A Wee Gift

 

I recently put together a little thank you gift for a reader and fellow stitcher who did something very sweet for me. I thought I would share it here in case anyone is in need of an idea for Christmas giving. I'll include links at the end of this post.

This is my version of a wee Prairie Schooler design, from a set of small design cards that I think were originally shop freebies. They are now available as several sets of small cards, perfect for tucking in a greeting card, or stitching up and cute-ifying, as I did here.

I added a small thread book from a shop on Etsy. I have a couple of favorite shops for these, but they're widely available and you can find lots of sizes and styles by just doing a search on Etsy.

I included a few supplies in case she wants to make another one, and I made a peppermint counting pin to go with the thread book. I tucked in a few other little goodies as well, to round out the package.

Prairie Schooler mini cards

Thread books

A note on the stitching: my snowman is stitched on 28 ct. Denim Jobelan; snowflakes are a Smyrna stitch; tree is stitched using my mismatched threads method.

Happy Stitching & Gifting!

Quoth the Raven

 

First finish of spooky season! This is Nevermore Raven by Quaternion Creations from the 2024 Just Cross Stitch Halloween Special Issue (also available in the designer's Etsy shop). I chose a darker fabric than the model because I wanted that beautiful moon to really show up well. I also added a little spark of color to the leaf.

Fabric: 28 ct. Storm, Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie

Moon: GAST Ohio Sky

Raven/Nevermore: GAST Onyx

Branches: GAST Wood Trail

Leaf: CC Colonial Copper

Summer Birds: Stitch and Be Glad

 

Another quick finish for my Summer Birds project! This one is by Needlework Press and is in both the 2019 and 2022 editions of the Nashville Needlework Market Cookbook. As you can see, I did change all the colors!

Stitched on PTP Valor

Words: GAST Wood Trail*

Robin: GAST Wood Trail, GAST Wood Rose, Weeks Curry, DMC 310 for the eye

Branch: GAST Heirloom Gold, GAST Bayberry

*A note about Wood Trail: I have three skeins of this and all three are different; one is slightly more of a grayish brown, one more golden brown, one more chocolate brown. I used the grayish brown.

I love this design. I really like the sturdy, straightforward character of the font, and the "keep your chin up" feeling of the sentiment. Just a cheerful little design.

I'm working on my next project for my Summer Birds. It's by a new-to-me designer that I have really taken a liking to and I'm finding working on this project very relaxing... when I show you the design you'll see why! Looking forward to sharing it with you soon, so stay tuned!

Happy Stitching!

Dear Santa: Day Two

 

Welcome back! Today's Santa is my cool minty green color conversion of Brooke Nolan's glorious Stitching Santa. I did a red-to-pink color conversion of her Mrs. Claus back in 2019 and have had a green Santa in mind since then. Here they are, together at last!

I also swapped the Cardinal pin cushion perched in his basket for a sweet little Chickadee. They're my favorite bird and I thought the softer colors suited better.

Color conversions are one of my favorite things about stitching and I haven't done one in quite a while. If you'd like to see my other conversions, click on the tab at the top of the page.

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Let's get back to the cookie drop-in we hosted for the squadron. Here's a closer look at my centerpiece. I looked through the craft and home decor stores for inspiration, but couldn't find anything I liked, and I didn't want to spend much anyway. As it turned out, I didn't spend anything. I just raided my kitchen cupboards and put together a baking-themed centerpiece.

Pretty good for a freebie! 

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Before we start baking, I have three tips that will make your cookie baking experience much easier and your results much better. At my house, these are a must.

#1 Use cookie scoops! They come in different sizes, but my favorite is the tablespoon size, not quite 1 1/2" wide. This produces a two-bite cookie, which is a nice size for an event like this, as it allows people to try all the choices if they wish. Besides evenly baked and pretty cookies of uniform size, another benefit is if you're making a lot of different recipes, smaller cookies allow you to bake the batches quicker because you can fit 12-15 cookies on a cookie sheet. 

#2 Use parchment paper! I don't bake without it. It makes baking cookies a breeze, and you can use the same piece a number of times. 

