A Prize Inside

 I just received a great surprise in my mail yesterday.  It came all the way from Australia.  I was selected as a winner in the last Quiltmaker 100 Block hop to receive a pattern from Janelle at Country Matters.

She sent me this cute pattern called The Rockery.  Says Janelle, "This quilt was inspired by an old rockery that was at the back of our house when I was a child growing up.  It was small but full of plants like daffodils, pig face, cornflowers and gerberas, that provided great colour for the garden."  She drew up the pattern to preserve that great memory.

She also sent along a little packet of die punched paper pieces as all the flower in the pattern are English paper pieced.  Take a look at all these different shapes.  I have made lots of hexies, but have never seen some of these other shapes!  I can hardly wait to try them out.

Thank you, Janelle for your generosity and for participating in the Quiltmaker blog hop.  I have not seen the magazine at our local stores here yet, but hope to find one soon.

In other late breaking news,  I got my Eye Fooler quilt back from the long arm quilter this week.  She did a wonderful job using a pattern that is a garden trellis or trellised ivy.  I can't exactly remember the name.  On the front it appears to follow the circles of the pieced pattern.  On the back it looks like ivy inside of squares that travel diagonally across the quilt.

The quilter is such a nice lady and because I was a first time customer, she gave me this cute bag to put the leftover scraps in and to bring new projects in for my next visit.

BeeBop a RuBop Rhubarb Pie

It's rhubarb time and I thought I would share my favorite rhubarb pie recipe.  I found this several years ago in a 4H cookbook.  So you know it's got to be good.

Rhubarb Cream Cheese Pie

1 # rhubarb, cut in 1/2 inch slices
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. tapioca
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c sugar

Topping:
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. sugar

Combine rhubarb, 3/4 c. sugar and tapioca in saucepan.  Allow to stand until moistened.  Set over low heat to further extract juice from rhubarb.  Cover and cook over moderate heat until tender and tapioca is almost clear.  Cool.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating only to blend.  Blend in salt.  Arrange this filling in the pastry shell.

Beat the cream cheese and 1/2 c. sugar together.  Spread over the top of the rhubarb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Before serving, spread or dollop with the sour cream topping.

This is definitely a winner!!!  You can see it is disappearing fast.

Designing Monday

Applique is finished!  I opted not to make each leaf 3D.  Stem ends are covered with yo-yos.

Now it is on to the quilting.  The free motion design shown on the pattern is similar to the overall piecing and appliqué with cherries and leaves and vines.  I'll try that with pencil and paper and see if I can master it.


Have a lovely week and check out Judy's blog for more great quilts.