Stash Talk

New Year, Same Old Friends

2012-01-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

Why, yes, we do have a good time together!

Especially at the home of the world's greatest hostess, KIM.

Only a few projects to share this month...
and Elaine had 3 of them!
(Delilah Floretta, and baby quilts for twins)

Here is Carol and the beautiful bedspread for her granddaughter.

As hostess, Kim received blocks for our last block exchange.
She chose Halloween--can you tell?

As usual, we were treated to a banquet of delicious food at Kim's house.
Yummy hot soups and mouth watering salad!
And topped off with Red Velvet Cupcakes.
What a way to welcome 2012!

Thank you Kim for a great start to another year
of fabulous quilts and fantastic friends!

* * * * * * *
February is hosted by Carol and Julie
and (Lucky Us!) will be held at the cabin in Payson.
Reserve February 12-13 for more food and fun.

A COZY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-13T16:24:00.001-08:00

" A Cozy Christmas"
was our theme for December. We enjoyed breakfast and sharing a few homemade treats with each other before working on our projects.

These are the red/tan blocks I requested as my hostess blocks for this month. Aren't they great?
The one I'm holding is Debbie Jensen's, since she was out of town. We missed you Debbie!
Thank you for the cute house block.

Here are Kendall's hostess blocks from last month.
She asked for a block from Countdown to Christmas fabric by Sweetwater. And she thinks her quilt will be the cutest. It might be!

It was such a treat to have Marae be with us for
the WHOLE day. In fact, she was the last one to leave. She kept me company! Doesn't she make everything sparkle more?
She's the unpaid spokesperson for Sonic, too.

I did not get pictures of the food, or any work being done, but Becky says people only care about the quilt pictures anyway, so this one is for you, Becky!
Our one Show-and-Tell is Julie's, of course...and as always is so, so fun. And she matches her quilt!

Thank you for donating this year to Helen's Hope Chest in lieu of gifts. You are all so generous.
Congratulations to all the Quilters from Hale on another year of fabulous quilts and fantastic memories!
Have the Merriest Christmas and
the Happiest New Year!

See you all in January at this person's house!

SEW MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR!

2011-11-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

Lovely hostess, Kendall, with one of the few quilts displayed this month--
after a week at Aspen Grove and traveling and teaching a lesson!
Must be Wonder Woman!

"The Mars" sister, Georgia and the other Show-and-Tell.
( I think quilting is a family talent.)

Special guest, special sister and special gift for a special friend--
We love you and wish you the best in this new phase of your life, Marae!

Kim is busy cutting, and Kendall and Elaine are discussing how to stuff a turkey . . .
or resize a block, maybe?

Beautiful ladies, Michelle and Julie just happy to be there!
(Where was Carol? I thought I had a picture of her.)

Notice that Kim is still cutting and Elaine still discussing . . . still not sure what??
The Debbies in the background are quite busy.

Andie finally found her bobbin plate cover! Yeah!
Then checked in with Becky to see what she was working on.

Maybe Kendall will add her recipes from today since I had to leave early.
The food looked wonderful and was starting to smell really good--sorry I missed it!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
One of my greatest blessings is associating with you beautiful and talented women.

Thank you for being my friends.

(Remember our December quilt group, Monday, December 12, 9:30 AM, at Heidi's.)

Happy Halloween-ing!

2011-10-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

Elaine hosted in October and as usual had the most divine food and darling decorations. This lady sets a mean table! Check out her blog for more details . . .

The Smith Clan.

Happy Birthday to Us!

2011-09-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Quilters From Hale 7 Years In The Making
September marks our 7th birthday.
We have changed quite a bit over the years, adding new members and saying good-by to others.
The only constants--our Love for each other and QUILTING!

Opening her home this month is the lovely Debbie J, pictured below with her loyal subjects and their Americana blocks.

And the two quilts she shared with us ...

Elaine, finished up our block exchange quilt from two years ago.

Heidi's Christmas applique, and yes, I am THAT short.

Andie's cute little baby quilt and a fun bedspread.

Marae zipped out this darling little quilt.

Marene had to show off her mad sewing skills! Can you believe she started this in Payson in August? Yup, she's crazy . . . crazy talented!

Michele has fabulous creativity and a new business to showcase it. She started The Red Bucket List and can be found selling her kits and patterns on Etsy. Wow!

So, So, So Cute!

Kendall with her beautiful quilts and smile--and stories from the dating world, hmmmm.

Another crazy quilter, Carol, started this in Payson also!
Is it okay to have quilt envy?

And . . .

And . . . from this year's block exchange, Halloween fun!

Ridiculously talented skills must run in this family
because Julie and Carol stole the show! I cannot even begin to describe everything so just enjoy the displays. I guess the rest of us didn't get the memo to spend every minute of our lives sewing . . . and make the rest of us look lazy!

Yes, Julie, we bow to your awesomeness!

A major thank you to Debbie J for delicious food, as always, great camaraderie and a wonderful day to celebrate together!
See you all at Elaine's on Monday, October 17th!

Payson, Pines and Playing

2011-08-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Marene played hostess for August at her home in Payson. Only seven of us were there, but what a wonderful time we had! I missed pictures on Sunday and Monday so here are just a few shots of fun-ness from Tuesday.

Marae and Kim had to leave early on Tuesday and I did not get shots of their happy circle and pinwheel quilts, but at least you can see their cute faces!
It was a lovely surprise to have Kim back with us.
(Keep your fingers crossed that she will rejoin Quilters from Hale very soon!)

Here's the rundown of activity:

Here is our beautiful hostess with her unbelievable project.
Look closely and be impressed!

Carol has this darling Block of the Month that she started. So, so cute and lots of variety. She has much to think about . . .

This is Debbie B.'s newest project. Don't you absolutely love it??
Here is a service project--finishing a friend's quilt.What an angel!

After Debbie J. completed the blocks for Kiss Me (who wouldn't kiss her over this beauty??) she worked on this rag rug for her guest room.

Here are samples of two of my projects: one giant block of Swoon from Thimble Blossoms using Strawberry Fields and two BOM blocks for Civil War Chronicles.
I'm tired of HSTs!

Marene was an extraordinary chef and supplied us with fabulous food. From sirloin burgers to chicken kabobs and grilled vegetables to fresh fruit and banana bread and never-ending candy bowls.

And would breakfast be complete for quilt group without the ubiquitous can??

THANK YOU, MARENE for a fantastic quilting retreat!
See you all September 19th at Debbie J's for our birthday!

What's Been Going On??

2011-06-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

June Quilt Day at Andie's started summer off right!!
We missed Elaine (out of town) and were glad Becky and Debbie B.
could at least pop in for a quick visit.
It's hard to all be on the same schedule when summer is here and
families are calling our names--like Andie's ring tone, "Mom . . . Mom . . . Mom . . . MOM!"

(Here are just a few pictures, but no cute dialogue because this is not Debbie posting!)

