Thursday, January 29, 2009

Getting Closer to the Finish Line!

Woohoo! Amelia's lap quilt (using "Amelia" fat quarters) is very close to getting put all together! I'm so excited!! I worked from home yesterday as it was snowing pretty good in the morning and then turned to freezing rain/rain (we are dealing with ice-covered driveways and roads this morning). Since I was home, once I got done with work, I turned around and decided to do some sewing (my sewing machine is right behind my desk). I worked on the blocks for Punkie's quilt. On my new sewing machine too. Very nice. Oh! I want to thank Sinta (no blog) for sending me her Amelia fabric "scraps"... scraps to her, extra fabric for me. Worked out very well. I had enough fabric and then some to finish my blocks and I didn't have to get into the fabric I have set aside for a matching pillow case. Thank you Sinta!

The blocks are done! I even started laying it out but I only got three rows figured out before I was discovered by Punkie, my little helper who was desperate to help Mama out. She hung around for a bit but I packed it up so that I can do it in peace and concentrate. I think I will actually have the blocks all pieced together this weekend! Very excited! Then I can figure out the yardage for the border, binding and backing.



It's going be very pretty once it's all put together. I love how it was looking when it was laid out on the floor... I need a design wall. Hmmmmm, I'll stick the idea on my gift list for my husband.

Enjoy your day!

Jen

Monday, January 26, 2009

Quilt Pattern using both Fat Quarters and Charms...

Know of any? I'm sure I can come up with my own "design" but I'm not confident enough (yet). I bought, I should say my husband bought (late christmas present), the Darla fat quarters for me and I also got the charm squares for Oh-Cherry-Oh!. I want to use both these fabric lines in a lap quilt (or bigger) for myself because I just love them! But I don't have a pattern that uses both fat quarters and a charm pack.

So? Any body out there got any ideas?? Know of a nice (read - SIMPLE) pattern that I can do to utilize both in one quilt??

Jen

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Diet Challenge Update - Week 3

I'm down a pound. But I think it's the same pound that I tend to gain and then lose again. So I'm not thrilled. I need to do something better, something different. I've been going to the gym a couple times a week when my schedule lets me but maybe I need to do a little Wii Fit or something on the days I can't make it. Sigh.

Moving along... here are some dessert recipes that Sharon gave us for our "homework" this week. LOL.

Vanilla Pound Cake
Serves: 12
Points: 5

1 spray(s) cooking spray
2 large egg(s)
3 large egg white(s)
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
8 oz light cream cheese
3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup(s) sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, vanilla extract and almond extract; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until blended. Beat in sugar, baking powder and salt until blended. Beat in flour and egg mixture, little by little, beginning and ending with flour.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes.
Cool cake in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 12 slices and serve. Yields 1 slice per serving.

Add some berries and maybe a dash of whipped cream... YUMMY!


Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
2 points per serving
Serves: 12

1 spray cooking spray - flour variety

1 tsp all purpose flour
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup mini chips
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 2oo degrees

2. Coat large baking sheet with cooking spray and dust with flour. Shake off excess - or skip that piece and just put down parchment paper. That's what I do.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer until soft peaks are formed. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form; gently fold in chips and vanilla

4. Drop mixture by heaping tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet (if I want to get really fancy, I pipe them out using a large star tip) about an inch apart, making 24 cookies

5. Bake until lightly golden and no longer sticky on the surface, about 1 hour. Turn oven off and let cookies sit in the oven for another hour. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

If you want chewy cookies, bake the day before. These are really good!

After locating the meringue recipe, I really wanted to make some. Of course... no eggs in the house and I was too lazy to go out and get any!

I hope everyone did well this week with the challenge!

Enjoy your day!

Jen

Sew Some Love Swap Items Received!

The mailman left me some good mail yesterday! Kris (our swap leader) was my secret swap partner. How exciting!

She packaged everything up so cute... look at all those hearts.

I just LOVE the table topper! Can you see it under all the stuff? Now I have to clean my house so that I can display it on my table. And take a new picture so that you can really see it. No rest for me today. And the towel is oh so cute! I need to know where Kris got that nice waffle weave towel. I can't find anything like that over here. Or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place. I've been using regular kitchen terry towels to embellish but I like this one so much more. And she was nice enough to include Amelia and gave her some Play-Doh (Punkie loves play-doh!) and some cookie sprinkles and heart cookie cutters. We will be making some sugar cookies soon.
Thank you Kris!
My cousin and her family came to my mom's house to visit last night since we haven't seen each other in a while. Her little boy is getting so big and Punkie can't wait for him to get bigger so that they can play! I can't believe he's 4 months old already!

My cousin also came bearing gifts. She, her husband and baby boy went to the UK for Christmas to see his family. She brought me back some yummy fat quarters! I say yummy because they have cupcakes and sweets on them. I can't wait to pick out a pattern and make a lap quilt for myself out of them. Add another quilt to my ever growing list!

So, I am by myself today. Punkie spent the night at my mom's so she won't be home until later this afternoon. My husband left very early this morning to go snowmobiling in upper Vermont. He won't be home until Wednesday afternoon. Punkie and I are solo. But since I'm free, I don't know what to do... clean my house, veg in front of the TV with a movie or sew and watch a movie. Decisions, decisions! I'm sure I will sew since I don't get this kind of free time very often and I'll get a lot done. Maybe I'll start on Magoo for Punkie... I will finish my swap items! Or do I work on the quilt top for Amelia...?

Well, I better get started on something!

Enjoy your day! Thanks again Kris!

Jen

Friday, January 23, 2009

Recent Pattern Purchase...

I've been wanting these patterns for a while now so I broke down last week and ordered a few of them off my list from Treasured Threads.

First order of business is to make Magoo. I LOVE that little monkey! Has anyone out there made Magoo? I read the instructions about 4 times last night so that I'm familiar with what I'm getting into. I'm okay up until I get to putting Magoo all together. Of course, I'm not following along with fabric pieces, just in my head so that makes things a bit tougher. But of course, I'm still confused. What else is new? LOL. I'm sure I can always email Melly for tips and advice. I am envisioning a purple Magoo with pink shorts for Punkie. And I found the perfect fabric for it. And of course, I need to make one for myself. Not sure what color mine will be...

Of course I have a bunch of OTHER stuff that needs to get finished before I start on Magoo. Like Punkie's lap quilt. I keep staring at the finished blocks and they stare back saying "Finish us already!" So I think that's what I'll be working on this weekend. Punkie's lap quilt and my Valentine's Day swap items.

I also wanted to thank everybody for their thoughts on my fabric stash and how much to buy question. Seems like everyone is in the same frame of mind. If you love it, buy as much of it as your wallet will let you! I will keep everyone's suggestions in mind when I go shopping this afternoon at my LQS... they are having a sale. Can't pass that one up!

Enjoy your day!

Jen

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Birthday Giveaway!

RachelJane is having a giveaway for her birthday. Why don't you go over, give her happy wishes and comment to be her in giveaway. I'm sure she would really like that!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Answer Me This...

I don't have a big fabric stash. I barely have scraps. I buy fabric with a purpose in mind right then and there. So, when I see fabric I really, really like but have no immediate plans for it and want to stash it away... how much do I buy?!

1/2 yard, 1 yard, 10 yards?? I'm curious to hear everyones answers to this question. I've talked to other sew/quilting people and they gave me their opinion. What do you do? Reason I ask is that I've seen lots of pretty fabric choices out there and I want to get some to keep and use at a later date in some sort of project but I have no idea how much to get to be "safe".

Can you give me some insight to my question?

Thanks!!
Enjoy your day!
Jen
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