Owlpalooza

My daughter celebrated a birthday this week and was here on Saturday for a day of shopping and a night at the casino.  She brought her best friend with her and the three of us had a very fun day.

Our first stop was, of course, Hobby Lobby.  Armed with my phone coupon, I purchased a new book, "Free Motion Quilting Made Easy" by Eva A. Larkin.  I have to say that I am very pleased with this book.  

Owl mini quilt

I used the new book and the shopping trip as my inspiration for this week's mini quilt. My daughter's friend likes the new owl "craze" and I happened to have a charm from the "Over the Rainbow Charm Swap 2" with whimsical owls. 

Owls need to be in a tree

Now Rachel has a new mug rug and I have practiced more free motion and binding.  This is a win, win combination. 

The back is as pretty as the front

Thanks to the new book, I am happy to show the back of the quilt.  I may get the hang of free motion yet.  At least on little tiny quilts.  I can't imagine wrestling a larger quilt with free motion quilting, but I will someday.  For now, practice, practice, practice. 

Mini quilt challenge project #2 - in the books (or on the blog),

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Peronalized Flannel Block Baby Blanket

This was a fun blanket to make.  Purple and zebra print fabrics were requested and I think I delivered. 

Personalized Purple and Zebra Flannel Rag Quilt

 

I used 6 inch blocks and sandwiched dark purple between every zebra and light purple block.  That's 3 layers if you are counting.  The blocks were stitched with 1/2 inch seams.

The letters were stitched leaving 1/4 inch seam allowance to clip and fray. 

Back of the quilt

I used a decorative stitch in an x pattern to hold the blocks together. I clipped every 1/2 inch to make this rag quilt complete.

The flannel fabric was found at Fabric.com and Bennett's Sewing Center, a shop in Topeka, Kansas with tons of flannel.  The quilt was stitched with Essential Cotton Thread from Connectingthreads.com.

I'm having too much fun in the new sewing room!  Thank you hubby for working so hard to make the room possible.


Isn't Khylissa a beautiful name?

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Mini Quilt

My skills are needing attention and I think I've found the perfect way to practice some quilting and sewing techniques.  Making miniature quilts is a fun and practical way to work on piecing, quilting, and binding without taking a lot of time.

 My goal is to make at least one mug rug or other form of mini quilt a week until Christmas.  I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to give it my best shot.  That's about 17 of them and that is 17 little gifts I'll have to give.

My daughter is celebrating a birthday next week and will be the recipient of the first mini quilt of this challenge.  She works in an office and I'm sure she needs her own mug rug.

 Paper piecing is something I'm beginning to really love.  It's a technique that takes some thinking, but is really pretty easy.

Free motion quilting is a skill I want to figure out.  It's hard to be confident when there are no rules.  I decided to try writing her name and I feel like it is ok.  Flaws are so big on miniature pieces.

Mitering corners on the binding is another skill I worked on.  Wow, do I need more patience.  I really need to practice binding and think this challenge will help.

Mini Quilt Challenge #1 - complete.  16 to go.  Let's see where this challenge takes me.  It's an adventure in miniature.

Pot holders, place mats, mug rugs, doll quilts, the possibilities are endless.  Too bad I can't be handing out gifts that are flawless.  I'm still learning.

Here's to skills I will learn,

Chocolate Bird Nests aka Unbaked Cookies

My favorite cookie out of my mom's kitchen are these unbaked cookies.  Most unbaked cookies call for peanut butter but these are way more chocolaty.  (is that a word?)  I haven't met a no bake cookie I don't like.

Unbaked Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are called Bird Nests I suppose because they can be made to look like a little bird nest and you could put jelly beans in them for Easter.  I like to just plop a spoonful on waxed paper and let it set up and devour with a glass of milk.


Unbaked Cookies (Bird Nest)

3     C quick oats
1     C coconut
1/2  C chopped nuts (I use pecans)
1/2  C cocoa
2     C sugar
1/2  C milk
1/2  C butter
1      t vanilla

Combine oats, coconut, nuts, and cocoa.  Set aside.  In a large sauce pan, mix sugar, milk, and butter.  Heat in pan until mixture boils.  Boil and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Stir dry ingredient mixture into cooked ingredients.  Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let stand for 1 hour or until set.

These really are very good,
(even though my picture looks like little turds)  lol

Glow Run

I joined my childhood friend last weekend for a 5K run with our husbands and 4000 others.  The run was to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training program.

This is my "Where's Waldo" picture.  I'm in it, can you find me? 

This was the largest run I've ever participated in, but it was a blast.  KC Running Company did a great job of managing the event.  If the GLOW RUN comes close to you, you should participate! 

Mitch and Shelly, Daryl and I

Outfitted with "glow" before the race.

After.



Hubby and I had our personal best times, which I was totally surprised by.  The first mile of the run was spent weaving in and out of crowds and trying to find space to run.  It was a flat run along a road by the river that was covered in glow gear by runners losing their "bling".  It was only my 4th time to enter a 5K, but it was by far the funnest one yet.

We have been friends since 3rd grade.

The best part of the weekend was hanging out with friends.  I've known Shelly since 3rd grade and we pick up where we left off every time I see her.  It had been 9 years this time, but I'm not going to let it be that long again.  We only live 2 1/2 hours apart, why haven't we seen each other more often?

Oh yeah, it's real

I have had a blast training for this 5K with my husband.  Running is more fun with friends!

Now to keep this running thing going,

Zucchini anyone?

Shredding, freezing, shredding, freezing, shredding, and freezing. That's my plan for today.

Zucchini Harvest

Then maybe I'll bake some  Chocolate Zucchini Bread.

People run when they see me coming with my garden basket,

Butterfly Rag Quilt

This beauty was made with Simplicity pattern # 2935.  This is the third quilt in my "Aunt Challenge."  I made this for little Kenlee.  She is going to put it in her butterfly bedroom.

Butterfly Rag Quilt

She's so cute

A closer look at the stitching

The quilt was made with 3 layers of flannel which made the fringe really fluffy.  I used the handy stitches on my sewing machine, Janome MC 6600P , to stitch her name and decorate the body of the butterfly. 

This isn't the easiest pattern to follow, but it sure turned out cute.  I will have to make another one of these now that I have one under my belt.  Kenlee sure loves hers.  She gave me a big hug!

Giving is such a wonderful thing,

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