Gooseberry Patch

New Contest Starts Today!

We're really loving Pinterest and are just tickled that so many of you have joined us in the fun there...we love sharing inspiration and recipes with you and seeing what's inspiring YOU too!

You know how we like to give away goodies, right? Well, we thought it would be fun to host our own Pinterest contest as our little way of saying thanks for taking the plunge!

If you're loving Pinterest too (or if you're looking for a reason to get started!) we're giving you a chance to WIN a $50 gift certificate!

So, you might be wondering, how do I enter?

It's easy! Starting right now, pin anything from our blog or our website. It could be your favorite cookbook, a recipe, free goodies or whatever you like! Once you've chosen something to pin, tag us by adding @gooseberrypatch to the description when you pin and that's it...you'll be entered to win!

This little contest will run through Monday, February 19th at 12pm, EST. That'll give you all next week to pin some Gooseberry Patch love to your heart's content.

Enter as many times as you like...we'll choose a winner at random and announce it here on our blog.

Be sure to come back Tuesday, 2/20/12
to see who won!


If you're just getting started on Pinterest - or haven't started yet! - we thought you might have some questions. See if you can find your answers below, and if not, leave us a comment and we'll try to help!

I'm not a member of Pinterest and I need an invite!

Drop us a note and we'll send you an invite. Although we can't guarantee Pinterest membership, we're pretty sure you'll be pinning in no time! Once you're a member, it's really easy to get started and there's a helpful Pinning 101 section that answers lots of beginners' questions.

 

I'm already a member but I've never pinned anything...what do I do?

If you haven't already, we recommend that you install the Pin It button on your browser toolbar. It's the easiest way we've found to pin from wherever you are.

Once you have the button, it's as simple as clicking around our website or our blog and finding something good to share!

 

What the heck is a Pin It button?

It's the neatest little thing and you can grab it from the Pinterest Goodies page. Click here to get started -- you might have to scroll UP to find it. There's even a video that'll walk you through how to install.

Once this little shortcut is installed, it lets you grab an image from any website and add it to one of your pinboards. When you pin from a website, it automatically grabs the link from the page where you're pinning, so the original source is credited.

 

Here's what you'll see when you pin something from our website...

Click the Pin It button in your toolbar and you'll see this...

How do I tag Gooseberry Patch?

When you choose an image to tag from our blog or website, you'll have an opportunity to add a description. Enter @gooseberrypatch in that field, along with what it is or why you love it, and that's it...we're tagged and we can find your entry!

 Are repins okay?

Yes, as long as what you're repinning is linked back to our website or our blog, you are welcome to repin anything from around Pinterest, including our boards. Just be sure to check the original source!

 

I'm not interested in Pinterest!

That's okay! Stay tuned for lots more fun ways to win here on our blog and on our Page on Facebook too! Maybe you'd like to download some Free Goodies instead?

 

---

Let It Snow!

Whether you're decorating for Christmas this weekend or still gathering ideas and will start soon, we know you'll love this easy idea. It's from our Cookbook of the Week, Homemade Christmas!

 

Sparkly Snow Scene

3 assorted-size glass jars
    with lids
1 yd. 1-inch ribbon
scissors
hot-glue gun
2 to 4 c. sea salt or
    Epsom salt
small pine branches
    and pine cones
small ornaments or
    figures

Remove jar lids and set aside. Measure and cut a length of ribbon to fit around each jar, one inch below rims. Hot-glue ribbon in place. Fill each jar 1/4 full of salt. Arrange branches, pine cones and small ornaments inside jars; don’t overcrowd. Replace jar lids. Arrange the jars in the center of the table or on a cake stand. Arrange more branches around jars, if desired.

---

Share this easy idea any way you like!

A Savory Treat for Tomorrow!

Here's a recipe from Vickie & Jo Ann that's perfect
for using up any yummy leftovers tomorrow...
it's so easy and uses turkey, vegetables and stuffing
from your holiday meal.

