Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too!  Okay, we know this special day is almost over, but nonetheless,  we wanted to sincerely wish the best for all our readers today and in the year to come!

We got a little surprise this morning, had to go out and capture the day!

Little Pears in the Snow
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Reflections on the Day
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Sometimes, despite everything, things get a little sad at Christmas, for many reasons.  You may be missing someone special, someone very dear to you.

My Snow Angel
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Sometimes, the joy and beauty of life is overwhelming!

The Big Tree by the Road
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Sometimes you find yourself celebrating with family, and sometimes you're alone.

Doggie and the Snow Tree
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Whatever kind of time you are having this year,
Keep Looking UP and 

 know that SomeONE is thinking about YOU, and SomeONE loves you, no matter what!

Great Quilting Tool

Good Monday to You All!

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I wish I'd had this binding tool years ago! It would have made my life so much easier when finishing the binding on my quilts! I highly recommend this tool for you. I have been making quilts for 18 years, so I speak from experience.

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This tool is used when you are sewing the binding on your quilt, and you need to join the ends. It's so simple and easy to use and you don't have to get all complicated trying to figure out how to get the ends joined accurately. It really works!

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I found mine in the Connecting Threads catalog: Here's their toll free number:

1-800-574-6454

They'll send you a catalog upon request.

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Connecting Threads also carry books and patterns and cotton fabric at a reasonable price. The fabric is a good quality. It's better than what you can buy for $3.00 a yard at Hancock Fabrics or Jo Ann Fabrics, but less expensive than at a quilt shop. It sells for $5.96 a yard, and they always have discounts or sales.

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Have fun sewing today!

Granny Lil's Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Granny Lil

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Here's Granny Lil's pumpkin pie recipe. We used the pulp we got from the Hubbard Squash-- I'm tellin' you!! This is the best pie I've ever made from her recipe! There's something about fresh pumpkin anyway, but this was absolutely fantastic!

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The photos of the pie don't look like much, but the taste is out of this world! The pie will puff up while it's baking, then will sink down after cooling off. This is normal. Store cooled pie in your refridgerator.

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I asked Granny Lil if she'd like to share her recipe with the world- she said okay!

Love you, Granny!

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She said to tell you she likes pie too!

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GRANNY LIL'S PUMPKIN PIE

For One Deep Dish (9") pie. We use a glass pie dish.

You will need one unbaked pie crust.

2 Cups canned (or hopefully-- FRESH) Pumpkin

1 1/2 cups (12 oz can) Fat Free or regular Evaporated Milk

1 cup plus 2 or 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar

Two beaten eggs

1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

about 4 shakes from a container of nutmeg- probably adds up to just a little less than 1/8 teaspoon.

No more than two gentle shakes from a shaker of black pepper

No more than two gentle shakes from a shaker of salt

(I always taste my mixture to make sure it tastes right-but if you have a fear of raw eggs, don't do it)

SPECIAL NOTE ON "SHAKING": you can also put a little pinch of the salt and pepper in your hand and then sprinkle a little bit into the mixture-- it's going to be less than 1/8 of a teaspoon for each.

Instructions: Place 2 cups of pumpkin in a saucepan and mix in the evaporated milk. Warm slightly-- do not boil. Take off the burner. Stir in the granulated sugar and two beaten eggs. Stir in all your spices and salt and pepper.

Pour into unbaked pie shell. Cover edge of pie shell with foil, so it won't burn.

Place pie into preheated oven: 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 325 degrees F., and bake for one hour. During the last 30 minutes of baking, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pie to keep it from getting too brown.

Cool on a rack. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, or just eat it by itself! We like it for breakfast too!!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

XXX - OOO

Enter - The Lowly Pumpkin!

This is actually a Hubbard Squash. It yields a slightly sweeter product than the orange pumpkins. You'll have to try it for yourself and see!

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Browse through the pictures to view the process of preparing and cooking this squash. The hardest part is cutting it up, because it is really a hard, and firm squash. Be careful with your knife! Next post will feature Granny Lil's delicious pumpkin pie recipe.

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Boiling this large pumpkin (about a 7 1/2 pounder) yielded 17 cups of cooked pumpkin.

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Top, cut off

Cut in Half

Taking out seeds

Seeds, closeup

Seeds, roasted on pan (250 degrees F. x about 2 hours, with a little vegetable oil and salt)

Cut pumpkin in slices

Cut off peel, then into chunks

Chunks placed into large pot. Add some water. Boil.

