I finished the quilting on the Dutch Treat quilt– now on to the binding! I will try to get the binding done this weekend and then post a photo. Mainly I was only working on this quilt for the last 2 weeks – actually 12 days!! That must be a record for me. This is a small quilt though so that really helped. I have been knitting a little bit and I think I made one or two Dear Jane blocks in that time also. Isn’t it amazing how fast you can get a small quilt done if it is just about the only thing you are working on!
I’m really glad to get one project done – that leaves 4 quilt tops left to quilt next year – the Christmas Quilt is on the frame and I have touched it now and then in the last several weeks and have gotten several hours of quilting in on it. When I get done with the binding on the Dutch Treat I will decide which quilt will be next to be put in the hoop to quilt but will most likely take a couple weeks before I start the next one and let the finger tips heal once again.
I think the majority of you hate fruitcake!! But listen – really there is a difference between candied fruit and dried fruit – give dried fruit a chance and you will see a difference for sure. I know very few people who like candied fruit but most like dried fruit.
All of you readers out on the east coast – stay nice and cozy inside this weekend – have the fireplace going and sit back and get some quilting done and enjoy looking at the snow 
I commented in my last post on a book that I got earlier in the week “Red and Green, An Applique Tradition” by Jeana Kimball. I didn’t realize when I ordered it that Jeana has a website. I had searched but didn’t look closely enough I bet. I had the nicest comment from her earlier today on the last post I made and she sent me a link to her website. You can order books 
directly from her and she will autograph also. Jeana also has a blog located at this link. Go look at her website and you will love her patterns and books – you just might be tempted to order I can’t be the only one working on too many projects!!
This will be a busy quilting year indeed! I will be trying to piece/applique 5 quilts and I will be trying to quilt 4 quilt tops already finished – oh the life of a quilter – we do suffer don’t we working with all these pretty fabrics and pretty patterns. I will certainly have a variety to keep me busy.
The fruitcake turned out wonderful! I made half the recipe and so my cake pan that I used was not real full. The piece here looks rather small – but it sure taste good.
I have saved this recipe and will make it again next year. This is not the dark chock filled with candied fruit that you normally find but a white fruit cake with dried fruit. See the link from my last post that will lead you to the recipe.
My “secret pal” from this past year Marianne is the one that led me to the fruit cake recipe. She also sent me a delightful Christmas present that I got yesterday in the mail.
Fabric, threads and a calendar -- thank you Marianne!
Ok, who likes fruitcake and who hates it! I have heard so many people over the years say they hate it that you begin to wonder why it is a popular baked good for the holidays! I love fruitcake — BUT — only if it doesn’t have candied fruit in it. I use dried fruit. I haven’t been too pleased with the recipe I have used in the past – for some reason it seems to dry out quickly the past several years. My friend Marianne in Vermont- who was my secret pal for the Dear Jane group this past year – she was the one I sent packages to — posted a link to a recipe that I am using this year. I have the fruit soaking in the liquid overnight and will do the baking tomorrow. I have cut the recipe in half as it does make a lot. I am doing as Marianne does and making a few substitutions. I am leaving the candied cherries out of the recipe and just added a little more of the dried apricots and pineapple. I will use walnuts as that is what I have and King Arthur Flour uses some extra ingredients that you have to get from them that really do not seem necessary so those will be out and substitutions will be made.
We all agreed yesterday that we work on several projects at once – I think we all get tired of working on the same thing all the time and 3 or 4 keep us more mentally alert
I have been continuing to quilt on the Dutch Treat quilt and it really doesn’t look any different from the last photo as it is hard to see the quilting so most likely the next time you see it, it will be done. 30 more blocks to quilt so it is moving along nicely.
The front of the sweater is coming along well too. I found a easy to knit sweater book the other day and bought it. It has several patterns in it that I feel I will be able to do!
Crispy you are a bad influence on me and after seeing your red and green quilt top by Jeana Kimball I decided I had to look the book over and the pattern that is in it. It arrived today and I have been looking at it so much – I don’t know the Little Brown Bird quilt might have to be done at the same time as I do this one!! Once again my projects for the upcoming year might get changed around a little!! and it is all your fault Crispy
sorry for the glare - this book must be out of print as there are so many high prices out there it is ridiculous! If you do a search there are copies available. I found a used-like new copy. It said it hadn't been used and really did look new and I am very pleased with the condition of the book. I didn't pay anymore than I would for any quilting book but there are copies going for over $50 to 100.00 - if you are interested in it do some searching as you can find it in the $25 range.
