All sorts of.......stuff!!!

So, how you coming with your baking?  All done?  My hubby suggested that I make one more kind....something simple he says to "balance out" the fancy ones.  I told him, he should do it!  He looked at me like I had two heads!  First things first!  My tree is half done in my living room, there are boxes scattered all over, the fabric piles are falling off the dining room table and I have stacks of stuff in our bedroom for Chrismas and haven't a clue what is in some of those bags.  I kind of buy as I go, so to speak..........like all year.  Needless to say, I am in a frenzy!!!  I did get 2 commission lady requests and I HAD to finish them first since the shipping was of the utmost importance!  In fact, I need to go to the post office today again.................I just can't understand how they can be losing so much $$ with me supporting them!!!  This will be the 3rd time this week!

I had a slight accident on Thanksgiving eve.  Every so often, especially when I have a lot on my mind, I will get up in the middle of the night.  Sometimes, it's to go to the bathroom and sometimes it's just for a glass of water.  Most often, especially when I'm really awake, I'll check e-mail while I'm at it.  Well, here's a warning for you...............make sure you know where you're going in the dark.  I crashed into the door frame on my way back to bed in the pitch black of night and looky what happened:



So, after I sopped up the blood and put direct pressure on it, and got out the frozen peas to stop the  swelling for awhile, plus wrapping it up in a paper towel with scotch tape so I wouldn't bleed on the bedcovers, it was almost an hour later that I finally crawled back into bed.  Thankfully, I can still sew!  Thus the stoppage of the decorating of the tree.  I'm right handed..........VERY right handed and the branches would really put me over the edge, I figured!  Eikes!  I'm thinking tomorrow will be soon enough to finish!

In the meantime, I went through some stuff.  For awhile now, since I joined the bitty block committee, I have been saving all the blocks.  Someone once asked what I would do with them.  I thought it was time to take a look.  After all this time, they were in two shoe boxes.  Other than that one stack in the middle, they are all here:



I pulled out some favorites and I think I am going to make the little ones in the family (4 years and 3 years) doll quilts for the stuffed animals I bought them for Christmas.  Here is what I picked for the youngest:

And these will be for the 4 (almost 5) year old:

I did add a lot of the ones I made 'cause I am the granny for one and great aunt for the other and I need to be represented well!  lol

So, that's about it.....other than the next picture.  Don't you find that sometimes life is a joy when you least expect it!!!  Especially when you're cracking eggs and get twins.............



Have a fun week my friends..........I am heading off to the post office now!!

French Silk Pie and Cookie Baking 2012 Segment #5

Before I forget, we're going to start off with my French Silk Pie recipe.  This pie gets rave reviews every time I serve it and is the first pie to be finished on Thanksgiving even though I bring 3 different kinds of pies.  I gave you the pie crust recipe here.  Make the crust and let it cool before making this recipe:

FRENCH SILK PIE

Crust:  Use recipe I provided or use a ready made Pillsbury Pie Crust from a 15 oz package.

Filling:

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces

1 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine..it won't harden)

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 large eggs

Prepare crust and let cool at least 30 minutes before filling.

Melt chocolate in small saucepan or in microwaveable container.  Cool.  In small bowl, beat butter, until fluffy.  Add sugar and mix well, add cooled chocolate, and vanilla.  Blend well and scrape bowl often.

Add eggs one at a time, beating on high speed for 3-4 minutes after each additional egg.  Make sure mixture is smooth and fluffy.  Pour into cooled baked shell.  Refrigerate!!  Enjoy

  

Now for the remainder of the cookies.  Next is my husband's favorite.  (Probably because it was the only kind of cookie his mother ever made.  lol)

SPRITZ

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

2 1/4 cup flour

red and green sugar for decorating

Mix all and force through a cookie press.  Sprinkle colored sugar on top.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 6-9 minutes at 400 degrees. 

The last cookie recipe is for my daughter's favorite cookie.  I have been making this one since she was born and Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without it.  

