It’s probably evident by now but my quilting is based around easily cut and pieced shapes, mainly squares parallelograms. I am not sure when I will be brave enough to try curves and circles, but I think they are ways off yet. But in the spirit of trying new things I have made this little piece.

The idea for stripped triangles came from a quilt I saw on the brand new Amy Butler software she did in collaboration with the Electric Quilt Company. I was going to purchase it but I’m a little miffed that I would have to launch Parallels to view it as it only runs on Windows. So for the mean time I am looking at the pictures and adapting them to my skills, limited as they may be!

I think I will piece rows of these triangles. One row where they all point up, one where they all point down, etc. Maybe three or four rows? I’m not sure what the finished size will be, but certainly in the baby size. This is also a WONDERFUL way for me to use up those scraps I have been accumulating…

If you find yourself in need of a sugar coma and with a bit of motivation I suggest these…

They are the delightful creation of chockylit, who sadly no longer updates, but has kindly kept the blog live for those of us who can’t get enough of Ginger-Cream Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting or Ricotta Raspberry Almond Cupcakes with Citrus Meringue Frosting.

I followed the recipe found here and have only a few modifications for next time. First I ended up with TONS of peanut butter filling leftover, which while creamy and delicious has limited uses in our daily diet. I also found that I had to add an extra cup of powdered sugar to make the ganache stiff enough, though it was humid that night. It is also key that you use chocolate with the right % of cocoa otherwise you will end up with a Hersey-like chocolate flavor rather then the rich velvet chocolate you achieve with the suggested cocoa levels. And you can find the chocolate at your local grocery, no need to make a special trip to multiple stores. And as I was not up to rolling my own fondont flowers I opted to add a peanut to the top of each cupcake which also hinted at what lay within.

After I filled the platter for work I found myself with extras, which happened to fit perfectly in a box. A box that made it’s way down to Sarah’s, because it’s always a good idea to keep your enablers happy!

The only thing that would make these better would be a carton of milk, like the kind you used to get at school. Maybe I’ll add them next time.

I have finished another quilt! WOo Hoo! This one is headed to a coworkers little girl who just had a birthday. It has been awhile since I quilted and there were a few things I forgot…

1. Trust your gut on fabric choices, if you spend too much time fretting you’ll never get started

2. If you haven’t freehand quilted in awhile you should definitely practice before you take your quilt anywhere near your machine.

3. If you choose to piece your binding as I did take the extra time to measure out where your seams will be so they don’t end up at a corner. This, as you can imagine, will save you lots of headaches in the end.

4. Make sure you have a full bobbin when you start to quilt, for a baby quilt I usually have to fill the bobbin 3 times, but nothing is worse then getting started and having to change it right off the bat.

5. Check the status of your batting stash before you start. I switched to an all natural batting a couple months ago and I LOVE it. It’s so soft and inviting, unlike the scratchy polyester version. The only drawback is the price, a hefty $12/yd at my local Hancocks. So I wait for it to go 50% off and stock up, but I’ve missed that sale the last few times and am running low. I’m hoping for a sale this weekend! Keeping my fingers crossed!

The front of the quilt is a mix of fabrics coordinated off of the backing which is from the Chocolate Lollipop line by Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit. I really like the stripe, which was a last minute substitution, I think it pulls it all together and keeps it from being too girly.

As usual I have a million projects started, including 3 quilt tops or “floppies.” I saw that term used on one of the quilting blogs I read and I can’t for the life of me remember who, but I thought it was an appropriate name for the tops to quilts that have been pieced and are waiting for batting, a back and to be quilted. None the less I think things might finally be starting to get in a rhythm around here, so hopefully the posting will become a bit more consistent!

Matt has a knack for finding things he thinks I would like on the internet, little programs that would make my life easier. And I usually blow them off and then 6 months later I say “Hey wouldn’t it be neat if there was someway I could ________”

One particular instance of this popped up today. Often when I am making things on the computer I think that it would be great if I could have something appear in my handwriting. Sure you can write and scan the image but it inevitable involves lots of grumpiness and a less then impressive outcome. I was talking about wanting to change the website a bit and was lamenting the lack of font choices when Matt reminded me of a site he had found that lets you make your own font.this site. It takes your handwriting and turns it into a font that you can use just as you would Helvetica. It’s awesome and even more exciting it is free, but not for long!

Below is the completed template they provide. You have to stay within the lines, like writing on a Big Chief tablet, so I drew lines very lightly with a pencil before I filled in the characters. Make sure you erase them before you scan though!

I have grand plans for this font, but right now this little sample will have to do.

So once again Matt saved the afternoon, he’s kinda great that way!

On a recent trip to Crate & Barrel I came away with a number of items, an entire bag for under $40 as a matter of fact. My favorite of which is the Die Cast Zester-Stripper. I’ve been looking for a zester for awhile, but couldn’t bring myself to justify the $20+ price tag. When I came across this one for a very reasonable price I though I’d give it a whirl. If you need zest there is an extra step as you will have to chop the zest ribbons that you get from pulling the zester across the rind. But it also creates those ribbons that are pretty and surely have a good use!

I found it particularlly useful when giving these cookies a trial run. The picture below is not mine, but rather one from Martha. When I made them last night the flavor was AMAZING, but the texture was a little off and they had some uneven browning. Thus no pictures from me because they weren’t pretty! But I certainly think they deserve another try. If you do give them a try I reccommend chilling the dough after it’s mixed and again after you form the balls. And as for the size I think they would be better smaller, maybe using 1/2 tablespoon of dough instead of a full.