Teatime Table Runners

Some years ago, my mother gave me a bag of vintage handkerchiefs.  Some had been mine as a child, some had been hers, and I think some are even older than that.  She had kept them in a fabric bag in a dresser drawer all those years.  I just don't believe in doing that with heirlooms -- stashing them away so that no one, not even the person who stashed them there,  ever sees them or enjoys them.   I have always wanted to put these hankies to some good use, and had actually planned to make them into a quilt.  I was so determined to do this that I had found a free pattern I wanted to use and had even bought the fabric for the quilt.  I had even tried sewing several of the vintage hankies into the center of the quilt blocks.   But as much as I wanted to make the quilt, I just couldn't get enthused about the project or get off the ground with it.  I don't know if other people ever feel this way about projects, but sometimes I do.  It just wasn't looking as nice as I hoped, and, truth be told, was somewhat of a boring project.  (Hope my grandchildren never read this, as they are not allowed to use the "B" word.)

This year, I came up with the idea to use some of the hankies to make a table runner instead.  I wanted to make more of these for gifts, so I decided to use the kids' hankies that had been mine as a child in blocks for a sample table runner and see how it all worked out.  I decided to use the hankies as "doilies" or "napkins" under various tea-themed items such as teapots, teacups, etc. which I would applique out of coordinating fabric.  Well!  It took quite awhile, and some time on the part of several craft forum friends, to find enough motifs to use for the tea-themed items, but in the end, I ended up with more than enough ideas.

I made the runner for myself this summer, and it turned out quite well even using the cartoon-themed hankies and the brighter colors.  It was a fun summer project.

Half of the more colorful runner

The second half of the colorful runner

 I planned to make two more, one for each of my daughters, for Christmas.  The hankies for theirs are some of the prettier floral designs, plus others.   I managed to get one runner done in time for Christmas, and finished the second one in mid-January.  Now that it is safely in Carrie's hands, there's no more need for secrecy and I can share pictures.

Half of the pastel runner

A simple cup of tea

A cupcake

The other half of the runner

Stack of teacups

Teakettle ~ love the unusual design on this hanky

A simple teapot

Teapot with teacup ~ I got the inspiration for this design from a motif on a child's tin tea set!

Hope you have enjoyed this look at my tea-themed table runners!  I am so happy to have found a use for those vintage hankies so they can be seen and admired at last.

The oldest UFO

Yes, I think this was it ... the oldest unfinished object in my craft room.  I can't tell you what a great feeling of accomplishment it was to finally cross this off my list after 30+ years.

My husband used to love playing chess.  At the time I started this project, he was in the process of acquiring a set of collectible chessmen.  I had seen this nifty chessboard needlepoint rug in a magazine and decided that he needed to have one as a fitting backdrop for his chessmen.  I sent away for the pattern, yarn, and canvas needed.  There were no craft stores in our area then; just a department store or two that did sell craft supplies, but nothing like this.

A closer look at the medieval village border; you can see the color difference in the inner tan border to the upper right.

Partway through the project, I ran out of one color of yarn for the inner border.  I matched it locally as best I could (there were only a few inches to go) and continued on.  And, after a number of years (I can't even remember how many), I finally finished the stitching.  Meanwhile, my husband almost never played chess anymore and has never even used the collectible chessmen now residing in the attic.

This shows a corner motif.  Two are trees, and two are suns.

The rug, folded in a pile with other UFOs, grew old and tired looking as it waited for me to figure out how to finish it.  A couple of years ago I decided to finish it, but it was dusty and creased so I tried washing it.  I figured if it got totally destroyed, I could then throw it away with a clear conscience.  Well, it didn't get totally destroyed.  But the canvas disintegrated on two opposite sides of it into fringes several inches long.  I refolded the rug and returned it to the pile; it obviously couldn't be finished using any simple method.

This year I determined it would be finished.  If nothing else, the grandkids would enjoy playing checkers on it.  So I took it in hand.  The intact edges were sewed down on the back of the rug.  The fringed edges were taped down with yellow duct tape on the back.  Then I cut a piece of light green felt to fit the back and sewed it in place to protect the stitching.  Finally, to tie everything together, I crocheted a black edging around the entire rug. 
 
Finished at last!  Bring on the checkers!

Cinnamon Almonds ~ a healthy snack

The other day I was browsing through one of my favorite Jane Brody cookbooks,  Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet, and came upon a recipe for cinnamon-toasted nuts.  I had bought a bag of wonderful whole almonds at a terrific price a couple of weeks ago, and had been wondering just how to use them other than snacking on them plain.  Jane's recipe calls for both almonds and hazelnuts, and uses double the quantity that I used.  I chose to only make half the recipe because I wanted to be able to use some of my almonds for something else.