If you like the historic red and green applique quilts you might like this link – about 19 of them shown I think.
Who can resist chocolate chip cookies! Be truthful can you eat just one I know I can’t. I’m trying the same recipe I always use this evening except half of the chips are mint. Well be a different taste – but one I am sure I will love. I use the recipe on the Tollhouse chocolate chip package. No changes just what is on the package. You can use a variety of chocolate chips – or butterscotch or whatever kind you like. I do add walnuts in mine.
A little work done has been done on the Christmas Baltimore Album quilt but not a lot. I have been working on too many things at once, once again. At least a little more is done but it is a long way from being done.
quilting on the Christmas Baltimore Album
I have the back of the sweater knitted – I might wait to post another photo of it until I am completely finished with it. No photo of it today. The Dutch Treat quilt is coming along nicely. A lot of my time has been spent on quilting it this past week. There are 36 plain blocks in it and 36 reverse applique blocks. Right now I have 19 plain blocks left to quilt and 20 applique blocks left. Just about half way finished!!
The Dutch Treat quilt
the quilting
Do most of you find that you work on more than one project at a time or do you concentrate on one project? I understand working on just one if you do this mainly for a business and have deadlines but if you do it just as your creative outlet do you have a hard time working on one quilt at a time?
I couldn’t believe the weather today – high 50’s! I came out of the fitness center and was so glad I wasn’t in a heavy sweater or sweatshirt – it was long sleeve t-shirt day – the sun was shining, no wind, a really nice day. Of course according to the evening news it will be 20 degrees cooler tomorrow!! Northwest Arkansas is already in the 30’s and here it just went under 50 and it is 6:45 PM right now.
I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes to my mom. It was so nice celebrating 85 years with her. The years fly by don’t they.
Continue reading about Tonight is Chocolate Chip Cookie Night!
It is my mother’s 85th birthday on the 16th – today we had a surprise birthday party for her so we were away from home all day as it is a little more than 2 hours one way. We had a spectacular sunset on the way home. Here are a few photos of our day. We had a lot of the family able to make it to the party. Mom was surprised although my 7 year old niece tried her best to give the secret away the other day from what I heard! Good thing mom thought she was talking of her last birthday party given several years ago. We have many in the family and it was not possible for everyone to be there.
the cake
my mom and a couple of her great-grandchildren and the one in the gray shirt is the youngest of her grandchildren. They thought she needed help blowing out the candles. The generations over lap in our family. Mom had 12 children, if I have counted right she has 25 grandchildren and 21 great- grandchildren
the sunset
another of the sunset
one more of the sunset. I took these while Mike was driving, rolled down the window put the action selector on the camera and shot.
Continue reading about A 85th birthday party and a perfect sunset
Yesterday I spent the whole day home. I did manage to go to the fitness center 3 times this week so that is a start at trying to get back into a good routine. I have to work harder at it thought – because – this is baking season in my house. I can’t seem to control myself – I say I am not going to bake as much as I used to for the holiday season and then once I get going I start making more. I am doing good though here it is December 12th and I have only made my second batch of cookies. Some of these cookies are put in the freezer and will be put in a decorative Xmas tin for sharing with someone special who has no time for baking this season – (yes Mel they are yours – enjoy)
Ginger Cookies - nice and crunchy, rolled in sugar.
Ginger Cookies
4 1/2 cups of flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar put aside in a bowl
In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening on low speed until it is softened. Add the sugar, eggs, and molasses. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Shape into the size ball to make small, medium or large cookies. For instance if you want giant cookies use about a 1/4 cup of mixture. If you want smaller cookies like the ones I have pictured above make walnut size balls or a little larger.
Roll the balls in granulated sugar and place on greased baking pans. Bake at 350 for about 14 minutes – check for browness. If you over bake the cookies will be crunchy, I did some for 16 minutes to have crunchy cookies and some at 13 to 14 minutes to have chewy.
The walnut size balls will give you about 4 to 5 dozen cookies. Large will give you about 2 dozen.
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Last night I got another of the “Insanity Revisited” blocks finished. This was an easy reverse applique block that only took an hour to complete. I am not doing daily work on this quilt and lucky if I do one or two blocks a week.
