quilt monday-on a tuesday

Made from a MrsJumps Scrap Bag layer cake and it's all for ME lol

baby shower

Had another baby shower to go to on the weekend. That is the 3rd one in a week! I've had this quilt waiting for this shower so I just had to make up a card and I was good to go. Totally forgot I had bought this adorable giraffe stamp. Love him!

Will be back later for Quilt Monday. Jim and I are both on holidays this week so not sticking to any sort of schedule lol

you know you are a mom

When 5 minutes after bedtime, one of your kids comes and tells you that you need to make a quilt square for school. The next day school. And it has to be the same size as a folded piece of paper that they have brought home. And it has to show kindness and love

it's a mystery

A mystery quilt that is! Mom, Cindy and I signed up for Hamels Mystery Quilt this year. None of us have done one before. Way back in January, we were given all the fabric and each month we get instructions. Last night was the night we were finally getting together to get started.

We are all doing the same size(Lazy Lap lol!) but different fabrics. Mom's quilt is Kanas Troubles; Cindy and I are both using the Cider Mill line. Mine is in the greens and Cindy's in the browns

For part of one of the blocks, we had to make Flying Geese(shudder). I detest Flying Geese(just fabric ones lol) But the way it is done in the instructions was fascinating! And oh so simple.

You take a 5 1/4inch square and 2 2 7/8inch squares(draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of the square) and sew them together like so.


Here is Cindy drawing her lines. Abby was supervising lol.


Than you cut them apart and get a funky piece like this.


Iron carefully(remember little or no steam and press. don't use a side to side motion) pressing towards the triangles


Now you take a third 2 7/8square and sew it on.


Cut it apart and iron


And ta-da!!



Mom ended up packing it in around 11pm. Cindy left at midnight. I stayed up until just after 1am sewing away. I knew when the cats were all asleep, it was probably time for me to sleep too lol



Now to resist going farther on this; I need to get my Quilt a Long quilt finished.

snack saturday

Creamy Layered Fruit Sensation

1 pkg. (227 g) prepared angel food cake
3 Tbsp. orange juice
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2-1/2 cups skim milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Vanilla Fat Free Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups thawed Whipped Topping, divided
2 pkg. (600 g) frozen mixed berries, thawed, well drained (about 4 cups frozen or 2-1/2 cups thawed berries)


CUT cake into cubes; place in large bowl. Combine orange juice and almond extract. Drizzle over cake cubes; toss lightly.

POUR milk into another large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.

LAYER half the cake cubes in bottom of 2-L glass serving bowl or 2-L round baking dish. Reserve a few berries for garnish. Top with layers of half each of the remaining berries and pudding mixture. Repeat layers. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours. Top with remaining 1/2 cup whipped topping and reserved berries just before serving.

card friday

schools out

And I'm sad. Not because my kids are going to be home now but because today we said goodbye to an excellent public school. Our oldest and youngest go to private school and we had said when #2 finished in elementary, we would move all four of them to the private school. And the time is now here.

We spent 6 yrs at this school; the principal has been there as long as we have and she is leaving as well. It was a very bitter-sweet morning.

I made a messenger bag for #2's teacher. I changed a few things on this one. The lining was bigger than it was supposed to be(that's what you get for sewing after midnight lol) so I folded it over the front and made it into a band. I really like how this one turned out. And more importantly, the teacher loved it.

wordless wednesday

father's day

quilt a long

I'm still trying to get caught up with Old Red Barn's quilt a long. I'm still sewing my strips together. And did I mention it took just under 3 hours to get the 12meters of fabric?(I'm doubling the size of my quilt because that's just how I roll lately lol)

Look at all the sewn strips. At last count, there were 18; anyone want to come help iron and cross cut them?


Or help sew the last 60 strips together? Anyone?? lol

quilt monday

Made for a very special friend's new baby. I used the extra block(why do I always seem to end up with one of those? lol) as the label


Quilted with Chantilly Lace

snack saturday

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake


Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 3/4 cups cranberries
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.
With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.

card friday

teacher gifts

Yes it is that time of year again. Seriously, didn't we just start the school year? I can not believe that it is almost over. Well, it is over for A and M. A writes his last exam Friday morning and Friday is M's last day of school-I can't believe my baby is already done grade 1 *sniff*

I was just going to be so boring this year and just give the teachers gift cards to Starbucks. Than earlier in the week, I was catching up with my blog reading when I saw this post at Quite Quilted and I wished I had more time.

