November 30, 2009

Gift Ideas for Quilters

I've got a nifty list of gift ides, dream products for quilters, and a few must have's too!

OLFA Rotary Circle Cutter
Large Self-Healing Cutting Mat -- Mine is on it's last leg!
Instant Design Wall
Super Satchel Thread Box
10 Yards Moda Muslin Bleached White
Gingher 8-Inch Shears -- I mostly use my rotary cutter, but having a great pair of shears is so nice - these are on my list!
Quilt Display Rack
Binding Clips
Electric Quilt Company Amy Butler Software 22 Sewing Projects
Easy Dresden Quilting Ruler -- This is such a fun tool!
EQ6 Quilt Design Software -- This is on my list too, but I need a new computer first! :/
And if you are buying for a reader - you might consider a book suggested to me by my blog readers.

Are any of these on your list? Maybe you should send a hint to whomever is shopping for you!

Natalia and Vicki are sharing their own lists of gift ideas as well - maybe they have something you need!

What are you hoping for under the tree?

I had the best weekend with my family AND my sewing machine - I hope you did too ~
Amy



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November 27, 2009

Cath Kidston Love!

I love my blogging friends! Andrea found this while shopping and thought of me - it's a Mending Kit in adorable Cath Kidston form! Thank you, Thank you Andrea!!

Love all the colorful bits and there is a built in pin cushion.
And how-to booklet to get started with.
Also Cath Kidston related - I have the Christmas catalogue! If you have gotten one in the past you still need to go order one to get it again. Everything inside is beautiful!
We had a lovely Thanksgiving with lots of great food! Today we are enjoying a bit of a warm up and heading to the park with our kids :) Fun family days are the best! I hope that you are well and blessed today ~
Amy


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November 25, 2009

I Am Thankful : : 17

for -

- my family, they are crazy and fun making every day an adventure!
- my blog friends, you all encourage me to keep going with my creative passions!
- A warm and safe home.
- good friends to celebrate with.
- the inspiration I find everywhere!

The list could keep going on and on, I am blessed beyond measure and counting these blessings here make every day a little brighter! Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends, and to you all in other parts of the world - you really should treat your family to some Chocolate Bread Pudding!

Blessings~
Amy

You are welcome to join me in being thankful! I would love to know the blessings in your life - leave a comment and let me know :) Or post your own list.


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November 24, 2009

Basics Tutorial: Squaring Fabric

All the patterns say "Square Your Fabric" but what does it mean!? Often when it has been cut in a shop, it comes to you less than straight, and before you can easily use your rotary cutter you need to get a straight edge to work with!

This piece had some extra funky folds in it, looked like they had been on the bolt that way too - makes it a great example!
1. Press your fabric. I like to use lots of spray starch, any old spray starch I can find on sale.
2. Fold your fabric, selvage to selvage. In the picture above there is a bubble in the fold at the bottom.
3. Adjust your selvage edges until the fold lays flat. Use your fingers to scoot them one way or the other until it is happy.

4. Lay it down and get prepared to make a cut. Notice that the cut edges are NOT together.
5. I'm using home dec fabric that is 60" wide so I need to fold a second time, usually not the case unless your cutting mat or ruler is smaller.
6. Line up your folded edge along a straight line on your cutting mat. Again, the cut edges are not lined up perfectly.

7. Check the depth, that you need to cut in order to have a continuous straight edge.
8. Bring on the ruler, and cut. Your fabric should be lined up straight on the bottom folded edge, and your ruler should be matched up with the grid lines.
9. You should have a nice edge to begin cutting your quilt pieces!
Because I'm sure someone will ask - Denyse Schmidt's County Fair has been used in this tutorial, and I will be able to share this little project when it is completed!! No telling when that will be though :)

I hope that helps someone! Anyone have something to add?

Amy



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November 23, 2009

This Week

feels a bit hurried! And it's just Monday morning - I don't think that's a good thing. I had fun over the weekend, out by myself shopping - I met Marie and Pamela down at Tom and Lucy's Art Shoppe, and started Christmas shopping for my kids! I know - I have a bit (LOT) of shopping to do!

We are hosting Thanksgiving with a few friends, everyone is bringing a few favorite dishes to ensure a true feast. Joe is in charge of the turkey this year, we will brine and fry it outside. Then mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, green salad, fresh cranberry sauce, and an indulgent chocolate bread pudding. You all need to try that bread pudding!

