Make-A-List Monday

Make-A-List Monday

The Week of December 10, 2012

(in review)

1. Finish the pieced pinwheel border on the 2012 NJ Shop Hop Quilt.

I finally finished my pieced pinwheel border for this quilt.

I did this entire quilt top as a Leader/Ender project including the borders so it did take a while.

I am happy with the finished top.  I did not have enough of the white background fabric to do an outside border but luckily I was able to find just enough at the fabric store to finish the project.  Now to work on the backing.

2. Finish quilting Appomattox which is still on Annie.

This quilt is done and ready to be bound.  I will share specifics in a Show & Tell Tuesday sometime in the future.

Here are a few pictures...

3. Quilt Ryder's Christmas stocking fabric and complete the stocking.

I love the way little Ryder's stocking finished.  I got to use my new embroidery machine.

It took me three tries before I got it right.  Here is the finished stocking...

Here is his stocking after Santa visited...

I can't wait for him to open all his presents.  He is a lucky little boy.

4. Add 35 more hexies to my Bonnie Hunter inspired Christmas Hexie quilt for a total of 183 hexies.

It will be increasingly difficult to photograph my progress as this quilt materializes but I will try.

5. Spend one day with sweet Ryder.

My DH Don spent our Ryder Time with the little guy this week.  Here he is ready for the Cowboys vs. Steelers game.

Good job cheering on the Cowboys, Little Ryder.  The Cowboys won in overtime.

6. Bake Spritz Cookies and Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies that I did not get to last week.

Spritz Cookies

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

My plan is to post the recipes for these cookies on Foodie Friday.

7. Work on Clue #4 on Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Mystery Quilt.

Clue #4    64 Units

Clue #1 to #4

8. Work on two blocks for the PQW Saturday Sampler.

9. Finish the Craftsy Block of the Month quilt.

10. Begin working on a paper pieced heart sampler.

I did not get to the last three items on my list.  This is such a busy time of year with so many things to do.  Hopefully I will get to these items in the near future.

The Week of December 17, 2012

1.  Knit a Christmas hat for little Ryder.  

2.  Finish knitting some scarves for Christmas presents.  I have a tradition of giving people homemade scarves for Christmas.  This year I am so far behind in my scarf knitting.  There might be a few IOU's this year if I don't get busy.

3.  Add 52 hexies to my Christmas Hexagon Quilt.  I know this is 17 more than my original plan but I want to finish the next background round.  This should give me a total of 235 hexies.  

4.  Spend two days with my favorite grandson.  I get to spend my usual day with him midweek and then I get to spend Saturday with him as well.  I am a lucky Grammy!

5.  Piece a backing for the NJ Shop Hop quilt I finished piecing last week.

6.  Quilt the Kindred Quilt Shop Saturday Sampler quilt top I finished piecing in May, 2012.

7.  Continue to work through my Christmas Control Journal.  This week I will do my set-up, go grocery shopping, bake banana bread, Magic Cookie Bars, Pumpkin Pie and make Crispix Mix.  We will also order our 28 pound turkey.  This is only the beginning. There will be lots more to do next week.

8.  Work on Clue #5 on Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt...Easy Street.

That's it for this week.  Not a whole lot of sewing planned.  I am just tooooo busy this week with Christmas plans.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Foodie Friday

Sugar Cookies

• 1 C       Butter (2 sticks)  softened (no substitutions)
• 1/2 C    Granulated Sugar
• 1          Large Egg
• 1 T       Vanilla Extract
• 3 C       All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 t.    Baking Powder
• 1/2 t.    Salt

    Optional :    Colored sugar and frosting for decorating

In a large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended.

Increase speed to high; beat in egg and vanilla.

Beat in flour, baking powder and salt until blended and dough forms.

Divide dough into four equal pieces; flatten each piece into a disk.  Wrap each disk with waxed paper and refrigerate for one hour or place in freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll one piece of dough 1/8 inch thick.  With floured cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible.  Re-roll scraps and cut some more.

Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  If using colored sugar, sprinkle each unbaked cookie.

Bake for 7 - 12 minutes, depending on the size of cookies cutters used.
Cookies should be lightly browned.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

When cool, cookies may be decorated with icing if desired.

Makes ~5 dozen cookies   ---   depending on the size cookie cutter used


Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn


  

Foodie Friday

Chocolate Snaps

• 2 C (12 oz)     Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 2/3 C          All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 t.          Baking Soda
• 1/4 t.             Salt
• 1/2 C             Butter, room temperature (1 stick)
• 1/2 C             Sugar
• 1/2 t.             Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 C             Light Corn Syrup
• 1                   Large Egg
• 1/3 C             Sugar for Rolling

Melt chocolate chips.  Stir then let cool.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add vanilla, corn syrup and egg.  Beat until well combined.

Beat in chocolate at low speed.  Add flour mixture.

Refrigerate 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape dough into one inch balls.  Roll dough balls in sugar.  Put on parchment paper lined baking sheet two inches apart.

Bake ~10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for one minute.  Transfer cookies to wire cooling rack.  