BON BON COOKIES

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Marchino cherries

Mix all together except cherries.  If the dough is too dry, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of milk.  Put small amount in palm of hand, and wrap around a drained marchino cherry.  Do all until the dough is finished.  Put on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes.  Dip tops in frosting, and decorate as desired.

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 Tablespoon cream or milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

food coloring (I always make these pink for some reason)

Here they are in process:

And here they are all done.  You will not get this many from that single recipe.  One batch only makes about 32 cookies, so I usually make a triple batch.  Seems like I'm hiding cherries forever.  lol

Now I need to get sewing, I guess, otherwise I won't have anything to show you.  I hope you enjoyed this little break.  Happy baking!

Cookie Baking 2012 Segment #4

Now that everyone is all full and fat after the USA Thanksgiving holiday, we can continue on the cookie baking marathon.  Today's cookies are easy ones.  I used to make the first ones all the time and not just for the holidays.

GINGER SNAPS

3/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

Cream all and add slowly:

2 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Roll into small balls and roll into sugar before placing on an ungreased (or parchment topped) cookie sheet, baking at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. 

Your cookies should turn out a bit more crinkly than these pictured.  Duh.....when I was done and noticed that they were still so round and not crinkly like they're supposed to be, I realized that I forgot to add the baking soda.  Hello!!!  Oh well!  They still taste good, so don't tell!  I'm not going to and I bet no one notices.......!  

The next cookies have ALWAYS been my son's favorites.  Thus the name.  (Here's my cleverness taking over again)

MIKE'S MINATURES

1 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup flour

Combine all, roll into disk like shape and chill in refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour.  Roll 1/2 inch thick and cut with tiny cutout about 1 inch to 1 1/4 inches in diameter.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees 6-10 minutes.  Frost with frosting.  

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 1/2 Tablespoons milk (or cream) plus a bit more if necessary

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Naturally, you have to fancy up the tops after putting on the frosting.  Get yourself some red/green jimmies to do the job.  I had to make a double recipe of these cookies.  Mike wouldn't be happy with me if I didn't.

So there!  We're close to being done.  I have a ton more recipes, but this year, I'm sticking to just 10.  AND.......I think I will need to give you my French Silk Pie recipe too.  It was a huge hit again yesterday for Thanksgiving, just like always!  Happy baking!

Cookie Baking 2012 Segment #3

So, how are we doing?  Are you keeping up with me?  Are we having fun yet?  UGH!!!!!  Today we will add two more kinds to complete the 10 varieties of cookies that I'm making this year.  

When the fall holidays arrive, the Candy Cane Kisses begin to appear on grocery shelves.  These are incredibly yummy!  And amazing when tucked into a cookie!  Surprisingly enough our next cookies are called:

CANDY CANE KISS COOKIES

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 cups butter, at room temp

1 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional....I didn't use it)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Candy Cane Kisses, finely chopped

granulated sugar

additional, unwrapped Kisses - get two packages

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make room in either your refrigerator or freezer for your cookie sheet.

In large bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, extracts and egg.  Beat until creamy (about 2-3 min).  In separate bowl combine dry ingredients, add to wet mixture and beat.  The mixture will be crumbly.  Stir in chopped kisses.

Shape dough into 3/4 to 1 inch balls, roll in granulated sugar.  Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  As soon as they come out of the oven, press an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie and when done immediately put the cookie sheet into the freezer so that the cookies will set quickly.  If you do it fast enough the kisses will keep their shape.......see below:

You notice I had a few disasters!  Funny that they were so random.  My freezer was pretty full though so I really had to squeeze them in. Needless to say that the flopped over ones will not be going into the give-away containers.  LOL

Next, we're going to make my favorites.  These are sort of putzy in the beginning because you have to cut gum drops in preparation.  This is easy by using a scissors dipped into water before each cut.  The recipe says to quarter them, but mine were "honking" sized.....about an inch, so I had to cut a lot!  When you're done cutting, mix them with 2 teaspoons sugar to prevent sticking together.  (This bowl had a double recipe, so don't expect to get so many.)

