SewMod

Red Velvet Cake

December 30, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: christmas, paual deen, red velvet cake, valentines day | by Lorrie | 2 comments

Here’s the recipe I used for the Red Velvet Cake I made for Christmas dinner. It would also be a pretty cake for Valentine’s Day too. Sorry the pic is so washed out.

Of course I used Paula Deen’s recipe. You can’t go wrong with Paula. I did change a few things though.

Cake

2 eggs

2C sugar

2TBSP cocoa

2oz. red food coloring

2 sticks butter

2-1/2C cake flour

1tsp salt

1C buttermilk

1tsp vanilla

½ tsp baking soda

1TBSP vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs; add sugar. Mix cocoa and food coloring. Add to butter and egg mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9” round pans. Bake for 20-25 min, or till tester comes out clean…do not overcook or the cake will be dry.

Icing

16oz. cream cheese, softened

2 sticks of butter, softened

1lb powdered sugar

2C marshmallow cream

Dash of coconut extract

Blend cream cheese and butter. Add marshmallow, sugar, and a dash of coconut to taste.

Red velvet cake is a dense cake…not fluffy.

Enjoy!

The Never Ending Project

December 29, 2010 in quilts | Tags: 30's prints, grandmothers flower garden, hexagons, quilt, scraps, set in seams | by Lorrie | 6 comments

I find that the bad thing about starting a project that lasts quite a while, actually years, is I may have liked it when I began, but now not so much. You take too long and your taste in fabric changes or you’ve past that point where it doesn’t have priority anymore.

I swear this thing is probably 7 years old. My Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt was the perfect thing to do when I was waiting at the orthodontist, waiting for school to let out…waiting, waiting. You know…all those chunks of time where you think…..I could be doing something. Well I was….making about a gazillion little hexagons.

So, what do I do with them now? It occupies 2 drawers that has different projects just dying to take its place. The Flickr group I belong to is hosting a “Git R Done” quilt along and this was the first thing I thought of. I’m committed to freeing this poor project from its lonely home.

I found this pic online that looks like they have set the blocks in a quilt. This would be less daunting than finishing it the way I had started.

I could also use some of them for the sewing boxes in the Etsy store.

Paige found this cute pillowcase idea.

I feel sooo guilty about this project so I have to do something with it.

What do you guys think….suggestions?

Snowbound

December 28, 2010 in quilts | by Lorrie | 3 comments

I’m a list maker. Groceries, quilting, tasks, bills…you name it, I’ll list it.

I make a list at the beginning of each year with all the quilting /sewing projects I would like to accomplish. Of course some things get added, some taken off, but I try to complete the list before the new year rolls around. I actually get kinda excited about making the new list….i know…..nerdy, right?

Which brings me to the title of this post, Snowbound. The free BOM from Bunny Hill. I love Bunny Hill patterns and I love snowmen, so I had to do it! I spent the past 2 days working to try & finish it up.

Well, I ran out of fabric..ugh. And I’ve also changed my mind about the borders now, which is totally typical of me……another ugh…

I didn’t want to use “Christmas” fabric, so I used Riley Blake’s Just Dreamy and some Be Merry for the background. I love that turquoise snowflake background. I think its turning out cute…..maybe, oh I don’t know.

I ran out of the Be Merry words in the chain block, so now I gotta do some searching on Etsy.

Here’s the last 3 blocks I had left to complete.

And here’s the alternating blocks I was going to use.

Although by tomorrow I’m sure I will have completely changed my mind again……my final ugh…..

Christmas Show & Tell

December 27, 2010 in Uncategorized | by Lorrie | 3 comments

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I know I did. I spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas with my friend Susan and her family. The season always seems to just fly by after Thanksgiving, but I’m kinda feeling like I’m glad its over. I’m really excited about the SewMod Etsy store, and now I will be better able to shift all my focus there.

I did want to show you what “Santa” brought me this year…I think you’ll like it.

From my talented mom…….

Can you believe that she made this in just about a month. She asked what I would like and I said this kit. I guess she knows by now that i would have eventually asked her to finish it for me anyway:)….thanks mom. I love it! I just hate to put it away for next fall.

She also sent me the new Amy Butler line Soul Blossoms.

