SEWING CAKES

One of the things that I love to do is bake.

But one thing I've not been able to have

success with is decorating cakes.

In my mind, the ideas I have look great.

But in reality, they don't come out so great.

 

The people that are able to decorate cakes

in imaginative ways are very talented.

The pictures below are some that

I have found online.

These cakes are beautiful works of art.

I would really hate having to cut

them because of how much work was

involved in making them.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

BATIK RUNNER

I finished this runner last night using batiks.

I'm starting the year off with a bang getting quilts pieced.

I wonder if I can keep up this pace the rest of the year.

I don't know but I'm pretty happy I'm getting projects

done that I've put on hold for a long time.

The blocks are 7" finished.  I was going to add a

pieced border but I realized it was going to

be too wide for my dresser.

if I had made the blocks 3" finished,

then I would have been able to add

the pieced borders using the batiks.

I guess I'll just have to make another

one so that I can add the borders.

UFO COMPLETED

So far I've been keeping true to my goal for 2014.

The quilt blocks were made by different ladies

in the evening guild that I'm a member of.

The challenge with these blocks is 

we were given paint chips and we had to

select fabric from the paint chips.

The blocks were completed but I had set them aside

to work on other things.

I'm glad I this completed. 

It feels good for marking

another project off my list.

BRAIDED HOT HAM AND CHEESE

Here at my house my family loves ham and cheese.

When you add homemade bread to the equation,

it is heavenly!

Today we are having friends over so I decided to make this for lunch.

Basic Bread Recipe

4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 package of active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

In a mixer bowl combine 2 cups flour and the yeast.  Heat the milk, sugar, butter, and salt just till warm.  Stir to mix ingredients well and add to the flour mixture; add eggs.  Beat at medium speed and slowly start adding as much of the remaining flour as you can.  Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl; turn once.  Cover and let it ruse in a warm place till about double.  

 Roll out the dough into a rectangle.

 Make slashes on each side of the dough.

This is what you're going to braid.

 I added cheese, ham, and cheese again.

We like cheese in our family.

Braid the bread.

Wrap it in foil.

Bake in a 350 oven for 20 -25 minutes.

If the top is not brown, take the top foil off.

Take it out of the oven, slice it and enjoy!

2014 UNFINISHED PROJECTS

I don't know about you, but I have projects

that I've started and not finished.

It doesn't matter if it's a kit or a pattern,

I would start it and something else would grab my attention.

I decided that this is the year that I would finish the projects

that have been set aside for I don't know how long.

This quilt was a mystery quilt that a friend of mine designed.

I don't even remember the year but I finally finished it today.

I still like the colors that I chose when I first began.

One done, several more to go.

I'm on a roll!

SPOOL WALL HANGING

I have converted a bedroom to my sewing room.

I'm in the process of repainting the room and decorating it.

I bought this kit last year at a quilting event.

I decided that I wanted to make this for my sewing room.

The finished project measures approximately 29" square.

 

Supplies:

3/4 yard border print

Fat eighth - spool center

1/2 yard for background

1/2 brown for spools

3/8 yard for binding

 

 





Cut four 4 1/2" square blocks for the center of the spool blocks.

 



 Cut eight 5" squares from the background and brown fabric.

 Cut eight 4 1/2" square blocks from the background and brown fabric.

Cut four 3 1/2" brown squares and lay aside for corner stones.

 

 Place one background and one brown right sides together.

 

 Draw a center diagonal line and stitch  1/4" from each side of the line

 

 Cut the squares on the center diagonal line.

You will make 16 half square triangles.

Iron toward the brown fabric.

Square it off to 4 1/2 inches.

 



Lay your pieces to make the spool and sew.

Stitch the four spool blocks together.

Cut four strips 3 1/2" wide for the border.

Apply the borders and cornerstones.

 

Quilt, bind and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 



DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

 

One ingredient that is an absolute must in this house is CHOCOLATE.

