s'more bites

hello! i am chloe, heather's daughter, and today i discovered s'more bites.

i told my mom 'you should write a blog about them because they are so delicious!'

and she replied 'why don't you write a blog about it?'

and so i am.

you will need:

coconut oil

cocoa powder

maple syrup

vanilla

marshmallows

graham crackers (gluten free ones would work for this recipe)

tooth picks

parchment paper

baking sheet

small bowls

step 1:

first you will need to make your homemade chocolate

you will need

6tbsp of melted coconut oil

6tbsp of cocoa powder

2tbsp of maple syrup (or another sweetener)

mix all of these in a small bowl and there you have your chocolate!

It is also very tasty on its own.

step 2:

crunch up your graham crackers

you will need 

3-4 crackers

i put my graham crackers into our blender, and it came out well, but you could 

also crunch them with your hands or a meat tenderizer.

when your graham crackers are crunched enough, put them in a small bowl.

step 3:

stab your marshmallows with toothpicks

you will need

marshmallows

toothpicks

you need to put a toothpick right in the middle of all your marshmallows.

step 4: 

line your baking sheet with parchment paper

step 5:

dip your marshmallows

next you will need to dip your marshmallows into your chocolate

this doesn't take very long, but the chocolate can sometimes not want to let

go of the marshmallow.

right after i dipped one marshmallow into the chocolate, i dipped it

into the graham cracker crumbs, then placed them on the cookie sheet.

step 6:

once all of your marshmallows are adequately dipped into chocolate and

graham cracker, you can either eat them right then or put them in the

freezer. 

leave them in the freezer for an hour and once they are done, enjoy them!

It Only Looks Like Cheating

last week a client dropped off a quilt.

as what normally happens she asked about the computer on my longarm.

i told her it was wonderful.

and one of the perks is that while it's running i can do "other stuff" (e.g. writing a blog post, doing laundry, making food...).

as she walked to her car she said, "that's cheating!"

i chuckled to myself.

smiled.

went inside.

that's when i realized that i used to say the same thing!

i used to think that using a computer meant there was no originality to the quilt.

that hand guided was better, more artistic.

well, that line of thinking nearly trashed my body.

literally, it was a pain in the neck (and shoulder and back).

i ended up with my left shoulder muscle being so tight that i would brace myself for hugging people.

just the tipping of my head wrong sent pain that registered an '8' for me.

and i've got a very high pain threshold.

forget about sudden jarring movements.

that elicited a yelp of pain and would take me several minutes to recover.

people.  that is seriously not good.

plus i had the stress of being home but never getting anything accomplished.

everything was a mad scramble.

if i wasn't working the machine i was cleaning, or cooking, or driving people somewhere...

 and worrying about the responsibility of the unfinished quilt on the frame.

but if i was working on the quilt then i wasn't cleaning, cooking or...

as you can imagine i was a mess.

physically and mentally.

the addition of the computerized system (Intelliquilter, for those who are curious) has relieved the stress.

i still work.

putting a quilt on the frame requires more than just pins.

then i have to monitor it to make sure there aren't puckers, etc.

i also have to roll it up and other essentials.

this isn't a set-it-and-forget-it type of deal.

but i now can do more of my to-do list in a day.

as well, i think this is a dream for most working women (moms to be exact).

to be able to get paid work done while managing the trifecta (house, kids, husband) is really wonderful.

right.

so there you go...

and now i'm going to go sew a binding on a quilt!

happy sewing day!

xo,

~ h

Heather Spence Designs

this morning as i was sitting at the laundromat waiting for washing and drying on a rag quilt

i realized it was blog post day today!

so here's what i'm offering...a video of all the quilts i've had a hand in over the last four years.

well, okay...three and a half.

two of them aren't even finished being bound yet!

some of the photos are of very poor quality because the camera i was using wasn't good.

but...this is my first time.

i'm allowed a bit of breathing room.

you should totally watch the video!

maybe one of your quilts in it.

xo,

~ h

the joys of my life

i've been thinking a lot about my joys this week.

my dogs, kids, husband, home and my job (not necessarily in that order) all bring such immense joy.

my to-do list is being conquered...

the sun has been shining...

the roses are blooming...

here's what's been happening on the frame these last few weeks...

