July 11, 2012

We are so excited to be participating in the upcoming Summer Sampler Soiree at Attic Needlework in Mesa, AZ, August 17 - 19.  Here is a peek at one of the projects we will be teaching. This hand-painted hornbook has a tiny button keep on one side, and a miniature marking sampler on the other.  It measures approximately 3 x 5 1/2 inches including the handle - perfect for tucking into your stitching box or hanging in your stitching nook!


We will also be teaching Learn to Lucet, as well as a wool version of our lucet pocket so that you can transport your in-process lucet cord with ease.

This promises to be a fun-filled weekend with projects from 8 designers and an optional PJ party!  Beat the summer heat indoors at this great rate - we can't wait to see you there!

March 18, 2012

We had such a wonderful time in Nashville at the needlework market!  We've finally recovered (mostly) and are back to blogging.  
Our lucet Make it! Take it! Sell it! hands on demos were a great success!  Thanks to everyone who participated.  We hope all of you had a chance to practice on your trips home, and are getting comfortable with the technique.  If you do have any questions, please e-mail us and we'll work you through it.  We'd love to see shops teaching their customers this traditional craft.  We plan to have color photos from the instructions posted soon here and on our website, and we're trying out some different materials so hopefully you'll be seeing more designs using this cord soon.
We even taught our stewardess about the lucet on our flight and she's looking forward to giving it a try.  It was such a fantastic trip!
Be sure to pick your favorite colors to stitch Taby's Needle Cushion.  We've shown it here in Raspberry, but are working on blue, green, hot pink, and even black!  It uses a matching color pearl 5 for the lucet cord trim, and coordinating felted wool for the back and the needle strip.

We recently received our newest reproduction back from our fantastic stitcher, Deb.  We're working on the frame and chart layout, and will be sharing a sneak peek with you very soon.


Until then, back to the workshop!
Bunny and Apryl 

Learn to make Lucet Cord with Priscilla’s Pocket

Join us at the TNNA Nashville Needlework Market at the Make it! Take it! Sell it! event. We'll teach you how to make lucet cord in just 15 minutes. Practice on your ride home and you'll be an expert by the time you arrive. If you are unable to visit us at Market, please ask for us at your local needlework shop, or contact us on the web for a list of locations that carry our products.

Lucet cord is a wonderful alternative to twisted cord and it’s so easy to make. This square cord can be worked in many fibers, and may be embellished with beads for a unique look. It has many uses including trimming ornaments and pillows, lacing, and even jewelry!

We'll be releasing a new chart and finishing instructions for 'Taby's Needle Cushion' at the Market too. This original design is a clever new way to keep your pins and needles handy, without losing the needles through the cushion. It is designed to be finished with lucet cord. We're stitching and finishing the model right now, and a sneak peek photo will follow soon.

Two other new designs are also being prepared for release in Nashville - another reproduction sampler - 'Jane Osborn', and the second in our American Quilt series, '54-40 or Fight'.

7/29/11

We're ready to release 6 new charts at the Baltimore Needlework Market!

Included are two sampler reproductions and a pinpillow with antique sampler motifs, as well as new original designs! A sneak peek of part of our pinpillow is below -

Stay tuned for pictures coming the weekend of Market!

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

When I was living in Milwaukee, we used to go out to eat at a nouveau Italian restaurant called Louise's. It was definitely a favorite, and after Mom moved from Wisconsin, we'd try to go there every time she came to town for a visit. They make their own fresh pasta, and all of the dishes are delectable, but one in particular always kept me wanting more. When I moved to Arizona, I decided to try to recreate the taste of this dish (since I couldn't reasonably fly to Milwaukee every time I was craving it!) and after many near-misses, I think I've got it very close! Granted, I don't usually make my own fettucini pasta, but this recipe is just the thing to ease those cravings!

Clean and cut 2 lbs chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces.

Sauté chicken in 2T olive oil until lightly golden.

Add 1 crushed garlic clove to the chicken and cook just until translucent.

Add 1/2 bottle of a non-oaky Chardonnay to deglaze the pan. (We use Barefoot - it's inexpensive and adds a good flavor without being overwhelming)

Add 1 can of low-sodium chicken broth - you can use homemade chicken stock here if you have it, but prepared broth works very well.

Allow the chicken to simmer over low heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. This will allow the wine and garlic to flavor the chicken, as well as keeping the final dish from being too liquid. I usually let it simmer as long as I can, covering the pan if it seems to be losing too much liquid. When the stock is reduced, and you're ready to proceed, add approximately 2 oz of sun-dried tomatoes, julienned. I use the dry-packed tomatoes, not the ones in olive oil.

Once the tomatoes have softened a bit, and about 1/4 cup of fresh-grated parmesan cheese and allow it to melt into the sauce.

Add 1/2 pint heavy cream (or a little more if you like it really creamy). I tried this using half & half, and found that to get the right texture I needed more than 1/2 pint, and then it was too runny, so I just use the heavy cream and try to keep the rest of the meal light. This does make a lot of pasta, so I figure the amount of cream in one serving isn't too horrible.

Stir in 1 lb of cooked pasta. I like to add the pasta a bit at a time, until the balance of pasta to sauce seems good - This sometimes means I have some pasta left over - I just freeze it for another use.

Serve hot, with fresh parmesan and sliced green onions to sprinkle over the top. Enjoy!

Big Steps!

We've gotten our first chart designed, laid out, printed, and ready to sell! We have a few more designs to follow shortly, and they will be announced here as soon as they're complete.

So - without further ado - From Every Mountainside!

The hornbook-mounted piece is stitched on 40 count Lakeside Linen in Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk. The mountain and words are stitched over two threads, and the girl and flag are stitched over one.

The framed piece is stitched on 32 count Lakeside Linen, also in Crescent Colours Belle Soie.

Both the hornbook threadkeepers and the star-studded, hand-grained frames are available as well.

We're very excited that our charts are finally starting to be produced, and we hope you will be as well!

Hornbook Threadkeeps

Wanted to get a quick photo up of our newest items - hornbook thread keepers! They're the perfect size to tuck in your project bag and have lots of space to add a stitched piece. We have some charts in the works to fit these, and those will be polished up and available soon! In the meantime, these are available through Attic Needlework, or ask for them at your local shop! Happy Stitching!