The Checkered Apple

Looking Forward To Spring

2013-03-13T11:33:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends!

I'm finally back for a quickie post after being without my computer for a long, long while. A lot has been going on here, but the most exciting thing is the birth of our grandson! All I can say is what a thrill it is! It's truly the greatest!

I'm hoping all of you are well and are looking forward to the Spring as much as I am. Can't wait!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Pee Pee Teepees

2013-01-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

A few years ago while shopping at a children's store with my girlfriend, we came across these cute little "Pee Pee Teepees" and thought that they were something we could easily make on our own. I had never heard of these. Have you ever heard of these?

So when I found out that my daughter and her husband were expecting a boy, I remembered those precious little cones and thought they would be a fun project to make.

I searched the web and found The Crunchy Mamacita and she had a great tutorial for making these Pee Pee Teepees. Check it out!

All the cones I made were from cotton flannel. I especially love the one that says baby boy on it!

So now that all the sewing is done,

all I have to do is sit back and wait for this little bundle of joy to arrive!

I CAN'T WAIT!

Meet Fluffy!

2013-01-04T19:52:00.002-08:00

Friday mornings here are garbage day and guess who showed up? None other than that brown bear Hubs and I stumbled upon two days ago while taking a walk.

MEET FLUFFY!

Here's a couple of pics I was able to take while Fluffy was strolling down the street early this morning.

I felt pretty safe from our deck and when my footsteps were cracking the ice on the deck, Fluffy did a quick step down the street.

I think Fluffy is a little scared of crunching noises so that makes me feel better should I run into he/she again.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Walk To Remember

2012-12-31T08:05:00.002-08:00

The last thing you think you’re going to see while taking a walk through your neighborhood is a bear, right? Well yesterday Hubs and I decided we would take a stroll through the neighborhood and we hadn't even got around to the next block and then right there in front of us was a bear!

California Brown Bear like we saw

Now I've been around bears before while camping in the mountains, but they usually run away if you make a lot of noise, but this bugger was sitting in front of someone's yard gnawing on something (possibly food) and food and a bear is not a good combination. I didn't want to make any noise or quick movement, so I immediately turned around and headed in the other direction. I kept looking behind my back to see if it was still there (or if it was coming after me) and Hubs just kept going past the bear on the opposite side of the street saying to me that it's okay, and to just keep walking. Mind you, I'm on the side of the street where the bear is and he's about 20 feet in front of me!

Well this bear was content where he/she was and I was now hailing down a car coming towards me. The driver saw the bear and then I asked if I could walk along the side of their car, opposite of the bear as they drove down the street until I got far away from it. They obliged and I finally reached my husband who had just continued past the bear without incident. Who agrees with me Hubs is crazy? I'll tell you, it felt a lot better with a car between me and that bear!

Who wants to take a walk worrying if a bear is nearby? Not me! But it's a fact that we now live in the mountains and bears live here too! Unfortunately, they have learned about garbage cans and what's inside of them. Many folks have changed over to the bear proof trash cans which are really what's needed around here.

In the end our walk turned out to be very enjoyable, but from now on I need to walk with my head turning around like it's on a Lazy Susan, keeping an eye out for "Fluffy" as the driver of the car said that he/she is known as.

As I close this post today, I want to thank all my new and old blogger friends for following me at The Checkered Apple and also wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy 2013!

Christmas Time Is Here!

2012-12-17T11:37:00.003-08:00

Like many of you, Christmas is a holiday that I really enjoy. Even with all the hustle and bustle that goes on, I love the shopping, baking, crafting, wrapping of gifts and listening to the carols while doing all of these things!

But just before all the holiday hustle and bustle began, Hubs and I sold our home in November and we are now living in Lake Tahoe. The beauty here at this time of year is absolutely awesome! The majestic snow covered mountains are a gorgeous sight every time you look at them. It's such a different feeling here for the holidays than it was living in the city. You actually see snowmen and snow covered trees and cabins just like the Christmas cards I've sent for so many years. And when you hear the Christmas carol "White Christmas", you may actually have one!

