Almost over?

Can you believe that September is almost over. After the incredibly long roasting summer we had, Fall has come with not much relief from the heat. And soon it will be Christmas!

So I dug out a couple of fall ufo's and been trying to get them done to use before Fall runs out :-)

Auditioning borders.

What do you think?

                                      Needle and  Thread Thursday  

                       

                                      Sew and Tell

                                      Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

                                      Finished or not Friday

                                      Peacock Party

Friends

 

Friends. What does that word mean to you?? How have friends influenced your life?? There seems to be different types of friendships. Fair weather friends, passing friendships, heart friends, lifelong friends.

When I was a little girl, I had a good friend. We did a lot of things together. But as would happen, we moved away and I lost contact with that friend.

After we moved to another state it was hard to make new friends. But there was a girl in school that befriended me. Her name was Dorothy. She was so sweet to me and I felt loved and liked. We stayed friends all through high school. But then she got married, had a baby, and our friendship waned.

As we forge into the next step of life, I've met other gals whom I've befriended. Yet there had never really been that "heart" friend. You know the one that you can share your deepest thoughts with, and know that they will go no farther then her ear.

One day I met Diana. She was such a warm and likable person. And she was everybody's friend. Through the years she became my BFF. We would talk together almost every day. She was giving and hospitable. She loved life and laughed a lot. But the one thing about Diana that made her special, was her unselfish love. She loved unconditionally. Now that's the kind of friend a body needs. 19 years ago she lost her battle with cancer. And I have missed her so much.

What does it mean to have such a special friend??

"Oh the comfort, the inexpressible comfort, of feeling safe with a person. Having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words. But to pour them all out just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away." (George Eliot)

Take a moment and write a note or call your special friend. Let them know you love them and how much they have invested in your life. It will only take a few minutes, but the rewards will last a life time.

                                                       Love Your Creativity

                                                      Saturday Sparks

Helpful tip

 Here is a helpful tip that I picked up from Christa Quilts while watching her tutorial on Herringbone Quilts.

"Use up your left over bobbins, especially if they are cotton, when you are piecing a colorful Scrappy quilt."

Whenever I ran out of bobbin thread, I would always stop, unthread my machine and wind a couple of bobbins. Even though I use Bobbin thread, which tends to go for longer miles, I had never thought about using up the leftover bobbin thread. Now, maybe I am late on this tip, but I really like that I can use up bobbin thread and just keep sewing. 

The bobbin thread that I have been using and like the most is The Bottom Line.

 I have also used Sulky Bobbin thread and Madera. I find that I can sew for so much longer using these top quality Bobbin threads. And who doesn't want to just keep sewing :-)

Fat Quarter Fun

 

Sometimes when I buy a Fat Quarter bundle I often have good intentions. But then I get home and I just don't know what to do with them.

I found this great post on Tip Nut with lots of ideas on using Fat Quarters.

Fat Quarter Fun - Free Fabric Ideas to Stitch and Sew

I hope you can find inspiration too!

Inspiration

 Visiting a quilt shop always inspires me.

Happy Quilting!

A Royal Christmas

 

What would it feel like to receive a letter inviting you to Montovia? Discovering you are a direct descendant of the King?

Adelaide Smith is working her way through Law school. When the letter first arrives she thinks it is a joke. But as she finds her curiosity getting the better of her, she decides to take the trip and is thrust into a real life fairy tale.

A Royal Christmas is a charming novella full of surprises.  The characters were well developed and believable. Melody Carlson is an expert at writing sweet Christmas tales. 

 I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Revell. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Patriots Day

 

In the United States, Sept. 11 has become a day that haunts the nation of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Since the attacks, the day has been called Patriot Day or National Day of Service and Remembrance, and serves as a day to remember those who lost their lives. The day was passed by Congress on Oct. 25, 2001 and was signed into law by then President George. W. Bush. 

 "Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew." -- President George W. Bush

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

Blueberry Lemon Cake

 I've always loved blueberries. And when they are in season, they are the best. So recently I made this cake and we all loved it.

Original Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Servings: 10 people (9" blueberry cake)

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour cream (8oz)
• 1/2 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 medium lemon zest and juice, divided
• 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
• 16 oz fresh blueberries **
• Powdered sugar to dust the top optional

Instructions

Prep:

1. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment. Preheat Oven to 375˚F.

How to Make Blueberry Lemon Cake:

1. Beat 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar with whisk attachment on high speed 5 min, or until light in color and thick.
2. Add 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt and whisk on low speed until well combined.
3. Whisk together the 2 cups flour with 2 tsp baking powder then add to batter 1/3 at a time, whisking to incorporate with each addition (DO NOT OVERMIX). Finally, add 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 Tbsp zest.
4. Rinse blueberries and drain well. In a medium bowl, toss blueberries with 1/2 Tbsp corn starch and 1 tsp lemon juice, stirring until well combined and no dry white cornstarch remains.
5. Pour half of batter into prepared springform pan and spread evenly. Top with half of the blueberries. Spread with remaining batter then sprinkle the rest of the blueberries evenly over the top, pushing them slightly into the batter (about halfway). Bake at 375˚F for 45 to 55 min (mine was perfect at 55 min), or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake rest in the pan 15-20 min then remove ring and cool until room temp or just warm. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.

Recipe Notes

**If using frozen blueberries, thaw and drain then in step #4: toss with 1 Tbsp cornstarch and omit lemon juice. Do not add more than 16 oz blueberries
or they weigh down the cake.
*measure flour by spooning into measuring cup then scraping off the top.

Enjoy!

                                                         Full Plate Thursday

                                                        Saturday Sparks

Wordless Wednesday

 

What I'm working on

 Digging out ufo's I  found this one that I had worked on for a charity quilt.

A fat quarter bundle that I thought would make a cute simple quilt for a young person. So I split the fat quarters and sewed right up the middle. I've got a nice backing fabric to tie it all together.

There are several ufo's that need my attention. Especially with Christmas right around the corner. Are you making any progress?

                                      Needle and  Thread Thursday  

                       

                                      Sew and Tell

                                      Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

                                      Finished or not Friday

                                      Peacock Party

National Sewing Month

September is National Sewing Month

Do you have big sewing projects in mind? Where will you start? I'm planning on getting some projects finished. I am going to try to finish them before the new year... hopefully :-)

Happy Quilting!