Flip a coin...

There are those who believe that insanity and genius are two sides of the same coin…

I knew I could make some of you laugh – and confuse the stuffing out of the rest of you.  I’ll tell you in a minute why I do the binding clips the way I do.  But first my cheesecake!

Last December I was searching around on the web for a good, filling appetizer recipe that wasn’t made with shrimp since I can’t eat that anymore.  (Boo hoo… many of my favorite recipes have shrimp!)  While on the Midwest Living website, I stumbled across a recipe for this...

 

 

Red Velvet Cheesecake ~ this is the Midwest Living picture that caught my attention. 

I admit it… it’s the color that completely captivates me.  Red… what a surprise!

Since I wanted to try it and needed an “occasion” with a few foodie-types willing to offer gastronomical opinions, bringing it to Inventory day at Williams-Sonoma seemed the perfect opportunity.  I increased the recipe enough to also make a little 6” version for my Mom… which you see here.  I didn’t have a cute snowflake or heart cutout for the decoration on the top.

The taste is very good but the primary appeal is definitely the color.  The crust ~ chocolate wafer cookies, semi-sweet chocolate pieces, etc. ~ give this a dark-chocolate flavor, and the sour cream and buttermilk provide a nice tang which balances the milk chocolate in the filling, keeping the whole thing from being too sweet or bland.  So while the cheesecake is very good, this is the kind of recipe you would make for a special occasion where you wanted something that looked fabulous ~ like a buffet table at a big holiday party.  If your object is awesome flavor, there are other, better chocolate cheesecakes. 

(And I completely disagree with the Reviews that accompany the recipe ~ substituting chocolate graham crackers for the chocolate wafers would make the crust too sweet and a little bland, nor can you substitute Oreos with the filling as that would also be too sweet.  And adding more sugar would not improve the flavor of this cake.  You either like it or you don't.)

Are you hungry yet?  I have one more recipe to share.  This is what I made for dinner last night. 

This is Giada DeLaurentis’ Chicken and Orzo Frittata.  I’ve made this dish a dozen times before and it is one of my favorites.  She made this dish on her show, Everyday Italian, a few years ago and it is now in her newest book, Giada’s Kitchen.  It's a terrific book.

Now about that binding and all those clips… Yes, I’ve tried the fusible thread and while I think the method is terrific, the quirks of the way I do bindings meant that my results weren’t as good as when I use the clips.  Before the binding clips came along, I pinned the bindings down, and yes, I used to pin at least two whole sides of the quilt before I would start stitching.

The way I do my bindings comes down to two things, the first is personal preference.   I like a very tight binding.  Snug… as in completely filled with batting.  I also like narrow bindings, a ¼” wide or less.  My strips are cut at 2” wide, and sometimes at 1 ¾” wide, it depends on the batting I’ve used.  Over the years, I found that if I tried to hold the binding in place while I stitched, I was holding it too tightly and my hands would get very sore and stiff, especially when I was trying to finish the binding on a couple of quilts right before Market.  Pinning and/or clips saved me from that. 

But I also have this problem with patience… as in, I don’t have much of it.  I don’t like having to stop and clip/pin more of the quilt while I’m in the middle of stitching.  I want to just keep stitching until I run out of thread… and I use a really long thread… 24” long… at least.  With the clips, I just keep stitching along, pulling the clips out and dropping them into my lap ~ or onto my little magnetic tool dish ~ without stopping. 

 

(The metal dish measures 6" in diameter and has a really strong magnet on the bottom.  It is called a Magnetic Parts Tray and is usually found in the automotive department of large hardware stores and WalMart.)

The second aspect of why I do things the way I do comes from what I’ve learned from books and quilt show judges about the “ideal” binding.  I’ve seen them… and no, they weren’t on my quilts.  From the judges’ comments, my bindings are better than average but there is still room for improvement to make it Paducah-perfect.  Some of the “rules” they apply are:    

·         The binding should be straight and even all the way around the quilt. 

·         It should be the same width of the front of the quilt as it is on the back.  If you’re making a specific design statement by varying the width, that’s fine so long as it is readily apparent that that is what you’re doing. 

·         The fold of fabric on the back of the quilt should just cover the line of stitching attaching the binding to the quilt.  If you had x-ray vision and could see through all the layers, the folded edge of the binding should not cover the stitching by more than 1/16^th of an inch. 

·         The binding should be completely filled with batting ~ and no lumps! 

·         Miters should be stitched down ~ front and back!

So to save my hands from clutching the binding while I stitch… to keep stitching without stopping… to try and keep an eye on how even everything is while I stitch… and to make sure the binding is filled with batting before I get there with my stitching… I use 12,000,000 binding clips.

So what if the quilt weighs 20 pounds more than it would without the clips… it isn’t like I have to carry it anywhere. 

