Look at all those cookies!

 Of course this time of year there will be cookies!

We usually do a big holiday bake but things

 are different this year so I flew semi solo.

My DH ( Delightfully Handsome?) 

assisted by MANning the oven , ( see what I did there?)

We did two rounds of cookies 3 weeks

 apart with a small final  bake off to do some

 cookies for the neighbors right before the big day!

The first round included our holiday classic,

 Chocolate Crinkles. These always get great reviews. 

Get the recipe  Chocolate Crinkle.

They are very fudgy with a crispy outside. Yum.

We always make a few big batches of Imogene's gingersnap cookies. Get the Imogene's Chewy Gingersnaps recipe.

These are also chewy and soft in the middle and 

made extra tasty by a roll in 

cinnamon sugar before they are baked.

Last but definitely not least are the family favorite 

sugar cookies. This recipe was found

 in " Sesame Street 

Library Vol 1" 

Kid friendly and oh so tasty , these cookies 

not only get rave reviews but always turn out perfectly!

You can decorate and embellish them so many ways! 

These get used for a year round treat for holidays and special occasions.

They are very easy to make 

Get the recipe  sugar cookie .

Chocolate Crinkles

 Chocolate Crinkles

                1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour                1/4 tsp. salt

                1 cup sugar                                           1/4 cup butter, softened 

                1/3 cup packed brown sugar                2 large eggs, lightly beaten

                1/2 cup cocoa                                        2 tsp. vanilla

                1 tsp. baking powder                            icing sugar, for rolling

                                           Preheat oven to 350 F

Makes 2 doz cookies

Combine  flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt In a large bowl,  I quadruple this recipe so I always use my stand mixer. Add the butter, mix until combined, mixture will be crumby.   . Add vanilla and eggs and mix until just combined. 

Place 2-3 tablespoons of icing sugar in a shallow dish.  Form 1-1/2" balls of dough and roll in icing sugar. bake for 12 minutes on a greased or cooking sprayed pan until edges are just set. Transfer to rack or cool surface to cool .

Here are the quadrupled quantities

               5 1/3 cups all-purpose flour                  1 tsp. salt

                4 cup sugar                                           1 cup butter, softened 

                1  1/3 cup packed brown sugar            8 large eggs, lightly beaten

                2 cup cocoa                                           2 tablespoons vanilla

                4 tsp. baking powder                            icing sugar, for rolling

Sugar cookies

 Sugar cookies

2 eggs                                        3/4 cup butter

1tsp vanilla                             1 tsp baking powder

1cup sugar                                2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 F

Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl . Add eggs and vanilla, blend.

Mix dry ingredients and mix into bowl until combined. Chill dough 

20 minutes.  Roll , and cut into shapes. 

Bake at 400 for 5-6 minutes until just light brown on edges. Doubles 

easily. 

Imogene's Ginger Snacks

 Imogene's Gingersnaps

    3/4 cup Butter                         3 3/4 cup flour

    1 1/2 cup sugar                       1 1/2 Tbsp  Baking soda

    1/2 cup molasses                    1 tsp ginger

    2 beaten eggs                          1tsp cinnamon

    Cinnamon & sugar               1/2 tsp cloves

    Mixture for rolling       Preheat oven to 325 F                                                

Mix dry ingredients, set aside. Cream butter and sugar, stir in eggs and molasses. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Form into 1 " balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar . Flatten slightly on cookie sheets and bake

12". 

Sew those strips!! Stars!

 So if you search "Star Strings"

 on Pinterest you will find a 

wealth of scraps sewn up into enchanting stars!

Since I have the prerequisite and

 I am antsy for some machine time, 

here comes another project!

First I grabbed a big bag of scraps that has

 been lurking in my sewing room. 

I add to it when I finish trimming anything

 so it has really been growing lately. 

 I did some rough paperwork to 

get an idea of what the numbers would be , 

and started stitching!

Some graduated sizes of strips got pulled out,

 and it really makes the assembly fly!

I chose to make a 6 1/2" cut strip block. 

That will allow the finished top to have

 nine stars total without getting too large. 

Please notice the white square of paper on my extension table.

This lets me check the length of the strips

 without having to measure.

Of course I have my sewing nest going by 

using my TV tables for a pressing station and 

another for a strips layout station!

I already have a pile of strip blocks ready to trim!

I fasten my completed blocks together with clips.

I buy mine from a local supplier. 

 It really helps eliminate 

recounting and keeps me a bit organized!

Today will be more sewing with 

a movie in the background!

Sail Away!

 

Can you see the village?  I was inspired by a 

Pintrest scrap quilt and added a self-designed boat

to my top.  One observer studied it a bit and 

commented that she really liked the village on

the shore! Scraps quilts can really spark 

imagination!  

This smaller size top (55" x 68") has been patiently waiting 

for a turn under the needle. May give it one more row and a 

a small border to make it generous on a boy's twin bed. 

Cold Day Sewing!

 

Well, cold day for a walk! 

