Virtual Cookie Exchange

It's December, which means it's Christmas cookie time! Of course that also means that it's cookie exchange time. I'm thrilled to be participating in this year's Virtual Cookie Exchange.

Carol, of Just Let Me Quilt is our gracious hostess, and she's made the rules for this exchange simple and easy, which is just up my alley.  

I have seven grandchildren who all love to work in the kitchen. When they spend the night, they go to sleep having discussed the breakfast plan. It's usually pancakes made with grandpa or scrambled eggs made with me. Either way, they all love to help and unless we are in a hurry, I love to work with them.

They all like oreo cookies and just love the ones covered in chocolate. So what's a grandma to do? Let the kids make them, of course. 

They like the traditional style where the classic oreo is dipped in chocolate; but they also like the vanilla cookie dipped in chocolate. 

Since there are two different kinds, they differentiate between them by topping one of them with sprinkles. The flavor that is decorated changes each year, of course. It just makes life fun and interesting.

While I like the oreo cookies, one of my all time favorite cookies is a wonderful buttery shortbread-type sugar cookie. There are minimal ingredients which makes them quick and easy to make. The kids can help with these too, but I typically make the cookies and let them do the decorating. 

Just like so many cookies, it all stars with butter! You can substitute margarine, but I really do prefer butter. (I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted and then add a pinch of salt when mixing everything together.  

Here are the ingredients:

2 cups butter

1 cup powdered sugar

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond)

food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees

2) Cream butter and vanilla in bowl until fluffy

3) Add flour, powdered sugar, and cornstarch a little at a time, mixing after each addition. (You may find it necessary to knead the dough a bit to get a nice smooth consistency.)

4) If you are opting to use food coloring, divide the dough into however many different colors you are using, and knead in a few drops of coloring. 

5) Roll into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I don't like to use a non-stick cookie sheet.), and flatten with a fork or the bottom of a pretty glass. (If the dough sticks, dip the glass bottom in sugar before flattening the dough.)

6) Top with sprinkles, if desired.  

7) Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are firm, but not hard. 

8) Cool completely and let sit at least 24 hours before serving. (This is the hard part because I like them warm!) 

9) Once cooled, you can add frosting or glaze, if desired.

10) Enjoy!

Besides making cookies each year, my kids and grandkids get together one day the week before Christmas (depending on work schedules), and enjoy a day of games and other activities as well as a special meal.  

We typically enjoy shrimp cocktail and crab legs, along with some veggies. Last year, Lynn and Ty also made sushi, and that was fun. The grandkids all love the feast and enjoy being in the kitchen during the food prep. It's chaotic, but fun!

After we eat, we have our gift exchange and then relax and enjoy the rest of the day. Ok, it's usually not easy to relax with seven kids there, but we do have fun. We play with their gifts, play games, watch birds, etc. 

Every year, I try to make something new to celebrate Christmas; so this year, I made some napkins. 

I also made place mats using the scraps from the napkins. (This is a really bad picture, but I just couldn't get a picture to show that the background is a very light green batik. 

What are your family traditions? 

Whatever you do to celebrate, I hope that it involves family, good food, and lots of fun. 

Be sure to check all of the blogs and see what traditions, creations, and yummy recipes they share. 

December 2^nd

Creatin' in the Sticks

Ms P Designs USA

Home Sewn By Us

Vroomans Quilts

Cathie's Craftworks

Sew Many Yarns

Just Because Quilts

December 3^rd

Moosestash Quilting
Stitchin At Home

Barb – Hosted by Just Let Me Quilt

Hill Valley Quilter

Little Penguin Quilts

Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Selina Quilts

Count it *all* JOY!

Purring Cottage

December 4^th

Made By Marney

Homespun Hannah's Blog

Beaquilter

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Life in the Scrapatch

DesertSky Quilting

Sunlight in Winter Quilts

December 5^th

Quilt Doodle Designs

Ridge Top Quilt

Pumpkin Patch Patterns & Quilting
Websterquilt

Bumbleberry Stitches

Kathy's Kwilts and More

December 6^th

Just Let Me Quilt

Kris Loves Fabric

Domestic Felicity

Karrin’s Crazy World

Songbird Designs

Melva Loves Scraps

Brenda's Quilt Blog

Color Challenge - December

It's time for the December Color Challenge - the last one for the year! 

