Crochet Collage Garden ~ Pillow Cover Plan ~ 1st Stitches

Today I took the first stitches in turning my first

 Crochet Collage ~ Pillow Cover Plan

into reality. 

It is a gray and rainy day here today so my photos are shadowed.

I am using my old 12.5" square Quilters Ruler

and actually have the pices laid out on the back which has raised grips

that hold them in place while I am working.

I cut the fabric and a piece of Fusible Fleece into 19" squares

so that I have a wide border and plenty of fabric to make a pillow cover.

I am thinking I will add some large stitch quilting lines of sashiko threads 

around the outside of the center collage to frame it. 

I like to press fusible fleece to the back of appliqued pillow tops

 for a firm, smooth top surface.

I decided to start with the three large leaves on the bottom center.

My thread of choice is from these two Frosted Donuts of Superior Thread

pre-wound bobbins.  I never use these as actual bobbins.

I like to use them for applique, English Paper Piecing 

and sometimes binding threads.

My first leaf is appliqued.

This is back showing my messy stitching.

The top looks good, though... ;) 

I also made the first flower for my next crochet collage garden project

which I showed yesterday.

My flower does not look quite like the one in the book.

I think I sometimes forget to translate the English Crochet terminology

into USA terminology and make the wrong size crochet,

but I like it and it is a keeper.

I will make another or add applique another leaf or two tonight.

I hope your work week has started 

with a happy day of sewing and stitching!

 

 

Slow Sunday Stitching ~ This is the Plan

 

This is the layout for my first

Crochet Collage Garden Project

I am making a cover for a toss pillow.

I am getting ready to hand applique these motifs in place 

on the background fabric 

with a sewing needle and matching thread color.

Then the plan is to finish the edges with a white crochet edging.

Will post how-to when I figure it out as I go.

I bought this fabric at my favorite local quilt shop;

Melange 4506-607 Light Gray @ Bits'n'Pieces Quilt Shop

I think they have the complete line of this fabric

in their basics section in the back of the store.

You can order online; call if you need help.

I am already starting the plan my next project from this lovely book

from  Chris.made.this

Inspired by this fabric.

I am this slow crochet stitching.

Linking up today with

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

May you have a happy week of stitching!

I Like Thursday # 161 ~ Yarns and Oats

Good Morning and Happy Thursday! 

These are my most recent crochet motifs.

These are little pansy, or maybe violet, faces from the book by

Chris.made.this

 My sewing machine is still under wraps and will be at least another week. 

Mr. Scrapatch is starting a new job on Monday and will be only able to work 

on all our home improvement projects on the weekends again. 

Our Boys are coming over Sunday to help.

Mr. Scrapatch was laid-off in January and although we are both officially retired, he likes to get up and go to work in the morning. So he has found a position that will enable him share his extensive experience with the younger generations. 

I will miss having him home during the days 

but will look forward to our evenings together.

Today is 

I Like Thursday @ Not Afraid of Color 

This week LeeAnna asked us if we have a special baked good for Easter.

We have many and they have changed over the years.

One constant has been that Mr. Scrapatch likes to have

 this French Toast Breakfast casserole.

If we have an Easter Brunch this is always on the table with ham

 and fresh fruit and all the other yummy food. 

This recipe  was given to me by a friend many years ago:

His preference is for raisin cinnamon bread; 

mine is oatmeal bread,

so I combine both of them in my version.

I also add a 1/2 cup of maple syrup to the saucepan syrup for the bottom of dish

This was never anything that my tween to teen to young adult children enjoyed

and I can take it of leave it, so I make it for my guy for early morning breakfast

 when we will have big family holiday meal like Easter in the early afternoon. 

He happily eats the leftovers warmed in the microwave for days. 

Lately, I have been trying to tempt him to like less sugary and healthier options.

Like Oatmeal.

He was never a fan and refused to eat it for most of his life.

I make overnight slow cooker oatmeal for myself.

The recipe is simple.

Slow Cooker Oats

Lightly grease a 2 to 2 1/2 quart slow cooker with a pat of butter.

Add 

4 cups water 

2 cups oats (I use old fashioned or steel cut)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir gently and cook on LOW setting for about 8 hours.

Turn it down to warm as soon as you get up.

Stir very gently. 

The texture will be silky and smooth and not too runny,

just the way I like with a splash of milk, 

drizzle of honey or maple syrup

 and fruit and nuts choice of the day. 

A good size dollop of Greek Yogurt is good, too. 

Play with the amounts to achieve the texture you prefer.

I have never gotten on board with the trend 

for making the cold overnight oats in the fridge.

I do store the leftovers in the fridge

to warm for a quick oatmeal and fruit breakfast the next day.

I have always liked my porridge warm. 

Leftover Oats Snack Cake

I sometimes use my leftover oats for making something like this.

The add-in variations of this are endless and all delicious. 

Even Mr. Scrapatch enjoys the snack cake version and so 

has finally started enjoying a bowl of oatmeal with me in the morning 

right out of the slow cooker.