#3 Use an oven thermometer! It's not unusual for ovens to be as much as 25 degrees off, usually on the low end. Yes, even the newer models with a digital display that assures you the oven is at 350. I keep an oven thermometer in the oven at all times. If the oven is a bit off, it doesn't matter too much for things like casseroles, but baking is a different story. Some ovens are accurate at first, but if you use them for several hours (like in marathon cookie baking), you'll find the temperature doesn't remain accurate. As long as the temperature isn't wildly off, I usually don't bother to adjust it. Much easier to just leave the cookies in for an extra minute or two, keeping an eye on them.

Cookie time! Today's tried and true recipe is Mr. Wonderful's favorite Butter Mint cookies. Deliciously buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, delicately minty. I make these every year, no matter what else doesn't get done. These are a must at our house.

However. I tried a new recipe this year and I think Mr. Wonderful may have a new co-favorite. These disappeared at the cookie drop-in.

Spiced Pecan with Strawberry Jam

1/2 c. butter, softened

6 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 c. flour

1/2 c. pecans, toasted and ground**

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

strawberry preserves

Heat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; mix well. On low speed, beat in flour, pecans, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Shape dough into 1" balls and place 2" apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven and use the back of a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill wells with a 1/2 tsp. of strawberry preserves. Return to oven and bake an additional 7-10 minutes longer or until edges are light golden. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets and remove to racks to cool. Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

**Toast nuts on a baking sheet in a 350 oven for about 5 minutes; watch carefully as nuts burn easily!

**If you don't have a food processor, grind nuts by placing them in a sturdy plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.

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See y'all tomorrow for more stitching, more cookies, and more real-life open house!

Rabbits in the Round: Ombre Bunnies Color Conversion

 

I've had this color conversion in my head since I first saw Rabbits in the Round last spring and I finally got it done! I stitched my version on 28 ct. green linen (I think it's called Rosemary, but I don't think it's available anymore), which made it quite a bit larger than the petite, over-one model. Here are my other changes:

Bunnies (light to dark): Cosmo 713, 714 715, 716; vines: CC Weeping Willow; flowers: GAST Buttercrunch; berries: CC Smoke

If you like color conversions, click on the tab at the top of the page (or on the label below this post) to see all of mine. They're one of my favorite things about stitching.

I am behind on projects I wanted to stitch, behind on blog reading, behind on finishing... just generally behind on anything stitching-related. But I'm trying not to put pressure on myself about any of that, because stitching and all its associated pursuits should be a respite and not a source of worry. Right? Right.

So I'm off to prep a couple of new projects. Hope you're all well and contentedly stitching away. Thanks for the well-wishes for my first shot. I'm happy to report no side effects. Second shot is in two weeks.

Happy Stitching, y'all.

Northern Lights Conversion

Here's my latest little finish: a "Northern Lights conversion" of this charming winter scene from the February 2020 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine. I knew I wanted an aurora effect, but I didn't know if there was a fabric available that would suit me, so I hunted around. I settled on PTP Monster Mash and happily, I got a piece that was usable for this project. Well, half of it was. The other half of the fabric had too much purple in it for the look I wanted. Hand-dyed fabric is a bit of a gamble at the best of times, and if you're wanting a specific effect in addition to color, good luck. My piece just happened to work. I know it's weird, but I love it.

As I often do, I not only changed colors to suit the fabric, I also did some editing. I left off the little bushes, and the birds, and the snowflakes. I wanted the fabric to do all the work so I just sort of streamlined the design. If you check out the "color conversions" tab at the top of the page, you'll notice that I am always "purple-izing" designs. (I know "empurple" is a word and "purple-ize" is not a word, but I like purple-ize better and now it's a word.) I think it's because blue is such a popular color--except with me--and it's easy to visualize blue-to-purple conversions. Anyway, here are my changes (all DMC):

B5200-->Blanc; 3822-->3821; 598-->28; 3810-->29; 164-->3364; 988-->3363;

987-->3362; 644-->3790; 642 & 640-->4145

Speaking of winter and winter stitching, it poured snow yesterday. It's been incredibly cold here lately (negative double-digit lows at night, negative daytime highs, 30-below wind chill), and when it's that cold, the snow is fine and dry like sand and sparkles like diamonds. But yesterday it was warm (30!) and the snow was chunky and fluffy and made everything look like it was coated in frosting. 