To play along, go to Jen's blog for the block pattern and instructions. 

You won't be disappointed!

December - Purple - Crocus

The crocus is one of the first flowers to emerge in the Spring; and it is often referred to as the light bulb flower because it looks like a bright light bulb until the petals open into the cup-shaped flowers. 

Because it brings the landscape alive with color after a long winter, the crocus is often looked at as a symbol of cheerfulness, joy, excitement, and glee.

Crocus can be white, yellow and purple; but it is the purple flowers that are considered one of nature's most precious treats. Historically, purple is a symbol of prestige and royalty, so the purple crocus is the perfect addition to Spring bouquets to celebrate special occasions.  

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Here are my fabrics - a solid light purple from my stash and a fat quarter of Purple Starlet from Blank Quilting. (I've been using fat quarters from the Starlet line for each month and I'm still happy with my choice.) I'm thrilled that I've been able to use stash fabric for my solid fabrics all 12 months! WooHoo!!

I love to see all the units of a block sewn together and ready to be laid out and sewn together to create a finished block. It motivates me to sew. :-) This month is super simple!

The completed block! As usual, I just love how the Starlet fabric looks in these blocks. Just like every other month, I've sewn the original block plus a second block that has the opposite or different fabric placement.  Here's the original block.

And here's the "opposite" block.

As has been the case each month, it's a subtle difference this month, but it can make a big difference in a final quilt layout.

Check out these other bloggers who made blocks this month. Be sure to come back in January to see how we've put the blocks together into awesome quilts! 

Patterns By Jen

the Geeky Bobbin

Two Maker Chicks

Ali & CC

Scrapdash

The Quilted Diary

Design Wall Monday

I finished the pattern test for Tammy Silvers and I am very happy with the results! This is made using her guided improv technique, and it is really quite easy, as well as addictive.😊 Tammy has this pattern available for pre-order in her shop. 

While working on this, I've been doing a couple of other projects too. I'm working on my 2019 Color Challenge quilts and I'm slowly plugging along. The first quilt has much more work involved in the layout, but I know that the results will be worth the time and effort. 

The second quilt layout is quite a bit easier and I know that it won't take long to put that together. I have much of it cut already, but just have to sit down and sew it. I hope to have both of these quilts done in a couple of weeks, but we'll see.

I am also finishing up a couple of projects for the upcoming Virtual Cookie Exchange hosted by Carol over at Just Let Me Quilt. 

Here's a sneak peek at some of the fabrics I'm using. 

Of course I'm playing around with some cookie recipes too.  :-) 

What are you working on this week?

Check out some Quilter's Eye Candy at

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

and

Beth's Monday Making.

Progress

I've made some progress using the fabrics I showed in my last post. 

This is a pattern test for Tammy Silvers and I am really liking the results. I'll be away from home for a couple of days, which means no sewing for me; but I should have the top put together this weekend. I can't wait to share it with you!

Yummy Fabrics :-)

I'm starting a new pattern test for Tammy Silvers and love the fabrics I'll be using.

You can see a smidgen of the pattern below, but I'll be able to show the whole thing very soon. 

I'm off to make some pretty awesome stars. I'll be back soon with more pictures. :-) 

A Finish and Design Wall Monday

Do you remember these fabrics that I was using for some secret sewing?

I used them to test Tammy Silvers' (Tamarinis) Where My Heart Is pattern.

I finished the top and am very happy with the results. (Someone asked me about the center fabric, but I didn't have the information with me to check. It is Woodland Daisy, a Michael Miller Fabric. 

I had commitments that took me away from home (and my sewing machine), so I couldn't work on this for over a week. I was chomping at the bit because I already knew exactly how I was going to do the quilting and I really wanted to get this done. 

The quilting is very simple and although the pattern suggests that the binding be the dark green, I opted for the orange Dot Grunge. 