Kendall's block for Michelle

Marae's block for Debbie B.

Our Spring blocks for Julie

Halloween blocks for our hostess, Andie

Becky's 2 year effort of hand applique is finally quilted!

This was made for my mother-in-law with her husband's flannel shirts.

Carol whipped this up last week (!!) for her college bound daughter.

Kendall's cute quilt made with some friends from Utah

Michelle showed off this darling little project she started "years ago", as she put it.

And Marene made this for a friend's daughter who is getting married.
Isn't she lucky?

Andie supplied us with plenty of treats, a fabulous lunch from Vito's
and sparklers to top it all off!
Thanks for a wonderful day, Andie!

Next meeting is August 8th, maybe in the mountains of Payson! Yeah!

Carol Killian's Cabin!!! The Best In January

2011-04-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

We all DIE to go to Carol Killian's Cabin to quilt, visit, eat and stay up until all hours! There is not a minute to waste sleeping! As usual, Carol and her sister Julie brought up TONS of food and we all ate way too much. It is the best! Nothing to do but sew, sew, sew. Here are a few of the quilts (Debbie Jensen stole the show) that are finished and some still in progress! So much talent.

This is a quilt some of us completed. Here is Debbie's. It is a copy of an old quilt made by an ancestor of Marene and Marae's. (I think her name is Deliah?) Made from reproduction prints from the 1930's. So very cute!

This is a Buggy Barn String Quilt, again, that some of us made. Yes, mine is still in progress....Michelle and Elaine have finished. Here is Debbie's finished quilt. So scrappy. I think we all traded and combined our scraps that were laying around and here is the result. They all are a little different. Deb's is Fab!

I believe this is Elaine's quilt (no smiling face to prove it!) and correct me if I am wrong. I think she made this with some of her other friends, teaching them to make pinwheels. So fresh and cute. She has a little group that wants to learn how to piece quilts and this was one of their projects. She is the "queen" of teaching!

Two Christmases ago we each made a block (12 of them) and exchanged them for Christmas. This is the result of our efforts. We all put the blocks together differently. This is Debbie Jensen's version. Everybody did such a good job and Debbie's finished project is to die for. We used "Simple Abundance" by Bonnie and Camille I would say Debbie Jensen is trying to finish up some projects???? Darn cute!

These are our Hostesses....Carol and Julie! K...they brought the most delicious food up to Carol's cabin. There is now way we went hungry. They have the yummiest recipes and we all ate way too much. Thanks Carol and Julie for such a great effort! We love you guys!

Enjoying the day! There is never enough time to sew. Why does the day go so fast when you are sewing and drags when you do housework and grocery shop? I'll give someone a million dollars if they can answer that question and I believe them.

The Gang

Nothing To Do But Sew!!!!

Thanks Carol for letting us come to your cabin and have such a wonderful time in a beautiful place. We have so much fun together....can't get enough! Until next time............

Merry Merry

2011-01-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Quilt Day at Debbie Jensen's Home. She was the lucky one to host quilt group this month, or should I say the BRAVE one! Christmas is such a busy time and she had it all together!!!! (Can I say that I am glad Christmas is over! That is why I have time to post this now) Sorry for the delay.

Our Show and Tell was fabulous. It is the favorite part of each quilt day. We also had a pincushion exchange. Everyone made "very cute" pincushions and we drew numbers and exchanged them for Christmas. It was so fun to see what everyone made.

Read on for all the "Quilty" details!

Julie is in the process of quilting this darling red and white quilt. I always wonder where she finds time to do all she does. She always has something to show!

FINALLY....Andi has finished her Christmas Tree Quilt. Worth the wait and just in time for Christmas!

Okay, really? Someone else has finished our pass-around quilt. (I'm just jealous) Becky is proud! This quilt is really big......and beautiful!

Elaine....well so cute and fun! I want it.

Carol....this might have been my favorite just "cute" quilt. I think this is Bliss right? What's not to love!

Miss Kendall finished a quilt group project (by some of us!) Don't worry mine is still in my drawer waiting for some attention. This was finished so "quilty-ish" LOVE IT! 30's of course!

Well this quilt was worth looking at. If I remember correctly...it was a quilt done in celebration of Joseph Smith...right? Each square has some important meaning..sorry I can't remember, but it is really so gorgeous! Kendall did this with her "friends" in Utah HMMMMMM (hehehe)

Our Hostess, Debbie, stole the show with all her sewing items....really? Who made their grandchildren anything for Christmas? Deb made these hooded bath towels for each of her kiddos (with their names on them) and they were absolutely darling. I will copy them next year and play like I came up with the idea myself! I think that is a good plan! ( I hear Michelle dove in and made some for her little grandies!)

Deb's rugs from Houston. She is going for it. They are really very cute!!! I vote for a class!

This is the group (LOSERS) anyone want to join? No projects complete for us!

NOW FOR OUR PINCUSHION PARADE
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN REMEMBER WHO MADE WHAT
I WILL TRY!

Marae gave this to Carol

Debbie Jensen gave this to Kendall

Heidi gave this to Michelle

K....I'm confused. I think Debbie Jensen made the turtle. Carol Killian made the chicken?????? I think.......anyone? Too cute

Marene gave this to Marae

Deb gave this to Deb

Kendall gave this to Becky

Michelle gave this to Andie

We had a guest...Doreen, Debbie's sister. She got lucky and received Elaine's gift.

Andie gave this to Julie

Becky gave this to Debbie (I Love It!)

It's evident that our Hostess went to a lot of work to entertain us for the day.
Thanks Deb! Lunch was wonderful...we had such a fun time together!

One last note.....As a quilt group we decided to put together a quilt that we could mail to someone serving in Iraq. Sort of a service project. We really don't know who we are sending it to yet, but here are the squares that each of us made to complete this quilt. Volunteer to put it together anyone?????? I think all the squares are perfectly great!

"Eat, Drink and Be Scary!"

2010-10-18T20:24:00.001-07:00

Scary hostess for this month, Heidi.
We had a Halloween of a good time!
(Don't you wish you had spiders growing on your head?)

This was a great month for "show and tell."

Take a peak if you dare!

You won't want to miss one of the "boo"tiful creations displayed.

Promise, nothing too scary . . . I hope.

Well, maybe just a little scary!

ELAINE's quilted masterpiece! Gor-ge-ous!!

Bliss, what an appropriate name for this fabric! Made by HEIDI.

Three, count them three, for ANDIE!!

These trees were three years in the making. Yes, we cheered!

BECKY's Thank You to a sweet friend, so beautiful!

Circles of Bliss and handquilting, too. Lovely, lovely, CAROL!

"Seriously, someone tell me to stop churning out so many quilts.
Please, I'm getting tired!"
JULIE and another one of her "just for fun" pieces.

Just needing to show off after being gone for 4 years,
KENDALL impressed us with all of these beauties.

