a winner!

Time to draw a winner.  Wonder who in the world will win...

Hold on.  Gotta interrupt the girls' documentary on George Washington.  I'm sure they'll hate that.

She can't take her eyes off the screen....

Well, what do you know??

Mary Beth Avent!  

You win the Fall table runner give-away!  I'll deliver it to you in the next couple days!

Thanks for all forty-nine entries!  

Love,

Pumpkin Patch

It's that time of year again!  Difficult to believe that Fall is nearly upon us, but here we are in September already.

I realized last week that I hadn't done a give-away since Valentine's Day.  No good!  So I gathered up a few quilting magazines and began searching for the perfect Fall Give-Away pattern.  This one looked like it would be fairly simple to stitch up and quilt by machine.  I started it on Saturday and finished the binding last night.

With a couple of pumpkins and a corn cob at each end, this festive table runner is sure to brighten someone's autumn table.  It measures 16 X 33 inches.

Let me know if you'd like to win it.  Just leave me a comment right here, email me, or holler at me on Facebook.  I'll draw a name next week.  

Love,

Looking Forward to Fall

As the carefree days of summer begin to wane and school books beckon our attention, the dreams of cooler weather, bright azure skies, and frosty nights begin to fill my thoughts.  It's difficult to believe that Fall is nearly upon us.  Fall--that break from the sweltering summer temperatures when the need for a long-sleeved shirt or light sweater reminds us that we will soon be visited by winter's unforgiving cold.  Fall--the last hurrah from nature's paintbox before the earth settles down for a long winter's sleep.  Fall--when the trees and flowers parade their scarlet and golden splendor as a testimony to God's limitless creativity.

Today I picked up this  table topper to work on after setting it aside for over six months.  I started it for our table last fall and then shelved it when life got busy with preparations and sewing for Kyle and Caleb's rooms.  Honestly, I had totally forgotten about it until today when I starting thinking about Fall stitching.  I found it tucked away in a stack of unfinished projects, lacking only a little hemstitching and the final quilting.

This little piece of stitchery is one that I believe captures the mood of the Fall season.  The center consists of small squares in rich autumnal hues, a mixture of lights and darks.  Each end sports chunky flowers, leaves, and berries hemstitched in matching tones.  I'm planning to complete it this week.  Then I plan to give it away to one of you.  Truth be told, I'd love to keep it, but I want to have a Fall give-away and I don't have enough time to start something else.  I need to commence the Christmas stitching!!

I'm aware that Fall doesn't officially begin until September 23rd.  However, my plan is to draw a name on September 1st.  That at least gets us in the correct month, right?  If you'd like to be in the drawing, all you have to do is say so!

(I can assure you that Bella is not dreaming of cooler weather.)

Back to stitching!

Love,

Apple Pandowdy

We came home from Sky Top Orchard with a peck of apples.  One peck of apples is a lot of apples!  We've munched a few right out of the bags.  And I have plans to cook up a big pot of apple butter with some of them.

For a quick delicious dessert, it doesn't get much better than this Apple Pandowdy.  It's sort of like an apple pie, but easier to make, because the biscuit-like topping is mixed and spread over the apples in the pan.

Apple Pandowdy...doesn't it sound just like a treat Grandma would have made?

Peel four large apples.  I put Holly on that.

Slice the apples and top with the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Mix up the dough and lay it on top of the apples.

Bake 45 minutes until golden brown.

***************

Apple Pandowdy

• 4 large apples
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter

****

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup milk

Peel, core, and slice apples into bottom of greased 8X8-inch baking pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Dot with the 2 T butter.  Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Cut in the 6 T butter.  Add milk to make soft dough.  Take out small pieces of dough and press between the palms of your hands.  Lay on top of apples, pressing dough together to form one big piece.  (It sounds dumb, but it works.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cut into squares and turn upside-down to serve.  Top with whipped cream or ice cream.  Serves 8.

Have a beautiful week!

Love,

Some Girls Have All the Luck!

Abby and I set out today on a mission to hunt down the perfect candle to accompany the mat in this Fall Give-Away.  Before completely overloading our olfactory senses with sweet, spicy, flowery scents, we settled on a wonderful Laura Ashley Pumpkin Nutmeg soy candle.

After tossing all 30 entries into a bowl, I asked Lacy to draw a name.

