September, 2016

September 2016

My favorite season is Fall.  The weather is just starting to get cool.  I've put away my white clothes which means now we'll get another heat spell!

I've been really busy and will blog a fantastic experience I just came back from next month.  I need some time to digest it all before I post about it.

Hope this wasn't the last lobster roll of the season but pumpkin everything is calling me now!!

Here are some of the things I've been working on since we last visited.  And YES more Atlas stuff!  He now has a little placemat for his water and food.  Sue is the most generous friend I've ever met.  She will give you anything she has.  She had this adorable kitty fabric in her stash and didn't bat an eye when she handed it to me.

Here's the pattern Cathi lent Sue and Sue lent me!  Enlarge it to whatever you size you like.

Here's another photo of the gorgeous little guy that all the fuss is about.  He's the cutest little thing and just gets sassier and more fresh every time we see him.  Jessi, Kristen and I think that's all part of why we can't get enough of him.  I hope he always stays a kitty because now is the most fun I fear we'll have with him.  After a few years I hope he just doesn't sleep everywhere all the time.

So I had more left over kitty fabric and decided to make him a little quilt so he can play on it.  Susan and Luke say he's on it all the time which encourages me to make more things for him.

Here's his little quilt label without the label...

Sewing for Atlas isn't the only thing I've been doing.  A few weeks ago I decided I had to bake something with pumpkin.  I went through my Cakes, Pies and Tarts board on my Pinterest and found this delicious cake.  This was easy and fantastic for Fall.  This cake rose sooo high I couldn't believe it!!  Would I make it again?  YES!!!!!!!!!!

SPICED PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

JULIE HASSONBON APPÉTIT OCTOBER 2007

INGREDIENTS

1. Cake:
   • 3 cups all purpose flour
   • 2 teaspoons baking powder
   • 1 teaspoon baking soda
   • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
   • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
   • 1 3/4 teaspoons ground allspice
   • 1 teaspoon salt
   • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
   • 1 1/2 cups sugar
   • 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
   • 1 cup canola oil
   • 4 large eggs
   • 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
   • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
   • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
   • 3/4 cup raisins
   • 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut plus additional for garnish
2. Frosting:
   • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
   • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
   • 1 tablespoon dark rum
   • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
   • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (measured, then sifted)

PREPARATION

1. For cake:
   1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. Sift 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and oil in large bowl until combined (mixture will look grainy). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and orange peel; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated. Stir in raisins and 3/4 cup coconut. Divide batter between prepared pans. Smooth tops.
   2. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cakes completely in pans on rack. Run knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper. Turn cakes over, rounded side up. Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops of cakes to level.
2. For frosting:
   1. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in dark rum and vanilla. Add powdered sugar in 3 additions, beating just until frosting is smooth after each addition (do not overbeat or frosting may become too soft to spread). Place 1 pumpkin cake layer, flat side down, on platter. Spread half of cream cheese frosting over top of cake to edges. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting over top (not sides) of cake. Sprinkle additional coconut over. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
   2. Cut cake into wedges and serve.
3. GOOD TO KNOW:
   1. It's better to underbeat the frosting than overbeat it. That bit of restraint makes for a slightly firmer frosting that's easier to spread.

This is what's next for Atlas!!  I still had more kitty fabric left!!  Soon I'm going to start making Susan and Luke a flannel quilt and I'll make sure to have leftovers for Atlas!!

Found this the other day - it will be something!!

Promise - no more Atlas stuff unless I make something so adorable I have to share it!!

I fell in love with this vintage looking 1930's lap quilt a few weeks ago when I went with Sue and Anne to Yankee Quilter and decided I have to make it.  

I got most of it cut out and now I'm waiting for more yellow from E-bay before I can cut out the 4 corner triangles.  Once again the yellow came from Sue.  She's making the same quilt but gave me her yellow border fabric.  Imagine that - I would never in a million years do that for anyone-even my kids!!  But as always she just gave it to me and said she has the same fabric in a few other colors and wasn't worried about it at all!!

I hope to get this BOO CAT kit from Yankee Cloth finished by Halloween.  I bought it a few years ago and of course never started it.  Luckily I did get it traced so the hard part is over.

Finally, I have a big fluffy bunny who has been hanging around the side of my garage for a very long time now.  This bunny is soooo friendly he doesn't even move when people are around.  Every time I have veggies or fruit that isn't edible I put it outside for my bunny.  It takes him a while but he always comes for dinner!  Last time I bought organic celery it was spotty in places.  I was going to take it back but then I remembered my bunny might be hungry so out it went.  This is what we caught on camera.  I thought there was going to be a war between this squirrel and my bunny.  The squirrel went right up to Ms. bunny and they kind of wrestled for an instant and then they separated and each munched away for so long I finally left before they finished.  It was the most beautiful sight to see these two little guys getting along side by side eating their dinner.  

See you next month with a really interesting post!!  Thanks for visiting and see you soon!!!