Utility cake and quilt
I took my finished quilt out to the middle of the property, over by the old chicken coop. The sky was white and hazy, like someone was shining a light through a glass of milk. It made me squint. But this quilt is so bright, especially those red blocks, I think you could find it in a snowstorm.
I started with 6 log cabin blocks, mostly made with Kaffe Fasset shot cottons, then added some Denyse Schmidt, a Phillip Jacobs floral, a pink and white seersucker, and an old plaid shirt from the Goodwill. I was shooting for a Gees Bend/utilitarian kind of quilt made from recycled cloth. I didn't have a pattern in mind, I just figured I'd see what went together. But while playing around with different block combinations I discovered something.
It's hard to re-create frugal, make-do quilts when you're picking from a fabric stash the size of Texas. I had way too many choices in my cupboard. Utility quilts were usually made from Granny's old floral dress, Pa's worn work shirts, or tablecloths, or feed sacks. Whatever was handy. Because sometimes, that's all they had. At first I threw everything I had at those log cabin blocks. It was a scrap orgy. A scrap feast. A scrap circus.
It looked like crap scrap.
After going back to study pictures of older utility type quilts, I realized my mistake.
The work shirt, tablecloth, and floral dress would have been saved and put to use when there was enough to make a quilt. Those few fabrics would have been repeated over and over throughout the quilt. I was trying too hard. As soon as I narrowed down my choices to a small handful, I got closer to the look I was after. It measures 54 x 60, and the backing was some old yardage of Robert Kaufman "Sakura" which I thought about giving away a few years ago. How silly of me.
It's not the prettiest, or most favorite quilt I ever made, but I think it was a good "lesson" quilt.
Now, have you got two apples, some flour, sugar, and cinnamon? Of course you do.
Here is the recipe for an Apple Cake
Here are the pictures
I started with 6 log cabin blocks, mostly made with Kaffe Fasset shot cottons, then added some Denyse Schmidt, a Phillip Jacobs floral, a pink and white seersucker, and an old plaid shirt from the Goodwill. I was shooting for a Gees Bend/utilitarian kind of quilt made from recycled cloth. I didn't have a pattern in mind, I just figured I'd see what went together. But while playing around with different block combinations I discovered something.
It's hard to re-create frugal, make-do quilts when you're picking from a fabric stash the size of Texas. I had way too many choices in my cupboard. Utility quilts were usually made from Granny's old floral dress, Pa's worn work shirts, or tablecloths, or feed sacks. Whatever was handy. Because sometimes, that's all they had. At first I threw everything I had at those log cabin blocks. It was a scrap orgy. A scrap feast. A scrap circus.
It looked like crap scrap.
After going back to study pictures of older utility type quilts, I realized my mistake.
The work shirt, tablecloth, and floral dress would have been saved and put to use when there was enough to make a quilt. Those few fabrics would have been repeated over and over throughout the quilt. I was trying too hard. As soon as I narrowed down my choices to a small handful, I got closer to the look I was after. It measures 54 x 60, and the backing was some old yardage of Robert Kaufman "Sakura" which I thought about giving away a few years ago. How silly of me.
It's not the prettiest, or most favorite quilt I ever made, but I think it was a good "lesson" quilt.
Now, have you got two apples, some flour, sugar, and cinnamon? Of course you do.
Here is the recipe for an Apple Cake
Here are the pictures
Here are my modifications to the recipe....
It calls for a springform pan. I have one but it would have required me to drag a chair across the kitchen to the highest cupboard and while on my tiptoes, on the chair, root around until I found it. There would have been lots of sweating and loud cursing, followed by assorted pans falling about my head.
Instead, I used my enamel baking dish which was within arms reach.
I did not have any buttermilk, so measured out 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar and added it to the 1/2 cup of milk.
I used bread flour instead of All Purpose Flour, because that's all I had. The higher protein content in bread flour is the kiss of death if you're using it to make a cake. But it still turned out great. (Can you tell that I really, really wanted to make this cake immediately?)
Before putting it in the oven, I sprinkled the top (generously) with raw sugar, then added sliced almonds. This baked up to a sweet and crunchy crust. I followed with a squirt of whipping creme right from the can. I ate some for breakfast and lunch, repeatedly. I have no shame.
It calls for a springform pan. I have one but it would have required me to drag a chair across the kitchen to the highest cupboard and while on my tiptoes, on the chair, root around until I found it. There would have been lots of sweating and loud cursing, followed by assorted pans falling about my head.
Instead, I used my enamel baking dish which was within arms reach.
I did not have any buttermilk, so measured out 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar and added it to the 1/2 cup of milk.
I used bread flour instead of All Purpose Flour, because that's all I had. The higher protein content in bread flour is the kiss of death if you're using it to make a cake. But it still turned out great. (Can you tell that I really, really wanted to make this cake immediately?)
Before putting it in the oven, I sprinkled the top (generously) with raw sugar, then added sliced almonds. This baked up to a sweet and crunchy crust. I followed with a squirt of whipping creme right from the can. I ate some for breakfast and lunch, repeatedly. I have no shame.
More posts from Lynne Reilly
