Our new decorator pillow is available. Worked up in worsted weight yarn it features two holidays; Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s but also combines two needle arts - crochet and cross stitch! Featured on one side are dainty hearts and a big shamrock on the other.
I received some bad news a bit ago. My mom is in the hospital with pnuemonia. My dad didn’t know what else was wrong but will call again when he knows more. My mom’s mental health as declined considerably just since Thanksgiving. She fell this morning and he called the ambulance but until he talks with the doctors, he won’t know what else is going on.
I wished I lived closer - and to think I might have a cold. I’m still unsure if it’s a cold or sinus problems, but I hate to take the chance to see her if I do have a cold. What timing! I’m very upset right now because I’m so worried about both. My dad is 85 and he couldn’t pick up my mom this morning to help her. And she only weighs about 100 pounds having lost a lot of weight. He could use the help and she could use the company and I’m so far away.
if you believe in prayer, please pray for them both. I planned to write today but was going to fill in on yesterday and today’s events which now seem pointless.
I’d like to share another photo - 
Thank you Jewel; she used our Rose Seeded Lace Pillow and appliqued the Spring Bride Crinoline Girl Doily to the face. It turned out so cute!
I worked last night on the new pillow and have one side almost completed . It’s simple as can be but what I plan is to embellish this pillow on both sides. One side will be for Valentines and the other for St. Paddy’s. If you prefer one or the other, that would work just fine too. I just hope what I envision works out. The ruffle will be worked into a sc base that joins the front to the back. Then working one ruffle in the front loop to match the Valentine side and the other ruffle in the back lp of the sc base for the St. Patrick’s Day side.
Today I’ve been puny again. Just not up to myself and ended up postponing my orthodontist appt for Thursday morning instead. As the day progresses I am feeling better and plan to watch a little Food Network - I love the afternoon shows while I crochet on the vintage doily which I started over earlier this morning, in pink thread - Cebelia. So far I love the results.
In talking with my best friend and tester, Vicki, on the phone yesterday afternoon we felt this vintage doily would work best in pink- hence the reason I’m reworking it. I realized I’m quickly closing in on deadlines. If only I could get out of this slump I’m in. I love designing but admit, the deadlines are playing havoc with my sense of peace and need for rest.
Tonight we’re having leftovers! I have some leftover turkey from our post-Thanksgiving meal and I plan to make turkey almondine (sp). It’s so good! And I still have fresh cranberries (not so fresh but frozen) I’ll cook up to go with it and have the fruit, nut and rice casserole from a couple of nights ago.
If I could just embrace time rather than fight with it, I think I’ll have conquered some real “time” issues! I guess getting up later than I planned for a Monday is not a good start. I have however commited myself to spending time with Wii fit to get back in shape. I spent an hour on it today and that put me in a pinch for time. Monday’s I clean and I’m off to a very slow/late start. The first Monday of the month means extra detailed cleaning that I don’t do the rest of the month - I’m glad I did a lot of cleaning on Saturday while putting away Christmas decorations! LOL
I have to share a couple of wonderful photos submitted; I’ve been slack in that dept. Here’s the first:
Jewel writes: “The cushion is your seeded lace pillow. I have added the flower fairy to it and wanted to share. I am really enjoying making these cushions and adding doilies to them. I used fabric fusion to add the thread work to the yarn work and am pleased with the results.”
And another!
Kristen writes: “I purchased your Pineapple Cascade Angel pattern last month, and I wanted to share with you how much I enjoyed stitching it! My family loves it. I will definitely treasure this angel. Thanks for writing such a great, easy to follow pattern.”
If I should get finished early enough today with housework, I hope to work on the vintage doily. If not, it’ll be my evening indulgence. I’m anxious to start another doily design simply because I love doilies. Add texture, special stitches, vibrant colors and it takes on a life of its own. But first, I must commit and finish designs I’ve already started and planned for the January 15th newsletter.
After having the pork last night - a keeper recipe - I’m going to use the leftovers and make barbecued pork sandwiches tonight with coleslaw. Don’t you just love coleslaw mix? Sometimes I add just a tiny bit of minced onion to bring out the flavors and then make up a dressing by eyeballing things. It probably never tastes the exact same twice but as long as it tastes good, I don’t care!
Just before taking down all the Christmas decorations, I managed to write down the instructions for the newest Christmas stocking that will be available next year. If I don’t take the time to write down instructions for those designs I work up first, I tend to forget how I designed the item! Before the pattern is made available however, it’ll be tested to ensure accuracy.
On the same day, I believe this was Friday, New Year’s Day, I also took time to write up the instructions for the miniature crinoline; Miss Love. I still however, need to work in the ends and get her blocked.
I love to crochet but have to admit, if the project I’m designing has lots of little pieces and ends, I tend to get lazy and then procrastinate. Before I know it, I find myself pushed against impending deadlines. More procrastination leads to more stress - a never ending vicious cycle that’s so hard to pull myself out of. I seem to be doing this now with Miss Love. I still need to work up the flower and leaves for her basket and that’s where I’m at a stand still. The process is easy enough; it’s just doing it! Maybe one of my New Year resolutions should be; “just do it!” And you always feel so good once you’ve done a chore you’ve put off!
Today I hope to not only finish Miss Love and get her blocked, but start working once again on a vintage doily I’m revising. It’s a cute design and I can’t wait to see the finished doily - it’s just doing it! Sound familiar? LOL
In my attempt this year to save some money for vacation - and I so need a vacation, I plan to cook more meals at home. I do fine for a period but find that something happens like a bump in the road and I stall out. Or I plan to fix a meal and find that for some reason it’s like Miss Love - there’s some aspect of the meal preparation I don’t care for so I decide we’ll eat fast food and have this meal “tomorrow night.” Only when tomorrow night comes, I’m still in a holding pattern and the only way to break it is fix a different, easier meal.