Look at the fun and bright circles. Must be the day for circle quilts!
MARENE put a beautiful salmon minky on the back of this.

Guest quilter, Beth (my daughter) came to help her mom and was able to share with appropriately approving associates!

And finally the food--

Soup bar with pumpkin bread bowls, waldorf salad, artichoke dip with tortilla chips, caramel apples, pumpkin fudge and spiced pecans. Guests were each sent home with miniature pin cushions for their sewing machines and a Trick or Treat bag and happy memories of another day in quilting paradise!

Missed our pres, DEBBIE B., who was whooping it up with
her sisters and mom Vegas Style!

And last but not least, our mascot for the day, Miss Boo Herself,
my granddaughter, Elsie!

Hot Artichoke Dip:
8 oz cream cheese
1 C mayonnaise
1 1/2 C grated/shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained

Blend cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into oven safe dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. May sprinkle top with additional cheese. Serve with tortilla chips, bread or vegetables.

Happy Birthday #6

2010-09-23T08:39:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the Quilters from Hale birthday #6 this year at Elaine's beautifully decorated home. She always has her gorgeous appliqued quilts out and lovely handcrafted holiday items displayed. It puts you right in the mood to celebrate! We started off with Show-and-Tell . . .

Elaine, the hostess extraordinaire, showing off the darling quilt she made. I think we all agreed it was our favorite.

Prez Debbie B. proudly completed her version of
"Delilah Floretta". Lovely to look at, isn't it?

(I'm not sure what the discussion was but I loved this picture.)

Julie wows us every time with her work!
There is always something new and beautiful.

No quilt day is complete without Debbie J.
modeling her creation.

Marae impressed us once again with a masterpiece.
Both beautiful . . .the quilt and quilter!

Another display of Marene's generosity and quilt making
skills as a gift. So, so cute!

Staying on top of her game, Michelle finished this little quilt for another grandbaby, before it was even needed.

Heidi decided to do a little quilt for the grandkids'playroom
after seeing American Jane's new line, Punctuation.

Lots of handwork going on this time, lots of talking, lots of life discussions and lots of fun.

(I don't know what happened to the pictures of
Michelle and Andie working. Sorry.)

Elaine had a most delicious lunch with fresh fruit, leafy green salad and a heavenly corn chowder. And topped it all off with Lion House orange rolls, then cupcakes for the birthday girls and take-home candy treat bags. "Oh, no," she said. "It was no work at all." Seriously, who believed her? It was wonderful and so great to be together again. You may have spotted a familiar face in the pictures. Yup, she's baaaaaack! Welcome to Kendall . . . and a very sorrowful good-by to Kim. We miss you and wish you so much luck and happiness in your new quilting grounds!

Fun At Michelle's

2010-04-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

SURPRISE! It's been a while since this girl has posted. Sorry for the dead time. I felt a need to look and talk about quilts. So I will use this occasion as my outlet! I love all my quilt friends! Here's a look at all the fun things we did at Michelle's house in April.

Kim wins the prize for such a cute ending to our "project" This was our Christmas present to each other last December. We each made a block from the fabric line "Simple Abundance" and then we exchanged them with each other at our Christmas party. Such fun! This quilt represents all the blocks that were made. Of course I haven't even started to finish mine! We all especially loved the blue border! Way to go Kim....she's a finisher!

Welcome to Julie Lines! She is the new member of our quilt group. We love her! And...by the way, she is Carol Killian's sister. More true talent in our group. She put on a show for us with this quilt. Geez....it's complicated and beautiful. It makes my eyes blur! This one took alot of hard work!

Again, Julie has made the cutest quilt from Simple Abundance....I think? Both of her quilts are labor intensive. I think she will be a fun one in our group!

Wow! These tumbling blocks seem to be the think this month. This is on beautiful quilt. Marene has been working on this for awhile and was able to finish it this month. You guys need to slow down! I can't keep up! Marene always has something beautiful to show!

Yeah!!!!! I have a quilt to show. This is a rare occasion! But I must say I love, love his quilt. It was pretty labor intensive as the pieces are quite small! But you know me, I love tedious things. This was fun to make because I used alot of my scraps. I made this quilt because I loved the border. This is a pattern from Thimble Blossoms. What fun!

Well now....this is a larger version of my quilt. Just by chance Debbie Jensen and I chose the same quilt idea. This is absolutely darling (hmmmmm copy cat!) Just kidding! She used the cutest fabric. She finished hers first...I'm such a slow poke. Don't ya love it????

You won't ever see a baby quilt like this again! Debbie's daughter did her nursery around owls. This quilt was so fun to look at. The word is that her son-in-law helped pick the fabric! Can you see those little owls in her quilt...so cute.

This gives me a headache....only because a few of us started this "time consuming" quilt and here Elaine (and Kim) have finished theirs. We all used our scraps and nothing else (did everyone abide by the rules?). We even traded a few scraps here and there. It is a Buggy Barn pattern that takes some time and effort....but it is fun! Don't worry, I have 8 blocks finished...hmmmm. Elaine, you're a trooper. It turned out wonderful.

Here's Elaine again. This was one of my favorite quilts of the day...because I like scrappy! This is just all around fun! She is helping her "other" quilt group make this quilt. I actually got the pattern from her because I love it so. Thanks for sharing Elaine!

Our girl, Heidi, has been practicing and perfecting her applique skills. It is her mission to learn to applique nicely....and she has indeed. This is a perfect wall hanging she came up with in secret of course! We will all be taking lessons from her before long. I love applique, but never have time to practice and produce anything worthwhile....so hats off to Heidi. Love it!

Michelle, our hostess, has a thing for pin cushions. I think she has started collecting them. So it is only natural she should turn up with these cuties! She always is creating something new and fun. The rest of us want to copy! By the way, she made us all one for Christmas. Yes, she is always doing something extra!

Well, like I said, Michelle is at it again. She loves to make bags and flower embellishments. This is her new creation...a gift for someone in her family. Where does she get her time??? Good question, but I always love to see what she is up to. We count on Michelle for fun things and she never disappoints! So cute Michelle!

This is our yummy lunch menu. Someone teach me to make these rolls!!!!!! Michelle fixed a great salad and had fresh rolls and a fattening dessert. Just down my alley...Yikes!

This is our hard-working hostess dishing up the calories! It is always hard to resist food at quilt group. We all make it easy and eat! Thanks Michelle for your hard work. One thing I love about going to Michelle's home is that she has a great room upstairs that we all fit in nicely! A fun place to sew and visit.

We ate outside...the weather was beautiful. Summer is making an appearance. Is that good or bad? The company was perfect, the conversation enjoyable and the surroundings unbeatable! Our quilt friends are the best! Thanks Michelle for a fabulous effort for this month's quilt group. Take time to sew.....there is next month you know! We will be meeting at Kim's home right? See you then.

