Joy Luck Schnibbles is Done!

Wanted to show you this cute pincushion I got from Gma Nan. I also got needles, a good pair of scizzors, some buttons and a few quilt patterns, a rotary cutter and blades, and two cutting mats. My cousins both sew and got some of her sewing stuff too (I really had most of it so didn't want to cram it on the plane) but of all the sewing stuff I got, I am glad I got to add to my little pincushion collection...it is so homely, it is cute!

And Joy Luck!

Joy Luck Schnibbles has been quilted and bound...it awaits a label but otherwise is complete. I had planned on giving this to my sister-in-law Kelly, but she may get the last Schnibble because I really, really like this one now that it is all done. Tough to part with this babies!

Puddle Jumping Mystery Clue Four Done, a BOM Goes Wrong and Schnibble...

I think this is my LEAST FAVORITE block so far from Amy's Passions BOM! Ok..I like the block, I don't like how it came together for me..or didn't come together as the case may be. Serously things just didn't size right and for now it is set aside. I wish I could say I want to recut and try again, but today. i . don't!

I sewed the binding on Joy Luck Schnibble and used my barettes (and some of Gma Nan's I got) to hold it down for hand binding. I like this one more and more and am not sure I want to give it away!

AND Puddle Jumping Clue Four is done! I only had to unsew one block that I managed to turn around and sew (might have something to do with the fact that I was also watching Inside Austin or something like that on Netflix at the same time I was sewing) incorrectly. This is looking REALLY busy to me but there is one clue left so maybe there is sashing or something that mellows it out some. Can't hardly wait til tomorrow (I think it is) to find out! At least I am caught up on this. I love a mystery!

Puddle Jumping Mystery Clue Four in Progress

Made the binding for my Joy Luck Schnibble today...didn't get around to attaching it though! I spent alot of time working on the Puddle Jumping Mystery--clue four.

You might notice that at the top and bottom in the center there is an extra block hanging off...I got a little carried away on my sewing and had to unsew the ends off a whole section of blocks!

Here is what it will look like...just the middle and corners are together in the picture above and I managed to get them into three sections before giving it up and going down to ride my bike.

I really like how it is coming together! Should have these blocks together after a few more hours at the machine...I still have one Amy's Passions BOM for August to get done..so thinking I may start with that after work tomorrow...I have an early day due to a class cancellation so I should get some sewing in! Off to bed to read "Thunderstruck" or "The Shell Seekers" the two books I have in progress at the moment.

Biscotti Recipe at Last!

Tricia’s Biscotti
2 ¾ c. flour (or a combination to equal this amount-- oat flour, flax seed flour, whole wheat flour, almond flour)
1 c. sugar (you can use less than this unless you are making cinnamon and sugar biscotti)
3 eggs
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1-2 t. vanilla (or orange flavoring with cranberries)

Combine the dry in a bowl, mix then add wet ingredients and extras (see end of recipe for ideas on extras). Mix well. Flour your surface and split dough in half…roll in the flour into two long squarish rolls about one inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Take off pan immediately and let cool about ten minutes. Slice sideways and set on pan in staggered formation and rebake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. It will keep for several weeks.
EXTRAS ideas
1/2 package chocolate chips and 1 c. dried cherries
Orange flavoring with 1 c. dried cranberries
Anise flavoring
Maple flavoring with 1 c. pecans
Cherry flavoring with 1 c. almonds
Instant coffee flavoring
Chocolate chips with Cocoa powder
Sugar and Cinnamon
Christmas time: 1 c. crushed Ande’s mints

Sewing Day at June's House

I started out the day picking up our Bountiful Basket bright and early and then by meeting Kelly (Kathy's sister) at Weight Watchers. I officially started today, but actually started following the plan last Sunday when Kathy joined. So I have lost a little more than six pounds so far. We are all taking turns cooking really healthy, digging into our healthy cookbooks and I am packing good snacks and lunch, etc for work. Also have been making friends with the recumbant bike again. Am back up to 30 minutes with resistance. I don't enjoy it yet (haha) but feel like I am accomplishing something...I gave up farming on farmville (dumb game) because I decided that I cannot say that I don't have time to exercise if I DO have time for a silly, annoying game! I will try to remember to write here how it is going...might keep me that much more motivated. Now on to the quilty news of the day!

