Crafty Cooks Apron Swap

I entered the Crafty Cooks Apron and Recipe Swap over on Flickr. It is such a lovely swap organized by Fiona from Celtic Thistle Stitches and Sam from Cup of Tea and a Slice of Cake. I have been crazy busy and I finished it the apron just in time for mailing deadline. I hope my partner likes it. She requested something in pinks and greens. The pattern I used for the apron was from the book Sew, So Cute. I found the book at my local Joan's on clearance right at the time I was trying to figure out how to make the apron for my partner. Don't you love when things just work out? The pattern for this apron presented a great challenge for me; I had never pieced curves before. Honestly, I didn't think I could do it. But after reading the instructions a few times, I did it! (and it turns out curves are not so scary anymore). I really like the way the apron turned out. To go with the apron I also made a potholder as a little extra for my partner. They are now on their way to their new home. I really hope she likes it.

I hope you are having a wonderful week!

Martha

Pattern Review

Paper piecing... that is how I spent a big part of my Sunday. And oh boy did I have fun! Diane From Blank Pages asked me to test one of her new patterns. I'm utterly delighted to have tested another pattern for her. Diane is extremely talented and all of her designs are incredible. (You might recall of when I reviewed her pattern Illusion here and the mini quilt I made with the block here). This pattern is the latest one on her series My ABCs an alphabet paper piecing pattern. This pattern contains the numbers 0-9 and 19 common punctuation marks and it is to be used along with her previously released alphabet patterns. 

I made the exclamation point, the question mark and the number 5.  Each block finishes off at 3" tall. So I enlarged the punctuation marks to 150%. I wanted them to be a bit larger because I'm going to use the blocks to make a cushion. The number I made it exactly as it is in the pattern and it is so cute! This is a great pattern and all the instructions provided are very concise and even gives instructions for enlarging the pattern. All in all, a great pattern. I can see myself using it over and over again.

Please visit Diane's blog to check out the release date for this pattern  and the link to her store for the rest of her patterns. 

Martha.

Sarting A New Project: The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt

Ever since I became interested in quilting, I have been fascinated with the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt. I thought I will make that quilt some day... However, trying to accomplish this quilt felt a bit daunting: with all the intricate blocks and tiny piecing. But lately I have been thinking;  I will never feel ready unless I try it. And with some encouragement from Beth who started hers a few weeks ago I think I feel ready for the challenge. Well sort of. Let me share a little secret with you: this is not the first time the I attempt to start. Last week I made a few blocks using fabric from my stash, but I figured I wasn't going to have enough to complete the quilt, so I order more fabric. Well, when the new fabric arrived it didn't complement much the fabric that I had already set aside (lesson learned: late night fabric shopping is not for me, lol). So I reconfigured my fabric choices and I made two new blocks today. Yay, for a second start!

I hope you are having a lovely weekend.

Martha.

Purple

Spring has definitely sprung around here.  Everywhere I look the grass is  lush green and many plants are  in full bloom. Though everyone in the Weekend Doings household has to deal with the pesky seasonal allergies, spring continues to be my favorite season. My dog Mona has been having the hardest time (poor thing she is allergic to so many things), so we have to limit the time she spends outside. Luckily, my allergies are a bit more under control and I can still spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the warm and sunny weather. Right now, the wisteria vine, one of my favorite plants in the garden is laden with petty blossoms. When standing under the trellises that support the vines there is a soft purple glow from the sun shining through the purple flowers. I just wish that the lovely purple display lasted longer or even all year. 

XX

Martha

Making Progress...

Hi everyone! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I'm very happy that today I was able to make some progress on my Star quilt: I finished the quilt top and basted it. Yay! It is just a few steps closer from being finished  and put to use. I can't wait...

Martha.

Work In Progress

Happy (belated) Easter! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Today the weather was a bit gloomy around here. The forecast predicted rain all day and while it ended up not raining much we decided to spend the day indoors; thus, lots  of sewing time. I worked on my Star Quit I had started at the beginning of the year. I have been working on this quilt on and off for three months and I feel it is about time I finish it :) I had a few more  blocks to complete. So I went ahead and pieced the last blocks then trimmed and trimmed. Now all of my 56 beautiful blocks are trimmed and ready to be made into a quilt top. Can't wait to finish this one!

Have a lovely week!

Martha.

A Picture ... A Moment

A single feather left behind makes a brief stop before being carried away by the wind. So peaceful and fragile. 

Martha

Double Lemon Cookies

Our lemon trees continue to provide us an endless supply of lemons. So lately it has been all about cooking with lemons. On Sunday I made lemon cookies with a lemon glaze. They are sooo good! Seriously, we can't stop eating them. My husband even called them his favorite cookies (and he is a bit of a tough critic). I used Meyer lemons, one of my favorite varieties. Meyer lemons are not as tart as other lemons and are very fragrant, which makes them a perfect addition to any recipe. However, you can use regular lemons if that is what you have available.

Double Lemon Cookies
Adapted from here. inspired by this.
Makes 12-14 cookies

Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter (3/4 stick) softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup sour cream

Lemon Glaze
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and continue beating. Add vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest and continue beating until well combined. Lower the mixer's speed mixer to low and add half of the flour mixture followed by the sour cream and finish with the rest of the flour.
3. Using an ice cream scoop spoon the batter on to baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
4. In a small bowl combine the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice zest and lemon juice  and stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

Enjoy!

Martha.