April Recipes

2010-04-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

I know a fabulous post is on it's way from Debbie but I thought I'd post the recipes from our April quilt day. Thanks to everyone for coming. We had all 12 of our fun group together.

Crescent Rolls

2 Tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cubes butter
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
7-8 cups flour

Dissolve in the mixer the yeast, water and teaspoon sugar. Let it sit for 5 min. In a saucepan heat the butter, milk and salt until warm (not hot). Add the eggs and sugar to the yeast and mix well. Add the warm milk and butter. Add the flour 1 cup at a time until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl but is a little sticky. I usually use all 8 cups flour. Mix another 5 minutes. Remove dough from mixer and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let raise until double about an hour or little more. Punch down and divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a large circle and then cut like a pizza into 16 triangles. Roll up starting from the large end to make a crescent roll. Place on a greased cookie sheet and raise another hour. You will have 2 cookie sheets with 24 rolls on each. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and with a pastry brush lightly butter the rolls.

Mandarin Confetti Pasta

16 ounces Bow-tie pasta
10 ounces baby spinach
6 ounces craisens
3 11 ounce cans Mandarin oranges, drained
1 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/4 cup sesame seeds
6 ounces honey roasted peanuts
2 cups cooked chicken

Dressing

1 cup oil
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2/3 cup white vinegar
6 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Rinse and drain well. Mix the dressing ingredients in a large Ziploc bag and add the cooked pasta. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Just before serving put everything in a large bowl and mix well. This makes a ton.

Lemon Jello Cake

1 lemon cake mix
1 small box lemon jello
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 box instant white chocolate jello pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 small tub cool whip

Make the cake according to the box directions. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes. Dissolve the lemon jello in the hot water. Add the lemon juice and rind. Poke holes in the warm cake with a large fork and pour the jello over the top of the cake. Put in the fridge for several hours.
Mix the white chocolate pudding with the milk until it starts to thicken. Fold in the cool whip and frost the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Skipping Christmas and January and on to February!!

2010-02-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Aaaah the month of LOVE . . . the love of quilting that is!!

Kudos to our hostess Andie (injured while preparing for our event) who persevered and delivered a day of fun for all, with clam chowder, chicken salad croissants, fresh vegetables, sugar cookies, and chocolate cake. Plus a take home bouquet of silk flowers for each of us. What would the menu have been if she was feeling well????

Our busy bee Michelle, as usual, had the most to share today.

One beautiful table topper for her mother-in-law--that Michelle quilted on her own machine. Always impressive! A cute Schnibbles wall hanging and another awesome purse for quilting supplies. Her talent and abilities are amazing, aren't they?

Elaine shared yet another new quilt pattern. She is always coming up with the best! And also teaching a neighborhood quilt group. She's a whiz!

Showing off the quilt made from our first quilt block exchange, created from the Sonnet line, is little miss Debbie J and I do mean showing off!!
It's beautiful, sigh . . . look at all her extra blocks!

This is our most recent block exchange at Christmas. We used Simple Abundance. I (Heidi) wanted to try a different layout and showcase these beautiful blocks.

And here is my completed top of "Autumn House" by Bunny Hill, done from a block of the month kit.
My goal was to learn how to hand applique and I did!

Marene made this quilt for someone else. The quilting on it is all free hand on the long arm machine and it is unbelievable!!

Here are some shots of the crazy strip piecing action going on all over the place. These ladies were all part of the mayhem!

Kim and Becky toiling away.

"Oh, %#*#!"

And here's what you end up with! And only 38 more to go!

We missed our prez Debbie B who was supporting her daughter through a traumatic incident. Hope all is well now and we will learn how to make those darling pieced bags next month. And good luck to Marae on a speedy and (bloodless) recovery from vein surgery. We love you! And Carol who gets no sympathy because she is on a 3 week cruise, but we still missed you!

Happy Valentine's Day dear friends! I love you all!

Quilty November

2009-12-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

Well.....it's December. Time has rushed by and we now have to look back on November. Marae treated us to such a fun quilt day. I, for one, did not want to go home. For some reason there is nothing quite as fulfilling as attending quilt day each month. There is always something fun and new to learn and look at! Here is our November Fun Day to remember!

Carol finished this apron quilt....some applique and some piecing. A lot of work went into this one. I especially loved the pinwheels surrounding all the aprons. Such a cute, cute quilt, Carol!

Kimmy, Kimmy, already for Christmas. The cutest little quilt all made up of Christmas packages. Is there someone special in mind who will receive this? Who wouldn't love this to open up on Christmas morning? Very fun and colorful!

Heidi has finished another quilt for one of her nieces getting married. Well, she is just too nice! She puts so much work into making quilts for others.....this one is no different. Pretty striking colors, perfect for the newly wed couple who will receive it. Oh, and we love the stars!

Marae has FINALLY finished this dang cute picnic quilt for her grandson (great?) who is soon to be married. A whole lot of work went into this.....really, do they appreciate all our great skills??? Well, I will say how very cute this has turned out....lecture them if they don't shower you with kisses!!!!

Alright Michelle! She is just a little smarty pants! She is always winning awesome stuff from Moda. She goes on their website and designs quilts in the contests they sponsor. She always comes up a winner one way or another. Look at her stash!!!!! Books and Fabric... all sent to her from Moda...Hmmmmmmmm we all need to figure that out. I, for one, am green with envy...but I will never tell!

Debra Sue is ready for Christmas early.....(just because she is lucky to travel to Israel for a dream vacation!) The very cutest reindeer quilt yet to be seen. She whipped it up in no time all ready for Santa Day! Really, it is darling!

This is a biggy! Becky has finally finished her Christmas Wall Hanging that she has been working on for some time! A number of ladies in our group tackled this project. Elaine....did you start all this??? Becky's turned out so cute and we know it was a ton of work!

A few words about Marene. She never stops working!!!!! Here she is making I think 60?? of these darling little wall hangings for the people she works with at the Humanitarian Center. Really? It makes me tired to think of it. But she is so very thoughtful and speedy! A sweet gift to her helpers. We all admire her for her dedication and hard work at the Center. Gotta love her!

We had a little visitor come to our group this month. Sweet little Bethy (as I call her). She has picked up the quilting thing from her Mom. Okay now...this is the cutest little baby quilt made for her little girl out of the "Snippets" line of fabric. Retro and cute. Beth, really, you are quite talented!!!

Now just a few little action shots from you "hard working" quilters!

Now.....for those of you who left early!!! Carol forgot to bring in these darling little projects she has been working on! She made these fun bags and a darling apron. I really think she should bring them next month so we can all get a really good look at all she's done. Nice work! Where do you find all your time????

Kimmy is the model, of course!

Marae treated us to a yummy luncheon. I was too busy eating to take pictures! Big surprise! However, I do have to mention her fruit dessert. It was to die for and just simple and tasty! Thanks Marae for a wonderful day of fun. It is always a lot of work for the Hostess, but the rest of us enjoy is so!

