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Thursday, December 31, 2015

2016 - Make it Yours


What are your plans?

I slacked a bit at the end of 2015 when it came to my sewing room.

But trust me, there are big things in the works...

Here is one.

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Cookie Recipe: Chocolate Snowballs

Today I am joining other bloggers in a
Virtual Cookie Exchange
hosted by
Carol at Just Let Me Quilt.

One of my favorite cookies at Christmas time is a
Snowball cookie.

Why not have a variation, a chocolate one...



Chocolate Snowballs

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. unsalted butter
2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat butter and sugar until creamed together and light and fluffy.  Add vanilla.  Sift flour, salt, and cocoa together.  Slowly add to butter mixture.  Stir in pecans until well blended. Cover and chill dough at least 2 hours.  I like to make my balls and then chill the dough.  Shape dough into 1" balls and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper).  Bake 20 minutes and cool on wire rack.  When cooled completely, roll in powdered sugar.


These cookies will satisfy that chocolate craving without being overly sweet.  The pecans add just the right texture.

Want more cookie recipes?


Here is the complete schedule.

December 1

December 2

December 3

December 4

Monday, November 30, 2015

Virtual Cookies Exchange Starts Tomorrow!! Lemon Snow Cookies Recipe

I just realized I haven't had a blog post for the entire month on November.
Where does time go?

Well, to make up for it, here is a quick little cookie recipe that is full of flavor and super simple to make.


Lemon Snow Cookies

Ingredients:  

1 lemon cake mix
1 egg
2 1/4 cups of Cool Whip (or any regular frozen whipped topping), thawed
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix cake mix, egg, and whipped topping until completely mixed.  Dough will be stiff.  Form dough into balls and roll in powdered sugar.  


Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing.


Fast, easy, and yummy!!
It makes about 30 cookies.

Speaking of yummy...


 Carol over at Just Let Me Quilt 
is hosting a
Virtual Cookie Exchange starting tomorrow.

There will be lots of recipes shared by these bloggers!


December 1

December 2

December 3

December 4




Friday, October 23, 2015

Pumpkin Love for My Kitchen

I don't have a big Friday Finish
but, for the first time in ages,
I have one!


I couldn't wait to stitch this pattern for a quick little pot holder that is perfect for the season.
The pattern is an original by Carol over at Just Let Me Quilt.




This pumpkin pot holder is 7 1/2" x 7 1/2"
 (I enlarged the pattern a tad)
and was paper pieced with scraps from my stash.
I doubled the cotton batting and quilted the pot holder with my walking foot and simple straight lines.

Sewing this sweet project has helped me with my quilting mojo.
I've started a few things.


How do you get your sewing mojo back?!?


Monday, October 5, 2015

EQ Seasons Quilt Show Day - Season S - More Giveaways!

Sadly, the EQ7: Seasons Row-Along is coming to a close.

Today is 
QUILT SHOW  DAY
where we show off the projects we made with all these fun rows.


Season "S"

is a quilt with the seasons I love, spring and summer.



I spent the summer putting

  Season "S" 
together
using 9 of the over 25 rows
available in 
  
The following spring and summer rows were used in this quilt.











You don't have to have Electric Quilt to download all the free (for 1 more week) 
PDF patterns.

For the whole list of designers and patterns from the EQ7: Seasons Row-Along
 hop over to 
where you will see how Marian has organized this awesome quilting event.

If you do have EQ
and 
want to put your own quilt together with the rows,
Electric Quilt will have the
available free for the next 30 days.
Click HERE for the library and a great tutorial about
Merging the rows into a quilt.


This is how the quilt looked in EQ7
and 
this is the finished quilt top.


The blue background fabric is Northcott Toscana fabric # 9020-45.  
The white is also Northcott Toscana.
Northcott generously supplied this fabric!! 
The other fabrics are from my scrappy stash.

Quilt Size:  74" x 81.5"

Did you make a quilt or any of the rows?



October 6 – Show and Tell Day


Hobbs is giving one batting away at each of these blogs with quilts to show:


Marian Pena at Seams To Be Sew
Dorice Cotten Rice at The Quilting Queen Online 
Amy Warner at Sew Incredibly Crazy
Carla Henton at Creatin’ in the Sticks (You are Here)
Carol Swift at Just Let Me Quilt (She made the cutest baby quilt with my airplanes)

These blogs are showing projects and have giveaways too:

Jennifer Ofenstein at Sewhooked
Reeze Hanson at Morning Glory
Marlene Baerg Oddie at Kissed Quilts
Nancy Myers at Patchwork Breeze (She has a very cute quilt with an airplane :})
Darlene at Quiltshop Gal

To see more, join the Flickr and Facebook group.





