mah wee mutton busters!

I got my free swatch from Spoonflower.com today. Eeeeee! They are so cute! The colors stayed true, except for the cheeks on the redhead- They skewed to the purple side of pink. But otherwise, I’m so pleased! I had my whole collection planned around this print for Project Selvage with pearl snap polka dots & straw hat texture prints & fancy boot applique patterns. But it didn’t come to pass. I have all my sketches by the computer, still. Maybe someday I’ll make time to create all the repeats… So much to do!

so many projects, not enough time…

I was looking through the photos on my iphone and found the above quilt. I designed it for my brother & it’s an abstraction of a fancy dancer’s bustle. I finished the applique quilt top FEBRUARY 2010- OMG. Has it really been that long? It’s currently folded up in a bookcase with about 30% of the quilting done. Yikes! So, out of extreme guilt from telling my brother that I’m making him a quilt and then making him wait two years, I’ve decided to put my nose to the grindstone and finish it already. He’s coming to visit me down here in Austin at the end of the month, so maybe I can have it ready for him by then. We’ll see…

In other news, I posted a pattern up on C&T’s Pattern Spot. You can check it out by clicking here or by clicking on the photo over on the sidebar. I really hope you like it!

Have a nice Thursday! rebecca

why, hello kitty

I just got a package of fabric from Lilymeru’s etsy store & it is just about the cutest thing I ever saw!! We’re talking Liberty of London fabric with Hello Kitty sprinkled in here & there & everywhere. And along with my order, she included scraps of other prints in the line & they are equally adorable. I actually wanted the paisley fabric first, but I decided on the London scenery at the last minute. Anyways, I just wanted to share in case there are any other Hello Kitty fans out there in the quiltiverse!

patterns are everywhere

I just opened up a package from Sephora (I treated myself to some beauty products!) & all I could do was stare at the packaging for this eyelash curler! Reminds me of McTavishing…

Gen X Summer Fair!

I love checking in on the Gen X Quilters blog, so I’m thrilled to take part in their Summer Fair. I don’t ever remember going to a small town fair, so I have to let my imagination create a world of home crafts, livestock competitions, and all the cotton candy you can eat. For me, the State Fair of Oklahoma was always a sweaty experience with me balancing a giant pile of freshly deep-fried curly fries amongst a throng of scary people. But I digress! Today, I’m going to switch things up and share a recipe. These are my grandma Zelma’s cookies that I have tweaked up a notch over the years. They are killer Bake Sale items, let me tell ya! Get yourself a big glass of milk for this one…

Zelma’s Chocolate Chip, Pecan, & Oat Cookies

Makes 18-20 *LARGE* cookies

3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Margarine
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups Old Fashioned Oats (not the quick cook kind!!)
1 ½ cups Chocolate Chips
1 cup Chopped Pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1. In a medium bowl, sift together the Flour, Baking Powder, Cornstarch, and Baking Soda. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the Margarine, Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Salt.
3. To this Sugar mixture, stir in the Eggs and Vanilla until mixed well.
4. Now pour the Oats and stir until they are well coated with the wet ingredients.
5. Gradually stir in small batches of the sifted Flour mix into the large bowl. Note: This is a THICK dough and you might need a strong armed helper towards the end!
6. Fold in the Chocolate Chips and Pecans until evenly combined.
7. Using an ice cream scoop, make large balls of cookie dough (about the size of a golf ball) and place them on a non-stick cookie sheet. Leave about an inch of room on all sides and don’t flatten them.
8. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the top has a deep, golden brown color.
9. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!!

mini=major pain

I don’t know why, but this is the summer of miniatures. I’ve made two so far! While it’s nice to finish something with a quickness, it’s also been torture on my hands. & my eyes! I’ve been cutting out intricate applique shapes until red marks show up on my fingers. My knee lift bar is mysteriously missing, so I’ve had to raise the foot with the lever & it gets kinda painful to lift that little bar of metal after thousands of little turns. There was one part where I had to turn the piece after every stitch! But my lil quilts are so gorgeous!! They make me happy to be a quilter & happy that I can take my thoughts & turn them into real things… Now, I’m going to take some Aleve, do so neck rolls, & get on with whatever’s next!