Click below to watch the video and
keep reading to see how you can VOTE...

Right now you can help us WIN the video recipe contest at ifood.tv...click this link and then find the Main Dishes category.

See below, so you'll know what to look for...

First, click Main Dishes in the orange bar and then vote for
our soup video in the little box to the right...thanks in advance!

 

---

Want to mix up a batch of this comforting soup for YOUR family?
The super-easy recipe is below.

Day-After-Thanksgiving Soup  

1 T. olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
2 qts. chicken stock
1-1/2 lb. cooked turkey, diced
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
Optional: 1 c. frozen peas
4 to 6 c. prepared stuffing, warmed

Warm oil in a large stock pot over medium heat; add in carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add in bay leaf and stock; bring to a boil. Add turkey, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and peas, if using. Remove bay leaf before serving. To serve, place a scoop of warmed stuffing into individual soup bowls. Ladle soup over stuffing in bowls. Serves 4 to 6.

 

---

Share this video & recipe with a friend!

Frame Your Favorite Buttons!

The more the merrier…especially when it comes to buttons! Add your favorites to this Framed Button Tree, a fun project for everyone from school-age kids to adults. It's from Gooseberry Patch Christmas, Book 13...the newest in the series!

Framed Button Tree

You’ll need:

• Steam iron
• Paper-backed
  fusible web
• 12” x 14” piece of
  felted wool
• Scissors
• Frame with a 12” x 16”
  back opening
• 16” x 20” piece of fabric
  for background
• Assorted vintage buttons
• 12” x 16” piece of foam
  core board
• Craft glue
• Vintage Christmas pin (we used a jumping-jack Santa)
• Ribbon to decorate the frame (optional)

1. Fuse the web to the wrong side of the felted wool.

2. Click on the tree template at right to view it at full size. Right-click to save the image to your desktop, print it out and enlarge on a photocopier to fit your frame.

3. Using the enlarged pattern, cut the tree from the felted wool. Center and fuse the tree on the background fabric.

4. Sew the buttons on the tree.

5. Center the foam core board on the wrong side of the background fabric. Wrap and glue the excess fabric to the board back.

6. Insert the board into the frame. Add a vintage Christmas pin and enhance the frame molding with ribbon, if desired.

---

 

 

Ready to add
Gooseberry Patch Christmas,
Book 13, to your collection?
Click the button below!

 

---

Share this easy holiday idea with all your friends!

Recipes to Make & Give!

This week's Cookbook of the Week, Recipes for Warming Hearts, is filled
with delicious dishes that are will not only delight your family but they make
great gifts to deliver to a friend who could use a pick-me-up.

We all have our go-to recipe that we always drop off with a new mom or
send to a loved one who's under the weather. Maybe you have a favorite
goodie to make for teachers or coaches to say thanks...those are the
recipes we're rounding up this week!

What's YOUR favorite recipe to MAKE & GIVE? 
Share 'em all in today's Recipe Round-Up!

Here's one to inspire you from Recipes for Warming Hearts,
our  Cookbook of the Week !

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Popcorn
A yummy pick-me-up for a good friend...deliver with a new book or magazine for an extra-special treat!

14 c. popped popcorn
3 c. crispy rice cereal
2 c. dry-roasted peanuts
1-1/2 lbs. melting chocolate,
    chopped
3 T. creamy peanut butter

In a very large bowl, mix popcorn, cereal and peanuts; set aside. Combine chocolate and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes until melted, stirring after every minute. Pour over popcorn mixture, tossing to coat well. Spread onto a large greased non-stick baking sheet; cool completely. Break apart; store in an airtight container up to 5 days. Makes about 20 to 22 cups.


 

Bonus tip!

Here's a delightful way to deliver Chocolate & Peanut Butter popcorn. Cut a “window” from a lunch bag using a cookie cutter as the stencil. Glue a square of cellophane inside the bag over the cut-out, then place a plastic zipping bag filled with popcorn inside!

