Christmas Plaid

  I found this dinner napkin at the Pottery Barn outlet.  We looked high and low in the store to find another to match it, but it was a "loner".  I would have loved to have had two of them so I could use the plaid on the backside too, but had to settle for using a solid green fabric for the back of the pillow.  

  They had pillow covers in this plaid "ready made" to buy, but they were $29.50 each.  They also had a different red plaid dinner napkin (set of 4) for $17.50, but I liked this plaid the best.  What I really wanted was a set of 4 napkins in this plaid so I could make two pillows, but had to settle for just this one.  

  These napkins were 20 inches square and had a very generous 1-inch hem on the backside.  I carefully removed the hem and cut off the excess on each side, which I then used to make self-cording.  If you did not want to cord your pillows, you could very easily just sew two napkins together and create a straight-edge pillow.  You could then either sew the pillow closed or insert a zipper for easy removal.  

  The advantage to buying a single "lone" napkin was that they sold it to me for $.97.  The only other thing I had to purchase to complete this project was the zipper, so the pillow came in under $3, making it a real deal. The pillow fits perfectly on my dining room bench, tucked in the corner with a throw, berries, and bowl of fruit, giving me a touch of Christmas in the corner.  

   

Pottery Barn Knock-off Pillow

  I love Pottery Barn pillows.  But ~ I can't always afford or justify spending  what they cost ~ even at the outlet prices. So, I decided to create my own knock-off of their "Holly Branch Embroidered Cover" and because I used a lot of what I already had around the house,  it cost me under $5 to make. ~ I found this photo from last year's Pottery Barn Christmas catalog and copied it as closely as I could, not having actually seen the pillow in person.  

  For the pillow fabric, I used a prewashed painter's drop cloth.  It was a little stiff for doing embroidery, but the thickness gives it lots of body and durability.   I started by tracing faint pencil lines for the main branches.  Then I made paper patterns for the holly leaves and pine cones, which were made from wool Goodwill sweaters that I had felted a few years ago.  I guess there are  advantages to never throwing things away after all.

 

   The rest is hours and hours of hand embroidery.  I worked on it mainly while  watching TV in the evenings and through one very close and tense  college football game last Saturday.   

  It's been years since I've done any embroidery work, so the stitching isn't the best,  but I had fun and it works for me.

I finished up the pillow with self-cording to dress it up  a little and a zipper for easy removal.  

  It has found a nice home on the club chair with my newly purchased Pottery Barn chenille throw.  They make a cozy and comfy pair.

  So now, my favorite living room chair is ready for some Christmas chilling.  

 

  Linking with ~ The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays ~ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday ~ Mod Vintage Life for Mod Mix Monday ~ The Everyday Home for The Scoop ~ A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday ~ Common Ground for Be Inspired  

Soup of the Week

  This week's soup is one of my favorites and very much a crowd pleaser.  It's also a  quick and easy soup to make, which is the best part.  

  If you're looking for a meaty soup with lots of flavor for a cold winter day, this one fits the bill.  

  Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini  

1 pound hot or mild ground sausage

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

4 (14.5-ounce) cans tomatoes, undrained and chopped

2 cups water

1 T. chopped fresh fennel or 1 tsp. dried fennel seeds

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper

1 (9-ounce) package tortellini

Remove ground sausage from casing; crumble sausage in a large Dutch oven.  Add garlic and onion; cook until meat is browned.  Add tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and add to soup.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Yield:  11 cups.

I've been making this soup since 1990 and it was originally printed in the Southern Living 1988 Annual Recipes edition.

Enjoy.

Sweet & Simple Decorating

  The older I get, the more I want simple when it comes to Christmas decorating.  I've come to the conclusion it's because of having to drag everything down from upstairs and the uncomfortable position of bending over in the attic that hurts my back.  At least I hope that's all it is and that I'm not becoming a Scrooge. I found these lovely live green wreaths at Home Depot over Black Friday weekend for only $5 and I want to fill my house with them.  Their fragrance is simply divine.    

  This one is hanging over my bedroom dresser on vintage window frames and adorned with my "LOVE" needlework and two distressed Christmas trees.  

  This is my kind of decorating ~ sweet & simple.  

 

    Linking with ~ A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday

Making a Holiday Wreath

  I made this wreath for my office last year after Christmas when all the holiday decorations were greatly discounted and could be bought at bargain prices. I had seen several of these ornament wreaths around on blogs and Pinterest and they sounded easy enough to make, so I thought I'd give it a try.  

  I purchased a large container of ornaments in these colors and then added smaller ornaments that I already had for filling in the small openings.  You start with a coat hanger that you take apart and twist into a circular shape.  It's as easy as sliding the ornaments onto the coat hanger and arranging them as you go.  There were a few ornaments in the container that were flattened on one side and I used this to my advantage to get a closer fit on the wreath, as seen in this picture.  

  You can also use any flattened ornaments on the back side or even cut part of the ornament off so it will lay flatter against the door or wall.   As I got the ornaments where I wanted them, I used hot glue to keep them in place because they do want to move around.  I also hot glued in the smaller ornaments for filler and they are not attached to the coat hanger.

The back side of this wreath is by no means pretty, but then who is seeing that side of it? Because this wreath has a lot of dimension to it, you will need a pretty long  wire on the back to hang it with.  

   I picked these colors for my wreath because my office has a beach theme and is in all blues and white.  It makes a striking accent to a room I don't intend to decorate a lot and leaves the room looking very festive.

    Linking with ~ Mod Vintage Life for Mod Mix Monday ~ The Everyday Home for The Scoop

Our Family Thanksgiving

  I have quite a large family.  Three of my siblings live out of state, but five of us live here in town.  When we have a family get together, it is usually held at one of the larger homes. In this case, Thanksgiving is at my sister's home and dinner is served in their eat-in kitchen, where three tables are put together, end to end.  

  Since none of us has dinnerware to serve 25 people, the last couple years I have taken four different sets of dishes to her house and set a Thanksgiving table for the family. Fortunately, all four of these sets coordinate beautifully for a fall table, especially when you add pretty napkins and napkin rings.  

  A burlap table runner is laid down the middle of the table to tie everything together.  

  And of course every table needs a centerpiece.  This is the one I shared in a previous post that was made from what I had around the house.  

  Since I had an abundant supply of volunteer white gourds from my summer garden, I put one on each plate ~ another way to bring consistency to the table.  

  And so ~ with a few pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, and four sets of dishes ~ a large family can be served in a very festive manner. Giving thanks for my wonderful family and the fellowship we enjoy in each others company.  

  Wishing you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Nature's Ornaments

  Like most of you, I'm anxious to start decorating for Christmas, but  feel like I must wait until after Thanksgiving. Outside of my bedroom window is a honeysuckle tree that still has  it's red berries.  The birds love these berries, but for some reason,  they have left these behind for me to enjoy.  

   As the snow was gently falling today I realized how much the berries look like  Christmas ornaments ~ nature's way of decorating.

I love how they look against the gray shingles of my house.  

  And so while I still feel obligated to wait until after Thanksgiving to pull out the decorations, nature is obliging me with red berries and snow.  

  Linking with ~ Mod Vintage Life for Mod Mix Monday