Something new, something Blue : )

If there could be a winter without sick bugs floating around.... perhaps I would be a lover of Winter.

Since I am already on cold # 2 since November I think it is going to be a long winter... BOOO.

Any way I have done a little selfish sewing to cheer me.   Not a lot of energy for Christmas decorating so  I took a couple of days to finish this.   This frame had a picture in it that I really didn't care for and I have been wanting to switch it up  for a while.   It will be perfect though out the year with my Americana decor.   Size of quilt is 10 inches.  Blocks are 1 inch.   Scrap Happy Here!

Pam Buda initiated a sew- a - long and I decided to jump on board.... though I have modified the original design to work with my frame.   My little "Tucker" has been tucked in a frame.

 http://www.heartspunquilts.blogspot.com/2015/10/pocket-patchwork-sewalong-tucker-part.html

Pam's final patchwork design can be viewed here if you want to compare.
http://heartspunquilts.blogspot.com/2015/11/pocket-patchwork-sewalong-tucker-part.html


I'm so excited to have a new little quilt to decorate with!   Now the rest of my Christmas sewing is calling my name.   Lots to do before Dec 25.  Elves should apply for work here ASAP!

Janita

Considering all things Pumpkin.... Lets be THANKFUL!

                  Today is..... NOVEMBER 24...... UMBELIEVABLE.

 Thanksgiving for my family is TOMORROW!   The cooking and cleaning frenzy has begun.  For the first year ever I have  broken the rule ... Thanksgiving first then Christmas.   I have Mostly Fall things still out but the Christmas decorating has begun.  Shocking!!!  One big tree up, a few little trees and some garland hung.  And I am pleasantly surprised how good that makes me feel.   Since we have snow on the ground... maybe that gives me an excuse.  Please don't poo- poo me too much if you think I'm rushing into Christmas and minimizing Thanksgiving... That is not it at all.  With the lights on the trees, the house feels extra cozy with a dose of love for my Thanksgiving guests. Thanksgiving is still front and center but my soul has softened.   As Mikey says.... "Try it you'll like it".   Thanksgiving is a lifestyle..... not One day.  Christmas is about the Love of the Savior everyday... Not one Day.   Each day matters.  Each day is a gift to be celebrated.  In a world that is crazy confused....  What happens at HOME is important.  Creating Home is important.

Enjoy the moments of each day ..... life is short.  

The days just go so fast around here,  I have a hard time keeping up.  Feels really good to be a little bit ahead of things.  Next week will be major chaos as I shift totally into Christmas gear.  But for now still holding on to the last little bit of Autumn Yum, creating cozy spaces and just thinking a little differently about how I want to live my life.   No one seems upset that there is a Christmas tree up here in November.  They are all clapping!!!!  Who doesn't like twinkling lights ???  I have put a lot of stress on myself over the years to make it all happen in a short period of time.   This year things are different and my heart is smiling.

So gather your flock together.  Now is the time to EAT  PIE,  Mashed potatoes, turkey,  stuffing.
Be thankful and let the love flow to those near and dear.  It is All Good!!!!

 The Amazing Pumpkin Pie delight 

Countdown has begun....

My mouth is watering just thinking about eating this.

Forget the turkey

just give me the PIE!

It will be going in the oven as soon as I am done posting this. 

I hope you need to make a quick grocery run yet

before the big day.

Do you like cheesecake?????

Pick up the ingredients for this pie!

I promise you 

this recipe beats any Pumpkin Pie hands down.

YUM -Delicious

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

2 graham cracker crusts

3Packages of Neufchatel Cream Cheese

1 (15 oz ) can pureed Pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon  

1/8 teaspoon Allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 containers of Cool whip !!!!!!

Preheat oven to 350*

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add Pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream

sugar and the spices.  Add flour and vanilla.  Beat until well combined.

Pour into crusts. Spread out evenly.  Bake for 50-55 min until cracks start to form around outer edge of pie.  Center of pie will still appear slightly under done.  Allow to cool completely then refrigerate. 

Pile on the Cool Whip and enjoy!

Thank you Paula Deen for the recipe.