 

---

Link up your recipes to MAKE & GIVE b elow
and, if you're joining this hop, link back
here by using the handy button below.

Want to add this hop to your OWN blog?

Be our guest...just click here to get the code.

---

Want to share these recipes with a friend? Use the buttons below!

Looking for Kitchen Inspiration?

With thousands of FREE recipes, our Online Recipe Box
is a great place to find a new family favorite!

Choose a category or a cookbook to search within, or just enter a general search term like "chicken" and your results are delivered in seconds.

Every recipe in our Online Recipe Box is clickable too so, once you find what you're looking for, you can print it out and get cookin'...enjoy!

---

Just in Time for the 4th of July!

 

Want to make something special to celebrate Independence Day
next weekend? These special bubble wands are sure to tickle
kids (and grown-ups) of all ages!

 

Star-Shaped Bubble Wand
An easy make-ahead that will entertain the kids while they’re waiting for the fireworks to begin. You'll find this crafty idea in our book, Seasons for Sharing.

40-inch length of 20-gauge wire
star-shaped cookie cutter
wire cutters
electric drill
enamel spray paint

Fold wire in half, then beginning at one point of the star cookie cutter, bend the wire around the cutter to form the star shape. When the wire is completely covering the cookie cutter, twist to secure. Straighten the ends of the remaining wire and cut with wire cutters to make both ends even in length. Place the trimmed ends into the chuck on an electric drill and tighten the chuck. Hold the wire tightly and rotate the drill until the wire is completely twisted and tight. Coat bubble wand with spray paint; let dry.

Bonus tip: 
Fill a painted pail with bubble wands and flags held in place with bright marbles.
A colorful picnic centerpiece until they’re ready to be put to use!

---

Share this crafty idea with a friend...our buttons below make it easy!

Using Vintage Goodness This Friday!

Remember those wooden spools from Grandma's sewing basket? If you're anything like us, you probably still have some rolling around your own sewing room...this week's Link We Love is a great project to get them out where you can see them!

Vintage Wooden Spool Cork Board

In this tutorial, you can see how easy it is to turn a ho-hum corkboard into a fun addition to your sewing or craft room...
what a thoughtful gift for a creative soul too!

Thanks so much to The Silly Pearl for this fun tutorial!

Steph is the mom behind this crafty blog, where you'll find great tutorials on everything from handmade jewelry to goodies she made for her adorable twin girls and even some decorating ideas for all year round.

Once you're there, you'll probably want to pick up her button...

Find The Silly Pearl on Facebook too!

 

Thanks for sharing such great ideas, Steph...
we can't wait to see what you come up with next!

---

Share this easy idea and super-crafty blog with a friend!

Stitch Some Fun this Friday!

 

 

 

 

Crafting to welcome Spring is way more fun than cleaning, right?

We thought so!

In today's Let's Get Crafty post, we're sharing a project from our booklet Creative Memory Keeping. You can use up all those fabric scraps too pretty to throw away and it's done in an afternoon...instant gratification! 

 

 

Framed Patchwork Sampler

Here's what you'll need:

wooden frame with cardboard insert and glass front
spray primer
cream spray paint
muslin
fabric scraps
assorted buttons
assorted trims, lace & ribbon
appliques
lightweight batting
fabric glue
masking tape

1. Remove cardboard insert and glass from frame. Prime, then paint frame. You could also use a frame that's already painted, so long as it has a cardboard insert.

2. Cut a piece of muslin 1" larger on all sides than the frame's insert.

3. Pin a 5-sided piece of fabric to center of muslin. Matching right sides and raw edges and using a 1/4" seam allowance, start at 5-sided piece and sew various size and shape fabric pieces to muslin until muslin is covered.

4. Trim fabric to fit muslin. Glue trim, lace and ribbon to pieced fabric along seams. Randomly glue or sew buttons and appliques to pieced fabric.

