More Geese. So Many More Geese.

I'm getting there.

But I'm not done yet.

I guess that statement could apply to a lot of things in my life, but in this case scenario it is referencing the ongoing construction of paper pieced geese units that will become the border for my Goose Feathers. quilt.

I've explained why I love paper piecing so much - but another reason is just how things like flying geese seams lay when you paper piece versus regular piece. 

It's just less bulky when pressing.

When paper piecing, the wing triangles overlap the previous seam and lay flat.

I'm going to have to join sections to get the border length I need, and this is what happens with "traditionally" joined units:

If I press up toward the upper goose unit, the corners of the wing triangles are pressed up also, creating a hump.

Which one is going to join to the quilt top easier and more smoothly?

Of course, I could press some seams open, but that means pressing the tip of the goose back toward itself.  It doesn't want to lie that way.

Yes, I could make two clips, one on either side of the point of the goose, so I can press the wing triangle seams down, the goose tip can lie upwards - but do I want to do all of that clipping into the seam allowance?

It is what it is, and I'll likely just press them up, get them as flat as I can.

This was one of the other benefits of paper piecing the sashing units for Abundance.  They laid so flat!

And there was also the ease of using all of those saved cut-off corners without having to trim anything down to a specific size before sewing them on. 

But do you see how the corners of the triangles overlap each other instead of being tucked into a seam allowance? It works for flying geese too.

So I will keep stitching, de-papering and assembling until I have enough to border the quilt.

Video is 4X fast!

And for future reference as people read back through these archives, this is the quilt I'm talking about:

I can't wait to get borders on here!

Handyman Jeff on the job!

You may need to zoom in on this photo to see him, but handyman Jeff Hunter is busy with some big jobs while Quiltville Inn is closed for the next two weeks.

 
He's power washing the outside of the house and the porch floor and we will be ready for our next June groups when I return from Romania.

 
Also up on deck is priming the old metal section of the roof so that we can repaint it and have it looking fresh and new and not rusty.

Some jobs can only be done when the weather is fine so we close for 2 weeks in June to get all done that we can!

 
There is some interior painting to happen as well.

Old historic houses take a lot of upkeep and it's continual! 

Okay - this is more LIFE with diabetes stuff.  If it doesn't apply to you, please scroll on. But it just might.

How many of us thought we were buying something "healthy" in the form of any zero-calorie sweetener, whether the packet is pink, blue, yellow or green?

Did you know you are really just choosing your packet color for the most part, but are sabotaging your insulin spikes if the first ingredient is Dextrose or Maltodextrin?

I mean, we are diabetic so we are doing what we can to keep blood sugar low and insulin from spiking, right? We can't just switch to cane sugar? Even agave isn't great long term. Regular consumption of agave can be hard on your liver and can severely impact your metabolic health over time.

Coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey - all cause insulin to spike.

Both dextrose and maltodextrin cause significant, rapid blood sugar spikes, though dextrose spikes blood sugar slightly faster. Because they break down quickly in the body, they both provoke the same metabolic response as pure sugar. (!!!!)

How They Compare:

Dextrose: This is pure glucose, which gives it a Glycemic Index (GI) of \(100\). It is the exact reference point for the GI scale and raises blood sugar almost immediately.

Maltodextrin: This is a processed starch made of linked glucose molecules. Depending on its exact manufacturing (dextrose equivalent), its GI ranges from \(85\) to over \(100\). Your body digests it very quickly, causing a sharp glucose and insulin spike.

Why It Matters:

While these ingredients are useful for athletes who need fast-acting energy during or after intense workouts, they can be problematic for people with diabetes, insulin resistance, or anyone watching their blood sugar. Because maltodextrin is frequently used as a thickener or filler in "sugar-free" or "low-sugar" foods, it can cause hidden glucose spikes even when the label says no sugar is added.

You may know this.  I didn't know this.  I thought stevia meant stevia. Nope.

I switched to liquid stevia (no Dextrose) Monk Fruit with Allulose (No sugar alcohols in the form of erythritol) and I found plain allulose packets for my purse (and travel) that don't contain anything but allulose.  No maltodextrin.  No dextrose.

To my pre-diabetic and diabetic quilters - please check all of the ingredients in your zero calorie "sugar free" sweeteners. Especially anything in powder form.

We've got too many quilts to make.  We don't have time for diabetes to slow us down. We have to be aware of where we are sabotaging our own health.

Tula loafing this morning on the couch.

My travel to Romania starts tomorrow morning extra early. There likely won't be a blog post until I return.  Look for blog posts to resume around June 16th.

I WILL be posting to my other social media so follow along at Instagram, Facebook and YouTube and sometimes Threads. Not as much on YouTube - that's fallen a bit by the wayside because it just takes too much with that platform. But I'll try.

And well catch you up when I get back.

Tomorrow is just to get me to New York. I'll be meeting up with our Craftours group on Saturday at JFK and off we go. I'm excited. No, I'm not fully packed yet!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Hahahaha!

I can't be the only one that feels this way, right? Right?!

Have a good couple of weeks. everyone -