Now, don't forget our Christmas Quilt Day is coming up on Monday, December 14th, at Elaine's home. We all have to have our squares done to exchange for Christmas! I am so looking forward to this fun day. Get sewing on those squares if you have not finished! See you soon!

BOO! October Quilt Group

2009-10-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

In my mind, October is the funnest month of all! A perfect month for cooling off, planting flowers, wearing your jeans and yes, eating and quilting! This month Debbie Jensen hosted our quilt group. We are such a fun bunch of ladies!

Every month we ooooooohhh and ahhhhhhh over everyone's finished projects. This month was exceptional. We have some pretty talented little women.

Heidi was not with us this month. She was away on a vacation of leisure....but sent me these pictures for all of us to enjoy. She is practicing her hand applique and doing fantastic! Her project is coming along and beautiful!

Heidi also finished this quilt for her sister? Right? Not sure on that one, but it is so, so cute. We missed you Heidi, but you have been sewing up a storm. See you next month.

Well, see for yourself. Yikes! This is a beautiful, beautiful quilt! Marene finished and the quilting is magnificent. She always has something incredible to show us. One talented lady! Thanks for the show! She deserves a close-up picture.

Can you see the quilting? Perfect.

Carol surprised us and made this one from all her scraps. Maybe we all need to join in. Our drawers are over-flowing with fabric right? This is such a darling quilt. A fun pattern. Can we copy?

This is one of my personal favorites....because I love the 30's fabric. Michelle has been working on this for quite some time and we got to see the finished project. So so fun! Wait till you see the back.........

Michelle used up all her 30's prints and made the back of her quilt from little squares. So thrifty she is!!! Hmmmm we need to be a little more frugal, don't you think??? The cutest!

Andy is starting to think about Christmas....I am blocking that out! This is the beginning of a really cute Christmas Tree Quilt. Wait until you see the results....Cute Andy

All I can say is WOWZA! Kim made this fun, crazy, quilt for her favorite son-in-law. He wanted bright! I know Kim had a bit of a challenge getting it finished. Again, WOWZA! Good job Kimmy. (I am such a geek!)

Yea! Valerie was at quilt group this month. We haven't seen her for awhile. She brought us her quilt....A fun scrappy project. We miss you Valerie...keep coming we love to visit. Especially when you bring darling quilts!

K, I am sneaking this in. I was putting the border on at quilt group and didn't get a picture taken. This is a quilt that I made with my sisters in Utah at the first of October. We named it Grannie's Shuffle. I do love 30's prints. Lucky for me I was able to use most of my scraps to make this quilt. It was a fun little project. What would be do without 30's fabric???

Last, but not least our cute little Hostess, Debbie. We certainly had a Fall Feast! She fixed the most delicious Butternut Squash Soup. Of course if was pure cream, but we all suffered through it. Delish!!! Salad and Bran Muffins filled us up. Apple Crisp for dessert, right?

We all enjoyed the fabulous time to visit, sew, eat, laugh, ooooooh and ahhhhh with each other. Keep sewing and remember to work on your Christmas Block. Don't worry that some of you cheated and showed us your blocks. HEHEHEHE...we loved it!

We send Dave and Debbie our sympathy and thoughts as Dave's mother died last week. We hope the funeral went well and your family spent memorable time together. We love you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

2009-09-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 14 - - Today we celebrated at Heidi's house for our 5th birthday as

"QUILTERS FROM HALE".

The day was complete with birthday gifts for party girls, birthday food (mini pizzas and mini cupcakes) and party goody bags. Also in attendance were fabulous displays of talent and creativity.

See for yourself . . .

The ever smiling and zippy Kim whipped up
this gorgeous log cabin quilt.
All in one month. She's amazing!

******************************

Lovely Elaine has inspired us all to do something
FUN and BRIGHT!
(And she always has so much to inspire us with!)

*********************************

Ah, ha! Secret "show and tells" Debbie B. has been hiding.
And isn't this one worth the wait? We all love it!
Here's one from her last Sisters' Retreat. All done, already!

*************************************

Marae completed the top for this big beautiful camp quilt.

It's all warm and cozy and lovable, just like she is.

**************************

Cheery, delightful, and refreshing.
Yup, that's Debbie J. and her quilt. Perfect!

************************************

Just a few more blocks to go . . .
and then Heidi will know how to applique, we hope!

********************************

Equally busy and talented Michelle, Becky, Carol and Marene somehow missed out on the photo ops but were all participants in the celebrations.
And hope to see you next month Valerie and Andie!

***********************************

Pizzas and cupcakes--looks like party food!

And what's a birthday party without gifts???

Birthday Cupcake Frosting:
5 Tb. milk
1 C. milk
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. shortening
1 C. sugar
1 ts vanilla
Stir flour and milk until smooth in a small saucepan and cook until thick. Cover and refrigerate. Beat remaining ingredients in mixing bowl until smooth then add chilled mixture. Beat for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Michelle's House...Quilt Group August 2009

2009-08-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

This last Monday we met for Quilt Group at Michelle's home. A long awaited get-together at summer's end. School has been in for a couple of weeks, we are all home from vacation, and it is still BLAZING HOT outside. But it feels like the end right?????

Michelle is always the perfect Hostess and I, for one, looked forward to a day of sewing and visiting with my "best" quilt friends! Unfortunately, we missed Carol, Heidi, Val, and Andi. We need you guys to come!!!

There were some finished projects and some just beginning. Take a look at the talent.......!

Kim surprised us all with a new little "log cabin" quilt she began to work on in Payson this summer. We all really loved her colors..just cause they were warm and yummy! We are expecting to see this finished in September Kimmy!

Well, Michelle never disappoints...except we all go home thinking..."Does she have some extra time that we don't know about?" She always has something new to share with the "cute" factor. She made this Snowman wall hanging for a class she is teaching in her Ward. The cutest! It makes you panic to think Christmas is just around the corner!

Oh, but wait, another project from Michelle. A baby quilt that whipped up really fast! Yes, Michelle is the Master! We loved, loved this cute, comfy quilt for any new baby! I think she will be teaching that one too. Nothing is too difficult for this girl!

Marene is still working on the stunning quilt that has a million pieces and is tedious, but I can't wait to see the finished project. This is one of those quilts that are striking when finished. She sews so fast it is hard to keep up with her. One talented lady!
I always wait to see what Elaine brings. One of these days I will be able to do applique like she does. If I am not mistaking, that is her favorite thing to do. Hope so, cause she does these incredible quilts that take FOREVER! I could stand and stare at this forever. Beautiful!
These are some of the "applique" projects Elaine has been working on. Are they fabulous or what?