Jackie's dresden plate quilt
Quilted with Chantilly pantograph and a light yellow thread

Sheri's quilt
Quilted with Easy Orange Peel pantograph with a variegated cream to light tan

Sheri's quilt
Quilted with Easy Orange Peel pantograph with a variegated cream to light tan

Helen's quilt
Quilted with Bouganvilla pantograph in a light gold/wheat color thread

Sylvia's quilt
Quilted with Blue Lagoon pantograph in a variegated thread

My Elevation quilt
Quilted with Seafoam pantograph in a variegated dark green thread

My Elevation quilt
Quilted with Seafoam pantograph in a variegated dark green thread

A Finish!
My 2015 Ben Franklin BOM is officially done!
I gave it to a friend whose just had her 50th birthday.
The quilt is just as sassy as she is.

My Silo Barn Quilt.
I modified Lori Holts Silo Barn quilt to have 12 silo barns instead of 4.
I LOVE the way it turned out.
It's waiting patiently for it's binding.
Quilted with Blush pantograph in a light teal thread.

my studio is a bit of a disaster.

we've spent quite a bit of time away from the house visiting homeschool co-ops and running errands.

i'm hoping this next week will be quieter.

though, happily, we'll be having quite a few rehearsals for ballet coming up!

*squee*

did i tell y'all that i'll be a jellyfish in our recital?

the girls will be fish.

we'll be dancing together.

i love being a mommy.

my girls are without a doubt some of the most amazing people i know.

and they make me a better person just for having known them.

happy early mother's day to all you beautiful women out there!

whether you have children of your own body or not your influence and love is felt and cherished.

xo,

~ h

victory!

well...maybe not victory as in i defeated something.

more as in victory i accomplished something i didn't think was possible.

*deep breath*

the short story:

my Dan's Climb pattern is going to be in Keepsake Quilting.

GAH!!

i'm feeling ridiculously giddy.

they wanted Jack of Hearts too but the fabric line for that quilt is no longer available.

which makes me a wee bit sad.

but the Dan's Climb news overcomes the sad by about one thousand million times.

this only adds to my other exciting news:

i've signed a contract with a publisher!!

YAY!

all the bits i've been struggling with (writing, illustrations, editing, printing, barcodes...)

i will get all the professional help and advice i've been needing.

and as if that isn't enough,

my mum's the word is finished (you know, the one i've been posting about) though i think i forgot to photograph it.

plus, i'm about two feet from the finished binding 

on a quilt for a new pattern (no photo forthcoming yet).

and...well, i've been very busy conquering my stack of to-do's.

there will be a lot of good stuff coming up shortly.

once i can get D's attention for a couple of hours we'll even have the website ready to go.

I KID YOU NOT!!

when that happens we'll post about the kits for The Kind-ly Pinwheels quilt,

the wide back fabrics and so much more.

:D

right...so, quilts for this week...

Joan's Hawaiian Quilt
with Breath of the Gods pantograph in a dark gray thread

Beths' horse quilt
with Dusty Miller pantograph in a variegated tan thread

bindings ready for their quilts!

Rhonda's minkee baby quilt for her new granddaughter
with Double Bubble pantograph in a pink thread

Beth's quilt
with Mid-Century pantograph and navy blue thread

it's been a VERY good week over here.

now i'm off to get ready for ballet, homeschool prep and a binding for my Elevation quilt.

may your day be filled with wonderful blessings.

xo,

~ h

dish soap

yesterday, as i was getting ready to go to the ballet with friends,

chloe comes into my room with chocolate all over her jeans and said,

"i dropped the koala cube tray after i put the chocolate it in."

okay...you *might* need a little back story here.

the girls and i can not have dairy.

at all.

no milk of any sort.

which makes chocolate either expensive or nonexistent.

a few years ago my friend made some chocolate and gave it to me.

homemade chocolate.

without dairy.

or high fructose corn syrup.

seriously folks.

it's amazing.

(recipe here)

now back to the story.

about an hour before the spill chloe comes to me and asks if she can make chocolate.

of course! i say.

i give her some direction and leave her to it.

(don't freak out people...she's 13.

chocolate shouldn't be difficult.)

then she comes to me and says,

"i just had a brilliant idea.

i can put it in the koala cube maker."

some australian friends of ours gave us a silicone ice cube tray.

it is a brilliant idea, i say.

and off she goes.

so 4:30 rolls around.

my friends are arriving.

i'm not finished.

chloe enters the room and discloses that when she was transferring the koala ice cube maker to the little cutting board it tipped off (it's not the sturdiest thing) onto the floor and sent chocolate everywhere.

we chat about the situation and she leaves to clean it up.

i finish up, my friends and i head downstairs to see...

my child "skating" around the kitchen floor on a washcloth with dish soap bubbles surrounding her feet.

the ENTIRE floor, people, covered in bubbles.

she is having a glorious time.

pause right here for a moment.

think of what you would do.

there are four reactions i think would occur:

1) yelling.  and lots of it.

