Last Finishes of the Year

       As 2016 is coming to an end I wanted to finish what I could.  I finished the quilting and binding on 2 children’s comfort quilts which GCQ guild will donate to the children’s hospital.  I used many leftover pieces of binding for a wonderful scrappy binding that suits these quilts.  Many guild members appliqued the puppy blocks and there are many more blocks waiting to be pieced into quilts. 

In 2016 I finished 7 comfort quilts for GCQ guild + 2 adult tops

                           10 comfort quilts for church SQG

                           9 for myself, friends and family + many mug rugs and 1 set of 4 placemats

I have not completed as many quilts as last year; however, I have stayed busy including sewing for my granddaughters and their 18” dolls.

    As I prepare for 2017 I plan to take stock of all other pieced tops waiting for quilting and prioritize my UFOs for 2017 finishing.  Another goal is to use up as much of my fabric stash as possible.  The bed size blue, yellow and green quilting was paused for the holidays so I hope to get back to it soon.  There is also one small quilt sandwiched and waiting.   It will take priority since it is the class sample for the JoAnn Fabric class next week. 

Have a safe Happy New Year and enjoy time sewing and quilting!

Preparing for 2017

    Like many quilters and sewers I have a LARGE stash of fabric.  To prepare for the New Year, I worked to organize my stash.  When I first started quilting, I made 2 flannel “quillows” and planned to make a flannel rag quilt.  The rag quilt never got made as I learned new techniques. Years ago when I bought this flannel I did not prewash.  Now I wash all new fabric before it is put away. I washed multiple loads of flannel pieces.  Not sure how I will use them, but they are ready.  

    Next I sandwiched 3 small quilts.  The 2 puppy quilts are made of blocks collected at guild for the Children’s Hospital.  

The Ohio Star quilt is a class sample for JoAnn Fabrics.  I have a beginner class scheduled for early January. 

I found 3 more children’s small quilt tops waiting to be quilted.  I need to get back to work quilting the bed size Yellow, Blue and Green UFO I was working on before the holidays.  I have been tempted but am trying not to start a big new project until I get another UFO finished. I need to stop starting small projects also. I have plenty to work on in 2017.

Hope you are pleased with your accomplishments for 2016.

Let’s get ready for 2017.

Holiday Preparations

     My younger granddaughter saw one of my holiday sweaters and asked me to make her one.  I made matching Christmas sweatshirts for both granddaughters.  I fused a holiday bear from fabric and embellished them a little. 

 

   

     I also did my holiday baking.  About 40 years ago a family friend gave me her rum cake recipe.  For Christmas I have been making Rum Cakes every year since as gifts. 

 



   I gave the recipe to a friend and she varied the recipe making chocolate rum cakes.  This year for half I tried her variation.  My older son said he likes the original better.  Here is the recipe if you want to try it.

Rum Cake - From the kitchen of Elizabeth V Kelbaugh

Cake ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Butter Recipe mix

1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding

4 eggs

½ cup cold water

½ cup Wesson oil

½ cup dark rum (80 proof)

Glaze:

¼ lb. unsalted butter

¼ cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325⁰ F.  Grease and flour 12 cup Bundt pan.  Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan (optional mix ½ nuts in cake batter.)  Mix all ingredients together.  Pour batter over nuts.  Bake 1 hour.  Before cake come from oven, boil glaze 3 min.

Mix glaze ingredients.  Let boil 3 min. and have hot when spooned evenly over cake.  Use spoon to ease edge of cake from pan when pouring on ½ sauce.  Remove from pan immediately.  Spoon remaining sauce over top and sides.  Let stand 3 to 4 days before serving.

* I like to use 6 cup decorative Bundt pans as well as 1 cup Bundt minis as gifts. I bake the 6 cup pans about 45 min. and about 40 for the 1 cup.  

Scrappy Project

      There are plenty of special events going on this time of year.  One I am following is From My Carolina Home blog is hosting a quilt along for her pattern “Scrap Dance Waltz”.  She shows it in several color combinations (including Christmas red and green) but I love the scrappy version best. 

  I decided to make it small for a charity/comfort quilt. The pattern is simple with HSTs and squares but looks sophisticated.

    I pulled green, blue, red, brown and neutral squares and strips from my stash.  I have a difficult time using as a wide variety of neutrals as Bonnie Hunter but I tried to be scrappy.  Next it was simple to draw a diagonal line on the back of the 4” neutral squares and match them with dark colored squares.  I made good progress sewing before granddaughter time. Red and brown HSTs are sewn and pressed. About half the green and blue are finished. 

Hope you are enjoying this holiday time of year and also enjoy some time sewing and quilting.