For New Year’s Day we fixed Bison. I never had bison before - ever! I came across a wonderful looking prime rib roast in one of my old Cooking Light magazines. Once I got out my beef from the freezer, I noticed it was bison. We prepared it according to the recipe in the magazine and it turned out nicely but it’s not a keeper. I found the bison a little tougher than beef but I’m not sure if it was my cooking, the recipe, or if bison really is tougher than beef. I’m sure some people from the northern part of the US are laughing at me. LOL Maybe you can set me straight? Is it tougher?
Tonight I plan on having a pork roast, Apricot Glazed Pork Roast - again, using another issue of one of my old Cooking Light magazines. It’s a simple recipe (YES!), but what I liked about it is it provides other recipes using the leftover pork. How wonderful is that! I probably will only have enough for one other recipe since we cut our pork in half - for just the two of us. I think a rice dish would work nicely with this roast and decided on an old recipe I got from a friend/neighbor while we were stationed in Fallon, Nevada. It’s called Fruit, Nut, and Rice Casserole. I have no idea where she got the recipe. Broccoli will go well with the meal, plus I have broccoli in the fridge. Because it’s Sunday, I’ll finish off the meal with corn muffins - and I like to freeze the remaining muffins for other meals!
Christmas Village
Be it the kid in us (hubby and I), but we have gotten into the Christmas village pieces and have collected a few recently. This year we decided to put our village pieces and train set under the Christmas tree. You can’t see much with this picture but it gives you an idea of how it looks. Because we no longer exchange gifts, this sure dresses the tree!
Allie May
Merry Christmas!
Wreath
Ever since designing this braided wreath with Mary Blake, I’ve placed it on our back door each year. I usually have a suncatcher (free pattern) on the door which I take down. This year I decided to just leave it up and place the wreath over it. I think it looks great this way. You can find both patterns here:
4th of July Suncatcher Crochet-a-Long Pattern and Braided Christmas Wreath.
Enjoy!
Christmas Mantel
Now I have all four Christmas stockings hung on the mantel - with care! The blue stocking is the newest design - available for next year. The other stockings include the Pineapple Lace and Ye Olde Christmas Stockings (on both ends). The gold stocking; Country Calico Christmas Stocking was published not too long ago. Three of the stockings have matching tissue covers! The Pineapple Snowflake Mantel Scarf has a matching tree skirt and tree topper.
Reindeer Runner
After displaying the reindeer runner on the dining table, I got the idea of hanging it on the back hutch wall between the top and cabinets. I tacked a few of the lights to the top of the runner so the entire cord wouldn’t slip to the bottom and then used a running stitch across the top to secure the top of the filet to the fabric backing. Included in the photo is of course the Christmas Eve Ride Runner, Christmas Polar Bear Door Hanger, and the Royal Pineapple Seraphim projects.
I’ll be posting later this afternoon another photo that includes two free patterns!
Everywhere I go! I’m long overdue on keeping up with my blog. Sometimes I wished I could be several places at once but that’s not likely!
I wanted to take a moment and post a couple of pictures. I often have people write and ask what I do with the models of my designs. Mostly I design with gifts in mind, or for my own needs/wants, and I give a lot away. But some designs are very hard to part with and I end up enjoying them myself.
Angels...
This year I decided I just couldn’t part with my Circle of Angels Crinoline Doily located on our Angel Menu and have it displayed on my coffee table in the living room. To each side I have glass angel candle holders and in the background, placed atop a “quillo” is the Christmas Angel Crinoline Doily. You can find her at www.crochetmemories.com/patterns/dollmenu3.php.
The Secretary
Our antique secretary houses the Poinsettia Pineapple Runner and the North Pole Elf Shoe (of the North Elf Bath Pattern Set). I think it looks equally cute filled with candy canes. Most people think a runner has to lie flat but as you can see, it looks beautiful draped over the open secretary desk lid and having my “fake” poinsettias and an old picture of my grandmother when she graduated from the orphanage in the early 1900’s, look beautiful displayed off to the side (or they do in my humble opinion). Poinsettia Pineapple Runner and Christmas Bath Patterns
I should have asked hubby to take a picture of our Christmas tree with some of the crocheted snowflakes, small ornaments, crocheted tree skirt and angel topper. Don’t forget that doilies, crinolines and other smaller projects look beautiful draped over an accent pillow, dressing it up for Christmas. I’ve even used placemats over pillow to accent them!
Of course I love showcasing photos submitted by customers - who wouldn’t? And here they are…
Thank you Jewel, the Pineapple Lace Christmas Tissue Cover turned out beautifully. Thank you for sharing with us!
Erica writes: “I just finished the angel this morning and I am so completely thrilled with the finished product! Your pattern is so beautiful. This is the most complicated crochet project I’ve ever attempted (I’ve never done any kind of lacework before) so I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to make it look right, but it wasn’t bad at all! My whole family loves it. Thanks again for creating a gorgeous pattern!”
Thank you Jewel, the Ye Old Christmas Tissue Cover turned out beautifully. Thank you for sharing with us!
Thank you Jewel, the Pineapple Star Tree Top Ornament is just lovely!
I know there are more images to share which I’ll do at a later time! Enjoy and thank you to Jewel and Erica for contributing to the album.