today

This is the only labouring happening here.

Happy Labour Day.

snack saturday

Banana Crumb Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

card friday

wordless wednesday

longarm quilting

I get asked often about my quilting machine, do I use a computer, how does it work. Enough that I thought I would do a blog post on it.

I run an APQS Millennium machine. 

Millie isn't new, she's about 8yrs old now. And a total workhorse. My average is around 315 quilts/year and Millie keeps going strong.

I don't have a computer system. The only special features I have is a stitch regulator, a thread-cutter(I never use it) and needle up/down. My quilting table is 14feet long; the biggest quilt I've done was 135 inches.

90% of my quilting customers only ask for all-over quilting patterns(pantographs).  

When I quilt an all-over pattern, I stand at the back of the machine,

and I 'trace' the panto with a laser light.

It looks pretty easy but there is a wee bit of a learning curve.

For custom quilting, I stand at the machine front.

I share a quilt studio with my mom.

I am very blessed to have a job that I truly do love doing. I don't always love going to work but it's a great job that I have.

the only somewhat current picture I have of our quilting studio. taken September 2011.

quilt monday

Guess what?

I finished this quilt.

And as always, now I can't get enough of it.

So much so that I hung them on the door in my sewing room. The little owls just make me smile.

The quilting isn't anything special; some water stitching and some stippling. I also echoed some of the bigger applique pieces.

Just too cute!

snack saturday

Chocolate Banana Cake 

2 ripe bananas, peeled
1 1/4cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4tsp salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350*F. Place banana in ungreased 8inch pan. Mash with fork.

Stir in remaining ingredients, except for chocolate chips. Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter.

Bake 35minutes. Cool completely and enjoy!

hello, hello!

We had the bestest holiday but it is so good to be home. There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed; or getting to shave your legs again lol.

I took a whole stack of quilts that needed the binding finished

and I didn't finish any until I got home.

Before we left, I did manage to get the binding on my Curio 9patch. I wondered a few months ago if I should pull the border off or not.

I love it with the border gone. More importantly, it now fits where I wanted it too.

I quilted it with one of my favorites, the baptist fan.

Lastly, a look at where we spent our vacation. It doesn't get much more beautiful.

Now it's time to sit back and enjoy the last week of summer.  Why does it always seem to go by faster every year?