo-rich with views of her sketchbooks, pages that include a photograph of the inspiration, a layout of each quilt, and measurements for cutting.  The book also includes photos of the finished quilts. 











I think of these quilts as primarily modern and minimal and probably not quilts I would make.  But, of course, I would love this book:  she writes about the inspiration behind her quilts!

I highly recommend this book if you're interested in creating quilts based on inspiration, in seeing inspiration in everyday objects, in learning about how another quilt designer works, and/or in viewing some gorgeous photographs.  Or you'd like to make any or all of the quilts.

--Nancy.
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