I had another great sewing day at June's house! This first picture is Ros who is celebrating finishing the binding on this quilt she will donate to her church for an auction...I might just have to buy a few tickets! It looks great.

Here is June helping BJ hold up her quilt...below is BJ with an adorable expression on her face! This huge quilt has been all hand sewed and hand quilted and it really close to done. BJ said she has been working on it for more than a decade...maybe even more than two if I remember right. It looks amazing...she is inspiring me to do an all by hand quilt!

I happily sewed away on my Puddle Jumping Mystery...I sewed ALL I had pinnned, ironing and then pinned the next part but didn't get a picture of that yet. I also made this "Wreath Over the Door" for the Designer Mystery BOM designed by Sandy Gervais. This one went together easier than the other two and is really cute if you ask me!

I got back my Joy Luck Schnibbles from Ros..so I need to make some binding and get it on it...although I still have a half bound baby quilt to work on! I also passed off five quilts to Ros for quilting! One is a QOV, and the others are likely to be Christmas or wedding gifts.

Go Pack Go!

Just had to show you the Packer tablecloth Grandma Nan must have been saving for a rainy day. It was brand new in the package. I decided that today is that rainy day and put it on my table, well yesterday. And the Packers won big time, so maybe it helped? Smile. And I couldn't resist putting up another photo of Short Story Schnibbles that I took outside today too.

I tried to make a photo collage of all twelve of my Schnibbles from this year to show you all, but can't recall how I did it before...best I could do was a slideshow which I added to my blog. If you know a quick easy way to do a collage to post on a blog I would love to hear about it!

Tonight I got the backing all set for the above quilt and the backing for my Atkinson Designs quilt that has been done for awhile but I was undecided about getting more fabric for borders...decided done is better than sitting here so I pieced a back from leftovers and a black nightshade fabric I got a week or two ago. I now have four to bring to Ros (five if you count the Quilt of Valor she said she would do and send on to Alycia for us).

I then cut out clue four of the Puddle Jump Mystery and pinned, and pinned and pinned so that I can sew away without thinking too hard tomorrow at June's with BJ and Ros. I also still have one of Amy's Passions blocks to do and the Designer Mystery BOM too. Packed them up in case I run out of stuff to sew. Better to have too much at June's than not enough, right? Now I need to go figure out what food I am bringing. I will be picking up a Bountiful Basket and meeting Kathy's sister to hit a Weight Watcher's meeting before sewing. I had a great week and rode the bike about every other day so I am off to a good start!

A Schnibble at Last and an Antique Hexagon Quilt

Schnibbles Short Story (the last of my A Year of Schnibbles Quilts) is a flimsy. I like it much better with the border...brighter...mine is larger than the pattern since I didn't trim, but it is all good. The fabric is fruitcake. The last parade will be September 1st. It has been a lot of fun!

And this little hexagon quilt is the second quilt I promised to tell you about that relates to Gma Nan. Some of you may remember the story when I helped her move into her apartment and she gave me the Broken Star quilt a few years ago...this was the other quilt she had which she wasn't ready to give up. My family decided that since I am the quilter I should have it....I am over the moon with this. I wish I knew who the maker was but all I know is my great grandma Annan had it handsewed and handquilted and my uncle Lewis used it as a baby..and most likely Jim and my dad Allen after. Then their mother died and Annan took it for safekeeping. After Grandma Nan married in and started raising the three boys she and Gpa Len had another son, Rick...Annan returned the quilt to Nan and Rick used it too. Many babies used the quilt (most likely me too) since it was a good size for babies but for the past 25 or so years it has mostly been in Gma Nan's dresser---waiting for me. I feel so tied to the people of the past and this quilt and the other one make me smile and tear up at the same time.

I haven't decided how to display it but I really want to preserve it and God help me if the house burns down I am collecting up AT LEAST these two quilts or I go down with the house. They mean almost as much to me as the kids!