March Madness....

 

~ Greetings and Warm Welcome to my blog ~

A place where I share my love for all things needle and thread and crafting!

After a couple of weeks of bitter cold and 15 inches of snow at one point on the ground...

the weather has turned surprisingly beautiful and warm! Spring is on the way!

The first thing I'd like to share is:

Little House Needleworks has put out a lovely new Autumnal Series. It is a three part series that can be stitched individually of course or all as one piece. You may view them all and the information about the series HERE 

I was lucky enough to be the model finisher for this darling series!

~ STITCHING ~

I finished Country Cottage Needleworks ~ Sampler Months - February Sampler

and finished it into a piping edge pillow. I also did a video on how I do these types of pillows. You may view it HERE and while you are there, please subscribe and like my channel...make sure to click on the bell so that you are notified of all my new videos. I'm working hard at rebuilding my own blog here and also sharing as much information as I can FREE about cross stitch and finishing. Sharing is caring.

I also started:

Little House Needleworks - Needlework ABC's

(my piece is on a Rolaframe - I am going to "redo" my information about Rolaframe's and will post links above about them (i.e. how they work, where you can find them, etc)

Then before too long I finished Needlework ABC's onto an Antique Spool

I just loved how it turned out. I finished it with a "faux" binding (its not a real binding as that would have been too thick when winding on the spool.) I have it displayed simply with it all rolled out and it is just the sweetest display!

I also finished my January 2021 ornament into one of my "snowglobes" I was the originator of this type of ornament - although it has been reinterpreted and claimed as others original ideas - mine was first and I have a video on how to make these as well on my YouTube Channel: HERE see why it is important to subscribe?

~ QUILTING ~

I made some "friendship braid" quilted table runners (3 of them to be exact and I'm working today on quilting and binding them.) These are FREE patterns that may be found on Jordan Fabric's Website and also a tutorial on YouTube: HERE  Donna Jordan is a fantastic teacher and I love her style AND I love that she shares FREE! I support designers and business owners who give out of the goodness of the heart and she definitely gives.

The fabric line is from Me and My Sisters for Moda

~ PAINTING ~

In Painting, my new hobby, I painted this lovely piece for my Mother's birthday. It is by Lynne Anderson Folkart and is called (of course) "It is Well With My Soul". You can see some other beautiful pieces and patterns for painting at her website: HERE

I painted it in mostly Americana DecoArt acrylics and I cut the wood piece it is painted on myself on my scroll saw :)

~ NEW STARTS ~

On Fat Tuesday I started Peaceful Paradise by Midsummer Night Designs. I haven't gotten very far because after this 3rd day I had to go to work for 9 days straight and after working full time and coming home to catch up on laundry, cooking, etc I'm about done. So here is where it stands. 

Then I so love all of Carriage House Samplings stockings (design original Kathy Barrack) and I sure do love the ones I have already done, I envision a mantle full of these stockings (ha ha!) anyhow, I decided to pull the next on my list and start it. Here is Pennsylvania German Stocking (for some reason I always call it Pennsylvania Dutch Stocking)...anyway, here it is: Stitched with the DMC conversion on 40 count Weeks Dye Works Linen Scuppernog color

 

~ COOKING ~

I love Monte Cristo Sandwiches...so I tried my hand at "recreating" one at home - I'm sure you've caught on that we rarely eat out - even before the pandemic we rarely ate out and long ago in my early marriage days I realized if I wanted to eat like I was eating out I needed to learn to recreate things like a restaurant. I've basically been able to do that with about any cuisine you can think of reasonably well. 

So here you go: Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Here is how I did them and they were (if I do say so myself) FANTASTIC!

3 slices of white bread (it has to be white - wheat doesn't get soft and smushy like white), mayo, black forest ham, roasted turkey (both from the deli sliced thin) swiss cheese, butter, powdered sugar and raspberry jam for dipping. 

Here is how you assemble: 

White bread down, light mayo spread, swiss cheese, ham layer, white bread, turkey layer, swiss cheese, lightly mayo spread, bread.

Once all assembled, SMASH down from the top of the sandwich to compress. 

Then crack 3 eggs and add 1/2 cup of milk and a dash or two of vanilla extract. Dip all sides of the sandwich in the egg wash.

In a skillet on LOW melt a pat or two of butter and place 2 sandwiches at once in the skillet. let set on one side for 6 minutes on LOW heat...this is critical to get the sandwich golden brown and heated and melty all the way through. After 6 minutes, flip (add a little butter first if first pats are all gone). Sit an additional 6 minutes on the other side. 

Pull off skillet to plate, cut in half, sprinkle with powdered sugar liberally, add side of Raspberry jam and ENJOY! OH MY WORD! So very, very good!

~ JUNKING ~

The girls and I went junking recently (otherwise known as antiquing) and I found some treasures!

This sweet Shaker tray basket!!! isn't it fantastic!?!?!?!

Then I saved a couple of cross stitches: The Barn Raising by Told in a Garden (Marilyn Leavitt Imblum)

Here is what I found on the back (stitcher is deceased)

and then this lovely Christmas stitch saved too!

I will treasure these always. The Barnraising was just $10 and the Santa was $15

Makes my heart sad a little to know the love and care put into these pieces to be in a junk store. BUT I will treasure them and love them and give them a home.

~ HOME DECORATING FOR SPRING ~

This weekend I decorated for spring inside my home (well outside too for that matter) here are a few snaps of our home.

Stand up: "Spring Hare" by La D Da

Pillows: Country Cottage Needleworks "Sampler Months"

Spool: Little House Needleworks - "Needlework ABC's"

One of my Cross Stitch Walls:

Top Left to right: Goode Huswife (unknown title of piece), Little House (Needleworker), With Thy Needle and Thread (Remember Me - limited edition design)

Middle Left to right: With Thy Needle and Thread (Spring Hare), Pineberry Lane (Can't remember off the top of my head), Notforgotten Farm (Thomas)

Last Row: Country Cottage Needleworks (Stitching Time), With Thy Needle and Thread (Coverlet piece) and Goode Huswife (Garden Series Bee Keeper)

and a little cloche filled with grass, eggs and this darling 
"Spring Gathering" by Scattered Seed Samplings

There you go folks, done and done for this month! 

Until I have some more to share, please keep a smile in your heart and one on your face and you just can't go wrong!

Hugs, love and big smiles from me to you, 

Vonna xxxx