So for right now I'm really enjoying the snow and it's beauty, but in the coming months after it's all piled up everywhere, I'm sure I will tire of it and be ready for Spring to come. But for Hubs, he is a die-hard skier, so he is all jazzed up right now since the weather is finally bringing much more snow to the tops of the mountains.

If you read my last post, I mentioned I had finger surgery last month. It did slow me down a little, but now that I am able to use my hand more, I feel like I'm back in the swing of things. What better time of year to have tons of inspiration everywhere to get the juices flowing! I even made Hubs and I some new Christmas stockings out of an old red sweater I had hanging around. I would like to add our names, but I'm running out of time with everything else going on right now. Maybe next year?

And while trying to get back into the swing of things, I also made a few Pinterest inspired projects.

Here's my version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from Pinterest. This idea was from Etsy and can be even be purchased online from Lily and Val. And since the backside of the foam core board I used was blank, I also painted,"Merry Christmas" with some snowflakes and holly.

Don't you just love Pinterest?

I also made a few batches of Reindeer Food to give to family and friends. If you are into peppermint, this may become an immediate addiction. This sweet treat recipe comes from Butter With a Side of Bread. Be sure and take a look at all the wonderful recipes these ladies are sharing.

You can take a look at my Pinterest board "Pins I've Made Myself" to see some of the other projects and recipes I have made. If you have any questions about any of my pins, please feel free to email me!

Wishing you and yours

a very Merry Christmas and a

Happy, Healthy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving from The Checkered Apple!

2012-11-16T08:46:00.001-08:00

After a bit of a blogging break, I'm just popping in to wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving holiday to you and yours. I also wanted to let you know I've recently had surgery on one of my fingers and plan on being on another blogging break through the end of the year.

In the past ten years I've had to undergo this same surgery (on 3 other fingers) which is called Trigger Finger Release Surgery. Some of you may be familiar with this and for those who aren't and are curious, you can visit the link I provided.

So for now I will be taking it easy and since typing isn't the easiest task at this time, I'm sad that I will be missing out on all of your terrific posts throughout the holiday season. As my hand improves I hope to be visiting your blogs and get in a little reading from time to time.

Until next month, be safe a have a wonderful holiday!

Diane

Autumn Giveaway Winner

2012-10-08T06:49:00.001-07:00

I've got something to HOWL about today and that's

CONGRATULATIONS
to
Sharla
from
THE HOUSE AT BLUEBIRD LANE

for winning the
Halloween Rolling Pin.

If you've never been to Sharla's blog it's a must visit place!
She is so sweet and has so many wonderful things there to see!

Thank you to everyone who entered and also for your sweet comments!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

My Autumn Giveaway Is Here!

2012-09-15T09:15:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends!
My Autumn Giveaway is here and so is my one year BLOGIVERSARY! I can't believe that I've been going at this for a whole year! Time has sure flown by and I'm pleased to say I have really enjoyed the learning process to creating a blog and managing it. Along the way I have made many friends, learned tons of creative ideas, saved numerous recipes and have thoroughly enjoyed engaging with all of you!

But now onto the fun stuff!!!

My Autumn Giveaway is this HALLOWEEN rolling pin. It's hand painted by me in a bright pumpkin orange with black bats and yellow stars. Of course this rolling pin is only decorative and cannot be used for baking purposes.

Don't you think it will look cute hanging around your kitchen? I like it so much I'm going to have to paint another one for myself!

For your chance at winning this GIVEAWAY

just follow the 2 simple steps below.

1. Be a follower of THE CHECKERED APPLE through Google Friend Connect, GOOGLE+, Linky Followers, Facebook or Bloglovin'.

2. Leave a comment on this post telling me why you would like to win this giveaway.

How easy is that?

This GIVEAWAY will end on Sunday, October 7th at midnight (PT) and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator and then announced on my blog Monday, October 8th.

GOOD LUCK to all who enter!

Partying at:

Yummy Shortbread

2012-09-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today I made some yummy shortbread to bring to some friends of ours who we are helping move into their new home tomorrow. I think it will be a great treat to pop in our mouths as we go throughout the day.

Back in the 80's is when I got this recipe from a neighbor and it's one of my favorite desserts that I'd like to share with you today.

