The Winner is....

Drum roll please....
Number 22.
That lucky number is Colleen's new lucky number.

Congratulations Colleen!! I have also sent you an email notifying you of your win. The quilt still needs a little work, just some quilting, binding and a label. So I will send it to you when it is finished. Here it is as it looks now.



I also want to thank everyone who entered the contest and it sure was nice to meet some new friends and to be revisited by old friends. Sorry you all couldn't win a quilt.

Anniversary Give Away

Here is an updated picture of the Give Away Quilt, as you can see I have made some progress on the quilt. I have also re-posted the rules here for new views to find more easily. There are only four more days to win.

So here are the rules:
Look at the list of give away activities below and decide how many activities you want to do. Then add up the points after you've done them, and then email me the information below to enter this give away. Your name is entered for leaving a comment and for each five points you earn I'll place your name in the drawing for the little quilt. That gives you up to four chances to win.

Copy & Paste this information in your email to enter this giveaway.
Then send your email to me at mebowden at cox dot net.

My Name is:
My Email is:
My Blog Address is:
I completed the following requirements:
I have _______ points.


Point Actives:
1 point for leaving a comment on this post. So even if you don't have a blog you can do this, but you will need a Google account to leave a comment.
5 points if you want to add me to the blog list on your sidebar or if I am on your blog list.
5 point for creating a post on your blog and linking to my giveaway.
5 points for being or becoming a follower on my blog or if you are one.

The giveaway will END on Saturday, December 5th at Midnight.
I will then pick a WINNER on Sunday December 6th in the early afternoon.

Holiday Recipe Pumpkin and Mince Pie

OK here is another one of my Holiday Recipe. Of all my recipes I have been making this for the longest. I learned this from a co-worker in 1981, she had made it for a work pot luck and she gave me the recipe. I have made it every Thanksgiving and Christmas since. When Richard & I were dating and he had his first piece, he loved it. He likes it so much he won't eat plain pumpkin pie any more. Now the kids are another story, I made the mistake of say it had mincemeat in it and so they won't even try it.
So here is the recipe:
2 - 9" deep dish pie crust
1 jar of mincemeat
1 can of pumpkin (the small one that makes one pie)
Pour half of the mincemeat mix in each pie crust.
Prepare the pumpkin as you would for a pumpkin pie and pour on top to the mincemeat in the pie crusts. Bake as directed for the pumpkin pie. Serve with whip cream on top.
Enjoy & take care.

Sunday Quilting Upate

First I have a funny story for you. I made my Christmas valences and curtains in 2006 because we had a floor in the house and the floors were not done until the week before Christmas, so to help dress up the house I made valance and curtains. Yesterday while ironing the one for the living room I noticed something. I'm sure the picture will help you see what I finally noticed on the 4th Christmas I have used them. The other three sets are fine. Luckily this one hangs over the Christmas tree and no one will notice. Heck it took me four years to notice and I made them. I guess I focused on making sure all three panel went the same direction, that I didn't notice which end I put the top rod pocket.


I don't know about you but sometimes I get a little ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder. Or is it RQS Restless Quilt Syndrome. It's not like I don't have enough things to work on that I need to work on now. Like Krystal's Horse for Christmas, the Give Away wall hanging, my DJ Christmas Quilt. But last night I had the urge to do some mindless work. I did the prep work for two parts of my Washington Medallion Quilt. I just did the sewing on the triangle on a roll paper. I didn't feel like cutting them or making the blocks but just sewing on the lines. So I did both parts. At least now I don't feel so far behind.


My Dear Jane Christmas Quilt has four side borders to quilt. I finished quilting from top to bottom and had turned the quilt to do the side borders. I finished the side triangles and started one of the borders and my machine started to make a lot of noise. That was Friday night. I thought well it's time to quit for today and I'll clean it, re-thread it, oil it and try again in the morning. No improvement in the noise. So I took the quilt off the frame, the one pole off and the machine off and took it to the machine hospital. I hope to have it back by the end of the week. I was so ready to be done with the quilting on that thing. Here it is just before I turned it.