SPICED GUMDROP SNOWBALLS

2/3 cups butter, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup spices red and green gumdrops, quartered

1/3 to 1/2 cup nonpareils (available in specialty baking shops)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Use parchment paper lining your cookie sheets, or grease two large cookie sheets.  Beat butter and then in order add sugar, cinnamon, then yolks and vanilla.  Beat in flour and then, by hand, add cut up gumdrops.

Shape dough in 1 inch balls and roll in nonpareils.  Place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.  Press slightly to flatten.  Bake 10 minutes.  Makes 36.

Pretty, huh?  They're just so Christmassy looking!!!  Besides, being so yummy!  I only started making them about 5 years ago and now make a double recipe every year.

So, there you have it.  Another segment of our 2012 cookie baking marathon.  Hope you're having fun!

Christmas Cookie Baking 2012 (Segment #2)

How are you all coming along?  Did you get some ingredients to bake along?  lol  You've no doubt  heard of sew-alongs, but who ever heard of a bake along, huh?  I might start a whole new trend here, who knows?  Incidentally, another hint that I just thought of........I use a hand mixer to mix all my cookie dough.  It saves on the hands and the cleanup since all I have to do is remove the beaters to wash between recipes.  (I have tons of bowls.)

Yesterday someone with a no-reply blogger address asked me if I color my own sugar.  I almost laughed out loud!  While it might be smart to do that financially, I suppose, I have enough trouble with this whole cookie making process at my age without stopping to color my sugar first.  Seriously, I'd probably save lots more $$ if I churned my own butter!!!  You have no idea how I hoard the sale butter in my freezer prior to this process!!!  And YES, I only use butter!

Okay, are you ready for recipe #3?  This is an all time favorite and another one that was handed down through the generations in my family.  These (I guarantee) will melt in your mouth and you will get nothing but rave reviews!  I don't think it would be Christmas here without them:

MOM'S PECAN FINGERS

2 cups butter

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups flour

4 cups finely ground pecans

2 Tablespoons vanilla (yes, tablespoons)

Mix all together and form in little rolls in crescent shape.  Bake 15 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet in 350 degree oven.  When still warm, roll in powdered sugar.  Makes 7 or 8 dozen.   

And there they are ready for the freezer.  Now, I must say that this recipe is easily cut in half so unless you plan on eating these for a long time, or have a big family, or LOVE to eat a lot of cookies, perhaps you might want to do that.  One little hint in the preparation is this..............prepare a small cookie sheet or big dinner plate with powdered sugar lining the bottom, and a strainer filled with more powdered sugar so when you remove the cookies from the cookie sheet, you don't have to roll those warm delicate little cookies, you can just transfer them to the sugar lined cookie sheet or dinner plate and sift powdered sugar over the top and put them directly into your container.  I sprinkle more powdered sugar over the top of each layer as I go along though since I want each to get adequate coverage .


Okay......now for cookie #4, which I suppose is really not a cookie, since it's not baked, but something else........don't ask me what???

TING A LINGS or HAYSTACKS

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanuts
1-2 cups chinese noodles

Melt chocolate in glass microwave safe bowl, add rest of ingredients and mix well.  Drop by teaspoons full onto waxed paper or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Allow to dry, or refrigerate until hard.  (Or if you live in a cold climate, plop outside for about an hour to harden.)  These are super easy-peasy and they will satisfy any chocolate lover!

So there you have it!  So far we're at 4 out of 10 now.......(I'm up to #10 though and hopefully I'll be able to finish those today.)  I'm also thinking about making my French silk pie and throwing that in the freezer for Thanksgiving.  I usually don't freeze that pie, but we are having unseasonably warm temps here and it's supposed to go up to 62 degrees on Thursday.........not good for keeping a butter, egg filled, chocolate pie outside in my car's trunk in my sister's driveway until dessert time.  This way, if I take it frozen, it should be perfect by the time we eat it.  Don't you agree????

