Strings, Strips And Scraps

My scrap basket has been overflowing for quite some time, so the other day when Miss Two, my 7 year-old granddaughter, was here I put her to work sorting scraps.  (She loves playing with fabric scraps, so it didn't seem like much of a chore to her.)  She made piles of strings (anything under 2 1/2 inches), strips (anything over 2 1/2 inches) and scraps (everything else).  It wasn't long after that job was done that she started laying out strips next to each other and I suggested that we could sew them into a quilt like a Lasagna Quilt or a Jelly Roll 1600 Quilt.  It looks like we have our summer quilt project all planned and ready to sew!

Up, Up And Away!

Faster than a speeding bullet...more powerful than a locomotive...able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...it's a bird...it's a plane..it's the lil' cowboy?  I think we all know there are cowboys who are heroes, but did you know that they can be super heroes?  Of course they can, if their grandmama makes them a super hero cape!

Cooking For Easter

I did a little cooking this Easter, but not in the traditional way!  Instead of cooking in the kitchen I was busy in the sewing room making play food out of felt for my granddaughters' Easter basket.  I started with a breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs and then moved on to a bag lunch complete with sandwiches and potato chips.  Of course, I knew that they would want cookies, so I madecookie dough, cookies and pink frosting too.  The girls are really enjoying their new play food and have even made up a grocery list of items for me to stitch up.  Tacos, pizza and s'mores will be added to the pantry soon.  More felt food ideas, patterns and tutorials can found HERE.

Happy Easter!

May your Easter be filled with blessings and maybe a few chocolate bunnies too! Happy Easter!

Much Better!

The dark backing has been replaced with the new lighter backing.  Making the change wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined.  Hand quilting rips out much faster than it goes in!  Yes, I lost some time, but I think it will be worth it in the long run!

Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak To Hope

For more information about the "Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak To Hope" exhibit please visit www.alzquilts.org.

Call Me Crazy

I haven't been happy with the backing that I chose for my "Dear Jane" quilt ever since I sandwiched the quilt together.  Even though the fabric matches the top perfectly, I think it's just too dark in comparison to the front of the quilt.  I told myself that it really didn't matter what was on the back. After all, it's just the back.  I started hand quilting a few blocks with the thought that the backing fabric would grow on me, but after quilting six blocks the dark fabric was still bothering me.  Yesterday I made the decision to rip out the quilting and replace the dark backing fabric with something that I could truly be happy with.  Yes, it means a little extra work and some lost time, but I know I will be much happier with the quilt after it's all finished...if I ever get it finished!

I Spy!

Someone donated a box of scraps to the MLQG's charity group containing quite a few different cartoon prints...perfect for a Project Linus quilt!  I cut the scraps into 6" squares at our last charity sewing day and then I spent the rainy weekend sewing them together.  This morning I laid the finished top out on the floor, so I could take a quick photo.  What started as a short photo session turned into a half hour long game of I Spy with my two youngest granddaughters!  This quilt definitely gets two thumbs up from Miss Three and Miss Four and even though it is the most basic design, it's very apparent that it is going to make a young child very happy!

Silent Sunday

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.   ~ E.E. Cummings

Knitting Needle Roll

This knitting needle roll was a fun project to make and it's big enough to hold even the largest knitting needle collection with room to spare!  The tutorial can be found at www.lupinbunny.blogspot.com.

Kindle Cover

My daughter-in-law asked me if I would make a Kindle cover for her birthday and I was more than happy to do that for her.  She had seen a cover in the store that used a book page on the front and wanted something similar.  No problem, I could do that easy enough!  She settled on a passage from Alice In Wonderland, but she couldn't scan the page from the book, so I suggested that I could simply re-type it to resemble the original text.  No problem.  Add the perfect teapot fabric to go along with the tea-party theme of the cover, a photo of  Alice and the Mad Hatter to use as a bookplate, and a little time to figure out a pattern and voila, a Kindle cover!  I was quite pleased with the finished project and as I sat there admiring my work I saw it...a TYPO!  I can't tell you how many times I proof-read that page, my husband proof-read it, my daughter-in-law proof-read it and no one noticed until it was all done. Doesn't it figure?  I didn't  have the fabric or the time to make another one before her birthday, so I sent the "prototype" and I'll be making another Kindle cover in the very near future...minus the typographical error!

Frayed Around The Edges

My Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative donation quilt for April is dedicated to all those taking care of an Alzheimer's patient.  Being a caregiver for someone who suffers from Alzheimer's is a challenging full-time job.  The role of caregiver can be very rewarding, but with it comes a lot of stress and frustration that can leave one feeling "Frayed Around The Edges".

Silent Sunday

Quilty Fun!

What fun we had on the Spring Fling Shop Hop yesterday!  We traveled 250 miles through the beautiful Finger Lakes of upstate New York to five different quilt shops.  At each shop we received a goodie bag filled with notions, a pattern, coupons and most importantly chocolate to help keep our strength up through the day!  As you can see from the photo, I came home with a tote bag full and that isn't even including the purchases that I made.  If you have never been on a shop hop before, I highly recommend it for a day full of quilty fun!

Spring Fling Shop Hop

Today I am going to be busy hopping from quilt shop to quilt shop with several of my quilty friends. Five fabulous quilt shops and every shop has a trunk show from a national designer!  The Spring Fling Shop Hop continues through Saturday, so if you are in the Finger Lakes area join in the fun!

Ivy Thimble Quilt Shop, Victor, NY
Lake Country Patchwork, Hammondsport, NY
O’Susannah’s Quilt Shop, Watkins Glen, NY
Village Sampler, Big Flats, NY
Carriage House Quilts, Naples, NY

A Quick Knit

I am surprised at how quick the Io: Easy Rainbow Scarf Pattern is to make!  A few hours, a single skein of worsted weight yarn and size 10 needles is all you need to make this lacy scarf...the perfect accessory for chilly spring weather!

No-Reply

Have you ever left a comment or question on a blog and not received a reply?  It could be because you are a no-reply blogger.  It's easy an easy problem to fix...just click on the "are you a NO-REPLY blogger?" button in my sidebar to find a complete explanation of why you don't want to be a no-reply blogger and how to change your settings.

*Button and NO-REPLY blogger instructions courtesy of www.pleasant-home.com. 

Half The Calories?

No bake cookies are a favorite of mine, but I rarely make them because I will inevitably eat the entire batch myself.  Yesterday it occurred to me that if I cut the recipe in half that the calories would also be cut in half.  Brilliant!  Ok, maybe not so brilliant, but please humor me!

Small Batch No Bake Cookies

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened. 

Yield: 18 cookies

Silent Sunday

Black?

I spotted black food coloring at the grocery store and I couldn't resist buying a bottle for a yarn dyeing experiment.  I mixed three strengths of dye by adding 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon to a 1/2 cup of water each and then poured them over three different sections of the yarn.  I was expecting the yarn to be shades of charcoal grey, but as you can see by the photo the color is more brown than black.  I can't say that I'm disappointed with the results though...the different shades of chocolate brown are absolutely beautiful!