Saturday my quilting friends and I got together and worked on this quilt.  We each had a job to do.  V & I cut the fabric strips Friday night.  Then Saturday, I sewed, V cut the pieced blocks and trimmed the signature blocks after T removed the freezer paper.  S did the pressing.  All the blocks were made by the time they left at 5 and 4 rows sewn together — two of them correctly.

We decided that with the exception of the center row of the quilt which we reserved for T’s family, the rest of the signature blocks could land where they may.  So, I just started sewing from my EQ drawing.  Except, one block was turned wrong and I didn’t follow the design. Thus the two rows stitched together wrong.

After everyone left I was able to get the blocks sewn together correctly and a few rows sewn together.  Some blocks haven’t been returned and T thought a of a few more names she would like to send squares to.  I hope we can get this quilt finished before T’s next birthday.

To see what others are doing, check out the design wall links over at Patchwork Times.

No fabric was purchased nor used from my stash this past week.  But I did get a bit of sewing done.  Friday night I did a bit of quilting on the DWR (all that fabric was counted back in 2009) and then Saturday my friends and I worked on a birthday quilt — but that fabric wasn’t from my stash (pictures tomorrow).

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  53.944 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 1.746 yards

Net Used for the year -52.198 yards

Other stash reports can be seen over at Patchwork Times.

Last night at Stitch and Chat I quilted two of the bottom melons and arcs.   Today, my friends will be over and we are going to work on T’s  birthday quilt.

Other than helping my young friend with her wall hanging, there’s been virtually no quilting going on for the past few weeks.  Which is obvious when you read my blog.  I’ve cooked and I’ve read.  I did wash some shirts with the intent of ‘de-boning’ them, but not having a place for the resulting fabric has somewhat slowed me down.  I think I’ve done two of the shirts.

This weekend I hope to change that.  Friday night is Stitch and Chat at Quilted Memories.  Some of my quilting buddies and I are planning to go.  It’s been a while since I’ve been — maybe October?  I don’t have a machine piecing project that is portable enough to take, so I’m planning on taking my DWR.  It’s been languishing for a while and I want to make some visible progress on it.  It’s on this month’s “Getting It Done!” list.

Then Saturday the ladies are coming over to my house for a day of quilting.  Perhaps these two sessions are just what is needed to get me into gear.

Now I’m off to straighten the sewing room and setup two more tables.  There’s going to be 4 of us in here sewing Saturday!

Last week Judy announced the  “secret ingredient” was Peanut Butter. Since I didn’t think she really wanted a picture of my lunch (I tend to eat a lot of peanut butter – Peter Pan Honey Roasted Smooth).  I started looking for recipes. I knew my young quilting buddy was coming over and she hates peanut butter, so I wanted to see if I could find something she would eat.  The other goal was to find something which I could fix out of my cabinets.  I’m not an adventurous cook.  To give you an example, olive oil is consider exotic in my kitchen.

Back during the holidays I bought some no-bake cookies from the grocery store.  Even though they had chocolate in them, I threw them out before finishing the first cookie.  They were horrible and if I was going to run my blood sugar up I wanted something which tasted good.

I searched the web and ended up combining two recipes to make my cookies.

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 stick butter (I used unsalted)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup oatmeal (I used old-fashioned)

Melt the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a heavy pan.  Once melted and combined, bring to a boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, add the vanilla and stir in peanut butter to melt and combine.  Mix in the oatmeal. Because I used old-fashioned oats I let it sit for 5 minutes before dropping onto wax paper by the spoon full.  Let cool to  setup.  Makes 20.

As I was searching the web, I  found comments about the cookies not setting up and the oatmeal to use.  Apparently the boiling the chocolate mixture for 3 minutes is crucial.  I had no problems with my cookies firming up.  As for the oats, the Quaker Oats website said either old-fashioned or quick would work, but if using old-fashioned to let the mixture set for 5 minutes in the pan.

These are very rich.  I think next time I would leave the peanut butter out – or at least use a  “plain” peanut butter instead of the honey roast.

Check out other peanut butter recipes over at Patchwork Times and find out the next “secret ingredient”.

Judy is hosting a link for what we are reading.  As much as I love to read — have since I was a little girl — I have to say I’m reading too much.  I know this because I’m not quilting!  I really need find some good books on CD.  It’s not as good as reading, but at least I can quilt.

Four or five years ago a friend told me about Diana Gabaldon’s books.  I started listening to them on CDs.  Sometimes it would take months for my name to come up on the list to get the next volume.  I guess it’s been 2 years since I finished listening to An Echo in the Bone.  Talk about a cliff hanger.  I can’t wait for her next book to come out Written in my Own Hearts Blood.

A few months back I spotted two of the books at a garage sale and picked them up.  Then I was on a quest to get all of the books.  The last one I needed to complete my set was ironically the first book of the series Outlander. Naturally I started reading them.  Last night after I finished Drums of  Autumn I started The Fiery Cross.

The things I laughed at when I heard the story I’m laughing at again as I read them (think of a large trout as a weapon).  Also, I’m picking up on things that I didn’t get listening to them.   When a new character is introduced I can’t wait to get to some piece of their story that takes place later.

The book is romance, history, time travel all rolled up in one.  Claire, while on a belated honeymoon in Scotland, is accidentally thrown back in time from 1945 to about 1745.  It’s the story of her survival and more. To read more about the series check out Diana Gabaldon’s website.

I’m linking up to Patchwork Times.

Well, it’s no longer on my wall.  This went home with my young quilting friend yesterday evening.  Last weekend we bought the blue KU and red fabrics.  Between the two of us we fussy cut the blocks. Then  I precut the yellow framing from my stash Thursday night.  It was a good thing because once she got here this past Friday night she was ready to sew.

The framing was completed Friday night, then Saturday she added the red sashing and borders.  The moment she finished the top she was digging in my stash to find a backing fabric.  She had the wall hanging quilted and the label made before going to bed Saturday night.  Sunday morning I bound the quilt and added the hanging “sleeve”.  I put triangles in the top corners and a narrow pocket about 4″ long in the center.  We slipped a 1″ strip of wood through the center and into the corners.  I sent some 3M hooks with the quilt so it could be hung.  She’s giving this to one of her teachers.

To check out what others are working on follow the links over at Patchwork Times.

Very little quilting is being done by me.  The “B” Block for the Alphabet BOM is about it.  But my stash was raided for a bit of framing and backing for my young quilting friend’s wall hanging.  There should be a picture tomorrow. It just needs binding.

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  53.944 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 1.083 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 1.746 yards

Net Used for the year -52.198 yards

Other stash reports can be seen over at Patchwork Times.

It’s time to set my goal for February’s finish.  Since this is a short month I need something which will be quick to finish.  I’ve decided on the Tetris wall hanging. It’s small, I  have the batting and backing ready to go and I have an idea of how I want to quilt it.

To see what others are planning on finishing this month, check out the links at

B is for Basketweave is the second block of Dorothy Young’s alphabet block-of-the-month.  If you wish to quilt along, join the group by clicking on the “Join Now!” button.

Click to join apocketfullofmysteries.

This is also one of the items on my Getting It Done list for February.