Well, what can I say.......Whew! finally finished! This quilt took me FOREVER to make and FOREVER to finish. I made it for my new little Granddaughter, who is now 5 months old! A little late, but no complaints please!
Becky is practicing her applique skills. I guess I didn't find out if she is working on a whole quilt of if she is just practicing on something smaller. But, whatever the reason, she is making incredible strides....keep up the work Becky!
Well, a few of us have been complaining about the WORK!!!!! it is to Host quilt group. So a few of us pressured Michelle to keep it simple. (I won't name names!) Of course, Michelle came through with simplicity, but a FAB lunch. Highlighting the fact that school has begun.....she did box lunches all wrapped up with a bow. Absolutely a delicious chicken salad sandwich! (see her recipe after this post!) She put this on fresh croissants.....Sun Chips.....a drink.....and a cookie! Marvelous and tasty!
Thanks Michelle for a wonderful, relaxing, social, satisfying, simple, fun, stress-free time with my funnest friends ever!!! How's that for kudos????
See you next month......September 14th at Heidi's Home. Make sure and put it on your calendars. It is so much fun when everybody is there. Work on those projects for show and tell and come prepared with an opinion for our Christmas Exchange! See you Soon. Sew every free moment!

Chicken Salad

2009-08-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

I'm sure Debbie will be posting soon about our fun day but here is the recipe for the Chicken Salad Sandwich we had for lunch.

Chicken Salad

4 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed

3/4 cup chopped celery

3 chopped green onions

1/2 cup cashews

1/8 teaspoon curry

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup whipping cream

Mix everything together and serve on a flaky, buttery croissant.

Check out my simplify post at michellehollis.blogspot.com

Recipe Update...Yum!

2009-06-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

I am trying to update all of our yummy recipes that we use for our quilt group luncheons. I had quilt group in April. I tried two new salads that I got from browsing the internet and took a chance that they would be good. I think they were a success. I have made them since and have loved them! Here are my recipes from quilt group in April

Blue Cheese-Pear Salad

1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
a small bag of mixed leaf lettuce...your choice
(I just tried to get a good blend together)
3 pears--peeled, cored and chopped
5 ounces of crumbled Bleu Cheese
(I used Salemville Amish Blue Cheese Crumbles at Fry's)
1 avocado--peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup olive oil
3 TB red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teasp white sugar
1 1/2 teasp prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teasp salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.

For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar 1 1/2 teasp sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.

In a large serving bowl layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans and serve.

Rice Asparagus and Cucumber Salad

1 3/4 cups water
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 pound thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups English cucumber--peeled, seeded and chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB white sugar
1 TB white wine vinegar
1/2 teasp dry mustard
1 1/2 TB vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed
4 heads butter lettuce (that might be too much..I don't think I used that much)

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups water to boil. Add rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with fork; transfer to bowl. Cool to room temperature.

Cook asparagus in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Cut the asparagus in 1-inch pieces. Add asparagus, cucumber and green onions to rice. I also tore up a little of the butter lettuce and added to salad.

Whisk together the mustard, sugar, vinegar, dry mustard, oil and chopped dill. Cover salad and dressing separately. Refrigerate until chilled.

Pour dressing into salad and season with salt and pepper. Line large bowl with lettuce and mound salad in bowl.

I am out of time! More recipes later. These are good summer salads. Enjoy!

Kim's House

2009-06-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

Catch Up! Our Quilt Group posts are behind. Here goes....In May Kim hosted a wonderful day. If any of you are like me, I look forward to our one day a month. Kim is always the perfect Hostess. She fixed a wonderful lunch and pampered all of us. We loved sewing, visiting, eating and enjoying all of the awesome finished projects. We have some pretty talented ladies!! The pictures tell all..........

I know we have seen this quilt before....but finished it is soooo adorable! Especially in this line of fabric. Carol did a fabulous job!

Michelle out did was all in the month of May. We all wonder where she finds time to do so much. I am not going to think about that.....cause I am jealous. But...here are her finished projects which we all adore!

Close-up for your pleasure!

K...I love this pattern. It is called Schnibbles...I think! So cute done in these old-fashioned fabrics. Michelle...so cute!

Michelle has this little talent of designing quilts on Moda's website (I forget the name!) Anyway...she won a contest and Moda showered her with patterns and fabric.....we should all be so lucky. Congrats for a creative mind recognized!

Becky's quilt is finished. She did an awesome job on our quilt group project and put the square together in a creative way. It turned out gorgeous! Good job Becky

Deb used the same line as Carol did on this quilt. She added some of her own fabric.....it makes it a little different! So fine! I need to get going on this project myself!

Marene...what can we say. She finished this gorgeous, time-consuming quilt. The handwork is incredible and only she does these fabulous projects! So beautiful. This is a keepsake!

Thanks Kim for a fun day. You worked so hard. The Hostess never gets to sit and sew....she is always on call!

Quilt Group....April 2009

2009-04-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting our April Quilt Group....held at my house this month! Just a note to start out with....I had a fabulous time preparing for this little get together. I took advantage of the internet to help my brain gather some new ideas for some NEW tasty salads to serve. Hope they were yummy.....I had a fun time fixin!

Everyone came this month. That is worth mentioning since I have missed the last two months myself! The challenge is cramming everyone into your house with their own personal space! That in and of itself is a challenge. Enough of the small talk......here are the quilts we had to share!

Kim finished her quilt! This was a project we did as a quilt group...to be done in March! We used the pattern by American Jane called Merry-Go-Round. Have I started mine??? Nope! Kim used the fabric line "Charisma." Darling quilt, don't you think?

This is a baby quilt that I made for my daughter's new little boy. The pattern is called "A" You're Adorable by Thimble Blossoms. It was so fun to make. I used "Recess" and "Wee Play" fabric lines. Yes, I think it is adorable!

Heidi made this "oh so cute" table topper from Charm Packs of "Baskets of Flowers" by Mary Engelbreit. Some nice person gave her the charm packs for her birthday...hehehehe. Anyways, it turned out so cute, especially with that little ruffle. I will be taking lessons from her very shortly!

This project needs some talk. Mareen is making "The Gatherings Quilt". Okay....I will not be making this! It is gorgeous and time consuming. Debbie Jensen, Michelle and Becky have already tackled this quilt. We love the black and tan fabric combination that Mareen chose. It is stunning in person (photography never gives justice) We can't wait to see the finished project. I know for a fact Mareen is really workin' on this one! Beautiful!

"Admiration"

Well Elaine, she has done it again. I, personally, would like to know where Elaine is hiding all these incredible quilt projects she brings every month finished. April was no different.....she just had this laying around ready to finish! So wonderful! She blew us away with this intricate quilt she has been working on forever. She is a master.

"A Close-Up"

Elaine is now working on a hand applique project from "Bareroots." It is always fun to have something to work on while you are traveling. This is a darling project! I think Elaine should have a copy for all of us next quilt group......Okay?

Marae finished this quilt while sewing at quilt group. Again...photography does no justice. This quilt is absolutely adorable. We love the bright cute pattern. The fabric is especially fun. I have not seen it in the quilt store....but what do I know???? She bought it as a quilt kit and away she went!!! Love it!

