Crazy January 2011 Challenge, Cross Stitch, recipes, Shepherd's Bush, Victoria Sampler, Works in Progress

January Challenge – Day 3

Anne S

I couldn’t resist putting a few more stitches into Shepherd’s Bush’s Baby Bug Ball this morning – I can’t believe how much I am in love with that design!  It is soooo not my normal choice of stitching project, but I absolutely and totally adore it!  I didn’t stitch the next few alphabet letters as it’s supposed to use a thread colour that is way too pale on the fabric – I thought I’d wait to see what colours were left over at the end, and I would replace that colour with one of the darker greens (but I don’t want to use it yet in case I run out!).  After the 15 days are up, this is is going to be one of the first getting revisited, I think! 😀

I was good, however, and didn’t continue stitching on BBB, and continued to meet the challenge goals by putting a few stitches into Victoria Sampler’s Crimson Fire Sampler.  This one is a major challenge for me, as it’s been forever since I stitched any hardanger or pulled/withdrawn thread stitches, so it will give the grey matter a run for its money this year!  I wanted to get this stitched up, though, so I can pass the chart on to an online pal who showed interest in it a couple of years ago (assuming she still wants it, of course!).

Seeing as I’ve handled pretty much all I can cope with today with these specialty stitches (probably thanks to the 3am finish this morning), I thought I’d put it to one side and pick up something simple, and I’m hoping to get a few more stitches put into the Autumn freebie by the Stitcherhood that I started late last year 🙂

Over the last few days I’ve also been working on a couple of my listed items on my 1001 things in 101 days – including putting together a custom recipe book.  I went with something simple, and just put together a ringbinder with plastic sleeves and subject dividers – that way when I find a scrummy recipe in one of my books I’ll re-type it up into a one-page format and will add it to my favourite recipes folder.  Seeing as I’m also trying to cook something out of every cookbook I own, hopefully I’ll also find some new favourites to help fill out the sections.  The great thing about this format is that I can take pages out individually to cook from, and the sleeves protect the recipe and can either be wiped down in case of spillage or just replaced with the recipe left intact 🙂

I think I may also try to make a quilted book-cover for this at some stage, but that may not be this year … the goal of putting the book together in the first place is good enough for me to tick this challenge off the list as “achieved”.

One of the latest recipes I added was some simple finger food sandwiches from the Aussie Women’s Weekly book “Finger Food” – these were wolfed down recently at our work’s shared morning tea … I thought I’d share the goodness with you here (AWW books are some of my absolute favourites on my bookshelf):

SMOKED SALMON, CAPER AND DILL TRIANGLES

Triangles can be made 2 hours ahead.  Storage: Covered in refrigerator.

200g packaged cream cheese
2 t lemon juice
1 T fresh dill sprigs
¼ t drained capers
12 slices white bread
180g sliced smoked salmon

Blend or process cheese, juice, dill and capers until well combined.  Spread 1 slice of bread with cheese mixture, top with a layer of salmon.

Spread a second slice of bread with cheese mixture, place cheese side down on salmon.  Spread top with cheese mixture, top with a layer of salmon.

Spread a third slice of bread with cheese mixture, place cheese side down on salmon.  Trim crusts from sandwich, cut into 8 triangles.  Repeat with remaining bread, cheese mixture and salmon.

Makes 32

Published by Anne S

Brightening my life one stitch or one card at a time, and sharing my joy of needlework and card-making.

16 thoughts on “January Challenge – Day 3”

  1. Wow, you are doing great with the Crazy Challenge. Isn’t it a very motivating challenge? I’m also in the full swing of things, but I still have to post about it.
    Wishing you a great stitching year 2011!

  3. I love your recipe book idea – my MIL created one a few years ago to give to her children, as they were forever asking her for her recipes.

    I don’t own a lot of cookbooks, but my “go to” is the Australian Women’s Weekly “Cooking Class Cookbook” – it’s so great to have some Australian recipes. It’s OOP now, and my copy is rather doggy-eared. I think that one day, I’m going to have to type out the recipes, and create my own binder.

    Your VS start is looking good, and I like your progress on Baby Bug Ball – I haven’t stitched a SB piece for a while, but I might have to add this one to my wish list – not sure where I would put it, though, when finished!

  4. Ah, a project with hardanger! I’m not (currently) brave enough to try it again. Maybe someday. For now I’m content to be impressed with your skills. The salmon triangles sound delish! Your cookbook idea sounds awesome.

  6. Good job with keeping up with your challenges! Baby Bug Ball is adorable! That recipe sounds delicious and your recipe book is a great idea.

  8. Happy New Year Anne. You have some wonderful projects lined up for this year including those favorite recipes. What a great idea.

  9. I adore reading your blog! It’s sooo interesting and full of all kinds of ambitious ideas, on which you follow up. I love BBB, and isn’t it wonderful that you love stitching on it?

    I’m really looking forward to reading your newsy posts and seeing your challenge projects taking shape now that I’m back in the loop and feeling better!

    1. You really should start it – I still feel quite shell-shocked at how much in love I am with this piece – didn’t think you’d ever hear me say that about one of the SB ‘pastel’ series! 😛

  12. Thank you for the lovely well wishes and kind thoughts,
    Anne! You are coming along wonderfully with your CJC… Love your wee baby Lorikeets! So adorable! And BBB is so very pretty! I’ve signed up for the “Up for a Challenge” blog… Finish 15 WIP’s… I just could not start 15 more until I finished some of my WIP’s… I’m usually a one project at a time stitcher and then of course Startitis strikes and I must start something new and then I end up stitching on that project until it’s finished or until Startitis strikes again… lol

    Wishing you much love and joy and Blessings in the New Year, my dear… and loads of stitching time and since you stitched all day on New Years it should be a given! 🙂

    Blessings always in stitches…
    Lizzy
    xox

  13. I’ve seen BBB all stitched up by Annemarie and it is fabulous!! Isn’t it funny how we find ourselves stitching “outside of the box” sometimes? Enjoy!

  14. I am so impressed by your ENERGY!!! You’re putting in a lot of work on each of your starts for the challenge. And they’re all so different. Great choices. Even though having that many WIPs would make me crazy I’m really enjoying watching your progress.

  15. It must be hard to tear yourself away from that cute Baby Bug! It’s so funny that you’re making plans for after the 15 day start period….I’m doing the same! I can’t wait to get back to my Quaker Boo.

    I can’t wait to see the Crimson Fire Sampler when it’s completed. It’s going to be stunning. You have chosen such interesting projects.

    Thanks for the recipe! I love salmon and this recipe looks easy enough for even me to try! ;O)

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