And really… it isn’t as though I’ve never exhibited any quirky, odd or even a little eccentric habits before now… 

 

Comments

[lovetostitch]

Well, got to admit the cake is gorgeous, and precious for you to make one for Mom!! Red is my color!!
Now, those clips.... makes perfect sense to me, however I just pin about five pins and keep moving them up, but I like that we recognize what we will and won't do, and by all means if it saves the hands - do it!! I only have a couple of those little gems left over in a junk drawer from "pin curl" days, so will have to at least buy one package and try them before I make any more fun.... As always, thanks for the recipes, I love it when they come "tried and true". xo

[Karla Anderson]

I'm cracked up! I use pins! I begin pinning about 2 inches from a corner and then I pin past the next corner. I also use a long thread and like to sew until I get to the end of the thread. I didn't know about narrow bias bindings until you mentioned you liked them in a pattern so I tried them and will never go back. :) I look each week for the TSQ quilt that you showed in Independence, KS. Can't wait for that one; it was beautiful.

[Cheryl]

I just found your blog recently and I love it ! !

about the clips . . . I do the same thing . . . I clip 2 sides at a time . . . and then just remove them as I go . . .

but . . . I did NOT know about the magnetic tray . . . I am going to WalMart on my way home today . . . thanks . . . !!

[MichelleB]

I really appreciate all the binding information. Not that I'm ever going to enter a quilt, but I must admit that I am very picky about my bindings. I find if I clip or pin too far ahead that the clips get in the way of my non-sewing hand. How do you overcome that?

[Tricia T]

Well, that's it! The next shop hop I go on I'm just going to buy a Schnibbles pattern and a package of binding clips at each store. I'll tell them you said so!! :) Seriously, I think it's a great idea. My hands get sore too. I was using my daughter's little butterfly clips... these look more professional!! :)

[Susan wetzel]

Miss Rosie, I have signed up for your quilt classes in St. George, Utah. Do you know when you are coming?

[Charlie]

I do my binding by machine or have my quilter put it on. I am just happy to get the binding on if I quilt them myself. The clips might help me out for that. I will give it a try. I think hair clips might be cheaper unless you find them on sale at a craft store.

I really do need to get one of them trays. They would be great to hold pins too.

[Kate]

That cheesecake looks to-die-for!

I pin when I bind, but the clips look like a much better idea. I only ever pin about 50cm ahead of where I'm stitching...and my binding is never "full" with batting...because I use 2 1/2 inch strips I guess. Something to try on my next quilt I think (and it's one of yours!).

[Carol]

That magnetic bowl is wonderful...I always have clips falling out of lap waiting to get back in their Brighton tin...sometimes I just give them a toss and they don't quite make it into it...so a magnetic dish would help gather them together. You're amazing!

[Dawn]

Oh that cheesecake is to die for! I love red velvet cake - may have to try that cheesecake now! Mmmm!!

[Candace]

Miters stitched down on the front? Yikes, Carrie - I do my borders exactly the same way you do, albeit I use fewer clips and just move them forward as I go - but I had to idea about the front miter - I'm not even sure how I would do that - guess I won't be entering anything in Paducah - LOL!
Cheers!

[Nancy]

Carrie, Well, all those clips make sense now and of course youv'e never displayed any quirky habits before, LOL. Of course, I've been staring at the cheesecake and the only thing that is sweet in my house right now is applesauce. See ???? You left me hungry again, I'm off to find the applesauce, maybe if I add cocoa...no, I don't think so.

[Joyce]

I have my eye on the Chicken and orzo. That looks so good! What I want to know is, what is the quilt under the dish of binding clips?

[Marianne]

Yep, agree with you about filling that binding. I think I've read somewhere, it actually causes the binding to wear out sooner if not filled up. Plus it just feels better not to have an empty binding. I just might have to get some clips. Heaven knows, that's got to go quicker than my pinning all 4 sides first!

[Lisa D.]

Mmm - there she goes again, making us hungry on a quilting blog! That red velvet cheesecake is just gorgeous to look at. Will have to try it to see how it tastes!

[Darlene]

One word - Yummy!

I understand why you do your binding the way you do - I really get it. All those clips look like a spiral binding on the end of the quilt. LOL Oh, now I hope the binding I did on Tag Sale was adequate. It's so long ago - sigh! :-)

[Nicole]

I thought I was picky about bindings, but you make me look like a total slacker.
Must try the orzo fritatta--I've got the book. Have you tried Giada's Dirty Risotto? Delish.
Love the little peek you gave us of the quilt under the metal dish. Is it made from Patisserie?

[sara]

Hi Carrie! Mom was supposed to pass along an email of thanks to you for the adorable winter charm kit you sent me, but somehow it was never sent! I am dreadfully sorry. I wanted to express my delight and joy in working with the pattern, and how adorable the project came out. I'm currently working on your American Pie pattern with some goreous fabrics from the Mendocino line. I'm trying to talk Mom into going to the Long Beach Quilt Festival in July, will you be there?
I'm so pleased to have discovered your blog, all the best!

[Michelle]

Where do you find these clips? That sounds like a fabulous idea to keep my hands from cramping up!