Long Arm Quilting and Christmas

Like so many other long arm quilters at this time of year, I have been busy with customer quilts and have not had time to work on my own projects.

I have finished my last customer obligation this weekend. This is the last customer quilt to go on the frame. This quilt is a cheerful scrappy log cabin.

I love log cabin quilts–especially those made from scraps. I think this quilt appeals to me because it reminds me of the quilts that quilters have been making for their families for generations out of the scraps they had on hand.

This quilt has been quilted in the Baptist Fan pattern using the Circle Lord template which gives it that traditional look.

Silver Thimble #0041 005 Silver Thimble #0041 007

Smartie Cookies and Christmas Quilts

This post is in response to the Calico Cat’s inquiry. The quilt on the chesterfield or couch in the previous post is my son’s Christmas Quilt. The quilt is lap size–47 1/2″ x 71 1/2″ and was made as a Christmas present for him in 2002. The pattern is Cobblestones. You may know this pattern by other names as it has certainly been in the public domain for a very long time. This was a fun scrap quilt to make using up all sorts of bits of leftover Christmas fabrics. This picture was taken on Christmas morning in 2002 of my son and his new quilt.

That same year I made my daughter a Christmas quilt too. Her quilt is the Chinese Coin pattern and it too was made from the same Christmas fabric scrap bin as her brother’s quilt. This is a picture of my daughter on Christmas morning in 2002 with her Christmas lap quilt.

This is the recipe for the cookies that my daughter is shown baking in the previous post. This cookie recipe is “no fail” and has become one of the favorites of our family.

Smartie Cookies

1 cup margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Smarties or M&M’s for decorations

Cream butter and both sugars together. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Press Smarties or M&M’s on top of cookies using 3 or 4 per cookie. Bake in 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 4 dozen.

Christmas Baking and Decorating

It is definitely starting to feel like Christmas around here! My daughter looked after the baking of some Christmas cookies while her brother and girlfriend looked after decorating the tree.

A favorite cookie in this household has always been “Smartie cookies”. The cookbook calls them Frog Eyes but we have renamed them Smartie cookies. Since the kids were small we would make these cookies decorating them to reflect the season. You can buy Smarties and M&Ms coated in colours to match the seasons–Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Easter, etc.

This my daughter baking Christmas Smartie cookies.



This is my son and his girlfriend decorating the tree.

Another shot showing the “supervisor” of the operation–Dad!