When cool store in an air-tight container.

Makes ~4 dozen


Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Make-A-List Monday

Make-A-List Monday

The Week of December 3, 2012

(in review)

1.  Organize my Christmas shopping list and any other things that are in my Christmas Control Journal.

I am right on track with my Christmas plans.  I still have a few gifts to finish...don't we always?  I did not get to bake my cookies this week.  My back went out yesterday and I could barely get out of bed, let alone bake.  It seems a little better today so hopefully I will get to the last two batches of cookies this week.  

2.  Continue to work on my Christmas Hexie Quilt.  

148 Hexies

Check out my Christmas Hexie Journey HERE.

3.  Re-do the pieced fabric I will need to make Ryder's Christmas stocking.

This is the fabric that I had originally pieced.  Although pretty, it is very hard to see the twisted pinwheels.

I redid the pieced fabric using a red fabric for every other pinwheel.  I like this one better because now you can see the pinwheels better.  The next step is to quilt this fabric and then make it into the Christmas stocking.

4.  Work on the last two blocks for the Quilt Square Quilt Along.  

I now have 24 twelve inch blocks:  12 in a red and cream colorway and 12 in a completely scrappy colorway.  I am going to put these beautiful blocks away for a while until I find just the right setting pattern.  A BIG shout-out to Jo Kramer of Jo's Country Junction.  This has been a wonderful Quilt Along.  I hope she sponsors another one in 2013.

5.  Work on the Appomattox quilt that is now loaded on Annie.

I have made some progress on this quilt.  Unfortunately, Annie needed some minor surgery on her stitch regulating system so I got a little behind schedule.  All is well now so this quilt should be done in a few days.


6.  Spend two days with my favorite Christmas elf...Ryder.

This is the latest picture of my little elf...up on his hands and knees.  Ryder will be 6 months old on Wednesday 12/12/12.  He already has 5 teeth.  A little advanced if Grammy does say so herself...HAHA!  

7.  Attend PQW Saturday Sampler.

We are nearing the end of this BOM.  I showed the blocks I worked on for December and picked up the fabric needed for the January blocks.  Hopefully I will get to work on them this week.

 8.  Bake spritz cookies and peanut butter cookies.

As mentioned earlier, I have been having some back issues lately...stress maybe???  One thing that had to be put on hold because of the pain was the baking of Spritz and Peanut Butter cookies.  I also realized that I never posted the recipes for my Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Snaps.  I wrote these posts during one of Ryder's naps on Wednesday but I forgot to post on Friday.  Hopefully I will remember this Friday.  If I happen to forget again I will post them another time.  Foodie Friday on Saturday????  Why not?!

9.  Work on Clue #3 for the Easy Street mystery quilt.

Easy Street

PART 3

Clue #3 in Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt Easy Street, was a little more difficult than the first two clues. In clue 1 and clue 2 we made four patches and flying geese, both very common units. For clue 3 we were instructed to make "shaded four patches," a unit I have made before but a name with which I was unfamiliar.

We were to make 64 of these units.

I finished clue 3 yesterday as I watched Bonnie on QuiltCam!

Here are the three units we have made so far:

#1             #2            #3


We still have not used the lime green color. Maybe clue #4??? We will see on Friday, 12/14/12.

10.  If time I would like to start a tumbler quilt for Ryder.

This is a picture of part of the quilt top.  This was a precut kit I purchased from the Cozy Quilt Shop in Maywood, NJ on the 2012 NJ Shop Hop.  I just recently heard that this quilt shop, like so many small shops, has gone out of business.  This shop was in north eastern NJ, quite a distance from where I live in central NJ.  I try to patronize my local quilt shops...some might say too much (wink)  especially Pennington Quilt Works, The Village Quilter in Mt. Holly, NJ and Olde City Quilts in Burlington, NJ.  It is sad to see so many small quilt shops close their doors.

I had some left over tumbler blocks and a piece of pirate fabric so I pieced the backing.

I love the way it turned out.  Without this 3" strip of tumbler blocks, the backing would probably be too narrow..

The Week of December 10, 2012

1.  Finish the pieced pinwheel border on the 2012 NJ Shop Hop Quilt.

I've been working on these pinwheels as a Leader/Ender project.  I have all the pinwheels done.  Now it is time to sew them together to make the pieced border.

2.  Finish quilting Appomattox which is still on Annie.

I should be done with the quilting on Appomattox by Thursday.  Then I can load Ryder's Christmas stocking fabric to be quilted.

3.  Quilt Ryder's Christmas stocking fabric and complete the stocking.

4.  Add 35 more hexies to my Christmas Hexie quilt for a total of 183 hexies.

5.  Spend one day with sweet Ryder.

6.  Bake Spritz Cookies and Peanut Butter Cookies that I did not get to last week.

7.  Work on Clue #4 on Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Mystery Quilt.

8.  Work on two blocks for the PQW Saturday Sampler.

9.  Finish the Craftsy Block of the Month quilt.

10.  Begin working on a paper pieced heart sampler.

I know I have way over-planned considering my back has been acting up. I will have to see how much I can actually get done.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn 

Easy Street Clue #3

Easy Street

PART 3

Clue #3 in Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt Easy Street, was a little more difficult than the first two clues.  In clue 1 and clue 2 we made four patches and flying geese, both very common units.  For clue 3 we were instructed to made "shaded four patches,"  a unit I have made before but a name with which I was unfamiliar.

