Apron Strings

As promised, here's Roma from North Carolina modeling the project from the Apron Strings tutorial of September 4 (scroll down to follow the complete thread...no pun intended)
Not only is the apron a perfect fit, she looks lovely wearing it. Thanks so much for launching your modeling career on this blog, Roma! :)

Notecard Giveaway

Whew - that was fast! There's sure no flies on Peggi from Ontario; Canada Post will work their magic as soon as the office opens tomorrow to deliver the notecards to her. Thanks to everyone who wrote...Please keep checking back because you never know what's next (I never know what's next...)

Another Giveaway!

I have one set of "quilty" notecards to send to the first person who emails and says they'd like to have them.

Pattern Giveaway

Well, how cool is this? Turns out our winner - Potpourri - is a fellow Nova Scotian! So while the Anticipation pattern wings it's way there, we will wait with anticipation for the picture of Roma in her new apron strings to arrive from North Carolina.

Christmas (on a Shoe String) Placemats

Here's another quick and easy (not to mention frugal) idea for what to do with your scraps. These placemats work up really quickly, and have little cost involved. You will wow your friends with these!

Finished Size: 18-1/2" x 12" (46.25cm x 30 cm)

Finished Block Size: 6" (15cm) square

Fabric Required: Made from scraps and leftover strips of fabric. If purchasing new fabric, approximately 1.5m (about 1-1/2 yards) in total is required for a set of 4 placemats. Fabric strips should be cut in varying widths from 1" to 2-1/2".

.5m (1/2 yard) for end strips

.6m (5/8 yard) thin batting (cotton works well)

.6 m (5/8 yard) backing

.5m (1/2 yard) fabric to make straight grain, 2" wide binding

Foundation material (phone book or thin paper)

Directions:

As you will see, I am using last year's Aliant phone book for this project. Tear out 4 pages/placemat and cut them into 6-3/4" squares. Lay your first strip of fabric right side up diagonally across the paper, near the centre. Place second strip right sides together with this strip. Sew along the length, and flip to right side. Press. Continue adding strips in this manner, using random widths and colours, until foundation is covered. Trim block to 6-1/2" square. Your blocks will look something like this:

Or this:
Gently tear away paper foundation from back of blocks. Place blocks together in 2 rows of 2 blocks and stitch. Press seams to one side.

Cut 2 pieces end border fabric each 3-1/2" x 12-1/2". Sew one to each side of placemat; press seams away from placemat. Layer top, batting and backing. Pin baste and machine quilt as desired. Trim edges even; bind §

And that's all there is to it. Now...go make 3 more to match this. Don't forget to send me pictures of your finished placemats!

Nancy brought the dip!

What's a party without dip? Here's a recipe for Taco Dip which came from my sister. It's great with corn chips (honestly, it's great to eat on a spoon...) Needless to say, it never lasts long.

Nancy’s Taco Dip

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese*
1 small tub of sour cream*
1/2 cup mayonnaise*
1 jar of salsa (medium)
1 lb. hamburger (browned and drained)*
1 envelope taco seasoning*
Green peppers

Grated cheese
*We use the “light” version of all of these, lean ground beef, low fat cheese and salt-reduced taco mix.
Mix first 3 ingredients and spread in a 9 x 13 cake pan (or 2 pie plates).
Brown the hamburger, making sure you drain off any fat, and add the taco seasoning. Spread on top of the first mixture in the pan. Spread salsa on top of this, then sprinkle with cheese and green peppers.

This travels well and has made many trips to school parties over the years, even to Acadia. I vary the decorations by season - for Hallowe’en I make it in a round dish, use Cheddar cheese and orange peppers cut out in shapes to make a Jack-o-lantern face. At Christmas time I use Mozzarella (to look like snow) and cut red and green peppers in holly and berry shapes. Here's a picture from last Christmas: And speaking of holly berries...the bushes in our backyard are so gorgeous - laden with bright red berries. I will post a picture soon.