Heidi has to conform to requests!! Her neice is getting married and wants a yellow and grey quilt! That is a bit difficult people! But....this is an amazingly cute piece of work! I think it will turn out stunning. Stars make a difference! Who would have thought? Great job Heidi!

This is one of my favorite quilts ever! A few of us have made this one. Carol is just finishing hers and I love, love, love it! Part of it is just the stars....I love stars, but it is also a very fun quilt to sew. Especially because you can use all your scraps! This is a quilt designed by one of Marae's friends....is it Cotton Way? A beautiful quilt, Carol.

A Little Sewing....A Little Eating!

We had a fun lunch that included a couple of new recipes for salads, some oven sandwiches, and fresh strawberries with fruit dip. The weather was beautiful for an outside lunch on the patio and the company was divine!

We all had a great time....Thanks for coming ladies....until next month at Kim's House!!! Sew On!

A side note....I will post the recipes I used in a couple of days! I have to study for my Relief Society Lesson for Sunday!!!!

Blossoming Quilts!

2009-03-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Lucky Quilters from Hale met at Carol's lovely home for a day of fun and feasting and showing off our group project. We had voted in September on the American Jane pattern
Merry-Go-Round. We picked our own fabrics and came up with a variety of quilts.

Marene made this darling bright and happy version.

Marae used some of our favorite Prairie Paisley prints.

Michelle used 35 different fabrics from 35th Ave.

Heidi used the smallest triangle to make this baby quilt for her new granddaughter.

Elaine created another gorgeous quilt with Moda fabrics.

Carol used the Cotton Blossoms line--one of our favorites!

Andie is working on one of Michelle's cute table top projects.

Becky finished the star block group project from last year in

her own style--LARGE! Beautiful, too!

Kim is "joyfully" finishing up the group project in Charisma and loving every minute of it--do you believe me?

And last but certainly not least . . .

Debbie Jensen shows off all her hard work!

A heart-felt thank you to Carol for her hospitality and delicious food. It looked so good, I was sorry to have to leave early. We are SO pampered on quilt day.
We missed Val Randall and Debbie Boyer. We need our president to guide us!

Happy Spring Break--May you enjoy the blossoming of orange trees and quilts!!

The Month Of LOVE

2009-02-10T05:47:00.000-08:00

Debbie is working on this TAG SALE quilt in the yummy brown, cream and teal colors.

Elaine finished this cute star quilt for her new grandson.

Debbie the machine also had Buffalo Flowers to display.

Andie hosted a fun filled day with yummy food, snacks and a great little handout for our sewing bags. We had Vito's pizza and salad and then a wonderful Lemon and Cherry dessert. Here are Kim, Carol and Andie enjoying some of that dessert.

This is a quilt that Marene is working on. We are all making this quilt but each out of us is using a different fabric line. Watch for upcoming pictures of all the finished projects. The rest of us are all in the middle of projects but promise some great show & tell next month.

We missed Debbie Boyer, Heidi and Val. See you all next Month!

Lemon Custard Cake

1 prepared angel food cake

1 package instant lemon pudding

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1 cup sour cream

1 can cherry or strawberry pie filling

Tear the cake into bite-sized pieces. Place in a 9x13 pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the pudding mix, milk and sour cream. Beat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Spread over cake. Spoon pie filling on top. Chill until serving time. 12-16 servings.

Start the year out Quilting!

2009-01-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

We had our January Quilt Day this week!....Yep, my favorite day of the month! I finally had a quilt finished to show. That doesn't happen very often. I am a slow one finishing my quilts once I start. Let's just say I enjoy the process.

This quilt was made completely of scraps. I love 1930's reproduction fabrics and have a whole drawer full of scraps that need to be used. I am on overload! I saw this quilt in one of my books and thought it was the perfect one to use up those scraps. It was FUN!

This month Becky had quilt group at her home. A few of us had finished quilts over the Christmas Holiday and...... some of us did nothing. Here are a few fun quilts, and some in the making. Thanks Becky for a really fun time! We missed Elaine, Valerie and Marene. Hope to see you next time!

Debbie Jensen has finished her star quilt! Three of us made this quilt....Yeah...it is a really fun one and good for scraps!

Heidi told us a great story about this quilt being lost in the mail
for a month! She missed enjoying it for Christmas....but it
finally arrived....Whew!

Kim made this quilt for her son for Christmas. Really....these guys love our quilts!

Another cute Michelle quilt in the making!

This quilt is partially hand appliqued. It was on the cover of a magazine and on display one year at the International Quilt Show in Houston. It is a time consuming quilt. Marae and I are trying to finish ours. It has been an on-going project for oh....about 3 years!

Our Christmas Party in Pictures!

2008-12-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

"Madly Cooking Brunch"

This year for Christmas Marene was our Hostess. Enough said! She is a fabulous cook, always over the top with her yummy recipes and table decor. We were all looking forward to her "Brunch." It was as expected....in other words.....FABULOUS! Our Christmas Party is alway so much fun. A few months ago we drew names and committed to do something handmade for each other. It is always so fun to see what gifts are exchanged. This year was not different. Sit back for a preview of our fun "Christmas Quilt Group Party and Gift Exchange!"

The Christmas Party is about to begin!

Becky gave this to Michelle

Marae gave these cute fabric napkins to Becky

Kim gave Marae this fabulous Pottery Barn bowl filled with homemade popcorn

"Fancy Kim" Marene made this for her...Hmmmmm

Debbie gave this shadow box with star blocks to Marene

Valerie painted this darling Christmas picture for Debbie

Elaine made this cutest wall hanging for Valerie

Carol made this cute apron for Andie

Carol went overboard and made this embroidered picture for Andie

Andie gave this "Merry and Bright" to Carol!

Debbie made this oh-so fashionable apron for Debbie

The "Apron" crew

Are these the cutest Christmas Quilts! I'm jealous!!!!

Elaine always bring the best projects to show...check these out!

We just had a great time together visiting and sharing the Holiday Spirit

Thanks to Marene for sharing her home and going to so much work and effort to entertain us! We missed Heidi and hope she is feeling better. A Holiday Wish goes out to all of you to have a very Merry Christmas with your loved ones! Until January.............Sew On!

Postcard Cuties

2008-11-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

I was so sorry to have missed this fabulous day at Elaine's but my motherly/nurse duties were needed at home. I missed everyone and look forward to next month. I do have a show-n-tell that I finished this week. It is called Postcard Cuties and the pattern is by bunny Hill. It was so much fun to make. See you all next month.

Michelle

November Quilt Day

2008-11-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

This month it was Elaine's turn to have our quilt group at her house. As usual, it was FABULOUS! We had a fun time....even though we were missing some of our friends that were not able to come. Heidi, Michelle, and Andie...we missed you! Lucky for us Kim came at the last minute. We can't laugh without her there!

