Thursday, July 31, 2014

Here Kitty Kitty Quilt Tutorial ~ Kitty in the Corner Block



 Kitty in the Corner Quilt Block


Here Kitty Kitty Quilt Tutorial

The "Kitty in the Corner" Block


Cutting Instructions


pieces cut


To cut the ears, I cut 3" strips
Then I used my 
to cut the 60 degree triangles and setting pieces.

If you do not have a 60" cutting ruler, you could use the 60 degree cutting line
on your rotary cutting mat. 


I pieced the ears into a strip.


Center the pieces so that the tips extend to form the "dogears"


 Press seams open.


To make the body I sewed on the diagonal 


Block partially pieced.

I cut the body pieces oversize and trimmed them down and measured.


Piece sections together.


I pressed most seams open.


Front of block, trimmed and squared.

Block measures 12.5 " square. 


Next ... the Log Cabin Blocks


<3


Tuesday, July 29, 2014

On the Horizon ...


... is ...


from


it will be in shops in



This shiny new fat quarter bundle still in its wrapper arrived here yesterday! 


Unwrapping an early release bundle is like opening an early birthday present!


So full of surprises!


So colorful ... sew lovely.

Tranquility.


The background fabric is

Bella Solid ~ Robin Egg Blue

which is listed as a coordinating fabric.

Read all the product details HERE on Moda's pdf



I have been wanting to make a "beach glass" quilt for a long time.

Now I see it "on the horizon."

Soon!



See you in September!

just keep sewing

:)






Sunday, July 27, 2014

Very Berry Crumb Cake




My Crumb Coffee Cake

It is Sunday morning and time for a treat!

This recipe has been my family favorite for  over 40 years.

My Dad loved it and whenever I make it I think of him.

My Hubby loves it ... with lots of cinnamon.

My Boys love it however I make it.

My Girl loves plain crumb cake.

I love it with coconut and pineapple and nuts mixed into the topping.

Yesterday we found fresh raspberries and blueberries
 so today it is a 

Very Berry Crumb Cake


very berry = very yummy


My Coffee Crumb Cake Recipe

Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb Topping:
1/3 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar.
1/3 brown sugar
1/2 cup flour

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

To make it Very Berry ...

 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed, dried and lightly floured
 1 cup fresh raspberries, carefully rinsed and dried ... raspberries mush easily, 
 handle with care. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

Butter 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

In small bowl: combine all topping ingredients to form moist crumbs and set aside.

In large bowl:  measure in dry cake ingredients and stir gently to combine. In large measuring cup, combine beaten eggs and milk and extract and then stir in warm melted butter.  Add immediately to dry cake ingredients in large bowl and stir with wooden spoon just until combined. Batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.  This makes a lovely plain crumb coffee cake as is.  

If adding the berries, add the blueberries and fold gently. Then add the rasberries and very gently fold. A few broken raspberries add to the goodness but try to keep them as whole as possible.

Gently spoon into prepared baking dish and spread to level carefully.  A few hills and valleys is fine.

Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top.

Bake 35 - 45 minutes or until puffed, lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean.

Set on wire rack to cool and combine the glaze ingredients and then drizzle over the warm cake.  Cool about ten minutes before cutting ... unless your hubby is standing over you and cannot wait that long. 

Store cold leftover cake ... if you have any ... in an airtight cake saver.

Variations:

Sour Cream Crumb Cake ... substitute 1/2 cup sour cream for 1/2 cup of the milk

Buttermilk Crumb Cake ... substitute 1 cup buttermilk for 1 cup milk

Greek Yogurt Crumb Cake ... substitute 1 cup any flavor traditional Greek yogurt for the 1 cup milk

Whole Wheat Crumb Cake ... substitute half or all the all-purpose white flour 

Nut Topped Crumb Cake ... add 1/3-1/2 cup of chopped nuts of your choice to crumb topping

Almond Crumb Cake ... add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the cake batter and 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds to the crumb topping.  Substitute almond extract for vanilla in the glaze

Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cake ... fold in 1-2 apples cored and thinly sliced  and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the cake batter

Banana-Nut ... Fold in 1/4 cup additional flour to original recipe and stir in 3 medium size well ripen bananas beaten with a fork and 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans after cake batter in combined

Pineapple-Coconut ... Drain small can crushed pineapple.  Add drained pineapple and 1/3 cup moist flaked coconut to the topping ingredients and add put the juice in a measuring cup and add milk to make 1 cup of liquid.

