Friday, January 27, 2012

Quick & Easy Red Velvet Angel Food Cake


Happy Birthday!!!
 So Wednesday morning at 4.... yes 4:00 I had this great idea!  You see it's my oldest son's birthday and I wanted to make him a Red Velvet Angel Food Cake for his birthday dinner but....  was wishing for a quick and easy mix instead of using my whip up 16 egg whites recipe.... So this is what I did.... my 4 in the morning fabulous idea!

Easy Red Velvet Angel Food Cake
from Cindy

1 box Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake Mix (The simply add water mix)
1/3 cup cocoa
1 oz red food coloring

Mix the Angel Food Cake Mix with the cocoa, put food coloring in 2 cup measuring cup then add water to measure 1 1/4 cups, add to cake mix and mix on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Pour into ungreased angel food tube pan.  Bake at 350 for 37-47 minutes, until top is dark golden brown and cracks feel very dry and not sticky.  Turn pan upside down onto glass bottle until cake is completely cool.  Run knife around edges; remove from pan.  Voila!  Red Velvet Angel Food Cake!  Yummy!  Add some birthday candles and serve with cool whip...

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Smuggling Letters....

It was a very productive FNSI although I don't have much to show for it.  I started sewing around 6:00 after feeding my guys some KFC.  I got another block done on my Civil War Diary Quilt and started working on a quilt idea.  Wish I could have gotten more sewing done, but I got bogged down with the math and measuring for blocks.  I've got 6 bear paw quilt squares done.  Then started to work on the 'fish' blocks.  I am stumped on making a 'long skinny' fish that doesn't look like a darn torpedo.  Maybe I'm being to hard on myself.  I quit trying at 11:30 last night... still haven't solved the fish block, but there's always tomorrow.  I'm sure if I start fresh in the morning it will come to me.... so here's what I got done for FNSI...

Here are the fabric choices that I used for 'Smuggling Letters' from Rosemary Youngs book, The Civil War Diary Quilt Book.

This block is broken down into 6 sections, I write the colors on my foundation paper to make it easier to piece.

Here you can see how I combined two of the sections since both of them used the same red fabric.

Three rows done, two more to go!

'Smuggling Letters'

Here's a finished Bear Paw quilt square for my still 'nameless' quilt.... I am using Marcus Brothers Primo Plaid Flannel.  It is so yummy soft to work with.  I love it, this will be such a warm cozy quilt when it is all done...

Notes... notes.... and more notes.... I better start writing the pattern before I forget what all of my scribbles mean!

My stack of Bear Paw pieces all ready for sewing....

Remember to post your progress on the Civil War Diary Quilt Group on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1547598@N25/

Next weekend I will be working on  'Parlor Activities'.   Hope that you are able to join me next week as I continue on my Civil War Diary Quilt. Have a wonderful weekend, hope that you are able to find some time to quilt! I'm hoping to solve my fishie block and I'm a bit behind on my house building.  Hope that you have a wonderful week stitching!

Happy quilting and perfect stitches to you!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

FNSI and an Idea....

Tomorrow is FNSI and I'm looking forward to doing some sewing and designing.  I have a basic idea in my head what I would like to do with some plaid from Marcus Brothers. I recieved a box of the new Primo Plaids today.  I love the FedEx man.  I have high hopes that the evening goes well.... need to get my CWDQ block done first.... should do some more houses, I'm behind in building!  Yikes!  So tonight I am doing some drafting, playing with colors before I play with the actual fabric.  My design is based on 5"  and 10" blocks.  I think it will turn out to be a nice sized lap style quilt.  Looking forward to working out the pattern.... haven't thought of a name for it yet.  Right now it's a nameless quilt since I can't come up with anything more imaginative then 'Bear Paw Quilt' or 'North Woods Cabin Quilt'... naming a quilt is the hardest part.  I'm hoping that something comes to me as I quilt along.

Happy quilting,

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Building Houses from Scraps...

