this shows up at your door…
and you still have this sitting on your craft desk!
I scrambled quickly last night to get just this little bit finished, so I would have some progress to post today. It’s rather pathetic.
Some embroidery on my Christmas bells, and my “R” is half sewn on. As for my other holiday projects, I have even less to show. I did purchase the linen for my Twelve Days of Christmas stockings, but it’s still in the bag, and I actually started a very large Twelve Days of Christmas appliqué quilt, but that one may actually have to be tabled ‘til Christmas 2010.
I do have a quick question for all of you. In the past, I have only ever done cross stitch on aida cloth. My stockings will be my first attempt at stitching on linen. Is there anything I should be aware of? Any tips or tricks you can offer?
As you can see, my Christmas projects have unfortunately been moved to the back burner lately, which makes me sad because they are the most fun for me to work on, but I have a lot of big things coming up in the near future, so that makes up for it. Hopefully, in the next week or two I’ll have some exciting news to share about Nikki, In Stitches!
Now, as promised, a Christmas project for all of you. It’s a good one!
Fruit infused vodka!
I found my inspiration for these in Martha Stewart’s special Christmas magazine last year, but found the actual recipes on her 
website. I made a batch of Chile-Pepper-Infused Vodka, which is really just drop in the peppers and you’re done , but the real show stopper is the Cranberry-and-Orange. It’s a little more work, but well worth the effort. Just in case you’re wondering what I did with all of this vodka… these make great gifts. I made my own labels for the jars, then put two or three in a cute fabric bag, and gave them to the host or hostess at all the holiday parties we went to. I also kept a few in my frig. You know someone will stop by with a gift that you forgot to put on your list of people to buy presents for, and these are the perfect thing to keep on hand so you always have something to give in return!
[Photo from Martha Stewart]
Enjoy,
Nikki, In Stitches
Loved your post. Your “R” is absolutely beautiful. You are doing a fantastic job. Love it.
I had not heard of the cranberry & orange vodka. Your photos look great. As I make a lot of gift baskets for silent auction & fundraisers, I need to give this a try. It looks & sounds so great, I’m sure it would help make a spectacular gift basket.
Thanks for sharing.
SewCalGal
http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
I recognize those Christmas applique blocks! And I know they came all the way from Scottsdale.
Oh, I love cranberry & orange anything! I can imagine it would add a nice flavor to many foods too. I like other liquors more than vodka, but it does sound like a great gift!
Ref the linen, I would try it out on a smaller project first. Seriously. I’ve done Hardanger and cross stitch on linen for probably 15 years or so, but I still remember my first project. I bit off more than I could chew, that’s for sure! It just takes some getting used to. Feel free to email if there’s anything I can help you with.