PAY IT FORWARD

Hello and good morning !!! I have signed up for Pay it forward on Giseles

blog from art escapes it sounds like a wonderful idea a good way to spread happiness with your blogger friends , and sharing something handmade by you.
The rules are

1. the first three people to visit my blog and leave a comment saying they want to participate will receive a handmade gift from me within a year ( rules say), I will definitely send out sooner.
2. In order to participate you must have a blog of your own .
3. You must post about the PIF on your blog, and you must offer the challenge of a PIF.

By excepting my PIF you agree to host one on your blog , you must agree to send a handmade gift (within a year ) to the first three participants who sign up on your blog to participate in your PIF and so it continues on and so forth doesn't it sound fun.

MY APPLIQUE

Hello friends!! I am happy to finally share these little things I've been working on little by little, I had made along time ago houses and little trees quilt for a friends daughter.
So I decided to go a little further with it by adding hills and everything I could find . As you can see I try to blog and sew my little landscapes and time passes by very pleasantly . I especially like it when friends stop by to say hello ,or a customer to ask for a frame or a painting.

I had fun putting them together I felt like a little girl I sometimes feel there is a little girl in me still and sometimes she whats to come out and play , but that little girl is so patient ,kind and unselfish that she waits when the time is right after she has taken care of her customers ,the chores at home such as cooking ,cleaning, washing,shopping and making sure everyone is content then if she is not to tired she has a little bit of fun.

I don't know what I will make with them it could be a little pillow or a wall hanging or be all connected and make into a little quilt I haven't decided yet I am just having fun sewing during the day in my store it is a pleasant way to spend my time.

Well friend I hope you enjoy looking as much as I enjoy making them and I hope you are making something that fills you with pleasure , I wish you all a wonderfull day!!!

CARMEL'S 100th POST GIVEAWAY

Hello!!! a wonderful set of 6 fq's are being given away by Carmel she has a very interesting blog that I have been looking at and enjoying. I found out about it from Cyndi's blog at bluebird swing Which a wonderful blog and Cyndi is the sweetest lady I have met in bloggland, so good luck to all !!!

AMY"S SIMPLE SAMPLER QUILT ALONG WEEK 4

I am actually almost caught up , I"ve done my blocks for week 4 and I will start on the next blocks tonight, it's cooled off a bit the last couple of day's it's been so hot lately I couldn't get myself to sew , so stay tuned for the next two , so long for now friends.

AMY'S SIMPLE SAMPLER QUILT ALONG WEEK 3

I know I am behind ,but I get it done eventually sort of reminds me of school LOL!! I have also the week 4 almost finished ,but it was so hot yesterday I just tried to stay cool by not doing to much ,that is only the necessities like laundry ,cooking and cleaning which is quit a bit come to think of it Sunday is the only day I have off so I think I am doing OK, so long for now !!

A BIRTHDAY

Saturday was my son's birthday I made him this two layer chocolate cake with whipped cream and a vanilla filling ,I browned coconut flakes in the oven and sprinkled it on top.

I decide to get him a stand for his guitar as a gift ,silly me I forgot to get wrapping paper ,and I quickly thought oh! I can use fabric it's better than paper you don't throw it away I was so pleased with myself why didn't I think of it before , if you go to by a sheet of wrapping paper it is about 3-4 euros at those fancy shops ,what am I thinking I might as well by fabric from my friend Panagiotis.

AMY'S SIMPLE SAMPLER QUILT ALONG WEEK 2

I finally have the week two blocks done, I have made my own measurements I used metrics so mine are about 34-35 cm edge to edge and I did make a mistake at first and quickly corrected it, the more seams you have ,you must add more cm for the allowance in order for the result to be 34-35 , its amazing how quick one learns from mistakes.

And this is the second block ,my colors are more bold it looks like one of the previous block might not go very well with my color pallet that I am going with I might have to change one, will all the mistakes that I make I will make a scrap
quilt with the pieces , so long for now.

FABRIC SHOPPING IN MAROUSI

Hello there I am writing about the fabric stores that I shop, from they don't have fabric specifically for quilting ,but I find some goodies now and then . These stores are run by a family that have been in the business for ages this particular store is run by the mother and her son.