Now....a little about Elaine. She moved here from Utah and I am sure it took her a while to get use to the Arizona weather.....I kinda think she still misses Utah a lot! We're glad she is here, though, because she has added a new dimension to our quilt group. She is an experienced quilter and always does the most darling things.....really, we all want to copy her! She always has such good advice to give and is always sooooo helpful..... and Becky.....I know you love her!

Here's a little peek into our day!

Like I said.....Elaine is a fabulous quilter. Her quilts are definitely treasures. This one was soooo cute! I wish I had taken a close-up picture of her border and binding. The border is scalloped and she inserted ric-rack in the binding.

These aprons she made for her daughters were absolutely the cutest! Her fabric combinations were so fun. I just thought they were pretty dang fashionable for the kitchen girls! Hmmmm gotta try them for myself!

The back of this apron.....the cutest!

My goal lately is to use up some of my scraps. My sewing room is just way too cluttered with fabric....and of course....I need to buy some more! Soooo I am trying to come up with some quilts that use up some of these scraps! Actually, I love this quilt....made up of 30's reproduction fabrics. Almost done!

Marene always has something to show for herself. This quilt was so complicated! It is all appliqued. She is one of our quilters that quilts our quilts when we are finished piecing them. She is so talented! This Christmas quilt is a masterpiece!
Carol is working on a Star Quilt. Several of us made this quilt. It is so fun to make and turns out so cute. By the end....you need a rest from making stars!

Marae made these fall kitchen towels for her Visiting Teachers. Michelle (her daughter) had made some last month and she just had to try them. Actually....it is such a cute gift idea and so quick to make for a Holiday.

Just a word about this quilt....Kim is making it as a favor for her sister-in-law. The fabrics in this quilt came from blouses that were worn by her sister-in-law's Grandmother. The squares have been hand-pieced. Kim is sewing them together and then the quilt will be given as a gift to the daughter. (Does that make sense?) Anyway....it is cute and old-fashioned!

Marae gave us a lesson on our upcoming quilt group project. We are all making an American Jane Pattern from Jelly Rolls. She has begun to sew hers together and she gave us some hints on pressing the seams in certain directions to make your block turn out well......thanks Marae!

Whoever hosts our quilt group also fixes us lunch. Luckily, this is only once a year. Pressure, pressure....what's for lunch? Elaine made a delicious chili. I am posting the recipe. She obtained this recipe from a restaurant in Galesberg, Illinois called "The Jumping Bean." (Elaine...feel free to correct me!) It is called "Mom's Famous Santa Fe Chili" Yummmmm! It was truly delicious. We had cornbread with honey butter and a salad. Dessert, well....a picture is worth a thousand words!

What an absolutely fun day we had at Elaine's home. I have made such incredible friends and appreciate their company so much. We always have something to learn from each other. We appreciate each other's talents and hopefully share ours. I love to sit and visit, laugh, eat and marvel over the creativity and knowledge that my friends have. I love it! They are truly a light in my life!!!

Enjoy this recipe! Thanks Elaine!

Mom's Famous Santa Fe Chili

3 lbs Hamburger

1/2 pound bacon (chopped)
1 teasp. garlic (fresh, chopped)
1/4 to 1/2 cup chili powder (yes, cup)
3/4 T. Cumin
3 fresh Jalapenos (cored and seeded)

1 cup Kidney Beans
1/2 cup Black Beans
1/2 cup Pinto Beans
*Soak these overnight, then cook until tender

1 1/4 quart Beef Broth
1 yellow onion
3 green peppers

Cook and drain bacon. Cook onion, green pepper, garlic and beef until done. Drain all grease. Add bacon and other ingredients. Simmer 1 hour.

Serve with cheese, cour cream and chopped jalapenos

Whaaa!!

2008-09-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Ok - I missed most of the fun at our last sacred quilt day!! I was helping my daughter with her kids. (Do I get a free fat quarter for that?) I was so happy to help her, but missed my favorite quilting buddies! Everyone said that the olive bread was incredibly fabulous as was the salad, etc. Heidi is a great hostess. We love her. My baby daughter, Mallory, is getting married September 27. Then I'll REALLY need my quilting friends. Do you think Dave will buy that???

2008-09-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

September 15th was our Anniversary Quilt Day! Our quilt group has been together for four years...we have such a great time together. We met today at Heidi's home for a fabulous time, lunch and a few hours of sewing. So it is time for a little quilt/stash talk!

The long summer days produced many quilt projects. This post is full of some incredible quilts made by some talented quilters. If you would like to see, read on........ Anyway, we have so much fun oooooooing and ahhhhhhhhing over each other's projects! So here comes the quilt show!

Carol finished this cutest Christmas Quilt.
The quilting on it is incredible!

Kim made this in about 2 days.
It is for the former YW President in
her ward. Kim is the new Young Women's
President.....woop! woop!

These two are always up to something! These are their
Christmas Gifts for friends. They are sooooo cute!

Michelle's fabulous quilt!

Andie just got this quilted...it is a really cute pattern

Elaine finished one of the Houston projects!

Debbie J. did this for her daughter that is
getting married in two weeks. She always
makes them a Log Cabin Quilt...Cute!

Heidi made this quilt to practice her Applique.

This is the back and label of a quilt Debbie B. finished this summer.

As a quilt group we usually come up with a fun project to do together. This year we decided we would pick a quilt pattern and then we would individually choose our own fabric to complete the quilt. In March we will bring our completed quilt to our monthly meeting and show it. It will be fun to see what different fabric was chosen for the same quilt. This is the quilt we have chosen. It is on the cover of McCall's Quilt Magazine. It is an "American Jane" pattern. Check out their website!

Finally, Heidi gave all of us this gift. Her daughter, Beth, creates designs for wall boards. She designed this one for us. We all thought it fit perfectly! There is nothing better than sitting down at your sewing machine and knowing you have two or three hours ahead of blissful sewing! Undisturbed, of course!!!!

And now for the food . . .

Olive Cheese Bread

1 regular can whole black (ripe) olives
1 6-oz jar pimiento-stuffed green olives
2 green onions
¾ pound Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup real mayonnaise
1 stick butter, softened
1 loaf French bread

Roughly chop black and green olives. Slice green onions and give them a rough chop. Combine green onions and olives with the softened butter, ½ cup mayonnaise, and grated Monterey jack cheese. Mix thoroughly. Slice French bread in half lengthwise, then spread mixture evenly over the halves.

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, or until thoroughly melted and starting to turn light brown and bubbly. Cut into diagonal slices and serve with salad, with soup, with spaghetti, or as a yummy appetizer. (Recipe from Pioneer Woman)

(THANKS TO DEBBIE FOR LETTING ME COPY THIS FROM HER BLOG.)

Welcome fellow quilters!

2008-09-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Now, let's start some stash talking!