breakfast cake.....

in a large mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter (softened) & 1 cup sugar  add 1 tsp. vanilla, 3 eggs & 8oz. sour cream
add 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking soda & 1 tsp. salt
fold in 2 cups fresh fruit... i used blackberries & raspberries  YUMMY!
in a seperate bowl mix together 1 cup packed brown sugar, 2/3 cup chopped nuts, 1 tsp. cinnamon & 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
in another bowl beat together 8 oz. cream cheese, 6 tbsp. sugar, 1 egg & 1 tsp. vanilla
i know it's alot of bowls but totally delicious....
in a 13x9 greased baking pan spread half the batter, sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture, then drop on cream cheese by spoonfuls, other half batter and sprinkle with rest of brown sugar mixture
bake at 350' for about 30 mins. or until toothpick comes out clean, mine took about 10 mins. more
                                    enjoy, cheri

a thursday's quilt....

just finished putting the blocks together on my thursday quilt class project....yes i made the block size smaller than original and added a little applique...my sixteen patch blocks were made with 1&1/4" strips, pretty and simple, i like that....now i'm ready to sew on binding on april's primitive quilt and giveaway....   enjoy cheri

me & modern conviences....

today was grandparents day at kindergarten and all was adorable and fun, although i almost made the big mistake of packing a peanut butter sandwich for lunch (school is nut free although they did let me in) luckily i found out before and brought yogurt instead....haven't been to school in awhile i guess too many children with peanut allergies....
every morning i make a salad for my chickens and rabbits, yes i know they are spoiled greg says he wants to come back as one of my pets...had run out of lettuce so decided to stop on my way back home and pick up a head....let me back up the story a little after school was done left but forgot to use the restroom and wanted a diet coke so i stopped at a McDonalds so i could kill two birds with one stone...next door was a Fresh & Easy never been in, know that they have produce so i'll just run in here...just getting lettuce no need for a cart, yea right, get the lettuce decide to grab some celery (rabbits love the tops) then they have good price on already cubed butternut squash and i keep wandering...now i also have containers of cookie dough, it's pretty cool already done and just a dozen cookies for when you feel like a homemade cookie and we know i love the dough, can't decide so i get peanut butter, sugar and oatmeal raisin....now remember i don't have a cart and have a raincoat on, my purse and diet coke and more than one thing but do i stop wandering, no i keep going some chips look good, pick up roasted edamame and pumpkin seeds....it's getting to be quite a juggle with all my items better checkout now....go to the front see self serve checkout, where's the real person one?  isn't one Great! never have done self serve before, try to set things down on the itty bitty shelf, of course they fall to the floor, pick them up, juggle to get out my wallet and figure out this process....actually not to bad till i inadvertently moved my full bag over to fill the next and noticed the machine was saying "item needs to be weighed for price" what item, taking things out to see what needs to be weighed celery, lettuce? what was it? it was my bag was sitting on the scale! moved it to the floor to continue and now you have the machine that you have personally removed an item before you can continue, what a bumbling fool i felt need a real person to do this for me but somehow it got done, i'm home now with my cookie dough and a sewing machine i do understand!   what an experience that i may need a helper if i choose to go again!!!
                moral of the story "always get a cart!"    enjoy cheri

one of my favorites...

one of my favorites things cookie dough  uummmm!!!  don't worry i raise the chickens so my eggs are very fresh & have told my girls no nasty bacteria please!!!  i've always liked to partake of the cookie dough, cake batter & raw pie crust so my body has probably been fortified over these years!!!
my mother would eat a raw onion like an apple YUCK!!! 
what's your favorite?

my brush with Elizabeth Taylor....

in April 1997 an issue of LIFE magazine had an article on Elizabeth Taylor as she was about to have brain surgery to remove a brain tumor...in the cover photo she laid in her hospital bed covered with a quilt that had been donated probably by a quilt or hospital group and it contained pieces of fabric that I had designed years before to my excitement....my brush with a famous movie star and I was pretty wowed by it....the news today of her passing brought back this fun memorie of how I somewhat touched Elizabeth Taylor...

closer look....

the green plaid & blue flowered prints plus a couple of others where used through out the quilt....

sewing day....

today was somewhat grey & dreary storm coming in tomorrow....i spent my day working on lots of little quilt projects for april's primitive quilt, my thursday class, next project for primitive quilts magazine and lisa's quilt (the little pink squares....got blocks pieced to become quilt tops can't show close ups don't want to spoil the surprise....haven't had a just sit and stitch day in awhile it felt sew good....  enjoy cheri

long road....

while watching CNN on the disaster in Japan a Japanese woman "we must keep walking forward even though it's a long road ahead"  their strenght, calm, giving, perserverance is amazing to behold....

lucky winner is....

the lucky winner of the march primitive quilt is jennifer bowden... have to tell you jennifer we have hoodies & flip flops in common totally my style also!!!
congratulations just email me your address and i will mail your little quilt...
                         HaPPy ST PatRiCK's DaY.....