Today we will continue to take the honey off and get the hives moved around in preparation for winter. Yesterday we worked away at that, encountering only one hive which refused to let us have their honey cache. We'll see what mood they are in today. These hives are located on a cranberry farm in Cumberland County, an idyllic setting. Yesterday when we were working there, I glanced over at the pond and was startled to have something blood red in the water catch my eye. Upon investigation it turned out to be a reflection of the barn. This was the first time I had gone bee-ing without my camera, so I rushed home to get it, hoping the light stayed long enough for me to return and get the shot. Isn't this a beauty? Oh to be a bee...

Rail Fence Rice Bag

Here's another top for a rice bag; this one uses only 3 strips of fabric so it's super simple!

Rail Fence Rice Bag

Materials Required:
3 strips 1-1/2” strips x WOF (light, medium and dark work well)

Backing fabric 13” x 9-1/2"

Backing Fabric 9-1/2” x 4"

Muslin for inner bag 12-1/2” x 9-1/2"

3 cups rice

Sew strips together along long edges using a 1/4” seam allowance. Press seam allowances to one side. Strip should measure 3-1/2” wide. Fold strip in half and cut into 3-1/2” wide segments. You will get 12, 3-1/2” segments from this strip, just the right amount for your project.

Lay blocks out 4 across and 3 down. Sew together first in rows, then sew the rows together. Press. This piece measures 12-1/2” x 9-1/2”.
Cut back fabric 13” x 9-1/2”; if your patchwork is a different size than above, cut the back the same size as your patchwork plus 1/2” for hem on the longest end. Turn under 1/4” twice on the longest end and stitch to create the hem.
Cut another piece of backing fabric 9-1/2” x 4”; Sew this strip to the longest side of the patchwork front. Turn under 1/4” twice on this plain strip and stitch to create a hem.
Lay patchwork and backing right sides together, making sure that the hemmed strip is lying flat against the right side of the patchwork. Sew along three sides. Turn right side out.
The inner rice bag is constructed in the same manner as shown in the previous tutorial. Scroll down to see pictures of the construction. For the Rail Fence inner rice bag, cut 2 pieces muslin 12-1/2” x 9-1/2” (or the same size as your patchwork). Sew together along 3 sides, turn right side out. Turn in ends of bag 1/4” along top edge; press. Fold bag in half lengthwise and press to mark a crease down the centre. Open up and stitch along this crease making sure that hem is tucked under on top edge as you stitch. This creates a channel in the bag to prevent the rice from clumping together all in one end. Fill each section of rice bag with about 3 cups of rice per channel; a 1/3 cup measure makes a good sized scoop for the opening. Machine stitch along top edge to close opening. Insert muslin bag into patchwork bag, flip hemmed edge over top.

Giveaway!

While I work on the pictures for the next tutorial, the 15th person to leave a comment here will receive a free pattern. Please know that there is no way to contact you from your comment on this blog, I will need to have you email me with your address. So watch the numbers, and if you are lucky #15, send me a note!

Every party needs a cake

While we wait for the apron to wing it's way to Roma in NC, we’ll get started on the cake we always serve at our house for celebrations. This recipe is from The MacDonald Mixing Bowl: 500 Down-East Recipes. This book is often simply referred to as “The Liberal Cookbook” as it is dedicated to Agnes MacDonald, wife of the former Nova Scotia premier Angus L. There is no date on the cookbook, but it goes back to at least the 1960’s as I recall making this recipe with my Gram in her kitchen. It’s a winner:

Mrs. Guy Pelletier’s White Cake

1/2 cup shortening with 1/2 cup butter (or 1 cup of butter for an even richer cake)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup hot water with 1/2 cup milk
3 cups flour
3 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla (Gram always used lemon flavouring in hers)
Cream shortening and butter. Add sugar gradually until light and fluffy. Add milk and water. Beat well. Add 1 egg, then 1 cup flour which has been sifted with the baking powder and salt. Then add 1 egg, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1 cup flour beating between each addition. Add vanilla. Beat well 5 minutes. Bake in tube pan at 3250 for approximately 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Cake may also be baked in a 9 x 13 pan, or into cupcakes.

There...we'll pop the cake in the oven and maybe one of you will watch it while I go sew. ..