Archive for embroidery

Catch Up- Ketchup- Catsup

August 28, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, embroidery, paper · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Hi!  I’m back from vacation with a few things to show you.  I didn’t get much crafting done, because I pretty much just sat around and ate cheese and drank beer and homemade wine. Tough life, huh?

I did want to post some pictures of cards I made before I left and an embroidery gift I finished the night before flying out.

This is the card I made for my mom’s birthday.  It’s my first counted cross-stitch project.  I bought the tri-fold card in Solvang when we went wine tasting. I colored the outside to look like a wooden frame (it didn’t really, but that was the idea).  I loved doing this project, I really enjoy cross-stitch.  When we were in Wisconsin I got to see a bunch of amazing projects my mother-in-law has done- teeny tiny canvases with elaborate angels and backgrounds.  SO cool. But here’s mine and maybe someday I’ll be as good as her.

I made this card for Maggie to celebrate her finding the Tiniest Studio Ever ™ in Berkeley and the Card Positioning Template that inspired it.

 


And this card for my friend Raina (sent with cookies and a book).

Also for Raina and her husband, who just bought a house, I’m making these embroidered place mats.  these two are finished with just small birds in the corners.  I’m planning two more with a larger lovebird scene in the middle.  The pattern is from the Sublime Sketch Pad that I mentioned in my last post.

For my birthday, my in-laws gave me two crochet sets.  I made this star pot holder in one evening while watching the Olympics.

They also bought me a set to make a star shaped baby blanket that has one color fading into another.  It’s a beautiful project- my mother-in-law got herself one and finished it while we were there.  It will take me months! I worked more on my blue baby blanket and it almost done! I also started another project, but I can’t show that until December.

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Hodgepodge

August 8, 2008 · Filed under Books, Food, embroidery · Tagged , , , ,

I’ve been spending a wonderful week with my mom and husband, so the posts have been non existent.  I’ve been taking pictures of things I’ve made and been working on, though, so for your viewing pleasure- my last week of food and crafting fun.

My mom flew in last Thursday night.  The night before I made a recipe from my trusted Vegetarian Times.  Sausage and plum kabobs with hoisin sauce. Sweet and delicious- alternated pieces of veggie sausage, heirloom plums, and mushrooms in a hoisin/soy sauce/ rice wine vinegar concoction. Served on a piece of lettuce.

When I woke up for my birthday the next morning, my mom and husband were busily making me a birthday breakfast of strawberry pancakes with veggie sausages and coffee. (This picture is not of my birthday breakfast, I was in too much of a daze of delicious breakfast love to take a photo- I made myself the same breakfast two days later).

My mom and I went on a girls trips to wine country, so I made quiche and flourless peanut butter cookies for the hubby. I got the recipe for the quiche a few years ago from the Near East website. Type in “quiche” to find it.  We like the mushroom couscous in pie crush with broccoli and mushrooms and 4 eggs mixed with a cup of milk. The cookies I found at All Recipes. I figured I loved flourless chocolate cake, so why not try cookies. And the ratings and reviews of this recipe were so good and it’s so easy- 1 c. PB, 1 C mixed brown/white sugar, 1 egg, splash vanilla- cook 8 minutes at 350. They were thick and delicious.

Last night, before sending my mom off, I made BBQ tofu (frozen slices sauteed in BBQ sauce) with macaroni salad (wheat fusili, cukes, carrot. scallions, radishes, light mayo, nonfat plain yogurt, Free Ranch Dressing, Light Sweet onion dressing, mustard, and relish) and Sweet Corn soup (blend corn with soy milk, garnish with tomato and basil)

I’ve been doing a lot of magazine reading, and haven’t plowed through any books.  I did finish the Book Thief in time for my July book club.  I won’t say much about it, except that it’s one of my top three favorite books ever. The next book club selection is Any Human Heart, which I picked up last week. I’m half way through with both Malinche and Taxonomy of Barnacles. I don’t love Malinche as much as I did when I first wrote about it, but I’ll finish it this weekend.  Taxonomy of Barnacles by Galt Niederhoffer kind of reminds me of The Royal Tennenbaums, but not as good or funny.  It’s trying hard, though, and some of the offbeat side plots make it worth plowing through.

I have the next 8 days off and intend to make a big dent in both Middlesex and Julie and Julia in order to keep muddling along through my summer to do list.

One final check off the summer list- I finished my first embroidery project- the pillowcase is done.  It’s really pretty.  I think I may be able to finish its mate this summer, as well.

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Rock Out With Your Cork Out

July 27, 2008 · Filed under Crochet, Food, embroidery · Tagged , , , , , , ,

I thought that might get your attention!

Yesterday was such a great day. The flour-less chocolate cake was how Candy, Maggie, Cliff, and I ended our wine tasting afternoon at Bottle Rock in Culver City.  We also had this amazing cheese plate:

I can’t remember what it was called, but there was a cheese in the middle that was drizzled with warm honey.  It was like heaven.  The wine tasting was USA wines (actually all California wines) Vs French wines.  There was a rose (France won that for me), a white (Sauvignon Blanc, I think- which the austere French also won for me, though everyone else liked the slutty US wine), and a Burgandy (this time the US for me, the French was too bold). Bottle Rock does tastings every Saturday from 1-4.  I’m planning on taking my mom next week in anticipation for our Santa Barbara wine country trip next Monday.  Chris also heard the stories of cheese and cake and decided to take Saturday off to come with us. Here’s Candy taking good care of her teeth by sipping the reds through a straw!

Before Maggie left us to go back to law school we got a picture in front of the Culver City Farmer’s Market mural. Here is me with my lady loves:

When I got home I finished one side of the embroidery project I started Saturday.  When I went to Joann’s I picked up a pillow case embroidery project.  It’s my first attempt at embroidery, but it looks really pretty so far (the wrong side, is a whole other story, that’s what I’m working on for the other half of the pillow- tying off the string rather than carrying it so far).

Then I made Chris some dinner, I was still full from cheese and cake, but I had some a little later.  I just sauteed all the vegetables in the fridge from the last week- tomato, mushrooms, onions, green onions, pepper, with two Tofurkey Kielbasa and put it over multigrain noodles and topped with feta. It tasted fresh and delicious.

I also made this crochet star.  I have no idea what to do with it. Any suggestions? I was thinking of using it as applique on a tote bag.  What do you think I should do with it?

This morning I went to the Japanese market and picked up some snacks and goodies for the week.  I have a weakness for Asian snacks, and especially Japanese desserts that involve red bean paste.  I make a pretty mean ohagi if I do say so myself. So here’s the loot:

The top row is: dried shiitake snacks, nescafe Ice Cool coffee drink packets, cookies with red bean paste (not very good) and miso soup mix (the only one I can find with no fish powder). Middle row: Ham and Cheese flavored chips for the hubby, pea pod snacks for me, nori maki arare crackers, and chewy candy ( I can’t figure out the flavor). Bottom row- peanut butter mochi (drool!), assorted mochigashi (all red bean filling), and chocolate strawberry candy bar.

I’m off to the beach in a few hours, so I’m trying not to snack on all the salty treats, because no one wants to be bloated in a bikini!

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