Sentimental Stitches

We're settling into our winter routine again and won't get back home for a month or so.

I think I'll pull the green poinsettias out of the stick tree bouquet made from stuff I found in the basement at the shop and put some little snowflakes on it.

We had about 8" of snow the other night and are supposed to get another 6" tomorrow. Lake effect snow will kick in after that. It just keeps snowing and snowing and snowing so snowflakes seem appropriate.

Want to make some paper snowflakes too? Papersnowflakes.com is supposed to be the place for patterns and everything you'd ever want to know about snow. I did some papercuts for applique blocks last year and filed them away. I'll have to dig those out and maybe cut a few more.

The boys gave me a new hard drive for the laptop. My old one was giving me dangerous messages when I turned the computer on telling me a failure was imminent! Now that's a scary thing to see considering all the information I keep on here. My son Paul installed the new one Christmas night and put the operating system on it. I'm still trying to install drivers and software. I thought I brought everything I'd need from Grand Rapids with me but discovered I had no EQ6. I use that all the time when I'm designing and putting together projects for the web site. I've got Rob looking for it at home and hopefully he can get it in the mail this week but the monthly installments will be late again. Argh!!! Midget Block 58 is a real challenge. It's one of those you have to think about for a while and tackle on a day when you have a hefty reserve of patience available. Lots of you asked for some of the difficult blocks from the quilt and this is one of them.

I have been thinking about what might be fun for 2008 and told you about the Sally Post quilt. Every time I look at it I'm intrigued by the variety of blocks. It's so sad to see how one fabric deteriorated while the rest remain strong and beautiful. I bought some red prints for the setting triangles and have most of the block patterns already drawn.

I came across this antique "blue" redwork quilt top in the treasure trunk at home. The sashing didn't match the blocks so I decided to take it apart.

I now have a pretty nice pile of blocks. A few of them have some spots so I'm going to soak them to see if they'll come out.

The blocks are nicely done and I think it would be fun to share the designs with you throughout the year.

I'd like to do another pieced project now that the State Fair Sampler is finishing up. Maybe a medallion this time. If there's something you'd like please let me know.

In the meantime I have an adorable antique Kewpies design for you to work on. It's from an old Royal Society kit to make an oblong pillow. Blue floss was the suggested color in the kit but I think with Valentine's Day just around the corner I'll do mine in red or maybe pink.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. I hope your day is filled with family, friends and the joy of the season.

Remember this? I bought this one years ago at an estate sale.

It's the same kind my Mother used and I've never considered buying one of the new automatic ones.

This is the family favorite - #21 in all it's shiny glory. As a kid I was fascinated with this disc. It was like a treasured coin. I can still hear my Mother saying "don't play with that, we don't want to lose it" and "make sure you've got the number pointing up". We always made Spritz trees sprinkled with green sugar from the old 1953 Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

When I was home last week I grabbed a couple of extra recipes, two cookie sheets, the nut chopper and some cookie tins. Figured everything else would be here. Ha, no mixer, no sifter, no baker's racks and only my new Breast Cancer edition of the cookbook. The recipe was in there so I mixed up a batch realizing toward the end that something was different about this recipe. I recognized the same ingredients but the dough didn't feel right.

I loaded the canister with dough and was ready to go. The minute I turned the handle on the press I knew what was wrong. Too much flour!

They didn't look too bad going in the oven so I was encouraged. After all, these are one that everyone likes and eats like popcorn so I set the timer for 8 minutes and closed the door.

I found an old wood dish drying rack in the cupboards and adapted it to use as a cooling rack. I think tomorrow I will trudge my way through the 14" of snow on the ground to get my own cooling racks and sifter from the cottage.

When the timer went off I had tree cookies alright, toasted tree cookies! I think the oven temperature is off by 25 degrees or more so the next sheet went in at 350 degrees for only 6 minutes.

These look much better and I divided the 'toastiest' between everyone. I'm also filling a tin for my nephews, Ben and Alan. I had promised Alan I'd bake the 'Green Trees" for him so that makes five tins if I keep some for myself.
I managed to mix up a batch of Chocolate Snowballs tonight. Sifted the flour and cocoa through a colander which was a real chore. I'm kicking the cookie monster out of the house in the morning before I go crazy.

I finished this Midget Block a while back and thought it turned out really cute. I'm working on another appliqué one right now. This week's block is the sweet appliqué tulips that many of you requested the pattern for. I came across it over the weekend while sorting patterns. It's now officially part of the set so I won't have to worry about losing it again.

I'm working 9 hour days Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully I can squeeze in a couple more batches of cookies, a special surprise and get them in the mail by Wednesday.

Here's something you can take to the bank - I will be home in Grand Rapids the first week of December 2008 to attend the cookie walk and start baking for my men in the comfort of my own kitchen!