Storque articles by mtraub

Etsy Finds: Deviant Behavior

2009-12-19T10:20:00-05:00

It's the season for sharing, so why not spread the love for your most unique of Etsy Favorites? Each week I look forward to the searches I must conduct in the name of the Keep it Weird series on Etsy's blog. I meander from "specimen" to "macabre," discovering creations that compel me to raise high the roof beams! Let these Etsy Finds lead you to strange and glorious realms.

Sheet plastinate plastination specimen

By plastinate, $89.

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shout at the devil leather bra top

By toxicvision, $95.

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Handbag Imagination for a violin

By litarbags, $330.

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Dryad of Theurgy

By TheurgyDolls, $50.

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Terra Has the High Score

By johndelucca, $25.

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LL king cog

By dancesippydance, $90.

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2 string Avocado guitar

By celentanowoodworks, $175.

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The Tenor...ring

By petekguven, $17.90.

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Rocks Pillbox

By prettygoodthings, $100.

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Large Cyprus Lamp

From Hindsvik, $85.

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you will find me with an axe - lightbox

By munstre, $139.99.

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Bitchin Chicken III Oil Painting

By darkvomit, $500.

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Cthulhu Octopus Tentacle Neck Corset

By idolatre, $50.

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Prep Wash Soap (with Syringe)

By amandalouise, $6.

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Teapot of inner warmth

By AdrienArt, $130.

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Highly Detailed Elderly Female Hands

By GaProps, $39.95.

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Push Button Receive Bacon Magnet

By DesignDude, $2.99.

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exploding oven headpiece

By hiGuys, $50.

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Eyepod Pendant

By TheHappyAcorn, $13.50.

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spinning wheel - SpinCycle 2009

By shantyfolk, $450.

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Kitschy felt pillow

By mishima, $30.

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SALE Holiday Fancypack

By carrotcake, $38.

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Pregnant Pam - Character doll

By littleclouds, $15.50.

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Families are like Fudge

By janusdesigns, $35.

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BARBEQUING YETI - photograph

By mattdpictures, $150.

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Vintage Denture/Teeth Models

From twoartdirectors, $35.

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Living Dead Girl Jar

By MotherMacabre, $35.

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The Sewing Machine Is Beautiful print

By RichterFineArt, $15.

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Twisted Poppets 8 - Penni

By filialunadesigns, $345.

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Creepy cartoon bug dress

By devaniweaver, $335.

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Life Sized Wooden Space Ship

By mangopork, $9997.

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Fawn Pug Doll with Balloon

By millercampbell, $300.

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Ghost- Wearable Art

By snegoratchka, $7200.

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Fancy Bandages. Figure No. 2. From 1908

From SurrenderDorothy, $16.89.

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Kidney Watercolor Art Giclee Print

By seabelly, $13.

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Beaver Gauges--0gauge

By RatBoygirl, $25.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Trends | Gift Ideas

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How-Tuesday: Sweater Computer Cozy From Refashioned Bags

2009-12-15T10:46:00-05:00

When it comes to tech possessions, we all have to try a little harder to express our individuality. I carry around my computer, phone, and mp3 player, self-conscious of the fact that I am merely one in a sea of identical metallic cubes. I may not be able to customize my electronics quite the way I like, but boundless opportunity arises in their accessories. Why spend money on some uninspired plastic case made in a factory halfway across the world, when you can create your own upcycled masterpiece? This week's How-Tuesday comes from Faith and Justina Blakeney's Refashioned Bags, teaching us how to turn a sweater that's past its prime into a laptop's fuzzy best friend.

Purchase Refashioned Bags from Amazon or an independent bookseller

Recycling and reappopriating everyday items into designer accessories is fun, cheap, easy, and oh-so-eco!

But have no fear; you need not be a seamstress or a metalsmith to make it happen. This book, like recycling, is for everybody. With just a few basic tools and a spare afternoon, you'll be making everyday bags, utility bags, totes and shoppers, clutches, and other small bags for special occasions.

