It's Christmas in July!

by Shannon Spicer

We're celebrating Christmas in July at our house! We're watching Christmas movies and making our favorite Christmas treats.  Why is it that fudge seems to only make an appearance once a year? Summer fudge is delightful!

Funny story, a couple years ago, I misread my fudge recipe and put in double the amount of cream.  I've made that fudge for years and years and years.  Not sure what I was thinking.  It called for 3/4 cup, which is 6 ounces, but I guess I got it in my head that it was 12 ounces, so I measured out 12 ounces in my Pyrex.  That is one and a half cups.  Oof!

So the remedy then would be to double all the other ingredients.  Trouble was, I didn't have much more sugar on hand.  I could only increase it by 50 percent.  So I increased all the ingredients by 50 percent and hoped for the best.

Turned out to be a happy accident as it was the best fudge I'd ever made!

Alas, fudge can be so finicky, though.  This year, I followed my notes which said to bring to a boil and cook to 240°F. Then let it cool down to 110°F and then stir until it reaches the "fudge" stage--the point where the sugar crystallizes very, very finely, giving the candy that delicious velvety texture.

But this time, it didn't work.  It set up very hard.  More like chocolate bark or brittle.  Still edible, but so disappointing.  What happened? My theory is that I threw out an extra candy thermometer when I did some decluttering a few months ago. I have a feeling that the one I threw out was the one I always used, and it was probably calibrated a bit differently from the one I used. Oy!

But this isn't a food blog! We're here to talk quilts. What quilting projects are you working on right now? This is the prime time of year to get started on those Christmas projects! And that's why I just released my large Christmas Tree quilt block pattern!

There are so many things you can do with this block! You could make a pillow, a table runner or topper, a full quilt, and so much more! And get creative with your colors! Who says a Christmas Tree has to be green? I'm making a yellow one right now  I'm working on a table topper for my own coffee table.  I'll post that to Instagram when it's done.

Click here to buy the pattern!

This block was born out of the ornament block I created a few years back. The large block measures 7.5 by 9.5 inches when finished.  The ornament block measures 2.5 by 3.5 inches finished.  You can get both in my shop.

Both these blocks utilize the Foundation Paper Piecing method.  I just love FPP! You can get such precision with FPP.  These are both great for beginners, and they're a great way to use up your fabric scraps!

So what did we learn today?

Happy sewing, quilting, and crafting! I'd love to feature your projects.  Tag me on Instagram with @shannon_at_thespicerack.

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