Christmas in the Woods: Woodland Christmas Garland

TA-DA! My big final project for this year's Christmas Open House is a garland! Since I don't currently have a stair banister or a mantle to display this rather large finish, the only way I could photograph it was to arrange it like this. I didn't measure it, but it's pretty long! It's also kinda heavy. Now you know what those little screw eyes on the sides of each individual disk were for!

I used jute cord to tie the disks together and strung wooden beads in between each one.

Just a few supplies needed for this garland: wood disks (link in first post of this week), a bead garland from Wal-Mart, and small screw eyes.

As I mentioned in Monday's post, you can find wood disks in the big craft stores that will work for this project just fine, but you won't find these: beautifully sanded, uniform wood disks, with lovely bark still intact. Absolutely do use the craft store disks if that's what you prefer (and you need them in a hurry!). This project will still turn out so, so cute. I just wanted to be clear about what I used in case you were looking for the same result.

If you're thinking of stitching some of these precious critters but just want to finish them plain, here are a few posts you might find useful:

Finishing Perforated Paper (super easy tutorial)

Finishing a Perforated Paper Ornament (using old Christmas cards!)

The Joys of Perforated Paper (hint: I love it)

So that's it for this year's Christmas Open House. Thank you all so much for visiting and leaving such sweet comments. This is a tradition I look forward to all year, and some years it's easier to pull off than others. This wasn't an easy year, but we did it, didn't we? I'm so glad that a lot of you look forward to this as well, and it makes me happy to know I can bring a little joy to others every Christmas. Theme for next year (9th annual!) is already chosen!

From our home to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas in the Woods: Possum & Squirrel

 

Our final pair of friends come bearing gifts. A red squirrel with his favorite pinecone, and a wee possum who has found a peppermint. Although I am creeped out by real possums, I think this little guy might be my favorite. Peppermint Possum is just too much.

This soup is maybe a tiny bit more work than the others, but it's worth it. We love cheeseburgers. We love soup. We should love Cheeseburger Soup. And we do.

Cheeseburger Soup

4 small red potatoes, washed and diced

1 c. seasoning blend (onions, peppers, celery) or fresh in the amount you prefer

1 4oz. can chopped green chilies

1 1/2 c. water

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp. beef bouillon

1/4 tsp. pepper

Bring these ingredients to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add and heat through: 

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

2 c. milk

In a small bowl, stir until smooth:

1/2 c. milk

3 Tbsp. flour

Gradually add flour mixture to soup. Bring to a boil, cook and stir a few minutes until thick. Reduce heat and stir in:

8 oz. Velveeta, cubed

*****

Don't miss the Grand Finale tomorrow!

Christmas in the Woods: Bunny & Sparrow

 

Our sweet little folk today are a cheerful, snowy sparrow and a holly-crowned bun. Can we exceed this cuteness? Stay tuned.

I have not always been a soup enthusiast. When I was younger, I could take it or leave it. But after living where it snows in the winter for nearly 15 years, and aging (gracefully, I hope) all the while, I have become a devoted fan. I love soup. And this recipe from a church sister was my first "favorite soup" even before I learned the true joys of soup. Enjoy!

Ham & Potato Soup

1 stick of butter

1 c. water

1/4 c. minced onion

4 c. diced potatoes (2 large)

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. celery salt (don't leave this out!)

3 c. milk

2 c. chopped ham

1 c. frozen peas

Melt butter in stockpot and add water, onion, potatoes. Simmer while preparing other ingredients, stirring as needed. Add remaining ingredients and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring often, until soup is thick and bubbly and potatoes are tender.

*****

But wait, there's more! Come on back tomorrow for our final pair of Christmas friends! (And more soup.)

Christmas in the Woods: Bear & Moose

 

These two dapper gentleman are all ready for Santa! Mr. Bear in his snazzy bowtie, and Mr. Moose (Mr. Wonderful's favorite) with his antlers all decked out in lights.

Today's soup recipe is perfect for when you just want to get out of the kitchen and get back to stitching. Which, let's be honest, is pretty much a way of life for many of us. I adore my slow cookers (I have five) and I absolutely love recipes where you just toss stuff in with little or no prep, turn it on, and walk away. This is one of those recipes. A thick, Southwestern-style cheese soup. I serve it with tortillas.

