Cats & Quilts Counted Cross Stitch Series

No, I'm not coming out of retirement!  But I've had a lot of requests lately for my Cats & Quilts Counted Cross Stitch series so I've made them available again for a limited time:

These are only available as set which includes all 12 of the Cats & Quilts designs.  One for each month of the year.  They can be found in my Cottage Boutique.

Guest Blog Post at Scarf It Up!

Good Morning Everyone!  And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I am thrilled and honored today to have been asked by my sweet friend Louise Giordono to be a guest blogger on her Scarf It Up blog today.  Please hop over and read my post on Crazy Quilting!

New Boutique Items

I thought for today, I would share photos of our newest Boutique additions.  First, are mom's new Embroidered Door Pillows:

Are these little birdies on the teacup too cute or what?!!!

And then mom's Purple Heart Shaped Door Pillow:

This one reminds me of an old sampler! 

My newest creations are these sweet little vintage crocheted Easter Eggs which I I of course had to embellish with flowers, chicks and glitter:

So that's what new in our Cottage Boutique!

In other news, I'm working on a few more I Phone pouches.  I spent some time this morning in my craft storage room.  Geez, I can't believe I let it get so messy!  I spent some time refolding my lace pieces, organizing my ribbons and trims and I still have a lot more neatening up that I want to do!  But I'll do a little at a time and in a couple of weeks, it'll be nice and organized again!

For now, I'm making Homemade Beef Soup!  Click the link for the recipe!

Recipe - Creme Brulee

My mom's birthday was last week and my sister made the most wonderful Creme Brulee!  I asked her for the recipe so I could share it here on my blog.

Crème Brulee

Ingredients
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 cup sugar, divided (use vanilla sugar if you have any-To make vanilla sugar place a vanilla bean in your sugar jar stirring occasionally)
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 quarts hot water
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp and 1 tsp vanilla into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use once rinsed off an dried can be added to your sugar.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. 

This is absolutely incredible!!!  Enjoy!  And be sure to see my other Sweet Treat Recipes!

Flea Market Treasures and Some Finishes

Scott and I picked mom up this morning and headed out to the Flea Market in Grayslake, Illinois.  The Flea Market & Antique show in Grayslake is the 2nd Sunday of every month and it's indoors so we didn't have to worry about the cold March air this morning!

There were a lot of new vendors this month and it was a bit larger than last time.  I found some nice little treasures for my crazy quilting.  First, were some pretty trims:

Next, I found a pretty doily with a cross stitched rose motif in the center:

Some vintage buttons:

 

 And some pink vintage velvet leaves:

Definitely some nice do-dads today!

When we got home, I sewed up my custom order Crazy Quilt Cat Doll:

And I did the finishing on my Crazy Quilt I Phone Pouches:

I did spend a little time sitting out in my backyard which felt so good!  Bubba started a fire in our firepit so I just sat for a few minutes.

So that was my day everyone!  Bubba is making dinner now.  Scrambled eggs with ham and pancakes.  Don't you just love breakfast for dinner!

Book Review - Crazy Quilting by Allison Aller

It's very difficult for me to post an unbiased review of Allie's new Crazy Quilting book.  I've known Allison Aller online for many years now and have always been in awe of her CQ work.  Allison has this fearless use of color which has always intrigued me.  That fearless use of color is the basis for her beautiful and unique Crazy Quilt compositions.

Crazy Quilting by Allie Aller is a modern twist on the Victorian art of Crazy Quilt embroidery.  Yes, you can see the usual abstract crazy quilt piecing beneath the contemporary techniques and embellishments.  However, Allie's unmistakable style shines through like a breath of fresh air!  Her skills in sane quilting have given her the gift of color and composition.  Her love of flowers and nature inspire embellishment techniques never seen before and her finishing is absolutely exquisite!

Covering every aspect of the crazy quilt process, you'll find sources for crazy quilt supplies, including inexpensive ways of stash building, several techniques for piecing crazy quilt blocks, embroidery stitches and unique embellishments, as well as projects with clear, step by step directions and so much eye candy you won't be able to put this book down and get any of your own crazy quilt projects under way!  Allie also includes the directions for her famous "false back" finishing.

One of the most beautiful books on crazy quilting in my collection and sure to be a treasure your crazy quilt library as well!  If you love the beautiful art of crazy quilting, if you're looking for the most up to date, modern techniques or if you're just into gorgeous embroidery or textile art, I highly recommend this lovely book by my dear friend, Allison Aller.