So it's time to get creative, clean out the closets, and discover what hidden treasures lie within. Your wardrobe, your wallet, and your planet will thank you.

We all have mini fashion disasters — buttons falling off of coats, stains, and worst of all, shrinking that fave old sweater in the wash. At the Compai Compound, we have learned to see these mishaps as windows of opportunity. So the next time your favorite wool sweater ends up in the wash, don't use it to clean your bathroom floor — hook your computer up with a new winter wardrobe!

Quick Tip: Make sure the sweater is made of at least 80 percent animal fiber (wool, alpaca, cashmere — you know, the good stuff), or it won't felt. Then machine wash your sweater in hot water and dry it on hot in the dryer.

You'll Need
1 old wool sweater
3 yards (2.7m) yarn
1 zipper, about 20" (51cm) long
Pins

Dimensions
16" x 10" (32cm x 25.5cm)

1. Wash your wool sweater on hot so that it shrinks and "felts." Dry your sweater.

2. If your sweater has a zipper or buttons that open the sweater in front, cut them off. If it does not, cut the front of the sweater open anyway.

3. Cut the sleeves of the sweater off.

4. Stitch both armholes closed.

5. As shown, fold the sweater on its side so that one of the stitched armholes lies center-front. Place your laptop computer onto the sweater. Mark the length of the computer with pins on the sweater. Cut the collar and the bottom off of the sweater so that the remaining piece is 1/2" (13mm) longer than the computer on each side.

6. Sew the top edges of the bag together with a clean finish.

7. Pin the zipper onto the open edge of the case, wrapping it around the open corner of the sweater. Stitch the zipper into place and then whipstitch any remaining openings closed if the zipper doesn't reach the bottom corner of the case.

8. The pom-poms on our design were originally part of the sweater that we used, but if you'd like to add pom-poms to your design, wrap the yarn in a figure 8 around your index finger and thumb, in small loops, about 70 times. Pull the looped figure 8 off your fingers, then wrap the yarn around the center of those loops several times, tie a knot. Cut the loops open and throw the pom-pom in the dryer. When the dry cycle is complete, tie the pom-pom to the hole in the zipper pull.

Thanks to Faith & Justina Blakeney and the good folks at Potter Craft for sharing this project with us. For more upcycling inspiration, check out Refashioned Bags.

More How-Tuesday Posts | Supplies Category | The Do-It-Yourselfer Gift Guide

Keep it Weird: In the Ecozone

2009-12-11T15:00:00-05:00

Is global warming the Debbie Downer to your unseasonably pleasant winter? Before biodiversity drowns under melting glaciers, let's celebrate the ecological niches of eccentricity. This week's Keep it Weird took me on an off-roading tour of biomes. I'd love to inhabit any of these environments, where the strange is a particularly aggressive invasive species.

Explore the ecosystems with Desert Couture by attilladesign, Forest Triple Lipped Vase by ingermaaike, and Muncher - Driftwood Monster by SeanGrady. Check out the Related Items below for weird in its natural habitat.

More Keep it Weird Posts | Swamp Creatures | Driftwood Sculptures

How-Tuesday: Gingerbread Man Puppets From Felting for Baby

2009-12-08T15:50:00-05:00

Craft projects provide ample opportunities to spend time with your family and build anticipation for the holiday in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The sound of slippered little feet scrambling down the stairs will be irresistible! Saori Yamazaki's Felting for Baby offers beautiful inspiration to create everything soft and warm your baby needs. For this week's How-Tuesday, Saori shares the fundamentals of felting three-dimensional forms along with her pattern for Gingerbread Man Puppets to get your baby's first Christmas started off just right.

Purchase Felting for Baby from Amazon or an independent bookseller

Felt work involves taking fluffy wool fibers and working with them until the fabric is just the way you like. The items you can make vary widely, and there's no limit to what you can do with your ideas: making cute accessories, practical bags, and items for everyday life.