5. Cut a piece of batting to fit insert. Layer batting then completed patchwork on insert, wrapping ends to back. Secure with tape or fabric glue. Set glass in frame and then add covered insert in place.

Customize this project for any room or any season and
add a little sunshine wherever you place it!

---

Share this idea with a friend...it's easy with the buttons below!

Once-a-Week Cooking Tips...and a Pair of Recipes!

Weekends are a great for batch cooking...here are some tips
from our Cookbook of the Week, Ready, Set, Eat!

Cook up a big pot of chicken to freeze for later! For juicy, flavorful chicken, cover with water and simmer gently just until tender, then turn off the heat and let the chicken cool in its own broth.

A wide-mouth funnel is handy for filling freezer bags. Stand the open bag in a bowl and hold the bag's top closed around the bottom of the funnel, then just ladle in cooled soup or sauce.

Use square freezer containers...they take up less room than round ones. To squeeze in even more, ladle prepared food into plastic zipping bags, seal and press flat. When frozen, they'll stack easily!

Bake up some mini meatloaves for smaller appetites...fill muffin tins and freeze. Pop them out and place in a freezer bag. Just heat up what you need!

Slow cookers are oh-so handy for cooking up big batches to freeze! No stirring, no sticking and they don't heat up the kitchen. You may even want to borrow an extra one for a big cooking day.

---

Try out this recipe for a make-ahead ground beef mixure from
Nichole Martelli of Alvin, Texas. It's perfect for recipes like stuffed peppers,
spaghetti sauce, tacos and more...like Nichole's husband's favorite chili!

All-Purpose Ground Beef Mix

5 lbs. ground beef
4 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat; drain. Stir in celery, garlic, onions and pepper; add salt and pepper to taste. Cover skillet; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool. Divide into recipe-size portions and spoon into plastic zipping freezer bags; freeze. Makes about 12 cups of meat mix. 

Heat & Eat Instructions:
Thaw desired amount in refrigerator overnight. Use in recipes calling for browned ground beef, like Aaron's Favorite Chili below!

Aaron's Favorite Chili

4 c. All-Purpose Ground Beef Mix, thawed
3  16-oz. cans corn, drained
2  32-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
4  16-oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. chili powder
2 T. ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately or let cool, ladle into freezer-safe containers and freeze. Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Heat & Eat Instructions:
Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Pour into a saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot and bubbly.

---

Want to see what makes our Cookbook of the Week so special?

Click this link to get a special look inside: http://gooseberrypatch.typepad.com/blog/2011/01/cookbook-of-the-week-starts-today.html

---

Share these tips and recipes any way you like!

Handmade & Heartfelt Gift Ideas

With ten more days until Christmas Eve, we're thinking about handmade gifts. Setting aside some time to make a heartfelt present is a fun way of expressing creativity and can even be therapeutic!

We've gathered a few of our favorite gift ideas you can make for the special people on your list. No need to fret if you don't consider yourself very crafty...we have oh-so-simple ideas for you, too! And if you don't have the time right now, after the holidays, you can get a head-start on next year's presents!

    

Make a holiday memory tray! Paint a wooden  tray with craft paint. When dry, arrange cut-outs from favorite photos and Christmas cards on the tray. Glue them in place using découpage medium, then brush another layer or two over top and sprinkle with glitter.

 

A button bookmark makes a sweet gift for any book lover on your gift list. Stitch buttons of different sizes onto a satin ribbon, then unravel and knot the ends to create a fringe.

  

 Appliqué Tote

- canvas tote bag
- wax paper
- 4 to 6  5-inch sqs. cotton fabric
- pinking shears
- fabric glue
- sewing needle and thread
- buttons, beads, charms, other embellishments

Lay tote bag out flat; tuck sheets of wax paper inside tote bag to prevent glue from soaking through. Use pinking shears to cut a decorative edge around each fabric square. Arrange squares on tote as desired; attach with fabric glue. Let dry; discard wax paper. Use needle and thread to attach embellishments as desired.