Santa Fe Cheese Soup

1 lb. Velveeta, cubed

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

1 can whole kernel corn, undrained

1 can kidney beans, undrained

1 can Rotel, undrained

1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 packet taco seasoning

Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook 1 hour on high, then 2-3 hours on low.

*****

See y'all tomorrow!

Christmas in the Woods: Owl & Deer

 

Welcome back to day two of Christmas in the Woods! The prettiest deer we've ever seen and the wise old owl, fluffed up against the falling snow. 

A snowy winter day calls for a really hearty winter soup, and this one is so thick you can almost stand your spoon in it. Of course, you can thin it with a little milk if you like, but if you want a soup that has on its wool socks and its hat with the earflaps, this is it.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4 c. chicken broth

2 c. water

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & shredded

1 4.5oz. package quick cooking long grain & wild rice w/ seasoning packet

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. butter

2 c. heavy cream (yessssssss)

In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water, chicken. Bring to a boil and stir in rice (save seasoning packet). Cover and remove from heat.

 

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, flour. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add seasoning packet and stir til bubbly. Reduce heat to low and stir in flour mixture by spoonfuls to make a roux. Whisk in cream a little at a time until fully mixed and smooth. Cook for about 5 minutes or until thickened.

Stir the cream mixture into the broth & rice. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes or until heated through.

*****

Back tomorrow with more critters and more soup! How can you miss it?

Christmas in the Woods: Fox & Raccoon

 

Welcome to my 8th annual Christmas Open House! This year's theme is Christmas in the Woods. Snuggle in for a week of adorable critters and favorite recipes... the sewing room and the kitchen are open!

Today we have a little cookie waving bandit and the most joyful wee fox ever. These two just overflow with Christmas cheer. They look like partners in crime!

This year had to be easy, y'all! Quick stitches, simple finishing, maximum cuteness. I usually wait til the end of my Open House to post all my sources, but just in case your year has been like mine, and you need a little helping hand for a fast homemade gift, I'm listing my supplies today.

The most adorable animal designs in the world are by LaSelva Design and are available in his Etsy shop.

I stitched them on Mill Hill Perforated Paper in the color Wheat, but you can use any color, or even fabric.

I Christmassed 'em up with buttons from JABCO.

The wood disks are from this Etsy shop, but you can find wood disks at most craft stores. However, you won't find this same quality. His stock varies quite a bit, and shipping can take a bit as the order is prepared, but they're worth the wait. Uniform size and a beautiful finish. I'll be talking more about these at the end of the week. If you can't spare the time, craft stores usually have lots of blank or unfinished ornament bases. 

I finished them off with various snippets of Christmas picks and greenery.

*****

It's Soup Week, y'all. To go along with my quick and easy Christmas finishes, I'm sharing my favorite soup recipes. They're all easy. Some are for the soup pot and some are for the slow cooker, but either way, is there anything nicer than having a big batch of soup simmering away on a cold winter's day? So cozy and comforting.

We're starting off with the old stand by, Vegetable Beef Soup. Nothing fancy about it, but boy does it hit the spot when you just need soup. And the older I get, the more I just need soup.

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained

16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 c. frozen seasoning blend (onions, peppers, celery) or fresh in the amount you prefer

1 can diced tomatoes

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 Tbsp. dried basil

1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 c. beef broth

1 c. water

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low 5 or 6 hours.

*****

Come on back tomorrow and see who else in the woods is getting ready for Santa!

It's Coming...

 

Join me for my 8th annual Christmas Open House beginning Monday, 13 December! If you haven't checked out my previous Open House weeks, they're easy to access through the tabs at the top of this page. Lots of Christmas stitchy goodness, tried-and-true favorite recipes, and just good ol' Christmas cheer!

See y'all Monday!

Christmas Stitching

Christmas decorations are up, Christmas stitching is in progress, and winter stitching is being planned (thank you, Marilyn!). Not too bad for 1 December. I'm a bit busier than I normally am at this time of year because we'll be moving again in a few months, and I have a couple of pre-move projects I'd like to get done before the end of the year. But I'm trying not to let the busyness overwhelm me. Hope you're all healthy and happily getting ready for the holidays, however you celebrate them. 

