Design Wall Monday

I don't have a lot of progress to show for this week's "Design Wall Monday", but I did get the alternating blocks cut for my Dear Jane quilt. Now if I can just make some time to stitch them all together!

Be sure to stop by Patchwork Times to see what other quilters have on their design walls this week and add your latest project to the list too!

On a side note, I have a giveaway alert for you! Kelly at I Have A Notion is having a giveaway each day this week and she is giving away some wonderful stuff! If you aren't familiar with Kelly, she has a delightful quilting blog as well as an online shop that is chock full of quilting notions, books and patterns all at reduced prices! Don't miss out on Kelly's giveaway fun this week and be sure to visit her online shop too!

4-in-1...I Want One!

Icy Conditions

I honestly thought about taking my sewing machine outside yesterday afternoon, so I could enjoy the warm weather and get a little stitching done at the same time. Thank goodness I didn't though, because the sunshine quickly turned to severe thunderstorms that produced thunder, lightning, high winds and hail larger than quarters! Do you think homeowners insurance would cover a sewing machine damaged by a hail storm? Imagine trying to explain that one to an insurance claims adjuster!

Sum-Sum-Summertime!

There hasn't been a whole lot of stitching going on this week due to a sudden outbreak of SUMMER here in Pennsylvania! I've been finding every excuse imaginable to be outside to soak up all the sunshine I can while it lasts. I love this weather, but if it keeps up, I may have to take the advice of a friend and move my sewing machine to the picnic table in the backyard!

Ready For Quilting

The Very Berry Lemonade quilt top now has all it's borders and is ready to be quilted. This has been a fun quilt to work on. Purple and yellow are colors that I rarely work with and it never would have occurred to me to put them together, but the combination has really made a great summer quilt. Now it's off to Anya, who has graciously offered to do the quilting! Once it is finished, this quilt will be donated to the local children's home for them to raffle off as a fund raiser...hopefully it will make them a lot of money!

Monster Cookies

The cookie monsters that hang around my house really gobble these up fast!

Monster Cookies

1/4 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup M&M's (plus a few extras for decoration)

In a large bowl, cream shortening and peanut butter together and add brown sugar and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add baking soda, flour and oatmeal, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips and M&M's. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2" apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly by pressing the dough with the bottom of a glass and press three extra M&M's on the top of each for decoration. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or just until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown.

Have You Heard?

Have you heard about the Minnesota Quilt Designer Blog Hop? Celine from Perkins Dry Goods has organized a group of Minnesota quilt designers who will be offering a free pattern or tutorial on their blog over the next 10 days. Not only are there going to be free patterns and tutorials, but there are also going to be some great prizes and fantastic giveaways, so be sure to visit each designer's blog on the days listed below.

June 22 - Gudrun from GE Designs

June 23 - Heather from Anka’s Treasures

June 24 - Celine from Perkins Dry Goods

June 25 - Roseann from Rosebuds Cottage

June 26 - Sherri from This ‘N’ That

June 29 - Kari from New Leaf Stitches

June 30 - Terry from Atkinson Designs

July 1 - Shelly from Cedar Canyon Textiles

July 2 - Jamie from Scrap-bags

July 3 - Mary from Quilted Treasures

Design "Wall" Monday

The title of today's post should actually be "Design Floor Monday", because I didn't feel like dragging out my design wall yesterday when I was playing with the setting arrangement for my Sunshine and Shadow blocks. After trying a few different patterns, I think this is the setting that I am going to go with. Now I just need to stitch them together and decide on borders.

Be sure to stop by Patchwork Times to see what other quilters have on their design walls this week and add your latest project to the list too!

Father's Day

Looking For Sunshine

It's another gray, rainy day here in Pennsylvania. I know I should be happy that there have been so many unexpected quilting days this summer, but I really would like to see some sunshine! The weatherman is promising sunshine and summer weather for next week, so until then I'll just have to find bright spots wherever I can find them...like these stella d'oro daylilies that are blooming outside my front door.

Sock It To Me!

It's been awhile since I've played with my knitting needles, so this past week I pulled this fabulous Encore self-striping yarn from my stash and started working on a pair of slipper socks. The pattern that I am using is Encore Slipper Socks from The Naked Sheep. It's a super simple pattern and it works up really fast on size 5 needles with worsted weight yarn!

Very Berry Lemonade

The weather here in Pennsylvania has been much less than summer like this week. In fact it has been cold, wet and somewhat depressing. Remember the old saying, "if life hands you lemons, make lemonade"? Well that's exactly what several of my quilty friends and I did yesterday! Our charity quilt group was asked to make a quilt to be raffled off to benefit the local children's home and yesterday was the perfect day to be inside working on a quilt. We decided to use the disappearing nine-patch pattern with lots of purple prints and a yellow accent. I blame the dreary weather on the color choices, but as wild as they are, they work well together! Once the blocks were cut and placed on the design wall we all agreed that it looked like a Kool-Aid package, so it was appropriately named "Very Berry Lemonade"! Working on this bright quilt was a great way to spend a rainy summer day!

Cheesy Chicken Tortellini Casserole

This casserole dish is a newer recipe that is fast becoming a family favorite!

Cheesy Chicken Tortellini Casserole

1 package frozen cheese tortellini
1 Tablespoon oil
2 cups chicken, cut up into bite size pieces
3 green onions finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for 1-2 minutes and add the fresh mushrooms and green onions, cooking until chicken is done and mushrooms are golden brown. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened.