Spices in the recipe have been modified because we like more : ) 

ENJOY the Blessings of Family and good Food!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

My heart overflows with gratitude for

 everything God has provided for us through another year.

Janita

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Quilts are a funny thing.

What makes you love them or leave them??

People of all kinds choose to live accordingly......
We are either people who can't live with them  : (
because they seem old fashioned

Or we don't want to live without them!!!!
The more the merrier.  : ) : ) : )

I am placing myself in the later category : ) : ) : )

This is an Old fashioned quilt love story rewritten.
One that speaks to the hearts of women crazy about home.

I am a maker...
I am a quilter...
I make quilts...
I make quilts because ?????

Really I don't know why I feel such a need to make quilts.
I just need to do it.
I can't stop making.
I can't stop looking at fabric,
I can't stop buying fabric for the next quilt.

Maybe it has something to do with L.O.V. E .

For Love isn't L.O.V. E.  until you give it away.

I've made quilts and I've given away quilts.  I've bought quilts that have found themselves Lost on their Luck.... for the love of the original owner has faded and they have kissed them good-bye for the last time.   I have a hard time with quilts that have no one to love them.  People are the same... I just feel bad if their life is empty of love.   We've got to have L.O.V. E.  to survive.

Such is the story of Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

the quilt pictured here.

She was Lost on her Luck.... kissed goodbye for the last time.

 We found her at a flea market .... she said, " Hello" and then "How do you do ?"  and then started singing Happy Birthday to Me : )

Well how could I not buy a singing quilt! Actually my daughter insisted to buy it for my birthday.  She stole our heart.   We knew we could love her.  We understand Contrary women.

We didn't tell her she would need a hot bath when we got her home.

She is scrappy!   Very Scrappy!

So scrappy I can hardly tell how she was put together.

That's why her name is now  Mary Mary Quite Contrary.

She has a love that sort of catches you unexpectedly. 

She is Pure Scrappy love

  I think a grandma probably made her.

I get grandmas : ) 

In the spare minutes of her day 

she couldn't help herself

she had to sew

squares together.

I have no idea how long it took her

but it seams to have been a process.

The squares are different sizes

It looks like she made blocks...

Then sewed them into rows according to block size.

Then again maybe not :) 

 You see it is so hard to figure her out!

Sounds like women in general.... hard to figure out ; ) 

Why do we need to do what we need to do?

For sure this grandma was just stitching herself happy. 

 Each square,  each shirt, each skirt.... 

Maybe this is a history of all the quilts she made

maybe the clothes they wore

L.O.V. E .

A quilt to keep somebody warm

L.O.V. E .

I have been sleeping under her for the last month

L.O.V. E .

I think I get too hung up on quilt design.

trying to make it perfect....

And forget about L.O.V. E.

She is not quilted

She is tied. 

Simply tied : ) 

Unexpected Beautiful Love. 

Let the L.O.V. E. Begin.

Janita

Linking up to Amy's Creative Side Blogger's Quilt Festival/ Scrappy quilts

She sews Strings and other Things.

 Stretching the boundary lines here  : _) 

with color options I have not chosen.

October sewing for me has been focused on sewing for others.

I belong to a charity sewing group 

called 

Helping Hands.

We make quilts out of fabric passed on to us.

It is not always pretty fabric

It is mostly stash that others no longer have a desire to keep.

It is our job to make it pretty.

Once a month we gather..... 

We cut , we stitch, we create

With the desire to bless others in need. 

Lately I have not been able to meet with the group

 as I am usually babysitting my grandchildren.

So I spent some time sewing at home this month. 

I started with a Walmart bag of scraps.

I love scrap quilts others make.

I am a however bit challenged

 with how to make it all work together.

I found some little bear squares in the bag...

and began to wrap them with strings.

Kind of like a BEAR HUG. 

Most of the blocks are log cabin style though a few are 

more creative in using scraps as the larger bits got used up.

For 25 blocks.....

The whole process of this quilt was

If the string fits.... sew it on.

 I tried not to place clashing colors together.

I tried not to over think this.

I tried to love even the unlovely.

It was not easy. 