Crazy Quilt I Phone Pouches

I mentioned the other day that Bubba & I had to breakdown and get us some new cellphones.  The old ones were on their last legs.  It was a little hard for me to give up my pink Razor.  I mean, I loved my pink cellphone!  And I hate having to learn how to work new cellphones! 

We decided this time around, we would splurge just a bit and get I Phones.  I must admit, it's nice to be able to check my email without turning on the big computer or the laptop!  But after having it for 4 weeks, I still haven't set up my voicemail! 

Anyway, because of the glass touch screen, I decided it would be best to keep it in a pouch, esp. when it's in my purse.  Heaven only knows when my keys might get a bee in their bonnet and decide to have a wild party the expense of my cellphone!  LOL!

So far, I've stitched 2 pouches:

 

 The pink one is mine and the purple one will go in the boutique.  I'd like to get these sewn up over the weekend.  I have some more pouches to stitch.  No, I never do one of anything!  But first, I have a custom order for one of my crazy quilt Cat Dolls so I'll start on that now.  Then I'll stitch up some more pouches!

Fractal Art Wallpaper

I have always loved Digital Art, especially Fractals.  Fractals are mathematical equations and when converted to images, they can be some of the most gorgeous abstract images you will ever see!

I've been playing with Fractals for years and have created some really beautiful Digital Art Desktop Wallpapers with it:

See all of my Digital Art Fractal Wallpapers and download them for your desktop!  Feel free to send them as postcards or use them in your fabric art, mixed media art, scrapbooking and so on.

I Phone Pouches

Recently, Bubba & I had to break down and go get new cellphones.  We decided to go with I Phones this time.  Anyway, I'm a bit concerned about the glass getting scratched up when it's in my purse so I thought I'd make myself a new cellphone pouch:

I actually sewed up 3 or 4 of these.  I thought I'd make some for the boutique.  In the meantime, this one is mine!  And mine had to be pink!  I also pieced some cat dolls.

In other news, I'm only 25 followers away from 400 so there's a drawing in the near future!  Haven't decided on the prize yet.  Maybe a cat doll, maybe a cellphone pouch, maybe a teddy bear.  What would you like to see for a prize this time?

I'm open to ideas so share them with me!

Crazy Quilt Teddy Bear Dolls in Cottage Boutique

I was finally able to get these Crazy Quilt Teddy Bears added to our Cottage Boutique:

I haven't run my sewing machine in awhile so I think for today, I'll get my fancy fabrics out and sew up some more teddy bears, some cat dolls and some IPhone pouches.  I have another idea for a cool Crazy Quilt project too so I'll try to do that as well!

There are so many wonderful things to do and never enough hours in the day!!!

Sources For Silk Ribbon

I should have included these links in my post on Dyeing Silk Ribbon but my ADD brain forgot!  Or maybe it was a menopause moment!  Not sure but here are some online sources for white dyeable Silk Ribbon:

Threadart 
Dharma Trading Company
Silk Ribbon.com

Marie Antoinette Crazy Quilt Block #7

Block #7 of my Marie Antoinette themed Crazy Quilt is complete:

Those leaves are not purple, they're pink. 

I'm so eager to work on the last 2 blocks!  I picked up what I need to finish this quilt when I was at Hobby Lobby yesterday.  And if you remember the Button Crazy Quilt that I stitched before I got sick, I bought what I needed to put that one together too.  Stay tuned!

Tutorial - Dyeing Silk Ribbons with RIT Dye

I've had several requests for a tutorial on how I dye my Silk Ribbons for my Crazyquilting.  It's much easier than you might think!  Get ready to make a mess and have a lot of fun!  It's like dyeing Easter Eggs! 

NOTE:  I'm using RIT brand powdered dye because it's budget friendly and it does do a nice job.

Supplies

RIT Dye Powder in a variety of colors
Clear Plastic Cups (available in the Dollar Tree Store)
1/2 inch wide brush
Scissors
Silk Ribbon (I mostly use 4 MM and 7MM white ribbon)
Hot Water
Paper Plates
Paper Towels
Gloves (if you don't want your hands to turn purple)

You'll want to cover your workspace with plastic.  I didn't do that for the photos because I didn't want the flash reflecting back.  You'll also want to wear an apron, preferably a black apron.

NOTE:  if you get dye on your counter top, table or wall, a little bit of bleach water will take it out but it's better to cover your surface.

To start, fill your cups 1/2 full with hot water.  It doesn't have to be boiling.  You don't want to burn yourself.  Just hot water.  Add about 1/4 teaspoon of powdered dye to each cup.