As you can see this is the front of the store I asked permission from the shop owner helen, I have been a customer for many years so she said yes as long as I don't take a photo of her. ( lol I just realized that you can actually see my reflection in the shop window double lol)

These fabrics on the left of the store have linens and some quilt weight cotton ,I sometimes get lucky and find some goodies.

These are the fabrics all lined up none of these are cotton I look at them sometimes and I wished some of them were the colors are so pretty ,but they are fancy fabrics for dresses or more special occasion attire.

I just love these play full teddy bears.

I got cute ice cream cone fabric.

One day I found this beauty it was on a bolt with 3 other fabrics wrapped over it ,and I bought all of it of course ,there was only about 1 1/2 meter or so , I was really impressed by it.

Another of my finds ,I just love the etching archaic style that it has .

Isn't it a beauty ? I love the colors some fabric is so pretty you don't want to cut it .

A larger view of the fabric isn't it artsy?

I found this the other day , I don't know what to do with it , or what to make with it .

And last ,but not least this pink with white polka dot, I love it so I got a couple of meters.

NOW we go further up the street and we arrive at the fathers store it looks like a rummage store I like to go there more often his prices are better, all of the fabrics I have shown you I purchased from here ,when you arrive it's not street level you go down some steps.

And there he is PANAGIOTIS he lets me rummage around and when I find something I like he doesn't even get up I grab the meter stick of course after we haggle over the price he says a price and I gasp and then he lowers and we are both happy. I measure and cut myself , I don't even pay if I don't have cash ,I just write it in his little black book , and that's about it for fabric buying in Marousi there are some fabric stores downtown Athens ,but they don't carry anything more than what I get here , plus I don't have the time to go downtown. I have purchased from the Internet in the past ,but for now I have enough so I thank you all for stopping by and I hope you liked my little tour see you again soon!!.

Amy's simple sampler quilt along

Finally I got time on Sunday yesterday to start on my blocks, first I had to go through my stash to pick out the fabrics and between doing house work night came before I got to cutting . For the bottom block I used two shirts that a friend of mine gave me a while back I think they work well this is actually block two.This is block one and I used the green also from a shirt I once bought at the flea market , the red checked is store bought .
I am sort of behind , they haven't been sewn up yet ,that part will be easy the hardest part was deciding on the fabric which is allot of fun to get all my stash out.

The Biscotti

Hello again you probably think this is a cooking blog more then quilting ,but I do allot of cooking in my home and I would like to share this recipe it is my grandmothers and as I was growing up my mom made them often . I remember dunking them in my milk.

I start by beating two cups of sugar with 2 cups of corn oil and add 5-6 eggs and beat well then I add about 5 tsp of Annis seeds . In a separate bowl I mix 8 cups of flour with about 4-5 tsp. of baking powder then add with the mixture . I then throw it on the counter and knead it adding flour until it isn't sticky anymore being care full not to add to much flour for it will become to hard. Notice the old corell dish I've had these forever. I then put them in the oven after I have divided it in 3 loafs and it looks like the photo below,I also score it with the tip of a knife to make it easier to slice after they have baked I also line the pan with wax paper ,but I used aluminum foil last night because I was out of the wax paper just a minor detail.

I bake until brown or when done ,I don't really time things I just look in the oven and I know that it is done. after slicing with a sawing motion I put flat on a pan and bake again again with the oven set on grill and be very car full not to grill to long just a couple of min. or until they get a nice brown color and then turn over and do the same and proceed until all are twice baked that is why they are called biscotti meaning twice baked.


Then let them cool, and then let the fun begin I quickly got out my milk and enjoyed they taste so good with milk ,coffee or tea I hope someone out there tries to make them they can be made with raisins,chocolate, dried fruits,almonds or any other types of nuts you can let your imagination go.



Try them you'll like them!!!

Don't they look delicious my husband kept coming in the kitchen and touching to see if they had cooled off LOL.

A wonderfull give away at stash manicure

Hello there I was just over at stash manicure and I saw that they have a wonderfull give away which I wanted to share with you, just click at the title and it will take you there ,and good luck to all.