The building is ongoing.  Proud to say I've done some more this week, so I'm on task for one a day even though I'm doing them in spurts here and there... might have enough for a mug rug at this point!  I've been experimenting with different house styles, even a lighthouse!  Since I really like the lighthouse, I will probably make some more.  Are you doing the house challenge?  How are your homes coming along?

Happy stitching!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Yankee Papers & Glorious News

Happy Civil War Saturday, I just finished the next two blocks in the CWDQ book.  'Yankee Papers' was a super quick and easy block to put together, Glorious News took a bit of time.  I started 'Glorious News' late last night and sewed until late, until I couldn't see straight.  Decided I better stop and finish the block in the morning.  'Glorious News' has 65 pieces  compared to 'Yankee Papers' 8.  Quite a contrast.... contrast in skill levels too I have to say.  Although paper piecing does make 'Glorious News' a do-able block.  I'm happy with the results.  So here's how I did the next two blocks.  For those of you following along, you can join in and start this wonderful quilt at anytime. Make it as big or as small as you'd like!

Here are the fabrics I choose for Yankee Papers, no surprise with the colors.

I cut 1  3 3/4" blocks from each of the fabrics...

I matched up the green with the cream, and the black with the red print right sides together.  Then I drew a line from corner to corner.

The I sewed a scant 1/4" seam on each side of the line....

Cut the sections apart, iron.

Here are the sections all ready to form the block!

"Yankee Papers"
March 27, 1864

Here are the color selections I used for 'Glorious News'.

This block is made up of 65 sections.  The paper foundation paper breaks it down into 5 manageable strips...

Paper piecing... see how my fabric is much bigger than the section, it will all get trimmed up.

Notice how I sew past all the 'seam allowances' again, it will all be trimmed up to the right size when I am done piecing the section.

"Glorious News"
March 28, 1864
Remember to post your progress on the Civil War Diary Quilt Group on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1547598@N25/

Next weekend I will be working on 'Smuggling Letters'.  I'm hoping to get 'Parlor Activities' done too.   Hope that you are able to join me next week as I continue on my Civil War Diary Quilt. Have a wonderful weekend, hope that you are able to find some time to quilt!

Happy quilting and perfect stitches to you!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Building Houses from Scraps...

Spent Saturday afternoon building houses.... so glad I saw this challenge.  It's lots of fun using scraps and building houses.  Jeaneke in Denmark has started this fun 2012 challenge.  Build a house a day, 366 total.  I printed up her directions and thought I would increase the size of the block to 4" squares. Using EQ, I printed up foundation papers for several style houses, even a lighthouse.  Rosemary Youngs also sent me her file of houses.  (They are fabulous and can be found on her website) I had fun and fussy cutting monkeys, hens, and snowmen to peek out the windows.  Then I went on a mad quest to look for novelty prints to fussy cut for the windows.  I dug through every nook and crannie in my studio... I discovered that I don't buy novelty prints.  The only thing I had was some Rudolf fabric.... all of the novelty stuff was found in the scraps bags from my sister and what I grabbed at quilt retreats.  Yes, I'm a dumpster diver when it comes to fabric.  It is a sickness.  Projects like this just reinforce my desire to save every little piece from a project.  See all those tiny pieces are coming in handy!  We'll have to see at the end of the year, if my houses make a table runner or a quilt....

Happy quilting and perfect stitches to you,

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Isabella Buchanan Edmondson

It's Civil War Saturday, and the beginning of 2012.... time for me to continue working on my quilt.  I'm on the next chapter of Rosemary's book.  We get to meet Isabella Buchanan Edmondson, a Confederate spy during the Civil War.  'She wrote often in her diaries of her interest in sewing and knitting, as well as her escapades of running contraband for federal lines.'  The first block that I worked on this week is called, 'Thousands of Diamonds'.  Isabella writes about a spring snow storm and how the night before the ice in the trees looked like thousands of diamonds. 'A more magnificent scene I never witnessed, the forest glistened like thousands of diamonds, sun set was glorious...' Doesn't that sound beautiful...