This was another quilt I finished for the EQ7 Row-Along.

More about it HERE.

Giveaways:
The EQ7: Seasons Row-Along has had very generous sponsors.
Be sure to check them all out
and
thank them for all of this support!!


EQ7

Win your own EQ7.
CLICK HERE
to enter over at Electric Quilt.
Hurry!!!!!
Winner will be chosen at random. Contest closes Tuesday, October 6th, 2015 at 9am EST.

HOBBS
 is giving one of my readers a queen sized 90" x 108" Heirloom, premium cotton batting.
Giveaway ends October 13th and Winner announced October 14th, 2015.
I will email the randomly selected winner after the giveaway and will need your address
to mail this to you.


Northcott Fabrics

 is giving 1 lucky recipient, 6-8 pieces of fabric at 1 yard lengths each.

You may only enter once
 In other words, if you enter it here, do not enter it at the other featured blogs this week.
Value $60-80.00 
a Rafflecopter giveaway



 KNKUSA
is giving away a cutting system!
Sign up until October 13th winner announced October 14th, 2015.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Craftsy and Nancy's Notions

Are you participating in the EQ7: Seasons Row-Along?

All you have to do is make one block or row from the Row-Along by October 13th!!

As An
  Incentive To Participate By Making Blocks and Rows 
 Craftsy is giving a Class
of your Choice!!
 3 individual winners
Value $40.00 based on average cost of Quilting classes, but the value goes up if you choose lets say a sewing class.
 and
Nancy's Notions
 2 individual winners
 $10.00 gift certificate

When you add a unique block/row to the Flickr Group that you've created from any of the patterns offered each week, you will get one entry into the drawing.
You can enter at any blog featuring the Flickr giveaway once each day of this Row-A-Long until October 13, 2015 when the giveaway closes.
 Winners Announced October 14, 2015.
 Make a block, post it to the flicker group, and come back here and enter the giveaway.
If you enter both giveaways, you need 2 unique blocks per each day you enter
Duplicate Entries will be checked and if found you will be disqualified.
** Filler Rows Do Not Count. These too will be disqualified if entered. 

Visit Carla - Creatin's Craftsy Pattern Store »

Monday, September 21, 2015

EQ Seasons RAL - Summer Fly By - Pattern and Tutorial + Giveaways

Welcome to Creatin' in the Sticks
and 
EQ Seasons Row Along






Summer has come to a close, but I dream of summer all year.

(In Southwest Kansas you have to dream of the beach unless it's the dry river bed)




But I have memories of playing at the ocean side beach when I was a kid.

 "Summer Fly By" 

Is from those memories.

This is a foundation paper piece pattern.
Finished size 6" x 60"


You can download the pattern on Craftsy.

The download is the pattern only and is NOT a tutorial.

You only need to know how to foundation paper piece to sew this row.

If you want the optional clouds on your row, you will need to use a fusible to applique.
Follow the manufacturers instructions.  The cloud pattern is included in the download.

If you've never done foundation paper piecing, 
check out this video by Fons & Porter:





This row is perfect for little scraps of fabric. 

 The background fabric requires about a 1/2 yard.
I used Northcott Toscana fabric # 9020-45 which is so soft and easy to sew with.


Part of the fun of creating a quilt with EQ7 is changing things here and there to create something totally new.





By just changing the banner with "Aloha" and adding some waves and toes I have a beach blanket.



When I designed the Summer Fly By row for the

EQ7: Seasons Row-Along

I wanted a way to make it personal for anyone.


Want to see how you can change the banner block into a personal message?

Add a plain block and text to a quilt 

in EQ7 -
a tutorial

Here's how to do it:


Begin with a custom quilt.  
In this case we are using the 
Summer Fly By row.



Click the Layer 1 tab - 
Click the Set Block button -
 The sketchbook blocks palette will appear.
Right click inside the box and 
choose - Add Plain Block 

A plain block magically appears in the block palette.


Click and drag the block to one of the banner blocks.
Now you will have to adjust the block into place.
Choose the adjust button and move the plain block into place.


Now lets color the plain block.

Click the brush tool button - Select color - Click the plain box.
(Notice we still have the hook stencil in place behind the plane
because we didn't erase it.)


