Relaxing Sunday...............

My plan was to get at least one side hand stitched on the binding of the Wm. Morris Trip Around the World quilt.  I got one short side stitched and then went on to stitch 22" on a long side.  Then I took a break and went out to trim dead leaves off the tomato and cucumber plants and fill the bird feeders.

The only other thing planned was baking cookies.  I was going to make chocolate chip but changed my mind and baked shortbread instead.  I could swear my eyesight was clearer after eating 2 cookies.

Yesterday's weather was a 10,  You can't beat 75 degrees. low humidity, sunshine, and a light breeze.  I would like a whole month of that.

 

Another project..........................

While cleaning off a table in the main level studio, I found a stack of batik 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles.  I carried them to the basement to join the others in one of the boxes in the basement.  As I tried to open the blanket box on the left I decided it was one of the "difficult to open" ones and I pulled some easy open ones from the storage area to exchange them.

The first day my helper came we put all three of the large bins with trays of cut pieces in one place, under the longarm.

I started looking with the first bin on the left.  In it I found 2 trays of 1.5" floral squares.  I think this will be another of my mindless sewing projects between planned projects.  I will make 9 patches with them.  It looks like 2 or 3 nights of TV watching to accomplish that.

But, how about the rest of the trays in that box.  I discovered that they are all 2" squares.  You can see by the tray at the bottom left that I was using these for colorwash.  But wait, there is more..........

There are at least 10 more trays of 2" squares in that box.  More 9 patches?  I made 2 quilts that I love with printed fabric 9 patches here and here.  I have made lots more but those 2 are my favorites.  When I clicked on my 9 patch label to go back and look for these, I was surprised how many 9 patch quilts I have made.

The large bin in the middle is all 2.5" floral type squares, and the box at the right has batik rectangles in at least 3 sizes.  So the stack I took to the basement is with its friends.

I took advantage of a day in the 70s to bake some cookies.  I didn't have any left in the freezer so now there are.

Later in the day I decided to bake shortbread cookies.  This should hold me over until the next cool spell.  It sounds like we're going back up to 90 over the weekend.

Sewing was interrupted..................

Someone is going to the far side of a neighboring state to see my great-grandchildren.  That means baking treats for them.  The chocolate chip cookies are delicious.

I also made shortbread and peanut butter cookies.  I had to test them too.  I need to know I'm sending them good treats.  That's my story..............

I did get started cutting the 4.5" squares for the double 4 patch blocks.

We have had 18 days in a row below 32 degrees, the average temperature for this date.  Thursday may get up to 32, but Friday is slated for high 30s.  Next week is all 30s and 40s.  I'll probably see someone in shorts and flip flops at the grocery store.  Yes, this is normal near Chicago.....   

My oldest child turns 65 today.  He has his Medicare card.....  This hardly seems possible.

Busy day..................

I decided to do two loads of laundry yesterday so while I was in the basement I was looking through all of my flannel fabric.  I had something specific in mind which I haven't found yet.  When I saw the leftover pink with bears I decided to pull all of the others that would go with it for a baby girl quilt.  I think I'll use the diagonal plaid on the back but there might be a little of it that I can use on the front, depending on the size quilt I make.  If I keep it to 34" square, there would be a strip that I can use.

I baked a batch of shortbread cookies and mixed a batch of Kringlas that is in the refrigerator for the time being.

Snow was predicted to start sometime before midnight last night, so our clean sidewalks will probably be covered this morning.  38 degrees predicted for 2 days midweek with rain.  A little bit of everything, and 0 for Saturday morning.   

Some more 1990s fabric................

There were lots of Nancy Crow fabrics that didn't make it into the 16 patch selection on yesterday's post.  The one on the right is folded so you can see the whole gradation across the 44".  The sunset in the middle doesn't show the other half which fades to pale apricot.  This is 22" showing from top to bottom.

Again this is 22" from top to bottom in the photo.  It's pretty obvious why they wouldn't work in 2" finished squares.

This photo shows about 11" from top to bottom.  There are more.....  I have more colors in several of these.  These 3 photos show the group called "what am I going to do with these?".

This is a pretty sad photo showing shadows from the top of the box on the cookies.  Yesterday I baked one batch of these shortbread and mixed up a batch of chocolate chip dough to bake this morning.  Then I have one more thing to bake mid-day.  My second grandson is getting married Friday so family will be visiting. 

More sweets..............

I started  the day by baking the English Toffee Squares.  A few family members like nuts on them and the rest prefer them without.  I am in the without group. Look! I took the picture before I started eating them.

Late in the afternoon I baked the shortbread cookies, a favorite with the grandchildren.

Now it is time to start making the Chex Mix.

Four corners are done but I have about 30" more to hand stitch.  I had 3 sessions of hand stitching between baking and vacuuming.

They are predicting light snow twice this week but no white Christmas.

#5 finish for December..................

The binding is finished on I Spy 1 and now I just need to inspect it for any stray threads and then get it ready to be mailed.  This one ended up at 64" x 80.5".  The novelty print squares are 4" finished.

The backing is flannel that I bought at a year end sale 2 years ago.

The batting is Warm and Natural because I wanted a flatter quilt.  I didn't want rolling puffs through the novelty prints.