Dear Jane, "Insanity Revisited" block 5 in row 9
I was asked by several people about the quilt pattern that I mentioned the other day that is located at Bunny Tails shop – the one with the yo-yo’s –why did I say I would applique circles instead of making yo-yo-s? The only reason I can give you is that for some reason I just don’t like yo-yo’s! I don’t mind making circles and applique especially when the circles aren’t super tiny. We all have our likes and dislikes
I finished my Christmas Tree skirt yesterday and put it under the tree. I don’t think I ever want to work with velvet again! Velvet looks pretty and feels pretty but I don’t like working with. I don’t think you can really see the stitch work from the photo – my Janome doesn’t have a lot of fancy stitches as it is a lower end model. I just picked one of the zig zag type of stitches and used a yellow variegated thread on the top.
Christmas Tree Skirt -- still needs binding around the outside edges and I will do that before I put it away with the decorations.
My sweater is growing – the back of it that is. Actually the back is almost finished. I had found an easy boxy type of sweater on the internet and have been following the pattern pretty much and also using one of my own sweaters for measurements. I found when the pattern had told me to start decreasing for the under arm area would have made the sweater too short for me as I am long from the back of my neck to waistline. I didn’t think it looked long enough so before I started to decrease I got a sweater out of the closet to measure it and went with 2 more inches! Good think I checked. I will do that for the sleeves to. In the photo the sides have rolled under a little. I have used big needles so this is not a real tight stitch. We normally only have short cold spells in Arkansas so I didn’t want to make anything real heavy that would only be used now and then. This is a loose knit that I will have a tank top under it to keep the cold air out if needed. This is regular cotton I think, I know it is not wool – I would have to look back to the package to see. I can’t wear wool for more than 30 minutes or so before I start to itch.
Back of sweater. So far it looks good to me - but what will it be like when I finish it! Will I ever wear it - we will see how it fits in the end.
I think if we have snow close to Christmas it will look perfect – Christmas without snow doesn’t look right. I guess this is because I grew up in the north. We rarely have snow at Christmas time in Arkansas. When we do have snow it doesn’t last long. This Victorian piece of clip art on the side here represents what my grandchildren in Wisconsin have been playing in this week – they had about a foot of snow in that snow storm that hit the Great Lakes Region earlier in the week. Now I am not saying I want as much snow as they have but a little would be nice.
Here is a photo of what my son-in-law was doing part of one day this week.
looks like fun doesn't it! They got a snow blower for Christmas. Good thing they decided to get it a couple days before the snow came - or he would have been out there with a shovel. A little early for Christmas but what the heck - they needed it. (the snow blower that is not the snow!)
I have actually not been working on much quilting the past couple of days. Instead I have been reading a book by Linda Howard. I needed to rest my fingers for a couple days. All that needle poking tends to get to them sometimes. I did finish the Christmas tree skirt and it is under the tree waiting for presents to arrive.
I found a new pattern – well maybe it isn’t new, it is new to me – I am thinking of making something like it out of that box of Moda Sampler Squares that I mentioned awhile ago. This pattern uses yo-yo’s and I don’t want to make them but just plain circles to applique where the yo-yo’s are in this pattern. I have not decided for sure if this is the one I will use or not. Here is a link to it at Bunny Tales blog spot. Here is a link to the pattern and the photo of the whole quilt is at that link. I think it is really cute. I had planned on using gray and white for my background but now I am not sure what I am doing!! I really like the all white background in this photo. The design process is now totally up in the air. I am going to order the pattern and decide for sure after I receive it as to exactly how I will make it. If I do make it I think I will add an extra piece of batting behind each circle to give the circles more poof. I am also not sure if I will be making a small quilt as the pattern is for or if I will do a queen size – I haven’t done a queen size quilt for awhile and maybe I am ready to get back to making a really big quilt! This will be a totally scrappy look quilt as whatever I need for the other colors will be pulled from my scraps although I will need more white as all I have are small pieces and might not have enough.
I always loved to make Christmas cookies when I was a teenager and then later when I had my kids and husband to bake for. Over the years I have tried many recipes for Christmas and somehow we all ended up with favorites that were baked every year. This year however I decided it was time to go against tradition and try some new recipes. Earlier this evening I baked the first of the new Christmas cookies – lets see how well they go over this year.
