Cherries Galore

This is the latest applique block finished for the cherry cake quilt.  The cake basket blocks were made by friends on a Reproduction Yahoo Group.  Our challenge was to make cake basket blocks for a block exchange using Lancaster colors.  This applique block was inspired by a block in an antique quilt I remember seeing in a quilt show some time ago.  There are a lot of cherries in this one, so I ended up using thin metal washers I got at the hardware store as templates.  After gathering the fabric around them, they got a good press and then sat overnight to cool.  It really worked well.

Progress so far - the cherry sprig applique block on the right is inspired by a block in the 101 Applique Blocks book by Nancy Brenan Daniel.  This is a great book which I end up return to over and over.  The middle block was made using a bias stem shaped around a glass for the template, and leaves from a pattern I made by folding freezer paper in half and cutting out a leaf shape until I came up with a shape I liked.  There are a total of 20 cake stand blocks, so will enjoy making more applique blocks to go in between.

Thank you for stopping by to look at the Cherry Cake quilt progress, and hope you have time this weekend to get a few stitches in!  Delicious foggy weather here in Northern California just right for quilting and a pot of soup bubbling on the stove!

Cherry Sprig Block

Just finished the cherry sprig applique block for the cherry cake quilt, and am deciding what type of applique blocks to make next.  

The applique blocks are so fun to make as they will all be different, and I'm leaning towards a bird/cherry block or an urn/cherry block as the quilt may get a bit busy.  Would love to hear your ideas about future applique blocks to include!

1-1-11 Happy New Year!

Was so thrilled to receive this wonderful hooked rug from Kelley, a Yahoo friend, for Christmas.  Kelley makes the most gorgeous rugs, and I was thrilled to receive one of her wonderful creations.

Our oldest daughter drew these pictures of her Grandmother as a young girl, a teenager, and a young woman (1930s - 1940s) for her sister's Christmas present.  We all were thrilled so see what a wonderful, heartfelt present she gave her sister, and we are so proud of her drawing talent.

Think this is the year of the little quilt as I have been reading on many others' blogs, so wanted to show one I finished and handquilted in 2010.  Little quilts appeal on so many levels: its a way to test out different fabric color combinations; an incentive to finish a project from start to finish when time and patience are limited; and they are so fun to display!  I love the hand quilted look, and since this was my first attempt on a little quilt, hopefully I will become better at it...  I can already imagine different designs and thread colors to use on the next one.

Looking forward to a great 2011, and I am so grateful to have met so many fellow bloggers during 2010 whose blogs I have thoroughly enjoyed, and who have enriched my life through comments left on my blog.  Can't wait to see the projects we all have ahead of us this year!

Happy Holidays

Finished this Prairie Schooler ornament design this weekend.  Want to start a new tradition of making at least one cross stitched ornament each year.  Prairie Schooler has so many great santa designs too!

Ever since receiving these darling ornaments last year, I have wanted to decorate a kitchen tree. 

When I found the cookie cutters last summer thought they would look perfect on the kitchen tree.

Couldn't resist this unusual doily at an antique store recently, and I can never pass up an old army blanket at a good price!  Want to share our favorite holiday cookie recipe with you.

Orange Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

8 ounces sour cream

1 egg

1 T. orange peel

1/3 cup orange juice

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

Beat butter until fluffy.  Add half of the flour, and mix in sugar, sour cream, egg, orange peel, orange juice, baking powder and salt.  Stir in remaining flour.  Bake at 375 degrees on greased baking sheet.

Orange Icing

3 cups powdered sugar

2 T. butter

1 t. orange peel

3-4 T. orange juice

Mix all together and frost cookies with orange icing when cool.

Hope you are all having the merriest of holidays and have time to get a few stitches in! 





Cherry Cake

These sweet Lancaster cake stand blocks were received as part of a swap, and I have decided to put them together with alternating appliqued blocks with a cherry theme.  Now I'll have to look for a real cherry cake recipe - does anyone have a good one?

Received these darling appliqued baskets recently from another block exchange in which we made the baskets from Blackbird Designs' Cold Wind Blows book.  Just think they are adorable and will add a few more to make a doll quilt this winter. 

Its a beautiful day today and a little warmer after cold weather for this part of California - 29 degrees the last two mornings.  Thank goodness our lemon tree doesn't look too worse for wear though.  The remaining turkey is bubbling away on the stove for soup this next week.  Its definitely soup weather!

October Last

Making some progress on the Moon and Stars quilt.  I need to make more of the triangle settings so the pattern will emerge.  The block on the left doesn't belong where it is, but wanted a picture to see how it would look with a different setting. 

Found the dot fabric for the backing today.  I'm pleased with it as I just love dots and these were the perfect color combo - also 40% off at a Halloween fabric sale!  Hopefully purchasing the backing fabric will inspire me to finish this quilt - I'm really amazed at the way this quilt is designed, and like the coverlet effect.  Had oodles of cute trick or treaters this year, so I sat and appliqued while waiting for the doorbell to ring.  I'm back to red and green applique for a bit, so will show that next time.  Happy Halloween to all!

Moon and Stars

Taking a break from the beloved red and green quilts to work on something totally different.  Just finished the first block for the Moon and Stars quilt from McCall's Vintage Quilting magazine, Spring 2006 issue.  I loved this quilt from the moment I saw it, and this seemed to be the right time of year to start it!  The antique quilt was made in Texas in 1896.  Once more blocks are finished and put together, will post so the stars in the corners show up.  Don't you just love the graphic appeal of two-color quilts?

So excited that the pieced baskets from the Reproduction group swap arrived this last week.  They are all so unique and wonderful - so fun to see the creativity and marvelous work that went into these blocks and am thinking about how to put them together.  Will definitely make at least two to six more blocks to go with these.