Pour tortellini in bottom of a greased 9" x 13" pan. Sprinkle half the cheese over tortellini and pour the chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.

Design Wall Monday à la Ami

Look at the wonderful string blocks that are on my design wall this Monday! These blocks are the result of Saturday's Ami Simms string quilting workshop. What a fun day it was! Ami is such a delightful lady and she really has a great way of teaching with humor. If you ever get the chance to take one of her workshops I highly recommend that you not miss it!
I still have more blocks to make and I haven't decided how I am going to set them yet. There are a dozen or more setting ideas for these blocks, so you're likely to see a lot of different options on the design wall before they are all sewn together!

Be sure to stop by Patchwork Times to see what other quilters have on their design walls this week and add your latest project to the list too!

Flag Day

A May Giveaway Day Win!

I entered several giveaways during the May Giveaway Day hosted by Sew, Mama, Sew! and of course I was hoping that I would win something, but I really enjoyed visiting all of the participating blogs more than anything. As it turns out, not only did I find some great "new to me" blogs, but I won something too! Sylvie from Maevy's Corner drew my name for this "little blue package" which contained 5 yards of blue bias tape, lots of blue vintage buttons and a lovely forget-me-not cross stitched block! What a great way to brighten a dreary day! Thanks Sylvie!

Black It Is!

I took the batik strips that I cut for tomorrow's Ami Simms String Quilting workshop to Needles Quilt Shop this morning to audition setting fabrics. I tried several different fabrics and after a few minutes I had it narrowed down to two choices, lime green or black. I liked them both equally as well and was having a tough time deciding until my friend, Kathy (blogless...hint, hint Kathy!) suggested the black batik with lime green quilting and binding. That was all it took...black it is!

Take Time To Smell The Roses

My plan this morning was to photograph a few of the roses that have bloomed over the past couple of days, but when I stepped around the corner of the house I spotted this guy...
apparently even chippies take time to smell the roses!

Pinwheels For Linus

The quilt that gave me so many problems is finally quilted and bound and ready to hand over to our local Project Linus Coordinator! I have to say that even with all the trouble I had in the beginning, I am really pleased with the end result!

What Was Lost, Now Is Found

Remember the story of the lost needle from a couple of weeks ago? Mystery solved...Miss Two found it "the hard way" yesterday. Miss Two was in the living room laying on her belly with her feet under the sofa and sure enough, the next thing I knew she was saying very nonchalantly, "I found it." "Found what?" I asked. "The pin that you lost." she said, as she held up her foot with the needle still sticking out of it! About that time I started to panic, but thankfully it wasn't that bad, just a little poke, no blood and not even any tears. All was made better with a foot massage and being named the one to select the lunch menu for the day. If only all of life's problems could be solved with a good foot massage and macaroni and cheese "the box kind"!

What Is On Your Design Wall?

For the past few Mondays Judy at Patchwork Times has asked the burning question, "What is on your design wall?" and because I actually have something on my design wall this week, I thought I would join in.
These are my Dear Jane blocks in position and waiting for setting blocks. I've decided to use the fabric shown in the lower left corner for the setting blocks. (The color isn't quite accurate...it is actually more tan and not nearly as gold as it is showing up in this photo.)
Stop by Patchwork Times to see what other quilters have on their design walls this week and add your latest project to the list too!

Just Watching The Clouds Go By

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.

~John Lubbock

Black, White Or ???

I mentioned the other day that I am going to take the Ami Simms String Quilting workshop next week. The supply list calls for 2", 1 1/2" and 1" strips, so I spent the evening last night cutting batiks from my stash for the class. Now I need to decide on what color set fabric I should use. From the sample photos shown HERE, it looks as if most people have used black or white. I love black with batiks, but I wonder if another solid might look just as nice? Something like a bright electric green or deep purple? What would you choose?

Mmm...Biscuits

Mmm...Biscuits! Biscuits and butter, biscuits with jam, biscuits drizzled with honey, biscuits smothered in gravy, biscuits layered with whipped cream and berries...no matter how you serve them, there's nothing better than hot fluffy biscuits!

Mama's Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, unbeaten
2/3 cup milk

Sift flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and cream of tartar into a bowl. Add shortening and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour the milk into flour mixture and add egg. Stir until dough pulls away from side of the bowl. Turn out onto lightly dusted board and carefully knead four times (do not over knead). Pat dough to 1 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter and bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Ami Simms Is Coming To The MLQG!

You may remember that our guild held an AAQI (Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative) Mini Retreat in April for guild members who wanted to make mini quilts to donate to the Ami Simms Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt Project. The mini quilts in this photo are the ones that I am donating to Ami when she visits our guild next week. Yes, I said next week! It seems like we have been waiting such a long time for this day and it's almost here! Ami will be giving a lecture at the MLQG's monthly meeting Friday evening and then Saturday she will be teaching an all day string quilting workshop. I'm looking forward to attending both events!

Poppies

Is there anything more cheerful than bright red poppies dancing in the breeze on a warm sunny day?

May Giveaway Day Winner!

A special thank you to everyone (all 326 of you) who entered my giveaway! I loved reading each and every comment and finding out a little bit more about you.

The winner was chosen by random.org, which generated... #34

LFinn said...

Thanks for a great giveaway! I love to sew, but Quilts scare me--I am working through that! I live in North Carolina, and want to sew well enough to make clothes for my little girl.

May 27, 2009 11:57 AM

LFinn is the winner! I'll be emailing you for a mailing address so I can send out your prize! Congratulations!