Making something by hand for someone else is a lot of fun, but a special joy is found in making something for a tiny, tiny baby. For example, if you're making booties, you can't help thinking of the cute little feet that you are making them for, and you find yourself smiling. A regular population explosion has been happening among my friends in recent years, and even though I enjoy buying baby gifts in a store, most of the time, my friends expect something handmade. At times like that, I get excited about making something.

I'm confident that my friends are pleased with the warmth of fine handmade felt items. I'd like all of you to try your hand at making felt items, too, whether for an infant, for someone else, or even for yourself.

Getting Started

The basic principle behind felt work is taking fluffy, raw wool fibers and intertwining them to create a stable form. This process is the act of felting. Wet Felting: In this technique, you take a small amount of liquid detergent, add it to hot water (this mixture is referred to simply as hot, soapy water in this book), moisten the wool fibers with it, and push and rub the fibers into shape. The chemical properties and heat of the liquid detergent, and the vibration and friction from your hands, cause the wool fibers to entwine and mat evenly, resulting in a smooth, strong fabric. This efficient technique is appropriate for making sheets of felt or felt with a lot of volume.

Tools and Materials:
The main type of wool used in this book is known as roving, which is raw wool that has been cleaned, carded, and gathered into long strips.

Shallow Basin: A shallow basin or container of some kind is useful when making a sheet of felt as it helps to contain the water used in the felting process. Alternately, you can use the kitchen sink.

Hot, Soapy Water: Add 3 or 4 drops of dishwashing detergent to about 1 quart of hot water. Adjust the amount so that it will foam slightly when you apply it to the wool, and rub. The hotter the water is, the faster the felting process will occur. Lukewarm or cold water takes more time.

Watering Can: Use this to sprinkle the carded wool lightly with hot, soapy water so that it doesn't separate. A spray bottle also works.

Waterproof Pattern Paper: Make patterns for your projects from a material that will not lose its shape when wet. Plastic sheeting and bubble wrap work well, but you can use the coated cardboard from milk cartons, too.

Wooden Dowel: You can advance the felting process by wrapping the wool around a wooden dowel or rolling pin. The larger your project is, the thicker the rolling pin should be.

How to Make Bag-Shaped and Three-Dimensional Forms

1. Arrange Side A
Take about 1 ounce of wool and divide it into eight equal strands. Make two layers, one horizontal and one vertical, on the pattern paper, using one strand of wool per layer. Even out the area, and spread out the wool so that it's a bit larger than the pattern area. (I refer to the front of the bag as side A and the back as side B.) Apply hot, soapy water to the two layers of wool and work it in thoroughly with your hands.

2. Work Side A
Turn the whole project over, along with the pattern paper. (If the piece is large, remove the pattern paper before turning it over and then replace it on the new top side.) If any of the fibers are sticking out, fold them over the pattern paper and work the edges and corners thoroughly.

3. Arrange Side B
Make two layers, one horizontal and one vertical, on another piece of pattern paper, using one strand of wool per layer. Then place side B on top of side A, pattern papers together.

4. Work Side B
Work the surface of side B with hot, soapy water, then turn the whole project over again. Turn it gently to make sure that the part you worked doesn't come apart or tear away.

5. Make a Bag Shape
As in step 2, fold over any wool fibers that stick out. Repeat steps 1 through 4 on both sides so that both sides have four layers of wool each.

6. Continue Felting
Put plastic bags over both hands, and start rubbing the felt in circular motions around the center, first gently, and then with more force. You can increase the pressure by pressing with the very tips of your fingers. Be sure to work the edges and corners thoroughly.

7. Pinch Test
Pinch a bit of the surface to see whether the fibers are firmly intertwined. (Be sure to check both side A and side B.) If the fibers come lose or break off, then the felting process is incomplete; repeat step 6.

8. Cut an Opening
Use scissors to cut an opening on the side that will be the mouth of the bag. (You'll felt the cult in step 11 to strengthen it.)