Shortbread ingredients:

1 lb. butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder

13" x 18" jelly roll pan

Mix all ingredients by hands until the dough forms a ball. Spread out the dough onto the pan in an even layer. Pierce the dough all over with the tines of a fork. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired and bake in a 325' oven for 30 -40 minutes or until light golden brown.

Remove from the oven and immediately cut into squares while it's hot. Then let cool before serving. Keep stored in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Partying at:

Trying Out New Recipes

2012-08-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

For tonight's dinner I decided to try a new recipe I got for Spinach Pie from Linda at Sew What. This was a recipe she recently shared from her mom and since it sounded good to me, I went ahead and gave it a try.

My husband and I both really like spinach and it sounded right up my alley because it was also easy to put together too! I served it with a tomato and avocado salad and garlic bread. We enjoyed every bite and we also have enough leftovers for another dinner later this week.

Be sure and check out Linda's blog for this recipe and also because she's amazing when it comes to sewing! She has a lot of great projects with tutorials and a little humor thrown in. Thanks again Linda!

My Favorite Cornbread Recipe

2012-07-16T11:44:00.001-07:00

Last night I decided to make cornbread to have with our BBQ and thought I would share the recipe I used with all of you. I fell in love with this cornbread years ago at a favorite local restaurant and since I'm one to try making my favorite restaurant foods at home, I searched online for a clone and felt that this recipe came very close to the one I've always enjoyed.

Bandera Cornbread (Clone)

Food.com
By Chef #352247 on March 12, 2008

4 Reviews

Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Serves: 16, Yield: 16 slices

About This Recipe

"Moist, sweet and amazing cornbread from the Bandera chain of restaurants owned by Hillstone Restaurant Group. To accurately clone the restaurant's version, use small (6") cast iron skillets, however this can just be made in one large 12" cast iron skillet."

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 (15 ounce) cans creamed corn
2 ounces green chili peppers ( 1/2 small can, roasted style)
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cheddar cheese ( shredded)
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese ( shredded)
4 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven & skillet to 300 degrees.

Mix flour, cornmeal, salt & baking powder and set aside. Melt butter and combine with sugar, creamed corn and chili peppers. Mix to combine. Add eggs one-by one and mix until well blended. Add cheese. Fold-in flour mixture until mixed well, clumps are okay.
Carefully remove cast iron skillet from oven and evenly coat top and sides with canola/vegetable oil. Pour in cornbread batter (be careful, it may splatter).
Bake 30-45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

NOTE: I use a 10 inch cast iron skillet and the batter fits perfect. I cook the full 45 minutes @ 275' in my convection oven. Perfect every time!

Partying at:

Frikadeller?

2012-07-12T16:45:00.002-07:00

Some of you may know what the word "Frikadeller" is but I surely didn't until I recently took a road trip to Solvang, California. After first arriving to this quaint Danish town, my girlfriends and I stopped to have a late lunch at The Solvang Brewing Company and on their menu we saw "Frikadeller Sliders". Well we knew what sliders were, but Frikadeller? None of us knew what that meant so of course we had to read on as to what it was. Well the Danish have their own version of meatballs and that is what was on the slider. So being in Solvang we figured we'd do what the locals do and that's eat frikadeller!

After enjoying that slider I had I wanted to try making frikadeller at home. I Googled a few recipes and decided to use one from Allrecipes.com. Click here for the recipe if you'd like to read about it and maybe you'd like to make some frikadeller for yourself. To me they are a mild meatball made with veal and pork and just a few other ingredients. The frikadeller slider we ate at the brewery had a remoulade on it, tilsit cheese and sauteed onions so it was much tastier than what I was fixing to have but since I wasn't making sliders I served mine with a gravy made from the pan drippings and a few seasonings to boost up the flavor. Next time I make frikadeller I think I will make a traditional style hamburger patty and add the same ingredients as the brewery did. It was awesome!

Hope you're enjoying your summer!
Thanks for stopping by!
Diane

Partying @

My Patriotic Cup Runneth Over!

2012-07-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to all of my blogger friends

who participated in my first Patriotic Link Party!

What a success it was and of course I couldn't have done without all of you! There were so many creative posts and now everyone can benefit from all these amazing contributions.

