Christmas 2013

 

"And I will say to those who were not my people,

 'You are my people!' And they will say, 'You are my God!'"

Hosea 2:23

Crewelwork and a Large Cat

Innocently embroidering by the fire, Clara found her lap suddenly commandeered by a very large cat. Oh well.

Cardamom Rolls

I've started baking from a charming cookbook called Swedish Cakes and Cookies. It was a Christmas gift from Giles to Bella last year and is full of wonderful things. 

These are Cardamom Rolls. Cardamom is not a spice I've used much of--it's so expensive! But I got some at an ethnic market for a reasonable price and used a lot of it in these beauties!

There's cardamom in the dough, and then the filling is almond paste, butter, and more cardamom. So fragrant.

"Concern Yourself with the Present"

 " . . . meanwhile concern [yourself] with the Present because there, and there alone, all duty, all grace, all knowledge, and all pleasure dwell . . . ."

--C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters 

Lilies on the Table

No tree yet--we're waiting for Clara to get home on Friday--but the girls have hung wreaths in the windows, and we've got lilies on the table.

Vintage Jersey in the Shop

This is some awesome jersey I found at the thrift store. Would you believe almost five yards? It's fine and drapey and clearly vintage. Putting it in my etsy shop now.

Thirty Paper Dolls

These are Daisy's thirty paper dolls. They live together in a little fabric zip bag. There are sisters and brothers, husbands and wives, grandparents, and neighbors.

Some of them came from the same sheet of paper--like Harry, Jerry, and Terry. Others are singletons. Daisy curled up by the fire with them today. They engage her for hours.

Bonfire Night Log Cabin Quilt

Linen, cotton, velvet, silk.

The way the coals really glow when dark settles down.

The Fear of Running Out of Handwork

I looked in some phobia directories to see if there is technically a phobia that is "the fear of running out of hand-sewing projects." There's not. But if there was, I may have it.

That's why I put this quilt together with a back this morning, before I had even finished binding my current quilting project.

If there is such a phobia, I think it is hereditary. I actually had my mother take a quilt away from me and keep it for herself on a trip to New York. At first it was enough that we sat beside each other on the airplane and each had an end to quilt. But at the end of the flight, she took it for herself. She's worse than me.

Anyway, I love these blues, and love the subtle plaids used close together.

Clara's Knitting: Daisy's Summer Cardigan

Though it's not quite warm enough for this week, Daisy has this new cardigan at the ready should the sun come out in a major way. Clara finished it over Thanksgiving break, then was cruelly thwarted in her quest to buy more yarn by the little yarn shop being closed for the holiday. We went to the thrift store instead and Clara got an awesome crewelwork project of a happy raccoon, to work on the train.

Anyway, this is knitted in a cotton yarn we bought in Germany, and the pattern is from Ravelry. I've got the paper printout here, and the keywords I'm seeing are "DROPS collection" and "wavy pattern," so good luck finding that!

It's so cute, and it takes me right back to my own personal and beloved baby blanket. That I loved til I was twelve.

An Assortment of Gluten-Free Goodies for Christmas

Much of the fun of preparing for Christmas is filling too many tins with goodies to stash away in the freezer, and bring out on fancy trays on Christmas Eve. I like a wide variety, myself, and have to provide gluten-free treats as well as the traditional favorites. If you want to put together a dessert trolley of GF goodies, and prefer not to bake with odd ingredients or anything that starts with an X, here are some suggestions:

Ricciarelli--these are beautifully-textured almond cookies 

Chocolate truffles--holiday classics, great from the freezer

Creamy rice pudding--serve in small portions in stemmed fruit glasses, with kiwi and strawberry slices

Coconut macaroons--so easy, and they freeze really well

Chocolate hazelnut meringues--in case the truffles weren't enough.

Quilting Days

Isn't this quilting weather? I've been curled up under "Bonfire Night" for a few days now. Only nine rows to go, then the binding. It's kept me warm.

Hey There, Weather

Black-Eyed Susan Log Cabin Quilt

I did this right before, during, and after Thanksgiving. 

Quilted in perle cotton with a good-size needle.

Waiting for Ice

Today is all about the weather, since ice is coming in. To that end, I made a run to town to stock up on muslin and lanterns. Heaven forbid I run out of things to quilt, or light to do it by, should the roads ice over and the power go out. Stay cozy, all!

Dazzling Quilt Tops

I'm going to say that today I got very, very lucky at an antique store.

I stumbled on a stack of hand-pieced quilt tops, all in perfect condition, most priced around $25. I bought these three for $60 (by the simple expedient of asking for a discount). I am so excited about quilting them by hand, especially the middle one here.

So Much Thanksgiving

A rich and happy Thanksgiving for us here, with abundant food, beauty, children, and handwork.

We had eighteen people for our dinner--two turkeys and a ham. Next time I'll know to cook more. What we had was delicious, but it all disappeared on Friday!

We joined the Composer's parents at the cabin on Saturday, bringing baskets and baskets of food for this crew.

Felix found a wasp nest (and a salamander and a millipede),

and though I didn't witness it I hear he jumped nekkid in the river.

Giles wore his city shoes.

 and took the arty photos.

So thankful for my big and happy family, and our big and happy time. God is good to us!

Swedish Tosca Cake

I've been wanting to make this Swedish Tosca Cake for a while, but it seemed a little much for just me and the two girls. With Felix heading home this morning I took the opportunity--it's a simple plain cake baked in a springform pan, but ten minutes before you take it from the oven you pour a mixture of melted butter, sugar, cream, and sliced almonds over the top to caramelize. It's just as delicious as it looks and we had it for tea this afternoon.

Recipe from Jane Brocket's Vintage Cakes.