Happy 4th of July and a quilted patriotic wall hanging

Happy Independence Day!  I managed to put aside a couple of hours this week to piece and quilt this little patriotic wall hanging.  

 I really NEED to somehow make more time to quilt.  I feel like I have *come home* when I am at the ironing board, cutting table, and sewing machine.  I really could feel the stress subsiding.  I hope all of you have a wonderful, relaxing, fun-filled, day with your families.  Hugs from the Bluegrass State!

Photograph copyright or protection question

I have a question for you guys about your personal photographs, pictures you have taken of your quilts, crafts, etc.  Do you put a watermark or copyright mark on your photos before you put them on your blog or website?  The reason I am asking is that last night I found something that has me more than a little irked.  I was googling images last night for quilted star ornaments and came across one of my own that had been on my Etsy shop a couple of years ago.  I sold that one and made the listing inactive until I get another one made, assuming I still have the fabric.  I clicked on the image (my original picture, my original creation) and it took me to a Flickr account from another person, a site called "paperbilities4you."  I visited this web site and there are things for sale.  I have absolutely no idea why this person added my picture to their Flickr unless they are trying to get traffic by any means necessary.  I went back and looked at my expired listing on Etsy to make sure I had put "Cobblestone Quilting" on the picture and, sure enough I had but this person had cropped it out!!!  There was a place on their Flickr to send an email to them, which I have done.  There is also a place to report use of a personal photo by another person, which I did.   I guess from now on I will have to put a big watermark right across the center of my pictures.  Here is my original picture of the ornament sitting on my mom's crocheted doily. As you can see, it is pretty unique in relation to the fabric and you can clearly see the doily it is sitting on.  You can also see the Cobblestone Quilting at the bottom, which had been cropped out by the person who used it on her Flickr. 

Goodwill Shopping bargain

I stopped in our local Goodwill store on Friday to just browse a bit and see if I could find any hidden treasures or simply a bargain.  I was in the last aisle and headed toward the exit when I found this bar stool. 

I am not an expert on wood by any means, but it looked cherry to me.  

There is some very beautiful dove-tailing of the rounded parts.   

The price was definitely right.   

My husband works with some very talented Amish wood crafters.  He is going to take the stool to work tomorrow and get the top off and see what it looks like.   He is going to ask them to make some sort of a top and I am going to use it for an occasional table.  I would love to have a round top for it, but also have a spot for a corner table if they are up to designing something like that.  Square, rectangular, it really does not matter.  I will find a spot for it.  I will have after pictures just as soon as it is done! 

I really love going junking, especially when I find a real bargain.  Can't wait to get this repurposed! 

Lambert's Café Throwed Rolls

I cooked Father's Day dinner one day early so both of our children could be here to celebrate as my son works all day tomorrow.  I fixed my husband's favorite meal --- chicken and dumplins, butter beans, and dressing.  Uh yes, we were carb loaded.  We do not eat like this very often.  To add to the carbs (and a touch of heaven in a pan), I tried the Pinterest version of the famous rolls from Lambert's Café, Home of the Throwed Rolls.  There are only 3 locations in the US, 1 in Alabama and 2 in Missouri.  If you have been lucky enough to eat at Lambert's --- well, you are lucky.  If you have never had the experience, you really should plan a vacation to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama, where the Lambert's in Foley is just a short drive.  If you make a trip to Branson, Missouri, hit up the Lambert's in Ozark.  All you have to do at Lambert's is raise your hand and a roll will be on its way to you, you guessed it, thrown in the air.  Servers walk around with the biggest muffin pans I have ever seen in my life full of hot, tender rolls.  In addition to their menu, they have "pass arounds."  Basically, servers walk around carrying pans of macaroni and tomato, fried okra, black-eyed peas, cooked cabbage, and fried potatoes and load you up while you are waiting for your food to arrive.  Not kidding.  For the link to Lambert's web site, click HERE.  For the link to the Pinterest recipe for the famous rolls, click HERE.  The recipe is easy to follow.  I did use a kitchen thermometer to make sure my water and milk were the right temperature when mixing up the yeast and the dough.  I also used bread flour.  My favorite flour is Martha White but I could not find the bread flour so bought Gold Medal and was not disappointed.  My house smelled wonderful when these rolls were baking, and the pictures speak for themselves.  Total success.  We cleaned up this pan of rolls at supper and I will definitely be making them again.  I will not change one single thing because they were perfect.  

Here are the rolls after they rose in the muffin pan (yes, there is a pan under there).

 Here are the rolls fresh out of the oven (again, yes there is a pan under there).

And one more ....

I hope each and every one of you is having a wonderful weekend!

Lemon Amish Friendship Bread

Well hmmmmm.  The lemon variety of the Amish Friendship Bread was not quite as good as the regular.  I am not sure, but I think it may be the combination of the yeast and lemon that just did not jive.  I really think the Martha White lemon poppyseed muffin mix is pretty hard to beat, considering you only add milk and bake for a few minutes.  But, I will make more homemade lemon bread again and try it without yeast the next time.  I had planned on trying butter pecan and pumpkin varieties of the Amish bread but am now a little hesitant since the lemon did not quite turn out the way I hoped.  Hmmmmm.  Might just stick with the original recipe.  

On the other hand, my breakfast biscuits turned out perfect...