Bob Seger was awesome!

We went to his concert the Tuesday night and it was awesome!  There were more silver head people there then kids and Bob Seger was one of them!
 Here is the headline from the Grand Rapids Press:

Bob Seger rocks the house, reveals his favorite 'guitar hero moment,' in Grand Rapids show. 

Yum yum:Chocolate-Coated Pretzels Recipe

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. + standing MAKES: 20-24 servings

Ingredients
  1 to 1-1/4 pounds white and/or milk chocolate candy coating, coarsely chopped
  1 package (8 ounces) miniature pretzels
  Nonpariels, colored jimmies and colored sugar, optional

  Directions
In a microwave, melt half of candy coating at a time; stir until smooth. Dip pretzels in candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until almost set. Garnish as desired; let stand until set.
Yield: 5-6 dozen.

Originally published as Chocolate-Coated Pretzels in Sweet and Scrumptious Chocolate


Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-coated-pretzels#ixzz3LJjhuDjn

Color Love Quilt update #1

The pattern was designed to be a 5 month block of the month, but if you're like us, we can't wait that long to make a quilt!  Abbi Mays sells this as a kit.

Color Love is Nancy Rink's new fashion palette of mid-bright textures and geometric motifs, anchored by a deep blue ground Jacobean inspired floral.
With subtle print motifs like plaids, fireworks, chubby flowers and various textures, the collections is geared to quilters who want something fresh and flexible.  The fabrics used are from the collection Color Love designed by Nancy Rink for Marcus Brothers.

First thing to do is decide which one to do: traditional or appliqued center:

We are going to do the fusible laser cut appliqued one.

Our sewer Sue, will be making the block and I'll do the applique.

Sue's thoughts:
Pattern:
Skill level:
Fabrics: there 18 fun and pretty cotton prints
and approx 17 1/2 yards of fabric for top, borders, hand applique and binding.

Lets get started!
Blocks One is 18 1/2":

Yum - yum! Pumpkin Mousse Trifle

Ingredients

U.S.

Metric

Conversion chart

• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 3 1/2 cup(s) heavy cream
• 15 ounce(s) canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 2 tablespoon(s) dark rum
• 1 teaspoon(s) powdered gelatin
• 3 ounce(s) shaved dark chocolate

---

Directions

1. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and set aside.
2. Whisk the yolks, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3/4 cup cream together in a medium saucepan. Heat while stirring continuously with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon over medium-low heat, until thickened and the mixture coats the spatula -- about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set over the ice bath. Stir to cool.
3. Add pumpkin, vanilla, spices, and salt to the egg mixture. Stir 1 tablespoon rum and 1 teaspoon gelatin together in a small bowl. Heat the remaining tablespoon rum, and stir in to the gelatin mixture until dissolved. Gently whisk into the pumpkin mixture. Beat 1/2 cup cream to stiff peaks, and fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into a shallow dish, cover and chill until cold and thick enough to fall from a spoon in heavy dollops -- about 8 hours or up to overnight.
4. Beat the remaining cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Alternately layer the pumpkin mousse and whipped cream in a glass serving dish. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings between top two layers. Serve chilled.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

Make a Pillowcase and donate it we did!

Turn your love of quilting and sewing into messages of comfort,hope and love for a foster child, a cancer patient,  victims of domestic violence, and others.

Our quilt bee Sew Fun Quilters got together last night and made 76 flannel pillowcases! These will be donated of our local charities to use this Christmas as gifts.

This also would be to do with your grandson or granddaughter! All you need is pins, scissors, iron and sewing machine.

This is how we did it: we organized ourselfs into groups of assemblers, piners, sewers and pressers!

Abbi Mays has cotton and flannel pillowcase kits for you to use that are already precut with 27" case, 2" strip and 9" cuff for adults and kids!

Kits available here for $5.50 each: 

PILLOWCASES for KIDS  COTTON Pillowcases
FLANNEL Pillowcases(2" stripe not used)

Free Pattern here: Pillowcase

We challenge your quilt club or bee to do the same for your local charities this Christmas Season!

36 Days til Christmas....

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas, everywhere you go.....

"Sneak Peek" at fabrics coming 2015:

Whitewashed Cottage Linen by 3 Sisters for Moda


Sweet Escape from PB Textiles

Firestorm Batiks by Judy Niemeyer for Timeless Treasures

All That Jazz Quilt By Ann Lauer

All That Jazz by Grizzly Gulch Gallery
designed by: Ann Lauer

Finished size: Queen size 87" x 107"

This is a fun quilt because there are lots of half square triangles in two fabric combinations and making all of them at once is faster and makes better use of the fabric.
There is a color key with fabric swatches so its easy for fabric placement.

