New Quilt Project. Disappearing Nine Patch, Batik. 3.30.2021

 These are the fabric samples that I will use for the next quilt.  There are two  sets.  One is a subtle pattern in plain colors.  The other set is more vibrant, batiks.  They are "fat quarters", fabric cuts sold to make quilts or other projects.  I bought them on the internet, not wanting to venture out to the local coronavirus fabric store.  With the fabric bundles, you kind of have to make the best guess and take what they package together, so not all of them work.  I think most of these will.  

This should be enough for a queen size bed quilt.  I won't know for sure until I see how it fits together.  The pattern will be what is called a Disappearing Nine Patch, a popular pattern that a relative newcomer to quilting can do.  It's basically, cut / arrange / sew into blocks, cut again, rearrange, sew into blocks, then arrange and make the quilt top from that.

These are the fabric pieces that I want to use.  They are folded, so when I cut them into 5 inch squares, each piece will make about 24 squares (I think).  I tried to pair each batik piece with a semi-plain one that is either lighter or darker, and has a color that contrasts or matches the batik piece.

 For practice, I cut up some mail order nursery catalog photos.  The color one is from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds,  and the black and white one is from Fedco nursery.  Those are two of my three favorite sources of seeds and plant resources.  The Baker Creek photos are the most beautiful in the catalog business, by far.  Fedco gives the most interesting history and background info of any catalog of its type.  My opinion.  My third favorite source is Victory Seeds, which doesn't have a paper catalog this year due to the pandemic.  More about them, later.

I cut the catalog pieces into 5 X 5 squares.  I used black and white to contrast with the color photos.  

I arranged for the red based images to be at the corners, and the green one in the center.  The black and white are in the middle of each side.  There is no law that says they have to be in this pattern, or any other, but it's easier to follow when one is learning.  The squares can be any color or location.

By having the different color, green, in the center, we can see what happens to that patch.

Then I tape together by threes.  With fabric, I would sew with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Then join together the three strips of three.  This is called a "nine patch" block, one of the  main standards of traditional quilts.  I could stop there, and make a pile of these quilting blocks, and it wold be a "Nine Patch Quilt".  That would be fine as is, but I like the added sense of movement and playfulness of what happens next.

Now, cut the nine patch into quarters.  The "nine patch" disappears due to the cut, so now it will become a "disappearing nine patch".  So then, instead of a roughly 14 inch by 14 inch square, you have four roughly 7 inch squares.  

 This image is right after the cuts.  What's nice is, instead of all of the squares being squares, now there are big squares, that will come out about 4 X 4 inches, little squares that will be 2 X 2 inches, and rectangles 2 X 4 inches.  What pattern and color comes out in what shape and size is up to the person making the quilt.  Here, the green flowers are now the smaller squares.

One way to rearrange the squares is to turn two opposite squares so that the small squares are at outer corners.  If you wanted, you could do this using all four from the patch that you just cut, or using patches of different colors from all over the quilt.  I have not decided yet.

Or, turn so that the small squares are at the outside corners.  Then it's like there are four big squares in the center, with a kind of border of black & white rectangles and green small squares in the outside corners.

Or totally random, or any other pattern.  Again, there are no laws about any of this.  Another option is instead of cutting at right angles, those cuts can be corner to corner, but I'm not doing that this time.

I have black batik that will be the center, so it will be a kind of accent like bow ties all over the quilt.  I'm not sure if I will do a random arrangement or try to make a more planned pattern yet.

Chinese Chive Seedlings. 3.30.2021

 The old Chinese Chive plants are not thriving at all.  They are perennial but I think they are just too old.  Some may be twenty years old.  Plus, they didn't get good treatment last year.  I think some will recover but doubt we will get a lot of meals from them.   So I planted more seeds from what I saved last summer.  They germinate quickly, about 5 days after planting, on a heating mat.

It takes quite a lot to get enough for a meal.  I will continue to try to revive the previous bunches.  We may get some meals from them.  The seedlings may not be big enough in their first year.  So we may have to buy some at the Asian market.  That's OK but of course home grown is better. 

Starting them now, giving them lots of TLC, maybe I can speed the process.

Kitchen Garden Seddlings. Progress Notes. 3.30.2021

 Today I'm resting from a medical procedure last week (or maybe two weeks ago now?).  Plus the second COVID shot.  So it's just obsessing over the seedlings, and maybe a trip outside later.

I've been sitting some of the chill tolerant seedlings out on the deck to get time more tolerant to unfiltered sunlight, expose them to more light and wind, and get them ready for permanent outdoors life.  Just the nontropicals that like chill, or can tolerate it.  Currently it's overcast, which is helpful, a little too cool but OK.  Some have been outside for 2 to 4 hours on previous days - potatoes, apples, celery.  Today's goal is maybe 5 or 6 hours.  Depending on how bright it is outside.

Those celery are for Ning.  Homegrown is much stronger flavor than grocery.  I ate the "microgreen" thinnings, nice celery flavor.  The cultivar "Utah" is shorter and greener, while the Chinese type is taller and has white stems.  There will be enough for quite a few meals when it's ready.

Those apple seedlings again.  The top is #3, the last to germinate but quite vigorous now.   Currently still fertigating with 1/4 tsp miracle gro per 2 quarts rainwater.  They need water almost daily.

The second is greener than when it started out.  Stem shows a bit of red but minimal.  The most vigorous of the three.  It also seems to be starting tiny branches at the leaf nodes.

#1 is odd.  It had distorted leaves at first, then I replanted it.  Then it got a longer stretch of thin stem, now a tuft of smaller leaves with narrow internode spacing.   It seems to be growing now.  No idea what the final tree  will be like, or what its fruit, if any will be like.  But it's fun to grow them.

Apple Seedling Progress Report. 3.27.2021

 Just showing one, but all three of the apple seedlings are growing nicely.  When it's nice outside, I'm setting the plants outside in full sun for a few hours.  They get "fertigated" with 1/4 tsp of Miracle Gro per 2 quarts rainwater, just about daily.  

Maybe it's just my imagination.  I still think the stem is stouter than I expected, with closer than expected internode spacing.  The big question will be whether that will continue. 

So far I'm loving the burgundy color of these leaves and the stem.  Another seedling is darker, and one is almost entirely green now.

Pinching Peppers and Eggplants. 3.27.2021

 Some of the peppers are developed to the point where I can pinch out the tops, leaving four good leaves / leaf axils.  I do this so that the plants will be well branched from the outset.  Instead of one growing point, there will be at least four.

Before photo of Banana Pepper seedling.  It's doing nicely, has four good leaves with reasonably separated leaf axils.

Same plant after pinching.  I actually don't "pinch" although that's what it's called.  I use a scissors with a fine tip, to cut at the right point and not crush stem or cause other damage.

Here is an Early Jalapeno that I pinched about a week or two ago.  The branches are starting to grow nicely.  It's interesting that branches may be starting at the cotyledons too, so it's possible there will be six branches instead of four.

In the background someone can be seen watching for cats, considered by someone to be the spawn of Satan :-).  

Some internet writers state this "forces" the plant to produce branches, or "directs energy" to the branches and roots.  In reality, the growing tip produces a plant hormone, auxin, that flows downward in the plant.  The auxin inhibits growth of lower buds.  Without the auxin produced by the growing tip, which is now removed, the buds at those leaf axils are released from dormancy and grow.   That's different from "forcing".  

This year I'm trying the same for at least some of the Japanese eggplants.  They are from the same plant family, and seem to have similar growth habits, as peppers.