Quilt + Pillow = Quillow

It's a quilt. It's a pillow. It's a Quillow ... and it's finally done!


I had one of these made for me when I was a child.  I used to enjoy cuddling up on my bed or the couch with my feet tucked warmly in the pocket.  I loved it, so I decided to try to make one for my daughter.


I am not going to teach you how to make a quilt. If you don't know how, ask someone who is a better quilter than me. I've kinda made it up as I went along.


This quilt is three different fabrics. 

I cut dozens of 4 1/2" squares and sewed them all together into the quilt top. I made the back with two large panels of each of the three colors. I put some batting in the middle and machine-quilted between each square.


Now I know I don't use a proper border technique, but I don't care. I cut long two inch wide strips and folded it in on itself and sewed it around the edges of the quilt after trimming it.


So that would have been the end of it if I was just making a quilt, but I wanted to turn this into quillow. I made two four-square by four-square panels and added some batting and quilted and edged them the same way as I did the quilt. Next up was sewing that panel to the bottom center of the back of the quilt. I sewed it around the right, bottom, and left sides of the panel, leaving the top open. Sew it on good. It is going to get used and abused.

All done sewing! To turn it into a pillow, fold the sides in even with right and left sides of the pillow panels. 

It should be about in thirds. Then, fold the top of the quilt towards the top of the panel, stop a few inches before the panel. Fold that in half. 

Turn the pillow section inside out and tuck the folded quilt into the pillow. And now you have a pillow.

You could add any fabric to any quilt or blanket that you already have, as long as the proportions are right.


Enjoy!

Demonstrating the "foot warmer" feature

Giant Chocolate Donut Cake

This was much easier than it looks and turned out much better than I expected. It wasn't until I saw the finished product that I decided it was post-worthy and then it was too late for in-process photos. Maybe I'll have to make another one and take more pictures.


The key to the whole thing is the pan. My husband bought it for me for Christmas. He got it at Big Lots for $5 apparently, but I am guessing you can get them online or in other stores.

It is silicone, there are two identical pan pieces, one for the top half, one for the bottom.

I preheated the oven as directed on the box cake mix. I prepared the batter according to the box directions. Then spray the pans thoroughly with Baker's Joy to ensure easy cake removal. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Mine have max fill lines inside them.


The instructions that came with the pans gave recommended bake time, I think it was about 30 minutes. You can do the toothpick test to check. Let them cool in the pans for a bit then cool completely on a rack.


Flip them back over and use a cake leveler to get a nice even surface on each. I used standard store-bought icing to put a layer across the cut surface of the bottom cake. Then carefully flip the other cake over on top of the first, being careful not to break the cake and line up the edges as best you can.


Next step is icing. I scooped more out of the same container as before and put it in a microwaveable bowl. I warmed it up for 10-15 seconds - enough to make it soft, but not too runny. (If you make it too runny, like I did the first time, add another spoonful of room temp icing and stir.) Pour the warm icing over the top of the donut/cake and let it drizzle down the sides a bit. Once you've got the icing good, top with chocolate sprinkles.


Serve to a delighted birthday boy (or whoever you feel is deserving of a delicious cake, maybe even yourself).

Of course, you can make any combination of cake flavor and icing and decorations you want. You could even hollow out a "trough" and put a filling in before putting the top cake on.


Enjoy! And let me know how it goes.

Key Sweaters

I found this idea on Pinterest and fell in love. Not only do I have a fondness for sweaters, but I adore all things tiny.


However, the original pin was just a photo, not a pattern. My friend Tamra also loved the key sweater and said she would find me a pattern if I agreed to knit one (or ten) for her. Deal!


She found this blog for me that had a pattern for Cozy Keys and I was off and running ... err, knitting.


My first attempt turned out the wrong size and shape, so I made a few modifications.

My son wearing my first attempt - I just added a face and hair.

My version goes something like this:
CO 12 sts, distribute evenly on 3 DPNs (size 0) and begin working in the round.
Row 1:  K2, kfb, repeat around
Row 2-3:  Knit
Row 4:  K6, kfb, kfb, repeat
Row 5:  Knit
Row 6:  K8, kfb, kfb, repeat

Row 7:  Knit
Row 8:  K10, kfb, kfb, repeat (28 sts)
Row 9:  K2, P2, K2, P2, slip 6 to cable needle, repeat
Row 10-12:  K2, P2, repeat around
Bind off.


Sleeves (same process for both):
K6 from cable needle in the round
Knit 6 sts for 4 rows.
Bind off.