Cookie Baking 2012 (Segment #1)

Well, here we go!  I've already started so hopefully you all can catch up.  I've decided that this year I am limiting my baking to 10-11 different kinds of Christmas cookies.  In years past, I have made up to 30 different kinds, blessing everyone I knew with tins of goodies, but with the recent writings of unhealthy fats within the past 5-6 years or so, even my kids won't eat my cookies now until Easter.

First, let me fill you in on a secret.  Buy yourself some of this:

It will save you a ton of work.  Using parchment paper means you don't have to wash your cookie sheets in between batches and if you are making lots of the same kinds of cookie, you can even use the same paper.  I wouldn't bake without it!!

For some reason, I always start with an old favorite.  My mother (gone for over 25 years already) passed this simple, easy and yummy recipe down to me and it's been a family delight ever since.  It's called...............(and even though you know how I love to name things.......my dear mother must have started my craziness because wait until you hear the name of these cookies):

RED AND GREEN

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

red and green sugar

Mix the butter and sugar together, add the flour.  Form into logs and roll in red or green sugar.  Refrigerate overnight.  Cut into slices and bake in a 400 degree oven 8-9 minutes.

Those were my logs.........and this is a double recipe so don't be worried that you didn't get as many rolls.  I think mine were about 1 inch or maybe a teeny bit under one inch in diameter.

 And here they are cooling on the countertop on aluminum foil.  I always cool cookies that way.  Then, when I pack them away in bins or plastic containers to freeze, I pack from the left to right getting the coolest ones on the bottom first.  (Simple, huh??)  I'm telling you, with the parchment paper, you can probably do 5-6 different kinds of cookies in only 1 day!

Next, I made another favorite that I've been making forever, it seems, and they're pretty too.  I think the recipe has been around for years:

CHERRY NESTS

3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg white (beaten)
1 1/2 cups crushed nuts
candied cherries (halved)

Mix all the top ingredients together and form into balls, dip into beaten egg white and roll in crushed nuts.  Top with half a cherry.  Bake 325 degrees 15-17 minutes  Makes 42

So, here I am forming away.  Note to the far right, my parchment paper on top of my cookie sheet just waiting for those first balls to be placed.

And here they are all done, cooling on the countertop waiting to be packed up for the freezer.

So, there you have it!  The first 2 of probably 10 or so recipes.  I hope you are enjoying this sewing break because it has to be done and there's no time like the present!  Back to sewing next week!

Sewing & Baking

Well, no time like the present to start the holiday baking, I say, and thanks to all your nice comments, and interest in my cookies, I'm going to devote at least one or two posts to just those starting next week.  First, though, I want to show you the last two mug rugs I made......(and if I have time, I still have ideas for about 3 more, but who knows if the swap will be over by the time I have time to get out the machine again???  It's only been two days, and I already miss sewing.)

First, let me introduce, "Rudy":

"Rudy" ended up at 6 x 9 inches and was super simple to make.  I have come to realize that the simple mug rugs are the most admired, probably because they're the easiest to copy.  lol  (Which, incidentally,  doesn't bother me a bit, I might add!!)  I'm here for inspiration.....

Then, since I hadn't done a crayon method quilt in awhile, I thought that might be fun for one.  Who knows what will happen after it gets laundered though.

I called that one, "Let's Decorate".  It's 8 1/2 by 6 1/2" and was done with my usual crayon method which I've described many times.  Personally, I'm not crazy about that one......probably because I like brighter colors for Christmas.

THEN..............ta-da..............I made 1 of three pies I will be bringing to my sister's for Thanksgiving.  I love making this one since it can be made ahead of time and frozen.  (Just call me, Mrs. Smith!)  And tell me, who doesn't just love a good pecan pie?