You'll want to start with your lightest shades first so 1/4 teaspoon is all you need to start with with.  Mix well to make sure your dye powder is disolved.

Next, cut a 2 yard length of your white silk ribbon and fold in 1/2 and then in 1/2 again and then in 1/2 again.

Next, put your ribbon in one of the dye colors to about 1/2 way.

After a few seconds, take the ribbon out of Dye color #1, turn it around and dip the other end into another color.

The choice is yours but think about what colors you'll want to stitch with.  Purple and blue blend well, blue and green blend well, pink and red blend well and so on.  Try one end in a light green and the other end in a different shade of green.  The choice is yours but once the colors are set, that's what you have to stitch with.

When you're happy with your colors, put a paper towel on top of a paper plate and lay your ribbon bundles on that.  Keep in mind that colors will dry lighter than they look when they're wet.

Another thing you can do is to dye your ribbon as described above.  Lay your ribbon bundle out on your paper plate and then take a brush, dip it in one of the dye colors and drip it onto your ribbon bundle:

This was shaded green and I dripped some purple onto it.  That gives a really nice touch of added color.

Once you have some light colors dyed, you can add a little more dye to the cups or you can add a bit of brown dye powder to each of the colors.  That will give them a muted tone.  Just try a little bit at a time.  You can always add more but you can't take any out until you dump it down the drain and start from scratch.

Here's another tip.  Dye your entire ribbon bundle in one color and then, while it's still wet, dip one end in another color.  A whole different effect!  In the above photo, I dyed the ribbon purple and then dipped an end in brown.

Once you have your ribbons all dyed, lay a sheet of paper towels over a hanger and then lay your ribbon bundles on the hanger and hang to dry.

I have a heat vent right next to my bathtub so I hang my hangers on the shower curtain rod.  That's when it's Winter.  In the Summer, I dye my ribbons outside on the deck.

Once dry, you'll need to iron your ribbons.  This will get out the wrinkles and will also heat set the colors.  I always put an old pressing cloth over my ironing board just in case!

Iron your ribbons on a silk setting and then they're ready to stitch with!

I don't bother with recipes or formulas.  I really just stitch with whatever I come up with.  You're welcome to play and mix colors and write down your formulas as you go if you want to. I don't like to get so technical with this.  For me, it's playing and I try to just enjoy the process of that.  When I'm done, I have gorgeous hand-dyed ribbons to use on my crazy quilts and other embroidery projects.

Win One Of My Brooches!

Please visit Shabby Lane Shops today for a chance to win one of my brooches! 

Update On Marie Antoinette Crazy Quilt - Block #7

I'm really having a hard time putting this crazy quilt project down now.  I'm eager to get these last few blocks done.  I've really enjoyed stitching on it and am so looking forward to having it hang on my wall.  But one block at a time!

Here is what it looked like with the seams embroidered and beaded:

And now for some flowers:

Obviously, since it's me stitching this, it needs much more in the way of embellishing!  I'll be getting back to stitching on this shortly.

In other news, I'm feeling a bit better now that more of the Zoloft is out of my system.  What a slow process to cut down on this!  And having ADD/ADHD, patience is not one of my virtues!  It's been almost 2 weeks since the last decrease and the full withdrawals don't hit me until week 4 but for now, I'm enjoying a little less back pain, a little less pressure in my head and a little less racing of my mind.  Oh, and those extra 10 pounds that the Zoloft put on my butt can start falling off anytime!  I mean really!  Every time my Dr. drops the dosage, I hope a few pounds drop off too but no luck yet.  Maybe tomorrow.  According to my calender, Spring starts tomorrow.  And ya'll know, the only thing that gets me through Winter is knowing that Spring is the next season!

I know, laugh if you will, but I use the weather man's calender.  I always refer to March 1st as Spring 1st!!!

Anyway, one of these days, I'm going to tell you all about living with ADD/ADHD.  Both my husband and I have it so life can be quite challenging at times.  And at other times, it can be rather amusing!  But I'll save that for another day.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow!  I'll be posting a tutorial for dying silk ribbon using Rit dye.  Prepare to make a mess and have a ball!  Dying silk ribbon is so much fun!  Until then:

Marie Antoinette Crazy Quilt Block #7

I wanted to share a photo of Block #7 before I start on the beading:

I use a combination of techniques to stitch my seams including my own charted Seam Treatments and Carol Samples Dream A Seam templates.

I like to do a lot of beading and embellishing so I think it's fun for my readers to see what the seams look like before I go crazy with the beads!

