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practice run

March 10, 2010 by mybricole

Pearl and I are having lots of fun.

I made a stop at my local quilt shop.  I guess I was a bit drunk with power, because I managed to convince myself that now was the time to make a quilt.  I have been shoving this notion to the back of my brain for a couple of years now.  After bringing home all my supplies, it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to start with something a little smaller.  I found a pattern for a table runner on Moda’s website and pieced this together with scraps that were hanging out with nowhere else to go.

My biggest struggle was with evenness.  The fabric pulled as I was machine quilting.  I took the plunge and purchased a walking foot.  (a trip, that despite telling myself it would only be for the foot, ended with me buying fabric for a lap quilt as well)

I found this great tutorial on binding that helped out a lot too.

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here and now

March 9, 2010 by mybricole

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cookie crumbles + caramel

March 8, 2010 by mybricole

Let me tell you why I like these bars, the recipe makes a generous amount, they as good on the fifth day as they are on the first, and they are quick to make.  But as nice as that is, here’s the very best part of all – the caramel gets a little chewy on the edge pieces and that, to me, is irresistible.

caramel crumb bars
(adapted from Nick Malgieri’s The Modern Baker)
for the dough
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
for the caramel
4 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 brown sugar
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
Butter a 9″ x 13″ pan and line with parchment.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the dough, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt until creamed (about 2-3 minutes).  Add vanilla.  Switch to a low speed and add 2 1/4 cups of the flour and mix until smooth.
Press 3/4 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Chill dough.
Work remaining 1/4 cup of flour into the last 1/4 of dough so that it forms crumbs.  Set aside.
To make the caramel, heat the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and condensed milk in a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Allow to boil gently, stirring often, until it starts to thicken (about 10 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla and salt.  Pour into a heat proof bowl to cool for 5 minutes.
Remove pan from fridge and pour the caramel over the dough.  Use an offset spatula to spread evenly.  Scatter the crumbs over the top of the caramel.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes.  Then lift out of pan to cool completely on a cutting surface.

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my new best friend

March 4, 2010 by mybricole

This is Pearl.

She just moved in and we are having lots of fun together.

I have been wanting to make a cover for my camera strap for a while now, but most of the tutorials that I have seen are tubes that slide over the strap.  I guess I’m a bit lazy, but I didn’t want to have to deal with taking the strap off every time I wanted to change covers.  I came up with a velcro cover that can be swapped out on a whim.

I started with a 24″ by 6 1/2″.  I pressed the sides in 1/4″ and then 1/2″ and stitched them.  Then pressed the length in 1/4″ then 1/2″ and stitched them.  Then I attached fusible velcro along the length on the inside.

Then attached velcro to the length of the opposite side on the outside, making sure they would line up and connect when the cover wraps around the strap.

Then just wrap it around the strap and you are ready to go.

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here and now

March 2, 2010 by mybricole

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catching up

March 1, 2010 by mybricole

The last two weeks have been a blur around here.

I made the red velvet cupcakes from the hummingbird bakery cookbook.

They were divine.

I made a doll for lulu’s friend.

I had myself a wonderful birthday.

I made a tote for a friend who also had a birthday this month.

Lulu made her first potholder.

I made a batch of magnet paper dolls for another little girl with a birthday.

For February’s grand finale, the spouse and I had a date.

I think I’m ready for March now.

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it’s been nine years

February 24, 2010 by mybricole

CJ turned nine on Monday.

Every year the cake has been the same.  It’s my grandmother’s chocolate cake recipe.

What changes every year is the frosting.  Early on, I let him choose the color, more often than not, he would choose purple.  There were several years where he requested it simply as “purple cake”.  Then he started requesting more elaborate themes.  This year he wanted an Up cake.

It started out like this

Then I did a crumb coat which wasn’t easy because it’s such a spongy, crumbly cake.  After the crumb coat chilled I started layering on the colors.

By the time I was done, my hand had cramped permantly into the shape of the piping bag.  It was all worth is when CJ came home from school and saw the cake.

“Mama, that is one mighty cake.”

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here and now

February 23, 2010 by mybricole

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another tiny hat

February 18, 2010 by mybricole

There is a baby boy scheduled to arrive in the neighborhood – not at my house, but in the neighborhood.  I didn’t know how to knit when the kids were tiny and we have a full cottage here, so I love the chance to stitch up tiny things for friends who are expecting.

I made this hat for him.

baby boy hat

size 4 circular needles or dpn to start

switch to dpn when decreasing

cast on 84

Rnd 1 – *k1, p1, rep from * around

Rnd 2 – *p1, k1, rep from * around

Rnd 3 & 4 – repeat rows 1 & 2 once more

Rnd 5 – *k2, p2, rep from * around

Rnd 6 – 32 – repeat rnd 5

to decrease for crown

Rnd 33 – *k2, p2tog, rep from * around

Rnd 34 – *k2, p1, rep from * around

Rnd 35 – *ssk, p1, rep from * around

Rnd 36 – *k1, p1, rep from * around

Rnd 37 – *ssk, rep from * around

Rnd 38 – knit

Rnd 39 – *ssk, rep from * to last stitch, k1

Rnd 40 – knit one round

break yarn and weave in ends with tapestry needle

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it’s twins

February 16, 2010 by mybricole

I was trying to decide what to make for Lulu’s friend who was about to turn six.  I asked Lulu her thoughts on making a doll, and she frowned at me.

“Really, you don’t think she would like a doll?”

“she would, but I want one too.”

So here they are.

One for Lulu and one for her friend.

Their hair is made of felt and their faces have been hand embroidered.

They have matching dresses and aprons.

And best of all, they were both received with smiles and hugs.

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