Thanks again for all your kindness and support!

I 'd like to take this time to wish all of you a happy 4th
and a safe, carefree summer!

~Diane~

Cream Cheese & Chili Dip

2012-06-29T12:44:00.003-07:00

While going through one of my recipe boxes I ran across one of my family's favorite dip recipes and I thought I'd share it with you today. If you need a quick and easy dip recipe you can make in a flash, this is one you can throw together in under 5 minutes and it takes about 5 minutes in the microwave to heat up. Fast right?

INGREDIENTS:

Tortilla chips
15 oz. can chili & beans
8oz. bar cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spread out the cream cheese bar into a loaf pan or pie plate. Next, spread the chili beans over the cream cheese and then top with the shredded cheddar cheese.

Microwave 5 minutes or until all ingredients are melted and heated through. Heating time will depend on your microwave's power. I cover the dip with a paper plate as sometimes the chili can slightly explode. Don’t be nervous, just cover it. Dip will be very hot so be sure to cool before eating.

Serve this with tortilla chips or your favorite dipping chip or crackers. You can even double up the recipe for large parties.

ENJOY!

Thanks for stopping by,
Diane

And The Winner Is...

2012-06-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations goes to Anita
from Aunt Nubby's Kitchen
for winning my first Giveaway!

This was so much fun and I loved all of your sweet comments. Thank you to all who participated!

I really wish I could have made a JULY 4 set for each of you!

And thank you to Math Goodies.com

for allowing the use of their free Random Number Generator.

Versatile Blogger Award

2012-06-25T22:44:00.001-07:00

Sweet Jamie over at Love Bakes Good Cakes

has nominated me for

THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD

and I'm very proud to receive this award from her.

To accept the award you must follow these rules below:

1. Thank the Blogger who nominated you.

2. Include a link to their site.

3. Include the award image in your post.

4. Give 7 random facts about yourself.

5. Nominate 15 other Bloggers for the award.

6. When nominating, include a link to their site.

7. Let other Bloggers know they have been nominated.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

1. This year I'm as old as the year I was born in minus the "19" part of course!

2. I don't believe Elvis is still alive.

3. I have enough crafting/painting/sewing supplies for two lifetimes.

4. I'm not superstitious.

5. I've lived in the same city all my life.

6. I've kissed a killer whale.

7. I love jalapeno peanut brittle.

And now for my Versatile Bloger Award Nominees:

Keeping The Christmas Spirit Alive

Delta Discoveries

Rustic Crafts & Chic Decor

Chapman Place

Organize and Decorate Everything

Wait Til Your Father Gets Home

Northern Cottage

Sew Incredibily Crazy

Finding Secret Treasure

Random Thoughts

Debbiedoos

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!

Sunshine Award!

2012-06-22T06:24:00.001-07:00

What a surprise it was for me to find out that Dana from Simply You and Me
AND
Anita from Aunt Nubby's Kitchen have passed the Sunshine Award on to me!

THANK YOU LADIES!!

The Sunshine Award is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers.

The recipients of the Sunshine Award are: "Bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere."

The way the award works is this:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them. Answer 10 questions about yourself. Select 10 of your favorite bloggers, link their blogs to your post and let them know they have been awarded the Sunshine Award! Don't forget to copy and paste the award on your blog!

I am passing the Sunshine Award to:

Dee @ A Lapin Life

Laura @ Top This Top That

Carrie @The Vintage Wren

JoAnne @ The Patriotic Quilter

SJ @ Homemaker On A Dime

Linda @ It All Started With Paint

Angie @ The Country Chic Cottage

Sharla @ The House at Bluebird Lane

Linda @ Coastal Charm

Lisa @ Flour Me With Love

Ten questions & answers, here we go!

1. Favorite color: Green

2. Favorite animal: Cats

3. Favorite number: 7

4. Favorite drink: Margaritas!

5. Facebook or Twitter: I'm a newbie at both, but I would say Facebook.

6. Good Book or a Good Movie: Good Movie!

7. My Passion: Being with my family and just hangin' out.

8. Giving or getting presents: Both because can't decide at the moment!

9. Favorite day of the year: Both of my daughter's birthdays.

10. Favorite flowers: Freesias!

Thanks for stopping by,
Diane

My First Giveaway!

