Square It Up Quilts

So back in September when I was really just beginning to get into the blog world, I won a contest over at Sew Happy Geek. I won a pattern designed by Jenna of Sew Happy Geek called Square It Up! and the fabric to make it from the Fat Quarter Shop. I haven't really been quilting in about three years. I made but did not finish a baby quilt for Hazel. It is almost done, but I don't know what I'm going to do with it.

Anyway, this pattern went together so quickly and I noticed how the colors of the fabric I won matched my bedroom walls perfectly so I decided to buy more fabric and extend it to be a bed quilt. I shared the pictures of the completed quilt on Friday, (but I put one at the top in case you don't want to go back). The original size quilt top I pictured here. On October 19th, I was honored to guest blog at Sew Happy Geek and I showed three quilt tops at my blog here. While waiting for the fabric to extend the quilt, I decided to make one for Hazel. I had found the perfect center block for her--a Hey Diddle, Diddle square that was suppose to make a pillow. Since it came with two, I also made a baby quilt. I basically did hers and the baby quilt as scrap quilts though I did buy a few more nursery rhyme fabrics to go with my nursery rhyme theme.

Well today, I finished Hazel's quilt. (My shoulders are not very happy about spending so much time bent and pushing the heavy quilts the past week--oh, well.) So today, I'm happy to share some pictures with you. I took the majority of the pictures on the guest bed since the bed rail and all her pillows and the wall make it hard to get a good picture at her bed. Behind the guest bed is the beautiful quilt my mother made me to take to college. It is a family favorite--my father really wants it to hang in their house, so I put it in the guest room they stay in.

And then her bed--she has a cold so we have the wedge pillow on there and what not, but you'll see what looks like.

Now I just need to finish the baby quilt. I also need to add a huge thank you to my mother for helping me back, layer and pin both of these large quilts!! She actually even provided me with the backing fabrics. Thanks, Mom!! I love you!

Baking, Crafting, and Relaxing

Wow, I'm so excited. My followers moved to over 100 yesterday. Thank you!! I feel so honored especially since most of my followers are not my family and friends I met elsewhere--not from Crafty Moms Share. Also we have 90+ posts shared at Sharing Saturday. It is still open, so please go check it out and share something with us. I am always amazed at everything and love to see what wonderful things people are up to. I often try some of them with Hazel as well.

So this weekend, we baked some muffins. We made Banana Blueberry Muffins since we had some overripe bananas to use up. Hazel is a great banana masher.

She also did most of the mixing and helped scoop them into the muffin tins.

Our recipe is pretty low fat and healthy!!

Banana Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oat bran or oatmeal
1/4 cup ground flax seed meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup non-fat milk
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt (I use Greek so it has extra protein)
1 egg
2-3 over ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a muffin pan with foil liners or spray with non-stick spray. (The muffins are moist and will stick to paper liners.)

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

In large bowl beat egg and then add milk, yogurt, bananas and oil and mix. Then add dry ingredients and mix well. Then add blueberries and stir.

Scoop into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes and then cool on rack for 10 minutes before eating.
Makes about 18 muffins.

We also did a craft of sorts. I had been saving a Tropicana juice bottle. I love the shape and thought it would be a fun playhouse for some of Hazel's dolls. I asked Steve to cut a door in it. Then we glued some double folded bias tape around the cut so there wouldn't be any sharp edges. Then we moved Hazel's Caillou figures into it. I think Hazel and I may decorate it more, but it at least gave her a playhouse for the figures.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I know I'm excited to have my quilt done and have been working on Hazel's. And have been enjoying some family time.

Sharing Saturday #2

Thank you to all of you who shared last week!!  We had some last minute entries, so go check them out!

It's Done!! It's Done!!

I finally finished my quilt!! I don't know if you remember this, but I won the pattern and fabric for this quilt, well the smaller version. Once I started working on it, I realized the fabric matched our bedroom paint color perfectly and thought I would expand it to be queen size. I finished the binding this morning before going to Hazel's interview. What do you think?

Come back a bit later for Sharing Saturday!!

Valentine's Day Gingerbread House

So today, we had school then we went and ran some errands including buying Valentine's Day themed candy for our next gingerbread house. We also picked up a jar of strawberry frosting so it would be pink.

I think Hazel liked taking the wrappers off the chocolate hearts because she kept using them.

She really likes just sticking the candy on. She asked me all morning before school to do it and then couldn't wait to do it when we got home.

Ok, I did this side. Hazel looked at it and noticed my wreath. Then she wanted to make one.

So the line on the side of M & M's is her wreath. She didn't quite get how to do it, but who cares. She had fun!

So what do you think of our Valentine's Day Gingerbread House?

Now Hazel is at my mother-in-law's house for the afternoon so I get to go work on (and hopefully finish) my quilt!! I will post pictures of it finished--I promise.

Tomorrow we have a tour (without Hazel) of the nursery room and kindergartens at Hazel's school and then our interview with the nursery teacher (with Hazel) in the afternoon. Such excitement. Hazel is beginning to get excited for it as well. She is talking about going to school without Mommy and needing to be potty-trained before then, which I'm happy to report she is doing pretty well except the setback from the pediatrician wanting a sterile urine sample. We had many accidents for a few days to avoid giving it, but after we got it, she has been doing well. :o)

So something to share: We were asked to view this video before the tour tomorrow. I think you might find it interesting. http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/prescriptionforplay Let me know what you think.