Next, let's add a name for the banner.  
Click on the Layer 2 tab.
Click the paintbrush button and choose the color for your text.
Next, click on the customize toolbar button on the bottom right -
Click on add/remove buttons - check the Set Applique Text button
to add it to you toolbar


Click the Set Applique Text button - the applique text box appears.
Hold down the shift key and click and drag a text box where you want
the text to appear.


Type the text you want.  In this case, I am using my nephew's name, James.


Now you can change the font and size of the text.  
(Play in the Applique text box.)
Click the Adjust button (second button from the top - right tool bar)
Click the text and move the box around until you have it placed
right where you want it.


Get creative with the tool bars.  
I tilted the name a little to make it blow in the wind.



Tip:  Print the letter templates from the Layer 2 tab.


Won't that be a super cute row?

OR

How about this one?

giggle

(vacation = inspiration)


With EQ7, you can trace any picture...
although I traced a picture of only my feet for the quilt and made hubby's by expanding the tracing, I could have used this picture...

It's fun to explore with EQ7, don't be afraid.

If you want to make a quilt like mine, the only other pattern you will need is a wave pattern block from the EQ library. 
 Just search for it in the software.
Easy, peasy.

Here's one more photo of the quilt.




Sorry about the fold marks and wrinkles. 

 I carried the quilt on board the airplane and used it to keep warm!!
The quilt was made just for our Hawaii trip.  
I make 'em to use 'em.  lol

Want to see more rows and tutorials for the week?



September 22
Carla Henton at Creatin’ in the Sticks – Summer (you are here)
Patti Carey at Patti’s Patchwork – Winter
Nancy Myers at Patchwork Breeze – Spring
Marian Pena at Seams To Be Sew – Fall
Linda Franz  at LindaFranz.com – Filler Row
Anneka Kornelis at Stof Genoeg – Filler Row

Or 

Marian has the whole schedule HERE.


Now for the treats....

Giveaways:

#1 Aurifil Thread

1 - Aurifil 4 pack of basic colors. 
 4 spools in the kit - each spool has 1422 yds and they are mako cotton.
 50wt - Colors: 2600 – 2000 – 2314 – 5004
Value: $35.00
 Entries accepted until September 29, 2015 Winner announced September 30, 2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway



#2 The Fat Quarter Shop

 $25.00 gift certificate
 At Creatin' in the Sticks.
While this giveaway is specific to this blog, you can enter at each featured blog today.
 There is 1 giveaway for each featured blog of the week.
 Entries accepted until September 29, 2015 Winners Announced September 30, 2015
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#3 Northcott Fabrics


 is giving 1 lucky recipient, 6-8 pieces of fabric at 1 yard lengths each.
You may only enter once
 In other words, if you enter it here, do not enter it at the other featured blogs this week.
 This giveaway is at all the featured blogs today.
Entries accepted until September 29, 2015 Winners Announced September 30, 2015
Value $60-80.00
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#4
Make a block or row from the Row Along!
As An
  Incentive To Participate By Making Blocks and Rows 
 Craftsy Class
of your Choice
 3 individual winners
Value $40.00 based on average cost of Quilting classes, but the value goes up if you choose lets say a sewing class.
 and
Nancy's Notions
 2 individual winners
 $10.00 gift certificate

When you add a unique block/row to the Flickr Group that you've created from any of the patterns offered each week, you will get one entry into the drawing.
You can enter at any blog featuring the Flickr giveaway once each day of this Row-A-Long until October 13, 2015 when the giveaway closes.
 Winners Announced October 14, 2015.
 Make a block, post it to the flicker group, and come back here and enter the giveaway.
If you enter both giveaways, you need 2 unique blocks per each day you enter
Duplicate Entries will be checked and if found you will be disqualified.
** Filler Rows Do Not Count. These too will be disqualified if entered.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



#5 
(Coming soon)
EQ7 Software

Electric Quilt will be giving away their EQ7 software to one lucky winner.
To be held at the Electric Quilt Blog September 29th - October 06, 2015.  
You will need to visit Electric Quilt's Blog during that week and register to win at their site to win this great prize. 
Value- $190.00

I will be posting a quilt on the October 6th that I have been working on during the EQ7: Seasons Row-Along.
(I had a little head start...all summer)

There will be more giveaways!!!!!

Marian at Seams To Be Sew has more details at her blog
 and 
you can join us on
  Facebook and Flickr.


Visit Carlotta Jean's Craftsy Pattern Store »