Homemade Sour Cream

Okay most times if you make it yourself it is cheaper so therefore worth the effort with yummier results.  This time it is definitely one of those times.
$3 of milk = half gallon of sour cream!
 

Half Gallon of Sour Cream

          

Machine Quilting

I am now on to machine quilting. I have done a little stitch-in-the-ditch before but never an all over quilt job.  This is my first.  I had to purchase a walking foot.  I know, I have been don't this for how long and I have finally made the jump?

I have run into a few problems, questions, and maybe some concerns that you all can help me with.

First I didn't mark my lines for where I wanted to quilt.  I wish I had, but I have never trusted that quilting pens will actually disappear when washed.  Superstition I guess.  I was thinking of getting the quilters caulk and trying that.  What do you use, brand, and how have you liked it? 

On the back of my quilt I got several pleats (puckers).  Do I need to smooth more as I go?  I had a nice taught taping before I pinned it together. 

Overall I like what I have done.  I changed my mind right after the start.  I was going to do a big zigzag with varying widths echoing out.  But it got a bit tedious with all the corners (3).  I thought I had seen an attachment for a walking foot that you can adjust for doing just this type of quilting but I can't seem to find it.  Do you know?  So it turned into kind of a zigzag with sort of diamonds.  I like the texture and I feel that the pattern isn't overpowering the quilt design.  So far at least.

 I realize that it is hard to see the quilting in the large photos but it was worth a try.

Linking with Amanda Jean. 

Thanks for all your help,

Augustsnow

Absent But Busy

Last Year I made (with a little help) a beautiful baby boy named Asa.  I finished him in May.

Now he is almost 8 months.

Our family has had a busy time since.  Asa came to us May 20th and then May 30th we closed on a home.  That next weekend we moved- with A LOT of help from friends. Then three weeks later we drove to MN for my brothers wedding.  Our home is a 3 family so we came home from that trip and worked on getting 2 units cleaned, fixed, and rented.  Our unit is the worst but I (we) have managed to get painted: Living room, Dinning room, Kitchen, Bathroom, and Baby Boy room. 
The fixes to the house is never ending.  Support beam, H2O heater, tenants heat and oil tanks...  However it is all worth it to have a home for our little one.  A place where we can paint, hang pictures, and make memories.
I often find myself wanting to do this though:

Now on to the crafty side of my life.

 Front and back of twin size quilt.

All pinned.

Mom, these pins are shiny and I must have them.  Also I'm helping, I swear it.

This quilt is for my cousin.  She is a freshman in college and I believe that one must have a quilt that is destined for getting muddy on the quad, studying with, crying on, and drooling on when one finds that they have fallen asleep sitting up yet again.  This will be my first "real" machine quilting.  I am going to do a big zigzag lengthwise and then echo that left and right.  We'll see how it turns out.

I am linking to http://www.crazymomquilts.blogspot.com

Augustsnow