April Mystery Quilt of the Month

Lots of Dots! Here is the fabric for our April Mystery Quilt of the Month.  It's quite "Spring-y" and takes a little more time than the last one!  Are you up for a MYSTERY?  Order by April 8th and pick up on the April 10th.

chocolate, Chocolate and more CHOCOLATE

It seems that I always have some snack sitting on my sewing or cutting table.  A lot of times it is CHOCOLATE. (OK, most of the time it is chocolate.)  I've tried "healthy" snacks and they just don't seem to do what chocolate does.  Carrot and celery sticks don't fit in my "Fabulous Folded Bag" very well and the cheese and crackers just made a mess! I tried sucking on hard candies (to make them last longer), but like that old Tootsie Pop commercial (How many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop), I end up biting them.  Not good on the teeth!  So, I will just stick with the chocolate.
















My grandson thought my "Fabulous Folded Bag" was a great hat!  Thank goodness it is washable.  The pattern for the bag is by Desiree's Designs and is great for a treat bag, a gift bag filled with notions, a baby shower gift or dozens of other things.

So, seeing as how I am a "Chocoholic", I am including a recipe for the best fudge ever!  This recipe was given to "My Sister's Quilts" by Jo McPherson and it is just fantastic!  I like to use the Toffee Symphony Candy in it.  I made it for my neighbors for Christmas and was informed by a couple of neighbors that they don't like fudge, but they LOVED this!  One neighbor kept it all for herself and ate it for breakfast!  She said it lasted about a week.

Symphony Fudge
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups cream
1 cup butter (2 cubes)
16 oz. Symphony Candy Bar (approx. 2 1/2 large bars)

Bring sugar and cream to a boil, stirring frequently, over medium heat.  Add the butter.  Stir until butter is melted but DO NOT TOUCH BOTTOM OR SIDES OF PAN WITH SPOON.  Stop stirring when butter is melted.  Cook to 230 degrees.  Remove from heat.  Add the broken up chocolate pieces.  Beat with hand beaters about 5 minutes.  If using a stand mixer, pour syrup into mixing bowl, then add chocolate to it.  Pour into buttered 8" x 8" pan.  Cool and enjoy!

March Mystery Quilt of the Month

"Bars & Stripes"

Our March Mystery Quilt of the Month was so much fun to make.  It took very little time to cut and sew as it was almost all strip piecing.  I loved the nautical print by Riley Blake and thought that it would make a great little boy's quilt.  It's too late to sign up for this quilt, but on Monday you can check out the fabric for the April Mystery Quilt of the Month.  The fabric from March's quilt is only available to those that purchased the kit. After March 20 it will be available to anyone.

"FROG" Blog

"HOP" to it and pull out those scraps to make these cute "FROG" blocks!

They can be made in three different sizes and can be put in to a quilt together or you can make just one size and use it over and over again.  You may use all the same backgrounds or a different one for each block.  You are only limited by your imagination!

Cutting
6" - (9") - [12"]
Background - three - 2 3/4" (3 1/4") [4"] squares - A
                      two - 2" (2 3/4") [3 1/2"] squares - C
                      four - 2" (2 3/4") [3 1/2"] squares - D
                      one 2" x 3 1/2" (2 3/4" x 5") [3 1/2" x 6 1/2"] rectangle - F
Colored fabric - three 2 3/4" (3 1/4") [4"] squares - B
                      one - 3 1/2" x 5" (5" x 7 1/4") [6 1/2" x 9 1/2"] rectangle - E

Construction of block





Draw a line diagonally across the wrong side of all A squares.














Lay A on top of B, right sides together.  Sew 1/4" on both sides of line.

Cut on line and press four HST's to the colored side and two HST's to the background.
Square to 2" (2 3/4") [3 1/2"].

Sew a HST, that has pressed toward the color, to a C square.

Sew two HST, that have been pressed opposite directions together.

Sew the two units together.  Repeat, mirror image, for the opposite side.

These will form the front flippers and the back legs for each side of the frog.

Draw a line diagonally across wrong side of all D squares.  Position two D squares on two opposite corners of E.  Sew on the line, trim 1/4" away from line and press out toward background.











Repeat with remaining D squares on the two other corners of E to form frog body.

Sew the F rectangle to one end of unit.

Sew the leg units to the sides of the body.

Machine or hand applique' eyes on.



The 12" frog has eyes fussy-cut out of polka dot fabric.  Part of the background was left on to help form the eyes.

The 9" frog's eyes were cut out of some fun bubble fabric.  They were also fussy-cut and it was fun to position his eyes different directions!

