Just Because Quilts

Monday, April 17, 2023

SAY WHAT? Sew It Show It Challenge Blog Hop

The word of the day is Enjoy!

SAY WHAT??? Another Sew It - Show It Challenge??? Well, shut my mouth!

When Joan of Moosestash Quilting challenged us this month to come up with some kind of project featuring words I almost decided to pass. What sort of quilting project features words? I've made quilts with quotes before but I just wasn't getting inspired.

Then I saw this little magnet on my fridge -- "How Do You Feel Today?" An idea was born!

When my kids were little they couldn't always find the right word to explain how they were feeling. If they had possessed a poster (or quilt) to point at to show me how they felt, we might have communicated better. Of course I had boys, so their Emoticons would have included Grumpy, Stinky, Indifferent, Poopy, and Rabid. Just sayin'.

So for my project, I made a small emoticon quilt to hang up in a child's room.

I only chose 9 basic emotions, but there are dozens more I could have picked.

To save time, I decided to embroider the words explaining the expression. I used raw-edge machine stitching to outline the faces and features, using a flesh-colored zig-zag stitch for their noses.

If I had included an emoticon for myself, it would have been Exhausted. Although it's a tiny quilt, only about 33" x 37", it was time consuming to draw cut, paste, sew, embroider and embellish each 8" block. The things I talk myself into! But I love the finished result, and it will look cute in my grandkids' toy room.

And then another idea came to me. I have been wanting to make placemats for kids for a long time. I thought these would make great Christmas gifts for my sons and their little ones, but little ones don't stay little long, and that time has passed. Still, it was a cute idea.

I call these "Yummy in My Tummy Placemats." I have a dozen more, but I just didn't have the time to make them all. My reasoning behind these placemats was to encourage kids to eat their dinner. There is no incentive on earth that will encourage a kid to eat broccoli, but a mom does get tired of saying, "Just one more bite, please, honey?"

These were a lot of fun to make, but also time consuming.

I made 4 of these placemats to encourage kids to eat . . . and 2 to remind me to step away from the table. But just like the broccoli, I would need a lot more persuasion to skip dessert. Not all of us have Joan's willpower!

And that's the end of my tale. Thank you, Joan, for hosting such a fabulous challenge! No one likes a gabby blogger, so I will end this soliloquy and suggest you check out the other chatterboxes in this great blog hop.

Tuesday April 18

Inflorescence

Creatin' in the Sticks

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Just Because Quilts (you are here)

BeaQuilter

Joyful Quilter

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Little Green Apples Sew It-Show It Challenge Blog Hop

Welcome to the Little Green Apple

Sew It - Show It Challenge!

The March Sew It - Show It Challenge is being hosted by Carol of Just Let Me Quilt. I don't know where Carol comes up with these great ideas, but they are always loads of fun! Thank you, Carol, for all your hard work and creativity.

This month Carol has challenged us to sew something in green or apple fabric, or both! I have challenged myself this year to use up my stash and not buy new. Can you believe it? In two rooms full of fabric, I do not have a scrap of apple fabric.

Green apples are a little too sour for me to eat raw, but they make excellent pies. For my project, I decided to make a table runner featuring Green Apple Pie.

I used wool scraps to make my pie and green apple pieces and sewed them onto a cotton background. I layered a piece of warm and natural batting behind the crust area to make it stand out.

A red wool heart added a little color to the pie and a white button highlighted the apple.

A sassy bumblebee, also made of wool, buzzes lovingly over the pie. I used 6-strand embroidery floss to stitch X'es on the pie and crust. Instead of using a blanket stitch, I chose to use the raw-edge method because of the batting layer and the tiny size of the bee. I'm not sure I like it as well. I finished the 16" x 36" table runner by adding a black and white dotted border.

We've been having lots of dark, stormy days here in California, so this Little Green Apple Pie table runner is a bright spot in my house.

It's also been cold here and a little lovin' from the oven warms more than just my heart. One of my favorite apple desserts is Ree Drummond's (The Pioneer Woman) Apple Dumplings. They are not for anyone on a diet.

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients

2
whole Granny Smith apples
2
8-ounce cans of crescent rolls
2
sticks of butter
1 1/2 c.
sugar
1 tsp.
vanilla
Cinnamon, to taste
1
12-ounce can Mountain Dew soda

Directions

1. 1Peel and core apples.
2. 2Cut each apple into 8 slices each.
3. 3Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.
4. 4Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
5. 5Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
6. 6 Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

I hope you liked my project. It was a delight to make. Working with wool is a dream, and I don't know why I don't use it more. Have to add that on my To Do List.

Today is the last day of this hop, so be sure to visit all the talented quilters who have contributed to this fun blog hop. Below is a list of today's participants.

MARCH 23

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

I Am Kinda Sweet On You Blog Hop

Hello! Today is my day to share with you my project for the I'm Kinda Sweet On You Blog Hop. Joan at Moosestash Quilting is the creator of this fun blog. Thank you, Joan, for being so sweet and letting me join in the fun! It's always a treat!

Is there anything sweeter than a cuppa after a long, cold, winter's day? Whether it's tea, coffee, or hot cocoa, it's the pause that refreshes. There's nothing I look forward to more than being able to put my feet up with a hot beverage and just let the day roll away.

This is a quilt I made for my co-worker. She was having a rough time and needed a little perk, so I decided to gift her a quilt.

