The Never Ending Sampler Stitch Along (NESSA)

Stitchers, if you haven't heard, Pam Kellogg of Kitty & Me Designs recently started The Never Ending Sampler Stitch Along, which I'm calling NESSA for short. This post describes the SAL and you can see all the bands that have been released by navigating from that post or by clicking on the NESSA button on the right sidebar of my blog. 

I need another project like I need a hole in the head, but naturally I jumped right in to this one! I love the idea behind it; I love that there are no rules; I love that the bands are quick to stitch; I love that every stitcher's interpretation of this SAL will be different and no two samplers will look alike. This is going to be so awesome.

Now for my concept (goodness, that makes me sound smarter than I am). When I saw the first band, I thought, "Pine boughs." When I saw the second band, I thought, "Sleet." 

Y'all see where I'm going with this.

I was off and running. I decided to interpret this sampler as a journal. At the top of the first band, I stitched a teensy date marker (12/16) to indicate I started in December of 2016. I'll mark the beginning of each new month the same way. And, shocking no one who reads this blog regularly, I'm stitching the whole thing in Caron Wildflowers on 28 ct. Natural Brown Undyed linen (Wichelt).

Band 1/Pine Boughs: Copper, Moss (see the tiny date marker on each end?)

Band 2/Sleet: Ash, Mill Hill beads #60479

Band 3/Christmas Lights (the big, fat, old-fashioned kind... also known as C9): Cardinal, Blueberry, Emerald, Spice, Snow White, Moss

Band 4/Blooming Holly: Snow White, Spice, Moss, Mill Hill beads #3003

Band 5/Frost on the Window: Snow White (I wasn't happy with my execution of the little diamonds in this band, so I pulled them out and replaced them with tiny fans that fit into the exact same space).

Band 6/Poinsettias: Cardinal, Natural, Moss, Mill Hill beads #2011

If you haven't seen this and you're thinking you're too far behind to start, don't despair! With my Christmas Open House and other Christmasy stuff going on, I really didn't get started on mine until the 5th band had been released, but I was able to catch up quickly once I applied myself to it. The bands are quick to stitch.

One more very important thing: When you visit Pam's blog, please check out her Go Fund Me campaign. If you're looking for a way to give this holiday season, there's a great opportunity to help a fellow stitcher in need. 

Happy Stitching... Happy Giving!

Christmas Stitching Box: The Completed Project

Ready for this?

TA-DA!

The wooden snowflake embellishments are from Michael's. I didn't like the top part of the embellishments, so I popped it off and replaced it with mini buttons from my collection.

If you make one of these, here are a few things to consider about finishing your box:
*Embellish the top? (I considered stitching something, finishing it flat, and mounting it to the top of the box. I also considered putting a ribbon pull on the lid, secured with a button. I ended up deciding to leave the top of the box completely flat so that it would be stackable and easier to store.)
*Finish the edges, or leave them as they are?
*If finishing, use paper or ribbon or fabric or scrapbook tape or paint? Two tips: 1) if you decide to paint the boxes, do so before covering/lining them with paper for a neater result; 2) if finishing the edges of the inside boxes with something else, remember that the boxes fit very snugly so if you intend to finish the edges of each individual box, you may want to use either paper or tape as ribbon or fabric would be too thick.
*Glue down the inside boxes, or leave them so they can be re-arranged?

Or, you could arrange the boxes the way you want them and then finish all the edges together, which is what I have chosen to do. I didn't glue the boxes down, but since all the edges are finished together with ribbon, they're secure.

Here are a few tips for neatly finishing edges and corners. My favorite glue for just about any craft project, and the one I use for my needlework finishing, is Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue. It's very thick and bonds quickly. To glue the ribbon to the edges of my box, I measured a length of ribbon for one side at a time and marked the end that would "turn the corner" with a pin (this is to avoid spreading glue too far along the ribbon and making a mess). I then used a foam-tipped make-up applicator to smear a thin, even coat of glue on to the ribbon, up to the pin. I don't know how well this would work with other brands of glue with a less tacky consistency; I suspect they might saturate the ribbon too much, but this method worked perfectly. If you're unsure, test your glue on a small piece of ribbon first. You don't want the glue to saturate the ribbon and change its color and texture.

Hold one end, pull the ribbon taught, and place the other end where you want it. With your fingers, smooth the ribbon down the edge and over the sides until the glue bonds. It may take a minute or two. You can see how using plaid ribbon is an advantage to getting it applied straight! Pinch the corner.

When you get a couple of sides done, your corners will probably look like this. Easily fixed.

Using a toothpick, put tiny spots of glue under the corners that are sticking out...

...and clamp with a clothespin for a few minutes.

And you'll have neat, beautiful corners like this!

So, we're done! When I came up with this idea, I had a very specific goal for the look and feel I wanted to achieve: nostalgic, whimsical, joyful--all while still being useful. I couldn't be more happy with how it turned out. Sometimes, as I walk by my box, I just pause to lift the lid. It's like opening a Christmas present. As I said at the beginning of the week, it's a pretty involved project, but I hope that doesn't stop you if you want to make one for yourself.

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I have had this recipe for ages. I don't remember where it came from, but it's wonderful.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 1/3 c. peanut butter (I use creamy JIF)
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

Boil sugar and milk for 3 minutes. Add peanut butter and marshmallow creme and mix quickly (it sets up fast, so be ready to go!). Pour into greased 8" x 8" pan and chill until set.

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Well, we've finished up another Christmas Open House. I hope you've enjoyed this visit to my sewing room and my kitchen. Thank you for coming, and thank you for the kind comments you've left.

From our home to yours... MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Stitching Box: Pin Cushion, Maid-Of-All-Work, Needle Minder

We've come to the final three boxes in the Christmas stitching box. They're the smallest and all the same size, each holding a little stitchy something that I use regularly.

The pin cushion box holds a bag of "reindeer feed" and a tiny deer I found at Michael's. 

Here are my supplies for the last two boxes. The glass peppermint bead and the mini Scrabble tiles are from Hobby Lobby and the cocoa mug and cookie plate are from Michael's. The magnets should be available at any craft store.

This box holds my "maid-of-all-work", which is what I call this little tool that I find invaluable. I don't think I've ever run across a widely-used, formal name for one of these, so instead of continually referring to it as a "thingy" I decided to call it a maid-of-all-work because it can be used for all kinds of stuff: poking around on unruly stitches to make them prettier, frogging, picking knots, counting stitches or marking centers, laying stitches, etc. It's just a large needle glued into a bead to make it easier to hold.

In the needle minder box, I used a small, flat magnet to hold the minder in place when not in use. Because I use the super strong magnets on the needle minder, I wanted the magnet that holds it in place to be weak enough to easily remove the minder and use it on my project. These flat magnets with adhesive on one side are pretty weak so they work perfectly. I put a dot of hot glue on the adhesive side and stuck it down, just in case the adhesive wasn't strong enough to withstand the pull of the super strong magnets on the minder.

The needle minder box.

So that's all of the little boxes that go inside the configuration book. For the Grand Finale tomorrow, I'll show the completed stitching box in all its glory, including a few ideas for finishing touches. 

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There is probably no more widely shared Christmas food tradition than Christmas cookies. Christmas dinners may vary, but I bet everybody indulges in at least one Christmas cookie at this time of year. I've sometimes wondered how many dozens of cookies are baked during the holidays. Must be a staggering number! This is one of my go-to cookie recipes. It's a basic butter cookie, so they're very tender, but they have a mild mint flavor that's very nice.

Butter Mint Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
green colored sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Gradually add flour and mix well. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place 1" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten cookies with a glass dipped in colored sugar. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: using a tablespoon will yield about 30 cookies; a small cookie scoop about 20)

Christmas Stitching Box: Scissors and Other Tools

Now that we've got the big box covered and the little boxes lined, the rest is just glueing and having fun! 

Here are a few things to decorate my scissor box. The button, bear, and mini Scrabble tiles are from Hobby Lobby and the jar of candy canes is from Michael's.

To secure the scissors when they're not in use, simply thread 1/8" wide ribbon through a button and glue the button down. 

Every stitcher has different "essentials" they keep with their work. I used the largest box to hold my other tools, like pencils, tweezers (cat hair!), and a seam ripper. The presents and the ornament box are from Michael's and the tiny tree is from A.C. Moore.

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Today's recipe is a lovely, cinnamon-y, strawberry-y bread. It makes a nice change from the usual quick breads that are often given as gifts at this time of year.

Strawberry Bread

3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda 
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sugar (or 1 c. white sugar and 1 c. brown sugar)
4 eggs, beaten well
1 1/4 c. oil
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries (or two 10 oz. pkgs. frozen strawberries, thawed and sliced)
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 350; grease and flour two loaf pans. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and oil; stir in berries (and nuts, if using). Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour into loaf pans and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a knife tests clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Christmas Stitching Box: Needles

Welcome back to my 2016 Christmas Open House! Today I'll be talking about how to line the small boxes that fit inside the configuration book, and I'll be showing the first box: the needle box.

I have two important tips for lining these little boxes with paper. The first tip is to measure the inside of the box. Because these boxes are made of thick chipboard, if you measure the outside dimensions, or if you trace around the box, the paper lining will be too big to fit neatly into the box. 

The depth of the boxes is uniform at 3/4". You only have to mark the depth on your paper once, since you can use the little squares that are left over after you cut out the first box lining as templates for all the rest of the box linings. The second tip is to cut just a smidge inside the pencil lines at the corners. Your scissors should be just inside the pencil line on the side of the flap that will remain, not on the side of the square to be discarded. If you cut on or outside the pencil line, the flaps will be just a bit too wide and you won't get a smooth fit in the box. To line the boxes, I brushed a very thin coat of Multi Medium on the inner sides of the boxes only. It's not necessary to brush it on the bottom.

Here are a few things for my needle box. The little needle vial is something I made last year and showed in this post. The glass vial is from Michael's and the mini Scrabble tiles are from Hobby Lobby.

I also made a spruced up needle threader. The inexpensive, thin metal needle threaders that come in a package of three are perfect for customizing. Because they're so thin, they're easy to trim and they're flat enough to sandwich between a front and back decoration. These little  snowflakes have flat backs, but a button shank remover would make buttons usable for this purpose. If you make some of these custom needle threaders, remember to use decorations that are symmetrical so that the front and back line up perfectly when glued back-to-back. I used super glue gel and then clipped the needle threader together with a clothes pin until the glue was completely bonded.

Here's the finished needle threader...

...and the finished box that holds my needles and my threader. One down, five to go!

Now let's eat!

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I know that eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day isn't a tradition everywhere, but where I'm from (the Great State of Texas) right before New Year's Day, people will ask, "Got yer black-eyed peas?" And right after New Year's Day, people will ask, "D'ja get yer black-eyed peas?" The tradition is that eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day brings good luck, and who doesn't need that?

This is a great New Year's Day recipe, and one that I make throughout the winter months. It's thick and filling and has a teensy bit of heat to it. 

Black-Eyed Peas & Ham (slow cooker)

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and soaked overnight
2 (8 oz.) ham steaks, chopped
2 bay leaves
bit of olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped (or onion to taste)
1 c. frozen seasoning blend (onions, peppers, celery) or fresh equivalent to taste
1 can tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Soak peas overnight in 6-8 cups water (enough to cover well). Next day, drain peas and add to slow cooker. Add 5 cups water, ham, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high 4 hours or until peas are tender. When peas are done, saute shallot and other chopped veggies in oil. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cooked veggies, canned tomatoes, and seasoning. Turn slow cooker to low and cook an additional hour.

Christmas Stitching Box: Getting Started

Welcome to my 2016 Christmas Open House! My sewing room and my kitchen are OPEN! Y'all come on in!

As I hinted last week, this year's project is a fusion of two things, one very functional and one very whimsical. When I came up with my idea for The Keeping Christmas Project back in the summer, I started kicking around the idea for a very special, Christmas-only stitching box to hold my tools. At first, I was just going to use a regular project bag or box and supply it with Christmas-themed tools. But one day when I was in Michael's, I spotted one of these:

I'm not into scrapbooking or mixed-media crafting, so I wasn't familiar with these configuration books. But as soon as I saw it, an idea popped into my head. I bought it and went home and did a Google image search of "Tim Holtz configuration books" and I was off and running. I decided to create a box that was both a functional stitching box to hold supplies, and a whimsical Christmas shadow box! As I said in my Keeping Christmas Project post linked above, I wanted a box that reflected my hope to "honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" (Dickens). This project is the result of that effort. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Now, before we get started, I should just say that if Christmas isn't your thing, this idea can be adapted to any holiday or season or interest. Over the next few days, as you see what I'm doing with this box, I bet you'll have a hundred ideas for your own special stitching shadow box. 

The other important thing is this: While this project is not difficult, it is pretty involved. It's not something you can whip out on a Saturday afternoon if you need a quick gift. It is a multi-day undertaking that requires some patience, as I'll explain in a minute. I won't really be providing super in-depth tutorials, because anybody can glue paper and stuff to a box, but I will be giving you a few tips here and there to help you get nice results. And oh! The results! Wait 'til you see...

Ready? Got your cocoa? Here we go!

The configuration book shown above is the mini version. The book itself is made of thick chipboard and measures 9" x 6" and about 1 1/2" high. It contains six removable boxes that can be arranged in many different ways. In addition to the book, you'll need some of this Ranger Multi Medium Matte.

This stuff is awesome for all kinds of things. It's an adhesive, a sealer, a paint extender, a glaze component; it dries clear and is waterproof when dry; it can be used on paper, fabric, wood, metal, glass, and plastic. I use it with a cheap 1 1/2" wide paintbrush and it is fantastic for this sort of crafting. I couldn't find it in my local craft stores so I ordered it from Amazon.

The other things you need are scrapbook papers, ribbon, and all kinds of miniatures to suit whatever your theme is. Most of the miniatures you'll see this week came from Michael's. Go a little crazy on this stuff... it's supposed to be over-the-top! As you can see, my theme is kind of a retro, 1950's Christmas. So fun!

Covering the box with paper is the most time consuming part of this project because it is very important to let each layer of paper dry completely before adding another layer of paper. I brushed a very thin coat of Multi Medium onto the box and applied the first layer of paper, and then let it sit overnight so I could be sure it was completely dry before applying another layer of paper. If you don't allow each layer to completely dry, you will end up with too much moisture under the paper and you will get bubbles and wrinkles and you will not be happy. Don't rush this part. 

Here is my box, all covered in cool paper. The lid:

The corners, finished with a little ribbon:

The bottom:

The spine:

The inside of the lid:

After getting it all covered, I gave it a very thin coating of Multi Medium to seal it. I took this picture with the light reflecting off the box so you could see (hopefully!) the finish the Multi Medium produces when used as a sealer. It dries clear and matte, with a subtle texture from the brush strokes of the paintbrush, which I really like. 

If you've patiently glued down each layer of paper, waiting for each to dry completely in between, and then sealed it, you'll have a really nicely finished box. None of those edges will come up, and while I wouldn't advise dunking it in water, it will withstand the occasional dribble or kitty sneeze. It needs a little finishing now, but we'll get to that later in the week.

Tomorrow, we start on the inside boxes and that gets really fun!

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Recipe time! Over the last year, this recipe for a crustless quiche has become our favorite. It's easy to keep the ingredients on hand and it goes together quickly. There's no meat in it, but it's so flavorful, it doesn't need it. It is really good with a side of bacon, though (but what isn't?). 

Crustless Veggie Quiche

6 eggs
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 oz. shredded cheese
4 oz. can chopped green chilies
3 Campari tomatoes or a couple of Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 green onions, chopped

Whisk together eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese and veggies. Pour into a greased 10" pie plate and bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until a knife tests clean. Let stand a few minutes before devouring.

It's coming...

My annual Christmas Open House starts Monday, 5 December! Y'all come on over!

A VIP

This post contains a VIP... a Very Important Peek at something coming up. But first, business.

A finish for my fox Christmas tree and another installment in the Keeping Christmas Project! This is a design graciously sent to me by Bonnie in Canada. I stitched him in DMC on Fabric Flair natural w/ silver linen. Thanks again, Bonnie!

Speaking of Fabric Flair... 28 ct. Snow linen. Oh, and some new scissors. Fiskars 4" forged steel, these have a nice weight to them.

And, a Very Important (sneak) Peek at something in this year's Christmas Open House! 

Hmmm... what might we be making this year? Hint: it relates directly to my Keeping Christmas Project, and it's a fusion of two things, one very functional and one very whimsical. 

If you're new here and haven't investigated the labels in the right sidebar, you can click on the Christmas Open House (2014 & 2015) labels and see what this is all about. Each year I host an open house on my blog and share favorite recipes and other Christmasy stuff. The first year was all of my (to date) ornament finishes and last year was easy and inexpensive gifts for a stitcher (or yourself!). This year it's something I'm pretty sure you've never seen before... at least I haven't! Stay tuned!