Silhouettes in Needleart ~~~a shadow

Silhouettes

 I'm really into those lately. To me, they are an interesting way of expressing the artsy side of needleart and not too hard to stitch up as it being monochromatic. Black thread seemed to be the vintage style and I"ve seen many of the old ones done in black in antique places.

It's really a shadow. Of a person. Whose identity is vague. However, there are particulars that create shadows particular to the person and this is what is the most intriguing in designing one.

I hope your weekend is full of light, and not shadows, even though shadows is when we look inward so no one can see the details of our facial expression, our pain, our memories.  Just a shadow.

Till later,

Jennifer

Homemade Oatmeal Cookies, the Quaker Way

Still trying to figure out some fine tuning of Google Blogger but I couldn't resist to show you the shape of this homemade oatmeal cookie as I took it off the drying plate last night.

Yup, it's a heart shape.  I truly didn't do this purposely, just turned out that way!

Got milk?

Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got love in my tum--my.............

The traditional recipe tweaked by myself and has been for years is this:

Homemade Oatmeal Cookies

1 stick + 6 tablespoons of softened butter

3/4 cup of firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 teaspoons of vanilla

1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 cups of Quaker Oats, old-fashioned

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In larger bowl beat softened butter and sugars, both types on medium speed with electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs one at the time, then add vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl add the flour, backing soda, cinnamon, and salt and mix well.

Then add gradually, divide into 4 mixings of the flour mixture into the large bowl of butter and sugar.

You can add raisins if you want at this point but I have never.

Add 3 cups of Quaker oats, old-fashioned and mix with mixer well for 3 minutes.

If on hand, add about 1 cup of crushed pecans.

Use parchment paper and tear off a large section to cover a light colored pan.

This is REALLY important to keep the cookies light on the bottom and not brown.

Also it helps the cookie not stick at all.

The same piece of paper can be used over and over and this recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Drop dough by teaspoonful about 2 inches apart onto paper in pan.

Watch how your home is filled with a lovely cinnamonny, buttery, fragrance!

Have Mayfield cold milk on hand for a large glass because when you take these out of the oven, the first dozen is usually gone between two people. :P

In between each batch cooking, wash hands thoroughly and do some Quaker stitching.

Quaker will be on the brain all day. :)

Blog reconstruction

Today this blog is in total reconstruction. Please excuse the various changes throughout the day. I was hoping to make it more interesting and readable but the new Blogger issues, I'm learning......SEW......hopefully it will be at a useable face by tonight. I've got to see where I really missed the in's and out's of the new format.

. Thank you. Jennifer

Finished sampler~~ My Everything

Finally finished My Everything sampler by The Sampler Girl. DMC monochromatic in 355. Linen is unknown wool-like multi on natural color......what a description, right?  Well, this was a fun piece to stitch. I really like the stitching around it but when framed you can't see but just the top and bottom of it.

When framed in this frame I had in my stash for years, it almost ---almost fits. Even though it does cut off the letters in a couple of spots close, I believe I'm going to keep it framed in this one.

I've had this frame since 2003. I'm glad I can repurpose it with a sampler. It's Mr. Darcy-approved! :)

Till later,

Jennifer

Abbie Presents.......

"Hey, I'm Abbie, you know, the spoiled one at the homestead. 

 This is my mama's new BAP next. She said it was from My Dear Friend book by Blackbird Designs.  She has all those strings and all and I picked it out.

Thought I'd show ya'll in her own stitching chair this morning.

She is finishing up a smaller project now.

Now, I hate to run but I'm fixing to take a nap. The day is tiring me out and I'm running late for my morning nap. My mama made this big pillow for her chair and instead of her using it for her back, I claim it as my morning nap spot. She doesn't mind because she loves me anyway."

Happy Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July!  Independence Day!!!!!!

 I've been tagged in this so here goes:

1. Would you rather live in Svalbard or Papua New Guinea? none of them

2. What is your favorite regional cuisine?Sounthern fried chicken

3. If a genie granted you the requisite education and experience for one career change, what career would you choose?   lawyer

4. What is your favorite book? The Thornbirds

5. If tomorrow you had to choose the last cross stitch pattern you could ever stitch, which one would you choose? a big one as I would like to live longer.

6. What is your favorite season? Fall

7. What is your favorite finishing technique? with the machine

8. What is your favorite band/musician? I have so many I can't name one but any classic rock band in the 70's throught present especially Styx, Eagles, Coldplay, Matchbox 20, Nickleback, Dream Theatre, etc.

9. Describe your dream holiday.  One where family really do show up.

10. If you could instantly solve one problem that is plaguing the world today, which one would it be?
 cancer

11. Name two simple things that bring joy to your life. Cross stitching and reading

I'm not much into tagging really so whoever wants to do this on their blog feel free to grab it and run. ;p

Stay tuned today for a finished sampler pic.

Jennifer

Making a new overstuffed pillow

before

and

after my distraction

Spent about 4-5 hours this morning and evening wiping down all the things that go back into the porch and it was a sandy painty, dusty.......did I say sandy? adventure. When it reached about 100 degrees, decided to stop that and got distracted with a piece of Waverly fabric that was square cut and found at a local thrift store or 50 cents.

I've had it for about a month but knew right away that it would go with the chaise outside if I make it as a large pillow covering.

I started with it like this........knees on the floor. I like to just get on the floor and size up and pin it. I know the table is better and I have one but that's just me.

I  had some vintage red ticking cloth in my stash and I thought this would go well with it.

I doubled up the fabbie to cut with the block.

Get-R-Pins

make sure you put the two of the right sides together. I made the mistake of pinning around and then looking to see I had to unpin it all and rearrange.

And pin all the way around.

Discard to the side the remaining for other projects. Thinking of making some small matching pillows in heart shapes.

this is the truer color here up close.

I put in an old pillow from a bed and repurposed it to use for stuffing.

I had to also add a little more stuffing to fill it out and it will flatten as the chaise is laid in.....and next weekend when the temps drop to a high of 75, my hiney will be in this chaise at some point!

I used the sewing machine to do most of the sewing and then left a portion at the bottom to stitch by hand after I finished with the machine.

Seams look good, corners are stuffed.

I plopped it down here so when the wicker chaise is out flat, I can take a nap or read my Kindle OR actually work on a sampler. :P

This red cover I made last year for the long cushion because......I simply couldn't find one that long anywhere. I still have to make some black ties for the top and bottom.

Right now, with cleaning after the staining the floor job, I just got my old afghan out of the dryer for cooler nights.

This afghan I found in 2000 for 5 bucks in a thrift store. Yes, I love junkin'!

It's lasted many washings as well.

And for about 1.00, I think this was good thing.

This is my next home project. A Hoosier cabinet I've had for awhile. I love reading the history and watching people online re-finish/ and or paint them............for another day though.

And while jamming to Classic Rock, we continued on with the back porch while he was sweating gallons of water, pressure washing the side and finished sanding the stairs.

And so except for the blue paint tape...LOL....the back porch is done and probably cleaner than it has ever been. The red stain, I'm still lovin'.

And if you can stay awhile......as mountain folks say.......take your shoes off and have a cup of something ice cold with good conversation!

If walls could talk.

Stay cool,

Jennifer