Pillowcases

Last week I received a phone call from the pediatric hospice nurse, who takes care of the little boy who received the Toy Story quilt that I made, asking if I knew of a way to make a pillowcase for a curved neck pillow.  I explained that this request was a stretch of my skills, but that I would do my best to come up with something.  (Once again, how could I say no?)  After a couple of failed tries, I think I managed to make a pillowcase that works well for the pillow form that she sent to me to use as a pattern.  My "little friend" now has seven new pillowcases in some fun "boy" prints that will hopefully be cooler than the velour covered pillows!

Memorial Day

Silent Sunday

And The Winners Are...

Giveaway #1
The winner of the quilted mug rug and two hand-knit hot pads is...

49. Laura said...
My oldest potholder? Well, I have one from my bridal shower...over 25 years ago...with a sad burnt rooster on it...I just love him!








Giveaway #2
The winner of the hand-knit hedgehog with matching nap mat is...

43. Eileen said...
how absolutely adorable!! i think she (surely that cute little purple darling is a she) needs a ladybug friend. thanks for the opportunity and have a great day

Congratulations to both winners!  

Thanks to everyone who visited Hanging On by a Needle and Thread and took the time to comment during the Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day(s).  I truly enjoyed reading each and every one of your comments!  If you didn't win and had your heart set on having a hand-knit of your very own, visit Half Pint Knits...new items are added frequently!

Adventures In Beading

Earlier this week I was fortunate to attend a day long beading workshop instructed by Cindy Yost French.  I have been playing a bit with beads lately, so I was anxious to learn the proper way to embellish quilts with beads and learn the tricks of the trade.  I wasn't disappointed!  After a morning full of instruction I was armed with a slew of new stitches and ways to add beads and other trinkets to my quilts.  The afternoon class was spent working on a beaded scissors case, but by the time that portion of the class rolled around  my mind was going in fifty different directions and I was having a hard time concentrating on the task at hand.  Now that I've had a day or so to let everything I learned soak in, I'm ready to tackle the scissors case.
 
Cindy doesn't have a website, but you can find the pattern for the Snazzy Little Scissors Necklace as well as her other patterns in her Etsy shop, Tree Top Threads Studio.

Come On Get Happy!

No, it's not déjà vu, I have shown a photo of this quilt before.  Come On Get Happy was my Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt for the month of March, but little did I know at the time how special this quilt would end up being.  Not only did I find out yesterday that this quilt has been purchased by my blogging friend, Rene' of Rene' Creates, but the purchase of this quilt put me over my goal of raising $1000.00 for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative! (Can I get just a little woohoo?)  Reaching this goal doesn't mean that my job is done...not by a long shot!  This was just the first $1000.00...I will continue to quilt for the AAQI until there is a cure for Alzheimer's Disease!

Thanks to all those who support the AAQI
by purchasing Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts! 

Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day!

Giveaway #2

Meet Miss Petunia, an adorable green and purple hedgehog from Half Pint Knits!  Miss Petunia is a well mannered hedgehog and would never dream of poking anyone with her quills, but her eyes and nose may not be suitable for very young children.  Miss Petunia is a tiny little gal (5 inches long and 3 inches tall) and she loves to take long naps, so she comes along with her very own matching quilted nap mat that I made especially for her.  Would you like to give Miss Petunia a home?  Just leave a comment below telling me what kind of knitted critter would make a good friend for a lonely little hedgehog.

I'll draw a winner on Saturday, May 26 using the Random Number Generator.  The winner will be notified by email, so if you are a no-reply blogger make sure that you leave your e-mail address with your comment.

Visit Half Pint Knits Etsy Shop to find more hand-knit items for children of all ages!

Don't forget to check out all of the other fantastic giveaways this week at Sew, Mama, Sew!

Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day!

Giveaway #1

Hooray...Giveaway Day is finally here!  Half Pint Knits and I have teamed up for this giveaway to keep your desk and table surfaces neat and cool with a brightly colored green and purple quilted mug rug and two hand-knit 100% cotton purple hot pads.  To enter this giveaway simply leave a comment below telling me about the oldest hot pad/pot holder in your kitchen. (I still have one that was a wedding gift...almost 30 years ago!  Seems like I could make myself a few new ones, doesn't it?)  