9. Remove the Pattern Paper
Slide the pattern papers out. Because the felting process is not yet complete on the inside of the bag, hold the bag carefully so that the insides don't stick to each other.

10. Turn It Right Side Out
Turn the bag right side out, taking care not to tear or stretch any of the felted fibers.

11. Felt the Edges and Opening
Flatten out the side edges of the bag and carefully rub and work them so that they felt. Since the opening cut in step 8 may be weak, work it for a while so that it's straight and sturdy.

12. Roll Up All Sides From Four Directions
Use a wooden dowel to roll up both side A and side B from the top, bottom, right, and left. Each time you unroll the felt, smooth out the wrinkles. If it starts to dry out, apply a little more hot, soapy water. Repeat this step until the whole piece has shrunk evenly and to the desired dimensions.

13. Shape the Bottom
Fold the bottom so that it's like a paper grocery bag, and rub and work it to form and stabilize the shape. Do the same with both side A and side B.

14. Make It Three-Dimensional
Stand the bag up, insert your hand, and flatten the inside bottom. Consider the proportions of the entire bag as you carefully felt the interior sides, angles, and opening, so that no distorted or uneven surfaces remain.

15. Adjust the Opening
Adjust the opening so that the bag is a uniform height. Apply some more hot, soapy water to the cut edges of the opening and work it in.

16. Stabilize the Shape
Rinse the bag in lukewarm water and briefly run it through the spin cycle of a washing machine. Stabilize the shape by ironing it, using a towel to keep the bag's shape.

17. Finishing
Let the felt dry naturally, and you will end up with the main body of a bag.

Finished Size 5 1/2" x 9 1/2"

Materials:
Wool for the main body: Natural or camel, 1 ounce
Wool for the face and buttons: Brown, small amounts

Instructions:
1. Divide the wool for the main body into eight parts.

2. Cut out a piece of pattern paper (download pattern here). Felt four layers of wool on both sides of the pattern paper to make a bag shape.

3. Cut an opening across the bottom, remove the pattern paper, and turn the puppet right side out. (Carefully use a rod to turn the arms and neck inside out.) Felt the puppet by rolling it up from all sides until it reaches the size indicated in the diagram.

4. Rinse and spin the puppet, iron it, and let it dry naturally.

5. Put a sponge inside the puppet and use a needle to felt the face and buttons onto the puppet.

Thanks to Saori Yamazaki and the good folks at Trumpeter Publishing for sharing this project with us. For more sweet wool, check out Felting for Baby.

More How-Tuesday Posts | Supplies Category | The Do-It-Yourselfer Gift Guide

Etsy Finds: Klondike Kiss

2009-12-08T11:44:00-05:00

This past weekend, I found myself in Washington, D.C. for its first snowfall of the season. There is something so pure and blissful about a white horizon that from childhood onwards elicits an intuitive desire to frolic. What better season to celebrate one's matrimony with exuberance? The luxury of a winter wedding inspires me to keep warm by dancing in the glow of candlelight. These Etsy Finds explore the snowflakes of lace and frost of sweet confections. For more bridal inspiration, check out the Weddings and Celebrations Gift Guides.

Freya Nuno Silk Ruffle Cape

By glamourjunkie, $225.

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Boxed Woodland

By decadentdesigns, $5.75.

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Magnificent Gourmet Brownie Pops

By thecatsmeowfavors, $43.80.

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jeweled bridal feather fascinator

By onelittledove, $60.

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Simply White Felt and Gold Earrings

By 3FUN, $18.

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Custom Wedding Cake Topper - Penguins

By RedLightStudio, $65.

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Lace and Chiffon Wedding Dress

By bridalblissdesigns, $498.

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Wedding gloves in thin dotted ivory mesh

By malam, $50.

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Bird Seed Favors, Decorations

By naturefavors, $39.95.

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Natural Birch Tea Light Candle Holder

By snowowlwoodshop, $6.

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Snow White

By BoringSidney, $90.

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Handpainted Egg - Home Decor

By KimArt, $8.99.