Make hot cocoa cones...a welcome gift to send to college students! Just fill disposable frosting bags (found in the cake decorating aisle of your craft store) 2/3 full with hot cocoa mix. Add a layer of mini marshmallows, chocolate chips or even crushed candy canes and close with a twist tie.

 

Cheery Stamped Bulletin Board

- craft glue
- 8 to 10 round craft buttons
- 8 to 10 flat silver thumbtacks
- flower rubber stamps
- stamp pads in coordinating colors
- 24"x18" bulletin board
- yellow gingham ribbon

Glue buttons to the flat surface of thumbtacks; set aside. Stamp the flower stamps in stamp pads and stamp 8 to 10 images on bulletin board in desired pattern; allow to dry completely. Add button thumbtacks to the center of each flower. Glue gingham ribbon around the edges of the bulletin board.

 

A sweet sewing jar is a speedy gift perfect for a crafty friend! Fill a Mason jar with vintage buttons, mini thread spools and other sewing notions. Top the lid with batting and a circle of homespun, add a few pearl headed pins and it’s ready to give. She’ll love it!

Want to share these handmade gift ideas with a friend? Just click a button below!

Craft these Sweet Gift Bags!

Looking for a way to add a handmade touch to any gift? These simple felt gift bags are a perfect fit. Make them in your favorite colors and dress them up with any fun trim you happen to have in the craft room...with these basic instructions, the possibilities are endless!

Felt Gift Bags

- wool felt (1/3 yard will make any of the bags)
- clear nylon thread
- trims (we used ribbon, rickrack, yarn, embroidery floss, 11/2" dia. self-covered button and felt scraps)

Match wrong sides and use a 1/4" seam allowance.

1. For the brown bag, cut a 9"x20" felt piece. Attach red felt circles to the top half of the brown felt piece with yarn Cross Stitches (diagram below). Layer and sew ribbon and rickrack above the circles. Fold the felt in half and sew the sides together. Pinch the bottom corners and sew across each corner 3/4" from the points. Trim the excess felt from the corners.

2. For the tan bag, cut a 7"x23" felt piece. Mark 23/4" from the corners along one short end. Mark 4" from these corners along the long edges. Connect the marks and cut along the drawn lines to form the bag flap. Layer and sew ribbon and rickrack to the felt about 61/2" from the other end. Fold this end up 9" and sew the sides together. Pinch the bottom corners and sew across each corner 3/4" from the points. Trim the excess felt from the corners. Using yarn, sew a 21/2" diameter brown felt circle to the flap with a Straight Stitch (diagram below) six-point snowflake.

3. For the cream bag, cut an 81/2"x30" felt piece. Mark 11/2" in from the left corner along one end; mark 6" down from the right corner of that same end. Connect the marks and cut along the drawn line to form the bag flap. Layer and sew rickrack and ribbon to the flap edge. Fold the opposite short end up 101/2" and sew the sides together. Pinch the bottom corners and sew across each corner 3/4" from the points. Trim the excess felt from the corners. Work a 11/4" diameter Straight Stitch six-point snowflake with floss on a felt scrap; cover the button. Cut a buttonhole in the bag flap; sew the button to the bag under the flap.

---

Cross Stitch
Bring the needle up at 1 and go down at 2. Come up at 3 and go down at 4.

 

 

 Straight Stitch
Bring the needle up at 1 and go down at 2.

A Crafty Idea for the Season!

Say thanks to your Thanksgiving hostess with a set of these stitched coasters...they're a sweet way to treat yourself too!

Sweetly Stitched Felt Coaster

From our book, Recipes for Saying Thanks...get yours before they're gone! 