The second block that I worked on is called, 'Preparations for Smuggling'.  The diary entry is dated, March 16, 1864.  Isabella writes "...Mrs. Kirk and I began to fix my articles for smuggling, we made a balmoral of the Grey cloth for uniform, pinned the Hats to the inside of my hoops - tied the boots with a strong list, letting them fall directly in front, the cloth having monopolized the back & the Hats the side - All my letters, brass buttons, money..."  More diary entries from Isabella Buchanan Edmondson can be found here.  So let's get sewing... this is how I complete the next two blocks... I printed up foundation papers using the companion CD for Rosemary's book.  You can get the companion EQ CD here.

I used fabrics similar to what is shown in the book... one of these days I'll surprise you and use something different!

This block is done in one big block. The block has 29 sections.  I wrote the fabric colors in each section so that I don't loose track of what goes where....

Sewing on the lines, notice how I sew past the seam line.

The center of the block so far...

The sewing is done, now I need to trim the block up, remembering to leave a 1/4" seam allowance.

'Thousands of Diamonds'
March 1, 1864

My fabric for 'Preparations for Smuggling'.


I cut my fabric into strips to make it easier to paper piece.  I also wrote the fabric colors onto my foundation paper. The block is broken down into 5 sections for easy piecing.


On the center strip it is broken down into 5 pieces.  I took the liberty to sew it in 3.  I did the same with two other strips for this block.  The picture shows the other strip that I combined sections.  In the strip there are black sections side by side, I combine those into one piece while paper piecing.

Here you can see how I skipped a couple of seams and combined three sections into one.  I did this because all three sections are black.

The five rows are done and I'm sewing the sections together.

Ackkkkkk! I sewed one of the rows on wrong!  Where's 'Jack' my seam ripper!

Preparations For Smuggling
March 16, 1864
Remember to post your progress on the Civil War Diary Quilt Group on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1547598@N25/

Next weekend I will be working on 'Yankee Papers'.  I'm hoping to get 'Glorious News' done too.  I learned something interesting this week.... do you know what a nail is in relation to fabric?  I don't remember covering this in home ec class, do you? It's quite the trivia question isn't it.  2 1/4 inches = 1 nail,  4 nails = 1 quarter, who knew?   I've never heard of anyone asking to have a nail cut... have you?  Hope that you are able to join me next week as I continue on my Civil War Diary Quilt.
Happy quilting and perfect stitches to you!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Happy New Year

My first set of blocks finished for "Just Takes Two"

Happy New Year everybody!  It's that time of year that we make promises to ourselves, be it to loose weight, exercise, be more organized, finish those UFO's.  I typically do not make a New Year's resolution.  How about a quilting wish list of what I would like to do in 2012....

Wish List
  • Would love to finish a couple of UFO's
  • Continue to work on my Civil War Diary Quilt and be better about posting every Saturday.
  • Keep up on the "Just Takes Two" Quilt Challenge
  • Would like to start the "Building Houses from Scraps 2012" Quilt Challenge.  I like the idea of using scraps.
  • Change my needle after every big quilt project...
  • Keep my studio organized between quilt projects

I also have the 'normal' New Year's resolutions.... loose weight, walk more etc.  I will try to do those things too. How about you?  Do you have anything on your "Wish List" for 2012? 

A year ago I started my Civil War Diary journey and I'm looking forward to continuing my work on that.  I got 3 rows completed last year.  Not as many blocks as I would have liked to get done, but more done than if I didn't blog about it.  So thank you, loyal followers, for giving me a reason to work on my quilt.  I'm looking forward to posting my progress each Saturday, hope that you join me in my journey.  This Saturday I will be posting about the next two blocks...'Thousands of Diamonds' and 'Preparations for Smuggling'. 

Happy New Year!
Happy quilting and perfect stitches to you.
A couple more blocks finished for "Takes Just Two".