Winter has arrived on the calendar but 

 has been present here in Alberta for some time. 

Certainly a great time to finish some sewing!

Completed this fuzzy baby quilt to 

ship off to British Colombia!

  After sewing up the blocks, 

there was a bit of  discussion on the 

arrangement of the blocks. 

#1- too many yellows in one spot!

#2 -  Pinks all in the last 2 rows.

#3- a few blocks are too low in contrast!

#4- auditioning a few colors to replace 

the low contrast blocks! 

1st  too similar to other yellows. 

2nd green would be too dominate

And just like Goldilocks, 

the 3rd one is just right!

Let assembly begin!

And complete!  

This little quilt finished at 33"x 40".

It is backed with a  white cuddle fabric. 

It was completed on a fantastic day with the

conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter!

Happy Winter and straight on till

Christmas!

Mountains!

 

Ready, set , Quilt!

This top is ready to pin.  

It measures 88" x 95"

The lattice/sashing is 2" cut . 

This one will get a double bat of 

Hobbs 80/20 as it is staying in Canada. 

Looking ahead to a week of quilting!

Almost there!

Finally feel like I am making progress!  

There was a lot of doubt for a while. 

It just didn't make me happy when I looked at it.

 Auditioning some lattice colors

 to anchor  it down a bit ( climbing pun there ) 

help settle it and now almost ready for pinning!

I quilt on a regular  machine ( not a long arm) 

 so I will pin up a few tops that have been waiting .

Gearing up for a few days of quilting!!

The sets are ready for the companion 

baby quilt too.  So more to do!!

These are the backs of the sets

 for the large 1/2 squares.  

UPTO Mountain climbing!

 Purple Mountains Majesty!

Well, these mountains are not purple

 but they are a challenge.

Realizing  that I needed a Family quilt set 

( wedding quilt with matching baby quilt),

 I did a deep dive into

 the scrap pile and started

 a delectable  mountain set. 

Ideas abound online but since I am using scraps,

 the design had a mind of its own .

First I paired up some fabrics to make the peak sets. 

and stitched them into large 1/2 squares.

 I found some great tutorials, 

but didn't glean any dazzling hints. 

Discovered one hint on the way tho.  

I cut my layer cakes larger than 10" .

  If they are 10", the large  1/2 square needed 

often comes out smaller than the 9 1/2"square required. 

10 1/4- 10 1/2" are better, and make for easier trimming. 

Then I cut the squares into 4 equal sections, 

and stitched them together.

That leaves me with a beautiful pile

 of block quarters , 

so off to the design wall.

      And that is where this top sits. 

Decisions need to be made so it will rest for a few days . 

To lattice of not to lattice, that is the eternal question. 

Keep an eye out ,

 this top will soon appear on Flimsy Friday!

Bouncing Balis

 Staying at home has given us all 

a good reason to take on projects. 

This small quilt is a Pinterest find so 

I do not have the designer's name.  

If I find it , I will post it here. 

It was so much fun to do and 

other than a few tricky parts,

 it was a great success! Now all of these fabrics 

are probably not batiks nor balis but we 

can call our quilts as we please. 

Being rather diminutive in size for me ( 48" x 56"), 

the question is now, how to back it!

 Do I add  cuddle fabric and cozy it up , 

or patch up a back for a couch throw or wall art! 

 

The decisions of an every day quilter!

Small Guardian for the course!

 

Look who arrived! 

 An adorable, hand carved and painted 

watcher for my thread!

He fits perfectly on top of my open machine 

and really brightens up the place!

Look for him at your local craft malls or quilt shops. 

Every one is different!

        

  Well, it is definitely December and projects are piling up! 

Even with Covid we are managing to get things done and contact 

a few friends and family.  

        So yesterday was cookies and quilting!

        My DH ( darling helper?)  and I managed to complete a 

grand amount of goodies!

    

        Spent the evening, stitching up pockets on stocking.

 You know, the other definition of 

"quilter- one who can fix stuff with a sewing machine".

        This one is for our yet to arrive family baby.  

All in all a productive day!

Reboot for 1/12/21 !

 

        Well, retirement and covid have certainly

 changed my world! Other media have been getting 

pictures but a reboot for the blog is in order!  So follow

 me for new quilt pics, a Flimsy Friday Feature

 and some interesting views on the

 "The Scrapworld" in general!

Cambridge Bay #1 & 2

            These 2 tops ( flimsys) are almost ready 

for pinning and quilting! 

The one edged in 1/2 squares will 

need a small stablilizing 

border to allow for proper squaring up, 

( and yes that thought occured late at night).

These two will be quilted up and shipped 

off to warm some beds in Nunavut!

This quilt is also can be found in a Scrap Party!

Upto Stringing along

 

Cold outside so staying in and pinning winter strings !

This is the second of these large string quilt I've made.

They go together easily , and are fun to do. 

  

 

   I discovered a row of squares 

on the back were missing so I will need to fix that!

Using up my self propagating stash

 is high on my list, 

so most backings are made 

of 20" or 40" squares from my stash.