Status Update

Just a quick word from the sewing trenches - oh, who am I kidding. I'm loving every minute of it. If I could drop out of school and spend my days with my sewing machine and my kids, I'd be the happiest camper. But I will take what life gives me and just keep praying for that oh-so-perfect job to come along for Aaron so I can make that little dream come true.

So, um, a status update really should have a photo of what is done. And TWO quilt tops are done. I took a photo of the first one right away, because I gave it away yesterday. But I have yet to get said photo off the camera. But it's coming. I'll post pics of both. And yes, I gave away one of the red/aqua matchbox quilt tops. And it felt so good to do it. A quilt store here in Seattle is taking donations for quilts or quilt tops. If they aren't quilted, they take care of that and then pass them on to women and children at a local shelter. Laurel and I got to talking about it and we thought that a teenage girl would really like something bright and cheery. So we gave one away.

I figured out what I want to do with my two Christmas layer cakes - I'm going to make them up in these two quilt patterns. Both are on Moda Bakeshop - don't make me post links, please!

Okay, I will. The first is called Easy as Cake
This one is called Christmas Packages
But I'm not just making plans for more projects. I'm getting things done, I tell you. I just started sewing on my half-square triangles and I *heart* HSTs! So easy and so quick and just fun. I have all of them cut and sewn for my barn raising quilt - going to iron them first thing in the morning and hopefully have that one done by tomorrow night. Wishful thinking, I know, but a girl's gotta have a dream.

Whopping Huge Plans

I had to get out my thesaurus to find another way to say "big" - I use that word a lot, it seems, to describe my crafting plans. I don't do things small, and the next few weeks are no different. We're headed to Boise via a stop over in Kennewick, but I've got stuff to get done. And I'm taking my sewing machine to Boise with me so I can spend a day sewing with my awesome crafting sister-in-law.

In no particular order:

Laurel has wanted to do a lemonade stand forever. Trouble is, we're not a high foot traffic location most of the time. But we are on certain days, namely home football game days. September 11th is the first home game and my little entrepreneur will be set up out front. She'll have on a Husky shirt and I know she'll be able to charm enough people into buying lemonade.

How does this apply to crafting? Well, she needs some fabric bunting hanging between the buildings and trees so people know she's there. So I've collected my yellow scraps and I'll be making one of these:
I'm tackling my red and aqua obsession head on. I have so much fabric, I ought to give some of it away. I still might. In the mean time, I'm going to make a vertical zig zag (because it looks like rick rack to me and I totally *heart* rick rack). This will be one of the red/aqua quilts.

Um, remember this baby? The pattern, anyway. Yeah, I've made, um, four of them. I've got enough stuff cut to make three red/aqua ones. I don't have a problem, I promise. I just love this pattern. Okay, I have a bit of a problem. But it's just so CUTE! Maybe another giveaway option. If I had a gaggle of followers, it might not be a bad idea.
The rest of the red/aqua obsession will go to a Dutch pinwheel quilt. I'll do just red blocks and just aqua blocks. Gonna love this one too.

Tired of reading red/aqua yet? Last one, I promise. I saw this on flickr and I fell deeply in love. Never tried a Dresden plate quilt, and this is a simpler version. So adding it to the list. And then I swear I'm done.

So I'm cutting fabric and prepping projects and having a glorious time this week in the midst of packing for our trip to Idaho. Such fun and I love that I love all these projects.

Happy crafting!

Coconut Macaroon Quest begins!

I am unbelievably excited for this week's recipe quest. I adore coconut macaroons. Love them a whole lot. Best of all, my kids don't care for coconut - as a side not, how weird are my children? No coconut, no fruit cobbler, no pies, no cheesecake? Strange.

2 weeks left in the quarter and them I'm going to be a sewing queen. Well, after a 3-day camping trip to Mount St. Helens with the folks. I've got most of the projects cut out and ready to sew. It's just a matter of getting out the machine and sewing up a storm. Doll clothes, doll blanket, Halloween costumes, quilts - plenty to keep my busy for several weeks. I only have 5 weeks off, so here's hoping I'm successful.

Chocolate Loaf Cake Quest and results!

Who knew I had such picky peanut butter cookie testers? After much tweaking, we arrived at our ultimate cookie - using Adam's peanut butter (Aaron's request), brown sugar (mine stipulation), and plenty of chopped peanuts (in honor of my Dad, who must have chopped nuts). These are truly awesome cookies.

But I can't share the recipe with you. How else can I get you to come to my bakery someday? But, I promise to do a cookbook later. Just not now.

And now, on to the next week of testing. This week - Chocolate loaf cake. Honestly, I'm going to be making friends with new neighbors, dropping these off. Just hope they don't hold it against me that I've taken a few slices out of it first!


Now I just have a boatload of peanut butter cookies to get rid of. Good thing I'm feeding the missionaries tonight!

Peanut Butter Cookie Quest

And so it begins - the recipe testing and tweaking and more testing. This week is the Peanut Butter cookie showdown. I've got about seven recipes I want to try so I can build my ultimate. The problem - I can't taste test these, so I'm going to have to rely on Aaron (and Laurel's) judgment.

For me, they have to have peanuts in them. And they can't be too sweet. A little chewy would be nice. And lots of peanut flavor - most just don't have enough in my book.

Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes!

P.S. The reason I can't taste test them is that when I eat peanuts, I get big gross canker sores in my mouth that don't go away for a while and it makes me miserable. So, no peanuts for me. It sucks. Because I love Snickers. And Reese's. And Butterfingers.

What I've been up to lately

• Reading - lots of reading for school - Charlotte's Web, Winnie the Pooh, Wind in the Willows, Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, and now The Jungle Book
• Cutting - rotary and scissors - stuff for quilts and doll dresses for Laurel's birthday/Christmas this year
• Recipe tweaking - working on the bakery menu and our ultimates
• Celebrating nine years with my sweetie!

That's pretty much it. No picture, sorry. I'll photograph the doll clothes once they are sewn. I'm planning to do as much as possible during the break between quarters. And I have to sew Laurel's Halloween costume then too. Ugh! But it's awesome!

Where have I been?

Oh, at school. And stuff.

But I'm putting on my apron and heating up the house (even more, thank you Seattle heat-wave) because I'm entering another recipe contest.

More on that later. But I'm entering three recipes. Because I love the sound of all three.

Pictures to come as I polish them off. Not personally. I would never eat it all myself. Well, maybe a bit, but shhhhh. Don't tell Aaron. He thinks I share everything with the neighbors!