The Biggest Jelly Roll I've Ever Seen!

I finally got the binding on my tabletopper and can call it done. Yay for me! I'm glad that I went with the check for the binding, I stewed over it for a long time before settling on it. I need to get faster and better at deciding on fabrics - and this was only the binding. I also got my new Jelly Roll in the mail at an incredible price...I love THAT part, and it is the biggest thing I have seen in a long time, when you're talking fabric. It is the new line of flannel that Moda came out with. Yummy! I am going to make a rail fence quilt with it that my church group is getting ready to work on. Should be soft and toasty just in time for a hot Nevada summer!

Sneak Peak

Here's the startings of another project. I am borrowing the idea from a tutorial of my good friend. I am excited to get these to come to life, and I am also able to use my "Butterfly Fling" jelly roll that I have had since I began purchasing them months ago. Come back, and watch as it develops. My "Butterfly" quilt is at the quilter's getting an edge-to-edge done on it. Thank you Quilt Hollow, for the suggestion on that one. I am always open to "professionals" helping me out whenever I need a suggestion. I can't wait to get it back and see how it has transformed into a work of art! Life is good...

My newest project

I used one of my charm packs and the pattern that I got in the mail to make this cute little tabletopper. It's only 17" by 17", but perfect for my family room table that we use for games, puzzles, or just snacking in the afternoon. I only have to put the binding on it and then it is finished and adopted into the family for good.

I used every little scrap I could. I'm not very good at throwing them away. They are too beautiful, and I always think that I could use them for something. So for the back of this tabletopper, I just sewed every little strip together to make a few long strips and incorporated them into the back, just for a little pizzazz. Cute, huh?

Mailbox Goodies!

I have been buying a lot of charm packs online at unbelievable prices to supply my quilting fettish! I also bought another jelly roll because it was 50% off too. It has been a good week for purchasing, now on to sewing! I wasn't able to sew at all on Saturday (National Quilting Day) because I had a full day with grandkids and activities, but I sure thought about it! Maybe that counts...

Here's my stash - my daughter likes to make a mountain out of my jelly rolls!

The "Lighter" Version

Okay, first off, I owe a big kudos to my friend's husband for this post. It is here because, and probably only because of him. He about tackled me at my son's last basketball game to tell me that his wife had made "that chocolate cake", and that it was the best thing he had ever tasted. (That guy must not get out much!) He had asked if I had ever tried a lemon version of the cake, which of course, had NEVER even crossed my mind. So, this is for you Bill. By the way, "lighter" means as in color, not calories...sorry. Here's the recipe that I came up with:

Lemon Pound Cake

Cream together: 1 1/2 c. soft butter

3 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

the zest and juice of 1 lemon

Add one at a time: 5 eggs

Add alternately dry and wet ingredients:

(wet) 1 c. sour milk (add 1 Tbs. vinegar to sour)

(all dry) 2 3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Grease and flour bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Either dust with powdered sugar, or glaze with a lemon glaze.

Block 3

These little blocks have been so fun to do. They work up so fast and I can get them done in an afternoon if I don't have any other obligations. Doing these blocks have especially made me realize how fast each month comes and goes. Before I know it, I will have 12 done and the year will have snuck up on me and left me in the dust. If time is going to go by that fast, I might as well have something beautiful to show for it, right?!

Better late than never...

Wow - I was really slow getting this next block onto the blog. I've had it done for about 2 1/2 weeks now, I just got lazy about posting about it. I'd better hurry, because next months pattern comes out today! So here it is, the block for February. I love how the white stitching "pops" out on the ecru background. I wasn't sure how that was going to look. I've decided I really like it. Check back later...

Hope you are NOT on a Diet!

I was talking to a good friend today and telling her how I was trying to cut down on my sugar intake, even though Michaela made my famous Chocolate Pound Cake last night. This cake is SO good that you don't even frost it, just a sprinkling of powdered sugar is all it needs and, mmmm boy is it good! Anyway...back to my friend. Before I could even finish what I was saying, she said "You need to post that recipe!" So here it is. By the way, if you are ever trying to watch your sugar intake and you end up making this cake, you'd better find some friends to share it with, PRONTO!! (And just as a confession...I am eating a small piece as I type this post. Tomorrow is a new day...)

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Cream together:

1 1/2 c. soft butter (that's right, I said 3 cubes!)

3 c. sugar (that's right too)

2 tsp. vanilla

Add one at a time:

5 eggs

Combine all dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk. (Keep on a low mixer setting to keep the air in the batter. This helps make the cake moist and yummy)

3/4 c. cocoa

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. sour milk (add 1 Tbs. vinegar to regular milk to sour it)

Pour into a well-greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20. (That's right, but it's worth the wait) Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.