*going back on my words

After saying I would not start any more projects until my last three tops were set in, quilted and binded.. I have started another quilt.  I am still in class and not learning anything new, so I sort of  had to do it.  One of the quilt patterns that our teacher has available to guide us through is the "Double T".   I had seen this quilt made up in black and white and loved it! 

Since we are going to be moving in the fall I have also thought that perhaps, I shouldn't buy any new fabric either. Less to pack, right?  Confession: I did purchase a few fats to finish what I would need to complete this top. Most of the fabrics below were cuts that I picked up at Hancocks of Paducah last year at a great price!  I love Amy Butler's fabric lines and most of these are from several of her lines.  Doesn't it just look so sweet! 

*happy birthday daddy!

Today, April 13th marks my fathers sixty-fifth birthdate!  Happy Birthday Daddy!

My father, though with his own faults, has always been a good father. He is a man with family near to his center. His "girls" have always been his world.  My father has battled drinking for many years, he is a functional alcoholic. He never missed a day of work and taught my sisters and myself to have a good work ethic.  He is a hard worker. Beyond his hard exterior that he sometimes puts up, he is a very compassionate man.  He never harmed us physically - ever, when he was drinking.  As I sit and think of him, I am brought to tears.

When he was a young boy, he heard his mother speak words about his "accidental conception" to some of her lady friends one day over iced tea in their home. These words impacted him in a negative way and he held them inside, only telling my mom about them many years later.  Sometimes the words spoken can negatively effect the hearer in ways that were NEVER intended.   My father at the young age of twenty , lost his own daddy to a heart attack.  While I realize many things come our way which will shape and form us or crush us, I am sometimes not too far from amazement that my father chose alcohol to be his coping mechanism.  

When our father was ours, totally - he was ours totally!  We had great times being made to feel like daddy's little girl.  We had pillow fights. We went water skiing every weekend in the summer months. We had cookouts, sorry you didn't get to taste his grilled meats!  We had oyster roast.  We took vacations together. We went fishing often. We learned under his guidance to work hard. We had a good time.

I hope on this day that my earthly father will begin to understand the depths of the Heavenly Father's great love for him.  May it be so that my daddy will yield himself to Christ Jesus and even at the age of sixty-five that my daddy will come to the understand of his purpose that has yet to  be filled  here on earth.

*..believing

So today, I did just this - believed a number of impossible things; at least they seem "impossible" to me at this time. 

12-N-12 March beauties

Let us all gather around to view the handiwork for March in the 12-N-12 Quilting Challenge. Some have surpassed the three (which is how many months we have been going with this) and some have yet to make a submission - either way, do not dismay! Let this be a place of encouragement, to spur on your own creativity for your own projects that you have in the works. I am sure some of you have several tops finished but are not to the setting in stage yet. For some of us, life may be "setting in" and taking place. Surely this will be a challenge for me (our family) before the year is up!


This month Jenny has been a pace setter!  She completed a spring table runner earlier this month, as well as a couch throw for a friend and another quilt.  I love the vibrant colors in all three of her projects!

Spring table runner (click on any picture to enlarge)

This couch throw was delivered to one of Jenny's friends upon completion!

I love a pieced back! The colors in this line of fabric is just delicious! Beautiful work.

I have had the opportunity to be pretty occupied with sewing this month as well.  (This will likely not be the story next month!) I completed two quilts this month!

Finished and mailed out.  This is a picture of Tori with her quilt.

 This one will be mailed off this week to a sweet friend, I can hardly wait for her to get it!!

Before Cheryl left the area this past summer we went shopping together to pick out fabrics for her to make this quilt. She was to call it her Lynette Quilt.  Anyway, I am sure it will be a reminder of many good memories from many good friends from this area over the coming years. I love it!

Franziska submitted this table topper.  Several of us who are participating in this challenge were at the "class" or Midnight Madness group the night this quilt was started. What a great feeling to have a started project for several years ago finally finished!  I do like this pattern and I bet it adorns her dining room table nicely!

Robyn, Sharon and Nicole if I missed your submissions please let me know right away and I will add them to this post or I can hold them until April's update (either way is fine with me). 

Until next month.. keep that pedal to going!

*sixty minutes or less rolls

I hope you had a great Easter Sunday!  Today with our dinner, we had some rolls that I haven't made in a while.  I got this recipe from my dear "mil" and it is a favorite! This recipe is so easy and fast which is what makes it a favorite to me as a "sometimes scatter brained preparer of our meals!"  Today it was so very beautiful outside with the birds chirping, the bees swarming around and my cats taking my swing as soon as I got up for  a few minutes.  When I should have been inside getting our Easter dinner together, I was prolonging my time outside by every stolen minute that I could possibly get away with!  I did finally give the swing over to the cats and went indoors to get the cooking finished.  The Sixty Minute Rolls came in very handy since I did procrastinate a bit more than I should have.   I hope you enjoy the rolls, there are no secret tricks you should turn out some fantastic yeasty rolls every time!

Sixty Minute Rolls
4 cups all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 tsp salt
2 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter

Mix thoroughly 1 1/2 cup of flour, sugar, salt and undissolved yeast.
Combine butter, milk and water in sauce pan over low heat.  Heat until liquids are warm. Margarine does NOT need to be melted.  Gradually add to the dry ingredients and beat two minutes at medium speed. Add 1/2 cup of flour , beat at high for two minutes. Continue to add flour in 1/2 cup increments to bring the dough to a soft slightly sticky dough until all four cups of the flour has been used. Knead in machine with dough hook for  five minutes or turn out on a floured counter top and knead for five minutes. Cover bowl, let rise for  fifteen minutes. Pinch off balls of dough and place in pan, not to closely.  Let rise for fifteen minutes and then bake at 425 until golden brown. Makes about two dozen (depending on size of roll). 

Sorry, I didn't note how long it took for them to get golden brown. Seems I have quite a few recipes that does not tell how long to cook the dish... not sure why, but I do.  I am thinking it was only fifteen or twenty minutes until these were golden brown!

*oh how He loves us

Long before Christ went to the cross, He made a great sacrifice for us.  He left His Father to come live on earth as man, being identified with the sufferings of mankind.  To be THE sacrifice for our sinful actions that plague us from beginning of our creation until we face death.

I wish I could grasp the depths of His sacrifice, I am afraid I do not.  Surely I am reminded of this by the words of the apostle Paul (Romans 7).  I may not yet grasp the depths of His love for me, nor His sacrifice for His people, but I am so grateful for His willingness to go to the cross for me (and you). For me, wretched me. It is so humbling, isn't it to know that He looked across time and saw each of us and felt solid about our worth. He felt like we were surely worth the torturous pain and humiliation that He had to endure in His humanness - amazing love.

On this "Easter" weekend and every day in the coming year may each of us get a glimpse of how truly beautiful each of us are, because we are clothed in HIS glory!  May each of us get a greater understand (though we will not fully understand until we see HIM) of His love for us.  May we live our lives in such a way that brings honor and glory to Him.

Oh how He loves us.  Oh how He loves us.

If you are reading this and you have never believed on Jesus Christ for your sin's and made Him your Lord and Saviour  - Click HERE for more information. (this link will take you to a website that will help you get an understanding on how to gain peace with God)