How-to-Quilt.com

January 2005 Newsletter

 Greetings and Happy New Year!

A portion of the January 2005 Newsletter:

"Tips, Tools and Tricks" - Save time when you cut your fabric
"What's in a Name?" - Learn about a traditional quilt block that has many different names
"Recipe for Quilters" - a new feature this month! A recipe related to quilting - either by name or by tradition

Tips, Tools and Tricks - When you are cutting more than one layer of fabric at a time, one way to save time is to stack the fabric right sides together as you will sew the pieces together. Ironing the layers right sides together before you cut helps keep the fabric together. If you are using a rotary cutter, you can easily stack and cut 4 layers of fabric at a time. Cutting more than 4 layers tends to result in mis-shapen pieces. As you sew, you can use a darning or other kind of thick needle to separate the pairs to sew together. Using this cut and stack method keeps your pieces together and ready to sew.

What's in a Name? - Early in the 1900s, as more women became interested in quilting and wanted to expand the variety of blocks they used in their quilts, they would write to magazines and newspapers for ideas. Publications would list the requests in one issue then publish the answers in the next issue. The blocks would be published with instructions and a picture. Often the blocks were renamed to sound more current or to given credit to a city or state. This month's block has so many names, it is hard to keep track of all of them. The names include: Snowball, Snowball and Nine Patch, Pullman Puzzle, Nine and Four Patch, New Nine Patch, Grandmother Short's Quilt, and Dutch Mill. In addition, the Farm Journal named this block Aunt Patty's Favorite; Workbasket called it Delaware's Flagstones; Ladies Art Company called it Flagstones; Aunt Martha Studio named it Improved Nine Patch; Hearth & Home called it New Snowball; and Nancy Cabot has referred to it as Aunt Patsy's Pet, Federal Chain, and Four and Nine Patch. You can view this block and all of its names at: http://www.how-to-quilt.com/patterns/blocks.shtml. Thanks to Maggie Malone's book 5,500 Quilt Block Designs for this information.

Recipe for Quilters - Snowball is one of the names of this month's highlighted block; the featured recipe is for Snowball cookies.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter 2 eggs, separated
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 pkg. lemon wafers
1 pkg. coconut, tinted with food coloring (if desired)

Cream sugar and butter. Add slightly beaten egg yolks to mixture and beat. Add walnuts and crushed pineapple and mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into creamed mixture. Alternating wafers, place 1 tsp. filling, making a four high cookie stack. Cover and chill overnight. When ready to serve - frost with 1 pint whipped cream, whipped, and roll into tinted coconut.

Thanks to Toni Reifel and Bette Woodward for this recipe.

If you have a recipe to share, email us at: info@How-to-Quilt.com. We will make the quilting connection and credit you for your contribution.

©How-to-Quilt.com 2005