We are in Kentucky...

After a beautiful fall day, we stayed in Mt. Vernon, IL last night. What a great room we had at the Fairfield Inn!


This morning we headed south with the first stop at the Southern Illinois Artisans Shop and Art Gallery. It was really interesting. Then we went on to Carbondale and the SIU campus. After looking around and walking through the woods, we headed to Giant City State Park, where we tried to get lodging for tonight but they were full. We climbed the water tower - you can't see the observation deck in this picture.


Then we found a nice spot for a picnic. After eating, we headed to Cave-in-Rock State Park. When we figured out where it actually was, we gave up and headed south to Dixon Springs State Park. We have had a gorgeous fall day.

Before leaving Illinois, we had to stop at Metropolis.

Then we drove on to Paducah, Kentucky. We ate dinner at Flamingo Row, a local spot that the desk clerk told us about. Very Caribbean, very colorful, and very good!

We may be going back tomorrow to get their scones...

Two finished wallhangings

I've been working on projects that I bought while we were in Alaska. I just finished these 2 small wallhangings. Each is about 5 1/2" by 19 1/2".

I enjoyed the raw-edge applique and I've learned lots!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies!

This morning while I was waiting for the furnace people to come (we are getting a new furnace), I was doing some applique work and watching Good Morning America. Emeril was cooking and made a great looking Chili Mac (which I will try) and then he talked about some Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies that were super easy and had no flour. So I tried them!

The recipe only makes 24 rather small cookies which is the perfect number when only 2 people live in this house. They really are simple (unless you tip over the sugar canister!) and good. Here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cookies
From Emeril Lagasse on Good Morning America

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and stir until smooth.
3. Roll about 1 heaping teaspoon of dough between your hands to form a smooth ball. Place the balls on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. Using a fork, press on the dough in two directions to form a crosshatch pattern.

4. Bake the cookies about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets. Then remove them with a metal spatula.

Makes about 24 cookies

Haunted Hollow Wallhanging

I bought some quilt wall hangers at camp and now want to make more wallhangings. This is a neat Halloween print and I added the borders. Haunted Hollow:

Six Little Bunnies - done!

The bunnies are ready to go meet some African children!

They each have a soft tail!

Getting things done!

I have been sewing all day... well, trying to anyway! I worked on some little bunnies but ran out of fiberfill so I will finish them later in the week.

Here is a tiny quilt, about 9 1/4 inches square. It is called Thimbles. The idea came from Quilt Camp. I machine quilted it about every 3/8" - an idea I read about on Crazy Mama Quilts, a blog that I enjoy following.


I decided it was time to do some more with my Alaskan stash of projects. I made this pillow today. The fabric is from Ketchikan, home of many totem poles.

The fabric for the back and piping is also from Alaska. It is a very pretty batik.

Nice to have something finished!

Bunnies, bunnies, bunnies...

My friend Nancy recently emailed me that her pastor and his wife are going to Ghana in the near future. They will be visiting orphanages and would like to take handmade dolls, etc. for the children. Nancy then gave me this link: http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/. There is a free bunny pattern there.

Here is my prototype. Of course, I changed a couple of minor things in the pattern - you know me, I don't think I've ever met a pattern I didn't change!

So now I am ready to make a few bunnies to send to Africa.

Eventually I will get the doll pattern. I really haven't made many stuffed toys, but today I am having lunch with my friend Colleen and she has made hundreds, maybe more! I'm sure she'll share any secrets!