Peanut Butter and Coconut

 

Thanks to Carol at Just Let Me Quilt for her inspiration and the coordination of this blog hop!

I've already seen a lot of cookies--and other goodies--that I want to make!

I made 2 recipes that I want to share with you today.

The first is my all-time favorite Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. I saw it on facebook a few years ago so I don't know who to credit but here it is:

 

Peanut Butter Cookies

 

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

 

That's it--no flour!

I couldn't believe they would hold together, but they do! Just pure peanut butter goodness!

 

Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl.

Add chocolate chips, if you wish (I always do). Doesn't chocolate always go with peanut butter?

 

 

Roll into balls--or use cookie scoop--put on cookie sheet, and flatten with fork dipped in sugar.

 

Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

 

Let cool if you are able...

 

It's very hard not to nibble, but they look pretty on a Christmas tree plate!

 

The next recipe is one I just tried this year: German Chocolate Macaroons. I think this is from Rachael Ray, but I tore it out of the magazine and don't have the name on the page--oops!

 

German Chocolate Macaroons

 

7 oz sweetened coconut flakes (I used shredded)

2/3 cup condensed milk

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

pinch of salt

 

In large bowl, gently mix all ingredients until blended.

 

 

 Drop tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheet or scoop balls into mini muffin cups, like I did.

 

Bake at 325 degrees until golden, about 15 minutes.

 

 

Serve when cooled.

 

Everyone loved these!

I hope you enjoy my recipes and the rest of those who are sharing today!

 

Be sure to visit today's bloggers:

 

December 3

Beth at One Old Goat and Her Little Farm

Carol at Just Sew Quilter (you are here!)

Theresa at Bumbleberry Stitches

Brenda at Brenda’s Quilt Blog

Pat at Quilting Quietly

Get Ready to Drool!

 

It's almost time for the Virtual Cookie Exchange! Starting December 1 through the rest of the week, several bloggers (including me) will be sharing pictures and recipes of cookies we have made. I'm eager to see what everyone is baking. :)

 

The picture below shows 3 of the completed placemats. There are 8 total and they are all done!

I used Superior Fastastico #5005 thread so there is a sheen and a variation in color, but it's hard to see with all the prints I used. That's ok. I like it anyway. There are all finished and ready to be gifted.

 

 

Many thanks to Carol at Just Let Me Quilt for putting the cookie exchange together!

Here is the blog order, in case I don't get it on tomorrow...

 

December 1

Kris at Kris Loves Fabric

Selina at Selina Quilts

Karen at KaHolly

Deonn at 3^rd Degree Bakery

 

December 2

Colette at What About Rheema?

Carla at Creatin’ In The Sticks

Velda at Granny Can Quilt

Mary Ellen at That’s My Home

Karen at Sugar Free Quilted Designs

 

December 3

Beth at One Old Goat and Her Little Farm

Carol at Just Sew Quilter (me)

Theresa at Bumbleberry Stitches

Brenda at Brenda’s Quilt Blog

Mary Pat at Quilting Quietly

 

December 4

Linda at Food Storage Moms

Susan at Super Mom – No Cape!

Kathy at Just Quilt it

Lindsay at Lin's Kitchen

Carol at Just Let Me Quilt

Last Day of Christmas is in My Heart

 

Well, I was too busy to get Wednesday's schedule on but I will get the last day.

I have enjoyed seeing everyone's contributions--and getting a few free patterns is an extra bonus!

 

Here are Thursday's hoppers:

 

Thursday, November 19

Meadowbrook
Tea Time Creations
Selina Quilts
Living My Dream
Seams To Be Sew

 

 

Thanks again to Marian of Seams to Be Sew for coordinating this hop. It has been fun!

 

 

Don't forget our sponsor, the Fat Quarter Shop, and  be sure to enter the Rafflecopter drawing for today for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate.

 



Christmas is in My Heart Day 4

 

 

Hope a bunch of you are following this blog hop!

Here are today's sites to visit:

 

Tuesday, November 17
Just Because Quilts
Words & Stitches
Feather Your Nest
Patchwork Breeze
Quilt In Piece

 

 

Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter drawing each day for a $25 gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop!!

