wordless wednesday

granny squared

busy as a bee

Jim surprised me and was able to get the pictures off my memory card, so I can show you some of the quilts I've been slaving away over.

After looking at this picture, I might take this one apart. I don't like how I ended up with the matching squares butting up to the border. Going to have to think on this one.

disappearing 9patch in Curio by Basic Grey

I first blogged about this next quilt here.

awesome quilt using Fresh Flowers by Deb Strain

As you can see, I did decide on adding some borders. I figured I had the fabric, so why not.

And with the delivery of some fabric yesterday, I'm going to finish this little one up today,

Than find some time to quilt all these!

quilt monday

One of my favorite quilt patterns; from a long ago McCalls Quilting magazine. Dated 1999!

quilted with Laurie

Best thing about this quilt? Was pieced entirely from stash fabrics.

All the bright colors just make me happy.

snack saturday

Lemon Blueberry Bread

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest(outer yellow skin of the lemon)

1 cup (240 ml) fresh blueberries

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk

Lemon Glaze:

2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch) (23 x 13 x 8 cm). 

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture. Place the blueberries in a separate bowl and toss the berries with the 1 tablespoon flour (this will help prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.)

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beatthe butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Lemon Glaze: In a small microwaveable bowl, stir the sugar with the lemon juice. Place in the microwave for about 20 seconds or just until sugar has dissolved.

When the bread is done, remove from oven andplace on a wire rack. Pierce the top of the hot loaf with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush with the hot lemon glaze. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. This bread is best served on the day it is made, but it can be stored several days or frozen.

Makes 1 loaf.

card friday

winnings

I have recently won not one but two bloggy giveaways; so exciting! 

Firstly, I won this fabulous book from Marianne

If you don't have it yet, I highly recommend this book; it is fantastic!

Secondly, I won this fun pattern from Mary Claire at Splendorfalls. 

Want to win some goodies of your own? Head over to Sew Mama Sew's big giveaway. All the details can be found HERE.

some recent favorites

Realized it's been awhile since I've shown any customer quilts so here's some recent finishes.

Jean and I met online. She contacted me earlier this year asking about having a quilt done for the Langley Modern Quilt Guild.

I love how it looks dimensional.

I did some quilting in each block with a purple thread. Sashing was left and I piano keyed the border.

You can really see the pattern on the backing.

I love this one of Diana's.

quilted with Laurie

Sherri made this beautiful quilt for her daughter.

Sherri didn't want any quilting in the embroidery blocks. So I did some continuous curve, ribbon stitching and some stippling. 

Lastly, this adorable flannel quilt by Sheila.

quilted with Sprung

wordless wednesday

i was planning on blogging today

I took bunches of photos yesterday of some newly finished goodies, but this morning, I couldn't find my camera  cord. 

Not a big deal, I'll use my not so trusty card reader to do my pictures. That's when I discovered this

This can not be good.

The missing piece? It's stuck inside here.

No amount of shaking, jiggling etc will dislodge the piece. I can see it in there but I can't reach it. But let's not panic.Time to try the card reader.

No such luck. 

I couldn't even get the card inside.

I will admit to starting to think it's time to start panicking. But let's grab the back-up camera and try that.

looks like it's time to redo the mani 

And good news!

The card fit. And I can see my pictures.

I just can't get them off.

PS-all photo's taken with my cell phone.

And yes, I can still use my camera, I just can't store more than 10pics in the camera memory.

PPS-the missing camera cord? discovered buried in the basket with the Wii remotes.

snack saturday

Strawberry Mousse Pie 

• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Knox gelatin
• 2 ~ 10 ounce packages frozen strawberries in light syrup, thawed. Do not drain, reserve liquid.
• 2/3 cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, chopped fine or mashed, optional
• 2 ~ 9 inch baked pie crusts
• 1/4 cup white chocolate curls, optional

1. Combine sugar and gelatin in a large saucepan. Add strawberries with juice and stir. Turn heat to medium and stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Bring to a boil making sure the mixture doesn't burn or boil over, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and transfer to a large stainless bowl and chill for approximately one hour ~ more or less ~ or until strawberry mixture starts to set up like loose jello. Stir a few times. Be careful, you don't want it to set up completely or it will be almost impossible to work with. Likewise, it can't be too thin either.
3. In a clean mixer bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whip a while longer until stiff peaks hold their shape. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
4. In the same mixing bowl, whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream until stiff.
5. Gently fold egg whites and whipped cream into strawberry mousse mixture until smooth and blended.
6. Fold fresh strawberries into mousse if desired.
7. Pour into baked pie shells. 
8. Chill and set aside.

card friday

wordless wednesday

quilt monday

A few months ago when I went on a fabric field trip with some friends, I spotted this owl fabric when I was waiting in line to get my fabric cut. I knew I couldn't leave without it.

Quilted with Sprung

I backed it with pieces of fun flannel fabric.

I just can't get enough of these owls!

snack saturday

Strawberry Lemon Trifle  

• 2 lbs fresh strawberries sliced
• 1 angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes 
• 2 (21 ounce) cans prepared lemon pie filling (or lemon pudding)
• 1 pint whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 -2 tablespoon limoncello lemon liqueur (optional)

1. 
   
   Whip the cream until soft peaks form; beat in the vanilla and sugar and mix thoroughly.
2. Gently fold lemon filling into the whipped cream (add lemon zest and Limoncello, if using).
3. In a trifle dish or individual dessert dishes layer the strawberries, cake cubes, and lemon creme mixture.
4. Arrange a few strawberries on top.
5. Serve immediately, or cover with saran wrap and chill until serving time.

card friday

finishes

I got to spend the day sewing with friends earlier this week. I didn't know what to work on so I took a jelly roll of Fresh Flowers and one of my favorite Moda Bake Shop patterns. 

A few hours later and here we go.

I have some yardage from this line and just may add a border to it. I'm thinking on that one for now.

I don't even know if I showed this little quilty to you. But it's finished now and ready for this winter.

I cross-hatched the borders and did a loopy stipple in the background. I think he's just adorable!

Now I can get the binding finished on another little something I've been working on...

wordless wednesday

random pics from my phone

my helper

date night

family bowling game

dogwood tree in the backyard

quilt monday

quilted with Butterflies and Loops

The second quilt of three that I made earlier this year. This one has a pink border, other than that, the rest of the quilt is identical to the first.

I used poly batting, I wanted the quilt to be puffy.

I love how the white just pops in the quilt.

Backed with a fun backing.

Now to get the binding finished on the last one.

snack saturday

Hazelnut Brownies

• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter 8 inch square baking pan.
2. Melt unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in brown sugar, white sugar, and honey; mix until sugar is dissolved. Beat in eggs, a little at a time. Add flour, salt, baking powder, vanilla, hazelnuts, cayenne pepper, and orange zest. Stir until blended well and mixture is glossy. Pour batter evenly into pan.
4. Bake until the surface looks dry and a toothpick inserted in the center has just a film of chocolate on it, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack about 12 minutes and cut into squares while still warm.

card friday

just when I had a few moments

Gizmo got all cozy.

How could I possibly disturb him?

But it gave me the excuse to start playing with something new.

Thank you so much for all the love on Monday. Swoon seems to be a favorite of everyone.

wordless wednesday