"Simplicity Goodness Truth" - Heart's Content

Thanks to Vonna and Hannah, I was able to quickly assemble this cube last night before supper. It's so easy! And so quick! I think it took less than 15 minutes, and that was because I had to let the iron warm up. I used a styrofoam cube from the flower-arranging section at JoAnn's, some fabric and ribbon already in my stash, along with the silver brad left over from my scrapbooking days. This is stitched one-over-one on 28-count hand-dyed linen that came with the pattern and floss - a kit that I couldn't resist. Once again, the colors in the photo are a bit "off" - the fabric and ribbon are really burgundy and match the threads really well. This is such a nice way to finish smaller pieces, and I'm sure I will be doing many more!

New Patterns on Order!

I ordered some new patterns today from my favorite NON-LNS (I don't have a local store, so I ordered from Forever Stitching in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I mentioned last summer that I visited that store while we were on vacation, and met the owner/designer Lynda Orme. She's responsible for getting me started on linen.

I ordered these patterns:

Home of a Needleworker Too! - Little House Needlework Designs

Celebrate Everything - Shepherd's Bush

Signs of Spring - AnnaLee Waite Designs

Chanukah - Shepherd's Bush

It's Hip to Be Square SAL - B is for Bee

Here's the little bee. Sandy will release the next letter/picture on Monday!

WIP Update - LHN Fruits

I'm doing Little House Needleworks' Fruit Packs (all 12 of them) one-over-one on one piece of fabric. Each one takes just a few days to stitch (a couple of hours a day) and I enjoy using the Crescent Colours threads. I've been trying to arrange them so that similar color themes aren't close together.

"Four Seasons" - Prairie Schooler

This pattern was in a recent issue of The Gift of Stitching Magazine. I stitched it on 28-count lambswool, and framed it myself in a 6 x 6 unfinished frame I got from Nice Frames, an ebay store I use often. I stained the frame in burgundy, which shows up a little light in this picture.

It's Hip to Be Square SAL - A is for Apple

I joined the San-Man Originals "It's Hip to Be Square" SAL, and decided to do it one-over-one on 28-count Cashel linen from Silkweaver. The color I chose is a yellow-gold, which I think will be neutral enough for the design. The first block is a little apple, and I put the dime next to it to show how small it is since it's one-over-one.

Question of the Week - So Cal Stitchers

I joined a Yahoo group (one of many) the other day called SoCal Stitchers - and can't wait to meet all of them. We have a "field trip" scheduled for June 7 - a get together at a LNS in Anaheim Hills. How exciting!

This group does a weekly question - and this week's question is:

Do you keep or give away most of your projects?

My intent is to do about half and half. I do a lot of "selfish" stitching - things that I want to keep for myself, such as Chatelaine's Alpine Seasons Garden Mandala and Raise the Roof's Crabby All Year. I like doing pieces that I can hang in my house or my RV. But then I also stitch to make gifts and exchanges. I stitch for my mother, my sisters, my brother, my friends, and for many strangers via charity quilt squares stitching (WOCS and CSFC). I like doing exchanges, so I stitch things for exchanges like biscornus, ornaments, and small pillows.

Biscornu from Doreen

Doreen in Canada sent me this cute seasons-themed piece for the biscornu exchange on CSRR. Isn't it cute! Thanks, Doreen!

WIP Update - Alpine Garden Seasons Mandala by Chatelaine

I finished the first part, and am about 1/3 way through the scene in the middle. It has a lot of one-over-one stitching, so it's going to take a while.

"Sun Mandala Biscornu" by KIndred Spirits Designs

This is for Jerry and the CSRR biscornu exchange. I wanted a design that wasn't flowery, since Jerry's a guy and doesn't like flowery designs. The original pattern was for light colors on white fabric, but I thought some orange/yellow/red overdyed floss would look great on black aida.

"A Lady's Pincushion" by Sandra Rogers

This is for my mom for Mother's Day. The pattern was in the July/August 1991 issue of Cross Stitch and Country Crafts. The original design was for a pincushion turned on the diagonal and trimmed with cording and tassles. I thought it would make a great biscornu, and just took away some of the design for the back side.

SBQ - Question of the Week

This week's question: Do you have any pieces that you would like passed on to future generations as family heirlooms?

Absolutely! The first piece that comes to mine is the just-started Alpine Garden Seasons Mandala, designed by Martina Weber of Chatelaine Designs. Since my husband and daughter were both born in Germany, I decided to stitch this for them. It will hang in my house until I'm gone, and then will go to my daughter. I would like to think that someone will fight over our Folk Art Anniversary Sampler, but perhaps not. Who knows? I don't think my son's "into" my stitching - but I'll let him choose what he wants.

Fairy for Bren's Mini RR # 18

Finished this weekend and sent on her way today!

Something a little different - a recipe!