Now my desk key is nice and warm in my cold office and Tamra was repaid with these cuties.

I made the one in the top picture with some fun shiny yarn that is sport weight.

Enjoy making yours!  I would love to see them.  Come back when you are finished and post a link to a photo of yours.

Earbud Cord Wrap

I whipped this up (okay, knitted) one night when I decided I needed something to control the cord on my earbuds.


The yarn I chose was a sport weight (2 Fine) by Lion Brand that had some sparkle to it. I used size 2 or 3 needles.

I cast on 24 stitches loosely. I knit about 12 rows in a 2x2 rib (knit two stitches, purl two stitches, repeat across). Bind off loosely in rib pattern. Weave in loose ends.
You could use other yarn or other needles or a different stitch pattern. This is just what I did and it worked for me. I chose the rib to make it have an elastic quality.
My finished product was about 1 1/4" by 2 1/2".


Then I took some thin black elastic about 5 1/2" long and folded it in half. You might want to tie a knot at the very end to hold the two cut ends together. Sew that to one end of the knitted piece so that it lays across the whole piece. Sew it on securely so that it doesn't come off when you pull on it. This I where that knot might come in handy.


See a button on top of the end of the elastic. I used a 3/4" button. Use any size you want. It just has to be big enough to hold your elastic.

And now it is time to wrap up your unruly cord. I wrap mine around my fingers, then wrap the knit wrap around that.

I hope it works for you. Enjoy!

Rapunzel Cake

Before you even look at the photo, I need to offer a disclaimer...I am not an artist.  I am not a sculpter.  I just enjoy making things.  

My daughter LOVES the Disney movie Tangled and everything Rapunzel.  If you haven't seen the movie, stop reading now and go rent or buy the movie and watch it.  It is really good.

I made three cakes, iced them, and stacked them up.  Round, square, round, decreasing in size.  The cakes were box mixes and the icing was store bought, too.

Now here is where the hard part starts.  I made Candy Clay in various colors using Wilton Candy Melts.  That recipe is for a whole bag of candy melts, but you can scale it down.  My calculations have it at 10 candy melts per 1 teaspoon of corn syrup.  I used the clay to make a (not-very-pretty) Rapunzel, Pascal the chameleon, a frying pan, a hair brush, my version of the sun symbol, lots of flowers and leaves, and then a Rapunzel-supply of hair.  I wrapped the "hair" around all the layers of the cake and then used my super-rusty cursive-writing skills to spell Hannah's name across the front of the cake.  (The "6" is the candle, not edible.)

I was a little disappointed in my Rapunzel-sculpting skills, but other than that, I love how it turned out.  And most importantly, my daughter thought it was the most awesome cake ever.

Flower Pot Dirt Dessert

For my first post, I chose something I have made pretty recently.  Since I didn't have a blog yet, I didn't take step-by-step photos while making them.  


For my daughter's 6th birthday, I made Flower Pot Dirt Dessert cups for her snack to share at school.  All it takes is chocolate pudding, whipped topping, Oreos, gummy worms, green spoons, pipe cleaners, and some cups that can double as flower pots.  I used the recipe from Kraft, but then modified it some. I made the instant chocolate pudding according to package directions and mixed in the Cool Whip and crushed Oreos, but I used more pudding and Oreos to make darker "dirt".  Top with more crushed Oreos and then put in a gummy worm or two.

I used cups that I bought 10 for $1 at a dollar store.  You could use anything that looks remotely flower-pot-ish.  I found green plastic spoons at a party store and topped them with a flower made from pipe cleaners.  

All the children loved them.  And even the boys wanted to keep their flower spoons.


I realize that many schools don't allow homemade treats, but luckily, my daughter's school still does.


Good luck and enjoy!


UPDATE:  Here are the instructions on how I made the flower spoons.

I bought green spoons at a party store and pipe cleaners (aka fuzzy sticks) at WalMart or Target.

 I bent the flower blossom color into a W shape.  I cut the flower center in half then bent into a V.

 I then took the points of the W and bent them to the center, forming the straight sides into the four petals.

 Now you have a flower shape and a V.

 Next, place the point of the V over the center of the flower, catching the bends that are across from each other, not the open side.

 Place on top of spoon, tucking the loose ends under the flower.

 Wrap and twist tightly around the spoon.

 Come back to the front, twist and go to the back and twist tightly again.

 Tuck in all loose ends and you have a flower spoon!

Welcome!

I decided to start a blog for the sole reason of having something to link to when I post my own creations on Pinterest.  Now I just need to find time to actually post something.