2012-06-19T18:58:00.002-07:00

Since my Patriotic Link Party is coming to an end on July 4th,

what better way to end the party than with a grand finale like

My First GIVEAWAY!

It's a 4th of July GIVEAWAY. Literally!

If you've recently read my Cinnamon Stick Firecrackers post you may have noticed the wood July 4th set in the picture along with those firecrackers.

Well I've created a new set for this giveaway and you may just be the lucky winner to have these in your home to enjoy! The letters and number are cut out of 3/4" pine, stand 5 inches tall, are hand painted and heavily distressed.

For your chance at winning this GIVEAWAY

just follow the 2 simple steps below.

1. Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, Facebook or Bloglovin'.

2. Leave a comment on this post telling me why you would like to win this giveaway.

How easy is that?

My GIVEAWAY will end on Wednesday, June 27th at midnight (PT) and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator and then announced on my blog Thursday, June 28th.

Good luck to all who enter!

Garden Beauties

2012-06-19T08:05:00.002-07:00

Today I want to share some of my favorite flowers I have growing in my garden. Every spring when they return I seem to forget how beautiful they really are.

It's hard to believe that summer is just a few days away and that means that some of my pretty flowers will be on their way out, but very soon all my summer color will be showing up and I will get to enjoy another round of garden beauties!

Do you grow any of these?

What are your favorite flowers?

Road Trip!

2012-06-15T19:11:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a road trip with two of my girlfriends to Solvang, California. If you're not familiar with Solvang, it's a quaint Danish town located in California's Santa Ynez Valley that's brimming with Danish culture, cute shops, delicious bakeries, and lots of wineries that are located in town and also nearby. Of course we had to sample just about everything we laid our eyes on and not only were we able to indulge on fine Danish pastries every day, we had our fill of wine tasting and even some gambling at a nearby casino. We had a terrific time and made lots of great memories to treasure forever.

I took some pictures and thought I would share a few with you.

There were windmills everywhere you looked!

We also walked over to visit Mission Santa Inez which was right in town.

Once we left Solvang and headed home, we made a few stops along the way to do some shopping (of course) and decided to have lunch at Pismo Beach and do a little more shopping there too.

For lunch I had a yummy cup of clam chowder along with a shrimp cocktail

at Chele's right at the beach.

Unfortunately, it's now back to reality!

Summer's Coming, Are You Ready?

2012-06-03T19:00:00.001-07:00

Are you ready?

Flipflops

Beach Trips

Barbecues

Wallpapering
Wallpapering? WHAT???

Just kidding guys!!!

I mean the kind of wallpaper you put on your computer desktop!

Do you like to decorate your desktop?

I like to change mine up for the seasons or for the holidays and I always go to

http://wallpaperswide.com/

They have an amazing selection of wallpapers to choose from.

This is my current wallpaper and it's very fitting for the summer and for the 4th of July.

Here's a another great summer one if you think that life is like a bowl of cherries.

This one's perfect if you're always in need of a refreshing treat.

Or maybe you just want to enjoy that extra cup of coffee every day.

How about just sitting on the beach?

So why not try putting up a little wallpaper this summer?

~HAPPY SUMMER!~

Linking to:

Liebster Award

2012-06-01T15:01:00.001-07:00

The German word "liebster" translates into English as "beloved" or "favorite." This award is given to new and up coming bloggers

that have less than 200 followers.

Thank you Chris from PERFECTLY PRINTED blog who awarded me this honor!

And I have graciously accepted!

In order to accept this award, I must...

1. Link back to the person who gave it to me.

2. Post the award to my blog.

3. Give the award to 5 new and up coming bloggers that have less than 200 followers

4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know they have been offered this award.

5. Share 5 random facts about yourself. (See mine below)

************************************************************************************

Now it's my turn to award

5 up and coming bloggers!