It is a mix of 

Big Chunks,  medium Strips  and Little Bits.

I did try to make a couple of traditional log cabin blocks,

light on one side, dark on the other....

I somehow felt..." I should" because

after all I was making a log cabin block.

But in the end when looking at the whole quilt

  I decided it created a hole of white

where those blocks were.

I will not do that if I make another. 

Some blocks have have matching strips

others do not.

I have never made a quilt like this and

 I am just going with the flow !

And then I got tired of sewing with fabric I didn't like.

I was starting to doubt the whole process.

Would anyone want this quilt????

I needed a pick me up.  

My string piecing was getting more challenging

as the bits were getting smaller

and suddenly.....

Creativity jumped the curb. 

I made a couple of string  houses!!

And Smiled.

 After all as a charity quilt I will be sending 

BEAR HUGS  from My house to yours ; ) 

(The light in the attic is because I sew in the attic.)

This will be my quilt label on the back of the quilt.

Favorite thing about this quilt is the pops of lime green.

Makes me think of a child  now in heaven who loved lime green.

So Mr.  TJ Goemaat......

I'm spreading some love to a child in your honor with this quilt.

Hope someone finds it to be cuddle worthy.

 And as long as it is a full color fest here....

 Yea for a touch of  

ORANGE and PURPLE!

Happy colors in my life.

Inspiration picture perfect color combo.

Saying goodbye to October : (  

After struggling most of the summer

My Bacopa seems to love October!

Thank you  for all the goodness of each day :) 

Janita

October..... SEW Finished !

Creating HOME one stitch at a time.

Cross stitch....

Hand quilting......

Buttons.....

Sweetness X3!

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... "  

Psalm 23: 2

Icing on the cake...

Pillow back......

thrifted shirt

Loving it !

Used one of my old shirts for the border

and a pair of old jeans for the cornerstones.

Let's see I started this when my girls were young....

Finished it when my grandchildren are young...

I.am.slow!

but you know....Slow is sometimes better than fast.

The fabric I would have picked for the border  20 years ago

I would not have 

liked for the next 50 years ;) 

Maybe that is why it took me so long to finish.

I love this so much more.

Next up.....

Trying to finish up the borders on this bad boy.

Hard to do when you are not totally in love with it. 

Stalled because I can't seem to figure out what it needs.

Bonnie Hunter  free pattern

"Smokey Mountain Stars"

Made with thrifted shirts : ) 

That I do love.

Little bits of Fall Yum-Yum 

to make the world go round.

Plus...

One thing off the pile of undone

 makes for a Happy day!

Best moment of my week....

Seeing a little boy eating popcorn

  out of one big wooden popcorn bowl 

side by side with his dad

on the couch 

wearing identical neck pillows....(Really)

Watching a family movie.

Happy! 

and Adorable : )

Best Food of my week

homegrown...

Home made Sweet potato fries

drizzled with honey!

Peel, slice into fries. Rinse, 

Pat tops dry with paper towel,

 Sprinkle Sea Salt,  Fresh ground Pepper,

 Drizzle over fries 1 Tablespoon olive oil per potato

Toss fries to combine with oil.

Bake 400* Micro /convection oven setting 

30 minutes until soft

(Conventional oven may take a few more minutes)

Drizzle with honey

Eat Fresh

Enjoy the day.

If you are visiting today....

I would love for you to take a moment to say Hello in the comments.

It's lonely talking to the clouds : )

Janita

When it all turns FALL-ish

My heart starts to go pitter patter.....

Because of  simple things.....

After a summer of go-go-go

Now is the time to Gather around tables....

and Dream about Pumpkin Pie.

Suddenly It is all about Pumpkin Spice...

SOUP

and sweater pumpkins

(insert Happy face here) 

 Dine- In Deliciousness!

You can find more sweater pumpkin love here

You wonder why you are suddenly crazy about leaves????

and bumpy things????

Craving 

Little bitty Pumpkin things high and low???

 Most of all ....  it's a time to count your blessings

with a stitch here and there in the quiet moments.

Slowing down to soak it in.

Cross stitch with hand quilting 

Creating home.