Last winter was underwhelming but this one is making up for it. We have had so much snow. The snow bank in our yard from clearing the driveway is so high Tiger Lily can't see the street from her window. In spite of what it looks like outside, I'm kicking off spring on March 1st! Who's with me?!

Bonus:

Aurora Webcam!  If the Northern Lights aren't visible when you check, try again later or on a different night. You'll eventually catch them. So enchanting.

Wee Fall Sampler

I'm still here and I have a wee finish to share! This is Mouse Sampler available in this Etsy shop.

I just went my own way on the colors and used Caron Collection Wildflowers on 28 ct. Natural Brown Undyed linen. From top to bottom:

Top border: Sedona Sunset

Stars (I added these): Quicksilver

Moon and sun: Old Gold

Clouds: Suede

Birds: Copper

Trees: Sedona Sunset, Copper

Sampler motifs: Bark

Houses: Quicksilver, Copper

Acorns: Gingersnap, Copper

Corn: Old Gold, Guacamole

Pumpkins: Marigold (orange only), Gingersnap

Mouse: Gingersnap, Coal

Bottom border: Bark

My dad has been in the hospital for several weeks (not the virus) and has just moved to a rehabilitation facility, so we've been coping with that amid the pandemic and related restrictions. It's a difficult time for a lot of people and I hope y'all are doing well and staying healthy, and enjoying your stitching. 

A Custom Christmas: Time for Tea, Winter Conversion

When I saw this cute little design, my mind started spinning with ideas for conversions. I went back and forth for quite a while, trying to decide whether I wanted to do a Christmas conversion, or a more general winter conversion. I finally settled on a winter conversion that I could display for several months, instead of just at Christmas. 

Here's my winter take on Time for Tea by Country Cottage Needleworks!

I stitched this design on 28 ct. Twilight/silver evenweave from Fabric Flair, available at 123 Stitch, using DMC and DMC Etoile. The snowflakes are tiny buttons with the shank clipped off. For the berries, I simply rounded the corners of the blossoms (see the second picture) and I replaced the center roses with leaves. Ta-da! It's winter time!

My winter conversion details:

words, berries, dots on teacups: DMC Etoile C816
branches: DMC Etoile C3799
leaves, borders on teacups: DMC Etoile C318
teacups: DMC Blanc
steam: DMC Etoile C415

*****
For years and years I searched for a spicy chicken soup recipe, after that glorious concoction saved me during a bout with pneumonia. It was made for me and delivered and I never got the recipe. Last year I stumbled across a good base recipe and fiddled with it just a bit. I call this Emergency Chicken Soup, for a couple reasons, and there are three versions of it, or I should say, three heat levels. It's emergency soup because you can keep all the ingredients on-hand all the time (everything is frozen), and because you can put this together while you're sick. Yes. If you can drag yourself to the kitchen and function for about 10 minutes, you can make soup. Also great if you're taking care of someone and have your hands full, and you don't have the time or energy to stand in the kitchen chopping ingredients to make homemade chicken soup. Also great if you just want to throw some stuff in a crockpot and go stitch. Needing to stitch can be an emergency, too.

Emergency Chicken Soup
Heat level: you probably want to start (and stay) here

2 c. frozen cooked & diced chicken
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 c. frozen onions
4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 dried bay leaves
2 Tbsp. chicken powder
8 c. water

Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on high 2-3 hours.

Version #2, heat level: spicy, but not fatal
*increase red pepper flakes to 1/2 tsp.
*add 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Version #3, heat level: have your affairs in order
*1 tsp. red pepper flakes
*1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
*1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Version #3 is the way I first tried this recipe. It is delicious, but it will take the hide off your mouth. Through trial and error, I finally ended up at version #1 for my go-to recipe, but it's great to finally have a recipe for a spicy chicken soup for when my quadrennial cold rolls around.

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Come on back tomorrow for the Grand Finale of A Custom Christmas! You'll want to see this one!

