- Finishing Some UFOs July 17, 2017
By Allison Sharp
In the quilting world, UFO stands for UnFinished Objects, and most quilters have several lying around, just hoping someone will work on them. One of my goals for the summer was to get rid of some of mine. Here’s the first:
This is a hand-embroidered Christmas wall-hanging that my daughter made when she was 13, about 15 years ago. ... Keep reading! - The Great Rooster Rescue July 10, 2017 Written by Jennifer’s sister, Allison Sharp. Yesterday morning, after my husband had left for work, he called me. “Have you been outside yet?” “No.” “Walk out the front door and look in the window well.” As I got out of bed and walked down the hall, I noticed that the rooster seemed especially loud that morning. He lives in the ... Keep reading!
- Watermelon Lemonade July 3, 2017 This is a delicious, refreshing drink perfect for that 4th of July party or barbecue. It’s so easy, and my family loves it!
Keep reading!
- Forgiveness June 26, 2017 In Return to Huckleberry Hill, Reuben Helmuth’s best friend, John, steals Reuben’s girlfriend right out from under his nose. Reuben is deeply hurt and flees to Huckleberry Hill to nurse his wounds. Reuben clings tightly to his resentment and vows to never forgive John for what John did to him. But John’s sister Fern is determined to make things right, ... Keep reading!
- Embroidered and Quilted Patriotic Wall Hanging June 19, 2017 Probably one of the most visually stunning quilts I have ever made is this patriotic wall hanging by Anita Goodesign.
It is made up of nine embroidered panels which were created by my daughter on her ten-needle embroidery machine. Each panel is embroidered individually with about an inch of seam allowance on all sides so the panels can be sewn together.
You ... Keep reading!
- A Good Old-Fashioned Barn Raising–Sort Of June 12, 2017 (This post was written by Jennifer’s sister Alesha, who lives in Portage County, Wisconsin)
My husband hosted a good old fashioned barn raising a few weeks ago. The only difference was that it wasn’t a barn, but a high tunnel he was constructing. Have you ever heard of a high tunnel? I hadn’t either. Essentially it is a very large greenhouse. ... Keep reading!
- Anna and Felty Top Ten May 29, 2017 Return to Huckleberry Hill comes out tomorrow, and I am so excited! In celebration of the book release, I am posting Anna and Felty’s top ten quotes from the book. Enjoy! And be sure to pick up Return to Huckleberry Hill at most online retailers and many in-store retailers.
#10 Anna: “I just throw this and that into the bowl, and it usually ... Keep reading!
- Babies-and-Bears Quilted Wall Hanging May 15, 2017 This small wall hanging is for one of my darling nieces. In fact, it is the center panel in a group of three wall hangings that include all of the baby’s vital statistics. Yes, I have covered up some of the details to protect the baby’s privacy. And don’t miss the saying across the bottom of all three little quilts.
The ... Keep reading!
- German POWs May 8, 2017 By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s father
In previous posting I have discussed experiences with the German WWII POWs. Now the war is over and it is time for them to go home. My father, my sister Beatrice, and I had developed a rapport with these men and were sad to see them leave. They were all very nice, polite men who were ... Keep reading!
- Homemade Chocolate Cake May 1, 2017 This chocolate cake recipe is a must-have for cake lovers. Unlike most box cakes, the cake is moist and absolutely delicious. My daughter Haley made this for me, and I was blown away at how much I loved it. She made the cake from scratch and used store-bought frosting, but you can use your favorite frosting recipe if you like.
This recipe ... Keep reading!
- I’d like to save the butterflies, but I can’t even grow weeds. April 24, 2017 Ever since I wrote “The Honeybee Sisters” series, I have been quite concerned about bees and butterflies. I canceled my pest spraying service and have been looking at flowers to plant that bees and butterflies love. One reason that monarch butterflies are disappearing across the country is because milkweed is disappearing, and milkweed is what monarch caterpillars eat. With no food ... Keep reading!
- The Rifle in the Cherry Tree April 10, 2017 By Richard Gappmayer (Jennifer’s father) When the German POWs would come to work on my father’s farm they would, during the first summer, be accompanied by a guard. This guard would be armed with an M1 rifle. I don’t know if it was loaded. I suspect that it was not. The guard would usually walk around with nothing to do ... Keep reading!
- Oreo Cookie Pie April 3, 2017 This is a delicious pie and so easy. I am only annoyed with myself that I didn’t get a picture of it before it got devoured. Enjoy!
For pie crust:
Finely chop the Oreos in a blender or food processor. Place the Oreo crumbs in a medium mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Mix well. Pour Oreo/butter mixture into a 9 ... Keep reading!
- Easter in an Egg Carton March 27, 2017 Last year to help my grandchildren learn the Easter story, I made them “Easter in an Egg Carton.” The carton contains 12 plastic Easter eggs with a part of the Easter story and a token to go with each. I wanted to share it with you. Feel free to copy!
First I collected empty egg cartons. You can buy unused egg cartons ... Keep reading!
- Braided French Bread March 20, 2017 This is a fantastic bread for beginning bread makers. It’s mostly foolproof, and despite a few mishaps I’ve had with it in the past, it always turns out delicious and beautiful. The loaves are big, and if you’d prefer you can divide the dough into four smaller loaves instead of just two. The loaves will freeze or you can share ... Keep reading!
- St. Patrick’s Day Wall Hanging March 13, 2017 Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! When I saw the pattern for this cute, quilted wall hanging, I couldn’t resist making it.
The pattern is by Joan Ford on Bernina’s WeAllSew.com. Each heart-shaped shamrock leaf is made from 11 different fabrics, so I started this quilt by gathering up all the scraps of green quilt fabric in my house. (I’m embarrassed to ... Keep reading!
- Prisoners of War on a Utah Farm March 6, 2017 By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s father
Near the end of WWII, German POWs were brought to the United States and housed in camps around the country.
They were brought here because there was no place to keep them in Europe, and there was a shortage of labor here. One of these camps was located here in Orem. Farmers could get these men to ... Keep reading!
- Quilting Bee: Two Ribbon-Star Quilts, Part 2 February 20, 2017 Last month, I showed you these beautiful ribbon-star quilts and explained how I made the stars. Now let me show you how I finished the quilts.
First, I laid out all 18 stars so I could decide which stars I wanted in each quilt. I tried to divide the stars evenly by color, trying various arrangements until I found two patterns ... Keep reading!
- War from the perspective of a nine-year-old boy February 13, 2017 My father, Roy, was born in 1900. He was too young to serve in WWI and too old to be in WWII. (I wonder how high those numbers will go.)
Many of the young men from our small town served in the war. Wesley Graff came home burned and disfigured. Every time I saw him I was reminded of the war. George Rohbock ... Keep reading!
- Valentine Pizza February 6, 2017 I love Valentine’s Day. I know I may be in the minority here, but I do. Even the years I didn’t have a significant other I loved celebrating love. I’d buy the cheap cardboard valentines and hand them out in my school classes along with delicious candy for everyone. I did this well into college…seriously. I would have girls’ night ... Keep reading!