Sunset at the Cabin

I had to share this picture of our sunset last night.  We had spent the afternoon walking the creek around the cabin and came back just as the sun was setting.  What a beautiful day with my husband and the dogs...

I would like you to meet my girls...  They we tired from running the creek, but I took a picture because it is rare they are standing still.

Deogie (black lab healer mix) and Mollie (Irish setter)

I snapped a picture of the sunrise this morning.  I'll take this winter weather any day.  It was in the 60's today..

I didn't realize I had removed the button to follow my blog.  It is fixed and hopefully all of you that have been looking at these crazy posts will come back and follow...

I'm learning,

T-shirt quilt

This is a project that I put off for 2 years.  I had made my daughter a quilt when she graduated high school so, of course, my son expected to have his very own quilt when he graduated. To make up for the long wait, I made it a king size and really made it very personal by adding some new band t-shirts that I knew he would love.  A lot of family and friends helped find shirts I didn't have, which makes the quilt even more special.  Thank you Daryl, Trista, Sonja, Jon, Sheri, Bill, and Joe.  I couldn't have finished this without you!  I was able to present it to him at Christmas.

I backed each t-shirt front with fusible, feather weight interfacing and cut 14" squares.  The middle row of the quilt is 14" x 22" squares.  I had some shirts I just couldn't cut into 14 inches.  Some of the squares were pieced together when I wanted to include the front and back or had little pieces of shirts to include.  Here's an example:

I made more work for myself by sewing 1/2" seams and then cutting the seams allowances down to 1/4" to reduce bulk, but I found it helped keep the squares from sliding around on my ancient sewing machine.  The squares were window paned with 2" strips of grey cotton fabric.

I machine quilted by stitching in the ditch around each square.  Here, you can see some of the shirts.  My favorites are the ones he had painted or drew on himself.  Some of the shirts I bought as fillers (like the Chuckie Cheese shirt).  I wish I would have saved more t-shirts from his childhood, but you make do.  All of the squares are special in some way.  I loved making it!




My son, Randy with his t-shirt quilt

One over due project, DONE (with love),



Baked Oatmeal

I made this for breakfast this morning.  It's not sugar free, but LESS sugar.  I think you could use any fruit, but I prefer berries.  I didn't have any fresh berries, so I tried frozen. Worked fantastic....

Baked Oatmeal

Cooking Spray
2 Cups frozen fruit (I used Triple Berry Medley- blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.)
1/2 T. honey
1/2 t. cinnamon (divided)
1/2 Cup pecans chopped (divided)
2 Cups quick oats
1 t. baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar Splenda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 Cups milk
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 8" x 8" pan with cooking spray.  Put 1 cup of fruit in the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with 1/4 t. cinnamon and honey.  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix oats, 1/4 cup pecans, baking powder, Splenda, 1/4 t. cinnamon, and salt.  After fruit has baked, pour oat mixture over it.  Mix milk, egg, and vanilla.  Pour milk mixture over oats.  Top with rest of the fruit and pecans.  Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Breakfast anyone?

We Made LOVE

LOL.  Yes at the kitchen counter.  My husband was involved in this quickie.  lol  This is my Valentine's Day Project. 

This isn't an old project, but an idea I saw on Pinterest.  I love words and all the scrap book paper frames I've been looking at.  I purchased the LOVE in paper mache' for $7.00.  I bought 2 sheets of 12 x 12 scrap book paper for $.79 (it was half price).  I usually have Mod Podge on hand, but we are in the process of finishing the room above the garage for my project room, so my supplies are scattered everywhere.  That purchase put this project over the $10.00 range, but I have enough Mod Podge to do this again 10 times.

For just paper, it really looks rich.  It goes great on the ledge in our bedroom.  I have a lot of decorating to do in there and this is a great start. 




Supplies:  Paper mache' letters, acrylic paint, scrap book paper, Modge Podge, foam brush,  exacto knife, scissors, cutting surface
OPTIONAL:  scalloped edged scissors

more detail

This is what we started with.  The letters look like thick paper bags but are hard like wood.

  I painted the letters with brown acrylic paint and let them dry.



This is my husband, Daryl, gluing the paper to the letters.

We traced the letters onto the paper and cut them out. I used scalloped edged scissors on the L and V to add a little interest.  This is optional to your taste. Next we glued the paper to the front of the letters.  Be careful with this step.  Make sure you have the letter positioned on the paper so that the right side of the paper will be on the letter the correct way.  Once the glue was dry, we laid the letters down on a cutting board, paper side down, and trimmed the excess paper off with an exacto knife.

I applied two coats of Mod Podge with a foam brush allowing 1 hour dry time between coats.

 The ledge in my bedroom that needs some attention

Love is in the air,

Rag Quilt

This project was started about 8 years ago.  I finished it this week.  The best part of finishing it, I love it.  I want to make more of these, but that will have to wait until I have more of the started projects completed.  And it is tax time.....

This was stitched with 6" flannel material squares.  120 black flannel and 120 leopard print squares. 
I'll do a tutorial on the next one.  I'll be able to take pictures of the beginning.  lol

closer look of the pattern.

So I have finished another project this year.  Hope I can keep this up for 2012.  I have a lot to go.....

Unfinished project 2, done....