Barn Quilt Block

I have my supplies all ready to go for the Modern Barn Quilt Block Paint Along over at Olive and Ollie.

I was so intrigued when i read her initial post on these...so much so that i wanted to make one for myself from her tutorial even before she decided to make it a paint a long.

I am excited to make what i love but in such a different way!! There is even a flickr group to join in and share your blocks! Go and check it out!

Leslie

Summer Fun

I have been trying to collect ideas and put things together so that we could have a fun summer that does not include the words, "I'm Bored!". No mom wants to hear those words.

Here is the first of the projects.

Is this not the coolest sprinkler ever?

My kids don't like the kind that shoot at you but this spray mist is awesome. Mitchell ran and ran through it....fully clothed as you can see. Chris is awesome. He put this together in no time flat. Seriously in about a half hour.

We found the awesome directions for this at Instructables. We are already planning on having a neighborhood bike wash. A few buckets of soapy water, sponges and of course ice pops for everyone, and we have an awesome summer afternoon of fun with our friends.

Leslie

Friday Finish

I did it...finished the vintage primaries!!!

This pattern was so easy to use and came together so fast! It is a pattern called Wickedly Easy Quilts. So true!

It was a stash buster for sure. Yet even though it came together fast it was not without a few kinks. Seems like even when you have been quilting for awhile(i am not claiming to be a seasoned veteran here at all) there is still so so much room for error...which creates more room to learn. The process is about growing right?!?

I am not one to repeat a pattern, i like variety(or maybe i get bored quickly), but this is the second time i have made this one(see my first here) and i can see me making it many more times. Perhaps in the near future. If you look at my first you will see that this one provides variety every time you make it.
I love that!

Leslie

Vintage Primaries

It is so nice to be sewing and having time to sew. I finally took out all of my quilting stuff, and spread out all over my kitchen table.

There seem to be a abundance of babies being born to many of my friends...close and far away. So i started making the fabric stacks to see what i could come up with.

My stash of vintage reproduction fabrics did not disappoint me. I was able to make almost two so far form what i have in my stash! A little stash busting is good for the fabric closet!

I seem to be being drawn to very primary bold colors at the moment. Here is a little sneaky peak of what i am working with right now. I hope that the new owners of these quilts will like them as much as i do.

Aren't scrap piles so pretty?

It is a small visual reminder to me of the work i am getting done. It feels good to be excited about a project again...looking forward to how it grows and changes with each step. Maybe tomorrow i will have a few more pictures to share of the second top.

Leslie

Wordless Wednesday

...better late than never!...

Leslie

Everyday Should Be a Pie Day

Wouldn't that be awesome....? Daily Pie!!

Start with a little homemade cream cheese pie crust.

Add in this perfect mix of strawberries and rhubarb!

Cover in delicious, buttery crumb topping.

Now bake!

I snuck a little taste of all that berry yumminess when it first came out of the oven and i think it was quite possible the best thing i had ever tasted!

But the best part was presenting it to my sweet husband as a offering for our 11th Anniversary, which we celebrated yesterday.

Can you tell that it was well liked? I had never made it before, but upon tasting it he promptly moved it to the top 5 list of amazing foods i make...in his opinion.

How about i share the recipe with you? So you can have a slice of the amazing summery pie!!

Thanks Dana for inspiring me, and helping me with a few quick directions!!!

Anniversary Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

pie crust:

2 sticks Butter, room temp
1 pkg. Cream Cheese, room temp
1 t. Vanilla
2 1/3 c Flour
1/3 c Confectioners Sugar

mix all together well in mixer. Separate into 2 balls. Flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using. Second disc can be frozen and defrosted at another time for another pie. (this crust can also be used for savory dishes, just omit the conf. sugar.)

Fruit:

3 c Strawberry, sliced
5-6 stalks Rhubarb, sliced
2/3 c. Sugar
3 T. Cornstarch

mix all in bowl to combine. Will become juicy and thicken as it sets.

Topping:

1 stick Butter
1 c. Flour
1/2 c. Brown Sugar

mix flour and sugar with cold butter to make a crumb texture.

Heat your oven to 400. Now that you have all the parts ready. slightly roll out the dough. Does not need to be perfect. this is the rustic plan. place in pie plate and press in the bottom and up sides as evenly as possible. Now pour in the fruit mixture and top with crumb topping. Place the pie on a baking sheet with sides and bake for 50-60 minutes. Until your crust is becoming golden as well as the crumb top. Your fruit filling should be bubbling up.

