Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you all have a nice day - whichever way you happen to celebrate Valentine's Day.  We were going to go out to lunch but they are finally here to fix my broken furnace.  Last Friday the furnace went out - turns out the heat exchange was broken.  So they rigged it so we would have heat and then ordered the part.  It finally came in and they're on their way to fix it.  Wednesday the brakes went out on my husband's truck so it is in the shop and we're waiting for them to call us that they've fixed it so after the heating repair people leave we'll go pick it up.  This retirement is going to make us go broke!  It's been on big expense after another ever since I retired six months ago!  I'm hoping and praying that this is the last of the huge expenses! 

Meanwhile, the small quilt talks group I belong to issued a February small quilt challenge.  Most of the group made theirs into mug rugs or pin cushions.  I decided to make 4 and make this quilt which is 20 x 20.  I'll be taking it to my daughter's tonight for them.  They have little kids and will happy with the heart themed wall hanging.  I also made them some Chocolate Chip Cookie cheesecake.  It's from a recipe that I got off of Facebook!  It's super simple and very yummy. 

The pattern is a spool quilt with the heart worked in to it.    The smaller border looks crooked in the picture but in real life it is not.  I think now that I should have picked lighter fabric for the two because they don't pop as much.  I enjoyed making it and it went fairly quickly after I figured out the first one.  The pattern was designed by one of the women in the group and another woman did a picture tutorial.



Here is the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake (sorry I didn't take a picture!):

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake

3 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 rolls chocolate chip cookie dough

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In large bowl beat cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla until well mixed. Put aside.

3. Slice cookie dough from one roll into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange slices on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 glass pan. Press together so there are

holes in the dough.

4. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over top of dough.

5. Slice cookie dough from other roll into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange on top of cream cheese mixture.

6. Bake 45-50 minutes or until golden and center is slightly firm.

7. Remove from oven, let cool. Then refrigerate. Cut into squares when well chilled.

 

Hope you enjoy it!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Char

Cabin fever, winter blahs, whatever you want to call it....

...I've got it!  Even though I've been getting some crafting done, including projects that I bought many years ago, I just sick, sick, sick of this weather!  I was just thinking that I don't remember winter being so dreary and had an "ah ha" moment.  Of course it wasn't dreary!  I'd leave for work and the sky would just be beginning to lighten.  When I'd leave for home it was kind of dark - but by the time I got home, cooked dinner and ate it was dark.  All day long I was inside under florescent lights so it rarely felt dreary.  Nine times out of ten I just ate my lunch in my office while checking out facebook or rug hooking daily or emailing family/friends.  So, again, I didn't realize how dreary it was outside because I was rarely out during the day!  Today is sunny but COLD!  Brrr!  A whopping 23 degrees according to my car thermometer.

So here are a few things that I've started on and either finished or getting ready to finish...

This is a pillow case I made for my daughter.  She collects pigs.  About two or maybe even three years ago my friend, Sharon, and I were at a fabric store in Bettsville, Ohio called the Door Mouse and I found this fabric so I just had to buy it to make a pillow case for my daughter.  I finished it in about 1 1/2 hours.

 

Also about two years ago I saw this panel in a Nancy's Notion's catalog.  It came as a wall hanging kit so I bought it.  When it came I looked at it and thought "how pretty!" and then put it away.  When I cleaned/organized my craft room I found it.  When I put things away I put all the projects that I've bought fabric for or kits that I've bought on the top shelf in my pantry in my craft room.  The other day I was tired of working on my cross stitch so I pulled this out and had the top sewn together in about two hours.  The next day I started marking it for quilting and finished the marking the day after that.  Then it sat in my craft room for a couple of days until Saturday when I pinned it together and brought it out to the living room to quilt.  The bad news is that when I ordered it and when it came in I thought it was pretty - now I feel it's just "okay" - I'm not crazy about it but I don't dislike it either!  I plan to hang it in the kitchen.  However, the Small Quilt Talk group I belong to issued the February small quilt challenge which is a spool with a heart in it.  So, I went to my pantry and started picking out fabric to make this challenge with the thought that if it goes together quickly I'll make one for my daughter and one for myself...we'll see... 

 

So, no cross stitch has been done, no quilting has been done but the fabric for the quilt challenge has been ironed.  Maybe I'll get back in the groove tomorrow!

 

 

If you live in a cold climate - stay warm, stay calm, eat chocolate - spring is only 6 weeks away!  If you're living in a warmer climate...  I'm jealous!  LOL!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Char