Finished ~

 

Not really ~

 I realized that the feeling I have when a quilt top is complete is entirely premature. Like reaching the mountain top, you are really only half way there, you still have to hike back down. 

Today the 4th grade class will be choosing a color for the back of the quilt. I think they are leaning towards a shade of yellow. I won't find out till Tuesday because I am taking a little trip with my girls for a Speech and Debate tournament. Something to look forward too.

This is a good time to take a break.

Even though I still have many tasks to complete and with each, the quilt will change in appearance, I am delighted with how it turned out. The students picked a soothing, blue color and I managed to choose a complementary blue to match. Picking colors is not my forte. 

Have a lovely weekend, even though it may not be picnic weather ~

Finished ~

Friday


I hope that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
The runner that Angela from the SDMQG had made for me was a big hit at our home that my darling stated 'you could make one with Christmas fabric for the piano'. So without direction and checking and rechecking the measurements I came up with this reversible runner





Have a great weekend

the expected cookie ~

Since I have responsibilities tomorrow that take me away from 6 AM till sometime late into the evening, I had best make the 'expected cookie'. I only make this cookie during the month of December and since tomorrow is the 1st, I had better get on it. This is a cookie from my childhood that my family enjoys too, I didn't expect that!

It is not a hard cookie to make, just very messy. They are Russian Tea Cakes, not a cake but a cookie. A round ball of cookie goodness studded with walnuts and rolled twice in confectioners sugar. These are also know as the 'watch out' cookie, don't inhale as you bite or you will inhale powered sugar.

Yesterdays I made cookies was from the Milk & Cookie cookbook and the family really liked the flavor and texture. Maybe this is the perfect gingersnap cookie. We will see if the dd #2 asks for it again.

My finished Friday projects are my project bag and inside contain all the goodies I made for the SD Modern Quilt Guild scrap swap. A little zipper pouch, two mug rugs and earl grey tea.

A little recipe for you ~ I think I have had this recipe since the big kids were in pre-school, a long  time ago

Gingerbread Playdough

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

Sift together dry ingredients

1/2 cup shortening melted and cooled slightly

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup molasses

& 1 egg

Mix well and let cool

Add half of dry ingredients to shortening mixture blend then add the remainder and mix well

Shape like playdough or use cookie cutters

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes

Enjoy.

Quilt # 11~ Finished Friday

 

 

I purchased this kit at the Long Beach Quilt Festival. It is very luxurious and includes minkee, cotton, chenille and jumbo rick rack for a very nice throw sized quilt. This is my finished quilt #11 and I was expecting fabric due yesterday to back the Modern Workshop and Little Leaves quilts. Maybe today ~ I have been working on a collage of finished quilts but the program is not cooperating.

 My intention was to make this for myself but it feels like it belongs to someone else. And I am working on a quilt tag to stitch to the quilts. Haven't come across the perfect one. 

We are enjoying cooler weather. It's what I like to call 'sock weather'. My favorite socks are from SmartWool. They even have a little message inside the top cuff that reads 'feels good' and they do. We have a little rainy storm dampening the ground and cleaning the air. This is sometimes as close to winter as we get so with hard wood floors they are the perfect cozy thing for my feet.

There is bread rising, Apple Walnut bread from the book by Beth Hensperger. I changed a few things and if it comes out delicious I will share. 

Have a great weekend

Finishing it Friday ~

leftover strips from Modern Workshop quilt

9 patch square

cutting

assembled

layout and ideas sketch
inspiration from Pleasant Home

strips cut for 4-square

piles to stitch

I feel like a clever little bunny. Rubbing two brain cells together I figured out a way I could use my never-ending scraps from my Tea with the Queen fat quarter set I purchased from Alewives so long ago. Yes, I am officially done with this set of fabric, after I complete this top or back, I am giving the rest away! But I thought I would share how I figured it out with the inspiration coming from Pleasant Home's blog. I looked to see if it was a pattern to be purchased and haven't found anything in my search. I do not want to step on any toes. The Modern Workshop Quilt was a free pattern. The strips that were leftover were 2.5 wide and the square attached to the white strip is 2.5 square.

So in brief ~

 For the 9 patch ~ using 5 of the strips, I cut down 4 strips so that the white strip now measures 2.5. I used a seam ripper to remove one print square from the 5th white strip and stitched it to one of the 4 print/white strips. Save the white...maybe it can be used. Then arrange 3 of the print/white strips so that you have a print that will wind up in the center. Then stitch the print/white/print to the 3 stitched print/white rectangle...so confusing. Please lay out before beginning and it will all make sense. For my purposes I set aside 60 strips for the 12- 9 patch squares.

Using the remaining strips for the 4 patch squares ~ This also required some mental math. I kept looking at my graph to figure out the best way to arrange and cut the remaining strips. So what I came up with is that half of the remaining strips I cut so that the white was 2.5 and the other were cut down to 4.5. The only fabric I am missing will the be 8-2.5 by 6.5 white pieces for the sides and 8- 4.5 by 6.5 for connecting the 9 patch squares. I am looking for my stash of white. I know it is here somewhere. 

So my finished Friday is that I finished figuring it all out. If this is a pattern for purchase please let me know.

I will be taking this project to the San Diego Modern Quilt sewing day...so Maybe Monday

Have a great cool weekend

It will be rather hot here in So Cal. It is the never-ending summer

Finished ~

Mara Shawl on a little girl
She looks like a butterfly

Modern Workshop quilt pattern
Tea with the Queen fat quarters from Alewives

I guess it all depends on what is considered finished. All things are a work in progress or in a state of completion in this home of mine. These two projects I began some time ago. Now I feel a little bit better starting something new. I love the toes peeking out.

Have a wonderful weekend