Memory quilt

Here is a project that I finished at Christmas time.  It was a gift for some parents who had lost their son to cancer in 2010.  He was also my brother-in-law, so it was another very special project that I got to work on.  It is made up entirely of his clothing and uniforms and took many hours to complete. He was a police officer and in the Service so it was neat to incorporate his uniforms and badges as well.

A blanket for baby

I had someone come to me with a request, and a bag.  The request was for a baptism blanket, the bag....filled with scraps, left over from her daughters wedding dress alterations.  Immediately my mind started spinning with different ideas of what I could do.  So, I got to work designing something  I hoped they would love.

This starts with me scribbling out some different designs of different sizes, then I need to make sure that for design I have chosen, I have enough material to work with.  I knew when I started that there would have to be a portion of the quilts' material that was purchased from a store, but still wanted to use as much of the scraps as possible.  I knew that a 41/2inch square was the biggest piece I would get so that's where I started!

After lots of thought and some time it was finished!

Last night was the unveiling to the new parents and I think they were very surprised and really loved it!  One other thing I didn't mention, baby decided to come 6 weeks early and I hadn't even started yet!  But, I got it done and we laugh about it now.  This was a really fun project to work on and I hope this quilt is something special they will be able to pass down to future babies in their family.

Birthdays, Bread and Bars (granola that is)

Today is the birthday of a very special person to me, my father in law, Mark.  Celebrating his 2nd birthday with Jesus, I know Heaven is very lucky to have him.  He had a special way of making anyone feel welcome and loved.  I can still hear him saying "Hey Liner!" when I would come over.  We laugh often at the funny jokes and stories he told and think of him daily.  Love you and miss you Mark!  I think he really would have liked these:

 Nature Valley fake outs....

Combine:
1 1/2 C whole oats, not instant
1 C steel cut oats
1/2 C oat bran
1/2 C ground flax seed (you can leave it whole if you'd like)
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C honey
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C oil ( I used sunflower oil)
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Once everything has been combined and evenly distributed, spread it onto and PARCHMENT PAPER LINED 9x13 (or so) cookie sheet.  You really do need the parchment paper, otherwise when the sugars caramelize they will stick to the pan and you will not get the bars off.  Use the bottom of a drinking glass (or any flat surface) to press and smooth the bars into the pan.

Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees.

As soon as they come out cut them into the sizes you want and then leave them in the pan to cool completely. They will be soft and gooey at this point but don't rush them, they need to cool completely and then you can break them apart where you have made the cuts.

(Another love of mine, antiques and all things sparkly!). I LOVE these antique salad plates I got for Christmas and can't wait to use them with my china.  I may just need to have a fancy dinner just so I can use them.  Who says Christmas and Thanksgiving are the only times to use fine china anyway?!

And here is today's bread!  I have not made this actual recipe before so we will see how it tastes tonight over dinner with some family members!

My first quilt

 Here is a photo of my first quilt that I made for Matthias as a baby blanket!  It's nothing difficult or fancy but I loved the colors together and I did hand stitch the entire thing.

I am working on getting together pictures if everything I have made so please bear with me!  And for later on in the day I will be sharing with you a tasty recipe for my version of Nature Valley's Oats and Honey Crunchy Granola Bars.  Your kids will love them and they are packed full of whole grains and  fiber, plus they are delicious!

On the 20th of January I started the process for making a sour dough starter with wild yeast.  The process literally takes over a week to ferment the dough and allow the natural yeast to develop and grow.  Let me tell you, you get the best tasting bread when it has been given lots of time to develop its flavor, and these are some of my favorites to make because the result is soooo good.  Later today I will use some of it to make a yummy whole wheat bran bread...can't wait!

Here goes nothing...or maybe something!

Welcome to my blog featuring all things homemade and handmade!  I love making something out of nothing. Whether its taking scraps and creating a beautiful quilt or taking simple, natural ingredients and combining them to create a meal, a snack, or my favorite...BREAD!

Now, bread making might not be all that exciting to some of you because A) you either go to the store and buy it, or B) you make your own.  For me, learning to make and bake my own breads has gone through quite the evolutionary process.  There was a time that I vowed never to attempt to make bread AGAIN.  Time after time I ended up with something that looked like a hockey puck and tasted like cardboard.  But, with a little encouragement from my sister and an uncle who promised he really loved my bread I gave it another shot (and by another shot I really mean hundreds).  So, my family, friends, and neighbors have been eating lots of bread as I have created, and tried to perfect my recipes!  Finally, I feel as though they are top notch and ready to hit the marketplace!  (More on this in future blogs).

Time out for a huge thank you to my dear friend +Rachel Sogge for helping me choose a name: Caroline's Breads and Threads.  Thank you!

My other love, for things handmade, is quilting!  Call me old fashioned, but I love the design and creative process that goes into creating a beautiful quilt.  I began 5 years ago when I made a baby quilt for my son (Who is almost 6....:( ).  Since then I have made lots and enjoyed everyone.  My newest venture is making memory quilts.  Bring me your clothes, and I'll make you a quilt!  Baby clothes, clothes of a loved one who has passed away, uniforms of a loved one in service....I will be posting projects completed as well as those I am currently working on.

That's Breads and Threads in a nutshell!  I hope you enjoy reading and sharing in the things I love.