Fabrics:

3rd picture: 28 ct. Wood Violet Jobelan (Wichelt) (another Christmas project... purple!)

6th picture (top to bottom): Gingerbread, Nocturne, Dapple (all 28 ct. PTP)

8th picture: Nocturne (maybe a January start?)

10th picture: Gingerbread (my 2021 ornament!)

Happy Stitching, from sleepy Tiger Lily and her tired mama.

Tea & Coffee Series: October and November

 

Almost finished with this pretty little year-long series, available in this Etsy shop. I'm stitching mine with the recommended DMC, on 32 ct. Vintage Country Mocha.

October (There is a bonus Halloween cup I haven't stitched yet; you can see it at the link above.)

November

Click on the "tea" label at the end of this post to see my other finishes in this series. And I still haven't decided what to do with them. I've just been enjoying seeing what she comes up with each month and having a lovely, quick little project to look forward to.

It's Happening!

 

Another Christmas finishing project to share with y'all! 

Design available in this Etsy shop.

Fabric: 28 ct. Whitewashed Board by Fabric Flair, purchased from this shop.

Threads: GAST Carriage Black (2 skeins), GAST Bayberry, CC Cherry Cobbler (2 skeins, just in case)

Wooden frame: Hobby Lobby

Gotta get back to my sewing room. I'm up to my ears in Christmas in there and I'm finding it very absorbing, very soothing, amidst the stress of this year. I'm blazing away on my annual Christmas Open House, I've got some other Christmas finishing to do, and I've got a Christmas design that I've wanted to stitch forever that I'm having a fit to get started. And I need to decorate my sewing room. And this coming week I'm putting up the trees and decorating the house. It's happening, y'all!

Happy Stitching!

Get in, y'all. We're doin' Christmas.

 

I. Love. This. Stitch. 

This design  sums up my approach to the holidays to perfection. If you're new here and haven't read my posts on Choosing a Quiet Christmas, here's Part One and here's Part Two, to give you an idea of where I'm coming from. I am a big fan of turning off the "Christmas Machine" and making the holiday exactly what you want it to be. If you love the Christmas Machine, by all means, enjoy! But if the holidays are a dreaded source of stress and exhaustion, I do hope my ideas will help give you your own ideas about how to change that for the better. 

We normally wait until Thanksgiving weekend to do the Christmas decorating. I am not a Black Friday girl. I am a Chill Out and Decorate for Christmas Friday girl. We celebrate Thanksgiving and then we roll into Christmas. This year, though, I'm feeling I want Christmas to last longer. I want to enjoy the decorations longer. I want to listen to Christmas music longer. I just need more Christmas this year. It's been a rough year for us, as it has been for so many of you. A few weeks ago, I announced to Mr. Wonderful I wanted to put up Christmas decorations in mid-November this year. He's cool with it, of course. So that's what I'll be doing in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to it. This year calls for Christmas Therapy, I think.

Design & Finishing Info

Fabric: 28 ct. Muffin (flea market find; I don't know the manufacturer)

Threads: GAST Buckeye Scarlet & Otter Creek

Buttons: Jo-Ann Fabrics (gingerbread men; cookie assortment; micro minis)

Red trim: Hobby Lobby (home decor/upholstery section)

Rolling pin: Hobby Lobby

Wood plaque: Wal-Mart

Happy Halloween!

 

Still busy in the sewing room! Here are a few more finishes. I just finished stitching these lovely cat's eyes, available here. Stitched on 28 ct. black even weave.

This is Happy Halloween by Silver Creek Samplers, mounted on a wooden plaque from Michael's and embellished with a bit of a branch from our yard and some wooden leaves. My notes on stitching this are in this post.

And here is a wee fox ghostie! Isn't he cute? From this Etsy shop and stitched on 28 ct. PTP Dawn.

From my previous post, more pics of these finishes, just because I think they're pretty.

Happy Halloween, Happy Stitching... and On To Christmas!