A quick email over to Cindy and a quick trip to Hamels and I made this!!



It's so nice and roomy inside; you could fit allot more things inside


It's my first one so there are things I will certainly do next time differently. But I LOVE how it turned out. And hope M's teacher likes it too. Now I have to finish another one for next week!

wordless wednesday

all for me!!

I finally finished up my quilt using a Mrs.Jumps Scrap Bag layer cake. I love how it turned out!! Now I hope I can get it quilted this week. I'm hosting a baby shower on Friday and I would love to have this on my table

today was the

Second monthly meeting of Ladies who Lunch. A group of friends who all just happen to be bloggers as well(you should have seen the race to get the camera out first to take pictures of their lunch)

Last month we had lunch at a tea house here. Today we meet at another tea house, Serendipi

The food was lovely,



The laughs great,


We even got to visit a lovely quilt store next store,


And got some cupcakes for home.



Can't wait until next month

quilt monday

Has been a long time since I got a quilt top quilted the same week I pieced the top! Yay me! lol.

Quilted with Limetree

And I love the backing

snack saturday

Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients

3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
8 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.

In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture; stir in shredded coconut.

Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each with a heaping 1/4 cup batter. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack. Invert cupcakes onto rack; then reinvert and let cool completely, top sides up. Frost cupcakes swirling to cover. Cupcakes may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Garnish with fresh coconut just before serving.

end of the year fun

Last Friday I spent scorekeeping at J's sports day. Today B had sport's day and M's school was having a waterslide day. Because M is in grade 1, he had to have a parent attend or he couldn't go. So I went with him(after his teacher told me I wouldn't have to go into the water lol) and Jim went with B to his sports day(the first one of B's I have ever missed)

The day started off cool and cloudy but once the sun broke through it was beautiful. And I got to spend my time under a tent, visiting and binding a quilt. Perfect!!


And Mini E came too

i am in love

With this quilt. I haven't seen this pattern before for a bargello quilt and I love it. It is absolutely stunning; the fabrics are so incredibly yummy. I wish it was coming home with me instead of going home with my customer lol


Quilted with Fay Feathers

heartstopping

I was running a quilt through this afternoon when I heard the most horrible sound. I stopped quilting and discovered that my needle was gone; broke clear off in the stem. Ack!!

I found the needle under my stable table attachment; it had bent and than snapped. Thankfully the machine, and my quilt! were okay and I was able to continue on *whew*!

double trouble

Margaret made these quilts for her grandsons. Margaret's mother did the embroidery; and how beautiful is her work?


Both were quilted with Flames

invitations

I'm hosting a baby shower next week. I spent Friday night, and what ended up being most of Saturday making the invitations. You know how you are just not in the mood to do something? That was me. And to make it even more fun, the original idea I had for the inviations turned out to be the ugliest looking things *shudder*

Thankfully they turned out really cute. Now if I can just start getting people to RSVP lol

wordless wednesday

twilight quilt

Debbie made this stunning bento box quilt as a wedding gift. When she brought the quilt in and found out we had a Twilight quilting pattern, she was ecstatic. I guess the bride is a big Twilight fan

This quilt is a good size-88x130. The bride(and groom) receiving this beautiful quilt are very lucky

detour

I have so many projects on the go right now. None of them at the, if I can get 2 or 3 hours to sew, I'll have it finished stage either. And I've felt lost in my sewing space; like nothing is getting accomplished there. Probably because nothing has lol

How to solve that? Start something new lol! I've had a few packs of Thimbleberries Home and Garden, Light and Bright charm squares. So I went simple and just started sewing them together. I used up the two packs I had and it was still so tiny. I was only able to find 1 more pack at my LQS so this is how big we've got. I love the blue borders(yes they are on the big side to add some more size to the quilt lol.


I've been wanting to make something for Jim's Grandma for awhile now and I think(hope!) she will love this.

In the end, it took me about 3 hours to put together. I was debating around 11pm last night about putting the borders on or going to bed. The borders won.