Color Challenge For May, Easy Potatoes O'Brien And A Month Distracted

 

First I have to show off May's Color Challenge block. Yes! I was last months block ambassador for Jen's Monthly Color Challenge and I'm doing it again this month!!! Her patterns are very beginner friendly and come together quickly, which for me is a plus since I'm such a slow sewer! This month block is brown and Potatoes is the produce that goes with it! I'm using batiks in brown and cream, just like a potato!

Did you ever look at a block and think that would be cool as a quilt? That's what I thought of this block. So I got on EQ8 and played around and here is the results!!!

I love it when one block can give you so many extra designs! I may have to make this quilt!!! To get the instructions for this block visit Jen's blog. The pattern is free for the month and you still can get previous months for $1 each block! Not bad!!! Just head to Jen's blog!

May Bloggers

Bea - Bea Quilter

Kathy - Kathy's Kwilts N More

Raylee - Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

Andi - True Blue Quilts

Crystal - DayBrook Designs

Ashli - Quilt 2 End Alz

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Sponsors

Jen has gathered together a bunch of wonderful sponsors. They are broken down into quarters and winners are chosen quarterly; April 1, July 1, Oct 1 and Jan 1, 2022. To enter you simply add your block to the Link Up at the end of each month. One entry per quilter and it needs to be the block from the current month. Finish each month and you will have 3 entries each quarter and at the end of the year you'll have a wonderful quilt!!!

Dragonfly's Quilting Design Studio - Goodie Bag*

Bea Quilter - PDF Pattern

For the Love of Geese - PDF Pattern

True Blue Quilts - Book: Monochromatic Quilts Amazing Variety*

Make Modern Magazine - 6 month subscription

Island Batik - Fat Quarter Bundle*

Benartex - Fabric Bundle*

Quilters Dream Batting - 60 x 60 Dream Poly*

The Warm Company - 90 x 108 Warm and Plush 100% Cotton

Appliques Quilts and More - $10 gift certificate

Fat Quarter Shop - Gift Certificate

DayBrook Designs - 2 PDF Patterns

Patterns By Jen - Tucker Trimmer 1® ruler*

Those marked with * are for US residents only. Prize laws vary throughout different countries.

Potatoes O'Brien

I make these on a sheet pan and in the oven set at 500.

 Southern style O'Brien Hash browns (I use Walmarts Great Value brand)

1 Tbls melted butter

Olive Oil

2 Tbls Italian Seasoning

Paprika

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

 

1. Spread the Hash Browns in a single layer on a baking sheet and pre-heat oven to 500.

 

2. Melt the butter and add olive oil to make about 1/2 cup. Mix in Italian Seasoning.

 

3. Drizzle the melted butter mix on the hash browns to cover evenly. Mix the hash browns and butter and spread it back out. If there is dry areas you can you a little olive oil.

 

4. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes or until the desired crispness, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes.

If I'm in a hurry I will skip step 2 and put slices of butter on the layer of hash browns then sprinkle with seasonings. After about 5 minutes I stir up the potatoes and spread them back out.

 

 

Now for my distraction... Let's just say I had a very confusing month! I had no idea what day it was! I didn't get many blocks done, but I did sew! I joined with a group on Instagram (< follow me!) and they were having a month long sew a long of Tilda Dolls. I never heard of them, but I had a wonderful time making these little dolls!

 

My first one is this cow...so cute!

Here is my second one. I had to make it look like my Duke!!!

Duke doesn't like when I take pictures of him with my phone! Which made for funny pics of him!!!

I did make a pair of overalls for "Duke" too along with a bandana. Then I made Tilda's Beach Bella.

Here are all three, but there is more that are in different stages of completion. You can find the patterns for these three and many more at Tilda's World just go to the Free Pattern tab. She has quilts, pillows too. Each cuter than the other!!!

I hope your month was more organized than mine! But the next few months don't look much better for me! We plan on moving soon!

 

Sheila

Color Challenge Block for April And Cranberry Salad

Hi ALL!!! This is my month to make and blog about April's block! And this year we are posting a recipe to go with the block!!! How fun! 