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80s White Lace Boots

From ramblinvintage, $62.

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Bridal Pair of Tatted Slave Bracelets

By TotusMel, $52.

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Pinecone Boutonniere

By AprilHilerDesigns, $6.50.

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Beautiful wrapped wool shawl

By TheIcelandicWool, $190.

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1 lb. White Chocolate Hot Chocolate Mix

By tetoncocoacompany, $18.

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fur .vintage. hat

From thevintagecloset, $68.

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Titanium and Wood Wedding Band

By ZoeAndDoyle, $199.

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Swag Invitation

By Cheerupcherup, $4.

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Cream Confection Capelet

By sundarose, $72.

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Magical Acorn Cake Toppers

By Fairyfolk, $25.

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Out All Night Ankle Boots

From 13bees, $98.

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Olivia

By jaybmillinery, $198.

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Poofda Wool Ring - Ivory Caramel

By beckaboodle, $20.

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snowflake silkscreened SILK necktie

By toybreaker, $40.

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Bridal blusher veil, convertible headband

By myrakim, $48.

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1890s Victorian Couture Wedding Gown

From TimelessVixenVintage, $425.

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Ruffle Wristlet- Frost Grey

By murwati, $24.

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Stretch lace headband

By GarlandsOfGrace, $10.99.

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3 tier cake stand Enoch

From mycakestand, $58.

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Large Tree Silhouette Papercutting

By jennyleefowler, $12.

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The Vintage Acrylic Lace Collar

From jessjamesjake, $32.

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Jatoba Cufflinks

By tkostura, $30.

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Le Katerina French Chantilly Capelet

By toccata, $170.

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3 Miniature Amber Glass Oil Lamps

From JodysVintage, $15.50.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Trends | Handmade Weddings Series

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Keep it Weird: Mangy Manger

2009-12-04T10:15:00-05:00

There is so much potential for self-expression in holiday decor that going traditional seems like a cop-out. If miracles of blazing oil or immaculate conception inspire you to reimagine our accepted constructs of reality, consider your tree a canvas for experimentation. How do you plan to provoke the relatives this year? Keep it Weird for God's sake!

Deck the halls with Hanukkah Fox Print by pamelaklaffke, Shower Art - Merry Buy Stuff Day by UglyBaby, and Art Doll Mouse Ornament by loopyboopy. Check out the Related Items below for a fire hazard of freaky.

More Keep it Weird Posts | Christmas Monsters | Vote for Super-Lux Gifts

Etsy Finds: Adventures in Manland

2009-12-02T12:10:00-05:00

Dudes in my life may say they morally oppose the materialism of shopping sprees, but I know when searching for holiday gifts that it's merely a matter of finding the right sort of materialism. The hunt for testosterone-friendly goods leads me to objects that will inspire experiences; these are gifts for living with gusto. Whether your man prefers an adventure in the woods, kitchen, studio, streets, soiree, or cyberspace, these Etsy Finds will invigorate his recreational pursuits. For more ideas, check out the Gift Guide for Him.

Natural Oatmeal Leg Warmers Adult Size

By thesittingtree, $58.

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leather handprinted journal customized

By inblue, $25.

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Brass Pocket Compass with Cover

By kapadesigns, $60.

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Tread Light Hat in Black Moose and White

By TreadLightGear, $75.

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shaving kit

By flyingbirdbotanicals, $21.75.

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Vintage Round Sunglasses

From thepuddingstorevint, $21.

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gourmet spice rub and barbeque kit

By purposedesign, $17.

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Tennessee Hardwood Cutting Board

By touchofparis, $27.

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Sans Serif Typography Wood Wall Art

By peppersprouts, $60.

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Sweet Home Guitar Strap - Leather

By moxieandoliver, $95.

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The coastline fools me, water and sand...

From Bigbrothervintage, $40.

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Bullet and Coyote Fang Pendant

By wildcatters, $35.

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Pinstripe Suit Cologne for Men

By GarnetandMoss, $10.