This is what my mom-law sent. She must have been paying attention when I hinted about wanting the Moda Grunge. And this hand carved cardinal was with them.

My neighbors know I love to cook and am always sharing leftovers. I received two awesome cookbooks and a some new tools from Williams Sonoma.There has already been a request for Banana Pie!

Christmas Remembered

December 24, 2010 in Uncategorized | by Lorrie | 3 comments

russell's 8th Christmas

russell's 9th Christmas

Estate Sale Finds

December 23, 2010 in home | by Lorrie | 3 comments

Our SewMod, SuperCool friend Kelly, is one luckie duckie. She recently moved into a loft in the city and left us behind in the suburbs:( So, she decided to have an estate sale and the SewMod group got first pickins’. I wasn’t about to miss that! She had a beautiful townhouse full of things she was selling. I thought I’d share what I brought home to live with me.

Isn’t this the coolest thing. I’ve never seen one of these. It sits beside the couch or bed and holds your work and threads. Then, when you’re finished, you just fold it back up! I wonder how old it is?

I also picked up this old quilt top. You can tell it was all hand stitched and definitely in pretty good condition. Just a few stains and a tear that I could probably repair. I originally brought it home to cut up and use on the sewing boxes I’m making for the shop, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I could just see her………after taking care of her family all day, finding time in the evening to sew on her quilt. Sitting by the fire stitching. Maybe she had one of these sewing “caddies” beside her couch too? I just can’t bring myself to take it apart.

It sounds like I spent too much of my childhood watching Little House on the Prairie:))

This was one of the feed sacks and some wool she had.

Not sure what I’m going to do with this box, but I wanted it too. If my sewing room was bigger, this would be awesome filled with different things, like buttons, thread….stuff like that.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my show and tell! We’ve only got 2 more days till Christmas. I hope everyone’s ready! The only thing I have left is to make is the EggNog and the Red Velvet Cake……….yummmy:)

Have a Happy Christmas Eve y’all!

Embroidery Books

December 22, 2010 in crafts, demos | by Lorrie | 4 comments

I’m pretty excited to show this super cute french embroidery book I ordered off Etsy. Ma vie a broder, My Life Embroidered.

I whipped up one of the designs and used it for a journal cover. The tutorial is from Bloom and was featured on the Moda Bake Shop. The original design was for a bakery, but Paige suggested embroidering our SewMod logo and making it a quilt shop instead. Great idea Paige because it turned out soooo cute. That’s what’s great about brainstorming with a friend!

I’m so glad I bought this book. These designs are so girly. Especially the clothesline scene. I find it’s rare when you love a book from front to finish.

I also plan on purchasing this book too. Doodle Stitching.

But of course, I did check this one out from the library to preview it first. I spent one day this weekend making these headbands. Couldn’t have been easier either. I didn’t get a chance to make the embroidered one in the book because I got hooked on making them out of my scraps.

A 4-1/2″ x 18″ strip of fabric and a 5″ piece of elastic is all you need.

Start by sewing the fabric right sides together down the long edge.

Press the seam open. Turn right side out. Press the headband so that the seam is down the middle of the back.

Fold the ends in 1/4″ and press.

Fold the ends to a “V” and tuck the elastic in. Sew several times across to secure and repeat for the other side, making sure not to twist the headband.

Easy Peasy!

I sent the two OU Sooner ones home to my sis-in-laws to wear during the bowl game.

GO SOONERS!!

Homemade Gifts– Doggie Treats & Marshmallows

December 21, 2010 in crafts | by Lorrie | 2 comments

My friend Susan, The Working Caregiver, came over today to make some homemade holiday gifts. We started with doggie treats for all the pups.

Oatmeal Peanut-Butter Doggie Treats

1/2C oatmeal

1/2C flour

1/2C corn meal

1/2C oil

1-1/2C whole wheat flour

2 eggs

2TBSP vanilla

2TBSP peanut-butter

1-1/2C water*as needed

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl. Make a well and add wet ingredients. Mix and add water in gradually till moist but not wet. Roll onto floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters, we used bitty snowflakes, and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake @400 for 20min. Turn oven off and let them sit in oven for another 20min. to dry out.

Cute cellophane Christmas baggies tied with ribbons!

