Snowman for Hire and Kitchen Front

“Snowman for Hire” is my first completed wool applique piece for 2024. When I saw this pattern by Primitive Gatherings, I knew that I would have to stitch it. The pattern was meant to be a table runner with the snowman scene on each end, but I chose to make a wallhanging instead.

 All of the wool came from my stash. The snowman is two layers thick to avoid shadowing from the black background underneath. It also made for a ‘puffier’ snowman. 

The embellishments used enhance the piece. The pattern called for making wool cardinals, but I found these cardinal buttons on Etsy. It turns out that there are lots of folks making/selling cardinal buttons, but these from PiecefulDesigns were just what I was looking for.

The pattern also called for a zillion colonial knots to create a snow effect. Well, I don’t mind stitching french knots and colonial knots, but I decided again to search Etsy for snowflakes. Though I already had some snowflake buttons on hand, the scale wasn’t right. Luckily, I found just the perfect teenie snowflakes at BritchesNBowsShop on Etsy. If you click on the photo, you will see just how perfect these snowflakes are. I used a dab of fabric glue to adhere each one.

Are you a fan of cooking contest on TV? If so, you might enjoy The Cooking Front by Jennifer Ryan. This novel is set in England during WWII, and the premise is that a radio program on the BBC is holding a cooking contest to inspire housewives dealing with the hardships of food rationing. The winner of the contest would become the program’s first female co-host. The recipes created by each of the contestants are included at the end of each chapter though I’m pretty sure they are not recipes you will be serving to your family and friends . . . especially the one with whale meat as the main ingredient. (Yes, you read that right. At the height of the food shortages, desperate housewives were encouraged to use many things which we might find appalling.) 

Halfway through the book, I wasn’t sure that I would be recommending this novel, but it built gradually and I ultimately found it a pleasant, informative read. 

To learn about rationing in our country, go to nps.gov and search for “Food Rationing on the Homefront.” While rationing in our country ended by 1945, rationing in Great Britain didn’t end until 1954.

That’s all for now. Keep warm.

Tear Open to Find Joy!

This tempting proclamation appeared on top of an item purchased at the grocery store yesterday. What was the item? Did I tear it open in search of joy? You betcha’! Did I find joy? You’ll have to keep reading to find out. ;-)

 Clearly, I have not kept up with my intention to post twice a week. So, how has 2024 been going for you so far? I was grounded with a foot issue for two weeks . . . offloading. . .  That means that for two long weeks I wasn’t supposed to put any weight on my foot. Fortunately, I had quilting, wool applique, cross stitching, and reading to keep me busy.

I was able to resume normal activities last Thursday. Yeah!!! Everything was good. . . but . . . not so fast. I happened to glance up at the upstairs ceiling in the hallway and spotted a crack and water stain! No!!!!!! A new roof is in my future when we have a warm, dry stretch. For now, I have a bucket in the attic. We are expecting rain a few times this week; wish me luck. (By the way, this roof is only twenty years old; usually a roof lasts twenty-five to thirty years, but the leak in mine is around a vent pipe. I’d say 2024 can only get better, but I sure don’t want to tempt fate.)

I don’t have any finishes to show, but I have been busy. A child’s quilt just needs an outer border and then to be quilted. My cross stitch focus has been alternating between two pieces, and I have a wool applique piece about 95% done. I also prepped a wool applique piece on which I plan to work while on an upcoming quilt guild retreat. 

At yesterday’s meeting of the Crosstown Quilt Guild, our guest speaker was Pat Delaney of  Crabtree Lane Studio. Her talk was very informative and the quilts that she showed were stunning. If you are not familiar with this award winning quilter, check out her site to see her quilts, the lectures that she offers, and learn about her upcoming retreats.

So, back to the title of this post . . . did I find joy? I didn’t, but Emma did and I got the idea for this post. 

Isn’t that something! Hope it made you smile.

Stay safe and may you find moments of joy each day. :-)

Getting Ready for Christmas 2024!!!

 

How cute is this little pillow, “Struttin’ “ from designer Teresa Kogut.  (I was going to label this post, “Struttin’ My Stuff,” but I feared I just might attract the wrong kind of audience. ;-) Anyway, I purchased this chart a few years back and finally pulled it out to stitch it a few weeks ago. Santa’s coat took a l-o-n-g time to stitch, but it was worth it to stitch this sweet, little reindeer. I FFO’d it this afternoon. Teresa Kogut’s charts are always delightful, and she has a wonderful flosstube where she shows her artwork and cross stitch designs on Youtube.

I’m planning to stitch one Christmas item each month to prepare for Christmas 2024. 

Youtube Tip:   I watched a documentary last week, “Leslie Caron: The Reluctant Star.” If you have an hour,  check this one out. It explores her childhood in Paris, her first role in “An American in Paris, her role in Gigi, and her long acting career. It was a visually lovely documentary.

I’m keeping this post short. Have a good week and keep warm; it’s cold outside. :-)

My Crafty Year in Review 2023

Is it really time to start dedecking the halls??? Say it isn’t so!!! I’m going to take my time even though I have been enjoying all of my decor since Thanksgiving weekend. This morning I removed the window candle lights and took care of the outdoor items which among other things meant removing the spotlight, taking down the ornaments from the front railings and from the shepherd’s hooks in the backyard, and finally lugging the old sled back into the garage. Mission accomplished. This afternoon I packed up the festive kitchen decor, but I’ll drag my heels packing away the ornaments. :-) Couldn’t I just leave the tree up in the corner of the living room as a decorative accent all year long?

Anyway, let’s get back to a review of what I have accomplished this year in my crafty life. :-) 

 Cross Stitch - I fully finished twenty-four pieces. My favorite was Mary Poppins.

Quilting . . . not so much - While I have worked on pillowcases, isolette covers for a Boston hospital, a wheelchair quilt for a veteran, comfort pillows, and a few other things that our Crosstown Quilt Quild donates to worthy organizations,  I only made one quilt, and that had been started years ago. Therefore, it  was my favorite completed quilt in 2023.

Wool Applique - I completed a few pieces, and this large Americana table runner was my favorite.

So, I managed to complete a few things last year, and I’ve already picked out a number of projects to begin working on this week. 

Today’s Youtube Tip:  End the season on a high note with “ Run, Run, Rudolph,”  with Brad Paisley and Steven Tyler 3:18 minutes of pure rockin’ fun. Promise me you will check this one out. Even if you only put “Brad Paisley” in the search, it will comes up. I hope these two collaborate on something else. :-)

Resolutions: once again . . . Lose ten pounds, read more, pick up my flute which I stopped playing during the pandemic, quilt more, have fun, travel . . . 

I heard someone on tv this morning point out that 2024 is a leap year.    Let’s all plan something really special for February 29th. 

Finally, my friend Laurel sent this along, and both Emma and I think it is adorable.