Spring Petals Table Topper QAL - Color Me Retro

Hello, Friends!

Have you been quilting along

over at The Crafty Quilter's

Spring Petals Quilt Along?

This quilt along came along at just the right time for me!

I was ready for a new table topper for my kitchen table,

and I had just the right stash of fabrics on hand.

The Crafty Quilter did such a great job planning this
quilt along. The pace was just right - a new lesson each week,
with extra time to add linky photos at the end.
All fun...no stress!

I took this opportunity to use my fat quarters of
Color Me Retro fabrics by Jeni Baker for Art Gallery.

{They have adorable names...Florette, Kitchenette, and Dulcette.}

I've had these prints since they were first released,
and it's about time I used them to brighten my kitchen.
I had some fun positioning the background prints
in a directional design.
For the triangle edges, I chose the violet floral stripe.

Here's how my table topper looked
with the background stitched and petals fused into place.
I think my favorite step in this project
was deciding how to place the petals!

Next I appliqued my petals using my Pfaff's blanket stitch.
I love that stitch, and it's the reason I chose my machine 14 years ago.
After all of the petals were stitched, I added the petal centers.

What a difference those centers made...they brought out the lime.
This was such a pleasant surprise, because I'd already
planned to use a lime polka dot for the binding.

For the quilting, I decided to go lightly.
I stitched around each petal,
plus added a right angle to echo the violet triangle shapes.

{I forgot to take this shot before the project was finished.} 

{You can see the overall design best on the back.}

Let's do a bit of time traveling...back in time from the photo above!
After the quilting was completed, I carefully trimmed the table topper.

So, what about binding all of those corners, including the inverted ones?

Oh, The Crafty Quilter has a tutorial for that!
I'm not gonna lie...it was a bit tricky,
and it took like.for.ever to handstitch the binding
to the back, but it was really worth it!

I love my finished table topper...it's something I'm keeping,
just for myself. It will make me think of my friend Julie,
The Crafty Quilter, and all of my friends who quilted along.

I bet I'll make another one someday!

Welcome, Summertime!...Strawberry Cheesecake Pie Recipe

Hello, Friends!

Who's ready to welcome summertime with

a delicious homemade dessert?

{How about some strawberry pie?}

I thought it would be fun to share my own recipe

for Strawberry Cheesecake Pie.

It's got a pie crust on the bottom,

a layer of creamy cheesecake filling,

and it's all topped off with fresh glazed strawberries.

Mmmmmmm....here we go.

First I'll show you how I made mine, with photos. 

The entire recipe is available in the PDF link,

and also at the end of this post.

CLICK HERE for a printable PDF recipe.

First make your pie crust.

I just used a refrigerated pie crust,

but you could make one from scratch if you prefer.

Once it's in the pie pan, make the edges as pretty as you can.

Then poke holes in the crust with a fork, to reduce shrinkage.

Bake it at 450 for about 9 to 11 minutes.

The crust should be very lightly browned. Put it aside to cool.

For the creamy cheesecake layer,

blend cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla.

{To keep the mixture white, you could use clear vanilla.}

Fold in the Cool Whip, then spoon the filling into the pie crust.

While the pie chills, prepare the berries and glaze.

Clean the strawberries. Choose some of the ripest ones

to use in making the glaze. You can leave the rest whole,

or cut them in half.

Mash enough berries to make about 1/2 cup.

I like to add the sugar now, and let the berries soften.

Then put the pureed berries and sugar into a small saucepan.

Add the cornstarch and a pinch of baking powder.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

After the mixture thickens and turns clear,

add a little dab of butter and the vanilla.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Arrange the berries over the cheesecake layer.

This step can be as plain or fancy as you like.

I kind of wish I'd taken time to make a fanned design,

but it's still very pretty.

Oh, boy...the last step really glams it up.

Spoon the glaze over all the berries and cream.

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

CLICK HERE for a printable PDF recipe.

Ingredients:

1 9" pie crust, from a box or from scratch

Cheesecake layer:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla

1 cup Cool Whip, thawed

Strawberry layer:

3 cups fresh strawberries, cleaned

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

pinch of baking powder

1/2 tsp.vanilla

small dab of butter

Prepare the pie crust first. Lay the unbaked crust in a 9" pie pan.

Pinch the upper edges of the crust to make an attractive design.

Prick the crust with a fork to prevent shrinking.

Bake the crust at 450 degrees for about 9 - 11 minutes,

until just delicately browned.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Prepare the cheesecake layer.  In a small bowl, blend the cream cheese,

powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip.

Spread evenly over the baked crust and chill.

Prepare the strawberry glaze. Puree enough berries to make 1/2 cup.

In a small saucepan combine berry puree, sugar cornstarch and baking powder.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened and clear. Add butter and vanilla. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Arrange remaining berries on top of the cream cheese layer.

Keep the berries whole or in large pieces.

Spoon the glaze over all and chill the pie well before serving.

Serves 6

A picture is worth a thousand words...