Quilty Hugs from Across the USA

Do you know what happens when you join a bunch of quiltalongs and swaps?  You make an AWESOME friend(s)!  Here's some quilty hugs that were sent to me for my birthday from my friend, Julianne in California. 

Sometimes my quilty friend twists my arm all the way from across the country to join a quiltalong!  It's one I really don't want to do at first, but then it turns out to be one of the best quilts ever!!!  She listens to me complain and laughs with me via e-mail.  Someday I'm going to get my text to talk thing from my six-year-old so that I can text her all the time.

Disclaimer... The two cones of thread in the picture are not the same ones she sent to me.  I have already visited "23" today and delivered the two cones that Julianne sent me.  I was so excited because I didn't have those colors!

Look at all that fabric!  Looks like I'll know what to use in one of the upcoming QA's that she "makes" me do.  LOL.  I know exactly where that mug rug is going... next to my computer... since she also has me drinking pumpkin spice coffee on a regular basis now (decaf of course.)

Quilty hugs, right back at 'cha, Jules!  Thank you.  It so awesome having a friend like you.

Tall Geese from the Block Lotto are a quilt top.

I finished putting my tall geese blocks that I won in the Block Lotto this year together.  It's a top!  I decided to use this wide shirting cotton for the back to continue with the sort of masculine look.  Hope I don't get too spoiled with a one-piece back.  It doesn't happen too often.

 

It's almost longarm season... I mean back-to-school time.  I'll probably quilt this sometime in the next month or so.  After it's finished I'll post a real picture on the Block Lotto site for all to see.

 

At this point I realized that I had enough of the shirting fabric for another quilt back.  I will pair it up with one of the charity quilts for our local quilt guild.  Usually when I longarm I do one for me; one for the guild.  I think this will work nicely for this charity ship quilt.

 

 

Here's another yummy recipe I found on facebook:

 

I made this cake and gosh it is Delicious
Ding Dong Cake

1 box devils food cake mix
8 oz. cream cheese softened...
3 c powdered sugar
1 stick butter softened
8 oz. cool whip
1 tub milk chocolate icing

Prepare and bake cake as directed on box. (2 round cake pans)

Filling: Mix and cream the butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and fold in cool whip.

After cake is completely cooled split layers (TIP: you can place the uncut cakes on plates in a freezer for about 30 minutes to make a cleaner cut, then use unwaxed dental to pull through the layer and make a wonderful even cut.) and spread filling on each layer and stack, do not spread filling all the way to the edge of the cake, the weight of the cake will press it out to the edge once you are finished, this keeps the filling from mixing with the icing. Now, if you have any filling left over you can mix it with the icing. It’s what i did. Then ice entire cake with the chocolate icing. You will be able to put a thick layer of filling between the layers.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles~ What you will need:

For the cookies:

3 3/4 cups flour...
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the coating:

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of allspice

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk together to blend. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars on medium speed until well combined. Next, still on medium speed, beat in pumpkin. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract. Lastly, add in the dry ingredients. Beat until combined, but do not over mix. Cover the dough, and refrigerate for one hour, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick spray). In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and spices for the sugar coating. Scoop dough (approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Roll the dough ball in the sugar mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Take a drinking glass with a flat bottom and moisten with water. Dip the glass in the sugar mixture, and use it to flatten the dough balls. Re-sugar the glass as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove when the centers of the cookies have set. Let cool on the baking pan for approximately 5 minutes, and then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

 

Heather Spence Fall Mystery Fabric Selection

These fabrics were sitting close to my desk.  I think they will work for the Heather Spence 2013 fall mystery starting 10/4/13.  The small $5 donation benefits cancer patients.

I'll use white (probably WOW) as a background color.

There's plenty of time to join.  Check it out!!!

 

http://www.heatherspencedesigns.com/mystery-quilt/

 

BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT-FRIED-RICE

Serves: 5-6
Ingredients:
4 cups rice, prepared (white or brown) refrigerated & day old is best...
½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked or shrimp cooked
1 cup peas & carrots, frozen
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3 tablespoons sesame oil
¼ cup soy sauce

Instructions:
1. Prepare rice according to package instructions to yield 4 cups cooked rice.
2. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet on medium heat.
3. Add onion, garlic, peas, and carrots. Stir fry until tender.
4. Crack eggs into pan and scramble, mixing throughout vegetables.
5. Add rice, chicken, and soy sauce to pan. Stir in soy sauce and remove from heat.

