while I'm away

Granola and yogurt have been made,

there's a pear cake in the fridge,

tomatoes and pears have been dehydrated,

the bathrooms are all cleaned

and bed sheets are changed,

the garden has been picked,

the henhouse cleaned,

and the freezer is full

for my family left behind.

I'm headed to Georgia and Tennessee

to spend time with my sisters, aunts, cousins,

 and mother ~ sure to be much fun!

  Although I'm gone, I'll be guest posting over at

Victoriana Quilt Designs today,

where you'll find the pattern for the dishcloth

pictured above.

Just click on the button below

to pop on over.

Have a great week!!

~ Deb

handwork while you wait

I did it--I've finished a sock!!

I had to rip out a couple times and

wasn't sure I was going to make it through--

when it came time to shape the gussets,

I didn't arrange the stitches properly

on the needles...knitted awhile and realized

something was very wrong.

I ripped out and read the instructions

over & over til they finally sunk in,

and then it made perfect sense.

Then I cruised along, but upon finishing

the toe, I found the sock was too short...ripped

out again and easily corrected that.

I've cast on for the second and am thinking

it may be a good 'take along' project to pack this week

for my flight to Atlanta--I must have

something to keep my hands {and mind} busy on the plane,

{I'm not really fond of flying}.

~

Speaking of 'take along' projects,

I hope you will check out Handwork While You Wait Week

at Benita's website ~ Victoriana Quilt Designs.

Each day will feature a guest post encouraging taking along handwork with you, for those times you have to wait.

Plus, Benita will also be giving away a prize ~

a FQ Sampler from Connecting Threads 'Bit's & Bobbins' fabric, plus Yo-Yo Maker, Embroidery Angle Scissor and a Spring Design Tape Measure!  The fun starts today... 

just click on the button below

to check it out.

Thanks!!

~Deb

handmade holidays

It's Thursday already?! I can hardly believe the week is almost over, it has flown by so fast. At least I do have something to show for it ~ some sewing for Firefly Farm in an effort to restock before Christmas. I have so many ideas, I'm afraid I'll never get to them all.

Speaking of Christmas, if you are looking for gift making ideas, you will love what is going on over at SewMamaSew. Check out the lineup for November:

Sew,Mama,Sew! Handmade Holidays: 30 Days of Gifts to Sew

November 1 ~ Aprons

November 2 ~ Pincushions & Pins

November 3 ~ For the House

November 4 ~ Lunch Bags

November 5 ~ Tote Bags

November 6 ~ Blankets for Baby

November 7 ~ For your Purse or Pocket

November 8 ~ Whimsy

November 9 ~ Fabric Ornaments

November 10 ~ Ties and Belts

November 11 ~ Reading & Writing

November 12 ~ For the Table

November 13 ~ Placemats

November 14 ~ Kids’ Clothes

November 15 ~ Warm those Toes

November 16 ~ Gifts for the Crafter

November 17 ~ Purses

November 18 ~ For Baby

November 19 ~ Tech Gifts

November 20 ~ Gifts for Organization

November 21 ~ Pillows

November 22 ~ Fun for Hair

November 23 ~ Soft Toys & Games

November 24 ~ Sachets

November 25 ~ For the Kitchen

November 26 ~ Embellishments

November 27 ~ Gifts for Warmth

November 28 ~ Drawstring Bags

November 29 ~ Fabric Boxes

November 30 ~ Gift Compilations

Great, great stuff ~ I can't wait to start my holiday gift making!

a blog recommendation & a recipe...

Before I pass on the cinnamon roll recipe for those who asked, I want to mention a special blog started by two really special young ladies. I learned about it from their mom, a lovely person who bought a bag from me recently. It is called Proverbs 31 Sisters: Sharing Our Journey to Becoming Virtuous Women, and to give you an idea of what it's about here is a quote from their site ~ "We are starting this blog in hopes of encouraging other young ladies and women to bring back some of the lost arts of homemaking and stepping "out of the box" and trying something new."

I thought perhaps many of you and/or your daughters might enjoy it ~ they are certainly an inspiration to me.

A few of you asked for the cinnamon roll recipe. This is a favorite at our house and has become a traditional treat for Christmas and Easter mornings...

Rich Swedish Cream Dough

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water; 115 degrees
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. evaporated milk
3 egg yolks; slightly beaten
3 1/3 to 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 c butter

Instructions: Stir yeast into warm water to dissolve in small bowl. Mix well the dissolved yeast, cream, milk, and egg yolks, set aside. In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter with pastry blender or pulse in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir yeast mixture into flour mixture just to moisten. Spread dough with light film of butter to prevent drying; cover bowl with plastic and refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days. Shape and bake as directed.

Cinnamon Buns

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tbsp of cinnamon in a small bowl. Turn dough out on lightly floured surface. Dust with flour and knead a few turns. Roll out to a 15" x 12" rectangle. Brush with 3 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly over surface. Starting at the long edge, roll up as for a jelly roll and pinch to seal. With a sharp knife, cut into 18 even slices. Place in a greased 13" x 9" pan. Let rise until light and double in size. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes. While warm drizzle with icing.

I hope you enjoy it!