"Snowmates"

My copies of the Just CrossStitch 2015 Special Christmas Ornament Issue arrived last week, and I am pleased to share my contribution to the magazine with you. My ornament is titled "Snowmates" and can be found on page 20...and this year, I included my recipe (actually my grandmother's recipe) for Neine's Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies (which I will also share later in this pre-holiday post). My 2015 ornament features two adorable snowmen and complements my woodland ornaments from the past several years - and as usual, combines cross stitch over both one and two linen threads. I stitched the model on 40-count Mocha linen from Weeks Dye Works (same as previous ornaments in this series) and used Weeks Dye Works cotton floss (DMC conversions are provided). I opted for a flat-finish with two-tone cord as an embellishment....and as a little finishing tip for those of you using the 40-count linen - I used standard hotel room keys padded with cotton batting (or you could use fake or expired credit cards) instead of the padded mounting board that the magazine suggests...they are the perfect size!

....as promised, I will now share my grandmother's recipe for one of my very favorite cookies! As a child, one of my favorite holiday traditions was baking and decorating Christmas cookies with my mother and sister. Spending a day in the kitchen baking well-loved holiday sweets was always a special treat. This family recipe for molasses cookies is a personal favorite that will make your kitchen and home smell divine.

Neine's Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

¾ shortening
1 cup sugar

1 egg

5 tablespoons molasses

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon each: cloves, cinnamon, ginger

Blend together shortening and sugar; beat in egg and molasses. Sift together flour, baking soda, and spices; combine with butter mixture. Form into balls and roll in sugar. Place on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet and bake in a 350° oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

I hope you make a little time to stitch, bake, and/or create this week...

"A Woodland Wish"

My copies of the Just CrossStitch 2014 Special Christmas Ornament Issue arrived yesterday afternoon, and I am pleased to share my contribution to the magazine with you. My ornament is titled "A Woodland Wish" and can be found on page 75...and this year, I included my recipe (well, really my mom's recipe) for Mommy's Muffins (which I will also share later in this pre-holiday post). My 2014 ornament complements my woodland ornaments from the past several years - and as usual, combines cross stitch over both one and two linen threads. I stitched the model on 40-count Mocha linen from Weeks Dye Works (same as previous ornaments in this series) and used Weeks Dye Works cotton floss. I opted for a flat-finish with two-tone cord as an embellishment....and as a little finishing tip for those of you using the 40-count linen - I used standard hotel room keys padded with cotton batting (or you could use fake or expired credit cards) instead of the padded mounting board that the magazine suggests...they are the perfect size! My ornament doesn't have an individual photo in this year's publication and I have been informed that some of the symbols in the magazine are hard to read (the published chart symbol choices are those of Just CrossStitch and are different than what I submitted), so I hope the clear photo below will give you a good reference.

Now normally, I would spend my evening curled up in my cozy stitching nest, savoring each and every page and admire this special publication...but unfortunately, my packaged arrived with the enveloped destroyed and taped back together and my magazine copies were terribly damaged (a BIG boo hoo!)...but all was not lost, as somehow, my ornament survived whatever mishap happened in transit - for that I am very thankful.

...as promised, I will now share my/my mommy's recipe for a family favorite breakfast treat:

Mommy's Muffins

2 English muffins

1 tomato

Fresh basil (dried, if fresh is not available)

4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

4-6 slices of cooked bacon

Slice each English muffin in half and lightly toast. Place one slice of tomato on each half of the toasted English muffins. Sprinkle each tomato slice with fresh basil (and I like a little fresh ground pepper, too). Place a slice of sharp cheddar cheese on top of each basil/tomato/muffin and put them in the toaster oven or under the oven broiler to melt the cheese until it starts to bubble. Remove from the oven and place several half strips of bacon on each. Makes 4 delicious half muffin servings. Enjoy!

I hope you make a little time to stitch or create this weekend...