This one might become a favorite of mine. Chocolate Chip Biscotti with Almonds and Cranberry’s. (easy, easy) Recipe as follows:
sliced, baked biscotti - great with the coffee drink of your choice or hot chocolate
Chocolate Chip Biscotti (recipe is in the December 2009 issue of Better Homes and Garden magazine)
1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix (see I told you it was easy)
1/3 cup butter or margarine softened
1 egg
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts (I used almonds as that was in my pantry)
1/2 cup cherry-flavored dried chopped cranberries (I used regular dried cranberries as that was in the pantry)
1 cup chocolate chips
Make cookie dough blending cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, nuts, fruit and the chocolate chips. This will be a stiff loose dough. Roll half of the dough at a time into 8 x 2 1/2 inch rectangles. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Cut each rectangle into 3/4 inch slices. Place slices cut side down on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes on each side – check half way through baking time and adjust time if needed – you want them light brown.
Cool completely and store in a tight container. My recipe made 18 slices – I did not have my tape measure out and some were larger than others. If you want more – measure! I adjusted the baking time as I found it needed more. That is why I say check for brownness – ovens vary. Also they had a lot more chocolate chips in them and I thought it was way too much so I cut in by a half a cup.
biscotti shaped in rectangle logs before the first round of baking.
back of the sweater before I knitted several more rows making it at the point to start shaping the area for the armholes. It has been coming along nicely. Now to re-read the instructions and make sure I know the next step!!
"Insanity Revisited" Row 9 block 4 -- I woke up extra special early this morning so here I was at 5:30 this morning starting this block and finishing it by 7! Not a way I normally start the day off.
I will be looking through cookbooks for cookie recipes and I will keep sharing them with you and let you know what I think of them!
I’m enjoying looking at other quilters blogs and seeing their Christmas decorations and trees. It can be a fun time of year if you try not to stress! I have found that if you cut back the number of presents you need to (or think you need to) buy it is a lot less stressful. Christmas has turned into too much of a commercialized holiday for me. Once we cut back on spending and the amount of gifts it became more relaxing.
I love Victorian Christmas Art and spend part of one day last week looking for Christmas Clip Art for the month of December to add to my blog. I find it much prettier (in my opinion) than the Christmas Clip Art of the late 1900’s to early 2000’s. There is something about it that is so pretty I think.
Here are a few more of my decorations:
my Jim Shore Christmas collection of quilting figures.
my two nutcrackers. We bought these two guys most likely about 25 years ago or more. I had always entended to get more over the years and then for some reason didn't.
Jackie over at Canton Village has quite the collection of nutcrackers – I adore your collection Jackie.
On the quilting front I have been busy on the Dutch Treat quilt and it is moving right along — whereas the Christmas Quilt has had no work done on it for several days. I think this is because I knew it wouldn’t be done for the holiday this year so it isn’t stressing me out and I’m working on other things knowing it will be done for next Christmas instead! I have also been working on knitting the sweater, so far so good on that but will I be pleased with the end result! that is a matter to be seen later.
I really need to work on the Christmas tree skirt today – it is a mildly rainy day and all that is needed to be done out today is a run to the fitness center as I am really trying to get back into it after falling off the exercise wagon once again – I find if I don’t do it for a week or so it is really hard to get back into a routine again.
First of all I finally got the stencil today for my Baltimore Bliss quilt. I ordered it ages ago like November 20th I think. I hadn’t received it and the company I ordered from said it I didn’t get it by today to let them know and they would send another. I got it today! It looks great and will fill in those 16 1/2 blocks really well and the half square-triangles too.
feathered circle. I had intended to start the Baltimore Bliss quilting but I had to wait for the stencil so I started the Dutch Treat instead. That is ok, it will give me time to find a nice varigated thread to use to show off the quilting. I don't have a color I want to use on it right now.
I know this is my second post today (I really spend too much time on the computer and need to get busy quilting this evening!) I thought I would share some of Christmas decorations – I would love to see how y’all decorate too so if you have posted photos let me know so I can look. Here are a couple, I’ll do more tomorrow.
Feathered star Christmas table topper made several years ago. I put it on my new table and it looks really great there.
My 3 kings - I got these on sale from my daughter when she was selling "Southern Living At Home" items. These kings are about 14 inches tall. I love them, they look old and rustic but aren't!
Russian Nesting Dolls. I got these on a cruise to Alaska about 6 years ago? They are made in Russia and they were the prettiest ones I found at a reasonable price in Sitka, Alaska. Sitka if you don't know has a deep history of Russia culture as Russian fur traders lived there in the 1800's. These nesting dolls have wood burning on them which looks really nice. They have such a religious theme to them that they are perfect for Christmas although I leave them out out throughout the year - just in a different location.