Rochelle, you won the candle and mat!  Some girls really do have all the luck and I'd have to say that yours is running really high right now.  The rest of you may remember that Rochelle is the only person to correctly guess Baby Saint's name.  And to top it all off and make it super fun, Rochelle and my brother, Doug, and their three boys are stopping by for a visit this weekend on their way from their home in Alabama to North Carolina.  So she can pick up her brownies from the name-game contest and her candle/mat all in one fell swoop, saving me a bunch on shipping.

I promise I didn't rig this drawing....

Keep an eye out for the annual Christmas Give-Away coming up at the end of next month.  I have no idea yet what it will be, but I'll try to make it something really special.

Love,

Swirling Leaves

Simple and sweet decribes this candle mat I dreamed up for my Fall give-away.  Homespun checks combined with blanketstiching and swirling leaves give it a warm, cottagy feel.  If you'd like to win this little 12-inch quilted mat, leave a comment here, or on my Facebook, or email me.  I'll draw a name randomly sometime next week. 

 

Love,

October Family Weekend and Fall Give-Away

Oh, my!  It's October already!  The first weekend in October we always celebrate with Tom's side of the family in north Georgia for our fabulous weekend reunion.  This year's theme: Russia/Ukraine.  More on that and pics to follow.

Time to update you on the Baby Saint status.  Abby had a sonogram last week and learned that the baby is a BOY!  So very excited about our new little grandson expected in late February. 

World, meet Kyle Brinson St.Clair

My sister-in-law, Rochelle, guessed his name on her first try.  So, she's the winner of the name game give-away.  Rochelle, you have a pan of chocolate brownies coming your way shortly!

Speaking of give-aways.  It's time for Laura Lee's Fall Give-Away.  I have this one almost finished.  I think you'll love this sweet quilted candle mat with traditional fall motifs.  Leave me a comment here or on Facebook or email me if you want to be entered in the drawing to win it.  Pics of the mat (approximately 12 inches diameter) coming very soon, hopefully tomorrow. 

I also wanted to show you the matryushkas or traditional Russian nesting dolls that Lacy crocheted for our weekend.  These are so precious!  Lacy, you outdid yourself again!  (There's a cute little baby one that doesn't show up unless you click on the picture.)

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy these beautiful fall temperatures wherever you are!

Love,

Fall Mosaic

Glimpses of Fall Happiness!

Love,

Gingerbread

I don't know about you, but these cooler days make me want to warm up the oven and bake a spicy dessert. So the other day, my girls and I got busy and whipped up a batch of gingerbread for the family.

Not to brag or anything, but this is could possibly be the most delicious gingerbread I've ever put in my mouth. It's really that good!

So why don't you open up your cupboard, grab your ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and molasses, and give this fragrant, spicy cake a whirl? I bet your family will love it, too!

I always have plenty of help.

Plenty

We sprinkled it liberally with powdered sugar while it was hot from the oven.

And served it up on pretty plates.



Gingerbread

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 cups unbleached flour (King Arthur's is best)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup hot water

Mix oil, sugar, egg, and molasses. Add dry ingredients and hot water. Mix well. Pour into a 7X11 inch (or 8-9 inch round) baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Good girl, Bella. I'll share mine with you.

Love,
Laura Lee

And the Winner Is....

I decided to do things a little differently this time. I numbered all the entries in the order in which I received them, with a total of 28. Then, I went to Random.com and used their random number generator. The winning number was 19.

Lea Rainey Bessey, you won the quilt!!!

Oh, this is so fun! Lea and I have just recently reconnected via Facebook. We went to high school together in Warner Robins, GA. But actually, we didn't know each other until we attended Middle Georgia College in the fall of 1980. Wow! What fun, freshman-year memories those are! I dug through some old photos to find one of Lea and me. The only one I found was at a Halloween party; I was a gypsy and Lea was a zombie. Lea, how much will you pay me to keep that one off the World Wide Web?

Old friends have the best blackmail photos, don't you know?

Lea, I'll be packaging up the little quilt along with some fun fallish things and sending them out to you in a hurry!

I'll leave you all with my favorite quotes from your comments and emails.

• .... that nip in the air and the crispness in the blue sky.
• ...the crunchy loud sounds of the freshly fallen leaves when we go tromping through the woods...
• I think of fall as the last blast of party time before God settles his world down for a long winter's sleep.
• ...the geese flying overhead in a perfect V, honking and calling out, announcing to everyone that cooler weather is coming...
• I am reminded of God's love for me when I see his creation!
• ...delicious pies dusted with cinnamon and cloves and hot spiced beverages!
• Fall to me is the time that God really puts the paints on His Creations!
• ...things like hay-rides, pumpkins, ciders, craft fairs,
• ...pulling out all of the jackets and wearing a sweater.
• Cooler weather warms my heart!


