Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow
or reap
or store away in barns,
and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable then they?
~ Matthew 6:26

]]> http://www.kathykwylie.com/blog/2011/12/merry-christmas-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.kathykwylie.com/blog/2011/11/spinning-star-free-pattern/ http://www.kathykwylie.com/blog/2011/11/spinning-star-free-pattern/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:47:35 +0000 kkwylie http://www.kathykwylie.com/blog/?p=3161 Spinning Star - a design that can be used any number of ways, including appliqued, quilted, and beaded - plus a recipe for our traditional Christmas Eve tourtiere. Thanks for stopping by!]]> Welcome to another destination on the Canadian Christmas blog hop!  I hope you have enjoyed the creative designs presented by my colleagues so far, not to mention their mouth-watering recipes.  This week, I present “Spinning Star” – a design that can be used any number of ways.  Appliqué it onto circular coasters; stitch it on your next quilt; bead it on a star-shaped ornament; or come up with your unique “spin” on it!  I am also sharing our recipe for tourtière – a family tradition passed down through my French-Canadian matriarchs.  We enjoy this pastry-covered pie of ground pork, potatoes and onions on Christmas Eve.  Thanks for stopping by!

Download Spinning Star Templates here.

Spinning Star ~ Appliquéd Coasters

To prepare the Spinning Star appliqué:

• Trace the double-line Spinning Star onto the paper side of fusible web
• Iron onto wrong side of appliqué fabric
• Cut out on traced lines

To prepare the round coaster:

• Trace the inner 4″ circle onto the paper side of fusible web
• Iron the 4″ circle onto the wrong side of background fabric
• Cut out on traced lines
• Trace two outer 4 1/4″ circles onto the paper side of fusible web
• Iron the 4 1/4″ circles onto the wrong side of fabric used for appliqué
• Cut out on traced lines

To assemble the coaster:

• Peel off the paper backing from one 4 1/4″ circle
• Fuse the two 4 1/4″ circles, wrong sides together, leaving one layer of paper between to add stiffness
• Peel off the paper backing from the 4″ circle
• Center the 4″ circle on the 4 1/4″ circle and fuse in place
• Center the Spinning Star on the 4″ circle and fuse in place (image will be reversed)
• Fuse a layer of Heat’n Bond Vinyl to top or both sides, following manufacturer’s directions

Spinning Star ~ Quilted Star

Using a water-soluble fabric marker:

• Mark quilt top with double-line Spinning Star or single-line, as desired
• Also mark the straight-line five-pointed star, if desired

For trapunto, using the double-line Spinning Star motif:

• Layer quilt top with a layer of high-loft batting, such as wool or polyester, and baste
• Using water-soluble thread in the needle and cotton thread in the bobbin, machine stitch the Spinning Star
• Trim the batting close to the machine stitching
• Layer the quilt top with batting and backing, and baste
• Using matching or contrasting thread, machine stitch the Spinning Star and the five-pointed star
• Fill the area inside the five-pointed star and around the Spinning Star with tight stippling
• Add other quilting, as desired
• Rinse completed quilt in water to dissolve the water-soluble thread and remove markings, block, and lay flat to dry

Spinning Star ~ Beaded Ornament

To bead the Spinning Star motif:

• Trace the single-line Spinning Star onto the right side of ornament fabric
• If desired, add a layer of batting and machine stitch on the traced line
• Using either the traced line or the machine-stitched line, hand sew seed beads along the Spinning Star, back-stitching every three or four beads to secure

To assemble the five-pointed star ornament:

• Make a template of the five-pointed star
• Use the template to cut out the beaded front, adding a 1/4-inch seam allowance
• Use the template to cut out another star for the back of the ornament, again adding a 1/4-inch seam allowance
• With right sides together, sew the front and back together leaving an opening between an inside and outside point
• Clip curves and trim seam allowance, then turn five-pointed star right side out
• Use a crochet hook or other dull-tipped instrument to push out star points
• Slip stitch opening closed
• Add a bugle and seed bead to four of the star points
• To create a hanging loop on the fifth star point, string a length of seed beads and fasten securely through the first bead on the string