To get the pattern for this and all the blocks head to Jen's blog. But don't leave me yet!!! This months block is red and the theme is cherries. Yes I know my title says Cranberry Salad, but it uses cherry jello! So let's get started...

Here is my block.

I love how easy it was to put together and how nice it turned out! Since I used two shades of red I used Aurifil #2265 Lobster Red when piecing it together. This way I don't see the Dove grey thread (Aurifil #2600) I usually use when piecing peeking through here and there.

Here are the other bloggers. Make sure you head to Jen Shaffer for the blocks instructions!

 

Jen Shaffer    Patterns By Jen

Kathy Nester     Penny For My Thoughts

Kris Driessen     Scrap Dash

Joanne Hubbard     Everyone Deserves A Quilt

Raylee Bielenberg     Sunflower Stitcheries

Andi Stanfield     True Blue Quilts

Crystal Drummond     Day Brook Designs

Sarah Myers     Quilted Diary

Ashli Montgomery    Quilt 2 Endalz

Join the fun and don't forget to visit all the wonderful sponsors!  

For some reason I'm having issues loading  links, but if you to

Jen's blog she has a complete list of the sponsor HERE. 

And now for the Cranberry Salad recipe! My mom made this every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas to have with our turkey. I don't know about the rest of the grocery stores, but I buy the jello in October because I can never find cherry jello in November or December! Maybe because this is a small town or this is a more common recipe than I thought!

Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

1 small box Cherry Jello

1 can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

3/4 cup Hot Water

1/3 cup Cold Water

1/2 cup Chopped Celery

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

Directions:

1. Mix hot water and jello until dissolved. 

2. Add cold water and let it cool. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Put it in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes then stir and return to the refrigerator for another 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to stir every 15 to 20 minutes until it thickens.

4.  It's best to make it the day before so it has plenty of time to set and chill!

I hope you join in and get a chance to win these great prizes! Don't forget to visit Jen's blog for this months block, all the other bloggers to see how they made the block and get their recipes and of course visit the sponsors!!!! And I hope you have enjoyed my post, take a look around (many post with dogs!), stay awhile and I would love if you followed my little blog!

See ya soon!

Sheila

It's October! OMG For October And A Finish!

Happy October! How's the weather in your world? It's chilly here. Wonderful for cozying up with a quilt and watching some old TV shows. But who has time for that! There are quilts to be made, binding to be added, designs to be put to paper and quilting to be done!

 

For this months OMG I would like to finish my Jelly Snowflake. The Fat Quarter Shop ran the quilt-a-long in July and Pat Sloan is running it again. I wanted to do the QAL when the Fat Quarter Shop was running it, but I had a few too many projects going. But then I always have too many projects in the works! ahahaha I wouldn't have it any other way! When Pat said she was running the QAL again I figured now was a good time. She started it September 8 and ran until October 6. I know, only a few days left and I only have the first blocks done and over half of the second blocks done. I decide to change them a little and it caused more work, but I don't mind and it makes it even more unique. I also plan on changing the other blocks too, so I know I won't get it done by the 6th! I do plan on having it pieced by the end of the month though! That's my goal! 

 Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal October Link-up

 

On the finished side...

 Kitty and Pumpkin, my design that I started last year! I put it aside since I didn't complete it for Halloween and so many other projects  awaited my attention. Now I'm waiting for a wall mounted quilt rack to hang it up on. I plan on using the rack to hang small holiday and seasonal quilts on. I guess I better get busy making more wall hangings!

I enjoyed quilting it. I added texture like hairs  on the kitty, veins in the leaves and swirls in the sky to give movement. I put buttons for the pumpkins eyes and filled in the mouth except for the lower part to give the look of a tongue. I used Aurifil thread in 2692-Black, 2890-Very Dark Grass Green, 2135-Yellow, 2235-Orange, 2425-Bright Pink,  2715-Robin Egg and the bobbin thread was 2600-Dove. 

I've also linked up with For The Love Of Geese and her Put Your Foot down! Join in, it's on Thursdays!!! And Free Motion Mavericks!!!

 

Time to get back to designing my next wall hanging!! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Sheila

October Color Challenge!

