As soon as I designed this stocking I knew I would hook it and what colours to use. Such whimsy is inspiring, allowing for a livelier colour palette. This tree reminds me of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas and screams for brighter colours, taking me out of my head for the usual "make it look antique" choice.
I used our three value Lime for the tree, outlining it with the darkest herringbone and alternating the levels of the branches in the medium and light solids. I chose Flamboyant, a delicious new orangey/coral based red for the funky base and Turquoise over herringbone for the background.
At first I drew swirls in the background and planned to tie them in with the colourful ornaments but then I thought maybe it would look too busy and distract from the main focus of the stocking…the fabulous tree. Instead, I’m toying with sewing on some beads to look like twinkling stars in a night sky, a bit of bling to jazz it with another dimension.
Now the pressure will be on to sew it into a stocking. I'll dye more of the turquoise herringbone for a backing. Guess we'll see if it gets sewn in 2013 as needle work is not my forte. I’m a hooker not a sewer and needles reward me with too much blood for my clumsiness. My fingers turn to thumbs with that kind of delicate work, like a bull in a china shop I'm a disaster. If only I had a PA to follow me around, pick up after me and finish my projects. I’m not rich enough, famous enough or good looking enough to have people falling at my feet to offer their help.
So now the dilemma is which stocking to hook next. I thought I might do up a couple to have pictures on the patterns. They only take a couple of evenings and I have a mantel in the new room that is a perfect place to hang and display them. I'm torn between four and can't decide. And I am also toying with a Celtic Christmas Tree stocking that I need to draw out. Maybe I'll have to choose the next stocking with Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Toe....
I used our three value Lime for the tree, outlining it with the darkest herringbone and alternating the levels of the branches in the medium and light solids. I chose Flamboyant, a delicious new orangey/coral based red for the funky base and Turquoise over herringbone for the background.
At first I drew swirls in the background and planned to tie them in with the colourful ornaments but then I thought maybe it would look too busy and distract from the main focus of the stocking…the fabulous tree. Instead, I’m toying with sewing on some beads to look like twinkling stars in a night sky, a bit of bling to jazz it with another dimension.
Now the pressure will be on to sew it into a stocking. I'll dye more of the turquoise herringbone for a backing. Guess we'll see if it gets sewn in 2013 as needle work is not my forte. I’m a hooker not a sewer and needles reward me with too much blood for my clumsiness. My fingers turn to thumbs with that kind of delicate work, like a bull in a china shop I'm a disaster. If only I had a PA to follow me around, pick up after me and finish my projects. I’m not rich enough, famous enough or good looking enough to have people falling at my feet to offer their help.
So now the dilemma is which stocking to hook next. I thought I might do up a couple to have pictures on the patterns. They only take a couple of evenings and I have a mantel in the new room that is a perfect place to hang and display them. I'm torn between four and can't decide. And I am also toying with a Celtic Christmas Tree stocking that I need to draw out. Maybe I'll have to choose the next stocking with Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Toe....
Christmas Candles
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Nautical Stocking
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No Crib For His Bed
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Partridge In A Pear Tree
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If you celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday I hope you enjoyed your meal. I suppose the two choices are turkey or ham. When entertaining at my house, I usually opt for the latter. Turkey is a once a year deal for me and saved for the Christmas menu and is actually more of a memory to revisit than a meal. The smell of turkey cooking reminds me of childhood Christmases and my mother's wonderful cooking. Personally, I could probably live without turkey. I find the meat dry so I usually only eat the neck and part of a thigh. Cold sandwiches are okay if you add mayo and cranberry sauce for moisture but as far my getting excited over turkey, not so much.
And of course hot sandwiches are a tradition, meat and bread smothered in gravy, but they have to consist of dark meat sliced thin and has to be heated in the gravy not cold and layered on the bread with hot gravy poured over it. Gravy cools quickly enough and the cold meat only speeds up the process, plus I find it dryer that way. Being infused with the hot gravy adds a bit of softness to the meat.
I had a delightful invite to my son's apartment for dinner this evening. His girlfriend Ashley is a very good cook! Her dressing was very tasty, the turkey was actually very tender and moist and her gravy was well worth a second helping. Homemade apple pie and ice cream for dessert ended the meal deliciously. I felt pampered and spoiled, a good thing! Can't wait to be the perfect mother-in-law!
I'm opening the shop this afternoon by appointment for a couple of visitors coming this way and then I'll be making grape jelly out of the 40 quarts of fruit that I harvested from a vine along side of our house. The blue globes are bulging with flavoured sweetness, so full and round, an explosion of heaven in your mouth. This year the vines dripped with clusters, a banner crop, probably a reward from all the rain we had. I've never seen this much fruit. Usually I collect one container but this year we have three. The grapes, deep purple and bursting with flavour makes for fabulous jelly to spread on toast.
And of course hot sandwiches are a tradition, meat and bread smothered in gravy, but they have to consist of dark meat sliced thin and has to be heated in the gravy not cold and layered on the bread with hot gravy poured over it. Gravy cools quickly enough and the cold meat only speeds up the process, plus I find it dryer that way. Being infused with the hot gravy adds a bit of softness to the meat.
I had a delightful invite to my son's apartment for dinner this evening. His girlfriend Ashley is a very good cook! Her dressing was very tasty, the turkey was actually very tender and moist and her gravy was well worth a second helping. Homemade apple pie and ice cream for dessert ended the meal deliciously. I felt pampered and spoiled, a good thing! Can't wait to be the perfect mother-in-law!
I'm opening the shop this afternoon by appointment for a couple of visitors coming this way and then I'll be making grape jelly out of the 40 quarts of fruit that I harvested from a vine along side of our house. The blue globes are bulging with flavoured sweetness, so full and round, an explosion of heaven in your mouth. This year the vines dripped with clusters, a banner crop, probably a reward from all the rain we had. I've never seen this much fruit. Usually I collect one container but this year we have three. The grapes, deep purple and bursting with flavour makes for fabulous jelly to spread on toast.
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