Girlfriend Time

Hello Woolies!

Have you had a “Sew Day” with a friend lately?  It has been a very long time since I have been able to spend a day creating and sewing with a friend.  Now, I am not feeling sorry for myself, but I am still glowing from just a few hours spent sewing with my sistah friend Jeanette on Friday.  Jeanette and I are both quilt pattern designers and we love picking each other’s brains for ideas.  Since I have “closed out” the majority of cotton print fabrics in the shoppe, I have a surplus of beautiful Civil War prints that are screaming for a beautiful scrappy project.  I thought of pinwheels and hexagons and all kinds of patterns that are great for scrappy projects.  So many of them require yardage of background fabrics and I wanted to challenge myself to try to use what I have.   Jeanette had a perfect idea and we began selecting and cutting 2 ½” strips.  She became the instructor and I was the student…so stinkin’ much fun!!  (There are times when it is great to not be in charge!!!)  Using a nifty Dresden template, we cut the pieces and began stitching them together.  The photo below will show how we are using 20 different prints and how beautifully and scrappy they work together.  A great way to use your stash and in our case, construct, cut and offer a kit for this beautiful Dresden project.  We will be cutting this project and offering it as a kit.  A perfect NEXT giveaway item……………………….August 17^th we will draw for a winner of this kit.  Be sure to sign up!  And, if you are interested in purchasing a kit, stay tuned as we reveal more of the project and the price of the kit.

 

Since July has been “Snowman” month, this Friday we will present the last special snowman themed project.  This one is my design and even though in my head I had a design that I was going to call “Snowball Fight” I ended up with a design called “Laughing Snowballs.”  This kit will be offered two ways……………

1.      For those of you that have made or are making the Flag Stand Penny Rugs, we will offer a kit that is just the right size to fit on your Flag.

2.    It is also offered as a kit for a finished Penny Rug

You can stop by the shoppe and pick up a kit or order a kit by contacting Carrie at carrie@starrypinespatterncompany.com   She would be happy to ship a kit to you.

 

My real sistah Lori who lives in Omaha recently sent me a recipe.  Now, if Lori sends a recipe, you know it is good.  In fact, she said that you want to sit down with a gallon of cold milk and eat this whole  Peach Pound Cake and then she said…..”just ask me how I know that.”  Here in Colorado we are blessed with some of the most incredible peaches.  This would be a great recipe to try out and if you are trying to consume more calcium….sounds to me like a great reason to drink some milk……Enjoy!

Lori’s Peach Pound Cake

1 c. Butter or Margarine, softened

3 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

3 c. flour

½ t. salt

2 c. peaches, peeled and chopped

6 eggs at room temperature

½ t. almond extract

¼ t. baking soda

½ c. sour cream

Glaze

1 c. sifted powdered sugar

½ t. vanilla

3 T. warm water (use less if too watery)

½ t. almond extract

Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit bottom of a 10” tube pan.  Grease and flour pan, put in paper, crease and flour paper.

In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.

In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Add to creamed mixture.  Fold in sour cream and peaches, pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 for 70 minutes or until a stick of dry spaghetti inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from pan and dry on a wire cake rack, cool and glaze,.

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, warm water and almond extract.  Place cooled cake on a plate.  Pour glaze over top of cake, leave on rack at room temperature to set.

Have a great Week!!

Mini Moments by Savannah……………..

I am really excited because my Tee Tee has taught me how knit a ruffled scarf.  It is pretty easy and of course adorable!  You can buy the yarn at your local yarn or craft store! You wouldn’t believe how fun it is. I am also excited today because I am going to my second dance camp called Intensives. It is four days of dancing for four hours each day.  It is so fun! I do a different kind of dance each hour. I learn a dance in each class. And I perform at the end. Of course after the camp is done I am tired, but stronger in everything!