• I love the symbolism of how beautiful the death of the leaves is, and how it heralds new life.
• ...throwing on a fluffy robe and making coffee first thing in the morning...
• ...snuggling up under a Mommy-made quilt for a good chat with none other than Mommy herself...
• I seem to have so much more energy in the fall!
• ...the smell of mom's pumpkin candles and playing games on the floor as a family when dad came home from hunting.
• I love the colors but not the leaf raking!

Thank you everyone for playing along! Have a beautiful fall weekend!

Love,

Laura Lee

Chasing Falling Leaves and Laughing Until You Cry

Thanks, everyone!

It's been delightful to read all the entries to the fall quilt give-away. While I paint with fabric, you paint with words, covering all the senses--the sights, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures of fall! It was easy to just close my eyes and imagine all the beautiful scenes in my mind, from smoke dancing out of chimney tops and vivid hues exploding on trees to leaves crunching underfoot.

Cinnamon and Cider.

Pumpkins and Patchwork.

Festivals and Football.

You All L~O~V~E Fall!

I enjoyed one of Lynn's descriptions so much, I decided to name the quilt with it!

"Chasing Falling Leaves and Laughing Until You Cry"

'Preciate it, Lynn. That pretty much sums up the mood of this quilt....falling leaves and bright, playful colors that hopefully make your heart sing! I hand quilted this little piece, and it measures just over 20 inches square, perfect for your table or your wall.

There is still time to enter, if you haven't. I'd love to read some more beautiful word pictures, so keep them coming! In addition to the blog, a lot of entries have come to my Facebook and my email, so I'll copy my favorite descriptions and post them on Friday when I draw a name for the winner.

And don't you worry. Quality is assured by Bella. She gives it four paws up!

In the meantime, you have a beautiful week!

Love,

Laura Lee

Fall Quilt Give-Away...coming soon to a blog near you!

I know, I know.

I'm supposed to be finishing a quilt for Abby. I only have four blocks left till I can put it all together. But what is a girl supposed to do when she gets a fit of inspiration in the middle of another project? Well, if she's an A.D.D. Quilter like me, she drops what she's doing and starts something else. I'm sure that you Type-A, one-project-at-a time-people *cough, cough, Jean, cough* won't be able to relate to this at all. So, just bear with me.

(I'm guessing there are a few of you out there like me. You just won't admit it. )



It's just that there was this cute little stack of left-over 2" squares and some fun, bright fall-colored fabrics, begging, just begging to become something beautiful. How could I resist? So I took a little break from my #1 project and whipped up this little table topper/wall hanging. And in an effort to spread a little autumnal cheer, I'm going to give this piece of stitchery away to one of you. *

*Insert wild applause and gleeful outbursts here

I can't tell you how much I'd love to have this on my table, with a bowl of apples and pears perched upon it. But I figure, why not share the love, you know?

On Monday, I'll unveil the finished piece. In the meantime, leave me a comment if you want me to enter you in the drawing to win it. And, hey, while you're at it, tell me your FAV-O-RITE thing about fall. Okey Doke?

Oh, and BT Dub, you're gonna need to really like C~O~L~O~R to appreciate this one!


Love,
Laura Lee

Scattered Leaves

It may be cooling off outside, but things are really warming up in my sewing room. I've been busy this week "painting" in fabric with a riot of fall colors. This pattern is called Scattered Leaves and is pictured on the front cover of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.


I knew the moment I saw it that it would be a perfect gift for the newlyweds up in Illinois. Where it gets cold. Really cold. And Abby loves Fall. And all that.....

Come along and I'll show show you how I put a block together.

I started by cutting lots of 2" wide strips of fabric. Basically, the blocks are built around these. Then I had to cut out the various lengths: 5", 6.5", 8" and 9.5". Each leaf block is set on a cream ground color, for unity. So it goes like this: 1 leaf unit plus six strips of varying lengths.



This leaf is going to be....you'll never guess. Yep, yellow!


Can you see it, yet?? It's sort of like putting a puzzle together. (It pays to be attentive in kindergarten.)


OK, time to sew the strips on to finish the block. This part is really fun and goes pretty fast.



The finished block. Except for the screaming yellow, this one is pretty tame.


And here we have all the friends. It's coming right along. Fifteen blocks down, five to go.

Check back in a few days and I'll show you how I put it all together.

Love,
Laura Lee