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1920s Bell and Howell 16mm camera

From SlothArt, $105.

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Hand Fabricated Sterling Silver Cufflinks

By SilverMadeStudio, $88.

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Dance Man

By digdowngallery, $25.

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Harley Hillclimber Beer Stein

By krystallin, $45.

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Churchkeys forged from railroad spikes

By hammeronsteel, $44.

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Tongue Drum (tweeter)

By mcoyfrog, $30.

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Camel and Plaid Reversible Neckwarmer

By piprobins, $21.

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Bass Pickin' Raccoon 2010 Calendar

By YeeHaw, $13.

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Custom OOAK Cane

By patschorkecanes, $400.

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Custom Leather Bike U-Lock Holster

By WalnutStudiolo, $49.

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Large Men's -Walrus and Lion-Organic Tee

By retrowhale, $18.

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Fine Art Print - Fungus Among Us

By JustinRichel, $15.

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1960s Red Canvas Small Suitcase

From OldBaltimoreVintage, $28.

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Think

From thefellow, $15.

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Mustache Party Magnets, Volume One

By BobsBoyRob, $8.

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Plain 25 watt Moss Terrarium

By SteamedGlass, $35.

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Birdhouse - The Parrot

By idood, $49.

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Breathers no. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 - Special Price

By justmadbooks, $20.

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The Business End

By robotbaby, $20.

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Manfelts Woolen Slipper Socks

By pawfelts, $50.

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Wooden Backgammon Set - Custom Made

By companyofmarionettes, $399.

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HI-LIGHT pendant lamp / SOUTH3rd

By resurface, $130.

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Black and Grey Skinny Silk Tie

By rabbitstop, $17.50.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Trends | Gift Ideas

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How-Tuesday: Jam Jar Gift Toppers From A Rainbow of Stitches

2009-12-01T16:19:00-05:00

While most of my gifts for Hanukkah this year will be coming from Etsy, I still try to look for ways in which I can add my own handmade touch, whether it's in the gift wrap, cards, or embellishments. The encyclopedia of embroidered design, A Rainbow of Stitches, offers over a thousand motifs to inspire you to add personal details to your holiday gifts. For this week's How-Tuesday, the authors share the fundamentals of cross-stitch along with a PDF of holiday cheer motifs to get you in the mood. Besides the lovely jam jar toppers above, how else would you put these seasonal patterns to use? Leave your ideas in the comments below!

Purchase A Rainbow of Stitches from Amazon or an independent bookseller.

If you haven't tried embroidery or cross-stitch before, a quick look through this book will give you overwhelming proof that you can stitch on virtually anything made from fabric. More than eighty inspiring ideas for stitched embellishment are shown, from wearables and personal accessories to a variety of decorative items for every room in your home.

So dig through your closets and open your dresser drawers to find an item that needs a little extra "something," then take a trip to your local crafts or fabric store to get some basic supplies. A rainbow of stitches awaits!

Before You Begin

Before you start, make sure your fabric is well prepared so it won't fray as you're stitching it. You can either hem the edges with a large basting stitch, or simply apply fusible web strips around the fabric's perimeter. Keep in mind that the piece of fabric should always be larger than the pattern to be stitched.

Working With Fabric

Fold your fabric in four to find its center point. Make large basting stitches along both the horizontal and vertical folds to serve as guidelines as you stitch. Align the center point of your motif with the point where the two lines of stitching intersect. Remove these guidelines once you've finished embroidering your motif.

To help stitches stay even, use an emboridery hoop. Gently stretch your fabric on the hoop, making sure to reposition it frequently — or to remove it at the end of each stitching session — to avoid damaging its weave.

Working With Embroidery Floss

Two or three strands of six-strand cotton floss were used to stitch all of the projects shown in this book. Whenever you start a project, you'll find it helpful to make a sampler of stitches on the fabric you're planning to use to determine how many strands of floss you'll need. As a general rule, lower-count Aidas — a type of counted thread fabric that's traditionally used for cross-stitch projects — require more strands, while higher-count Aidas and linens need fewer. For example, most projects stitched on 14-count Aida require three strands of floss, while those stitched on a 28-count linen, which has a much tighter weave, would probably need just two strands, and even one might look fine.

