QBOTMC News - Bettina's Star Block, Chenilling and Fruit Mince Slice

Published: Tue, 11/13/18


We hope you've had a great week this week.  I've been seeing stars....  Tracing and cutting
out and quilting around all sorts of stars for a new Christmas Quilt project!  It's come together
really well, and I do hope you'll have a go at making your own when the December Online
Quilt Magazine comes out in a  few weeks.

I just checked my calendar and my kids only have 3 weeks of school left before they're on their
big Christmas school holidays!  3 weeks!!????  I knew this term was short, but really... they only
just went back.  What a life!!  I imagine they think they'll be sleeping in till all hours, spending
lots of time online on their ipads, and just generally lasing around.  We'll see though, as
Master 14 has just gotten his first proper paid part-time job, and Miss 12 is desperate to earn
some money too, so she'll be out working with her Dad for a bit.  Maybe these holidays life
will get real!!!!

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This week's block is a pretty pieced one, and I love what you can do with the layouts too!

Please click the link below to download the Bettina's Star Block.

http://www.onlinequiltmagazine.com/members/content/f/id/706/

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Let's take a look at chenilling this week - it's a fun technique for adding texture (and it's a good
way to use up those 'ugly' fabrics too!)

While chenilling can be combined into a quilt, chenille panels are good too for the sides of a bag. T
hrow pillow covers are also an ideal use for this technique.
 
This technique is easy and very effective to create texture.
 
You can achieve a great effect if you use a patterned panel as the top layer - for eg - a large print
bunch of roses.  
 
Cut this panel a bit larger than you need the finished panel to end up as.  Layer about 5 other fabrics
in a pile, with your patterned panel on top. (Plain colours might be best to show the top picture clearly,
but feel free to experiment with any combination you like. This is not a bad way too of using up any
fabrics you don't like so much - put them in the middle of the stack and you won't see much of them!)
 
Start with a piece of backing fabric, then layer the 5 other fabrics and your patterned panel on top.
Pin all these layers together.
 
Stitch parallel lines through all layers at a 45 degree angle to the straight grain of the fabric and 1/2"
apart using the machine foot or fabric marker as a guide.  
 
Cover the whole stack with these parallel rows of stitches. Then, take your chenille cutter and slit
midway between the rows of stitches through all layers except the last backing fabric layer.
This leaves frayed edges which can be brushed to fluff them up, or you can wash the fabric a couple
of times to achieve the same effect.
 
Your fabric must be 100% cotton or it won't fray well.  As long as your stitching rows are at 45 deg. to
the grain of the fabric, this will give you a "fluffy" picture for your quilt or bag.
 
You will achieve different effects with different colours of material in the layers.  

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I know Christmas is still coming, but this just sounded really good...

Fruit Mince Slice

Ingredients

    185g/6.5oz butter, chopped
    1/2 cup caster (finie white) sugar
    1 egg
    1 tablespoon honey
    1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
    1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
    pure icing sugar, to serve

Filling

    2 cups mixed dried fruit
    2 tablespoons sweet sherry or orange juice
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200°C/392F. Grease a 3cm/1in-deep, 17cm x 28cm (8 x 11in) (base) slab pan and
line with baking paper.  Lightly grease the base and sides of a slab pan, paying particular attention
to the two short ends. Cut out a sheet of baking paper, allowing 2cm/1in overhang at each long end.
Use the overhang to lift the slice from the pan.
    
Step 2
    
Make filling: Combine mixed fruit, sherry, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium
heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until sugar is melted and mixture just comes to
the boil. Set aside to cool completely.
    
Step 3
    
Meanwhile, place butter, sugar, egg, honey and flours in a food processor. Process until a dough forms.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Cut in half. Press one half of dough
into pan.
    
Step 4
    Spread filling over slice base. Roll out remaining dough until large enough to cover filling. Place
over filling and, using a fork, prick 18 times.
    
Step 5
    
Bake slice for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C/356F and bake slice for 20 minutes or until top is
golden.
    
Step 6
    
Cool completely in pan. Dust with icing sugar. Cut into pieces. Serve.

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Until Next Week - Happy Quilting!

Regards

Jody & Annette