March's Blocks! It's Laundry Day and Pie!

This month's blocks remind me of my grandma. I have such fond memories of visiting grandma and  grandpa on the farm. Remember the smell of pie just out of the oven? Love the smell of something baking. I remember helping grandma make pies for dessert. Apple pie, banana cream pie were two of our favorites to make on the farm. That summer I had graduated to being able to help in the kitchen, I felt pretty grown up rolling out pie crust. (I was about 15-16 years old) Grandma was pretty used to making these huge meals to feed all the guys, especially during harvest. My dinners pale compared to the feasts that grandma used to cook, not just once, but three times a day. There was always a dessert to enjoy after the meal with a big glass of milk, or cup of coffee.

I just had to have a block with grandma's clothesline... Who doesn't remember visiting grandma and crawling into bed with newly washed sheets. Remember how great they smelled, all fresh and outdoorsy. No fabric softener sheet can replicate that. I know, I've tried! The only way to get that true springtime fresh is from a set of sheets that were hung outside to dry on the clothesline.

This year's BOM is a very traditional design using 1930's fabrics. These fabrics remind me so much of grandma and her cotton dresses. I hope that you have fun with this pattern. March's pattern has everything you need to complete these two blocks. You will get the directions on how to make the Dresden plate block. Feel free to make all 12 Dresden circles if you would like. The left over fabric from the Dresden Blades will be used for the applique designs. Remember the blocks are set on point. The supply list can be found on my website along with this month's directions. March's directions are only FREE this month, then after that they will be found on my Etsy site for a small fee. You can also find the directions in my Craftsy Shop too. So let's get started....

HINT: I have been throwing all of my scraps as I cut 'plates' into this little bin on my cutting table.

Why? It's been very useful for some of my applique pieces. But also, we will use some of these towards the end of the quilt....

Using the blade template cut 1 blade for each fabric.

16 different fabrics total for each block.

You will make 12 blocks all together for this quilt.

Fold the blade in half lengthwise, right sides together and sew a quarter inch seam along the short straight edge (Top edge). This will form the 'point' when you turn it right side out.

Here I have all my blades pressed for one block.

Sew your blades together in pairs, right sides together. Continue to sew blades together along the long side until you form a 16 section plate.

I love the scrappiness of this 'plate'.

I ironed the circle in half, then in half again. And one more time so that I have 'markers' for lining up my circle with my plate section.

I line the seam up with the folded marking and ease my circle and plate section together.

I hold it all together with pins. A lot of pins...

I sew the two together with a 1/4" seam.

The center is the perfect spot for an applique!
HINT: The circle will 'lay down smoother if--- iron the Dresden plate from the back side and iron the circle seam out towards the points.  Then press the front side of the Dresden block.
I don't know what it is, but the block will iron out so much better when done this way.

I have all my pieces traced onto my heat n bond.

If you center your Dresden plate over the pattern placement sheet, you can see the lines thru the white material. It makes it so nice to line up where to iron on the pieces.

All of my pieces are ironed on and ready to be blanket stitched.

I set my machine for a 2.5 length and 2.5 width for my blanket stitch.

'Wash Day'

'Pie'

I have not appliqued my Dresden plates onto my 12 1/2" white squares yet.

Patterns can be found on the Quilt Doodle website and on Craftsy (Not until the 1st of the month):

Fat Quarter bundles of 16 fat quarters are available in my Etsy store to get you started.

Tag me on Instagram with your photos #quiltdoodledesignsBOM2017 #quiltdoodledesigns @quiltdoodles
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's pies and clotheslines.

If you have a blog please help promote it and post my button on your sidebar!

Thank you!!!

My favorite picture of grandma and I, taken in front of her flower garden.

          Let’s have some quilty fun!

Cindy

<center> <a href="http://quiltdoodledesigns.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="<a href="http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/Cindy_Staub/media/BOM%202017_zpsfwh6tg76.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa347/Cindy_Staub/th_BOM%202017_zpsfwh6tg76.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo BOM 2017_zpsfwh6tg76.jpg" style=""></a>"/></a></center>

Grinch Cookies

Are you looking for a quick and easy Christmas cookie to whip up? This is the cookie for you! These take no time at all and chances are you already have the ingredients in your pantry to make them. These are fun and festive and oh so yummy!

 

 The dough is a bright festive green color when you mix it up.