 This is my month of Jen's Color Challenge! This month is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet or the color olive green.

This is a wonderful block and not as hard as you might think! I think a whole quilt of this block in different colors would be so beautiful!

I like to match up the threads to each months block so that if I decide to quilt it with the coordinating threads I already know what colors I need. My go to thread is Aurifil 40wt. The bottom thread color is 2887 Very Dark Olive and the second is 2890 Very Dark Grass Green, but I think 2892 Pine would be a better match. Sounds like a good reason to buy more thread!

Head to Jen's blog to get the directions for this months block and then to the other fine quilters for their blocks

Jen Shaffer of Patterns By Jen

 

Fawn Benzing of Quilty Creations By Fawn

Roseanne Nelson of Home Sewn By Us

Stephanie Jacobson of Steph Jacobson Designs

 Alla Bianca of Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes

 Kathy Bruckman of Kathy's Kwilts And More

Kathy Nester of Penny For My Thoughts 

Joanne Hubbard of Everyone Deserves A Quilt 

 

Sponsors October thru December

Said With Love - PDF Pattern

For The Love Of Geese - PDF Pattern 

P&B Textiles - Fabric Bundle of over 60 fat quarters

Quilters Dream Batting - Dream Blend - 70% Cotton 30% Poly - 60" x 60"

Warm Company - Warm and Plush - 45" x 60"

Warm Company - 1 package of Lite Steam -A- Seam 2

Island Batik - 3 1/2 yards of assorted fabric

Patterns By Jen - Superior Thread S-Fine 50

Patterns By Jen - PDF Pattern

Wow those are some great sponsors! So don't forget to share your block for a chance to win.

I hope your October is wonderful! See you later!

Sheila

March's OMG

I'm so excited to finally get my OMG in on time!!! I love playing along because it helps me stay focused on what I need to work on. Otherwise I'm chasing squirrels!

This month I have two projects that need to get completed. The one I'll be focused on is my Cutting Corners Quilt by Missouri Star Quilt Company (Here is the video tutorial) I started about a week ago using River Valley by Island Batiks, aren't they scrumptious! The solid is Bella Solids in Prussian Blue. I'd like to have it completed and ready to give the vet when I get to bring Indy home, more on that at the end of this post. But mainly I want to have the top done. It's going pretty quickly and getting it actually quilted depends on my second project I need to complete this month, fixing up a wall in the garage to spray baste my quilts on instead of crawling around the floor. If you're one of the few that follow my blog you may remember I hurt my knee the beginning of the year and though it's feeling better I don't want to tempt fate and try to crawl on the concrete floor. Plus it's still a cold floor and the thought of being on it doesn't give me a whole lot of ambition to get my quilts basted! This project will go better if my hubby helps and since I can't guarantee he'll be able to help I won't use it as my OMG. 

Here is pictures of my Cutting Corners blocks I have done so far.

Now for the update on Indy. If you are interested in what has happen so far go here. He had to have a third surgery on his left leg because he started pulling out the inner stitches again. This time they put a rod to help hold his leg in line, because of this he will be staying at the vets for 6 weeks. It's going to be a looong time away from my fluffy baby! They got a cart for him to help him exercise his leg without putting too much weight on it. They also have a water treadmill to help in his rehab. But what is really amazing is the Doc has capped our bill from the second surgery so the third was done at no charge!

Here's a picture of Indy and me at our last visit.

I hope you're March is wonderful and you make a lot of progress on your projects!

Sheila

OMG! I Missed Out!

I always think I have more days than I actually do! Do you do that too?

I have a few projects I've fallen behind on so it was a toss up of what I wanted to get caught up in. I chose Seeing Stars by Butterfly Threads. I have months 1 and 2 done and a couple of month 3s blocks completed. This past Thursday she released the 6th months block.

Here is what I have so far...

Don't you love the batiks! They are by Edyta Sitar, I love everything she touches!!! 

I'm hoping to be caught up so that when next months blocks are released I'm ready! 

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal February Link-up.

I love linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts! It motivates me to get my projects done!!! Check out her page and try it out!!! Hopefully I can get my blog posted in time next month.

See ya later,

Sheila