In my stash of embroidery files, I had a cute cup with hearts. The finished embroidered block was 6 1/2". I added a 3 1/2" border, which finished to a 12 1/2" block.

The second block was a coffee cup motif I cut to 8 1/2" with a 2 1/2" border all around.

I added a 2 1/2" and a 4 1/2" border, making the overall quilt measure approximately 44" x 72" -- just big enough to snuggle under and watch tv. By the smile on her face, I think this sweet quilt brightened her day.

And now it's time to sit back with a cuppa of my own and go visit the other participants in this fun blog. I hope you do the same.

Wednesday Feb 22

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Quilting Gail

Just Because Quilts (you are here)

Bea Quilter

Samelias Mum

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Lynns Blog

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Shades of Blue Blog Hop

Hello! Today is the first day of the Shades of Blue Blog Hop hosted by Carla at Creatin' in the Sticks. Thank you, Carla, for putting this fabulous hop together. Carla wanted us to create something with a little blue in it. Who could resist such a fun challenge?

One of my resolutions for this year is to use up my fabric stash and complete unfinished UFO's. Several years ago I followed Lori Holt's Instagram tutorial on how to make darling tiny snowmen. I made a bunch, but they were so small, only about 6" x 6", that I decided not to make an entire quilt out of them. Long story short, they got put away. When I was rummaging through my stash looking for blue fabric scraps, I happened upon them again. Their background was blue ... hmmm.

Ta Da!! A lightbulb exploded in my brain.

Why not make something with these adorable little guys for the blog hop? I thought of all the items I could create using some cute snowmen, and finally decided on a pillow.

I sewed the 4 snowmen together, then added a 2" border.

A yard of white pompom trim represented snowballs and added a bit of whimsy.

To make the backing, I used 2 squares of fabric the same size as my pillow top and folded the squares in half. With the rights sides together and folded edges meeting in the middle, I sewed the raw edges, complete with trim, around the pillow. When done, I turned the fabric inside out, releasing the pompoms to the outside and an easy access for the pillow form.

Snowmen aren't just for Christmas. January is one of our coldest months and, although it doesn't snow here, I think these little guys are brrr-rific!

I'm so glad you stopped by to see what has been chillin' in my sewing room. But don't stop now! There's plenty more to see at these sites:

Monday, January 23rd

Creatin' in the Sticks

Tuesday, January 24th

Artes de Paula Louceiro

Days Filled With Joy

Beaquilter

Wednesday, January 25th

Just Let Me Quilt

Inflorescence

crazy'boutquilts

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Quilted Delights

Quilt Schmilt

VroomansQuilts

Thursday, January 26th

Ms P Designs USA

Lianne Makes Stuff

Quilting Gail

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Words & Stitches

Just Sew Quilter

Sunday, December 4, 2022

Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Blog Hop 2022

It's still too early to panic about the Christmas festivities, so relax, pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and be inspired.

Every year Carol of Just Let Me Quilt hosts the Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange blog hop and I always have to join in the fun! It's just the ticket to get my creative juices flowing for the holidays. Thank you, Carol, for letting me play along and for hosting this fabulous hop.

This year I decided to make a batch of Eggnog Cookies. These are sweet and spicy and leave your kitchen smelling amazing. If you bake these cookies, make sure to make a large batch because recipients will beg you for more.

I'm hoping Santa will love a couple of these cookies with a hot cup of coffee. He's going to need lots of coffee for his midnight run! If you would like to make a batch or two for gift giving or holiday noshing, I have provided the recipe below:

EGGNOG COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup eggnog

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

Drizzle Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

Pinch of salt

1/4+ cup eggnog

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves together in a small bowl.

3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and butter in a large bowl.

4. Add the eggnog, vanilla, and egg and beat at medium speed until smooth.

5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat at low speed until just blended.

6. Create 2 Tablespoon-size balls of cookie dough and roll into balls.

7. Roll each ball in the additional sugar to coat, then place on cookie sheet one inch apart. .

8. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until bottoms are light brown.

9. Allow the cookies to cool slightly, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

10. Drizzle icing over cookies.

Of course Santa would be nothing without his reindeer. I have a bag of organic carrots to set out for them as well.

For my project this Christmas, I made a table runner in honor of Santa's hard-working reindeer. Afterall, without them, where would Santa be? Stuck at the North Pole, for sure!

I chose a pale blue background with white dots I thought looked a little like snow. (It does not snow where I live in California.)

For the reindeer, I chose a cream color for the muzzle, a cocoa brown for the face and ears, and dark brown for the antlers.

I use the Half-Square Triangle method a lot in my patterns, and this one is a full of them.

The reindeer blocks are 10" x 10". The side prints are 5" x 10".

The overall size without the border and seam allowance is 15" x 30". Two different sizes of black buttons sewn askew finish my reindeer.

The border adds 1 1/2" all around, for a finished size of 18" x 33".

I used a cute Christmas print on white for the backing. Of course, it's upside down.

As a runner, it's a little small for my dining room table. I should have added a few more reindeer to add length. No matter, Santa seems to like it, and it can make a cute wall hanging, too.

Thank you, Carol, again for hosting this hop at this magical time of year. It is always so much fun to visit everyone and see new ideas, remember the past, and virtually sample yummy treats.

This is just the first day of this fun blog hop, so you have miles to go. Be sure to come back everyday for delicious cookie recipes, as well as more Christmas magic from these fabulous makers and bakers. You don't want to miss a thing!

Happy Holidays