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.
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.
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.
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.
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 candownload 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
$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.
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
