Post-holiday post

Now that the hubbub of the holidays is behind and the older kids are back to school, Kieran and I are getting (somewhat) back to our old routine.  We've spent the mornings playing multiple rounds of the Match game, Sneaky Squirrel, and Wii, plus reviewing alphabet flash cards (gotta throw in a little learning somewhere).  He didn't take a single nap while the "big kids" were home for the holiday break, and it's been a little bit of a fight getting the little guy to go down for a nap the past couple of days.

I've gotten in a bit of sewing time, either while the little guy naps or plays on his Leapster.  In fact, I've worked my way through a stack of 168 half-square triangle blocks.

   
I happened to have some 6.5" squares leftover from my Crazy Penny quilt top, and I thought "Why not cut them into hst's?  I dove into the fabric stash to supplement, pulling recently acquired as well as long-hoarded prints.  They're going to be sewn into a simple HST quilt, inspired by this one at Cozy Things (minus the low-volume prints).

This quilt works well with one of my 2014 goals:  maximum stash usage, minimal stash enhancement.  It's going to be tough, but I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. 

Christmas sewing

I've been in denial that Christmas is upon us.  Despite the cold winter weather, the Christmas spirit has been notably absent.  The tree, chopped down, brought home and put up the day after Thanksgiving, still sits half decorated.  We've made two paper ornaments (ten more to go).  Christmas presents are in the early stages of being made (and by early I mean that I have only just hatched a plan this very morning with the help of Pinterest and a cup of coffee). 

The holiday spirit I felt when this picture was taken has fled the building.  I blame the Spare the Air alerts we've had the past couple of weeks.  Cold weather, and we can't light the fireplace.  How am I supposed to get into the holiday spirit without a crackling fire?   

Before presents can be worked on, though, these must be finished. 

Rumor of a just-after-Christmas visit from my sister and her husband necessitates that I finish these pronto so that they can grace my table for a family holiday dinner.  My fingers are crossed that they are able to make it.  Distance means holidays spent with family other than my husband and children are few and far between.

Now that my bout of Bah! Humbug! has been properly documented, time to get on to the holiday sewing.  Fellow handmade holiday-makers, have you finished your holiday makes?

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Crazy Penny

Risking frostbitten toes this morning, I managed to take a photo of my finished Penny Patchwork quilt top. 

The recipe is from the Penny Patch Quilt-along at Stitched in Color.  Because of the scrappy nature of my version, it looks a little crazy.  But my family loves it.  There was a chorus of "oooh... pretty!" from my children, and my husband declared it his favorite of all the quilts I've made so far.

And speaking of recipes, I made this little gem yesterday.   

I saw a picture of a chocolate-glazed banana cake at JulieLou, and Julie was kind enough to share with me the recipe she used.  The only modification I made to was to replace 1/4 cup of white sugar with brown sugar to make it a little richer.  I would have added walnuts, but the littlest one has a nut allergy.  I used this recipe for chocolate glaze, but replaced the water with milk, then added a couple of ounces of melted milk chocolate.  Divine.