4  8-1/2"x11" pieces of craft felt
    in coordinating colors
Straight-edge or decorative-edge
    scissors
Craft glue
Foam brush
Embroidery floss in matching
    or complementary colors
Embroidery or other large-eye needle
Optional: buttons, rick rack or
    other embellishment

Cut two 4"x4" squares for each coaster; one will be the top and one will be the bottom. Add enough water to craft glue to make it spreadable with foam brush. Brush on one square and press the other onto it, taking care to line up edges. Once dry, trim edges so that they’re even. Cut out an embellishment using our templates or cutting your own freehand shapes. Glue onto coaster using thinned craft glue. Add additional embellishments if desired. Once dry, stitch a running stitch around the four sides of the coaster and around the edge of your embellishment. Repeat with additional materials to make a set of 4 coasters.

Share this idea in lots of ways...email, Facebook, however you like!

This Friday's Link We Love!

You know how sometimes, you're just clicking around looking for a little inspiration and, all of a sudden, with just one click, you find yourself swimming in a sea of good stuff? Isn't that the best?!

That's exactly how we felt when we stumbled upon today's Link We Love. We're so excited to feature...

Make it Do!

Written by Calli, whose fresh & friendly voice we really enjoy, it's all about "turning lemons into lemonade."

And, like so many of our Links We Love, Make it Do is much more than a blog. Think of it as a destination for recipes, crafty ideas, party inspiration, cleaning tips...you name it.

The helpful tabs across the top will help you get around while you're there...click on cook it for yummy recipes like Lip Smackin' Peanut Butter Bars, pictured at right.

Or, a recipe from her husband, Drew's World Famous Chili. It's a tradition around this time of year...we'd eat a bowl anytime!

Click sew it or make it for projects like this easy-to-make Rise and Shine Dishtowel.

Calli's kids do section includes easy ideas for the little people in your life and her make it a party section provides great economical ideas for celebrating special days.

There's a whole selection of helpful tutorials too...like this one for a pretty ribbon flower, shown at left!

So much goodness squeezed into one spot on the web...bookmark this one ASAP.

Calli, your creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness are all inspiring...thanks so much for sharing your great ideas with us.

Visit Make it Do today and see how YOU can make do too!

(Grab a button while you're at it!)

An Easy Craft for Fall!

Along with sweet memories of fall and a cornucopia of delicious recipes, our new cookbook, Homemade Harvest, features a chapter of crafts you can make for your home or give as gifts. Here's a great idea for decorating your table…you can even add extra personality with coordinating buttons and fabric yo-yo's! 

1 to 2 yds. burlap
fabric scraps
scissors
straight pins
double-sided fusible
    webbing
iron and ironing board

Place burlap on table, cutting so it covers the middle third of the table. If desired, fray the edges by gently pulling away 1/2 inch of burlap, one strand at a time. Pin fabric scraps to fusible webbing and cut into pumpkin or leaf shapes, or letters to create a monogram. Arrange shapes on the burlap, fusible webbing-side down. Carefully remove the pins, keeping the fabric and webbing together. Following the fusible webbing manufacturer's instructions, use a warm iron to adhere the webbing to the pieces of burlap.

We'd love to hear how you decorate your table when Autumn arrives!

Now you can send E-Cards from Our Page on Facebook!

Send greetings to your family & friends on Facebook
with our new E-cards!

Go to the Send a Gooseberry Patch E-card tab on Our Page on Facebook.
Click on the E-card you’d like to send.

On the next screen, click ALLOW to view your E-card. You will only have to do this once, the first time. We will remember you the next time you want to send one!

Choose the friends you’d like to send your E-card to and write a special message to them if you’d like. Click “Send a Gooseberry Patch E-Card Request” and your E-card is on its way!

    

Here are some of the E-cards you can send to your family & friends.
Enjoy!

Send a Gooseberry Patch E-card now!

An Apron for Your Little Helper!

This dainty apron is sure to bring back memories
of those special times spent cooking (and stitching!)
with Grandma.