"Redbirds Rejoice"

Have you picked up the Just CrossStitch 2013 Special Christmas Ornament Issue yet?? I finally received my designer copy in the mail yesterday (along with my ornament model)...and although I haven't found the time to devour the issue yet, I did make a moment to glance through the pages. My 2013 ornament is called "Redbirds Rejoice" and can be found on page 15 of this special publication. My ornament is stitched on Mocha linen by Weeks Dye Works using Weeks Dye Works cotton floss (I also provided DMC conversions) and uses Cross Stitch over-one and Cross Stitch over-two....but, as always, I encourage you to use your favorite fabric and threads. This ornament is a flat-finish (not sure why the magazine referred to "pillow-ornament" finishing?) with two-color twisted cord...and I am just thrilled with the results. I also included a recipe for Gingerbread Bundt Cake that smells AMAZING when baking and tastes phenomenal! Make sure to check out this favorite issue - it can currently be found at your favorite needlework shop and on newsstands...and at $9.99 for 76 designs, it is quite the bargain! It is the perfect time of year to start stitching holiday ornaments and gifts...

An Artistic Journey

The Enfield Shaker Museum - Museum Store

It is not a secret - after my first teaching trip to Enfield, NH, staying in the Great Shaker Dwelling House (also known as: The Enfield Shaker Museum), I have become increasingly interested in the Shaker culture, history, and lifestyle. Since doing a little research for my first Shaker teaching design, my interest in "all things Shaker" has grown tremendously. Several years ago, my quest for knowledge started at the public library (surprisingly, I did find a few titles)...but over time, I have built quite a collection of informative Shaker books. My favorite titles on the subject are related to Shaker art, drawings, furniture, and style...and most are "table-style" books. On my recent visit to the Enfield Shaker Museum, I picked up a few more books to ship home - now I know I could have found these beautiful hardcover books at a discounted price (or even used copies), but I purchased new books from the extensive collection in the Museum Store - I am happy to support the museum and the artists and writers of these historical books....after all, they provide me with hours of enjoyment and tons of inspiration for future designs.

The first book I selected to purchase and ship home was A Shaker Sister's Drawings: Wild Plants Illustrated by Cora Helena Sarle. The history behind this book is quite interesting...
In the 1880's, Cora Helena Sarle (a young woman at Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire) was considered too frail to take part in the rigorous daily duties of the working Shaker Sisters - with her talent for art, the spiritual leader of the community (Elder Henry Clay Blinn), suggested that she use her gift for the good of the communal family. At his suggestion, she began her task of recording all the wild plants, herbs, and flowers around the village - she filled two notebooks with more than 180 exquisite (and accurate) color illustrations (watercolor drawings)....and each drawing is complemented by growing conditions of the wild and cultivated plants. This is a beautiful book featuring Helena's intricate botanical watercolor drawings...is is not necessarily a book to be "read", but a book to "savor"...

The second book I added to my ever-growing collection is Seen and Received: The Shakers' Private Art (The Gift Drawing Collection of Hancock Shaker Village) by Sharon Duane Koomler. This book highlights a collection of twenty-five gift drawings from the Hancock Shaker Village - these notable drawings are of exceptional quality, range and scale...and the images in this collection are representative of the wide spectrum of works created by Shaker artists. This comprehensive catalog contains concise biographies...complete, literal transcriptions of the text in each drawing...and full-color illustrations of all twenty-five of the Hancock Shaker Village drawings. As I study and explore this publication and the wonderful color images, I continue to be amazed - although, at first glance, each drawing tends to look symmetrical, I have found most of the detailed drawings to be a well-balanced blend of symmetry and asymmetry. Many are filed with "spirit writing", texts, and verse...and also include intricate geometric patterns, cryptic characters, traditional motifs and dramatic use of color. For an artist, these works are a definitely feast for the eyes...and I am truly inspired by each and every work...

Looking through both of these books, I find myself excited to design my next class project for the New England Stitcher's Retreat ...inspiration is sometimes found where I least expect it...
I hope you will make a little time to cultivate your special interests and take an artistic journey...

“Libraries are reservoirs of strength, grace and wit, reminders of order, calm and continuity, lakes of mental energy, neither warm nor cold, light nor dark. The pleasure they give is steady, unorgastic, reliable, deep and long-lasting.” - Dr. Germaine Greer