I'll draw a winner on Saturday, May 26 using the Random Number Generator.  The winner will be notified by email, so if you are a no-reply blogger make sure that you leave your e-mail address with your comment.

Visit Half Pint Knits Etsy Shop to find more hand-knit items for children of all ages!

Don't forget to check out all of the other fantastic giveaways this week at Sew, Mama, Sew!

Silent Sunday

Under The Rainbow

"The world is spinning around and around
Everybody's lookin' for higher ground
But here under the rainbow
Dreams fall from the sky"

Under The Rainbow - Trisha Yearwood

In her song, Under The Rainbow, Trisha Yearwood sings about dreams falling from the sky.  This week, a dream fell from the sky for Alzheimer's patients as the National Alzheimer's Plan was put into action.  This plan sets a deadline of 2025 to finally find effective ways to treat Alzheimer's, offering hope to all those who are affected by this horrible disease.  Under The Rainbow, my Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt for the month of May, was made to commemorate this giant step towards ending Alzheimer's forever.

Corning Quilters Guild Spring Quilt Show

The above video shows a few highlights of the 2010 Corning Quilters Guild Quilt Show.  This weekend, May 19 and 20, members of the Corning Quilters Guild will once again host their biennial spring quilt show at VFW Post 524, 281 Baker St., Corning, NY. The exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $3.  If you are in the area, this is a show not to miss!

Silent Sunday

May Giveaway Day!

It's that time again...time for Sew Mama Sew's May Giveaway Day (which should actually be renamed giveaway week because it's going to last all week long)!  Half Pint Knits and I are working together to come up with a fun prize package, so be sure to stop by on May 21 to see what is up for grabs.

AAQI May Online Auction Quilts

A New Toy

I have been debating for some time about getting an e-reader, smartphone, tablet or something of that sort and finally decided that a Kindle Fire would suit my needs the best. I really haven't had much need to store my new gadget because I've been playing with it almost constantly since I brought it home, but I thought that it would be a good idea to have a case for it just the same.  I stitched some selvages together, added velcro and a polka dot binding and voilà...a envelope case for a Kindle Fire!

Silent Sunday

A Special Request

Every once in awhile it's important to put everything aside and make a quilt.  Last week I got a call from a local hospice asking if there was any way that I could make a Toy Story quilt for a 5 year-old boy in hospice care.  How could I say no?  A quick search of the local JoAnn Fabrics turned up the needed Buzz and Woody fabric and combined with the Quick Strippie quilt pattern at MaryQuilts.com I now have a finished quilt ready to go to its new owner.

One-Hour French Bread

I have relied on my bread machine for mixing bread dough for the last 15 years, but sadly a couple of weeks ago my dearly loved bread machine mixed its last batch of dough.  I thought about looking for a replacement, but instead I did a search for a fast easy yeast bread recipe and this recipe for One-Hour French Bread showed up time and time again, so I gave it a try.  I am hooked!  This recipe makes a fantastic loaf of bread in one hour start to finish...faster and better than any bread machine!  I think my bread machine days are over and that I will just enjoy the extra counter space in my kitchen! 

One-Hour French Bread

1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
3 - 4 cups flour (any combination of white and whole wheat)

Preheat oven 450º. Combine water, salt, honey, and yeast in a medium bowl. Let sit 5 - 10 minutes, until bubbling. Add flour, stirring with a wooden spoon, until dough is no longer sticky (I'll sometimes dump the dough out onto the cutting board with what flour is in the bowl and roll it around,adding a bit more flour, until it's not sticky). Roll dough into a 12 - 14" roll (or you can divide it in half and roll it into two long skinny baguettes). Place dough roll(s) on a cookie sheet (this won't work in a bread pan), greased or sprayed with non-stick spray, cover, and let sit 20 minutes. Make diagonal slits, 1/2" deep, on top with a razor blade. (Optional: spray with salt water). Bake 20 minutes.