 

Enjoy!

More Christmas is in My Heart Sharing

 

Hasn't this blog hop been great so far?!

 

Don't forget to visit today's sharing on these blogs:

 

 

Monday, November 16A Stitch In Time
Apple Avenue Quilts
From This To That
Just Let Me Quilt
Quilting Affection Blog
Kwilt Krazy

 

 

 

And don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

Christmas is in My Heart--My Turn

 

It's my turn for this wonderful hop--

thank you, Marian of Seams to Be Sew (http://seamstobesew.com) ,

 for putting this all together!

I saw many lovely creations yesterday and read some inspirational thoughts.

 

The first Christmas item I have to show is a panel I did to hang in our church sanctuary during the Advent and Christmas season. I thought about cutting it apart but against it and left it in one piece.

 

 

Maybe you can see that I FMQed the panel. All the brown is quilted to look like stones, and the lighter areas are stippled. I outlined the word "Rejoice" and the angels. I'm sorry that I didn't save the selvage to tell you what the panel is called or the designer, but I purchased the panel at The Quilter Corner in Morton, IL.

 

The next thing is this table runner. It was a kit I bought in Washington, IL, at Peddler's Way, called "Monochromatic" by Sue Michaels.

I love the gray and red--could not pass up this kit!

 I FMQed the entire runner with paisley-like figures.

 

You can see them better here. Boy, does that use a lot of thread!! All the quilting on such a small piece used 1 1/2 bobbins on my Tiara II. I was amazed.

 

Don't you think it looks nice with a few of my nativities sitting on it?

 

Next, I have made a table runner using the "Triangle Frenzy Swirl" pattern by Bunnie Cleland. I have made several of these, and so have the members of my quilt club, Cerro Gordo Quilters. This Christmas one uses a border design that is symmetrical so you have triangles that look the same, regardless of which side they are cut from. I use my walking foot for these and quilt along the lines of the border fabric.

I think this nativity looks nice on this runner.

 

 I am working on a Christmas gift and will show you what I have done. These are placemats from the pattern "Crazy Patchwork Placemats" by Merry's Stitchins (www.merrysstitchins.com)  in Jessup, IA (one of my favorite quilt shops).

A set of 8 placemats is made with 8 fat quarters and the stack and whack method. I had made one set but couldn't find my pattern to make this one. So, I just redrew the parts and thought through the way to cut them apart, restack, and sew together. In the photo are 3 finished placemat tops and on the right is the stack of parts for the other 5 placemats. I was despairing because I had no hearts in any of my projects (except my own) but then I noticed that the green fabric in these placemats has aqua hearts in it! Covered!

 

 

Last, I will show you something that is on my list of gifts to make: this Happy Snowman panel by Debra Jordan Bryan from JoAnn Fabrics. One of my daughters will like having this. 

 

 

So, even though it's not time for decorations, I was listening to Christmas music while typing this, and I have many other  gifts on my list to make. In the meantime, we will be decorating the church after Thanksgiving and beginning to really get into the meaning of the Christmas season. I will pull out more nativities to display (I have a large collection, many of which I leave out all year long), and decorate my own home too. Every time I pull out a nativity or look at one on a shelf, I have a reminder of what this is all about. Just like the picture at the top of my blog page (which I did last year), I think about that family and of Jesus and of what he has done to change so many of our lives. We are truly blessed.

 

There are others displaying their creations today:

Friday, November 13
All Thingz Sewn
Marjorie’s Busy Corner
Jane’s Quilting
Just Sew Quilter (that's me!)
Batts in the Attic

Please be sure to visit them, and if you leave me a comment, I will enjoy reading it.

Also, be sure to enter the rafflecopter drawing for a $25 gift certificate from our sponsor The Fat Quarter Shop (www.fatquartershop.com)

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thanks for visiting!

Christmas is in My Heart Begins Today!

 

 

The fun begins today with the Christmas is in My Heart hop. Marian at Seams to Be Sew (http://www.seamstobesew.com) is our blog mistress. My day is tomorrow but you will want to see all the wonderful things that have been made by today's group.

