Summertime Kitchen

Working on new recipes...

Here is the start of a tomatilla & tortilla casserole....

Christmas Surprise!

Everyone says Christmas is about giving. Most of us would agree, but it also feels good to get something as well ;) As this holiday is coming, we give and receive.
From our friend, Diane (@ddrquilter), we received beautiful, hand-crafted presents, plus the gift of an unexpected surprise in the mail.

 Isn't the cactus mug rug cute? It looks perfect. Hand quilted too!
It says, "Life can be prickly, friends make it sweet."

  

 Diane has neat craftsmanship skills! Pretty rainbow colors too:)

I got the fancy pillowcase! How did she know blue was my favorite color?

And there's also a prickly pear coffee mug for Mom. She says every morning, "Coffee tastes better with prickly pears on my mug."
(Mom and Diane are huge coffee fanatics. You should see all their coffee pins.)

Thank you for all the super sweet presents Diane, and the wonderful surprise too! We absolutely adore them!! Where did you get the time to make them?

 

Merry Christmas!

And thank you too, our first 100 RHQ Followers for your kind gift of taking time to read our posts.  We are sew glad you are here! Wishing each of you all the very best in the New Year.

Triangle Roll Trees

I used 36 degree Triangles on a Roll to piece a forest for my wintry quilt. 36 Triangles make ideal Christmas trees. Use the same Triangle Roll foundation paper to piece trunks for your trees. Here is what I mean: 

Use 36 degree Triangle on a Roll Ruler to cut green (tree) and blue (sky) 6" triangle. You need one more blue than green pieces. Follow Triangle on a Roll paper instructions or Tutorial to Sew & Fold tree tops.

Cut 2.5" strips of blue (sky) and enough 1.5" x 2.5" brown (trunks) to match the number of trees you have pieced.

Using the same Triangle on a Roll paper, working right to left, center one trunk at the point of a "sky" (upside down) triangle. I like glue stick to hold first piece in place.

1. Right sides together, stitch blue/sky strip to left side of  brown/trunk piece. Fold blue piece open.
2. Align next trunk piece over blue strip, right sides together, 1/4" from center of next down triangle point. Pin in place. Stitch on left side.
3. Cut blue strip 1/4" from stitching line. Fold trunk piece open (right side up).  Return to step one.

When all trunks have been pieced, match tree paper roll to trunk paper roll. Right sides together, tops of rolls facing.

Mark center of first tree and first trunk to align rolls.

Follow stitching line on roll, stitching 1" from edge of paper for perfectly matched forest.

How the Bear Travels

Remember that bear that tried to steal the food out of your picnic? Oh, wait, that's not the bear I was thinking of. It's the one that gets to travel to Russia! Yes, the bear that travels to Russia is the one I'm thinking of. If you don't remember, here is the story of how Mom made a bear.

 

Tracy is our friend from Community Choir. She is traveling to Kiev with her husband to pick up their new adopted kid. I bet children there will be so jealous of the bear their kid will get, and everyone will just want to hug that cute thing!

Mom likes making bears now. Here is a new blue bear she has made. This one too is waiting for just the right eye buttons to come along.

Very best wishes to Tracy, family, and bear. Safe travels!