QBOTMC News - Double Wedding Ring Block, Flannel and Peach and Filo Dessert Stacks

Published: Tue, 02/07/17

Hi ,

We hope you've had a good week this week.  I'm feeling all productive today.  We have a
new quilt show booked for next weekend at Castle Hill in Sydney, I've booked flights to
get up to Annette's for a quilt retreat in March, Miss Nearly-11 is now Miss 11 (complete
with a new Harry Potter quilt!), and Master 12 is off on a school camp for the next three
days!  Nothing like getting back into the swing of things in a hurry!

I've even covered all the school books with contact too!  (That's one job I honestly could
live without having to do at the start of each school year.)

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This week's block is a classic, and one that's on my quilting "bucket list'.

Please click on the link below to download the Double Wedding Ring Block.

http://www.quiltblockofthemonthclub.com/download.php?file=double-wedding-ring-block.pdf

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This week's tip comes from Keepsake Quilting:


Tips for Quilting with Flannel
   
1. Choose simple designs with large, uncomplicated pieces. Avoid working with tiny pieces.

2. Buy extra fabric if you plan to prewash because flannels shrink and fray more than quilter's
cottons when washed and dried.

3. Spray starch helps to control stretching. Use before cutting. Flannel has more give than quilter's
cottons and needs to be handled with a little more care to avoid stretching your pieces.

4.  Choose low-contrast plaids rather than high-contrast.

5.  Use quick cutting and piecing techniques.  Larger flannel pieces make it easier to control the
stretching.  Choose a pattern like Brick Work or Brick Road, for example.

6.  Use a large (60mm), sharp rotary blade .  This will make it easier to cut through the layers
of flannel.

7.  Increase the stitch length to 2.5 or 3 (10-12 stitches per inch).  A shorter stitch length tends
to stretch the flannel and embed in the flannel's loose weave making it much harder to rip out seams.

8.  Press carefully to avoid stretching pieces out of shape.  Do not use steam when pressing flannel.

9.  Be sure to clean your machine often!  Flannel leaves a lot of lint behind.

10.  Use low-loft batting.  Flannel is heavier and warmer than quilter's cotton.

11.  If machine quilting, increase stitch length.  For hand quilting, use perle cotton and utility
quilting stitch.

12.  Cut French-fold binding 2 1/2" wide.  Flannel fabrics are heavier than quilter's cottons,
so you will need a slightly wider binding in order to have enough fabric to fold over the quilt edges.

13.  Start with a new needle when sewing flannel.


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I thought these would make a nice summery dessert too:

Delicate Peach and Filo Dessert Stacks (Serves 6)

Ingredients

    4 sheets filo pastry
    Olive oil spray
    420g / 14-15oz can peach slices, drained
    2 tablespoons brown sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla essence
    250g / 1/2lb tub Spreadable Cream Cheese
    1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
    Icing sugar, extra, for dusting


Method

Step 1

    Lay one sheet of filo on a flat bench. Spray with oil and top with another sheet. Repeat this process
with remaining filo.
    
Step 2

    Cut into 12 even rectangles. Place onto a lined oven tray and bake in a hot oven 200ºC/392F for 4-5
minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack.
    
Step 3

    Heat the brown sugar and vanilla in a non-stick pan over low heat until dissolved. Add peaches and
cook a further minute until coated. Allow to cool.
    
Step 4

    Combine cream cheese and sugar, mix until smooth. Place one filo rectangle onto a serving plate,
gently spread with the cream cheese and top with peaches. Place another filo rectangle on top. Repeat
with remaining filo, cream cheese and peaches to make 6 stacks. Dust with icing sugar.
Serve immediately.

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Yum!!!

Until Next Week - Happy Quilting!


Regards,

Jody & Annette