Saturday, October 29, 2011

Meatball Soup

These Fall days are among us and it is starting to get colder, rainy, snowing at places, burrrr.  What's better to serve your family on a cold blustery day, but a bowl of homemade soup. Soups usually don't take long to make, they can simmer all day on the stove or in a crock pot., and are very good for you.   That leaves all day for quilting!!  I make all kinds of different soups, but this is one of our favorites for a damp day.  


Meatball Soup



1  Cup uncooked spiral or shell pasta
32  -  1 to1 1/2 inch round meatballs  ( I prefer my own but you can use frozen)
2  Cans (14 1/2  ounces each) Chicken Broth
1  Can (28 ounces) Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1  Can (32 ounces) Mixed Vegetables
1  Can (16 ounces) Kidney or Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
1  Can (26 1/2 ounces) Delmonte Spaghetti Sauce (plain)
1  Jar (4 1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained

Cook pasta according to package directions.   Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a soup kettle or Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Drain the pasta and add to your soup.  Simmer till heated thoroughly. 



The next best thing that goes with your soup is a loaf of homemade bread.  I make Honey Wheat Bread, that is our favorite. I put a little molasses on and dip it into my soup broth. uuummm good!





So what do you make on a cold, rainy, snowy day?

Happy Quilting......Have a Great Day!





Check my website gallery for more selections: http://janesquilting.com

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

History of Cotton

This is the time of year that the cotton fields are harvested.  We were driving yesterday down to Jackson and seen cotton all over the road.  (The pieces that were blown out of the truck)  It made me wonder when and where did the United States start making their own cotton fabric?


I went a digging and I found that the United States got it's first Cotton Textile plant in 1792.  This plant was located in Pawtucket, Rhoad Island. It was Samuel Slater that started this first yarn spinning Mill.  Then one year later in 1793, Eli Whitney and Hogden Holmes designed and simplified the method of removing cotton lint from the seed.  This revolutionized the cotton industry by increasing the productivity of Cotton Ginning.   (Before this the cotton fabric was imported here, mostly from England and France.)


Then in 1800 the south started growing the cotton and exported the cotton to England and up to the north to the Cotton Gins



The inexpensive and washable cottons opened up a new creativity in quilt making.  Patch work emerged in the early 1800's and so it began.










                                                 

The Nine Patch, Sawtooth, Star, Pinwheel, and Flying Geese were some of the earlist patterns.  Quilt making then started to become more widespread.









WOW....We sure came a long way, Didn't we?

Happy Quilting..........Have a Great Day!
                         






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Friday, October 21, 2011

Tri Fold Wallets

Want to have some fun with Fat Quarters and some of your stash?  I have been making Tri Fold Wallets for Christmas presents.  They are a lot of fun and easy to make.  I bet you already have all the materials right in your room, waiting to be used.



Materials needed are:

          2  -  Fat Quarters
          1  -  7"  Zipper  
          Interfacing
          7 1/2" X 12   Batting
          Buttons
          Velcro  (I use 1/2" square)


To start you will need two 7 1/2" X 12 " rectangles, one for the outside and one for the inside.


Then cut one 7 1/2" X 4 3/4" ,  one 7 1/2" X 5 1/2"  and one 7 1/2" X 6 1/4"  These are the credit card holders.
(you will also need interfacing of the same size of each of your three cuts for strength.)  Press them all and put the interfacing on the wrong side of your rectangles.  Fold each one in half lengthwise:



Press (I use a little spray starch to make a crisp fold)  then place them all together and set aside till later.



Next, cut four 7 1/2"  X  7" squares.  I cut one with the fabric I am using for the outside and the other three from the material I am using for the inside.  You also need to cut two squares the same size for interfacing.  Next, lay one square right side down, then the interfacing and another square right side up, press.  Fold in half length wise and press again.  (Again I use spray starch.)  This is your change compartment.    


Sew a 7 inch Zipper to each of the folded sides.  



I then fold and square up with a ruler if necessary.  Cut a strip 2" X 7 1/2"  fold and press ( like binding) and sew on the bottom making sure to catch all the ends.  Set aside.

Next, cut one 7 1/2" X 7" square of the outside material, and one of interfacing.  Lay the interfacing on the wrong side and press both.  Fold in half  length wise and press.  (Again I use spray starch)  
Then cut a strip 2" X 7 1/2"  and make a binding strip.  Attach to the folded side.  This is your dollar pouch.



Now it is time to put it all together.  First place you bill fold on one side of the back panel.  (Make sure your back panel is right side up.)  I then baste it on along the outer edge to secure. 

Then place your credit cards on the opposite side.  Measure your middle, mark a line and sew to divide in half.  Again I baste along the outside to hold in place.  


Next, center your Change compartment in the middle with the zipper toward the bill fold.  Sew along the binding strip to hold in place.  Open the zipper and also sew along the zipper on the inside.  This will hod your change compartment place.  


