QuiltNut Creations: 03/01/2011

a sneak peek

At a quilt that is going to be at Quilt Market. I love this one and can't wait to get the pattern when it goes on sale!

quilt monday

I discovered that I have an abundance of pillow forms. Why, I have no idea. So I whipped up this owl pillow using some Frolic scraps. I love him!

Week 2 of spring break starts today. Yay for two week spring breaks!

Banana Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache Icing

Cupcakes
2cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
3/4cup (175 mL) sugar
1tsp (5 mL) baking soda
3/4tsp (4 mL) baking powder
1/4tsp (1 mL) salt
2 large ripe bananas
1/2cup (125 mL) butter, softened
½cup (125 mL) sour cream
2 eggs
1½tsp (7 mL) vanilla

Icing
6oz (170 g) white chocolate, chopped
1/4cup (50 mL) whipping cream

1.Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a muffin pan with 12 paper cupcake liners. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt until very well mixed. Set aside.

2.Put the bananas, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice. Add the butter and continue to purée until smooth and creamy yellow in colour.

3.Pour banana mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 to 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and creamy. Spoon into cupcake liners, filling them equally — the batter will come nearly to the top. Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely.

4.Meanwhile, make the white chocolate ganache icing. (Or cheat and buy a can of icing) Place the chopped chocolate into a bowl. Heat the whipping cream by placing it in a microwave-safe measuring cup and zapping for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until boiling. Pour about half of the hot cream into the bowl with the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate begins to melt. Add the remaining cream and continue stirring until the mixture becomes smooth. If the chocolate doesn’t totally melt, place the bowl in the microwave and zap for 10 seconds at a time until melted. (Don’t overcook!) Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it cools to room temperature and begins to thicken.

5.When the ganache is cool, beat with an electric mixer until it forms a thick, creamy — almost fluffy — icing. (This can only happen if the ganache is cool enough.) Working quickly, swirl over the top of cooled banana cupcakes. Refrigerate until set.

card friday

wordless wednesday

spring

The boys are on spring break for the next two weeks. And we kicked it off with a trip with two other families. We ended up leaving earlier than we had planned so I had no time to preset any blog posts. Or even warn you that I was pulling a disappearing act!

Spring arrived while we were away.

I planted 100 crocus bulbs in our front grass(yes, IN the grass). The yellow came up a few weeks ago and now the purple are in glorious bloom. Where the white ones are, I don't know. Maybe I'll get another surprise next week.

I went to a Stampin Up party last week. We made this lovely spring-themed card.

I really love this embossing folder.

And I got the last few stitches in on my March Birdie block.

I changed mine up a little bit.
I just had to have shamrocks in a March block!

opps, just noticed I forgot to wash the rest of my markings out of this block.

I'll be popping in and out over the next two weeks; posts won't be appearing as usual as we enjoy spring break. I hope you are enjoying spring too!

modifications

A few months ago I got Camille's book, Simplify. I could decide which quilt to make first!

I found a layer cake of Lollipop and knew which quilt I wanted to make first; Spot On.

I did change mine. Mostly because I didn't like the fabric I had picked for the sashing. And once I had it laid out on the floor, I noticed it would work without the sashing so I sewed it together.

The borders are Frolic as are a few of the set-ins.

I love how this turned out. Now to get it quilted and ready for baby!

wordless wednesday

quilt monday

I had a different little something I wanted to show you today but it's not finished and that is why this post is so late. So I'm going to show you something that also isn't finished. Sort of.

One of my oldest quilt kits oh so close to being finished. No it's not quilted. Well, some of it is.

I was quilting something else and had extra backing and batting so I thought there was room to fit this one on.

Opps. I hate it when this happens. Thankfully it doesn't happen too often and this was at least my own quilt and not a customers!

snack saturday

Cowboy Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream margarine, oil, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients until well blended. Mix in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop from a teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Let set up on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

card friday

wordless wednesday

look out

It's another owl birthday card!
And seeing this makes me realize that I really need a new watercolor pen!

Happy Tuesday :)

and the winners are

B. said...
Ohh I have a project that I would love to try this out on. Thanks for the chance

and

Jo-Anne said...
Cooool! I have used a regular old glue stick before to sew together slippery fabrics, but this looks so much better! I hate a gummy needle. (I learned my glue stick trick in a sewing class I took in college, but that was WAY back when! haha)
I would love to try the new stuff!
oxox Jo-Ann

Congrats! I've sent you both an email for your mailing info. Thanx for entering everyone.

quilt monday

Jim's 40th bday quilt.

quilted with Autumn Leaves.
pattern from Happy Hour Quilts.
fabric by Holly Taylor for Moda.

snack saturday

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries

Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time.
Mix in raisins and craisins.
Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

applique and a giveaway

I l-o-v-e appliqué and nothing is more frustrating when I have an appliqué project I want to do and I have no fusible web.

A few weeks ago I got an email from Label Stick asking if I would be interested in trying it out and than doing a review. Yes please!

Lapel Stick is basically a glue stick for fabrics; it doesn't get much easier than this to use. And like their website says it's a temporary non-toxic fabric adhesive that goes on in seconds and dries clear for Quilting, Sewing, Crafting, and Embroidery - replaces baste stitching, pinning, tapes, spray adhesives, and stabilizers. My favorite part? It won't gum up your needles or machines!

I've used Lapel Stick a few times; I have a table runner I made years ago where I didn't sew down the appliqué edges.

Lapel stick to the rescue!

I'm currently working on an appliqué baby quilt. I didn't want the heaviness of fusible web behind the shapes so I pulled out the Lapel Stick.

I traced my shape,