Chocolate Bread Pudding from Joy of Cooking

Serves 10-12
1 pound challah, brioche or other light egg bread. (Our bakery sells a loaf that works great!)
1 C heavy cream
3/4 C sugar
1/8 tsp salt
12 oz bitter or semi sweet chocolate, chopped (I've used 11.5 oz of Ghirardelli chips, no chopping)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 C whole milk
1 Tbsp vanilla

1. Cut your loaf of bread into 1/2 inch chunks, keep the crumb, not the crust. You should have 6-7 cups, set aside.
2. Bring cream, sugar and salt to a boil while stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat, then add chocolate.
4. Let it stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and yolks, then add milk and vanilla.
6. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then stir in the bread.
Let it stand for 1 to 2 hours, gently pressing and stirring occasionally to help absorb all the liquid.
7. Preheat the oven to 325F
8. Generously butter/spray a shallow 2 quart baking dish, and pour in the pudding mixture.
9. Bake in a water bath(a second pan, filled with warm water about half way up your baking dish) until the center feels firm - 55 - 65 minutes. Let it cool a bit before serving with whipped cream, cool-whip or a sauce of your choice! Refrigerate any leftovers.

I wish I had a picture of the bread pudding, so yummy and rich. Perfect to go with the rest of our feast and the other desserts being baked up :) It's easy enough to bake anytime too, but be sure to share - it's a lot!

The winner of Saving Sammy has been announced, and I just received another book to review in January! Someone asked how I have time to read -- if I don't take a few minutes off of the computer or sewing machine before bed, I can't fall asleep - no matter how tired I am! My brain needs a little bit of wind down time.

I am planning to update my last post with more book suggestions today - I think it is such a great reference for everyone! Thank you for sharing.

One last thing -- Have you noticed the fabric shops sponsoring my blog!? Some of my favorites - and I'm so excited that they would want to be on my sidebar - check them out for all your fabric needs (and wants)!

Happy Monday~
Amy



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November 21, 2009

Books Suggested To Me - by You!

You all are a bunch of readers! I asked and you recommended a lot of books. Now to find some time to read a few :)

Here's the list --

The Time Traveler's Wife
The Hunger Games
Someplace to Be Flying
The Lovely Bones
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Have a New Husband by Friday
Water for Elephants
Down the Common: A Year in the Life of a Medieval Woman
Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)
Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer
The Pillars of the Earth
Juliet, Naked
Someone Knows My Name
People of the Book
Running with Scissors: A Memoir
Dream When You're Feeling Blue
We Are All Welcome Here
Home Safe
Back When We Were Grownups
Digging to America
Odd Thomas
Rizzo's War
A Quiet Belief in Angels
How Shall I Tell the Dog?: And Other Final Musings
Rough Country
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
The Floor of the Sky
The Professional
Nine Dragons
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe: A Novel
The Pact: A Love Story
Cryptonomicon
The Alchemist
The King of Colored Town
The Commoner
Mudbound
The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life
Elantris
Circle of Friends
The Lost Symbol
A Short History of Nearly Everything
A Quilter's Holiday: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
Bread Alone
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming
Pretense
Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
The 8th Confession (The Women's Murder Club)
Outlander
Redeeming Love - I have read and loved this one!
Angle of Repose
A Dog's Life
The Help - This one has been on my list for a while :)
The Birth House
The Last Anniversary
Three Wishes
The Boy Next Door
Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire: A Novel
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Prodigal Summer
Sense And Sensibility
Iceberg
The Master Butchers Singing Club
Shantaram
Mercy
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
The Tea Rose
The Winter Rose
The Wheel of Time
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Uglies, The Collector's Set: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras
Austenland
The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
The Historian
Darcy's Story
Oryx and Crake
Sleep, Pale Sister
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Companion's Quartet, Book Two: The Gorgon's Gaze
Mines of the Minotaur (The Companions Quartet)
Crossing to Safety
The Book Thief
Same Kind of Different As Me
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons
Mark of the Lion : A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, As Sure As the Dawn (Vol 1-3)
Thorn in My Heart (Lowlands of Scotland Series #1)
The Neverending Story
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Forsyte Saga
Gone with the Wind
Life of Pi
Listening Is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story
Through Violet Eyes
Eat, Pray, Love
The Glass Castle: A Memoir
The Piano Teacher
My Sister's Keeper
The Secret Life of Bees
Shogun
A Time to Kill
The Lords of Discipline
Undiscovered Country
The Kite Runner


These are in the order of the comments, I would have loved to alphabetize but who has that kind of time! I did link to Amazon for each of them! It wasn't as much work as you might think, html copy and pastes fast! Now I have a great reference when I need something new and different to read - I tend to get stuck in the same genre or author (Karen Kingsbury lately).

If anyone has more to add to the list I will add to it via the comments - Thanks for sharing!!

Amy

Oh and I left out the vampire books - I don't really do suspense :)



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