2) grab some towels, kick said child out of room and clean it up for her.

3) grab some towels, throw them at her and walk away in disgust.

4) join her in the fun.

i'm sure there's more.

but that's what went through my head.

it was as if i was going through the list and ticking items off the list as unacceptable.

i've renounced yelling.  so...not going to happen.

grabbing towels seemed like the right thing to do but doing it myself wasn't going to work nor joining in on the fun as i was heading off to the ballet (and late at that)!

and walking off in disgust wasn't so bright.

the look of joy on her face!

have you ever "skated" around on bubbles.

people...it's seriously fun.

so...i told her daddy would be home soon and to do her best.

i smooched her and left.

the floor looked clean this morning.

but as one would guess she didn't do a good job.

which is fine...

so we got down on the floor together and i showed her how to clean soap off the floor.

and we discussed better ways of cleaning coconut oil up.

so instead of getting the machine fired up and ready to go this morning.

and instead of blogging about quilts that were done tis week.

i'm here...writing about my beautiful girl who is 100% 13.

maybe next week i'll be able to post some photos for you.

xo,

~ h

p.s. i finished my mum's the word quilt.

binding AND label.

:D

plus got the label on another quilt, so it's all done.

plus quilted the little quilt i made at retreat and got the binding on it.

i'll post photos of these finishes next saturday.

what i'm currently working on is my American Flag Rag Quilt.

the goal is to get it finished so we can put the pattern on the website.

that's nearly done!

oh the hoops people...they are unending!

this weeks happenings

i've had a lot going on this week.

surprisingly, it's all been steps forward.

not one has been backwards.

and that, my friends, is a huge sigh of relief.

jackie's farm girl vintage barn silo quilt
yippee ki yay pantograph with white thread

aside from quilting client quilts i've managed to make some thank you gifts,

finish two baby presents,

tidy my office and get some gardening done.

i don't say all that to make anyone jealous...i think i'm reiterating that i can, in fact, cross more things off my to-do list than things that get on it.

you see, for several years now i've been so overwhelmed 

that i'd stash stuff places with the intent in getting to it "later".

but "later" never happened.

seriously.

it was bad.

i was finding photos that i meant to mail to people.

clipping the dogs nails.

projects that were stacked up but never touched.

stuff to go to a thrift shop.

re-potting plants...

the list is huge.

and it, at times, feels quite overwhelming.

but i decided that if i start a to-do list (i found a pad at target in the $1 bin),

keep a running list of what needs to be done 

(not writing EVERYTHING down at once but only when i think of it),

then maybe, just maybe, i can sort things out as i go.

people.

it's been amazing.

yesterday i crossed off FIVE things.

FIVE!!

that didn't include things like washing my shower curtain.

or making a little thank you gift for one of my pattern testers.

my attitude towards the to-do list is changing.

it's no longer an unyielding slave master.

but my tool in sorting myself out.

and that feels really good.

and it means i can work.

when i'm able to work unhindered it's a soothing balm to my soul.

i think it's because i'm able to do the work my hands were created to do.

below are some of the projects i've worked on the last two weeks.

you'll note that my mum's the word is now quilted!!

at the moment the binding has been attached and i've started hand stitching the binding.

by next week's post there will be a completed picture of it.

*so excited*

the very last picture you'll see is my little cuticus maximus standing next to bolts of fabrics.

*nervous excitement*

we've been "threatening" for about 6 months to start carrying kits for my patterns.

well...we did it.

kits aren't made yet.

it's on my to-do list (ha!) and i'm planning on tackling that on monday.

we're also getting wide-back fabrics in!

5 so far...it's a start.

i'll post a picture of those next week too.

so there you go.

this week's happenings in a nutshell.

i hope you have a lovely weekend!

xo,

~ h

katie's modern quilt
bollywood pantograph with white thread

my mum's the word!
passion fruit pantograph with a pink/orange variegated thread

jackie's lilac heart quilt
butterfly bliss pantograph with a variegated light purple thread

helen's star quilt
mistletoe pantograph with a dusty pink thread

helen's walkabout quilt
dusty miller pantograph with a dark blue thread

jackie's bloom quilt
belladonna pantograph with a light yellow thread

dawn's hawaiian snowball quilt
bell blossom pantograph with white thread

nancy's star quilt
independence day pantograph with red thread

barbara's flower quilt
seafoam pantograph with a light grey thread

max is introducing tree party fabrics with polka dot wide back fabric.