Eat this and enjoy it as much as we did!!!!! It is excellent warm but just as good cold.

adapted from this recipe.

Leslie

Life is Full

Life is full of the end of the school year activities!!!

the kids have finished up their first year of gymnastics. They both did so well. I was really impressed with all that they learned.

They are both so proud of the medals and certificates they earned.

Life is full of lots of baby loving!

Our wee baby Delilah is full of giggles and laughs lately. She often just chuckles under her breath at us when we walk in our out of a room. I can hardly believe that she is already almost 6 months old.

She had a lovely time out on the playground the other night with Daddy and the big kids.

I know i go on and on all the time about how cute she is but check out these knees!!! Aren't they awesome!?!

Life is full of quilt and craft plans!!! Always more than i have time for.

Seems like there are an around us awful lot of babies being born, and i really would love to give each one of them a little quilt to say welcome to the world. So it is time to start a new project.

Life is full of homeschool!!

School is almost finished for the year. We had our last group homeschool activity. I have to say that i am just as ready as the kids are to have a little summer vacation. Because of this there has been a lot more playing going on than school. We will finish, but in the meantime Avery has been doing a lot of monkeying around to blow off steam!

What has your life been full of lately?

Leslie

Fortunate Find

Today was our lucky day!!! found by the household hunter and gatherer....Mitchell.

Leslie

How Does a Week fly by so Fast???

After posting my last post i realized that that was my 666th post...make what you will of that! I think changing that number might make me feel better. I am not superstitious or anything, it was just 666 and that just seems bad....anyway....just saying

I have a few things to share here so it is a combined post of sorts. I finally finished Delilah's baby afghan. In truth it did make it to a finish much sooner than Mitchell's ever did...(when he was six years old). Her quilt began as a much different color...but i confess i made a total rookie mistake and did not purchase matching dye lots. i know!! what was i thinking? So i began it all over again with this gray, and boy am i glad that i did(check out the original start in this post). I do love it but it is not without its errors, sort of!!! Somehow it got a little out of control and grew and grew without me noticing. Changing from a sweet baby afghan to a decent size lap quilt, that likely weighs more than my actual baby!!!! Still love it though!

Then it was Mother's Day....my little's were so sweet. Buying me pretty flowers and making sweet cards. This owl was a gift from my hubby and is happily now residing in a tree branch above my tv cabinet.

It was my option to go out for dinner or have dinner made at home for me by him.... i chose dinner at home. Much cozier than a busy restaurant. He made me this wonderful curry chicken salad, that i could literally eat every single day. You can find the recipe here, i most certainly can not take credit for this fabulous dish.

Lastly, what could warm a quilt making momma's heart more than walking into a room to find all three of her babies happily snuggled up under a pile of her quilty creations!!!??? I tell you... there is nothing.

Who could resist this little face, happily whiling away the morning in her sisters lap with her two favorite fingers!

If you are reading this and have gotten all the way to the end, thanks for sticking with me even though this post was a little wordy and definitely picture heavy. Just thanks for being great blog/virtual friends.

Leslie

Bathing Beauty

"Check me out!!!"

"What ?! I am not supposed to be standing? Who says?"

"But sitting is not as much fun!!"

My little ball of chub!!! She had such fun standing in the tub. I was holding her sweet little chin out of the water and the next thing i knew she was rising out of the water, stiff as a board! And would not sit back down. Could not get her to bend for the life of me. So we just finished up with her standing. Guess she has ideas of her own already!

Leslie

Easter Revisited

My kids could not look less thrilled about sitting to have their pictures taken....

...but they matched and that was the thrill for me! Chris and i matched them too. Chris in a matching plaid with Mitch and i had a soft yellow sweater on.

In their defense, i think the sun was in their faces. :o)

Then we came in to get a few shots of my tiny marshmallow girl!!! She was all fluff and frills for Easter. Click on one of the other pics to get a close up of that bonnet.

Or maybe she looked like a Easter egg...either way we wanted to eat her up she was so cute!!!

Leslie

Happy May Day

Today is May Day...celebrated in a variety of ways in many places. Today we chose to celebrate by making posies of flowers (the most charming way, we thought!) for our neighbors....

Ringing....

and running!!!!

How i wish all of you, my blog friends, were real neighbors....i promise we would have sent a happy bouquet your way as well.

Leslie