 

Thursday, November 12
Bejeweled Quilts
Quilt Shop Gal
The Quilting Queen Online In The Boon Docks
BumbleBerry Stitches

Friday, November 13
All Thingz Sewn
Marjorie’s Busy Corner
Jane’s Quilting
Just Sew Quilter (That's me!)
Batts in the Attic

Monday, November 16
A Stitch In Time
Apple Avenue Quilts
From This To That
Just Let Me Quilt
Quilting Affection Blog
Kwilt Krazy

Tuesday, November 17
Just Because Quilts
Words & Stitches
Feather Your Nest
Patchwork Breeze
Quilt In Piece

Wednesday, November 18
Pink Doxies
Miss Loreen’s Schoolhouse
Morning Glory
In Stitches and Seams
Moose Stash Quilting

Thursday, November 19
Meadowbrook
Tea Time Creations
Selina Quilts
Living My Dream
Seams To Be Sew

Sponsored By The Fat Quarter Shop

 

Since Fat Quarter Shop is sponsoring our hop, there is a giveaway--a $25 gift certificate.

Let's see if I can get this Rafflecopter in right so you can participate. (This is my practice run for my blog tomorrow.)

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Few Projects

 

I have the top done for a baby quilt I'm working on--just need to sandwich it and quilt. I plan to stitch in the ditch with my walking foot. You can see the panel I have behind it, showing a darker spot behind the upper right, and the eyes of the nativity figures in that panel (it's a Sandy Gervais design). That will get done one of these days... You can also see the bottom of my "design wall," a flannel sheet hung on the wall. Hey, it works! :)

 

 

I made up one of these Amazing Grace panels for church and this is the 2nd one I did for our church district auction at our district conference last weekend.

 

I FMQed the panel itself with some curliques with hearts in them and with a paisley design around the edges of the panel. The inner border is stitch in the ditch and the outer border is are wavy lines.

Maybe you can see some of the quilting in the photo below. And my camera has this mysterious black mark that comes and goes. Have to find a camera shop...

 

I was pleased that this wall hanging brought $200 at the auction. It helps to have a few people who want it very badly.

 

Coming up is Christmas is In My Heart blog hop, sponsored by Marian at Seams to Be Sew. Don't forgot to follow it. I'm on for November 13! Yikes, I have more to sew before then. Better get busy!!

A Cookie Blog Hop

 

 

I'm excited!! Carol Swift, at Just Let Me Quilt, has just come up with a Virtual Cookie Blog Hop. We'll make cookies, share photos and recipes, and maybe even show off some Christmas things we've made.

 

I'm in!! I might even have to make some cookies today--it's been awhile since I've done so.

 

I think sharing our cookie recipes will be a welcome break in all the sewing flurry.

 

Want to join? Check out Carol's blog

http://www.justletmequilt.com/2015/11/virtual-christmas-cookie-exchange-blog.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JustLetMeQuilt+%28Just+Let+Me+Quilt%29

 

Then send her an email.

 



New Hop and a little show and tell

I'm going to be participating in a new blog hop coming in November; Marian at Seams to Be Sew is lining up participants for Christmas is in My Heart. When I heard about it, I couldn't resist. Stay tuned for what I make...

Now for some show and tell:

I made this simple dress for my granddaughter Hailey while we were at their house a few weeks ago. She suggested the ruffle. I also made a pink belt to tie around the waist but she likes to wear it without, for the most part.

 

Our quilt club learned to make this Triangle Frenzy Swirl table runners. The pattern is by Bunnie Cleland. I have made a bunch--these are a few of them.

 

Then I found 3 of these Halloween panels in my stash, so I have made up two of them, one for each of our daughters and families. This one has coordinating fabric for the outer border. The other one has some of the extra figures that came with the panel as its border--kind of hard to explain, and I neglected to take a picture of that one. Anyway, I hope to get the 3rd one made up for me before the month is out.

I made some scrubs for my veterinarian brother after our visit to their house last month.

One is from cat fabric and the other from dog.

So glad they fit and he apparently likes them. :)

 

My newest project is making table runners from the Triangle Frenzy Swirl pattern.