A few weeks ago I stitched the "Santa's On His Way" ornament from Rosie & Co., which was in the 2003 Just Cross Stitch Magazine Christmas Ornament issue. A lot of the designers include recipes with their designs, and the one that accompanied the ornament was this coconut tart. It's so easy to make - just mix up everything together, put it in a pie pan, and bake it. It puffed up beautifully, just like the recipe said it would, and then sank some once it was chilled. Don and I ate it both warm and chilled, and liked it both ways. The tart makes a crunchy top crust that reminds me of a coconut macaroon. I think I'll make it again soon and see if I can do it with Splenda and unsweetened coconut.

Cathy's Coconut Tart
from Rosie & Co. in Just Cross Stitch Magazine

1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened*
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325˚.
In a large bowl, beat all ingredients together until thick and creamy. Pour into a greased 9" pie plate and bake approximately 30 minutes, until risen and golden.** Serve warm or cold. Makes 6-8 servings.




* I used salted butter and it was just fine
** I had to bake it for 40 minutes before it would set up

"Tender Moments" - Dale Burdett

This is from the Dale Burdett booklet For Bunny Lovers. It's a big for Taylor, daughter of my friend Tom.

"Out of This World" - Twisted Threads

I finally finished this and framed it today. It's for TJ, son of my friend Tom.

"Feliz Navidad" by monsterbubbles

The pattern for this piece was in the 2006 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments Issue. I had a great time stitching this little piece, but chose not to finish it like it was done in the magazine. I just trimmed it with pinking sheers and mounted it on some stiff felt, using some silver cording for a hanger. Much easier than sewing a pillow by hand (which takes me forever!)

"Woodlands Sampler" by Something in Common

This is a piece that was in The Gift of Stitching Magazine, and I decided it was perfect for our trailer. It was framed at Michaels, and I picked it up just before we went camping.

"Colorado" by Cathy Callery (Fireside Originals)

This is a piece I stitched a few months ago, and I finally got around to finishing it just before we went on vacation. It could have been framed or turned into a bell pull; I chose to make it a bell pull-like hanging. Doreen, a fellow stitcher on CSRR, had sent me a gift package for a Christmas exchange that included some fusing tape. It worked perfectly for this - I didn't have to stitch a bit! I just ironed the edges and used the tape to fuse them. I even did that for the top. The piece is hanging on piece of dowel that I got at Michaels for 79 cents (it was a yard long), and then I glued two wooden beads on each end. A nice piece of green yarn finished if off. This piece is hanging in my trailer - I wanted a few pieces there that are reminiscent of our passion - camping and fishing!

A Prairie Schooler Magnet from Jerry

This came in the mail the other day from Jerry, my partner in the Spring Exchange on CSRR. I love Prairie Schooler, and this design is a lot like the ornament I stitched back in November. What I'm really thrilled about is the fact that Jerry made this into a magnet. That's a new kind of finish I can use for my smaller pieces, one that I hadn't even thought of before! Thanks for such a cute piece and idea, Jerry!

"Simplicity Goodness Truth" by Heart's Content

I really had a blast doing this one. It's stitched one-over-one on some hand-dyed fabric, and it has several specialty stitches (four-sided stitch, double and single eyelets, shell stitch, queen stitch, star stitch, diamond eyelet, Scottish square stitch, sawtooth satin, and star stitch). The original chart is 8 inches square, and the finished design is only a little more than 3 inches square.

"H is for House and Home and the Herringbone Stitch" - Erica Michaels

This is another design from the Cross Stitcher's Surprise Series from Rainbow Gallery. The last year, instead of being designs for each month, was a set of designs for each letter of the alphabet. As of "XYZ," there will be no more designs in the series. Again, I used my own threads for this, so the colors are a combination of DMC Variations, Crescent Colors, and Gentle Arts Sampler Threads. (I'm having fun stitching with overdyed floss!)

"Harvest Pumpkin" (November) - Linda Stolz for Erica Michaels

This is part of the 2005 Cross Stitcher's Surprise Series from Rainbow Gallery. Linda Stolz of Erica Michaels designed several years' worth of these, which can be found at the Rainbow Gallery website. I didn't use any Rainbow Gallery fibers, though - mine is stitched with Crescent Colors and Gentle Arts Sampler Threads.

"Chocolate Makes Your Clothes Shrink" by Waxing Moon Designs

I changed the colors a bit in this one - I didn't have the overdyed floss the pattern called for (Six Strand Sweets), so I used some Crescent Colors. I also used two chocolate kisses buttons (Just Another Button Company) instead of one. This is going to my niece Allison since she just bought her first home - she has a wicked sense of humor, so I think this will make a fine housewarming gift!

"Kathy's Violets" by Martina Weber (Chatelaine)

This one is a freebie from Martina Weber (Chatelaine). I did it for a seasonal exchange on CSRR. The frames I ordered are here, and I just need to mount this on some mounting board and stain a frame for it. Martina designed several small mandalas, and this is the second one I've done (the first was Lavender Garden, which was published in TGOSM). I framed this in a little frame that I stained myself - I found some stuff at Michaels, that when mixed with acrylic paint, turns the acrylic paint into a stain.