What pup wouldn’t love these. I know Daisy does:)

Next was the Marshmallows. We followed the recipe from the Paula Deen Christmas magazine.

Lessons learned…easy on the food color! Now I have Barbie pink marshmallows.

And I think next time I’ll not use so much peppermint either….not really my favorite. But, I gotta say, it was easier than I thought. I will definitely make these again next year.

I also made Paula’s Three Chocolate Chip Cookies for the wonderful girls at the Petsmart Hotel who take such great care of Daisy once a week at Doggie DayCamp.

I gifted them in an empty hot chocolate container, covered it with paper, and tied it with cute ribbon.

Doodling Sabbatical…

December 20, 2010 in free motion quilting | by PaigeAlaine | 2 comments

With six days left before Christmas and New Years just around the corner I’m looking forward to a few days off from my day job to quilt of course and to enjoy some relaxing time with my folks and sister and all our pets (3 dogs and a kitty)…so doodling can wait until the new year!

In the meantime, if you get a chance pull together the following supplies and prepare a quilt sandwich for the January 3rd Free Motion Monday – Part 5: Doodling with a Purpose.

Supply List:
1 yard large print fabric (see example below)
1 yard coordinating small print or marble fabric
1 yard batting (medium loft cotton preferred – i.e. Warm & Natural)
Contrasting thread – variegated works well so you can see your quilting lines
Baste sandwich
Quilting Gloves if you like
Darning/Free Motion quilting foot

The other day Lorrie mentioned our “collaborative blog” so far mostly reflects her personality and passions so I decided this weekend to keep my camera handy and snap a few things that captured some of my passions and personality.

I love when sunlight flows thru glass and creates intricate designs. The sun is just about at its lowest angle to the horizon so my entire house was filled with light art. I have a small collection of paperweights see how they sparkle…this one reminds me of an upside down jelly fish!

This one looks like a diamond…

This one has a sun etched into the back of it…check out the dancing ribbon of light just above the it.

This one had shooting flames out the top of the heart…pretty cool!

After playing with the paperweights in my loft I proceeded to my quilt studio in my basement where I have an ensemble of blue bottles…

I must have color – lots of color around me especially during the long cold months of winter!

Of course Kitty also likes to play with light too! She never did catch it :)

Then grandma and grandpa and sis came over today to pick up some Kolachkis (yummy Polish cookies I make once a year) and let the doggies play – and Kitty, well when the doggies come to play she runs for cover…in this case I wonder if she realized we all could see her!!!!

Sophie is my 5 1/2 year old lab mix rescue dog – she is the sweetest and always wants to go for a walk!

And finally, a few pictures of my holiday decorations – NOTHING like Lorrie’s -she does have the knack…and yes, that is a Cactus Christmas tree with Christmas tree ornaments – ok, a little different but I do love Arizona!!!

And what do you think of my present wrapping?!

Santa did a early drive by last Sunday – see…he really does exist !!! :)

Happy Monday!

Paige

Fabric Friday

December 17, 2010 in Uncategorized | by Lorrie | 1 comment

I’m fond of Heather Mulder Peterson’s fabric and books. If you haven’t checked out her blog, Trends and Traditions, head on over and take a look. She has a beautiful home that she’s decorated with a lot of her quilts and fabrics. It just might inspire you to decorate with some of your quilts too.

I’ve made lots of projects from her books & here is a table runner I made recently with her line Rebel Roses.
I also have some of her fabrics from Sanibel and the Christmas line At Home For The Holidays. So, I was excited to hear aabout the new one coming out called Artful Home. Here’s some pics I pulled from her site.

Aren’t they awesome. I love the brown & blue one and the red floral print. Got to get me some of this. It doesn’t hit the stores till late March though, which gives me plenty of time to figure out what to make with it.

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Hi – those are gorgeous fabrics Lorrie – I want them all too and especially when the browns and blues are mixed together which leads me to my fabric pick for today…Etchings in Silvery Moon by Studio E Fabrics. The blues, grays and silvers reminded me of the wintery sky, fresh layer of snow and the bitter cold we are having. Makes me want to snuggle under a quilt sipping hot chocolate next to a crackling fire – wow, a little corny but I think I’m finally accepting its Winter!