The pattern includes instructions for three size options:

Wall Hanging - 22" x 39" 

Large Wall Hanging - 44" x 46" 

Lap Quilt - 44" x 61". 

I made the small wall hanging, but I think I'm not going to use it as a wall hanging, but as a table runner instead. It's a great size, so it can be used as either one!   

As with all of Tammy's patterns, this is well-written and includes really good cutting instructions and awesome diagrams. This will be available in Tammy's shop very soon. I'll let you know when that happens. :-) 

Here's what's on the design wall today!

This is the beginning of my version of Bonnie Hunter's Idaho Square Dance. A couple of friends and I went to Bedford, PA to take a class with Bonnie last year (Aug., 2018) and we had a very productive time. Check out this video that Bonnie made of the workshop. :-)  

I have had all of my log cabin blocks completed for quite some time, but I got sidetracked and put away from Idaho Square Dance blocks. I needed to do something for a demo at Chestnut Ridge Sewing recently and decided these blocks would be perfect. 

I have most, if not all, of the units just about ready to complete the blocks so I decided to put this on the design wall and get busy. I do have other projects that need completed, but this will be my leader/ender project and that means that the blocks will completed in no time at all. 

Bonnie just announced the colors for her new mystery quilt and I really feel like I should make some headway on this quilt before I even consider starting that one.  :-)

What are you creating today?

Check out some quilters eye candy at 

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

and

Beth's Monday Making

Color Challenge - November

It's time for the November Color Challenge and just like all the other months, this is a beauty, especially since this flower is one of my absolute favorites!

To play along, go to Jen's blog for the block pattern and instructions. 

You won't be disappointed!

November - Yellow - Black Eyed Susan

Black Eyed Susans are said to symbolize encouragement and motivation. 

So how did this flower become known as "Black Eyed Susan?"

No one knows for sure, but legend has it that it all comes from an Old English poem of the post-Elizabethan era, written by John Gay (1685-1732). 

All in the downs, the fleet was moored,

Banners waving in the wind.

When Black-Eyed Susan came aboard,

and eyed the burly men.

"Tell me ye sailors, tell me true

Does my Sweet William sail with you?"

There are several stanzas, explaining that her William was on board, "high upon the yardarm", and quickly scrambled down for a fond farewell with his lady love. It seems he was off to the high seas, but promised ardently to be safe and true:

Though battle call me from thy arms
Let not my pretty Susan mourn;
Though cannons roar, yet safe from harms
William shall to his Dear return.
Love turns aside the balls that round me fly
Lest precious tears should drop from Susan's eye.

It certain seems like William has motivation to return safely to Susan, and he is encouraging her to be strong in his absence. I like this poem!

While it appears that the British may have appreciated this beautiful flower first, it has become a popular garden flower here "across the pond." Due to its gold and black colors, matching the coat of arms of Lord Baltimore, the Black Eyed Susan became Maryland's state flower. 

The flower is still revered today. The winners of the Preakness (an American flat thoroughbred horse race held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland) are awarded a robe of Black Eyed Susans instead of a horseshoe of roses.

War of Will, 2019 Preakness winner
Photo from the Washington Post 6/4/19

Back to the challenge - 

Here are my fabrics - a solid light yellow from my stash and a fat quarter of Sunshine Starlet from Blank Quilting. (I've been using fat quarters from the Starlet line for each month and I'm still happy with my choice.) I'm thrilled that I've been able to use stash fabric for my solid every single month! 

I love to see all the units of a block sewn together and ready to be laid out and sewn together to create a finished block. It motivates me to sew. :-) This month is simple - half square triangles and squares!

The completed block! As usual, I just love how the Starlet fabric sparkles. 

Just like every other month, I've sewn the original block plus a second block that has the opposite or different fabric placement. 

It's a subtle difference this month, but it can make a big difference in a final quilt layout.

Check out these other bloggers who made blocks this month, and be sure to come back to see what we create next month! 

Patterns By Jen

Kathy's Kwilts and more

Tuning My heart Quilts

The Quilted Diary