Black Cats

Fall and black cats are synonymous.

Black cats take interesting disguises.

They learn to blend into their environment.

Master the art of napping.

Learn how to give you "the look."

Even when she's up to mischief.

 Miss Callie Mae Calico, my favorite calico black cat.

Finding Fall

The calendar says it is fall, I'm not sure the thermostat agrees.  The mornings are cool with temps in the low fifties, by the afternoon, the temps soar to the eighties.  

I am underdressed in the mornings and over dressed in the afternoon.  I took a trip to the local garden center to find fall. The garden centers are filled with mums and pansies and pumpkins!

With the hot temps, I have been a little slow in changing the decorations from summer to fall.

Nothing says fall like acorns and black crows.

An oldie but a favorite goodie--Blackbird's Autumn Song.  Seeing the colors on these leaves, reminds me to look outside the windows and see the leaves on the dogwood tree turning to a brilliant red and the leaves on the tulip poplar turning bright yellow.

The inside of the box is lined with very fallish fabric and filled with crow needle minders and acorn thread keeps.

A dough bowl is filled with some fall smalls.

I'm off for a trip to the apple orchard to purchase apples--Mutsu and Winesap.

Sailing

Stacy Nash

Whaling Ship

Hog Wild Blue linen by R & R

NPI silks

 

Am down to the last stitches on Stacy Nash's Whaling Ship.  Just a few more details and then into my carrier.

 



 

Finishing a project is just the nicest feeling. 

 

 

 

 

Whaling ship, whale rug--they make nice companion pieces.

 

Reasons I love fall

• The colors orange, yellow and red
• Mums (Chrysanthemums)
• Apples and apple orchards
• Trips to the pumpkin patch
• Corn Mazes
• Pumpkin flavored everything--cookies, bread, muffins, latte, pie
• Cooler temps and fall breezes
• Sweaters, socks and sweatpants
• Sleeping under a quilt or down comforter
• Sleeping with the windows open and A/C turned off
• Festivals
• The smell of wood smoke
• Football season
• Celebrating our anniversary
• Raking leaves and planting spring bulbs
• Walking in the woods, hearing the leaves crunch and geese honk
• Decorations
• Jewel Tea Autumn Leaf dishes
• Fall television shows
• Halloween
• Brach's Candy Corn
• Scented candles--cinnamon and pumpkin spice
• Haunted houses
• Bonfires
• Acorn caps, black walnuts and hedge apples
• Bittersweet and Goldenrod
• Chili night with friends
• Fall Movies:  It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
• Crockpot Apple Cider
• Regaining an hour of sleep

Thistle Down Moon

It has been a really good week!  Not one but two of my favorite designers has released new designs this week.  First there was Liberty Hill/Historic Stitches with the Harvest  Home Pynbox and last night I discovered Maggie Bonanomi's latest book Thistle Down Moon. 


There are nineteen projects in this book:  peapod pinkeep, sewing necessity, butcher's apron, garden pillows, flowerbed quilt, tablerunner, wool mat, hooked rug, cross stitch sampler and heart sewing case.  You can take a sneak peek inside this book by visiting Kansas City Star Quilts Store.

Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Icing

Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Icing

2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (use slightly less if freshly ground)
3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
15 ounce can of pumpkin ( 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl and set aide
• In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fully blended and slightly fluffy.  Mix in eggs and beat.  Add pumpkin, raisins and vanilla and continue to mix until well blended.
• Add flour mixture and mix until combined
• Chill batter in fridge at least 15 minutes (this will help the cookies from spreading too much while baking)
• Scoop batter onto parchment lined, Silpat lined or lightly greased cookie sheets using a cookie scoop or a large spoon
• Bake cookies in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.  Cool a few moments on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.  Frost cookies with Maple icing while still slightly warm

Maple Icing

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (salted or unsalted)
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract

• While the cookies are baking, melt butter in a small sauce pan or in the microwave.  Mix melted butter with powdered sugar in a large bowl, using a whisk until well combined.  Add milk and extracts.  Whisk until smooth.  Use a small knife or the back of a spoon to spread icing on top of cookies.  If you frost the cookies while they are still just slightly warm, the icing will dry with a nice smooth finish.

Recipe Source:  Glorious Treats by Glory Albin

Harvest Home Pynboxe

They've done it again!  Liberty Hill and Historic Stitches have put their creative heads together and designed a beautiful fall pynbox.

Carolyn (Liberty Hill) has painted a beautiful Harvest Home pynboxe and Susan (Historic Stitches) has designed a crow gathering the acorns which lines the inside of the box lid. To add more goodness--a pumpkin pincushion made from weeks wools. 

Life is good!

Labor Day

La D Da

Birdy Stitching Roll

Three day weekends are great, aren't they?  Labor Day weekend 2014 found me spending stitching time with kindred spirits.  There was also time spent dropping off the Aunt Maggie's stitching roll to the LNS for finishing.

Picking up the latest Colonial Gathering finishing.

Cotton Bird Kit #3 from the Colonial Gatherings Club was finished into a purse--inside is my Kindle.  Betty, the finisher once again worked her wonderful magic!

Stacy Nash

Whaling Ship

I started stitching Stacy Nash's Whaling ship.  Am stitching on 35 ct Hog Wild Blue linen from R & R.  This is a fun stitch.

Discovered a new to me shop in Clarksville called The Old Mercantile.  One of the stitch girls had lined the bottom of her carrier with a needlework piece.  Stacy finished this piece of needlework into a tray--the carrier will be a perfect fit.  

Picking up and dropping off finished pieces of needlework, discovering new shops, time with cherished stitching friends, progress on projects--a perfect Labor Day weekend.  

I almost forgot--Dying to Stitch has a photo of the next Colonial Gathering kit!  Looks like a beauty--a coverlet candle mat!  I have put Callie Mae on postman watch.