This little 6" frog just needed eyes out of a sugar dot.












What a great way to use up some of those scraps!
I hope you enjoy creating your own "Pond" with these great Frog Blocks!

Happy Quilting!

Carolyn

February & March Mystery Quilt of the Month

 Here are the fabrics that were used in the February Mystery Quilt of the Month.  And here is our finished quilt.

The "Love Birds" are copied from the fabric and are appliqued on the bottom of the quilt.

Take a look at the fabrics used in the March Mystery Quilt of the Month.  Sign up by March 8 to get this kit. Only $28.95!  The quilt center measures 44" x 54", with borders - 54" x 64".  Borders are not part of the kit.  We are limited to 20 kits, so sign up for yours now!

New Year Resolutions

We would like to thank all of our wonderful customers who came in and spent time with us during the Holidays and for our Open House.  We had a great turn out and if you didn't get here to sign up for classes, some of them still have room in them.  We have added a few new classes that were not on the flier.  T-Shirt Quilts is a 2-Part class that will be held May 12 & 19 from 6 to 9 p.m..  I know that it is a little ways out but this class tends to fill up fast.  We have also opened up another Feathered Star Series.  This one will be held on Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting February 27.

Did you know that 85% off all New Year Resolutions that are actually written down are accomplished?  Just writing them down triggers your brain to work on them.  This year I really need to write down a few.  Some of them will be:  Clean my sewing room (I need to not buy another ruler twice), finish at least 4 UFO's (UnFinished prOjects), get my patterns written and published, and start an exercise program (Dr's orders).  I am going to put this list on my mirror, my fridge, my sewing room door and any place else I frequent.  I would like to hear of some of the goals that you are going to (or have) set for 2015.  Also, let me know when you accomplish them.  It is such a great feeling!

Merry Christmas!

I hope that all of you are enjoying this wonderful Christmas Season!  I know I am!  I love having my family all around me, seeing the anticipation in the grandkids faces and hearing all about the projects our customers are making for gift giving.  Isn't it a wonderful time of the year?

I thought that I would share a couple of recipes with you for the Holidays. The first one - Egg Nog - I have been making for about 30 years.  It was given to me by a neighbor, Elaine Crane.  (Of course, I tweaked it a little).  It is a Holiday staple at our house and I really hear about it if we run out!  This tastes best if made the day before.  Make sure you shake it well, during the making and each time you use it.  Be prepared to have enough ingredients on hand to make another batch.  One won't be near enough!

Egg Nog
2 small pkgs. vanilla instant pudding mix (I like the Jell-O brand best)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 gallon whole milk
nutmeg, to taste

Pour 3 cups milk in a blender.  Add pudding mix, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg.  Blend on high until well mixed.  Pour into gallon pitcher.  Pour 3 more cups milk into blender and blend.  This just gets all the leftover mixed in.  Pour into same pitcher with the rest of the milk.  (I actually pour it back into the milk jug.) You might have to do this gradually, as it tends to foam up a little.  Shake or stir well.  Chill.

The second recipe is for Candy Cane Brownie Truffle.  This one was from a co-worker - Annette Page.  Again, I have "tweaked" it a bit.  It is a great way to use up the candy canes that Santa left on the tree.  I took this to my Relief Society Christmas Party and came home with a scraped out dish!

Candy Cane Brownie Truffle

Brownie
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Melt butter in large saucepan.  Remove from heat.  Blend in sugar and vanilla. Cool slightly. Beat eggs with a fork, then mix well into sugar mixture.  Combine in a separate bowl; flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into egg mixture; mixing well but do not over beat. spread into a jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes or 350 degrees until done.  Cool completely.

Truffle
2 pkgs. Milk Chocolate Mousse mix (Nestle or Dr. Oetker)
1 1/3 cups milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
12 peppermint candy canes, crushed*
Brownies (above)

Mix mousse mix with milk.  In a separate bowl, add a few drops of lemon juice to the chip cream. This helps stabilize it.  Break up brownie into bite sized pieces and place 1/3 of them in the bottom of a trifle dish.  Spread 1/3 of mousse on top, then 1/3 of whipped cream.  Sprinkle with candy cane bits.  Repeat twice more EXCEPT on the last layer of candy canes; sift out the larger pieces of candy cane and "decorate" the top.  Save the "dust", it's great in hot chocolate!  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  YUM!

*crushed candy canes - remove candy canes from wrappers and break up into large pieces.  Place in a gallon freezer zip bag.  Place bag in a towel and smack with the side of a hammer.  (My great husband does this for me. =]  )

May all of you have a peaceful and wonderful Christmas!

Carolyn