A Custom Christmas: Wild Blue Yonder (Air Force) Santa

It's about time this house had an Air Force Santa! My dad served nearly 30 years, and Mr. Wonderful has served 16 years and counting. The Air Force has been my whole life. When I saw this freebie I had a dozen ideas for conversions but at the top of the list was an Air Force Santa, and here he is, in all his blue and silver glory!

Three great things about this design: 1) it's free! 2) it uses only a handful of colors so it's easy to do a color conversion, even if you've never done one, and 3) the space between his mittens is exactly an inch (on 14/28 ct. fabric) so you can put anything in his hands as long as it's about an inch wide. The possibilities for this little design are endless. I may do one every year!

Here are the details for my Wild Blue Yonder Santa: (original color--->my choice)

754--->3779
733--->mittens: DMC Etoile C318; border of coat: Petite Treasure Braid, silver
165--->DMC Etoile C415
730--->DMC Etoile C3799
309--->mouth: 3778; coat: 797
815--->820
739--->948
168--->03

I found the Air Force wings pin on Etsy. It's just pinned into the foam core the design is mounted on. I found the trim in the Christmas gift wrap section at Wal-Mart. He's stitched on 28 ct. natural linen with silver, from Fabric Flair, available at 123 Stitch.

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Yesterday's soup recipe needs some biscuits, doesn't it? These are perfect with tomato soup!

Cheddar-Garlic Biscuits

4 c. Bisquick

3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/3 c. milk

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

parsley

Mix ingredients well and drop by 2 tablespoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 for about 11 minutes. Meanwhile, combine:

6 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

pinch of salt

parsley

Brush onto warm biscuits. Using my small cookie scoop yields about 3 dozen.

*****

See y'all tomorrow for Day 4 of A Custom Christmas!

A Custom Christmas: Mod Christmas Trees, Manly Colors Conversion

Welcome back! Day 2 of this year's Open House features Mr. Wonderful's 2019 Christmas ornament. We choose our ornaments every year from the current issue of Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments, and I always tell him, "Don't let color put you off a design; I can change anything." He likes very traditional Christmas colors, and that's usually what I stitch for him, but when he chose this design, I said, "Do you trust me to do what I want with this?" He did, and I did, and here it is, my Manly Colors conversion!

This design is from the 2019 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue, and you can see the original colors above. I stitched it on 28 ct. Vintage Country Mocha using DMC Etoile threads (the sparkly ones). Be prepared, the next few days are essentially going to be a commercial for this thread, because I used it in everything. It's a bit fussy to get started smoothly, but once it calms down it stitches nicely and the results are beautifully sparkly. The pictures don't do justice to it. This ornament shimmers.

My Manly Colors conversion (original color--->my choice, all DMC Etoile, denoted by the "C" before the number)

large tree:
470--->C840
3849--->C938
743--->C738
3340--->C816
666--->C433
3607--->C433
checkered bottom of tree:
666--->C814
3340--->C433

small tree:
3607--->C433
743--->C738
3340--->C738
3849--->C938
666--->C816
470--->C840

trunks of both trees: 3772--->C3371

See how pretty and sparkly?

*****
Since we're talking about Mr. Wonderful's ornament, how about a Mr. Wonderful recipe? He's a dedicated tomato soup fan. In fact, it's really the only soup he will request. Happily, he'll eat whatever I put in front of him (super important quality in a potential husband!), but he's not wild about soup, generally. Except tomato soup.  This recipe is easy and delicious and you can use either fresh or canned tomatoes. In the summer, when you can get gorgeous, luscious tomatoes from your local farm stand, use fresh. It's more labor intensive, but it's worth it. In the winter, might as well use canned. It's still lovely, and it's a lot faster.

Tomato-Basil Soup

6 medium-ish tomatoes, peeled/seeded/diced, or 2-3 cans diced tomatoes
4 c. tomato juice
8-10 leaves of fresh basil, depending on your taste 
1 c. heavy cream (do not substitute half n half or milk... that's an order!)
1/2 c. butter
salt & white pepper to taste

Simmer tomatoes and juice about 30 minutes, add basil and puree. (I use an immersion blender; you can transfer to a blender and then back to the stock pot, but an immersion blender is much easier. If you don't have one, ask Santa!) Over low heat, stir in cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Heat through, but do not boil.

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Join me tomorrow for a very special custom Santa!