Stringing Wooley, Buttoney Garlands

While keeping warm and watching old movies and basketball this past weekend, I strung several garlands for Christmas gifts, made from scraps of wool and old buttons.

Here's' my method. Cut out a multitude of wool or felted wool scraps into squares. Just guesstimate the size as you do not want them to all be perfectly the same. I made one about 2 inches and another about 1 inch. Using carpet thread and a large needle, begin the garland with an old button. Make a loop at the end too for hanging. String about 25-30 squares, then add 7-10 old sew thru buttons. Continue until desired. I made mine about a yard long. Finish with another button and loop.

If you do not have carpet thread, string or a double length of strong thread would work too. Also, regular felt or fleece would work instead of the wool. Although fabrics that do not ravel are best, I think chenille with pearl and white buttons would be good too. I have some scraps of pink and white from a bedspread and Grammy may just have to do one of those too!

These are fun to make and a sweet little heart-warming gift.

Polly the Turkey Loves These Rolls

Polly is a sweet little felted wool Turkey that I made several years ago. It is so fun to pick the different bits of wool and do the hand stitching.

Polly thinks these Crescent Rolls are one of the best things about Thanksgiving. I have made them for many years as they are so easy to mix up the night before and do their raising bit in the fridge. No kneading and delish!

Easy Crescent Rolls Makes 32 Rolls

One 1/4 oz pkg dry Yeast
1/2 c. warm Water (110-120 degrees F)
3 Eggs
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 c. Sugar
1 stick real Butter, melted
1 c. warm Milk
5 c. Flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Beat eggs with salt and stir along with sugar, butter and milk into yeast mixture. Place flour in large bowl and make hole in center. Pour in liquids and mix thoroughly with wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. Cut dough into 4 sections and roll each one into a large circle. Spread with melted butter and cut into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge, beginning at the wide end, into a crescent shape. Cover and place in warm draft free place until doubled in size. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Do not over bake.

My best baking advice is to handle the dough as little as possible and to not over bake to insure tenderness. These are so buttery, that you do not even need more butter on them to serve (unless you are my husband and he Always needs more butter!)

It's the little Things that Make Me So Happy

The other day my little granddaughter and I picked a bunch of little crab apples from the trees at the nursing home where my mother has lived for over 6 years. It is so hard to go there for me, but taking McKinley who loves to go, was a joy. We took her Great-Grandma outside with us and she watched us pick and held the ones McKinley gave her. I can still hear her saying "Look at the tiny, tiny one Grammy!"

Like Fall, which will pass before we know it, so will these young years for me with my granddaughter. How I cherish them!


Here is a felted wool Fall Leaves piece that I made for our front door.
Happy Fall Thursday!