Made from a vintage pillowcase or embroidered
flour-sack towel, it'll be perfect for your little helper!

Found in our collaboration with Leisure Arts,
Sweetly Stitched for Kids, it's just one of
18 made-just-for-kids projects included.

Here's what you'll need...

• vintage embroidered piece
    for overlay (we used a pillowcase)
• 1 yard of print fabric for skirt
• 1/4 yard of stripe fabric
    for bib
• 3-5/8 yards of 1" wide
    grosgrain ribbon
• 3/4 yard of jumbo rickrack
• 7" of cotton lace edging
• clear nylon thread

Finished Size: Fits a 20" to 22" waist
Match right sides and use a 1/4" seam allowance for all sewing.

Instructions:

For the waistband and ties, cut the ribbon into one 72", two 18", one 12" and one 7" lengths. For the apron overlay, find a pretty area on your embroidered piece and cut a 21"x12-1/2" rectangle (our measurement includes the hemmed edge of the pillowcase. If your overlay is not hemmed, cut a 21"x13" rectangle). Press the short edges of the overlay 1/4" to the wrong side twice; hem (if your overlay is not hemmed, hem the lower edge in the same manner). Folding the raw ends to the wrong side, zigzag rickrack to the overlay about 1" above the bottom edge.

For the apron skirt, cut a 33-1/2"x30-1/2" rectangle. Matching the long edges, fold the rectangle in half. Sew the short edges together. Turn the skirt to the right side and press. With right sides facing up, match raw edges and center the overlay on the skirt; pin. Run 2 rows of basting stitches spaced 1/4" and 1/2" from the top edge. Gather the basting threads until the skirt measures about 11" and the overlay measures about 61/2".

For the bib, cut two 7"x7-1/2" rectangles. Sew the 7" ribbon length and the lace to the right side of one short edge of one rectangle, 1/2" from the top edge. Matching raw edges, pin each 18" ribbon length to the rectangle 1/4" from each top corner. Sandwiching the ribbons between the layers and leaving the bottom edges open for turning, sew the bib rectangles together. Turn the bib right side out and press.

Matching the side edges of bib with the side edges of the overlay, sew the bib to the skirt. Press the short ends of the 12" ribbon length under 1/2". With the wrong side of apron facing up, center and pin the ribbon over the seam allowances. With the right side of the apron facing up, center and pin the 72" ribbon length over the seam allowances. Sewing through all layers, topstitch the ribbons to the apron as shown in Figure 1.

Have You Seen What's New?

Make a Gadget Case for Dad!

This week's Link We Love is just in time for Father's Day...don't forget, it's this Sunday! It comes from a favorite crafty blog of ours called luvinthemommyhood.

Written by Shannon who's a mom of two young daughters, it features projects, links and plenty of step-by-step instructions, which we love!

There's even a whole section devoted to tutorials...click here to check out the whole collection...there's some really clever stuff there.

Refashioned from a tie, this Gadget Case is easy to
make for Dad, Father-in-Law, your brother, son
or hubby...no matter who's on the receiving end,
they're gonna love it.

Click the handy window below to download the craft
or just page through to take a look!

Have You Reviewed Your Favorite?

If you're a collector of our cookbooks, you know how we try to include a little background for each recipe that's shared with us...the little stories and anecdotes sent along with the ingredients & directions make each one so much more than just a recipe. They're memories of kitchens we remember, special meals and family.

We ran across this gem in the reviews of our book, Farmers' Market Favorites. Submitted by Martha of Midway, Texas, Martha not only loved the book but the idea of her sharing the printed recipe with her Grandpa really warmed our hearts...thanks for writing and sharing your story, Martha!

Want to share a story of finding a new recipe, making new memories in the kitchen or to just let us know what YOU think about any of our cookbooks? Look for the cookbook you have in mind from our cookbook page and, once you've found it, click Write a Review...it's easy and we love to read them!