Finished size: 87" x 107"
Skill Level: Intermediate

Included in kit:
Pattern: All That Jazz

Approx: 14 1/4 yards fabrics for top, borders and binding.
Fabrics used are  Poppy Panache from Benartex (Fabrics used in this quilt are as pictured.
We made no substitutions.)
Available here for $151 + shipping: All That Jazz
Retail Price: $168.00 Each
Instant Savings: $17.00
Price: $151.00

Yum - Yum Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie!
Ingredients
8-count biscuits 
1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (any leftover chicken works)
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. frozen veggies, thawed (I used 1 c. corn, peas and carrots & 1/2 c. broccoli)
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon of minced onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook the chicken however you like, then cut into small pieces

Separate biscuits and place each biscuit in a cup of a lightly greased 12-hole muffin pan, pressing dough up sides to edge of cup.

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, chicken soup, veggies, cheddar cheese, parsley flakes, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.

Evenly spoon chicken mixture into prepared biscuit cups.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 2-3 minutes. Serve at once.

Just Arrived: Good Company by Cori Dantini for Blen

You're in Good Company with this new collection by Cori Dantini.

A cheerful wonderland of woodland creatures frolicking in a field of flowers.

 Friendly foxes and happy hedgehogs play amidst a forest of whimsical woodgrain textures, little acorns and darling dot designs.

5 Yard Bundles are now $30 each!

Shop our 5 yard bundles, featuring 5 different fabrics in 1 yard pieces. We have a large selection of bundles with coordinating fabrics and colors that complement each other nicely. 

Buy one, two or three bundles and get them for $30 each! Buy 4 or more and get them for $25 each! Discounts will show in shopping cart . Save more when you buy more! Order a few bundles for your DIY projects today! 
These five coordinated fabrics......one yard each......work great with our easy and fun FREE 5 YARD PATTERNS or your own creativity

Daisy Chain Cottage Quilt Kits are here!

When Sue (right) and I first saw this quilt at Spring Quilt Market we knew we couldn't wait to make this one together! She's makes the piecing blocks and I do the appliqueing blocks.

The kit includes 19 1/2  and features 26 different fabrics from the Pocket Full of Daisies collection designed by Lynette Anderson for RJR.

Finished size: 77" x 89"
Skill level: Intermediate (applique)

Included in kit:
Pattern: Daisy Chain Cottage
Approx: 19 3/8 yards fabric for top,borders and binding
Fabrics used in these quilts are as pictured.
We made no substitutions.

***LAYAWAY AVAILABLE***
Retail Price: $280.00 Each
Instant Savings: $30.00
Price: $250.00

Available here: Daisy Chain Cottage

Yum yum! Caarmel Apple Jello Shots

The recipe is actually for creating caramel apple jello shots, since the addition of gelatin helps the caramel sauce hold its shape when the cored-out apple's been sliced up. But if you intend to serve it to kids, you can just leave out the vodka or the bourbon. Sadly, the process does require you to refrigerate the apples for a few hours until the caramel core solidifies, but if you make them before you head to bed tonight you're guaranteed one amazing and appropriately-themed breakfast come Halloween morning. 

See video here: Caramel Apple Jello shots

Yum Yum - Loaded Caramel Pumpkin Blondies

Loaded Caramel Pumpkin Blondies - Clean out the cabinets with these Loaded Caramel Pumpkin Blondies – filled with Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s Kisses, chocolate chips, toffee and a caramel layer.
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash of cloves
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 cup Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s Kisses, roughly chopped (about 28)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee pieces
1 bag (11 oz) caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup evaporated milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves. In another bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.

Stir in the egg and vanilla, then add in the pumpkin. Add in the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Add in the chopped Hershey’s Kisses, white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips and toffee pieces. 
Pour about 2/3 of the mixture into the prepared pan. The mixture will be fairly thick – use a spatula to spread the mixture to the edges.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
While the blondies are baking, combine the caramels and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth.

After the blondies have baked for 10 minutes, remove and carefully pour the caramel over the top. Take the remaining dough and drop by spoonfuls over the top of the caramel.

Return the pan to the oven and let bake an additional 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

North by Northwest Quilt update: quilting the quilt!

We just got our quilt back from the quilter: Judy Kraker Quilting!
What do you think?

Judy did a lovely job quilting this because
every block was quilted differently!

Quilt Kit: Santa's Sleigh + Free Pattern!

The fabrics used in this quilt are Starry Night by Lynette Anderson for RJR 

The was piecing blocks were designed by Wendy Shepard

and applique and embroidery blocks by Lynette Anderson

Finished size: 91" x 91"
Skill level: AdvancedThere are 18 yards of 25 different fabrics in this kit!

Retail Price: $216.00 Each

Instant Savings: $18.00

Price: $198.00

Available here: Santa's Sleigh

Happy first day of Fall!

