Sweet, simple bows

I was reading Disney's post (Ruffles & Stuff) yesterday and thought how neat it was that she was doing all SIMPLE projects this week. I was in Hancock fabrics yesterday to get eyes for my little pigs and found a remnant of nice brown felt. The stuff on the bolt is definitely better than the little squares you can buy at Walmart. Last night I followed her tutorial and Voila! Cute simple hair bows. I added a gem in the middle to give it some color. I hot glued them to bobby pin blanks that I purchased at Micheals. These are super simple and cost almost nothing to make. You could make these in every color of the rainbow for under $5. Now that is cheap!

Another new nursing blanket

Here is the second nursing blanket. This fabric is in the same line as the first I completed. Cute greens, teals and browns in a modern pattern. You can see in the second picture how the boning allows you to see what the baby is doing without having to expose yourself. So convenient! (There are 2 blankets hanging on Shirley right now). I have 2 more in the works that I serged yesterday. They will be constructed from a super cute home decor weight fabric that I am looking forward to seeing made into this pattern. Happy sewing!

Applesauce Cake

I had to find something to do with all of the homemade applesauce I ended up with this past weekend, so I thought an applesauce cake might be nice. There are many recipes out there for applesauce cake and muffins. I have pooled things I like from several to get this final result. Here is the recipe:

The cake
2 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons  baking powder
1/2 teaspoon  baking soda
1/2 teaspoon  salt
1 teaspoon  cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon  ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon molasses
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
You can also add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of walnuts or pecans if you like

The frosting
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Grease a 9-inch square cake pan or an 11X8 pan.

To make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. By hand mix in applesauce, then mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in nuts (if using). The batter will look a little lumpy.
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes for a 9in pan, about 30-35 for the 8X11. You might need to cover the cake after about 30 minutes to avoid excessive browning. Cool for 15-20 minutes before frosting. (We frost individual pieces at home because some like it without icing).
To make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add sugar and cinnamon, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over  cooled cake.

Cream Cheese Crescent Roll Danish/Dessert

Picture via web

I took this to church today along with an apple pie and several people asked me how to make it. If I have posted this before, it was along time ago so forgive the extra post.

You will need 2 cans of crescent rolls, 1 cup of sugar, 2 blocks of cream cheese softened, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 stick of butter and cinnamon sugar to top.

Preheat oven to 375. Press one can of the crescent rolls into the bottom of a 13X9 pan. In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.  Spread evenly on crescent roll crust.  Then carefully stretch the remaining can of crescent rolls to cover the top. Melt butter and spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Let cool. You can serve this room temp, but I really like it cold. Works well as a morning danish or as a creamy dessert.

A Little Piggy

I made a manly pig quite a while ago out of a lovely brown argyle sweater that I thrifted and felted. I didn't have much of the argyle part of the sweater left, but wanted to get another pig out of it. I gave the first pig away while I was at the last quilting retreat. I just shrunk the pattern and put together this little piggy. I am not finished with his wool trim yet. I worked on him last night while our family discussed colleges with my 2 oldest. It is exciting, but can weary me too. This is when you definitely learn to wait upon the Lord! I have been working on the application process for my son's National Merit Finalist Scholarship. It is due by Oct 12th and there is much to be done.  We are visiting the UK campus this Friday. We shall see. I hope to work on my pigs while we are driving. Have a great day!

Nursing Blanket #1

I finished up the first of several nursing balnkets I plan on making for Glendale days. I picked some modern fabrics for these. They are really easy to sew up, but it just takes time to cut them out and then find time to sew. This one is pretty cute. Hopefully it will sell.

Homemade Vanilla

I finally started my homemade vanilla that I want to use for Christmas presents this year. I purchased 80 proof vodka for the vehicle and Madagascar vanilla beans. You simply split the beans down the middle, leaving and inch on both ends that you don't cut. The typical ratio is 2 to 3 beans per cup of alcohol. You need to label it with a start date, keep it somewhere dark and cool and shake it every two weeks. I will try to remember to post some updates occasionally. If only we could smell through blogland!

Crummy muffins

I took my daughter to the apple orchard on Friday and we bought a half bushel of Jonathon apples. These are a little crisper and I think they make better pies and crisps. They are sitting in my kitchen waiting for me to tackle them. I did chop a few this morning for apple crumb muffins. Really good, moist muffins are hard to make. Your recipe has to have the right amount of fat for them to stay moist. I will probably try these again but I will add applesauce for more apple flavor and some sour cream for moistness. You just have to keep tweaking a recipe until it is just right. Once I get it right I will post it here! They look better than they tasted.

Jack in the book

I tried my own paper jack o' lantern. I forgot his nose. What is this? No eyes for my pigs and no nose for my pumpkin. This is a really easy project and all you need is a paperback book, black cardstock or construction paper and some glue. You could easily do this with kids. You might have to cute the little cap and tendrils, but they could do the eyes, nose and mouth. They would be really cute lined up on the mantle. We don't have a mantle so I guess he will just sit in the kitchen.

2 Little pigs went to market

I decided to make a few more pigs to take to Glendale days in October. I used a felted wool sweater from Goodwill for the blue one and the green plaid is from some wool I bought for $1.50 at a thrift store in Hilton Head. This pattern sews up pretty fast and I like outlining them with Fisherman's wool. They are cute right down to their curly little tails! They still need eyes, but that will be a quick addition.

Pumpkin Pages

(Photo from Country Home)

I really love books so it is almost hard for me to think about repurposing one into a craft item. I have read my fair share of stinkers, but surely someone liked the book I didn't. I found one on the shelf today about a unicorn-who knows??? I saw this cute idea of turning it into a pumpkin or jack o lantern at Ucreate today. Here is the link to the website tutorial. http://www.countryhome.com/projects/holiday/blackmagic_5.html

I tried to do one today and I will take pictures of it tomorrow and post. I also worked on another apron set and knitted a bit on my cable scarf. My house could probably use some cleaning, but crafting is much more fun!

A few new projects

I was busy this weekend outside doing things with my hubby, so I didn't get as much sewing done as I would have liked. I have started some matching aprons for child and 18" doll. I also sewed on these flowers to some baby crochet headbands. These were scraps from my receiving blanket that I posted about earlier. I think they turned out pretty cute. I have also started a new cable scarf from some multi color impeccable yarn. So just a few pictures of some projects in the works around here.

Hard drive arrived and more knitting in progress

My hard drive came today and my hubby will install it tonight. Hopefully I will be back up and running soon. I have finished my fingerless mittens and have started a cable scarf that is turning out very pretty. I am now using my clear acrylic Harmony needles in size 5. Love these too! I cut out 2 Daisy Kingdom apron patterns yesterday that have matching ones for an 18 inch doll. Hope to sew those up this weekend. Have a few more hair bows and headbands to work on for Glendale days as well. My 2 older ones are off to KTown for a campus tour of UT. Tonight I am off to Hancock Fabrics for a Tru Fit Patterns class. Evidently there are more than 20 in the class so it should be interesting. Will post tomorrow if I get any great bits of info.

Crash & Burn

Last week was a bit rocky! I had several dilemmas with kids to handle and then Thursday my hard drive crashed! I am currently waiting on the new one. Once I get all the important stuff loaded again, I will post some new pictures of sewing goodies and also our retaining wall progress. It is just another reminder that things here on this earth are flawed and temporary. Thankfully I serve a Savior who is perfect and eternal--AMEN!