Then my other sister in law posted this one...

Hillbilly Sausage and Cabbage Dinner

Complete meal in the crockpot
1 package smoked sausage
1 box scalloped potatoes...
1 small head if cabbage
1 onion chopped
3 cups water
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper
In bottom of crock pot place cabbage wedges, onion water salt and pepper empty all contents of potatoes add milk
Cut sausage into 3" pieces place on top cover cook on low 4 hours check tenderness of cabbage and potatoes if needed cook 1 hour on high.

 

String of Pearls Friday Finish

I am so excited to post my String of Pearls quilt for today's Friday Finish!  I LOVE this quilt!  Thank you, Christa for such an awesome quilt along!  Have you met Christa at Christa Quilts blog?  I can't wait on her next QA -- I think it's going to be a modern quilt!!!  I'm so happy with this quilt that I entered it in the county fair.  This is the first time I have entered a quilt in anything.  I don't expect to win, but I at least want to show it.  It will get judged 8/23.  Wish me luck.

Update:  This quilt won a 2nd place ribbon at our county fair!!!
8/28/13

Here's my String of Pearls.

It measures 65" x 65".  It's one of the most square quilts I have done yet.  I longarm quilted it with Circle Lord swirlz template.  This is now my "go to" quilting design.  You should click the link above and see how Christa quilted hers.  It's AWESOME with swirls and pearls!

The charms and strips were cut with my Accuquilt GO! Baby.

 

Here's the pieced back.  I sooooo wish I had just a little more of that brown on the bottom, but whatever...  I'll piece it and go.  I had to use the three extra blocks too!  According to Fons & Porter's tips I should have used a single fabric back if I was going to enter it into a contest.  We'll see.  I think the big pattern on the brown fabric on the bottom turned out nice and straight.

 

 

Here's my label that is on the bottom right corner.  (It's just a tidge crooked...)

 

I so like the orange binding.  I HATE doing binding by hand, but this quilt is special since it will be judged.  It's the same orange as the three squares on the front.  The fabrics on the front (except for the orange) were left overs from the Drunkard's Path baby quilt that I did earlier for my son's speech therapist.

I'm also happy to link up with Richard and Tanya Quilts for the Link-A-Finish FRIDAY.

 

I'm also showing off this finish by joining the linky parties on:

Can I get a Whoop Whoop?
Finish It Up Friday

 

 

Mmmm... this one looks good:

 

Marshmallow Whip Cheesecake HEAVEN!!

Graham Cracker Crust:
•40 squares of graham crackers (crushed)
•1/2 cup sugar...
•1/2 cup butter or margarine (melted)

1.Mix above ingredients. Press into top and sides of 9 x 13' greased pan. Reserve 1/2 cup for top.

Filling:
•10 1/2 oz. large marshmallows (40 marshmallows)
•3/4 cup milk
•2 - 8-oz. packages of cream cheese
•12-oz. Container of fat-free Cool Whip

1.Melt marshmallows and milk over low heat. Beat cream cheese; add marshmallow mixture. Cool. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread into crust and sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until set.

 

10 Minute Block

Wow.  My grandma would just be amazed with YouTube (and all the other things that are out there now for us to learn things.)  Here's a little video that just fascinated me.  It's called the 10 Minute Block.  I watched it over and over because it was so fast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=ZbTHlGGKMPM

Here's my sample block with the little cathedral diamond as I call it stitched down in the middle.  I didn't even cut the pieces myself (hence the untrimmed sides).  Polka dots wouldn't be my first choice for all of the background colors either.  These were 5" or so scraps that were in my scrap bin that were somebody else's scraps.  Possibilities of this little block are running through my head.

 

Now that I look at the picture.  This post is probably more for my reference right now...  It doesn't look that great.  Watch the video.  You'll appreciate it more.

 

Found this one on facebook:

 

Delicious Breakfast! Put 2 sliced apples, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour 2 cups of oatmeal and 4 cups of water on top.... Do NOT stir. Cook overnight for 8 - 9 hours on low. cozy winter breakfast!

WIP Wednesday 8.14.13

Not a whole lot happening...  Worked hard all week on the binding on my String of Pearls QA quilt (Christa Quilts blog).  Working on the finishing touches for it.  Expect a Friday Finish!





Started quilting some feather circles on this charity quilt.  Hoping to add come crosshatching.



Looks like I'll need to do seven of them the same.  Here's the whole quilt and it's back:

 

Signed up for the Heather Spence Fall Mystery Quilt that will start 10/4/13.  It's only $5 this year!!!