Scott is going to take me to the antique mall today and when we get back, I'm thinking of dying some ribbons.  I was asked to do a tutorial on how I dye my ribbons.  So I'll take photos and write as I do it.  As soon as I have that tutorial ready, I'll post it here.

And The Winnter Is.........

My husband just drew the name of the winner for my little Crazy Quilt Cat Doll:

The winner is..........It's My Bag Designs!  Please email me with your address so I can send you your prize!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Crazy Quilt Teddy Bear Dolls

Just a little Sneak Peek on my Crazy Quilt Teddy Bears!

Arent' they sweet?  I think I still like making my little cat dolls more but it was fun to do something different.
I just picked up that little wicker doll chair at the last Flea Market we went to.  I thought it would be perfect for photographing my little crazy quilt dolls.

I'll add these to the Boutique as soon as I have time.  I have some new Mixed Media Gift Tags that mom made to add as well.

For now, please consider signing up for our newsletter!  You can find the sign up box in my sidebar.  We'll be offering news about our boutique, specials & discounts, occasional recipes, a freebie or 2 along with some how-to's that you won't find here.

I certainly don't intend to bombard anyone's inbox with tons of newsletters.  At the most, a newsletter will go out once a week.  More likely, every other week.

Crazy Quilting - Marie Antoinette Crazy Quilt Block #7

I've really been out of sorts lately.  I have a terrible time focusing on anything.  I know it's withdrawals and side effects.  As if the road up from depression wasn't bad enough, now it's the long hard road getting to the bare minimum of the anti depressants.  I'll get there, just not in my time I guess.

I did manage to finish up the stitching on my little Crazy Quilt Teddy Bear Dolls:

They really don't look like much now but once sewn together and stuffed, they'll be precious!  I'm hoping to feel up to sewing them together tomorrow when I get back from WalMart.  As soon as they're ready, I'll post photos of them finished.

In the meantime, I pulled out Block #7 of my Marie Antoinette quilt.  I choose some vintage tatting, some appliques and other trims so it's ready to start stitching on:

I'm definitely ready for Winter to be over so I thought I'd better get a move on and work some more on this project.  Stay tuned for updates.

Free Digital Art Postcards

I've been playing with my Photopaint software a little bit today.  I'm amazed at all the great digital art I see online and thought I'd try some.  I've been playing with fractals for years but never really got into layering images and playing with some of the other filters.

I was in part, trying to keep myself busy while Nascar was on.  Sorry, Football season finally ended and now it's Nascar season!  And since Bubba seems to be deaf most of the time, I decided to get myself away from the noise of the TV, and spend some time in my little craft supply room playing on my big computer.

This is just one of the cool images I came up with. Your welcome to download this image and use it as a printable postcard or ECard.  And please see my other Digital Art Postcards.  I confess, even I'm amazed at what I came up with!  I am really liking any type of collage art these days!

In other news, I'm almost done with my Crazy Quilt Teddy Bears.  I pieced 3 of them and just have to finish up stitching on the 3rd one and then I can sew them together.  I'm kind of eager to see how they look sewed up and stuffed since I've never made them before.  I'll post a pic as soon as I have them ready.

Drawing! Win A Pam Kellogg Crazy Quilt Cat Doll!

It's time for another drawing here at Kitty & Me Designs!  I thought it would be fun to have a drawing for one of my Crazy Quilt Cat Dolls:

The winner will receive this 6 inch Crazy Quilt Cat handmade by me!

Here's the catch, sorry but there's always a catch!  LOL!!!!

You can get 2 entries in this drawing.  

****To be entered once, post my Boutique Button in the sidebar on your blog.  You can find the code on the top of my sidebar on the right hand side of this post.  Simply add the code to your sidebar and you'll get one entry.

****To be entered a 2nd time, write a blog post about our Handmade Cottage Boutique.  Include the link to our website:  http://www.kittyandmedesigns.com/   Make sure the you put the link on the words "Pam Kelloggs Handmade Cottage Boutique".  Not on Kitty & Me Designs.  Sorry, it's a Google thing.

Then, leave a comment on this post with a link to your blog!

The drawing will take place on Saturday, February 26th.  All entries will be put in a basket and my husband will draw the winner that morning.  I will announce it here on my blog by 12 noon Central Time.

Am I blatantly asking you to promote my Boutique?  Yes!  But you must admit, this a rather creative way of doing it!!  And because you're posting a link to your blog here, we might all end up meeting some great new people and getting some more followers.  And of course, some lucky person will win my Cat Doll!!!!

Good Luck everyone!