This Sunday is the last submission to the Canadian Blog Hop. Too bad. There have been some wonderful ideas and recipes. Thanks to Cheryl for organizing.

http://cheryl-countryquilts.blogspot.com

The variety of ideas is really fantastic. If you did the pattern from each week, all those Christmas presents and hostess gifts would be done, and it is still November!
This week Jean Boyd has designed a cute quilted picture frame. I love this one as we have had a lot of new babies arrive this fall. The cranberry relish sounds really good.
http://jeanboyduppercanadaquiltworks.blogspot.com

October 16   victorianaquiltdesigns.com   Benita designed a string stocking ornament and gave us a yummy Domino Bars recipe;

October 23   daphnegreig.blogspot.com   Daphne designed a strip tablerunner and a Christmas morning breakfast recipe;

November 6  kathykwylie.com/blog   Kathy designed the motif for a spinning star appliqued coaster that could also be encorporated into a quilted star or a beaded star ornament.  Her recipe is for a French Canadian tourtiere.

And, to get a jump on things, check out     mariamichaelsdesigns.wordpress.com on Sunday, Novemeber 13.

For the complete list go to the EVENTS page on my website  www.frecklescollection.com

Haven’t even been to the Mauii Quilt Store yet. Maybe next week.

Aloha,

Dougal

A MITTEN FIVE WAYS

For ALL craft projects, you will need freezer paper, fusible appliqué paper, black felt tip pen, fabric for heart appliqué, assorted buttons (3 per mitten).

FABRIC ORNAMENTS

For each fabric ornament, you will need 2 – 5” squares of beige/light brown fabric, 2 – 5’’ squares of quilt batting, black embroidery thread, green embroidery thread DMC 500.

Trace mitten shape onto freezer paper, cut-out. Iron onto fabric and cut along edge of template. Repeat for desired number of mittens.

1. From quilt batting, cut out 2 mitten shapes for each mitten.
2. Trace heart shape onto fusible appliqué paper. Iron onto wrong side of desired fabric. Cut out and fuse onto mitten shape.
3. a) Use 1 strand black embroidery thread and stitch decorative stitches over edges of heart.   XXXXX  or / // \\\ \  OR…
   b) Draw decorative stitches over edges of heart with black felt tip pen.
4. Stitch 3 buttons to mitten front.
5. Sandwich 2 layers of batting between the 2 fabric mitten shapes. Pin. With 3 strands of green embroidery thread, buttonhole stitch around edge of mitten. Add hanging string. (See www.frecklescollection.com for buttonhole stitch description).

 WOOL ORNAMENTS

For each ornament, you will need 2-5” squares of med. brown wool, 2-5” squares of quilt batting (optional), black embroidery thread, green embroidery thread DMC 500. See steps 1-6 of fabric ornaments but use only decorative stitches of 3a.

GIFT TAGS

For each gift tag, you will need 1-5” square of heavy brown paper (Kraft or recycled from grocery bags), serrated craft scissors or old pinking shears, craft glue, raffia or ribbon.

1. Use the same freezer paper mitten template as in the ornaments and iron onto heavy brown paper (Kraft or recycled grocery bags). Use craft scissors or old pinking shears to cut out mitten. Peel off freezer paper and re-use.
2. For heart appliqué, follow step 3 of fabric ornaments. Draw stitches over edges of heart and running stitch along edge of mitten with black felt tip pen.
3. Place 3 buttons on tag with hot glue gun or craft glue.
4. Write the “greeting” on tag with black felt tip pen.
5. Punch a hole in top corner. Thread a piece of raffia or ribbon through the hole for a hang-tie.

  GIFT BAGS

For each gift bag, you will need a brown paper lunch bag, 1 – 6” square of fabric for mitten, raffia.

1. Trace mitten shape onto fusible appliqué paper, cut out and iron on back of mitten fabric. Fuse in place on “good side” of paper bag. Trace, cut out and fuse heart onto mitten.
2. Draw decorative stitches over edges of heart and running stitches along outside edge of mitten with black felt tip pen.
3. Glue on buttons.
4. Fold over top edge of bag two times. Punch 2 holes in centre of fold and tie raffia into a bow.

 Click here for actual size.

WOOL MITTEN COOKIES

COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

ICING

1½ cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
3 tbsps. butter, softened
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Ivory, brown, red, juniper green paste food colouring

For cookies, process flour, pecans and salt in a food processor until mixture becomes a fine powder. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap; chill 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Trace pattern onto a piece of clear acetate; cut out. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out half of dough to ¼” thickness. Place pattern on dough and use a sharp knife to cut out cookies. Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool cookies on baking sheet 3 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

For icing, combine confectioner’s sugar, butter, milk and vanilla in a small bowl; beat until smooth. Place ¼ cup icing in a small bowl; tint beige using ivory and brown food coloring. Ice mittens with a smooth finish of beige icing.

1. Divide remaining icing between 2 small bowls; tint 1 bowl with red food colouring and the remaining bowl with green food coloring. Spoon icings into pastry bags fitted with small round tips. Pipe cuffs, hearts, and “blanket stitch” onto cookies. Use very small round tips to pipe lines and dots onto hearts. Pipe a circle of icing and fill in circle for each “button.” Pipe icing onto top of each button for “thread.” OR…
2. Shake red and/or green sprinkles on mittens when icing is still wet.

Allow icing to harden. Store in an airtight container in a single layer.

Yield: about 1½ dozen cookies.

Get a jump start on Christmas gifts and baking.

I will be starting things off on October 16th, stay tuned.

Edinburgh Castle, built on an extinct volcano, is one of the most prominent attractions in Edinburgh. It has been a military fort for over 600 years. This was the start of our Scotland trip. As this is a quilting site, not a travel site, I have briefly mentioned points of interest relevant to quilting in the following posts. There wasn’t much. I am happy to share other pictures if anyone is interested.

In the historic town of Glencoe (where the Campbell clan slaughtered the MacDonald clan in 1692), we found this wonderful little museum, little being the operative word. I had to duck my head to enter. The roof is thatched with heather. Inside the original stone slabs are on the floor.