Posts Tagged ‘sewing’

Rob and I were busy this fall making a few items for Christmas gifts.

I made several people these sets of kitchen towels and dishcloths:

I also made some Christmas themed insulated mats that can be used under casserole dishes:

Rob knitted flower headbands for Nora and Megan:

He also knitted a couple of shawls that are going to be worn in a campus production of Fiddler on the Roof this spring. Here's one of them:

I made a jungle themed quilt for Ryan but unfortunately forgot to take a picture of the finished quilt. Here's a picture of the layout:

I made these little fleece sleep sacks for Ryan and the new baby girl:

I made another one of these wreaths from an old hymnal:

Jan, one of my faithful readers from Iowa sent me this delicious cookie recipe in a lovely Christmas card. I had some of the little Christmas cupcake liners which fit into the mini muffin tins and decided to use them even though I did make them after Christmas. These cookies are quite tasty and would also work for Valentine's Day or for a shower or tea.

Cherry Miniatures

1 3 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla (I used almond extract)
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
(plus more for decoration)
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I used pecans) (almonds might be good too)

Glaze Ingredients:
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
approximately 1 Tbsp. cherry juice

Cream softened cream cheese and butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add combined dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir in cherries and nuts. Place rounded teaspoons of dough in miniature muffin pans that have been greased or lined with miniature cupcake papers. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 mins. or until lightly browned. Remove from pans and allow to cool. Make glaze and spread cupcake tops with it. Decorate with cherries. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

To make glaze:
Combine sifted powdered sugar with enough of the cherry juice to make a glaze.

Keep this in mind for your next event when you need a pretty, dainty little cookie.

Becka

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I did finally finish up the fall table runner at the end of last week. Here's a picture of the completed project:

DH had one of those monumental birthdays last week and we had a little party to celebrate. One of the things I made for the party were these Spinach Balls. They go together quickly and are delicious.

Spinach Balls

6 eggs
1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted
1 6 oz. box of chicken stuffing mix
20 oz. of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I wring it out in a dish towel)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Add butter, stuffing mix, drained spinach, Parmesan, and pepper. Roll into balls (makes about 4 dozen). Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 mins. Serve warm. Can reheat wrapped in foil at 350 degrees for about 10 mins.

These are quite tasty and something different for an appetizer.

Becka

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I've been working on a couple of new fall decorations recently. This first one was an idea I found on Pinterest. Do you pin? I wanted something new for on the mantel and this was quick and easy. I found all the supplies at Hobby Lobby and at the grocery store. All the items at Hobby Lobby were on sale for 50% off and I figure I can cook and eat the grocery items after a quick rinse when it's time to replace fall with Christmas.

I started working on this table runner a couple of weeks ago. I found the pattern up at the Cherry Pit Quilt Shop in Seiverville, Tennessee the last time we were up in that area. It is an overwhelmingly beautiful shop. I bought this pattern thinking that it was time to replace the fall table runner that I have used for many, many years. When I dug through my stash I was able to find enough fabrics to make the runner without having to buy anything. This was the first time I have tried to do the buttonhole stitch applique on the sewing machine--I have always done it by hand on past projects. It was a lot of fun to do. Here's a picture of the applique portion:

Here's a picture of my helper, Adelaide, while I was refilling a bobbin:

I'll try to post a picture of the finished product soon--that will be a good incentive for me!

How about you--any new fall projects in the works?

Becka

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We are seeing a number of signs of spring here this week and I thought I'd post a few recent pictures from around our house and yard today.

Don't you just love the smell of hyacinths? One flower can perfume an entire room for several days.

Rob planted Hellebores on one side of our house which is very shaded. We have several varieties in shades of white, green, and purple. They are a bit tricky to photograph since the flower heads often hang downward.

Here are a few different varieties:

Our lot is pie shaped with the back of the lot the widest part. There is a drainage ditch that runs the entire width of the back of the lot. Rob and a couple of friends and neighbors have spent many hours hauling rocks and pouring cement. Rob also planted Liriope, Daffodils, and Daylilies in the back of the ditch closest to the fence to beautify the area. He has chronicled some of this project on his blog.

In our front yard we have a large flower box which has some pansies which have overwintered. There are also a few tulips and some hyacinths in there which haven't bloomed yet.

I know some of my readers live in areas which are still snow covered. My desire is that these pictures will give you hope that spring is on the way.

Another thing that is fast approaching is Nora's wedding. Here are a couple of glimpses of things to come:

Here's a little peek at her gown:

And, finally, here's a peek at the final bridesmaids dress. My sewing machine has been getting quite a workout for the last few weeks.

I hope you all either are or soon will be enjoying glimpses of spring in your neck of the woods too.

Becka

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The last time we were up in Ohio visiting my MIL in the nursing home I noticed that she was one of the few who didn't have some kind of cute bag that she could hang on her walker to hold her essentials. I guess they are kind of like a purse for most people.

I filed the idea away in the back of my mind and recently when Hobby Lobby had their Simplicity patterns on sale for 99 cents I purchased pattern 2822 which has a variety of bags for the walker, wheelchair, and even a caddy for on an armchair.

The directions were very clear and this bag went together quickly. She loves purple and I hope she will find this little bag useful in the future. I hope to make a few more of these for others I know who use a walker and might find them handy.

Becka

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