Transferring Motifs

To transfer motifs to your fabric, use carbon transfer paper, which is specially made for embroidery and is available in several colors. Choose the one that works best with your fabric. For example, white transfer paper is best for dark fabrics, while blue or red work best on lighter ones.

Start by photocopying the motif, which you can enlarge or reduce to get it to just the right size. Trace the photocopied motif on a sheet of tracing paper, following its outline and making sure to include all its details. Prepare your fabric according to the instructions on the previous page, then iron it carefully before spreading it out on a flat surface, such as an ironing board or clean work table.

Place the transfer paper between the fabric and the tracing paper, making sure to put the colored side of the transfer paper face down. Keep the papers in place by pinning them to the fabric. With a hard pencil or a pen, carefully trace the motif, pressing down so that the entire image transfers properly. Once you've finished, separate the papers and fabric carefully to avoid smudging the fabric.

Starting and Ending Off

This method of starting and ending off avoids having to tie knots on the back of your piece. To begin, take about a yard of floss, using as many strands as you need for your project. Fold it in two, then thread the needle. Bring the needle up through the fabric, leaving the loop created by the folded floss at the back. Bring the needle back down to start your first stitch, passing it through the loop, then pull gently to lock in the thread. Once you're done stitching, slip your thread under your last three or four stitches.

Essential Stitches

Cross stitch method 1
Cross stitches are typically worked on counted-thread fabric. This method is especially useful for lines of cross stitch.

Come up through the fabric at point A, then go back down at point B, up at C, down at D. Come back up at E and, working in the opposite direction, go down at B to form an X.

Cross stitch method 2
This method can be used either for lines of cross stitch or to make individual stitches.

1. Come up at point A, go down at B, come back up at C, then down at D to form the first cross stitch.

2. Come back up at B, go down at E, come up at D, then go down at F to the second cross stitch.

Stem stitch
Stem stitches create a continuous yet slightly staggered line.

1. Bring the needle up at point A, then into B and up at C (midway between A and B). Note that thread should loop under the needle.

2. To make the next stitch, go down at D and come back up at E, above the previous stitch and midway along its length.

Download a PDF of holiday cheer motifs here.

Thanks to Agnès Delage-Calvet, Anne Sohier-Fournel, Muriel Brunet, Françoise Ritz, and the good folks at Watson-Guptill Publications for sharing this project with us. For more inspired stitching, check out A Rainbow of Stitches.

More How-Tuesday Posts | Supplies Category | The Do-It-Yourselfer Gift Guide

Keep it Weird: Plymouth Rock

2009-11-27T12:30:00-05:00

If yesterday was a whirlwind of tofurkey and pie, sit back and relish the day-after food coma with some puritanical oddities. It's time to go against the grain in celebration of the pilgrims' journey for freedom. This week's Keep it Weird goes down real smooth with leftover gravy.

I give thanks for the Zombie Thanksgiving Turkey by IckyDogCreations, Vintage Pilgrim Candles from bythewayside, and Han Solo Being Harassed by the Puritan Squad by MattiasA. Check out the Related Items below for a curious cornucopia.

More Keep it Weird Posts | Thanksgiving Art | Vintage Turkey

How-Tuesday: Stuffing Recipe From The New Thanksgiving Table

2009-11-24T16:00:00-05:00

When it comes to the Thanksgiving feast, I reserve most of my plate for the stuffing. Savory, moist, and hearty, the irresistible mixture is my primary motivation for stumbling across the Turkey Trot's finish line.

Families tend to adhere to traditional Thanksgiving recipes for generations and generations, but I love the idea of incorporating regional flavors and techniques to truly reflect contemporary Americana. Diane Morgan's The New Thanksgiving Table introduces tapenades, ginger brines, and enchiladas to the standard fare. For this week's How-Tuesday, she shares her recipe for Linguiça Sausage Stuffing With Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions — my salivary glands have officially kicked into overdrive.

