Using Border Fabric Creatively

Border fabric provides compatible colors and fabric that can be used for small sewing projects.  In this case a holiday border fabric provides the greens and reds that can be used to create a holiday table topper.

The finished table topper will be 15 inches by 18 inches.  The center focus square/rectangle will be 9 x 12 inches.

A holiday themed border fabric provides several options for colors and designs and along with  a 1/2 yard of coordinating red fabric which together provides the fabric necessary for two 15 x 18 inch table toppers.  Eight steps.

1. Choose fabrics that include the colors that you want for your project.  Then create the center square/rectangle.

2. Once you have decided on the design that you wish to make; be prepared to fussy cut the parts of the border fabric that you want to use.

3. Cut two of the same size squares (a square of the border fabric and a square of the red) - decide how large you want the center square/rectangle and create a square as large as the largest dimension, plus 1 1/2 inches.  Sew the square closed on all four sides.

4. Cut the sewn square diagonally from corner to corner (X).  Press open and you will have FOUR 1/2 triangle squares. 

5. Arrange the 1/2 triangle squares into the pattern that you want.  Trim the square into the dimensions that you want.  in this case we wanted a finished piece 9 x 12 inch - so trimmed pieces was cut at 9 1/2 inches x 12 1/2 inches.

6.  Cut the green part of the border fabric into 1 1/2 inch strips and use as sashing on all four sides.

7.  Cut the red fabric into 1 1/2 inch strips and use as sashing on all four sides.

8.  Add a floral sashing for the amount of width that is needed to bring the size of the topper to 15 inches x 18 inches.  Cut a solid piece of the red fabric as the backing.  Put the pieced top on top of the batting and quilt the material as desired.  When the quilting was completed, place the backing fabric (red) face down on top of the right side of the pieced item.  Sew around all four sides leaving just a 2 1/2 inches opening to turn the sides so both right sides are out.  Press and sew the open closed, and finish with stitched edge.

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Strawberries - Recipes and Books

Three of our favorite classic book titles featuring strawberries - bring memories of two of our favorite recipes for enjoying strawberries - with fruit dip and other fruit, and along side of chocolate (in this case fudgy fudge), and add a favorite gingerbread cookie recipe (delicious with strawberries and ice cream).

Strawberry etc. Fruit Dip (click on images for full sized copies)

Fudgy Fudge (click on images for full sized copies)

Honey Gingerbread Cookies (click on images for full sized copies)

Strawberry Books - Classics too good to miss

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A Tomato Pin Cushion - the History

A Tomato Pin Cushion - the History

Many sewists have traditionally utilized a tomato pin cushion to manage their pins for sewing, but most of us do not know why the shape was popular - as now there are many shapes and sizes of pincushions.  Households often had pin cushions (or pin pillows) of some type. Early on the pin pillows were ornate, and actually used more as a decorative item.  Eventually they were utilized for pin organization. By the Victorian Era, folklore tells us that a fresh tomato placed on the mantle or a new home warded off evil spirts and promised prosperity for the residents of a new home.  Fresh tomatoes were used initially but as they were only available during certain seasons and would not stay fresh for too long, the good-luck symbol was frequently created from fabric  and stuffed with sand or sawdust and made to look like the real thing with embellishments such as leaves and veins.  Eventually sewists realized that the tomato could also serve as something more useful.  As needles and pins were left around the house they were picked up and stuck into the tomato.  So the concept of a good-luck symbol and the utility of a sewist's pin pillow merged.  A strawberry was added, filled with sand, that aided in sharping pins.

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The pincushion is one of the basic tools that a sewist needs - other tools include a good fabric scissors, a fabric gauge, hand sewing needles, a cloth tape measure, and a needle threader (handy but optional).

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More Owls

Owls and Babies -

In an earlier post I shared a pink owl and a blue owl gift set I prepared for a friend to gift to her nephew's twin children - a baby girl and a baby boy.  That post, Owls and Bears and Elephants can be viewed at http://greenfroggifts.blogspot.com/2017/11/connecting-books-with-baby-gifts.html.   Those babies are now over a year old but so so cute.

But there is more owl fabric and more books for some other cute babies.

This owl flannel has larger owls with big wide eyes - so I used some of the blue minkie fabric and created a stuffed owl to go with the soft blanket.  And added an owl book.  

Little Owl's Colors by Divya Srinivasan (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2015; board book).

Green Mint Chocolate Cake

Green Frog Gifts loves anything green -- and this green mint chocolate cake is a great dessert to serve for any holiday get-together or St. Patrick's Day pot luck.  Simple as pie - well simple as cake.

 

Prepare cake mix as directed.  Substitute 1/4 cup of Creme de Menthe for 1/4 cup of the required water.   Add the oil and eggs as directed.

Optional: If you like a chocolately chunk component (and I do).  Take 3 Hershey's chocolate bars and chop them up.  Put into the batter and stir.

Bake and cool the cake.

Now for the topping - once the cake has cooled you will want to spread on the hot fudge layer.  Since the fudge is so thick I usually warm it in the microwave before spreading on the cake.
It'll still be warm on the cake so I stick the entire cake with the fudge layer into the freezer while I flavor the whipped topping.









I add a tablespoon or so of Creme deMenthe to the whipped topping and stir.  Add green food coloring if you want a deeper shade of green.

Cut the Andes mints into random chunks.

Spread the green Creme deMenthe flavored whipped topping on the cake over the fudge layer.  Randomly drop the Andes mints onto the top of the cake.

Share at your potluck or holiday meal.

Enjoy every crumb.

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Soft Molasses Cookies

In a few days - on Feb 23rd my good friend Cheryl would have celebrated her birthday.  One of the last things she shared with me is this recipe for cookies I loved - her soft molasses cookies.  I have replicated (pretty closely) her recipe card motif.  I will make them for Valentine's day in honor of a very good friend.
They are yummy!  And the very best friendship cookie.

Sewing and Cooking

Visit Greenfroggifts on Etsy for the latest choices.Order cookie cutters, aprons, and baker's cloths from Green Frog Gifts -- unique gifts -- many $15.00 or under.