Christmas PJ's

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I know we did. It was of the nice, quiet, stay at home variety - my favorite kind.

Every year the kids get new pajamas on Christmas Eve. Last year was the first time I made pj's for my daughter. After making these pajamas, I realized I DO NOT like making pajama tops. Even though these lavender flannel pj's are among my favorites, pj tops take too long and she grows too fast!

So this year (and several pair of PJ's before this) I made pants and appliqued a t-shirt. I think the applique is so much more fun, to make and to look at. It wasn't until this morning that I realized the gingerbread man has no mouth, and my daughter wants him to have a bow around his neck. I will have to fix that ASAP.

The fabric for the pants is from Northcott and may be a year or two old. I don't know for sure as it came from my mom's stash. I don't remember the name of the line. The t-shirt is from Target and the gingerbread man applique is a scrap from a friend's stash.

As my other kiddos outgrow the need for pajamas with feet, they will start getting the really cute stuff, too.

Holly Jolly Snowmen Quilt

I just finished this quilt top tonight, and I love it! I love the fabric, Holly Jolly Snowmen by Kathy Schmitz for Moda. The colors are absolutely beautiful and the designs are so fun and happy. This photo doesn't do justice to the beautiful fabric. If you don't already have some of this fabric in your stash, get it while you can!

The quilt pattern is Done in a Jiff by Heartspun Quilts. It wasn't too difficult, and I love the results. I made some mistakes in making this quilt, but I learned some new things that would have made the final result much better. Just new knowledge for the next quilt.

Rag Quilt

No, there's nothing wrong with your computer screen. The blue flannel bled all over everything else. I used color catchers and Retayne. I bought this fabric 8+ years ago at a quilt shop and just never got the blanket finished. Because I bought the fabric at a good quilt shop, I thought everything would be just great when I washed it. Well, I was wrong. Oh well. I'm sure my little guy will use and love it just the same.

Molasses-Ginger Cookies

Kim over at NewlyWoodwards is having a Dare to DIY blog party/cookie recipe swap. I love baking cookies, thus making this an ideal bloggy event. Go check it out!

Molasses-Ginger Cookies...Mmmmmm. These are the kind of cookies that even if you don't eat a single one, you will thoroughly enjoy the smell of these while they are baking. They fill your house with the most wonderful smell, the kind that makes you want to breathe deeply and say, "Ahhhhhh, yeah. This is home."

I got this recipe from this blog. She uses only 2 cups of flour, but I couldn't get it to work with 2 cups of flour.

Molasses-Ginger Cookies

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup finely chopped *crystallized ginger

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar (preferably muscovado)

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

1/3 cup molasses

demerrara sugar for rolling

1. Combine the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger. In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat shortening and butter to combine, add brown sugar and beat until well-combined and fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease/line 2 baking sheets. Spoon sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Using wet hands, form dough into 2-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart, flatten slightly.

3. Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch and moist inside, about 10-12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool on sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer to racks and cool.

*It is much cheaper to make crystallized ginger in your own kitchen. It is also very simple. Just make it at least a day before you want to make the cookies.

Christmas Table Topper

Have I ever told you how much I love finishing a project? I love finishing a project, even if it is small.

I made this table topper for my sister and brother-in-law who just bought their first house. I really like the way the top came out. The quilting is OK. I just need to practice more.

I made it from a charm pack that a local quilt shop put together from the different Christmas fabrics they had in their store this year.

The outer border was a bit of a trial. This was the third or fourth border I tried. I just couldn't seem to get it right, but I finally got it right with the red pieced border.

Sorry the picture is a little blurry, but this is no longer in my possession so I can't take a better picture.