Pay it Forward

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to win a Pay it Forward gift from the lovely Emily at Ravenhill. I was amazed at how quickly I received her package all the way from Norway. Inside...this gorgeous pin that she made...

...as well as a lovely card, a vintage doily, and some candy!

Thank you so much Emily!!

(And, Emily is hosting another giveaway, so if you would like a chance at some beautiful kimono fabric, pay her a visit before Dec. 3!)

Which brings me to the giveaway I mentioned a few days ago. In return for the gift from Emily, I promised to pay my good fortune forward to three others. So here it is: "I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise!The only thing you have to do in return is 'Pay it Forward' by making the same promise on your blog."

road trip

(Black) Friday, we decided a drive would be much nicer than fighting the crowds at the shopping malls. We headed to Niagara Falls to view the sacred relics on display at St Mary of the Cataract Church...

..."the oldest church structure in the city. The first European to see Niagara Falls was Father Louis Hennepin in the year 1678. When Saint John Brebeuf visited the Canadian side of the Falls, he saw a cross in the heavens near the site of where Saint Mary's now stands; its sacristy, built in 1813, is the oldest structure in continuous use in Niagara Falls. The taller steeple is designed to equal the height of the American Falls."

Despite the cold, we decided to stop at Devil's Hole State Park...

...still covered in snow from our Thanksgiving snowfall.

"Devil's Hole State Park overlooks the lower Whirlpool rapids. A beautiful walkway leads down from the park along the turbulent Niagara River 300 feet into the wooded gorge and offers an up-close, spectacular view of the gorge's rapids."


We had a nice walk around, til our teeth began to chatter and all we could think of was some hot chocolate.
*All pictures courtesy of my daughter.

Thank you everyone for such nice comments about the tea cozies. I am trying hard to get caught up with e-mails! I also have some special (gifty) mail to share and will be announcing a giveaway by the end of the week. See you then :)

some 'cozy' sewing

I've been having a lot of fun sewing tea cozies and matching patchwork teapot mats...some from vintage linens, and some I have embroidered myself on new linen.

If your teapot needs a new winter wardrobe, these sets plus a couple more can be found at the Firefly Farm shop.

Ready, set....Thanksgiving!

(Remember the beautiful banner Clarice shared)

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen today. My goal was to get as much ready as possible for tomorrow...Tom is all set to be stuffed and popped in the oven, the potatoes are mashed with garlic & cream cheese, the squash cooked, dough is in the fridge for the dinner rolls, and applesauce and cranberries are ready.

The table is set...

...and a couple of pies baked ~ peach/blueberry and a chocolate cream.
So tomorrow I can concentrate on all I'm thankful for!

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving day. Thank you for visiting with me for the last two years!

the weekend

My day of rest...
...some magazines, some knitting and a cozy fire in the woodstove. And I think I'll check out a local craft show, if I can bear to venture out into the cold.
Have a restful day!

corners of my home

I found these old, industrial-looking wire baskets at a flea market. It seemed a waste to keep them hidden as under-the-bed storage, so they've found a new home in the kitchen...
...where they are nicely holding tablecloths, napkins, and domed food covers.
More 'corners' here.

sewing ~ good for the soul

It's been a gray gloomy morning, and I feel about as dull as the weather. Even my chores, which I usually don't mind, seem monotonous today ~stripping bedding, doing laundry, washing dishes~ as well as wiping down kitchen cabinets and the dusty top of the fridge, and steam cleaning some of the carpeting. I've lit a small fire in the woodstove to help dry out the carpet and I think some sewing is in order to lift the spirits!

One project I have been looking forward to was actually prompted by the picture of the stuffed birds on the front of Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts. This book is on my Christmas list ~ I would love to own it!! Since I don't (yet), I am going with a Christmas bird pattern from Quick & Easy Christmas Bazaar Crafts by Jim Williams. This is one of the birds that I made several years ago...

These are the fabrics I'm going to use, which I think will be the perfect colors for the little Christmas tree I put in the foyer each year...

I am determined to squeeze in time to make these before Christmas (along with all the other works in progress), and will post some pictures.

Happily I have actually completed a sewing project recently...The design is from Lotta's book, Simple Sewing, and I highly recommend it. I found her instructions very easy to follow, and I really like how the bag is constructed. I made this tote for myself, but then felt guilty as Christmas is so near...so I have made it available in the shop.

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!

waffle knit dishcloth pattern

Lots and lots of dishcloths have been flying out of the Firefly Farm shop ~thank you all for the support!

My favorite is a pattern I came up with using the raised box stitch, which gives the dishcloth a great waffle texture. For anyone interested in making it, I would like to share the pattern. Wouldn't several of these, along with some of Mrs Meyers dish soap, make a nice Christmas gift?

Waffle Knit Dishcloth
from Homespun Living

Materials: 1 ball Lion cotton yarn; additional yarn for colored stripe, if desired.
Size 6 needles (4.25 mm)

Directions:

Cast on 38 stitches.
Knit 3 rows for border.

Waffle Knit Pattern:
Row 1: (right side): Knit.

Row 2: K 3, purl to last 3 stitches, k 3.

Row 3: K 3, (P 2, k 1) 10 times, p 2, k 3.

Row 4: K 3, (K 2, p 1) 10 times, k 5.

Work this 4 row pattern, 6 times. If a colored center stripe is desired, change yarn now and work rows 1 – 4, 2 times in desired color.
Change back to main color and work the 4 row pattern, 6 times.

Knit last 4 rows.
Bind off and weave in ends.

Hallowe'en 'corners'

Some minimal decorating after finally finding my 'misplaced' decorations...