They are beautiful, I think!

The one below is not quilted in the photo, but it is done now, along with another in a different border print. So lovely!! AND, I have more in mind!

My finished East Central IL Shop Hop Quilt from 2012. I got half the blocks pieced right away and then put the whole thing away. This year I was determined to get this done. Thank goodness I had bought some extra yardage since I decided to set the blocks this way, but I still didn't have enough of the cream, so I had to look for it. After ordering the wrong color, I started calling area shops and found one that still carried it. Thanks, Stitch and Sew in Arthur, IL! I'm holding the quilt with my brother John who was the recipient of it, along with his wife Kris. It now adorns their lovely home.

I labeled that quilt, explaining some about the Shop Hop. Sorry you have to get a crick in your neck to read it.

 



 

These are some purses I made from neckties for my sister-in-law Chris from her father's neckties. I have started making more since there are a lot of girls in that family! Stay tuned for more photos.

 

Camella, our newest granddaughter (born May 5) is the recipient of this quilt.

I drew the butterflies and flowers myself to applique on the quilt.

 

 

Then I decided to use some of the leftover squares to make a doll quilt for big sister Amelia who is nearly 2 years old.

 



I like to make skirts for my granddaughters, so I made these--2 skirts for biggest sister Harper (age 6), 1 skirt for Amelia, and matching skirts for their dolls.

 



 My newest toy is my Babylock Tiara II. I am excited to have this instrument to help me FMQ my larger quilts!! It was SEW frustrating trying to quilt the over-sized queen-size Delightful Stars on my home machine. I can't wait to use this machine often!

 

I used my Tiara once so far--finishing up the quilting on this piece, made of antique Dresden plate blocks that I set in this blue. I made it as a wall hanging, but it's so long, I have it hanging over our loft railing right now.

 

I have 1 quilt sandwiched, ready to get started quilting, and 1 more will be sandwiched after tomorrow. Yippee! Now to find time to quilt!

Quilt Retreat 2015

 

Last weekend 6 of us showed up at Threads of Time in Danville, IL, for our annual quilting retreat. We had our own work room, called "The Parlor," even though we hadn't asked for this deluxe accommodation, because the retreat center was full. We enjoyed having our own space but missed the opportunity to visit with all the others who inhabited the retreat center with us and the opportunity to see what they were working on. We had to tour the building now and then to see. A bonus was seeing a couple of women from another group that we had seen last year and getting to touch base with them. We probably would have chatted with them more frequently if we had been out in the "big room." We still had a great time and could have stayed longer.

 

Here are Kathy and Becky. Becky is making faces at me while Kathy is diligently getting set up to go to work.

Brenda and Nanette are consulting on a seam for one of Nanette's t-shirt quilts.

Betty Sue is cutting strips for her string pieced quilt-as-you-go.

I love this shot--we are all looking at Betty Sue's blocks and trying to decide the best arrangement for them.

 

Here is our whole group. We missed a couple of our regulars: Rosie and Denice. Hope they will be able to come next year, along with a few more from our quilt group.

Brenda is displaying her blocks. She spent a lot of time cutting fabric so she was ready to sew when she finally sat down to her machine (then the pattern illustration was wrong--how frustrating--but she stuck to it and figured it out). Her blocks are lovely!

These are blocks I worked on during this wonderful weekend. The 2 on the left are disappearing hourglass from Missouri Star Quilt Company. The ones in the center are the East Central IL Shop Hop Quilt from 2012, I think. The block I am holding is for our Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. I have made a block for our congregation for the past several years.

Kathy worked on another library quilt for her daughter Anna. I love the hand-embroidered knight sitting with the dragon.

 

Here is one of Nanette's t-shirt quilts. I think she already had this one pieced when she came but she worked on 2 others while there.

Becky quilted on this beautiful flannel quilt the entire time (so dedicated and determined). The recipient is going to love this quilt.

 

Betty Sue's string pieced blocks--are they lovely? I can't wait to see it when it's done.

 

We are already planning when to go next year--in March this time so we hope it won't conflict with other schedules. We want to stay Friday through Monday this time too. Whoo hoo!