I must emphasize that these almonds are not a sweet, glazed type of snack.  They are plain and simple, roasted almonds dusted with cinnamon.  The only sweetness comes from the nuts themselves and the cinnamon.  But you might find, as I did, that they make a satisfying, healthy snack (in moderation, of course) that will help you stick to a healthy eating plan.

Here's the recipe:
CINNAMON ALMONDS
1 cup whole almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400º.  Spread out the almonds on a baking pan.  Sprinkle the cinnamon over the almonds and stir to combine.  Toast for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  Cool before eating or storing.  I put mine in a little jar and they are retaining their cinnamon flavor nicely.

February 1

... and, in the dormer window by my crafting desk, a somewhat confused Christmas cactus.

(Photo was taken on Monday so it is even prettier now.)

I noticed on Monday that a blossom was coming and turned it so that side of the plant was away from the cold window.  What am I  to think?  This cactus has bloomed at odd times before, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Civil Rights Day and St. Patrick's Day.  Maybe it's a holiday cactus .. it will still be blooming tomorrow on Groundhog Day!  No matter, its cheery color and exuberant blossom brightens up this dreary winter day.

Goals for 2012

Finally on the last day of January I can post a list of goals for the year.  It seems to have taken me this long to find a few quiet moments to reflect on 2011 and to think through my goals for 2012.  I used the goal-setting questions from SimpleMom.net to get my thinking going.  They suggest five categories and so I have chosen to use those as well.

The first is PERSONAL GROWTH.  I want to work (again) on the character qualities of perseverance, unselfishness, and self-control.  There's been progress in each of these, but I have a long way to go.  I want to grow (even more) in the area of trusting God in every circumstance.  Again, there's been good progress but I can learn to make trust my first response rather than my second one.  I'd also like to begin a Scripture memory program, read more books, and continue working on Bible studies.  It seems to me that nurturing creativity is part of personal growth -- at least for me -- and to that end, I want to spend time crafting, both for gifts and for my home.  And I want to persevere in finishing what I start!

The second category is PHYSICAL HEALTH.  For this category, I would like to exercise between 3 and 5 times per week, get enough sleep, drink more water, and cook and eat with health in mind.

The third category is MARRIAGE & FAMILY LIFE, which includes homemaking.  I would love to declutter the entire house this year.  (That had been a goal last year that didn't get met.)  I also want to take advantage of time with my husband, planning regular date nights and periodic getaways.  We are anticipating a visit from faraway family this year, so I also want to plan carefully for their visit.

Fourth category: MONEY MATTERS.  I would like to spend less on groceries this year.  To bring in a bit of extra income, I am considering selling some items at craft shows and fairs this fall.  For that to happen, I must craft extra items each month, so I am thinking I will make a dozen or so items monthly.  Another eventual goal is an Etsy shop.  I also could put much more time and effort into my A-Store.  Decluttering may also reveal some items we could sell.

Lastly, RELATIONSHIPS OUTSIDE THE HOME.  I would like to be more of an encouragement and help to my aging mother-in-law and my dad.  I would also like to be more of an encourager to my friends and to the ladies in my Sunday School class.

WEEKLY GOALS
Several of my friends are setting weekly goals in order to help them reach their yearly goals.  This sounds like a good idea to me and makes those big goals much more doable by breaking them down into smaller parts.  So here are a few goals for my week:
1.  Memorize Psalm 119:1-5.
2.  Read 1 chapter in Essential Virtues.
3.  Exercise at least 3 times this week.
4.  Plan healthy menus.
5.  Spend 1 hour decluttering in computer room.
6.  Craft items for possible sale/gifts.
7.  Write a note to faraway children/grandchildren.

Reflections on 2011

How did January move so quickly?  Here we are at the next-to-last day of the month, and I haven't yet posted about any goals for the new year.  Dare I say I haven't even written any down?

Before I posted about goals, I wanted to post about reflections on 2011.  I saw some reflection questions for 2011 from Simple Mom and thought they would help me get thinking.  Furthermore, I felt that reflecting on 2011 might help me in my goal-setting for 2012.  I'm still not sure about that, but thought I would post the reflection questions and my answers anyway.  So here they are. I will put my answers in italics for easier reading.

Reflection Questions for 2011
1.  What was the single best thing that happened this past year?  I was going to say the birth of a new grandchild in August.  But for the single best thing with eternal consequences, I would have to say the new birth -- a decision for Christ -- of two grandchildren, a 5-year-old in July and an 8-year-old in August.

2.  What was the single most challenging thing that happened?  Having my husband spend days and weeks away from home for work.

3.  What was an unexpected joy this past year?  Having my two oldest granddaughters here for much of the summer.

4.  What was an unexpected obstacle this past year?  My biggest obstacle is clearly myself -- I tend to get in my own way.

