no kings

No Kings
top pieced June 14, 2025
About 23 1/2 by 24 1/2 inches

lentil soup

 
Lentil Soup
My version is vegetarian/vegan friendly
Enjoy!


Olive oil
1-2 yellow onions, chopped
1/2 to 1 Tbsp herbs/spices--I use mainly Adobo from Uruguay and some cumin 
Sautee in pot until onion is soft and herbs/spices are fragrant 

Stir in
Two 14.5 ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes
Two cans of water
One pound of lentils
2 diced potatoes
3 diced carrots
Bring to simmer and cover, simmering until vegetables and lentils are done, about 30 minutes
Most of the water will be taken up, so watch carefully towards the end to make sure it doesn't scorch

Stir in
One 14 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk and 1/2 can of water, more if needed
Stir in one drained can of corn or a handful of frozen corn
Gently heat 
I add salt and pepper and a splash of flavored vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil before serving

Our friend Hugo introduced us to the Uruguayan version of Adobo--available from Amazon. It is a great mix and I use it in most of my soups. I store it in a mason jar.
I've been getting flavored vinegars from American Vinegar Works. Love their selections and they make great gifts. Apple Cider Vinegar would work too.

Shopping list:
Fresh foods:
onions
carrots
potatoes

Canned goods:
Petite diced tomatoes
Unsweetened coconut milk
Corn

Pantry:
Uruguay Adobo, I use the brand Monte Cudine
Cumin
Olive Oil
Flavored vinegar
Salt and pepper

bookends

It is a bittersweet time as I enter my retirement. 
My nursing career began upon graduation from Morningside college and I was able this spring to attend their Maud Adams Research Day, named in honor our our first nursing professor who has remained a voice in my head at every patient and student encounter for 45 years.
I've worked at the bedside at The University of Iowa, Rush University, and several hospices, for a nursing association, and have taught as adjunct at Oakton College for nearly 20 years and adjunct and full time at Northern Illinois University for nearly 15. I am grateful for my colleagues.
A phrase I have often used in lecture is, "Your identity as a nurse is not tied to a paycheck. You are a nurse in your family, in your community, and in the voting booth."
Now it is my time to focus on those places.

Oakton's 104 team

Oakton's 103 team

I was honored at half court at NIU this winter

Morningside faculty and guests attending the Maud Adams Research Day
Their new chair of undergraduate studies, Amanda Haverhals (on my left), is a cousin of mine! 

I never wore my cap in practice, but we did wear them as students. I donated mine to my high school theater's props/costume department upon graduation

My final end-of-life lecture

Morningside Class of 1980

teacups, red and white, binding

Teacups

I Need a Cup of Tea
about 54 inches square
Pieced in the days following the November election.

54 blocks
Block finishes 3 by 5 inches
Exquisitely quilted by Sue DiVarco. She quilted a tealeaf in each teacup.

Block constructions is HERE.
Sashing directions are HERE.
Top assembly is HERE.

lady of the lake

 

Lady of the Lake
Quilt completed 2025
96 by 80 inches
quilted by Sue DiVarco

I show how to make the block HERE.
Top construction is HERE.
I cut for this top when I made the Ocean Waves. This one uses several larger motif fabrics.

bullseye chain

 
16-patch with bullseye chain
96 by 80 inches
Quilt completed 2025
Block finishes 8 inches
quilted by Sue DiVarco

Binding on the Bullseyes has begun.
Directions for this quilt are HERE.

Kalamazoo Log Cabin Quilters

I was delighted to speak and hold a workshop at the Kalamazoo Log Cabin Quilters this week. What a welcoming bunch!
I included this circa 1910 photograph of my grandmother and great-grandmother, both Michigan born.

 

ocean waves, binding

Ocean Waves
top completed 2024
quilt completed 2025
96 by 80 inches
120 blocks, block finishes 10 inches

I talk about the block construction HERE
Layout options HERE
And quilt completion HERE

41 years--St Patrick's Day is a fine day for a wedding

St Patrick's Day is a fine day for a wedding
My mom made my dress

 

framed coins

Framed Coins
Chinese coins, 1930's repros framed blocks
Top completed 2024
Quilt completed 2025
70 by 50 inches
35 blocks
Blocks finish 10 inches

Directions on making this quilt are HERE.

stalwart

 

red and white ladder, binding!

Red and White Ladder
top completed 2024
quilt completed 2025
81 by 68 inches
quilted by Sue Divarco

I realize I don't get completed quilts photographed very often and it often is years after I finish them that I do so.
I have decided to start posting them at the binding stage as that is something I can photograph more easily and can post them when I am actually at the completion stage.
Here is my Red and White Ladder quilt.
Directions on how to make it are HERE.

I have asked the kids to help me photograph the backlog of dozens of quilts!