I use a small ice cream scoop to form the balls of dough and plop them
into the powdered sugar mixture. It's a real time saver and all of your
cookies will be perfectly the same size!

 

 I boxed my cookies up in some pretty window boxes that I got from Hobby Lobby. All ready to pass out to family and friends.

 

Merry Christmas!

Happy baking,

Happy Easter

It's time for the Easter Bunny to hop around and hide those pretty eggs. It's a peaceful weekend here at my home. I will be busy making sugar cookies, little bunnies and chicks. My husband and I will color some eggs. Tomorrow we spend the day at my sister-in-law's home. She is hosting Easter for my hubby's family. It's a huge crew, aunt's, uncles, cousins... I'll be stuffing plastic eggs today for the egg hunt for all the little ones. Then Sunday will be a quiet day for us. I plan on making a ham and Grandma Eva's famous potatoes. I will probably spend a little time sewing and watching some TV. It will be a relaxing Sunday before we start another work week. 

I wish you a Happy Easter and hope you enjoy the Springtime inspiration!

Rhubarb Blueberry Jam

In Minnesota we love our rhubarb. I have a couple of plants but I don't like to use mine for jam since it's the 'green' variety. My mom had the pretty ruby red kind, so when she gave me some rhubarb last week I just had to make some Rhubarb Blueberry Jam. It's a quick and easy jam to make and sooooo gooooood. If you aren't a rhubarb fan, this recipe might change your mind. The blueberry pie filling gives this recipe a wonderful blueberry flavor.

My yummy jam cooking away... it smells so good.

To make my jars pretty I tied some bakers twine around
the jars. Homemade jam makes a wonderful gift to give.

I am going to enjoy my homemade jam on a toasted bagel!

Happy Quilting!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I baked muffins this morning from scratch. Because it's Saturday, because Mark got home late last night from a business trip, because it's raining outside, it's father's day weekend and most importantly....because I'm too cheap to buy overpriced muffins at the store. I enjoy baking while my boys are still asleep. It pleases me to think that they will be waking up to the fresh smell of baked muffins and coffee. Yum! Who doesn't love that! Wilson's even excited, hoping for a scrap or two...

I have no secret family recipe, I googled Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, (hubby's favorite) and found a recipe from Food.com  I did make a couple of changes to it. I left out the lemon zest, added vanilla yogurt in place of the plain yogurt and topped the muffins with sliced almonds before baking. Hubby has given me the thumbs up and has enjoy several of the muffins this morning. I thought I would share the recipe with you since it's father's day weekend and maybe you would like to bake something too. Now I'm off to spend time in my sewing room. I've got some projects I should be working on. Ideas floating around my head.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Quilting,

Bunnies and Chickies!

Happy Easter! I know I'm a week early but it's a week of celebrating Easter with my family and friends! The celebration starts today at mom's with Easter dinner. I'm bringing all sorts of treats, I was a busy, busy in the kitchen yesterday. I made sugar cookies, Jello jiggler eggs, Grandma Eva's mashed potatoes and this morning I got up at five and made dinner rolls. The house smells so good! So today I have some Easter fun to share....

Sugar Cookies

2/3 cups shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 tsp almond extract

3/4 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

4 tsp milk

Beat shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat. Add vanilla and almond extract. Mix thoroughly. Stir flour, baking powder and salt and milk into sugar-shortening mixture. Chill dough 1 hour. Roll out and cut out cookies. Bake at 375 degrees on greased baking sheet 8-10 minutes. When cool, frost and decorate with your favorite frosting.

I made a batch of baby chicks....

and a batch of bunnies... I cut mini marshmallows
in half to make the ears.

Doesn't it look festive! A plate of sweets paired up with my chickiemug rug.

I spent yesterday decorating the house too. I couldn't decide how I wanted to use my bunny mug rug, with a bunny dish...

...or paired with an egg holder and some chocolate carrots.(The pattern is available as a PDF on Etsy and Craftsy)

My sis, Gena, passed this plate to me at our Chili Cook off filled with
Scotch a roo's...

I'm passing it on to one of my sisters filled with Easter treats.

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. On Thrusday I get to join a group of friends and see 'Godspell' and then celebrate Easter again on Saturday with my husband's side. I'm planning on making more chickie and bunny cookies.

Happy Easter!