5.  Pick three words to describe 2011.  Challenging.  Exhausting.  Rewarding.

6.  Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2011 (don't ask them; guess based upon how you think your spouse sees you).  Challenging.  Tiring.  Stressful.

7.  Pick three words your spouse would pick to describe their 2011 (again, don't ask them).  Challenging.  Exhausting.  Worthwhile.

8.  What were the best books you read this year?  I didn't read a lot of books, but the best was easily What Do I Know About my God?  by Mardi Collier.

9.  With whom were your most valuable relationships?  My husband, my daughters, my granddaughters, and two good friends.

10.  What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?  I realized that I could get through anything in God's strength and with His help.  I have been through extremely hard things in previous years and thought I already knew this, but I learned it in a new way while my husband was working away from home.

11.  In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?  In general, I was able to trust God, not my wildly wavering emotions, and was able to keep my emotions under better control.  This was an answer to my ongoing prayer to grow in emotional stability.

12.  In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?  I definitely deepened my knowledge of God as revealed in His Word, and was reminded again that the better we know God, the better able we are to trust Him.  I also learned, more than ever before, the truth of 1 Corinthians 10:13, that God will not allow us to be tested above what we are able, but will, with the temptation, provide a way to escape so we will be able to bear it.

13.  In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?  I grew closer to my granddaughters as they spent so much time here during the summer.  And I grew much closer to my husband; we were especially encouraged by a couples' retreat we attended in October.

14.  What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)?  Being able to exercise creativity and also making things orderly.

15.  What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)?  Using my time wisely.

16.  What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?  Procrastination.

17.  What was the best way you used your time this past year?  Writing, studying, encouraging, and teaching (both ladies and granddaughters); also, visiting faraway family.
18.  What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?  Not anything new, but again that God is trustworthy for every situation we face in life.

19.  Create a phrase or statement that describes 2011 for you.  "Another opportunity to trust the Lord."  This is not an original phrase with me; I borrowed it from Elizabeth George's fantastic book, Loving God with All Your Mind.  But it fit my year so perfectly, I decided to use it.

Now to think these things through in relationship to my goals.  Hope I can share something concerning my goals tomorrow, while it's still January!

Winter decorating

"January" garland made by my friend J.

It's a wintry weather day up here in northern New England today!  Snow, sleet and freezing rain have been ongoing since last evening.  Now it's mostly rain, but is still not much above freezing.  There are a multitude of icicles on every little twig.  Wish I dared go out and take some pictures, but I don't -- our driveway is a sheet of ice.  So I'll show some pictures of indoor winter decorating instead!

This is the centerpiece I had on the dining room table until I finished the frosty pillar candles.  The basket looks like it is carved from ice.  The snowflakes have a vintage look and are made from stiff glittery cream-colored felt with red or silver tinsel centers.

Part of one hutch shelf.  Just a plastic  house I painted and put it under my  little cake dome.  Plastic reindeer from my childhood.

Cabin was a school project one of my girls did.  The wooden tree and the cute mice just seemed to go with it.

A card I found years ago (and bought for myself) and little papier-mache snowman baskets.  They are a bit glittery and have orange felt noses.

I painted this little set of papier-mache boxes to resemble a full size set of boxes I had seen painted to resemble a snowman.  I had forgotten all about this until I found it this year.

Adorable dollar store snowmen from years gone by.

Glittery blue church ($10 deal at Marshalls last year!), the glass basket filled with snowflakes, and family heirloom ironstone soup tureen

Frosty pillar candles again ~ love these!

Winter ribbon board in the front hallway

Some of my lighted houses -- love that woodchopper wiping his brow and the other one eating lunch, with a squirrel for company.  The sawmill was a gift from my daughter and  her hubby years ago.

Love the needlework and quilt shop!  The lady just leaving the shop is an after-Christmas find this year for 78¢ or so.  She could be me, leaving the needlework shop with a happy spring in her step.

The lady and little boy just leaving the crockery shop are new this year too, for the same clearance price.  Looks like the little boy wants to go by and see the sawmill in action.

On my winter garland, snowflake mitten made by the amazing Linda Stubbs from Prairie Flower Farm.

One of the sparkly snowflakes on my garland

The pinecones and berries are part of this garland.  I've had it for years and add trims for every season.

This ornament, a gift from my mother-in-law, is on a corner of my ribbon board for winter.

Snowflakes and a vintage card

Tin ice skates and cards with skating scenes

And back to the village to see the public library.  One of my favorites.  It's so much fun to watch my grandchildren (even the older ones) enjoying this little village.  I've found some of my littler ones lying on the floor looking into the lighted windows!