sewing day....

spent the day sewing with cooper & analisa she's been asking to make some clothes for her "baby sofia"...took my machine, bright colored felts, rainbow rick rack, their favorite for a sewing adventure....this is what analisa created very colorful outfit & coverlet!  i never use the embroidery stitches but they thought those were amazing...we had sew much fun together....

cooper's blanket for his bear...

very impressed with his abilities he did the foot pedal & all by himself....

sofia & her quilt

opened quilt...
then squealing....
"let's dance & jump on it!"
and we all did....
grammy's heart is happy....

a sea of nastursiums...

spring has sprung.....

i have freechas (not sure of spelling) blooming....so here's a funny story
greg's yard was in bad shape to say the least when we married, bad divorce and he just let everything go....anyway i had never gardened nor wanted too really, dirt under my fingernails was not my idea of fun but looking at the ugly front yard wasn't fun either....so i filled the yard with lots of rusty stuff and just went for it found i enjoyed the planting and watching it grow type of fun....the funny part of the story is i bought a lot of bulbs and not having a clue which way they went some went in the ground upside down, i now know...so it's now several years later and the bulbs have found their way to the top to my excitement when i noticed them today wondering where did those come from!!!!  the miracles of mother nature can be a pleasant surprise....
may you special surprises in your garden cheri

thursday's quilt class...

our latest quilt project by Dana called Cannonball....following my version of this pattern....

thursday's quilt class...

this is my take on Dana's cannonball quilt....it is true that i will usually always shrink the block size down & the entire quilt!!!  easy quilt just snowballs & nine patches...i threw in the half squares for border, ta da you're done!

half way done....

got the borders on and have quilted it half way around, ran out of thread....so time for a break to the quilt shop....
next picture of this quilt will be with Sofia's smiling Happy Birthday face!!!
quilting on this quilt has reminded me why all my quilt projects are small....

a sneak peek & reminder....

just reminding everyone of us primitive lovers it getting close to the first ever issue of Primitive Quilts and Other Projects magazine....first issue release date is in April, which is right around the corner....click on the quilt photo on my side bar for subscription info....
the photo is a sneak peek of my quilt project, i'll be designing one for each of the first four issues....i'm so excited to see all the primitive & folkart projects!!!!

a quilt camp...

June Lake Quilt Camp....a quilt retreat put on by my sister Barri, of Bareroots fame, and she has started sign ups....June Lake is in the Sierras in Ca., two sessions given June 20-22 & 23-25....she will teach a project, Susan & Dana, of Fat Quarters, will also teach and me....always fun, laughter, good food, prizes, treats, Susan's fresh baked cinnamon rolls, soooo good and of course lots of quilting....
for more information call Barri at 760-648-7244
                         

off the couch...

up from the couch finally, YEA!!!  my house is happy it's getting a good much needed cleaning....now my dusty rusty things are just rusty the way i like them....hope to be back in my sewing room real soon, back to dusting for now....have a great weekend know i will.... enjoy cheri

i'd rather be....

anywhere but here!!! i remember last week so much to do and i'll i wanted was to curl up on the couch....well i'm here now and over it!!!!  my life has consisted of magazines, kleenex, t.v., remote control, cough drops, nettie pot, vicks and popsiciles.....want to hear a popsicile joke? i got a million of them....
"what kind of sign did the boat on it?"   "a for sail sign"  hahahahahaha
at least i can still find them funny!!!
need to heal quickly though have two birthday parties to throw this weekend, my Katie's birthday today and Gabby's, daughter in law, was last week, doing a combo party and haven't even shopped yet.....then me and greg are going to see Eric Clapton in concert on sunday.....
heal cheri heal....my mantra   wish me luck!

remembering...

"what we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose...for all that we love deeply become a part of us"   Helen Keller
in remembrance of Casey Evan Payne, much loved son, brother & grandson
                                 would have been 26 today <3

march quilt, finished block

make four or more, of course, i added a 1&1/2" muslin sashing and a 1&1/2" black square between my four blocks....
sorry this all posted backwards, should be finished quilt first, still dealing with awful cold and my head is a little foggy!!!    sounds like a good excuse to me...enjoy, cheri

march quilt, block layout

this is the block layout....

march quilt, part two

then you will need to make the same sections as part one adding a black 1&1/2" strip on each side
cut again into 1&1/2" sections
make four nine patches using black and muslin 1&1/2" squares

march quilt, part one

this is what you will need to sew together first...all green strips 1&1/2"x 30"
you will need one each muslin 1&1/2", 3&1/2", 5&1/2"x30"
cut into 1&1/2" sections

march quilt to share....

prim patchwork quilt for march....enjoy, cheri

march primitive giveaway...

this is the little prim quilt i did for a march giveaway....will choose a winner on saint patrick's day.... gOOd LuCK!!!