Purchase The New Thanksgiving Table from Amazon or an independent bookseller

Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when nine out of ten Americans sit down to a home-cooked meal, and that meal, according to one survey, almost always features turkey. Depending on where you live, however, that turkey is roasted, smoked, grilled, deep-fried, or turned into the elaborate Cajun specialty known as "turducken," in which a boned chicken is stuffed inside a boned duckling, which in turn is stuffed inside a boned turkey, along with stuffing, to boot! There are also regional preferences in seasonings: sage and garlic are perennial favorites in some parts of the country, while rosemary, paprika, and cloves seem to rule in the South.

The New Thanksgiving Table commemorates this quintessential American holiday with a spotlight on the regional specialties that make this vast land of ours so gastronomically amazing. While the classic Thanksgiving meal includes turkey, cranberries, pumpkins, and root vegetables, those same ingredients have been reinterpreted in myriad ways that reflect the diversity and breadth of twenty-first-century America.

Traditional cranberry compote, for example, may have Yankee roots, but it has metamorphosed into a cranberry salsa with onions and chiles in the Southwest. Or, the classic savory bread or rice dressings used to stuff turkey in the Northeast is often replaced with versions featuring crunchy, ebony-colored wild rice farther west in Minnesota, taking advantage of the native grain — actually a grass — of the region. In the Heartland, late-harvest corn is made into a pudding to accompany the holiday bird, whereas corn bread dressing and sweet potato spoon bread are served in the South. Along the Chesapeake Bay, a crab appetizer often starts the Thanksgiving feast, while along the Gulf Coast, pickled shrimp or oysters on the half shell whet the palate in anticipation of the holiday meal.

Here's wishing you a bountiful and peace-filled Thanksgiving — with a regional twist, of course!

Our culturally diverse nation may have strong Yankee roots that defined much of what we know as the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but recognizing and incorporating other wonderful ethnic foods into our harvest feast speaks to the spirit of the holiday. I couldn't resist using Portuguese linguiça sausage in this stuffing. The smoky, zesty sausage is a great match for roast or grill roasted turkey. Ask your local butcher or specialty-foods shop about availability, or order online from www.gasparssausage.com, a fourth-generation family-owned business.

Serves 12

5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
10 cups unseasoned dried bread cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound linguiça sausages
1 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped or brushed clean, stems trimmed, and quartered
1 bag (14 ounces) frozen pearl onions, thawed and blotted dry with paper towels
1 tablespoon sugar
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a deep, 9-by-13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

Place the bread cubes in a very large bowl. In 10-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add the sausages and cook, turning as needed, until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Drain all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add to the bowl with the bread cubes.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions to the pan and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and sauté, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions turn golden and the edges caramelize. Add to the bowl with the bread and mushrooms.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Swirl to coat the pan and add the carrots and celery. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and a few grinds of pepper and sauté for 1 minute longer. Add the vegetable-herb mixture to the bowl and stir to combine.

Cut the sausages into 1/4-inch rounds and add to the stuffing. Add the eggs and stock and mix well. Scoop the stuffing into the prepared pan and bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour until the top is lightly browned and crusty.

If you have room in your oven, bake the stuffing while the turkey is roasting. Otherwise, bake it beforehand and reheat it once the turkey is out.

Do ahead: The bread cubes can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The sausages can be browned up to 1 day in advance; let cool, place in a covered container, and refrigerate. The mushrooms, onions, and vegetables can be sautéed along with the herbs up to 1 day in advance. Let the mixture cool completely and refrigerate in a covered container. Remove the sausages and vegetables from the refrigerator 2 hours before assembling the stuffing.

Thanks to Diane Morgan and the good folks at Chronicle Books for sharing this recipe with us. For more mouth-watering Thanksgiving recipes, check out The New Thanksgiving Table.

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