Boiling in a pot
Cooked pumpkin in pot. Ready to bag up

Pumpkin in bags, ready to freeze

Sweet Dreams!

Introducing Peony#11

"Sweet Dreams"

Mattress Tag

Confectionary-like Bag Label

Silk Rosette Closure on Crepe Robe
Silk Tie inside Robe
Peony #11 Set

Peony #11's Bed, showing mattress

From Playroom Banter

Slats underneath Bed

Miniature Bunny's Tail

From Playroom Banter

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About Peony #11

"Sweet Dreams"

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In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness

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11" Peony, Soft Cloth Doll

Completely Removeable Clothing: One-Piece Undergarment, Upscarf, and Crepe Robe with Silk Ribbon Rosette Closure;

Miniature Bunny;

Whitewashed Bed with Bedding:

Bedskirt, Mattress and cover, Pillow and Pillowcase and

Silk Rosette Quilt;

Flannel bag.

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I'm a Pastel - ly Girl!

Issue #17 of Fresh Vintage from Fig Tree and

Free Pattern: "Chantilly"

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Look what came in the mail today! (above photo)

Minus the cotton--- it's cotton pickin' time here,

so had to include my favorite fiber!

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Granny Lil's Bowtie Quilt, circa. 1970

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Back around 15 year ago, or so, I was fairly new to making quilts. I was told by a friend that I was "pastel-ly", meaning all my color choices were of the pastel kind. You know, pinks, pale colors of the feminine kind. For some reason, I took that as a bad thing, and I felt I had to change. Dark country colors were (and are) popular then. I felt I had to make a concerted effort to stay away from choosing pastel colors, so I did. I still have my fabric stashes from back then-- the choices I made were all dark and subdued. These still come in handy if I'm making a certain style quilt.

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But now, many years later, I am more comfortable in my own skin and am not afraid to say "I am a Pastel-ly girl!" Fig Tree and Moda fabrics have been making the colors I truely love in their fabric lines. They have the colors now, I wish I had back then, when "pastel" seemed to be a dirty word in the quilting world.

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I learned a lot about value and contrast in fabric colors, so I can't say all that time was wasted while I played with those dark country colors.

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Now I'm proud of what I choose and am confident in myself. And if anyone said to me now that I was a "pastel-ly" girl, I'd say, "Why yes, I am!" and not be afraid of anyone else's opinion of me. By the way, I love the bright colors too, such as those designed by Kaffe Fassett. I was told once, by a passerby, "Well, I guess someone has to like that stuff!" Give you two guesses who said that? Yeah, it was a person who was buying dark country colors at a quilt shop.

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It takes all kinds to make the world go round.

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Don't be afraid to show YOUR true colors.

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Be true to yourself and you will be a lot happier earlier in life.

Happy Fall

Magnolia at Summer Camp

Magnolia

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Magnolia is our newest addition to the PeonySTreet family!

She's another little Southern Belle!

She's at Summer Camp with her Mini Raggedy Ann, Sleeping Bag and Pillow from home and she has a Wooden Treasure Box full of her little treasures.

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Julia's Homestyle Bakery

No year, month, week or day would be complete without a trip to Julia's Homestyle Bakery in Murfreesboro, Tennesse!

Check the Pink T-Shirt-- they now have large sizes!

Favorites:

White Cake Petit Four, Cut Sugar Cookies and

the delectable famous, Fudge Pie!

Go and get yourself some!!

Me and My Little Friend - Poem

Me and My Little Friend

~Poem by bb~

"What God hath joined together,
let not Man put asunder." Mark 10:9, KJV All my days I was looking up,
reaching towards the sun.
I spread my shade,
moon’s milk I supped.
I was alone but
Contented just to Be.

I thought I was done,
then, perchance,
I spied a bug,
then I was looking down.
To my surprise,
I found you sitting next to me,
all grooved and nutty brown.

I have a tender side, you see.
I’m not as wrinkly as I seem to be.

I will shield you from the sun,
I will shield you from the rain.
You are my little friend,
now sitting in my shade.

And here we are, and so we sit,
- Together -
watching the world go by,
among the rocks and moss,
no human hands have tossed,
and none will rend,
Contented just to Be.

~ Poem and photos copyright 2010 by Bebe