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Author: angelagrace

  • How to Unsew / Unstitch / Rip Out a Seam

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    angelagrace
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    Despite our best of intentions, all of us have had to undo a seam at one time or another. Some people call it “unsewing” and some people call it “ripping out” — it doesn’t matter what you call it, it isn’t fun and it isn’t pretty, but everyone has to do it sometimes. Here’s the…

  • How to Use Leaders & Enders

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    angelagrace
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    The concept of using Leaders & Enders is one that blew my mind when I first encountered it. Not only do you eliminate the loose threads and tangles that happen at the beginning and ending of a seam, but you can be building the patchwork for one quilt while getting bonus patchwork happening simply by…

  • How to Chain Piece

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    angelagrace
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    One of the most revolutionary things I learned early on in my pursuit of quilting was chain piecing. I believe it is generally regarded as an invention of Eleanor Burns of Quilt in a Day. The story goes that she was driving along near the garment district in her hometown and saw this chains of…

  • Super-Fudgy Small Batch Spelt Brownie Recipe

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    angelagrace
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    I know the idea of making an extra-small quantity of something as delicious as brownies seems counter-intuitive, but really, it makes perfect sense. Unless you have the metabolism of a shrew, you probably don’t want to eat a whole pan of brownies before they get dried out, so a smaller batch is better. Or, if…

  • Vintage Dresden Plate Blocks

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    angelagrace
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      I have gone a little crazy and bought three sets of antique, unfinished quilt blocks on eBay. (Update: Nowadays I like to find unfinished quilt blocks on Etsy!) I have to say, when you see these in person, you can’t help but wonder why the quilt never got finished. I mean, these are all…

  • Spelt Banana Bread Recipe

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    angelagrace
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    This banana bread always gets rave reviews, and today was no exception. The secret likes in the addition of ginger and orange juice to the batter. It’s subtle enough that you don’t notice it in the final product, but it gives a little depth to the flavor making the bread something special. Ingredients 1 cup…

  • How to Dress Your Mantel with Garden Evergreens

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    angelagrace
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    I don’t have a mantel (yet) in my current home, but in my previous home, I dressed the mantel every year with foliage I clipped from my or my neighbor’s garden (with their kind permission, of course). I’ve found that even indoors without water, most of the foliage would last a week or two, just…

  • Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Port Recipe

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    angelagrace
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    I have to admit, I’ve never understood the appeal of cranberry sauce. I didn’t grow up eating sweet dressings and sauces, so I didn’t have a taste for it. Plus, the only cranberry sauce we ever had as a kid was that gelatinous stuff that comes out of a can. Definitely not something that I…

  • That Time I Bought A Quilt at the Mall

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    angelagrace
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    This is my first quilt. I didn’t make it, I bought it at the mall. There’s millions of them around. I had started a rail fence quilt back in college, but bogged down with work, school, life and otherwise, I packed it in a box and stuffed in the attic. That was in 1991. That…

  • Pink & Yellow Antique LeMoyne Star Quilt

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    angelagrace
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      I am so excited! Look what came in the mail! I splurged and bought an actual 1800’s antique quilt off of eBay. I don’t usually love quilts from this era because they are so BROWN (not my favorite color). But this one is so cheerful with the chrome yellow and double pink fabrics that…