There are a million recipes for pecan pie on the web, and I think mine is either from there or a combination of a few different ones, but the thing that I LOVE is my pie crust recipe.  It's super simple and has never failed me:

NO FUSS HOMEMADE PASTRY

Mix 1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt with a pastry cutter until blended

Slowly pour in 3-4 Tablespoons ice cold water, stirring until mixture comes together.

Shape dough into a ball, press into a disk shape, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.

On floured surface, roll chilled dough into circle to fit your pie plate.  Flute edges.

For pies needing prepared crust, bake 450 degrees 10-12 minutes.  For all other, bake as recipe suggests.

Happy baking!  And I'll be back next week with a bunch of cookie pictures and recipes (since I'm not sewing..........phooey!)

It's not as bad as I thought! Thank heaven!

If you read my posting the last time, you must have heard the panic in my words thinking that I deleted all of the comments ever made on my blog with only one small click.  NOT SO!  Apparently, I only deleted the most current 50.  So, even though I will miss them, it's not as bad as losing 5,000+ comments, wouldn't you say?  Yup, I thought so too!  Therefore, I'm not fretting about it anymore and will use it as a lesson to be more careful in the future and try to be less in a hurry when in the inner workings!  I promise!  Thank you all for your marvelous suggestions though.....I passed on all your wisdom to my computer genius friend who is just a bit more genius now because of them!

Since I'm smiling again, I thought it appropriate to make some mug rugs for the swap.  As most of you know, it's my 2nd favorite swap of all since I LOVE to make mug rugs.  Actually, I call them that, but to me, they are little mini quilts since mostly I create them with buttons or some kind of embellishment and sadly coffee cups might tip right over because buttons don't make things too stable on a table.   lol  Believe it or not, I even add little O rings on each "mug rug quiltie" now, hoping that the recipient will hang it instead.

I started off with this one that I call, "MeRry ChRistmas".  It's 6 1/2" by 7 1/2" and I got the idea from a card that I designed and sent some years ago to all our friends for the holidays.



Since that was so fun, I made this one next.  I called it (brilliantly, I might add), "Holiday 2012 Mug Rug #2".  lol  It's 6" x 8 1/2".  Super simple and really fast........(see all the buttons???)



Being that I was on a roll, until today, that is.........(cleaning house instead....ugh..), I decided to make this one yesterday that I named, "A Penguin Holiday".  (Half the fun in quilting is naming stuff, dontcha know, since I'm done having kids and who knows about more dogs??) It ended up at 6 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches.  (Did you note that they've been getting bigger as I go along?)



I do have a few more ideas, but it's getting close to Thanksgiving and I have some baking to do, so who knows how many more I'll get done.  I'm overdue to start my annual cookie baking marathon too.  I make them and then freeze them all so I need to start early.  This is a plateful of most of the varieties from 2009.



Mostly all the varieties I have made for years and some recipes even date back to my grandmother's time.  I was thinking of perhaps doing a recipe with pictures each day when I get in the swing, if you would be interested. While I don't claim to have a baking blog, I thought it might be a fun change for a week or so.   Let me know what you think........okay???  Until then............take care be well!  And again, thanks for all your help last time!!!!!!!

I think I'm going to be ill!

You're not going to believe what I did!  As most of you know, I don't claim to be a computer genius.......in fact, sometimes it's a wonder I can handle a blog at all.  AND...once you hear this, you'll really believe it!

Recently, I've been plagued more and more with an overwhelming amount of anonymous spam.  While I know that there probably is a market somewhere for "ambien" and female love on the open market, I personally could give a rip!  I mentioned this to a friend, wondering if she had the same problem and complained that just yesterday I had to delete 539 spam messages one by one and it was driving me nuts and that was only an accumulation from 4 days.  She wrote back almost immediately and asked why I didn't just use the box to the left and delete the whole mess at once.

WHAT?  There's ONE box I could click and delete them all at once?  How brilliant!!!  How come I never knew that????  Well, I couldn't wait to try it!  I rushed into the "Design" portion of my blog, went to the "comment" section and sure enough, there it was........a cute little box to the left.  I clicked and pushed delete and WHAMOO.........done!