We were to make 64 of these units.  

I finished clue 3 yesterday as I watched Bonnie on QuiltCam!

Here are the three units we have made so far:

 

 
  #1             #2              #3


We still have not used the lime green color.  Maybe clue #4???  We will see on Friday, 12/14/12.


To see other mystery quilter's progress, check out the Linky HERE.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Make-A-List Monday

Make-A-List Monday

The Week of November 26, 2012

(In Review)

1.  Add 35 more Hexies to my Christmas Hexie Quilt.

I now have 108 hexies done.

Please check out my Christmas Hexie Journey HERE

2.  Finish quilting my 1930's Farmer's Wife quilt and load the next quilt.

This is the 1930's version of my Farmer's Wife quilt when it was still on Annie.  I did an all over Baptist Fan quilt pattern.

This is part of the quilt right after I added the binding.  There are 111 blocks altogether.

There is so much to say about this quilt and the civil war repro version that I also made.  I will save this discussion for a Show & Tell Tuesday.

I loaded my next quilt to be quilted called Appomattox.  

3.  Attend the Twister Holiday Stocking class at The Village Quilter in Mt. Holly, NJ.

This is the fabric that I pieced using the Little Twister tool.

I am not really happy with it.  I want to redo it using fabric with more contrast so that the pinwheels are more visible.

4.  Spend two days with my Sweet Ryder.

Ryder really enjoyed his cooked carrots.  He looks thrilled doesn't he?

5.  Three doctor's appointments...UGH!

Thankfully, all my appointments went well.  Now, hopefully I won't have to go back to a doctor until February for my physical.

6.  Volunteer at our local high school craft show.  

The craft show was wonderful, as usual.  I arrived at 6:30 AM to sell doughnuts, bagels and coffee.  The food and coffee was free for the crafters but many times they want to purchase more.

7.  Bake Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Snaps.  

Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Snaps

                                 

These are two of my favorite cookies (do I say that for every cookie recipe I post?)

Look for these recipes in a post on Foodie Friday.

8.  Work on Clue #2 for Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street mystery quilt.

For this clue we needed to make 128 flying geese units.  I have finished both clue #1 and clue #2.  Now I will anxiously await clue #3 to be sent on Friday.

9.  Work on three blocks from the Just Takes 2 Quilt Along.

I still have a long way to go with this Quilt Along but I'm loving the way the blocks are coming out.

For the most part...a very productive week.  Now let's see what next week will bring.

The Week of December 3, 2012

1.  Organize my Christmas shopping list and any other things that are in my Christmas Control Journal.

Years ago I discovered Flylady.net.  It is a website that has helped me organize my life.  One of the things that Flylady taught me was the importance of planning.  Using Flylady principles, I have developed a Christmas Control Journal (CCJ).  I use my CCJ all through the year to help me stay on track while planning my Christmas decorating, cooking, baking, and gift buying.  

2.  Continue to work on my Christmas Hexie Quilt.  My goal is to add 35 more hexies this week.

3.  Re-do the pieced fabric I will need to make Ryder's Christmas stocking.

4.  Work on the last two blocks for the Quilt Square Quilt Along.  I'm so sad to see this Quilt Along come to an end.  It has been so enjoyable.

5.  Work on the Appomattox quilt that is now loaded on Annie.

6.  Spend two days with my favorite Christmas elf...Ryder.

7.  Attend PQW Saturday Sampler.

8.  Bake spritz cookies and peanut butter cookies.

9.  Work on Clue #3 for the Easy Street mystery quilt.

10.  If time I would like to start a tumbler quilt for Ryder.

I hope we all have a wonderful week and that we take time to enjoy this beautiful holiday season.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn

Easy Street Clue #2

Easy Street

Part 2

The second clue for Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, Easy Street, was released on Friday, 11/30/12.

This new clue had all participants using the Easy Angle ruler and the Companian Angle ruler to make 128  -  2" X 3 1/2" unfinished flying geese units . 

 We had the option of making our flying geese units any way we would like.  I have used both of these rulers before on other Quiltville mysteries so I wanted to try a different way to make my flying geese units.

I decided to use my Wing Clipper ruler by Deb Tucker of Studio 180 Designs.  For a tutorial on how to use this ruler check out this VIDEO.

Here are some of my flying geese units made with the Wing Clipper:

I did have some extra trimming to do that I probably would not have had to do with the first two rulers; but these flying geese units are perfect.

Both clue #1 and clue #2 are now complete.

I LOVE the way the gray and purples contrast with the black on white fabric.  

I can't wait to see what we will do with the teal and lime green.

Bring it on Bonnie.  I am ready!!!

To see how other people are doing on their mystery clues check out the LINKY on the Quiltville blog.

Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!

Sharyn