I found 4 more green Kaffe fabrics to use in the Rosy quilt.  The 2 on the left will be for the big squares and the other 2 in 9 patches.

I meant to get a daylight photo of my orange cactus blooming but next thing I knew it was dark.  I rarely use the flash on my camera and it takes forever for it to warm up.  I finally did get it to work.  All of the blooms are on the side that faces my west picture window.

I started my Christmas gift baking yesterday late afternoon.  I started with the English Toffee bars.

Then I made a batch of fudge.

Last was a double batch of shortbread cookies.  These are a favorite of my great-grandchildren.

Spritz is probably next.  I also make homemade Chex mix for everyone and I haven't purchased the supplies yet.

Sewing and baking...again........

I cut some more of the larger squares for the Bear Paw blocks.  I'm not sure how many of them I will use.  I thought I needed a little lighter and brighter additions.

Here is the 7th fabric I cut into large squares.  I got all of the triangles for 20 blocks sewn together in pairs and sewed the 4 Paw units for this block.  I still need to cut more of the rectangle pieces.  I don't think I will be using that blue piece.

The storm missed us yesterday but we had the most fantastic sunset.   It was a lot brighter than this but this is the best photo I could get.

Yesterday afternoon I baked a double batch of shortbread cookies.

In the evening I mixed a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough which I will bake this morning.  My newest great-grandson was born with Prader-Willi syndrome which is very rare.  There is a walk tomorrow to raise funds for research and the cookies are treats for the participants.

Baking roundup..........

Friday night I mixed the dough for one of the kinds of Kringlas that I make and yesterday morning I baked them.  I mixed the dough for the other kind yesterday afternoon and I will bake them this morning.

Last night I baked the pink Spritz cookies.  I plan on baking the chocolate ones today.  I only use Land O Lakes butter because it has the lowest water content.  Inexpensive butter has a higher water content and the cookies would flatten out and not hold their shape.  I also use cold eggs (yolks) and my dough always comes out good to use in my cookie press.

The last tray to bake was trees.

This is the best tray though, the broken or misshapen cookies.  I get to eat those right away.

A few days ago I baked the shortbread cookies.  They are a favorite of my great-grandchildren.

I hope to finish up the baking today so I can mail out a couple packages tomorrow.

 

Sewing again............

I had enough pieces cut Sunday to start making the pieced blocks for the Karla Alexander quilt called The Square Within (in her Color Shuffle book).  These are the smaller of the 2 pieced blocks.

This is another group I made after I took the above photo.

The idea is to have many different sizes of the center piece in the block.  I have made 12 of 36 in the small category.  Then I will do the same thing with the larger cut pieces for another 36 blocks.

Someone in the family is going to visit the 3 great-grands that live a distance from here so I started baking.  These are the shortbread cookies.

Then later in the day I baked chocolate chip cookies.  It was in the 40s yesterday morning and 61 degrees in the house when I got up.  I don't want to turn on the heat yet because it is going to go up to the 70s starting Friday.  With the natural gas prices at an extreme high I can get by with baking and wearing flannel shirts to keep warm.

Baking marathon.............

Some family from another state is coming to this area this weekend so I volunteered my baking skills.  I intended to start the baking in the morning but instead I baked from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  I started out with pumpkin muffins.  I love these fancy papers from King Arthur Flour.  They are made with parchment paper and they unfold without peeling off any of the muffin like ordinary pleated papers do.

Next I made shortbread cookies.  I decided to try making heart shaped cookies by using my silicone ice cube tray as a mold.  I rolled the little ball in sugar and then pressed it into the heart shape.  I pushed them out from the back and it worked pretty good.

They weren't very impressive after baking so I probably wouldn't spend the time doing that again.

While the second tray of shortbread cookies were baking I made the Amish Friendship bread batter and then baked 2 loaves.

The other small cactus that I thought might be another pink turned out to be white.  The pink blooms are fading but have a couple more days of prettiness.  

The larger pink cactus is sill blooming.  The only other bud I have seen is on my orange cactus.

I was so happy to hear (in the comments) that I'm not the only one with "stuff" we thought we should have but haven't used yet.  I guess owning it and looking at it now and then isn't much different than our fabric stashes that we haven't used yet and that we pet regularly.

More baking.......

I started out with the chocolate Spritz cookies and while butter softened for the shortbread cookies I made fudge.

I had a lot of questions about the Spritz cookies so here are the 2 most important parts.  The cookie press is battery powered and is my second one.  I have been using this style cookie maker for over 30 years.  Second is the butter.  Only good quality butter is used in Spritz cookies.  Store brand butter on sale is never in my kitchen.  Most lower priced butters have a higher water content and that definitely affects the dough and how it comes out of the press.

In the mail yesterday was a Christmas postcard from Vicki Welsh.  I love the colors in this one.  It was in perfect shape and was mailed without an envelope.

My collection of cards from Vicki are on display in my studio all year so I can enjoy them every single day.

Also in the studio, I cut some strips to audition as fillers in the last column to create.

This is the Kaffe fabric in the photo above.  I think it may be too strong of a color for all of the strips I will need to add.  Maybe I will add 3 different fabrics around the 3 bigger blocks.  I could actually use this fabric as 2 different using the pink area around one block and the red around another block.  The third block would probably be a medium value blue.