Lay your outside rectangle wrong side down, place batting on top, then your inside. 

Now cut your binding out.  Cut two strips 2" X 7 1/2" for either end, and two strips 2" X 14" for the sides.  Fold and press to make the binding.  Then attach to the inside starting on the two smaller ends.


Sew carefully along the edge of the binding.  Attach the two sides in the same manner.  I put a credit card in the credit card holder as a guide to make sure I do not sew the binding in too far.  Once I have it pinned, I remove the card and sew.  

After the binding is sewn on, turn and pin to the front side, make your corners neat and square.  I hand sew it to the outside for a neater look doing the blind stitch.

Fold and add your Velcro to the center inside the bill fold and on top of the credit card at the edge, that way when the wallet is folded, it will stay closed.  

You are now ready to add a decorative button or buttons or whatever you wish for decoration.  


Have fun and if anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  I sure would like to see your wallets.

Happy Quilting..........Have a Great Day!



Check my website gallery for more selections: http://janesquilting.com

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Fall Expressions

The leaves are turning beautiful shades of orange, reds, yellows, etc.  It is officially Fall and with Fall comes the colder nights.  So, I bought some beautiful fall colored flannel material and made this quilt.



 I got our all my books and magazines and just didn't come up with a pattern that so called "Grabbed me"  So, I lined up all my fabric and started drawing different blocks.  



I decided to go with a 3 " half square triangle, two  1 1/2"  squares and a  1/2" X 3 " rectangle. Then sewed two of each of them together to make a 6 inch block.



But I went a little farther and added 4 of them together to make one 12 inch block.  Kind of like this:



The rest was easy, just made as many as I could with the fabric I had, leaving enough for the boarder.  I decided a pieced boarder would look best.  So I cut two 1/21" X 4 1/2" strips and then in the corners I made four 2 1/2" squares.

Flannel is easy to work with.  I used a medium weight batting and got a neutral shade of flannel for the backing.  

I got the top completed just in time for the arrival of my new long arm machine.  I had sooo many problems with my old one, I got a new one.  I was thrilled.  Well, as any new owner would do, I played with it for over a day.  Trying all kinds of different patterns and techniques that this machine would do.  I was very excited to say the least, still am.  So I then put the flannel top, backing and binding on the frame and quilted it.  Being my first, I did the stipple pattern for I am very familiar with it.  Next time, I am going to experiment on something different.   Oh, what fun!!!

I hand sewn a Dark green binding on and a label.  It is so soft, comfy and warm, perfect for on the sofa.  The finished size is 581/2" X 65".



Everyone needs at least one flannel quilt.

Happy Quilting...........Have a Great Day!!



Check my website gallery for more selections: http://janesquilting.com

Friday, October 14, 2011

WINNER

And the WINNER of the "MY MEMORIES SUITE" DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING PROGRAM IS:    (drum roll please...............)

                     " JODI  "


Congratulations to Jodi.........


It is ashame I had so many problems with the blog.  For some reason I quit receiving comments on the first blog.  Thank goodness it is fixed now.  So the number picked went like this:   The next number in line after the first blog, became the first number of my Facebook comments, then that last number was the first number of the second blog.   WHEW!  I would like to have more giveaways in the future.  I sure hope that this does not happen again.    This was soooo bad, I am sorry for any inconvenience to anyone.   The contest was fair and picked randomly.  Number 13 was the number chosen, which was JODI.  She will receive an e-mail from My Memories very shortly.  


OK I have just recieved a new long arm quilter yesterday, so I really would like to go play, 


Thank you  to everyone who entered and helped with my blog.  I really appreciate it.  You all have been so kind.


Again, CONGRATULATIONS to Jodi, I wish you lots of fun with your new program.


 Happy Quilting everyone.........    





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Friday, October 7, 2011

My Memories Giveaway----Revised.

I must apologize to everyone, I am soooo sorry.  For some reason, I cannot receive comments here on my blog.  I did not realize it until early this morning.  I have been trying VERY HARD to fix this problem.  But, I do not understand the concept of this blog.  Anyway, I cannot fix it, I need help.

Due to this problem.....I am extending the contest till OCTOBER 15th.  To enter follow the previous blog, you can still enter 5 times.  BUT instead of leaving a comment here....Leave your comments on my FACEBOOK  page.  For those that have already entered....You do not have to enter again.  I will start the number of my Facebook entries at the next number, that would have been a comment.


AGAIN,  I am soooo sorry, Please don't let this change your mind in entering the contest.  This is a Great Program!  I know that anyone crafty in anyway, would love this program and have a lot of fun using it.


(Oh, and anyone know how I can fix my blog to receive comments again....Please send me an e-mail and let me know how to fix this.   Thank you)

Happy Quilting.........Hope you are having a better day than I am.









Check my website gallery for more selections: http://janesquilting.com