I also made 3 nine inch blocks as a surprise for a friend, its a group surprise. I can't say anymore. I don't want to spill the beans.


Here is the picture you are waiting for, the center of the Anniversary Give-away quilt. It isn't finished yet, but close. I just need to cut some triangles and join those top two rows together. I'm liking how it looks I hope you do also. Be sure to see the post from Nov 26th to see how this could be yours.

Night for now, take care.

Man Cave Update

My husband has been very busy over his 5 day weekend for Thanksgiving. He has made a lot of progress on his "Man Cave". This first picture was taken on Wednesday evening. Boy am I looking forward to having an empty garage. My poor car has been sitting outside with all this work going on this weekend. He moved all his saws out into the center of the floor.


This is what he had accomplished on Thursday and Friday. He worked on the wall on Thanksgiving while I was inside cooking. This picture was taken Friday evening.


On Friday he finshed the wall but had to wait for the kids to come home from work to help him lift the wall and secure it in place. One wall done, the one with the door he got free from his work. They were going to throw it out so he had permission to take it. This is just the frame the actual door is still in the garage. I was a little worried that the wall would fall down during the night. I was relieved it didn't.


Here is how much he was able to finish on Saturday. I even had to help lift the 3rd wall. Believe me when I say it was a snug fit. He uses a big truck jack to get it up off the floor, so it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but it is heavy. His brother was here helping also.

Holiday Recipes Baked Corn

Before the oven.


One of the things I love about this time of year are the special recipes that come out of hiding,are made,served and eaten with great enthusiasm. Part of what makes them special are that they are served only at special times and the other is the memories that are attached to them. I have four special recipes that I make for the Holidays, my husband & I love them. The kids not so much but they only like green bean casserole, which is OK but these recipes are way better. My taste buds like them anyway. I'm going to share one a day, feel free to try them. Today we have Baked Corn. One of my co-workers shared this recipe with me around 1985.

Baked Corn or Corn Custard
3 eggs well beaten
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 can cream corn
1 cup of milk
Pinch of salt
Mix sugar & starch, I use a sifter
Add to eggs, add other ingredients
Pour into 1 qt baking dish
Sprinkle nutmeg on top
Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour
I usually double the recipe and use a 2 qt oven proof dish.

There is a custard that surrounds the corn.

After baking.

Anniversary Give Away

A few weeks ago I mentioned a Give away to celebrate the one year anniversary of my blog. I was originally thinking I would buy something and give it away but that feels so impersonal. So instead I have decided to make a small wall hanging for Christmas. I just decided this yesterday so it isn't ready yet. I have drafted it in EQ6 so you can have an idea. If you think it looks a lot like my Dear Jane Christmas Quilt you are right. I even have some of that lovely border fabric left. I'll mail it to the lucky winner as soon as it is finished.


Here it is as of 11.29.09, well on it's way. I will update the picture as it is completed.

So here are the rules:
Look at the list of give away activities below and decide how many activities you want to do. Then add up the points after you've done them, and then email me the information below to enter this give away. Your name is entered for leaving a comment and for each five points you earn I'll place your name in the drawing for the little quilt. That gives you up to four chances to win.

Copy & Paste this information in your email to enter this giveaway.
Then send your email to me at mebowden at cox dot net.

My Name is:
My Email is:
My Blog Address is:
I completed the following requirements:
I have _______ points.


Point Actives:
1 point for leaving a comment on this post. So even if you don't have a blog you can do this, but you will need a Google account to leave a comment.
5 points if you want to add me to the blog list on your sidebar or if I am on your blog list.
5 point for creating a post on your blog and linking to my giveaway.
5 points for being or becoming a follower on my blog or if you are one.

The giveaway will END on Saturday, December 5th at Midnight.
I will then pick a WINNER on Sunday December 6th in the early afternoon.

Now to go make my spread sheet to keep track of all your points. I better print those paper piecing patterns for those blocks also and get sewing.
Well Good Luck and Have Fun!