I made a chicken

Look at these delightful chickens from the Special Spring 2013 edition of Quiltmania Hen Party designed by Kim Gaddy of Buttons and Bees. I cannot find an active link to the designer. Quiltmania is defunct, old copies of the issue are avaiable online.
My block finishes 12 by 14 inches. Future blocks may have different proportions.

In a re-shuffling of stuff of our mother with my sisters this Christmas I ended up with some chicken feedsacks. I used some prevously as a backing of a chicken quilt for Janna several years ago and now it is time to make another chicken quilt for Beth so I can use more feedsacks on the back.
We were in charge of chickens as little girls. Feeding, gathering eggs, putting in the coop at night. A good job. Also a bit of a terrifying one when the chickens are nearly your own height.

Egg-beater crock of my Great-Grandma Meerdink
that my Grandma Dykstra used to hold her salt box
and I use to hold sewing supplies and knitting needles and pencils.

I love the original design but wanted to simplify it.
I am not including all details as it is not my original pattern. Here are my changes.
-I decided to use one fabric so the chicken is in silhouette
-Doug Leko's Mini Essential Triangle tool was used for flipped triangles
-I moved the beak down the face
-I changed the comb from applique to pieced with 1 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch backgrounds and 1 1/2 inch squares for flipped triangle
-I made the tail a bit smaller, cut 2 1/4 inch square for flipped triangle
-I used an insertion technique for the feet (explanation below)

all parts

background parts

chicken parts

flipped triangles are completed.

Chicken leg section directions:

Note red for leg section background is over-cut by width to 3 inches and length to 11 inches, along with a piece 3 by 5-6 inches of the leg fabric

Layer the red and the chicken fabric, making one cut through both where you want the front leg.

Reposition the chicken fabric off the background fabric and cut one inch from the newly angled side of the chicken fabric. 

Carefully place chicken fabric again on the red and make a cut where the second leg will go. Discard the leg fabric of the center cut piece, keeping the background piece.

Reposition the chicken fabric off the red again and cut at one inch for the second leg.

Sew the center red part to the two legs

Add the background to both sides
Trim to finish width (2 1/2 inches)
Trim to finished length to fit the chicken

 
My adaptations--use at your pleasure.

Grandma and Grandpa Dykstra plucking chickens with us

Grandma Scholten and her chickens

Janna's chicken quilt, 2015

teacups: framed "I Need a Cup of Tea"

One welcomed upshot of making the red teacups was I found I did not worry while cutting/sewing/pressing. I could still think, but the worry part of my brain was disengaged.
I anticipate being in need of this effect over the next while, so I started another I Need a Cup of Tea.
In this post I will describe my Solids + Prints version that includes a frame around the cup.
Go HERE if you want to read about my red teacups block construction. Because of the high contrast of the fabrics, this link's illustrations may be easier to see how the flipped corners work for the teacup.
Go HERE if you want to read about L sashing.
Go HERE if you want to see the completed quilt top.

To make framed teacups, two types of frames are used to eliminate having to adapt pressing and to reduce matching seams.
FRAMES ARE ALWAYS PRESSED AWAY FROM THE TEACUPS in the settings shown on this post.

REMINDER- you will need to do flipped corner sewing for this block. I HIGHLY recommend Doug Leko's Mini Simple Folded Corners tool available HERE. I use this ruler and the larger version all the time.
NOTE: I experimented with the ear pressing differently differently than I did for the red and white. Follow your preference. I found with some fabrics one way worked better and others, the alternate way. (With my Red and White I was using the same background fabric throughout and one way seemed to work best.)

Two options for ear pressing

Teacup cutting
Teacup print:
One rectangle 3 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches
Two 1 inch squares
One 2 1/2 by 1 inch rectangle

teacup cutting

Background solid:
Three 1 1/2 inch squares
Two 1 inch squares
One 1 1/2 inch by 1 inch rectangle

Block A frame cutting from SOLID
Two rectangles 7 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches
Two rectangles 3 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches

Block B frame cutting from SOLID
Four rectangles 5 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches

Block A sewing

Block A sewn

Block B sewing

Block B sewn

Sew flipped corners on bottom of cup and press towards the squares
Sew flipped corners on sides of ear and press towards the squares
Sew cup little squares onto background of ear and press towards the squares
Sew ear together and press towards the ear
Sew background square to bottom of ear
Sew ear to cup.
PRESS ear to the cup.

Frame teacups for Block A or Block B. Press frames away from the teacups.

These blocks will alternate in the quilt eliminating bulk and matching of seams 
I am sewing into units of 4 then into a larger block of 8.

Let me know if you are sewing along!
I have a instagram hashtag of #ineedacupofteaquilt that I would love you to use on your blocks.

I have lots of ideas for different quilts.
-A Delft idea with all blue teacups on white
-Hot cocoa feeling with browns/tans
-Orange teacups on grey--a favorite color combination of mine

My design, use at your pleasure.