This is a long ago project I am trying to finish.

In every season, " The Lord is my Shepherd" Psalm 23

Reminds me of these little peeps

who give the best hugs and kisses!

In every season...

ALWAYS THANKFUL for Love!

In my neck of the woods 

It's Fall Y'all!

You have my permission ...

sit a spell.....

Cozy up with a quilt....

read a book.....

Make yourself a cup of Salted Caramel Tea : ) 

Sending Fall blessings your way.

Janita

Birthday Girls Birthday Swap / Cheesecake on the side

Yesterday was my Birthday.  It all started wonderfully.... Strawberry Pie for Breakfast!  After that there were a few hiccups.  It didn't go without a hitch but somedays that is just the way life is.   I had two birthday baking fails.... one we ate and one went in the garbage.  One recipe I forgot to add the eggs that I had on the counter..... a sign that old age and forgetfulness are going to be forever friends.   The worst part is I read through all of the ingredients to make sure I didn't leave anything out before I put it in the pan.  So do not fear if you are forgetful.... You can eat cornbread muffins and forget the eggs.  : )  I thought they would be like hockey pucks but they were still good though they would have been fabulous with the eggs.  One daughter thought I should always leave out the eggs.   So Kind of her and Funny.  The Lemon Zucchini Bread..... new recipe.... that I change up a bit...... we tried it and it was a NO.  In the garbage it went and I hate to throw food away.  So you know it was bad.

I am thankful I was not in charge of the whole meal.  On a good note I made 2 Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes that were the bomb!!!  I got this recipe from my daughter and I have made it several times.   ALWAYS delicious!   Super EASY  : )


Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

2 Packages Cream Cheese I use Neufchatel
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4cup mini choc chips divided
1 graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 350*
Beat Cream Cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on Medium speed until blended.   Add eggs. Mix just until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup mini choc chips.  Place in graham cracker crust.  Top Cheesecake with remaining 1/4 cup choc chips.   Bake 40 min until cheesecake starts to crack around edges.  The center should look set but will look sunken.  If you are doubting if it is done give it a couple more minutes.  When I see the cracks on the edges I  always take it out of the oven.   Cool. It will continue to cook as it cools. Refrigerate 3 hour or overnight.

Eat and Enjoy!    Your family will think you are the Cheesecake Goddess if you make this for them.

Sorry no pics of this delight at the moment. Maybe later.



The best part of my birthday this year was a birthday sewing swap with a friend I met on line.  We have only know each other for a short time but we have become instant friends. We have a common bond in fabric.

Leanne also know as Lizzie the Quilter  lives in Tasmania.  We both have September birthdays so we decided to swap some sweet birthday treats.   You can read her post here

This is what she sent me.....  minus the quilt ; )

A tote bag filled with goodies!

A very sweet Needle holder.  I just love it.

I am going to use the tote to hold embroidery projects. 

No excuse now not to have a constant project in the bag. 

Thank you so much Leanne.  I love it all!

This is what I mailed Leanne..... 

because she LOVES 

Americana : ) 

No surprise here that we have become friends 

as she loves Americana as much as I do!

A box full of american treasures.... candies and

magazines with patriotic patterns of quilts..

A Pincushion just like this one.

Thank you Pam Buda for the pattern and inspiration

I made one for me too because once I made her's I wanted one!

Sweet Memories of this first Birthday swap friendship. 

A little embroidery treat because she loves to embroider.

Thank you Kathy Schmitz for the inspiration.

A kitchen towel with Sweetwater fabric.

And lastly I made an

Armed services flag

for her family

 because her son just joined the military.

It is thrilling to me to think that someone half a world away

 is enjoying something I made for her.

In August 

I also received a couple of treasures 

from blog drawings. 

The book "Every Last Piece"

Thanks to Lynn Harris for sharing her lovely book.  

Thank you http://lilysquilts.blogspot.com for the giveaway.

I love Scrappy! SEW excited about this.  

And Aurifill thread

https://auribuzz.wordpress.com

This is beautiful thread!

Counting it all as Birthday treats!

Happy ME!!! 

Happy # 57

Janita