Congratulations to my lovely picks

of such beautiful and creative blogs:

The North End Loft

Lake Girl Paints

A Walk In The Countryside

Cottage At The Crossroads

Just Paint It White

5 random facts about me:

I love playing tricks on people

I always wanted to be a backup singer in a band

I like to play slot machines

I talk in my sleep

I always name my cars

***

Thanks again for the award Chris!

Cream Cheese Jalapeno Sausage Pinwheels

2012-05-31T12:47:00.001-07:00

This recipe I'm sharing today is for

Cream Cheese Jalapeno Sausage Pinwheels
and it's from
Aunt Nubby's Kitchen.

I made these at my daughter's house a few weeks ago and they were a big hit. If you're looking for a new recipe and haven't tried this one yet and it sounds good to you, be sure and give it a try!

Cream Cheese Jalapeno Sausage Pinwheels from Aunt Nubby's Kitchen

1 pound pork sausage

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 package crescent roll dough

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until browned, adding the jalapeno pepper to the sausage while it is cooking. Drain the grease from the sausage, then add the cream cheese. Stir over very low heat until the cream cheese is blended into the sausage. Spread the crescent roll dough out on a sheet of parchment paper, sealing the perforations and seams together so that the dough is in one rectangular sheet. Spread the sausage/cream cheese mixture over the crescent dough in a thin, even layer. Start rolling the dough up lengthwise, very carefully in one long roll. Refrigerate the roll for 20 - 30 minutes, or stick it in the freezer for a short while, this will make it easier to slice.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a sheet pan by lining with aluminum foil and spraying with cooking spray. Slice the roll into sections about 1/2 inch thick, place the slices on the prepared pan. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the crescent dough is browned.

Serve and enjoy!

Favorite Patriotic Decorations

2012-05-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

As promised I said I would share some of my favorite patriotic decorations with you.

I painted this charming birdhouse back in 1995. I actually found myself raising my eyebrows

when I read the date on the bottom! Sure doesn't seem like that long ago.

The design is from a tole painting book called Country Primitives 2 by Maxine Thomas.

Now this bearded fellow I picked up at a holiday boutique over 10 years ago. He was so different with his bag of goodies that I couldn't pass him up. Remember, this girl likes her fireworks!

I found this birdhouse star in Oregon at a painting store in 2001 and it was unfinished. I knew right away what I was going to do with it. The little hand carved bird sitting on the perch I bought from an elderly gentleman at a holiday boutique over 10 years ago. All he had left were three so I snatched them right up!

Well you can see right on this wood plate that I painted it in 2000. I love this star shaped Uncle Sam holding a flag in each hand and the fireworks shooting from his hat.

Years back I received a rooster note card (designer Susan Winget I think) from a friend and liked the picture so much that I painted it on a large canvas. This was dated July 2005 and it also doesn't seem that long ago that I was painting this big boy!

This is a Susie Saunders tole painting pattern that I painted on a barrel stave in 2001.

I loved all of it's colors, the liberty bell and the way the banner flew across the stave.

I hope you enjoyed a few of my favorite patriotic decorations. It was actually fun for me going down memory lane!

Linking to:

Patriotic Pillow Cover

2012-05-25T14:31:00.001-07:00

While decorating for Memorial Day I decided to make a patriotic pillow cover for an existing pillow I have in my home. I wanted to make it simple enough where I wasn't spending the day sewing away so I figured out an easy simple pillow design.

First I made the pillow cover with some muslin fabric I had recently purchased. I sewed the cover using the pillow sham method I use most often and shared recently in a post for making pet beds for donation. Click here to see that tutorial.

After making the pillow cover I cut out a rectangular piece of red burlap and also printed out a basic star shape from my printing program.

Next I worked on the star by ironing on some Wonder-Under transfer fusing web to the wrong side of a square scrap of navy blue fabric. Once the fabric was cool I pinned the star pattern to the Wonder-Under and began cutting out the star shape.

Next step was to peel off the paper and then iron the star to the red burlap.

Like I said before I wanted a simple and quick project so I used my rusty look safety pins and attached the burlap on each corner to the pillow sham.

Since the burlap is only pinned to the sham I can easily change out different panels for other holidays. But for now until July 4th I will enjoy my patriotic pillow cover!

So here it is! Simple and easy and ready for Memorial Day!

Linking to: