Tasty Tuesday

Yesterday was National Watermelon Day.  Since it’s one of my favorite summer treats, (Actually just about any melon is on my favorites list.) and we have to eat once in a while, I thought I’d share a couple of quick and easy recipes.

 

The Watermelon Salad makes a large bowl and is great for taking to a BBQ or picnic.

Just in case you’d rather stitch than eat, here’s a free chart.  I call it Melon Music.

If you stitch this please send a picture and I will feature it on this blog.

Keep on stitching!

Marie

 

Cross Stitch WIPs #2

I can hardly believe a week has passed since my last Work In Progress post.  I’ve been quite busy and have a finish for you as well as a good start on Santa #7.  USPS has been really awesome and delivered two new projects to get started on.  One is a Sampler Round Robin that starts in September, the other a wedding gift for my niece, Abby, who’s getting married in March.  With a little more than 6 months until the wedding I’m sure I’ll have enough time.

 

Two finishes this week have kept me quite busy.  As you know I’ve been working on a project for another of my nieces who saw this quote on Facebook and wanted it for her ‘she-shed’.  It looks really good and I can hardly wait to give it to her.  I’m going to add a pretty flower or broach at the bottom to complete the project.

 

 

The designer SAL piece has been working up quite smoothly. The variegated thread looks really great in this design, doesn’t it?  I made a few changes to the chart because I really didn’t like the border, and all in all it fits.

 

 

 

 

 

Santa #7 is about half done.  Christmas is my favorite holiday and these Antique Santa’s have been a blast to stitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 I love the colors in this and I have a blank, black lace edged bookmark…hmmmm…I think I’ll have to stitch it.  There are only a few days left to download the Free Fractal Bookmark from Cross Stitch Collectibles.  The chart will be replaced on Aug. 1 with a new freebie.

 

 

 

 

Keep on stitching!

Marie

 

 

 

 

 

Dyeing To Try

I’ve often thought I’d like to try dyeing my own fabric.  So I’ve done a little research.   Here’s what I’ve found: 1) It can be expensive or cheap. 2)Difficult or easy. 3) Time consuming if you want to do it right. 4)You can get exactly the background you want for a cross stitch piece 5) From white fabric to finished work…it’s all yours!

I think it would be beneficial to have an iron and metal bowl or bucket that you use just for these projects and clean them thoroughly.  That way there will be no risk of residue on anything else.

I found the easiest to follow tutorial over at Happy Cupcake Creations.  Great pictures and well written.

 

Changing fabric color can also be achieved by using coffee or tea.  It’s really easy.  Just make a pot of coffee or tea, rinse your cloth to get rid of the stiffener, put the Aida in the coffee/tea and let it soak.  Then rinse again and again and again and you have it.  You might be asking what do I have?  You have a lovely tan piece of cloth that looks antiqued or aged.  Using herbal teas will give different color variations so be sure to test a piece to see if that’s what you’re looking for.

If you’re interested in using paint to dye or other methods  Sandie Babb at Quill Cottage Studio has some great ideas in her article ‘It’s A Good Day to Dye’.

 

 

Interested in marbling your fabric.  Check out Bloom Bake Create for excellent instructions.  I’m sure you would want to use lighter colors but even so this article is so well written that you’ll be able to use it for whatever color combination you want.

 

Tasty Tuesday

Today’s Threads will focus on some of my super easy recipes.  Yes, that’s right.  We all have to eat. Right?  I’m hoping you will find some tasty additions to your recipe books.

My favorite coating for chicken is 1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup parmesian cheese, and 1 Tablespoon Lemon Pepper Mrs. Dash.  Mix together.  Melt a half stitch of real butter and soak 2 chicken thighs in it.  Dredge in the coating mix and bake for 45 minutes at 375 F.   So yummy!

Do you have an ice cream maker and want a really easy ice cream recipe?  Try this…  1 cup vanilla coconut (or almond) milk, 1 cup fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. or a mix thereof.  Be sure to freeze your ice cream container.  Blend the two ingredients in a food processor or blender and pour into frozen container.  Follow your manufacturer’s instructions to freeze the ice cream.  Grab 2 of your favorite serving bowls and dig in.  Yummy!

I hope you’ve had some time to stitch this week.  My sweet husband was in the hospital for two days adding stent number 6 to his collection.  He did very well and we’re hoping this will take care of the tiredness he has experienced recently.  Anyway, it gave me plenty of time to stitch and the quote my niece wanted me to do for her SheShed is almost ready to be framed.  One of the nurses was also into counted cross stitch so we spent some time talking about stitches and cloth.  Even though Ray wasn’t having such a great time…we were.

Looking forward to sharing my progress on WIPs Wednesday.  Until then …

Blessings to you and yours!   Keep on stitching!

Marie

Cross Stitch WIPs (Works In Progress)

I’ve been busy stitching and actually enjoying all the rainy days we’ve been having.  My niece asked if I would stitch up one of her favorite sayings so she would have it as a reminder in her ‘She Shed’. (Isn’t that a great term?  She says her husband has a Man Cave and now she has a She Shed.)  When finished it will say, “If you want to feel rich just count all the things you have that money can’t buy”.

Another project is from The Samplerlife group on Facebook.  It’s a private group (but you can join it still) The admin contacted several designers and  asked them to create a small, 100 x 100 stitch, chart for the members, which we receive by email once a month. There are 20 at this point but there could be more. This SAL actually began in February but you can still join.  The admin does require that you show ‘proof’ that you are indeed someone who actually does cross stitch. She checks that out by seeing what you’ve posted on your FB page and in your blog.

This next WIP is one that I think I’ll be kind of sorry to finish, of course, I’m still a ways from being finished. I really enjoy my 3  (cats named Salem, Smokey, and Boots) and stitching a design that includes a cat (or cats in this case) is an expression of the joy I have in these beautiful creatures.

And, so, stitching friends, that’s what’s happening in my crafting corner.

Keep on stitching!

Marie

BTW or P.S. (whichever you prefer) here are a few interesting links to She Sheds.  I really want to turn Ray’s Man Cave into a She Shed.

He said, She Shed.

How to Make a She Shed

Houston Back Yard She Shed

Fractals and Freebies – Cross Stitch Stuff On The Web

I’ve been hopping around the internet and found some really interesting cross stitch stuff.

I found this awesome fractal chart at Cross Stitch Collectables .  I’ve been wanting to stitch a fractal but some are really overwhelming. This may be just the right one. It’s only available for download through July.  They put a new freebie up each month.

Check this out…of course, it might be old news for some of you but I found an app for your phone that will make charts on the spot.  You can tell it how many colors and how large, then take a picture or upload one and viola (pronouced wha-la  HeHeHe) you have an immediate chart of anything you like.  For Android it’s A-Stitch.  For Apple devices it’s Cross Stitch Camera.

Have you wanted to do a Heaven and Earth Design but looked at the charts and said it will take me 3 lifetimes?  I have.  From time to time they put up a free chart that isn’t as difficult as the ones that use all of the DMC colors in one picture. (OK, a bit of an exaggeration.)  This Ice Princess chart is charming and actually looks doable. Of course, while you’re already in the site it doesn’t hurt to look around…

Do you still like to color?  I’ve found some really great pages and have put them up on my Pinterest site,  Adults Like To Color Too. Come on over and check them out.  (Of course, it would be great if you followed the board.)

Keep on stitching!

Marie

Hello Stitchers, Crafters and Artists!

Welcome to Stitches & Needles & Threads!  I’m so delighted to meet you!  This blog will be taking the place of The Counted Cross Stitch Cafe’ and Healthy Happy Holy Home.  I’ll be sharing my love of counted cross stitch, crochet, beading and other ‘stitchy’ crafts.  I’d love to have you join me at the other social media sites listed in the column on the right.

Tuesday’s will be Coffee Talk days.  (I never know what I’m going to write about.)  If you’ve been with me for a while you’ve discovered that the golden brown elixir flows through my veins.  When added to blogging there’s just no better way to spend a few minutes with friends.

Wednesday’s I’ll write about WIPs  (For those who are new to stitching jargon that’s Works In Progress.)

On Friday’s I’ll share the best of what I’ve seen on the web that week.  It could be crafting, cooking, cats …. Just about anything.

As we reach member milestones there will be giveaways.   Copies of my chart books, kits and other crafty items will be included.  So be sure to you’ve added yourself to the list of followers.

Don’t forget to visit the store.  I’ll be stitching and beading one-of-a-kind items that you’ll want for your own stitching area.

Keep on stitching!

Marie