Hello Fall!

It is the summer's great last heat,
It is the fall's first chill: They meet.
–Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt

Yum yum- Easy Crockpot Potato Soup!

Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 30oz. bag of frozen diced hash browns
1 32 oz box of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup (10 oz)
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz, not fat free)
3 oz bacon bits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put the potatoes in the crockpot. Add in the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and half of the bacon bits. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook on low for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
An hour before serving, cut the cream cheese into small cubes. Place the cubes in the crock pot. Mix a few times throughout the hour before serving.
Once the cream cheese is completely mixed in, it's ready to serve.
Top with cheddar cheese and some additional bacon bits.

24 Hour Pillowcase Sew-a-thon

Make a Pillowcase, Make a Difference for KIDS!

Here at Abbi Mays, we have put together pillowcase kits USING KIDS PRINTS with a variety of fabrics from our shop.
Each kit includes pattern and fabrics needed to make one 20 Minute Pillowcase.
Available here for $5.50 each

Pillowcase kits for kids!

North by Northwest Quilt update: appliqueing the blocks!

The blocks with precut fusible pieces are now ready for me to machine applique.
I said out loud "oh my - this is going to be a challenge!"
There were 20 blocks + the chain link borders! 
Here are few blocks with long, pointy and narrow pieces and those little 1/2" circles...yikes!

It was a good thing I just took a class this summer from Kim Diehl on machine applique because her method made it very easy! I used nylon thread and did a tiny zig zag stitch.

This was fun and easy (as long as I didn't get distracted).  The blocks are now finished and ready to be assembled with the other pieced blocks for a finished quilt top (95" x 112").

This quilt kit is available here: North By Northwest

Good morning!

2001 Houston Chronicle: Quilters express patriotism by the stitch

Here is an snippet from this local paper from 2001 about the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Tx.

MADELEINE McDERMOTT HAMM, Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle Home Design Editor | October 27, 2001

While we each react differently to tragedy, after Sept. 11 an unrelated army of passionate quilters focused their emotions on what they do best. They began making quilts.
They expressed their shock, their horror, their grief, their hope and their love for this country in pieces of cloth. They stitched their personal interpretations of the Stars and Stripes, the American eagle, the Statue of Liberty, even the collapsing World Trade Center towers.

Within a few days after the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., Houston quilting impresario Karey Bresenhan was online encouraging quilters wanting to piece together a response to the tragedy. Bresenhan promised a special exhibit of the works at the upcoming International Quilt Festival.

A new exhibit called America: From the Heart was quickly organized for the already jam-packed quilt festival that opens Wednesday night at George R. Brown Convention Center.

Bresenhan, who is president of Quilts Inc. and director of the festival -- which she originated in her Great Expectations Quilt Shop in the 1970s -- expected about 100 quilts to be submitted for the spontaneous exhibit. That was early October.

"We have more than 250 quilts that will make a wall of images and messages down the middle of the show, from one end of George R. Brown to the other. They have come from all kinds of people, from well-known artists to a fourth-grade class. It's going to be a very therapeutic exhibit," Bresenhan said. 

 "These quilters have poured out their feelings in these pieces," Ritter said, explaining that when setting up the display , earlier this week, "it was hard to keep from crying as we opened up each quilt."

"But," she added, "many express so much hope. Quilters tend to be very hopeful. Women have always used needles and cloth to express themselves." Ritter's quilt, New Tears, will be shown.


You can read more about this here: Houston Chronicle

American Glory Quilt Kit features fabrics from Robyn Pandolph!

We saw this quilt at Spring Quilt Market - and "oh my" it was beautiful!

The fabrics featured are Faded Glory by Robin Pandolph from RJR and was designed by Diane Nagle of Peddlecar Quilts.

Kit includes
Pattern: American Glory by Peddlecar Quilts
Fabrics: Approx 8 3/4 yards fabrics for top, borders and binding
Fabrics used in these quilts are as pictured (Faded Splendor from RJR by Robin Pandolph) We made no substitutions

Outside border:

Retail Price: $129.99 Each

Your Savings: $13.00

Price: $116.99

Shipping cost: $5.95

Available here: American Glory

Where's the spider?

"Abbi Mays Exclusive" All for One by Quilt Moments

All for One was designed by Marilyn Foreman of Quilt Moments.

Simply rotate the block for many layout options.

Easy piecing with half square triangles.
Includes several techniques so you can choose your favorite method.

We chose the Modern Version and used Posies 3 Batiks pink, red & orange from Robert Kaufman's

It was quilted by Judy Kraker Quilting

 Finished size: 71" x 89"
Skill level: Advanced Beginner

Retail Price: $135.00 Each
Your Savings: $15.00
Price: $120.00
Available here: All For One