Football Quilt - a Gift for my Little Guy

This may be the last finish of the year.  I'm working on several projects, but gifts have to be finished first.  This one is for my son, the Tennessee Titans football fan.

Tennessee Titans Football Quilt and Pillow.

 

 

The original pattern for this one is here.  I added the borders to make this quilt a little larger for lounging around and watching football on television on Sunday afternoons. 

 

My babies sporting their football gear.  Not so little any more.

 

 

This is a picture of my daughter and son in Nashville when the Kansas City Chiefs played the Titans this fall.  She's the Chiefs fan and he is the Titans fan. (I can't help my son's one flaw...lol) 

Go Chiefs!!

 

 

The quilt is 54" x 74" and is made with Kona (coffee and white) and Tennessee Titans fabric.

 

 

The pillow is 16" x 18" and was made from the stadium cushion pattern only stuffed with fiber fill instead of filled with a foam cushion.  (The stadium cushion tutorial is coming).

 

I'm writing this post in hopes my son is too busy to read his mom's blog because this one is a gift to him.  After staying with him, I decided he needs a few more quilts...

 

 

Hope your last weekend before Christmas is wonderful,

 



 



German Chocolate Bars

I just love reading December magazines.  All the decorating, crafts, and recipes are such fun to explore.  This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found in the December issue of Family Circle Magazine.  The grocery stores here didn't have the cookies that the original recipe required, but I found a great alternative.  Enjoy. (I am)

German Chocolate Bars

German Chocolate Bars

 

1  14.4 oz box chocolate graham crackers

3/4 unsalted butter, melted

1  14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1  12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line  a 9 x 13 pan with foil.  Spray the foil with non stick spray.

 

Crush graham cracker in a food processor until fine crumbs. 

 

Mix melted butter with cracker crumbs and press into prepared pan.  Press until firm.  I used the bottom of a measuring cup to really press the crumbs in the pan.

 

Pour sweetened condensed milk over crust.  Spread evenly.

 

Cover milk with chocolate chips.  Next cover with coconut and then cover with nuts.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool then refrigerate for 2 hours.

 

Remove from the pan by lifting the foil.  Cut into bars.

 

 

 

Rich and delicious.



I have been sewing, but I can't share yet.  I'm not sure if my kids read my blog or not.  Sometimes I think they do and I can't risk them seeing.  winking...

If you've been waiting for the stadium cushion tutorial, it is coming soon.  I have a very special one made for a friend.

Here's to a very big, busy week. (everyone needs their hair cut and colored for Christmas)

Now to set up a tree.....

Giving of the Green

Let's start the weekend right by announcing the winner of the green!!  Green fabric, of course.  Thank you to everyone who participated in my little giveaway here in the sticks.

 

 

I just love Sew Mama Sew giveaway week.  So many lovely comments from new and old friends.  It was a great week of a full mail box everyday.   Green really is a popular color and there were some really great reasons to love green that I had never thought of.

 

 

Ok, let's announce the winner!

  

  Lynne said...

I'm not sure what draws me to green, but I find myself surrounded by it all the time. I'm in my bedroom that is covered in an old quilt with lots of green, an antique chair reupholstered in green by my husband, walls painted a deep sage green, pillows I made in green, sheets of green. a photo tack board covered in green fabric and green ribbons, a handbag I made of green barkcloth..... gee, I really do like green!! Wow, I just never looked around and thought about it before.

 

Congratulations, Lynn.  You really do like green!  Sending you an email.

 

 

  I am amazed by all the Holiday goodies being created in blog land.  There is so much inspiration.  I, myself, have not even decorated my house for Christmas, yet.  It seems everyone I talk to is a bit behind this year.  This post at Martingale has some great ideas for gifts to make in a day for us last minute people. 

 

Happy Weekend,

 

 



 

Snowball Cookies

Carol over at Just Let Me Quilt is having a virtual cookie exchange.

Here in the Sticks, it's not Christmas time without a few certain recipes. 

 

These cookies are very common, but oh so good.

I have seen them made with almonds and walnuts, but we prefer pecans.

 

 

These cookies have many names.  We call them:

 

 

Snowball Cookies

Ingredients

 

1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 cups powdered sugar (divided)

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups sifted flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

 

Preheat oven 325 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

 

Beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and salt until smooth.  Slowly add sifted flour and stir until mixed well.

 

 

Add finely chopped pecans. I chopped these in my food processor and mixed them in by hand.

 

 

 

Roll 1 tablespoon size of dough into balls and place onto parchment covered cookie sheet.

 

 

 

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes until top of cookies feel set.

While cookies are baking, sift the rest of powdered sugar into a large bowl.

 

 

 

When cookies are done, take out of oven and roll a few cookies at a time in powdered sugar and place on wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

After the cookies are completely cool, I like to take the remaining powdered sugar and dust the cookies one more time.

 

 

 

This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.  Store in an airtight container.

 

Christmas Party Perfect.

 

 

Here is the recipient of the Christmas Apron.  She loves it.  In fact I will be making a few more of these.

 



 

 

I better get to sewing,

 

 

 

 

Note:  Somewhere on the web I saw suggestions of flavoring these cookies with rum,  Kahlua, or other spirits.  I may need to try that.

 

 

 



Not your Grandma's Apron

This weekend is party time here in the sticks.   We have 2 parties to attend.  One is a Christmas party with the girls I work with. 

 

Tradition has it that we have a white elephant gift exchange at the party.  I have received hair scrunchies, one size fits all popcorn shirts, VHS tapes (not g, pg or r), and a tangled ball of Christmas lights, to name a few of the gifts over the years.  Being the overachiever that I am, I turned a little fabric into my gift for this year's exchange.

 

Christmas Apron

Now, if you have ever had a white elephant gift exchange, you know, this would be a pretty sweet gift.

 

 

But, that just would not do.  Did I mention that this apron is reversible?   Some days you feel like a good girl and some days...well.  lol  Thanks to my friend Joan over at MooseStash Quilting (I won the fabric for the back in her giveaway) this apron is a conversation starter, for sure.

 

Reversible Christmas Apron

 

I think my co-workers will love it.  Oooh, la, la. I've been wanting to make something for my girlfriends at work and when this fabric arrived it was just the ticket.  There wasn't enough of this fabric to make 18 mug rugs, so I will just watch them fight over this one item..  I wonder if the winner will wear it in the salon??! 

 

By the way, I know I called this post, "Not your Grandma's Apron," but I know a few grandmothers who would wear this in a heartbeat.  One of mine included..lol

Let's Party,