Rock Recipes

Today was a snow day! I spent the morning working in my studio and in the afternoon I baked a Vanilla Cream Cheese Bundt Cake from my Rock Recipes Cook Book. The cake is delicious!
I've been a follower of the Rock Recipes blog (I think since it began). It is full of wonderful recipes and colour photos of all the delightful dishes. I highly recommend you pay a visit.

This is a photo of the Vanilla Cream Cheese Bundt from Rock Recipes. I didn't use the same icing called for in the recipe because I ran out of cream cheese. I mixed up some white icing instead.



Here's a few free patterns to consider (food related, of course!):

• Crochet cupcake key ring
• Cupcake Tea Cosy
• Cupcake Pincushion
• Kitchen Stitching Quilt
• Knitted Food Patterns

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday!!

Today's post is for all those celebrating a birthday! I don't usually blog about personal stuff but this is an exception. My granddaughter is one year old today. She lives a long way from here. 

When I was searching for birthday specific things (free patterns) to quilt, sew or stitch, I couldn't find a lot so I included a few crafty things as well.

• Happy Birthday Cake Quilt  I like this one by Patrick Lose for C & T Publishing
• Pin the Tail on the Donkey This is a very simple game to make that can be used yearly
• Paper Pieced Birthday Cake (scroll down)
• Happy Birthday Place Mat from free patterns
• Birthday Colouring Pages
• Printable Paper Cakes (lots of printables just click on the free button)
• Party Ideas
• Birthday Go Round idea from McCall's Quilting

Royal Wedding

Since this is Royal Wedding week in Britain, I thought you might find some of these interesting:

Wedding Quilts from the Satin Moon blog (lots of stuff here)
Royal Wedding 2011
Book: Knit Your Own Royal Wedding
Colouring pages of London
Colouring pages of Kings and Queens of England
Royal Wedding Baker  

Sunflowers

I know this is the wrong time of year to be talking about sunflowers but it does go along with my previous post! The sunflower is an annual herb and not just a large yellow flower. It has been used as a folk remedy for many ailments but today is mainly used in food preparation. Sunflower oil is used for cooking, margarine, salad dressing and soaps. For more information, check here.

While visiting the National Gallery, London, I had the pleasure of seeing Vincent van Gogh's Sunflower painting. The one pictured on the site is the one I saw which is one among a series that he painted. I did purchase a small matted print of the sunflower. It's amazing how many things have the sunflower motif. There is even a National Sunflower Association.

So, to help get you through the winter months, why not make something bright and colourful! I've found a few things with a sunflower theme. Most of the patterns are freebies - not all are quilt related!

Twirling Sunflower Quilt Pattern
Sunflower Serenade
Wendy's Sunflower Quilt - check this one for the machine quilting
Rise and Shine
Textured Sunflowers
Provencial Sunflower - for inspiration
Sunflower colouring page - pattern for a quilt?
Sunflower machine embroidery design
Cross Stitch Pattern - scroll down
Sunflower Cake - baking idea
Sunflower Pillow 
Cat and Sunflower

Edible Sewing Machines

Edible Sewing Machines!  I couldn't resist posting this link. I used to dabble in cake decorating when my daughter was young, so needless to say, these cakes are a delight to see.
In case this makes you yearn for something sweet, decorate a few cupcakes using these cake decorating ideas.