Last year's QA was a lot of fun with all of the facebook involvement.  Join, it's cheap and it is a donation to cancer!  There's plenty of time to join, clues are sent to your e-mail, the fabric requirements are out!  Check it out!!!

 

http://www.heatherspencedesigns.com/mystery-quilt/

 

I'm getting ready to sew my Star Surround center stars as soon as the little sunshine goes to bed.  Here they are all ready to sew!

I had to skip ahead and do a whole block just to set it out as an example:

Oops!  Didn't notice that block out of place on the left until I looked at the pic on my blog.  Glad I'm a blogger!  Don't worry, it will be fixed before it goes into the quilt.  Rippit... rippit.

 

I love the way Melissa Cory breaks down parts of a QA.  Some day she's gonna do the Wonky Irish Chain so that I will make the pattern that I bought in July.  Hint hint, Melissa! :)

http://happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com/2013/08/star-surround-quilt-long-star-centers.html

 

 

 

New Projects

None

 Pieces still need to be cut
1. Herringbone OSU quilt
2. Digging up Bones (Owen's dinosaur quilt) -- Gave blocks to LQG Round Robin swap 4.23.13
3. Aiming for Accuracy QA with Michele Foster at Quilting Gallery (Current QA)
4. Quilt Doodle Designs BOM (Current QA)
5.  Rock Island Campfire quilt
6.  Picadilly Circle
7.  Snowman quilt (pattern from Debbie Mum's book) 

8.  Star Surround QA (What's one more QA?)5.  ...And Sew On BOM at Quiet Play (Current QA)

Blocks still need to be made
1. NY Beauty
2. Orca Bay
3. We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler
4. Red/White Flower Basket Quilt
5. Maroon Star Sampler Quilt
6. Color coordinated hexagon quilt
7. Gourmet Quilter Sampler
8. Bluepatch Mystery Quilt
9. Amanda Murphy Designs (ugly fabric quilt)
10. Drunkard's Path Variation baby quilt

11. Finding Nemo Scrappy Trip quilt


Blocks are made but need to be sewn together (and some sashing)
1. Block Swap Adventure Sampler (2011 - 2012)
2. Butterfly Blocks (that I won)
3. Orange/Blue Fish Blocks (that I won)
4. Split Stars (block won from the Block Lotto)
5. African Violet baby quilt (Block Lotto inspired)
6.  Geese blocks from May 2013 Block Lotto

 Quilt back need to be made (tops are done)
1. Grandma's WIP -- Cameo Rose (this one is a long-term project)
2. Grandma's WIP #2 (this is also a long-term project)
3. Tumbler Charm Quilt (purchased backing 8/13/13)
4. LQG Christmas charity quilt

5. LQG Ship charity quilt

6.  Lucky Stars  

Ready to longarm
1. Dutchman's Puzzle
2. Scrappy Christmas QA
3. Spring Mystery longarmed, but Eyelashes to rip out!
4. Easy Street
5. LQG Jacob's Ladder charity quilt (on the frame)

Quilted, needs binding
 String of Pearls

Open ended projects (Red highlighted items on this list are complete for August.)
1. Block Lotto Blocks (only made one block for July)

2. And Sew On BOM project 2013

3. 2013 BOM Quilt Doodle Designs

Each Wednesday I try to link up with Lee at Freshly Pieced. Sometimes the linky will accept my picture and let me link; sometimes it doesn't. But I try.

Amish Country Inspriation

Here's a little quilt I saw in Amish country, PA, that I liked.  I'll add this one to my bucket list one day.

Found this recipe on facebook today.  Looks like I have all these ingredients most of the time.  Yum!

Loaded Chicken & Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cubed (1″)
... 6-8 medium skin on red potatoes, cut in 1/2″ cubes
1/3 c olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp hot sauce (more if you like it HOT)

Topping:

2 c fiesta blend cheese
1 c crumbled bacon
1 c diced green onion

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9X13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and chicken and stir to coat. Carefully scoop the potatoes and chicken into the prepared baking dish..
3. Bake the potatoes and chicken for 55-60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until cooked through, crispy, and browned on the outside. While the potatoes are cooking, fry your bacon (about half a pound).
4. Once the potatoes and chicken are fully cooked, remove from the oven. Top the cooked potatoes with the the cheese, bacon, and green onion. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve With: extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing or sour cream!