My husband absolutely loves chocolate.

I made this cake recently and I want to share the recipe with you.

It's absolutely delicious and easy to make.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 (8-ounce) packages semisweet chocolate

2 cups butter or margarine (4 sticks)

1 cup sugar

1 cup half-and-half or light cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 large eggs

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease 10" by 3" springform pan.
2. In heavy 3-quart saucepan over low heat, heat the semisweet chocolate, margarine or butter, sugar, half-and-half or light cream, vanilla extract, and salt, stirring frequently, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
3. In large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat eggs slightly; slowly beat warm chocolate mixture into eggs until well blended.
4. Pour batter into springform pan so that it spreads evenly.
5. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake 2 inches from edge comes out clean.  Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack.
6. When cake is cool, carefully remove side of pan; wrap cake, still on pan bottom, in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours.
7. Prepare Chocolate Glaze
8. Unwrap cake; remove from pan bottom.  Line cake plate with waxed paper strips.  Place cake on plate and spread with warm glaze.  Discard waxed paper.
9. In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy or whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Spoon whipped cream into decorating bag with medium star tube and pipe cream around top edge of cake.  Refrigerate cake if not serving right away.

Chocolate Glaze

In heavy 2-quart sauce-pan over low heat, heat one 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate pieces (1 cup) and 2 tablespoons margarine or butter, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth.  Remove pan from heat; beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup.

 

 





ATTIC WINDOW QUILT

Several months ago I bought fabric that attracted me.

You see, I love coffee very much and that is why this fabric attracted me.

It took me a while to decide how I was going to use the fabric.

I bought this book several years ago and I made one quilt.

I decided to make another again using my coffee fabric.

 

 

 To make the attic window I cut three pieces of fabric.

1.  One square 4 1/2 inches

2.  Two rectangles 2 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches.

 

 Sew the first sash to the square. 

Make sure to leave 1/4" for the mitered corner.

 

 Sew the second sash making sure

to leave 1/4" for the mitered corner.

 

Fold the block on a 45 degree diagonal, aligning the sashing edges, right sides together.

The fold is the guideline to align the and mark the 45 degree miter

onto the sashing fabric.

 

Use your ruler and mark a 45 degree line on the sashing.

 

 Sew on the seam line where the sashing

and window fabrics meet to the outside edge of the miter,

 

Trim the mitered seams.

Press all the seams away from the window.

Press the mitered seam open. 

 

 Here's the block all finished.

It's unfinished size 6 1/2" squared.

 

Join all the blocks to make this quilt.

I made 42 blocks that measured 6 1/2 inches.

I decided not to add a border.

I have not decided how I'm going to

quilt it but I can't wait to see how it will turn. out.



WINTER DAY ACTIVITY

 

 

Here in Central Indiana it is very cold.

The wind chill is -40 and we have at least 12 inches of snow.

It is not a day that I would like to go and be outside.

Last night I was helping my husband clear out our driveway.

As fast as we were clearing it out is as fast as it was coming down.

 

We are so grateful that we never lost our power.

Staying home is never a bad idea with weather like this.

 

I decided it would be a good time to start on my Christmas presents.

I went to my bookcase and found a pattern for a lap robe.

This has been really easy to do.

I'm happy to say that I have all the yarn I need at home.

 

Stay warm everyone.

 

NEW YEAR'S MYSTERY QUILT

Each year, for the last four years,

I've participated in a New Year's Mystery Quilt.

The quilts have been easy to make and a lot of fun.

This year was no different.

The Quiltbug shop in New York is the one

who sets this up every year.

The designer's name is Kris Driessen and

I've loved her designs and her instructions are easy to follow.

On New Year's Eve she had on her site

the fabric requirements and cutting directions.

I chose from my stash and had everything

ready for the next day.

I was really happy with the final result.

She will leave the directions on her site

for a few more days.

If you are interested in doing one,

here's the link.

Quiltbug