Photography from Thibeault's Table, www.thibeaultstable.com

Tourtière

Ingredients:
pastry for double-crust pie
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup water
1 onion, finely chopped
2 potatoes, cooked and mashed
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. clove
1 tsp. salt, pepper, garlic

Directions:

1. In a frying pan, cook ground pork, water and onion for 25 minutes.  Drain some of the liquid.
2. In a mixing bowl, add mashed potatoes and seasonings to the cooked pork mixture and mix well.
3. Place mixture in an uncooked pie shell.
4. Add pastry to top of pie.  Trim and flute edges as desired.
5. Bake at 400° for 20 – 25 minutes.

Serve with Garden Relish, Garden Salad Red Chow, or Salsa.  To freeze, cool completely after cooking.  Thaw and reheat before serving.

2010

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”  ~ Luke 2:8-11

John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” ~ John 1:28-30

Worthy is the Lamb,
who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!
~ Revelation 5:12

2009

Spray-painted pink pine cones

I finished decorating the Christmas tree over the weekend.  Opening up those boxes and getting out the ornaments is like a trip down memory lane.  I’ve added many ornaments to my collection over the years, and even deleted a few.  But the ones I thought I would share with you now are the ones that I made myself.

I can still remember my very first Christmas tree.  I mean the one that I bought myself for my first apartment.  I can remember carrying it home (it was small) because I didn’t yet own a car.  I must have bought a set of lights, but other than that, the only other ornaments on the tree were hand-strung garlands of popcorn and cranberries.  I thought that tree was beautiful.

Lace ribbon bows

After my husband and I moved into our first house, I made ornaments for the tree for two reasons.  One was financial, certainly, as we had so many expenses just starting out and Christmas tree ornaments weren’t a priority.  But the other reason was that I wanted the tree to be pink- and cream- colored, and this was before the era of decorator trees.  If I wanted pink and cream ornaments, I would have to make them myself.

Then, over time, I bought some very nice kits from Mary Maxim catalogues.  There were intricate embroidered ornaments, sewn and stuffed into various shapes.  A set of glass balls was decorated with ribbons, flowers, and lace.  My favorite was a set of lace doilies that were painted with glue and formed into various shapes.  Once they were dry, they were embellished with flowers, pearls, ribbon and greenery.

Embroidered heart

Decorated glass ball

Doily ornament

Pearl beads ornament

I went to a ladies’ Christmas event at church one year where we learned how to make a lovely ornament from a string of beads.  I liked that ornament so much, I went straight out and bought a spool of pearl-colored beads and made myself a set of twelve!  Those ornaments, along with purchased icicles, really transform my tree every year. 

Our Christmas tree now has a lot of store-bought ornaments on it too, and they are special for different reasons.  But I always enjoy opening those boxes of handmade ornaments and all the special memories that go along with them.

1998

1999

Every year, I make a Christmas ornament.  Or, I suppose I should say, I make a bunch of them.  A different handmade ornament, every year.  Since 1998, the ornaments have been made of fabric, fused to a black felt background, and embellished with buttons, beads or embroidery.  They’re easy to make and they come in very handy.

Initially, I made them for my neices and nephews.  I fuse a piece of muslin on the back where I write their name and date with a Pigma pen.  I then attach the ornament to their Christmas gift, like a gift tag.  My thought was that they could collect them, year by year, and maybe one day I would make a quilt for them to hang on. 

2000

2001

2002

2003

Eventually, I realized these little ornaments had other uses.  They could be a little gift for teachers, newspaper boys, or house cleaners.  I could attach them to hostess gifts and gift cards.  Children of my friends started their own collections.  They were a simple way to add a personal touch to Christmas wishes.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

This series of ornaments come from a pattern called Here Comes Santa by Art to Heart.  Each ornament was designed to attach to a wallhanging from buttons on the quilt.  I’m not sure whether I’ll ever make the accompanying quilt, but I sure have enjoyed making a new ornament every year.  This pattern is still available if you would like to start your own collection of annual handmade Christmas ornaments.

What ornament will I make this year?  I haven’t decided yet – and besides, I can’t spoil the surprise!