Thursday

Little Pieces Christmas Tree

First we had the the Little Pieces Heart, and then the Little Pieces Pumpkin and now we have the Little Pieces Christmas Tree!  We love our Little Pieces Collection.  They are fun to decorate with and even more fun to paint, and they are in The Shop today.  


The barn quilt is available in both a white and black background and in five sizes from little bitty to big and tall!  Each barn quilt is hand painted and sealed for indoor or outdoor use.  They are also food safe, which makes them perfect to use for a cookie tray or cake stand during the holidays.


We have plenty of them ready to go and are excited to add them to our shop in plenty of time to enjoy before Christmas!  


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Wednesday

Felt Ball Christmas Projects

You all know I have an obsession with wool.  I love to stitch with it, on it and use those colorful wool ball garlands anywhere I need a pop of colorful fun.  They are even on my logo.  Let's just say I love wool ball garlands!  So, this Christmas I am so excited to see them popping up all over.  It may just be the biggest trend for holiday decorating in like forever.  No just kidding, but not.


These cute little balls can be used in so many ways.   I love the ball garlands, but they are also fun as an embellishment on wreaths, stockings, blankets, well just about anything.  They are so easy and fun to make, but if you want to purchase them ready made they can be found on Amazon , Michaels , or handmade shops.  They run about $5 for a dozen.  


They come in every color and neutrals too.  To create a wool ball string you use regular embroidery string and a needle and sting them just like you would a popcorn string.  I have several strings on our big family tree and over our mantle.  I even purchased colors for our bedroom tree and mantle...I guess I can't get enough of them.





To make the wool balls you will need:


Hot Water
Bowl
Liquid Dish Soap
Wool Roving


All of the items are easy to find, except the wool roving.  Some craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael's have it, but if you can't find it there you can pick up a roving kit with tons of colors on Amazon for about $14.00...enough to make 40+ balls.


Wool roving looks like soft wool or cotton candy, which ever you prefer.  To begin spread the wool roving out and stretch it apart very lightly so that there aren't any clumps.


Once the wool is spread out, roll it into a soft ball and dip into hot soapy water.  With the wool ball wet, begin rolling the ball with both hands.



It will begin to form a ball as you rub your hands together.  As the wool cools dip it in the hot water again to keep the wool felting into a ball.





After the wool ball forms let dry.  It takes a little while to dry and then it can be used in a lot of different ways.  To watch how it is done you can find a video clip from Fresh Living which aired last week.  We hope you have a little merry fun this season and enjoy making and decorating with these darling little balls of wool!
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Friday

Winter's Bloom

With our first winter's storm blowing in tonight it just felt right to add our newest embroidery kit to the shop, Winter's Bloom.  I loved these blues and cream colored wools...and those pine needles!  


Our embroidery kits include everything you need to complete your hoop-art, including scissors, floss, needles, fabric, wood hoops, and full step by step instructions.  There is a stitching guide included as well as our You Tube channel Tweetle Dee Design Co. to follow video tutorials for each step.

So, if you have ever wanted to learn to stitch these simple kits are perfect.  You can find them in Our Shop.  We hope you enjoy these kits and keep stitching because "it is all sew tweet"!

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Wednesday

French Harvest Galettes

You know I have an obsession with pies, I freely admit it is my favorite dessert and today we are making a cousin of the pie, a Galette.  The Galette comes from France and it is somewhere in between a pie and a tart.  One of the things I love the most about Galettes is they are meant to be rustic which means the dough can be less than perfect and you can make them with any fruit for a sweet dessert or switch them up for a savory dinner pie.



The dough is made with minimal ingredients in less than 20 seconds and it can keep in the fridge for up to a week, so it is a pastry that you can make ahead and use for a quick dinner or an impressive dessert in no time at all.  Trust me, you will feel like a Food Network Star after making a Galette.

The Dough

1 1/2 cup All purpose Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoon Turbinado Sugar (Raw Sugar)

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter - Chilled

1/3 Cup Ice Water

Mix the dry ingredients in a food processor with the chopping blade attached.  Add the unsalted butter and pulse 4 or 5 times or until the butter and dry ingredients make a cornmeal looking mix.  Slowly add the ice water pulsing the food processor a few times with each little bit added.  The dry mix will start to pull together and you will know it is done when you can grab a little bit of the mix and form a course ball.



Once the dough is perfect, dump the crumbles onto the counter and press into a ball.  Place inside a plastic bag and press the dough into a medium sized flat disc.  Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.  The dough will keep for up to a week in the fridge or it can be frozen for a month.

After the dough is chilled, take a piece of parchment paper and place the dough disc in the center.   Cover with another piece of parchment paper and with a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle about 14 inches around.  Lift off the top piece of parchment and set aside.  Now your Galette dough is ready for it's filling!

Let's Talk Fillings

You can use all kinds of fruits for your Galette.  The key is to add enough flour and sugar for the different fruits.  The juicier the fruits, strawberries or raspberries you will need to add a little more flour to the filling mix, while apples or pears you will need less.  Always dot the mixture with butter and bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.



For KUTV's Fresh Living we are making a Harvest Pear and Cranberry Galette.  I love this harvest pie!  We have it every Thanksgiving and I know it will be one you will love too.

You will need....

4 to 5 Pears

1/2 Cup Turbinado Sugar

1/4 Cup Flour

2 Teaspoons Apple Pie Seasoning

1/3 Cup Sweetened Dried Cranberries

1/2 Cup of Butter Slices

Half and core the pears.  Slice thin 1/8" slices leaving the skins on.  Toss in bowl with other ingredients except the butter.  Place in center of the Galette dough and spread out leaving two inches all the way around the pastry.  

To form the Galette, lift the edges of the dough and tuck it all the way around.  Don't worry about it being perfect, it is supposed to look rustic.  Brush with egg white and sprinkle with the Turbinado Sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.  Let cool 100%.  Drizzle with honey and serve with fresh cream.



Some of my other favorites are Peach and Berry Galettes, and Mushroom Leek and Goat Cheese Galettes.  There are so many different variations of this rustic pie.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and use it well.  






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