Cherry Cobbler Crumb Cake ... spread 1 can cherry pie filling (or any peach or apple) into bottom of the baking dish before spreading cake mixture; add crumb topping as above.

Create your own family favorites variation ... :)

Enjoy!



Thursday, July 24, 2014

Got Gingham?


I've Got Gingham!



Specifically Riley Blake Gingham


These are fat quarters.

Two of them have already got pieces cut out of them for another project.

I also got a nice yardage piece of medium gray gingham.

I got a nice big cut of Kona Solid White.

I got ideas.

I got nothing done.

{{{{{{{{{{Shhhhhhh! ... do not tell Mdm Samm}}}}}}}}}}}

I thought I had my idea for this project but I did not have enough fabric.

So I am re-thinking.

I have two ideas.

Both can be found on my

*Got Gingham* Pinterest Board Here

My quilty muse is contemplating this quilty dilema
while I am sewing my current project.

I need to decide!

Wishing for a "eureka!" moment soon.

September is a little over a month away ...

I need to get sewing!

Have you got gingham?


~~~~~~~~~

[EDIT]

On my gingham stars!

I just found this and have to share ... 




Two free gingham paper doll books
and Grandma has a treadle sewing machine!

Click HERE




Saving these for my little grand-darling!

;)


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Easy XO Blocks


The XO Blocks 

on the backing of my




were easy peasy to make.

Two posts in one day.

I am sew happy with this finish.


Eight large squares 

I cut 4.5" squares.

Sixteen small squares

 I cut 2.5" squares.


Sew a small square to alternate corners on each blcok
as for a half-snowball or dugout block.

I do not draw lines.

I finger press the small squares in half diagonally and chain stitch along the fold.



I like to run a second line of stitching a half inch away on the outside of my stitching line and them cut between the lines to make HST blocks for a scrap quilt. 


Here is the block layout
with the corners pressed and cut away.

I nest the seams within the block by pressing half of my units 
inward and half outward. 



My blocks finished at 8" square in my quilt back.

You can make any size block as long.

Cut your large squares to half the size block you wish to make plus 1/2" for the seams.  Then cut your smaller squares proportionally.

Happy sewing!

:) 

The Baby Sister Quilt is Done!



The Baby Sister Quilt is Done!

One of my readers said this looked like "strawberry shortcake" 
and I think this is a good name for this quilt.  
There are even some scrap charms of Strawberry Shortcake fabric in there.  
So I am calling this quilt ... 


"Strawberry Shortcake" 




front


pieced back


The Quilting Details

I quilted this one with straight line quilting on my home machine.
The drop fee mechanism on my machine is still not working right.
I love straight line quilting.


This is the Big Sister Quilt.

When I made this 


in February and decided it was destined for a pink loving little girl,
 my daughter's niece by marriage.
  Then I learned that there was a new baby sister on the way and decided that I needed to make a baby sister pink and white quilt
made with some of the leftover squares and fabrics.


 Since the first quilt  had a X and O on a white background for the backing,


my quilty muse decided this new quilt must have an X and O, too,
on the pieced backing.


I made an easy half-snowball X and O for the baby quilt.


I hope these lovely little girls enjoy their quilts!

<3 <3

My backyard is looking a bit different than it did when ...


I finished the first quilt!


 It is a lot nicer for taking quilty pictures. 


and sitting out side


I cleaned and "de-furred" the quilts again for gifting.
Butterfly helped.


Katniss helped.

Eventually I got as much fur off as is possible with two cats 
shedding in the hot summer.


All packed and ready to go!


 Time for our next project!

Katniss agrees.

Linking Up Today

@

Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts

and

Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion By the River


TGIF! so ... linking up with

Finish-It-Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts




which may be found  HERE @ Quokka Quilts today

and

Fort Worth Fabric Studio Blog

FFF @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio



Link-A-Finish Friday



Can I Get a Whoop Whoop!


... and my quilty kitties say,
 "Don't forget to visit all the pretty kitties!" 

Feline Friday @ Sarah Did It

Have a happy quilty day! 

:)