HEARTS! HEARTS!! HEARTS!!!

Interesting that RED is both our favorite colors; red walls, sofas, jackets, doors and as you might imagine, an abundance of luscious red fabrics just waiting to be used. We never need an excuse to adorn ourselves with red or use it in one of our quilts. The heart shape has always been special to Diana. As a child she enjoyed paper-cutting and the heart shape was one of her favorites. There is a small basket in Diana’s studio that collects the mail until Laura stops by to collect it. You can see that the paper weight is heart shaped.

Little did Laura know that tucked into the stack of mail was a special Valentine for her. What a delightful surprise to open the envelope and find this special and personal handmade Valentine.

It is just perfect. That sweet little dark-haired girl in the center of the crazy quilted block just touched my heart. Just look at those adorable ladybug buttons hanging from the ribbons. Diana knows how crazy I am about ladybugs. The backside has a place for writing your own personal love note. This is a quick and easy gift for your special valentine.

Laura loves baking almost as much as quilting. This week the heart-shaped cutters will get a lot of use. These delicate sugar cookies with pink tinted buttercream frosting will be shared with the students. Here’s our favorite sugar cookie recipe. I like to bake them so they are just a little underdone and then let them finish while cooling. This makes them just a little soft to the touch and melt in your mouth. I usually double the recipe as these go quickly!

Our Favorite Sugar Cookies

Taken from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
granulated sugar (optional)

Mix thoroughly butter, confectioners’ sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract. Blend in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough in half. Roll to 3/16” thick onto a lightly floured board. Use your cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes or until light brown.

Enjoy!

From our heart to yours… HAVE A WONDERFUL VALENTINE’S DAY.
Diana and Laura