This is the basic recipe for

Leftover Oats Snack Cake

1 to 1.5 cups leftover oatmeal

2 cups flour (white, wheat, almond, etc.)

1 teaspoon baking powder.

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon (nutmeg, allspice, ginger, etc.)

1 teaspoon vanilla (lemon, almond, etc.) extract

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup melted margarine or oil of choice or applesauce or nut butter

2-4 tablespoons of milk (yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, etc)

1/4 cup maple syrup (honey, molasses, etc.)

1/4 cup brown or white sugar (or omit) 

Mix together wet ingredients in measuring cup.

Stir together oats, flour and dry ingredients in large bowl.

Gently fold in wet ingredients.

Now the Add Ins:

Choose your taste of the day!

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/3 cup nut butter

1/3 cup yogurt or sour cream

1/2 cup dried fruit

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 cup of fresh berries

Lemon (or other citrus) juice and zest

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup fruit cup such as pineapples

1 cup of grated carrot, spices and 1/2 cup raisins

... as I said the possibilities are endless. 

This one has greek yogurt, fresh blueberries, chia seeds, 

lemon juice and zest, orange extract.

For this Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake version, 

I mixed 4 oz. of softened cream cheese with 1/3 cup greek yogurt,

2-3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and lemon zest

and dolloped it on top and swirled before baking.

Pan is an 8" square lined with parchment paper for easy removal.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes

or until tests done with toothpick.

Dusted with a little powdered sugar, this is my guy's favorite so far.

Here is one with two kinds of chocolate chips, pecans and raisins.

Drizzle with a little powdered sugar glaze for a little extra yum for dessert.

Enjoy!

In the Scrapatch, all is well.

My biopsy results were negative.

I feel good. It was just a routine test.

Happy Thursday! 

1st day of Spring 2023 ~ Crochet Collage Motif # 3

Today is the first day of Spring in my little  corner of the world!

It was a day of sunlight and some shadow.

The snow is still melting. 

It is mud season and the winter debris fills our yard.

There will be much to be done when the weather gets a little warmer.

Most of my day was spent inside sipping tea and playing with my hooks and yarn.

It was cool and there was a cooler wind blowing but the sun was shining on my glass kitchen door warming the room and brightening my day.

Early this morning I had an appointment to keep with my gynecologist

and that was also sunshine and shadow.

The doctor did a biopsy sample to send to the lab.

I should have the results next week.

It is an an area near where I have been biopsied years ago and that was negative.

I am hopeful that this test will be negative, too.

Think of me and and add me to your prayers and healing wishes, my friends.

Here is my Motif #3 from the Spring Awakening section of the

Crochet Cottage Garden book by Chris.made.this

This seemed the perfect choice for the day.

Daffodils are some of my favorite spring flowers.

Ours will not be blooming for a few weeks yet.

I am using yarn that I have and the yellow is a bit bulkier than the orange

and I have a long way to go until my stitches are as even as the one in the book, 

but I am happy with my little flower today. 

May you and yours have a Happy Spring! 

Crochet Collage Garden

 

I am learning something new!

I have long admired all the lovely little crochet flower collages 

that I see online and have always wanted to try making my own. 

One of my favorite crochet collage creators is ...

Chris.made.this

Her work is so varied and delicate and beautiful! 

When I saw that her patterns were going to be published in a book 

I pre-ordered it on Amazon and it arrived on Friday. 

This is a wonderful book.  

I do have another book by a different author with similar designs but was never really able to follow the instructions to make my own.  This book has both written instructions and diagrams and between both I am able to get the hang of it.

The instructions are written in UK terminology but there is a help to translate it into USA terms for those of us who live on this side of the pond. 

 For example, a treble crochet in the book is a double crochet in my head.  

I had already gathered my supplies in a project box and was ready to begin.

The cotton yarn has been in my stash a few years and the crochet hooks I have had for 40+ years.

This is my vintage Boye crochet hook set. 

The I hook is missing.  

I hope to find it sometime, somewhere in my stuff.  

It must be with whatever I last used it on and that might be in the attic, which means it may be lost forever. I am hoping it just fell out of the box in my craft closet and it will turn up someday soon. These hooks are very worn but they still feel the best in my hand for this lightweight yarn.  I have modern ergonomic hooks in these sizes but the heads do not work the yarn as well as these tried and true ones. I think these are coated aluminum. 

You can see here that the color is worn off of my Size D hook, 

which I have used so far with this project. 

This is the chain start for my first motif yesterday.

This fern is my first finished motif.

In the morning I started my second motif at my kitchen table

 with the sun shining in.

It was very cool and windy today and 

temperatures did not get much above freezing even in the sun.

Here is the stem ready for the flowers.

Here is my completed motif #2.

I am really enjoying making these.

I hope to try to make one a day and I will see where this journey takes me. 

Linking up today with all of the beautiful creations at 

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

Happy Stitching!