ONLY ONE THING...........I wasn't in the spam comment section.  YES......I deleted 5,239 comments on ALL my posts from the very beginning of my blogging career!  Go check!  I thought I was going to throw up!  OMG....what did I do?  All your precious comments on my stuff and suggestions, and enlightenments........GONE!  Except, there is one bright light.  They are still in my DESIGN section..........so now, how do I reinstate them where they belong?  Anyone know?  HELP!!!!  PLEASE????  (I promise I'll never do it again, really!!!!)

In the meantime, I only have two little things to show you.  Dummy me, (as I shall now be known) was so enjoying making little mice, that I made some more.  Now I think I have enough at 20 total.  lol  I did make some Winter bitty blocks though:



And I did get an awesome FLiPS package from my partner, Cindy (yayaquilter).  In fact, the pincushion she made was my favorite in the whole swap and it landed at my doorstep this week.  Yahoo!



So, that's my "not so good" news.  If any of you have any suggestions on how to fix my problem, PLEASE let me know!  I will be eternally grateful!  In fact, I'll even send you a mouse!  How's that?

They're multiplying!

Before I tell you what's multiplying, I want to introduce you to "Lady #26.......only I can't tell you her name, or anything about her because she is a Christmas gift and the giver bets that the recipient won't recognize herself anyway.  Let's hope!  So, for now, she'll only be known as "Pretty lady #26".







If I remember, I'll post her real picture after the holidays.

Now to show you what's multiplying.  Remember the picture of the Christmas mice in my last post?  Well, I REALLY couldn't stop making them because I made some more:



I think I have enough now..........I hope!  I really loved making them though and since many of you asked about the pattern, I contacted the shop where I bought it and they gave me a direct link just for you if you want to purchase one.

http://material-matters.com/three-blind-mice-figtree.aspx

I hope you have as much fun making yours.  I think they'll be great little hostess gifts for the holidays!

Happy (late) Halloween from To"BEE"

I just couldn't help that title today after this:

Isn't he just the cutest dog ever????  OMG.....the look he gave me after I was done putting it on him was like, "Mom, you've got to be kidding?  You expect me to wear this?"  Poor little guy wouldn't move!  Once I took off the headpiece though, he was much better......

We had company on Halloween.  Toby's little 3 month old friend, Harvey, came for a play date with his mom, Wendy.  Poor Toby doesn't have many friends his size so this was quite a treat.  Except Harvey wanted to hump him all the time, which didn't sit too well!  Once I took down the baby gates, and let them run the house, things were much better!  In fact, if you want to watch a U Tube video, click on Toby in his costume and scroll down to the link.  It's only 41 seconds long.  Wendy took the video.

We're guessing that Harvey will grow up to be a bit bigger than Toby considering he's not that far away from his size now and he's got a whole lot of growing yet to do.

On the sewing front, I have been a bit lazy.  Usually during the pincushion swap, I make tons of cushions of one sort or another, but this time, I seem satisfied with only two kinds (although I did go a bit nuts on one.)  Here is the first one I made:

a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35289170@N06/8122708413/" title="Checkered Pincushion by mamacjt, on Flickr">

Don't look at the "unmatched" piecing.  I really thought it was working and after I was done, I hated to take it all apart since it was only a pincushion and I knew that my partner would not be getting that one anyway since I bought a pattern awhile ago that I was itching to make:



Isn't she so much cuter?  I think so and besides, she is perfect for my special swap partner!  That little mousey plus some goodies, will be the perfect package.  I had a bit of a problem making just one, I must admit, so I thought making a bunch of them for early Christmas "in the mood" gifts would be fun to give my family members on Thanksgiving.



Other than that, I haven't sewn a stitch.  With my company, and a few appointments, and lunch dates this week, I have kept my house pretty thread free for a change.  Maybe today I can change that!  More ladies next time.......I hope!  Until then, have a great weekend!