Good Afternoon, Primmies,

This free project is so easy, you really don't need instructions. They are called Cat Pencil Toppers but for prim projects, wouldn't we use a nice stick from the yard or a wooden dowel
stained or painted? They could be put together as a "bouquet" and planted in a rusted flower-
pot (see post for rusting with spray paints). Or, they could be held by a prim doll or cat
or bear, you get the idea...

Photo and Instructions By Better Homes and Gardens

FELTED WOOL CAT PENCIL TOPPERS

A few quick stitches are all it takes to sew these cute cat pencil toppers for Halloween.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Scraps of felted wool (Choose different colors for the face, eyes, and nose.)
Freezer paper
Pencil for tracing
Perle cotton or wool thread (in black and orange)
Fiberfill
Unsharpened pencil
Ribbon
How to Make It
Download BHG free cat template here.

To felt wool, machine-wash it in a hot-water wash, cool-rinse cycle with a small amount of detergent; machine-dry and steam press.
Lay the freezer paper, shiny side down, over the pattern. With a pencil, trace two head shapes, two eyes, and a nose. Cut out the freezer-paper shapes.
Using a hot, dry iron, press the freezer-paper shapes onto your fabrics (use different colors for cat face, eyes, and mouth); let cool. Cut out the fabric shapes. Peel off the freezer paper.
Position the eyes and nose on the cat face. Use the black perle cotton to blanket-stitch each eye in place. Use the black perle cotton to make a French knot in the center of each eye for the pupil.
Use the orange perle cotton to blanket-stitch the nose in place.
Straight-stitch the whiskers and ear marking (as shown in the photo).
Place the appliqued cat face on top of a plain head shape with the wrong sides facing togehter; baste, leaving an opening at the bottom.
Using the orange perle cotton, blanket-stitch around the cat face. Stuff with fiberfill, then place the cat head on the eraser end of an unsharpened pencil. Tie a ribbon around the pencil underneath the cat head.

They are so inexpensive and quick to make they could be a freebie included with one of your customers' orders or made up in a floral arrangement in a rusty tin can and have as a giveaway on your blog. You can add a strip of burlap fashioned into a bow or tied under the heads, raffia or rag strips tied and left to hang or fashioned into a simple bow. I'm sure you can think of more ideas (two criss-crossed added to a fall wreath where you add your nice wreath bow). O.K., I'll stop now...
Warm Regards,
Susan

www.bhg.com © Copyright 2011, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved

Inspiring Fall Decorating Ideas and A Yummy Gingerbread Muffin Recipe

Hi, Primmies, everyone seems excited (and relieved from the heat of this summer) about the approaching Fall Season. I know I am. I'm peeping from the kitchen window several times daily to see what leaves are starting to turn. Our little baby maples' leaves have turned colors, isn't that funny? The big fellas I'm still waiting. It was early last year. Maybe this year,too.
So, I've website-hopped a little and here's some pretty ideas for decorating and a Gingerbread
Muffin recipe (who doesn't love gingerbread?)

Gingerbread Pear Muffins
Makes: 12
Prep: 25 minutes Bake: 15 minutes Cool: 10 minutes
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens
All Photographs Copyright Better Homes and Gardens

ingredients
1-1/2
cups all-purpose flour
1
tsp. baking powder
1
tsp. ground ginger
1
tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2
tsp. baking soda
1/4
tsp. salt
2/3
cup mild-flavored molasses
1/4
cup butter, melted
1/4
cup packed brown sugar
1
egg
1/2
cup boiling water
2
small pears, cut in 6 wedges each
3
ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate broken in small pieces
Raw sugar, optional
directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly coat twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray and flour.
2. In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a second bowl whisk together molasses, butter, brown sugar, and egg. Pour into flour mixture. Stir until combined. Whisk in boiling water. Divide evenly among muffin cups. Add 1 pear wedge to each muffin, press lightly.
3. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Add chocolate piece to top of muffins. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Use table knife to smooth melted chocolate. Remove from cups. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes 12.
nutrition facts
Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories221 Total Fat (g)7 Saturated Fat (g)4, Monounsaturated Fat (g)1, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)0, Cholesterol (mg)29, Sodium (mg)163, Carbohydrate (g)39, Total Sugar (g)21, Fiber (g)2, Protein (g)1, Vitamin A (DV%)0, Vitamin C (DV%)2, Calcium (DV%)6, Iron (DV%)11, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Hope you enjoyed the ideas and the recipe.

Susan

Colonial Pastimes and Amusements For Girls of the 1830's

This is a cute little book called "The American Girl's Book" by Eliza Leslie, written
in the year 1831. It was written to amuse and teach young girls of the times with sports
and pastimes, plays, card games, "amusing work"-Pincushions (one of prim stitchers' favorites)
needlebooks (another stitchery favorite), reticules, variety (as far as I can tell, miscel-
laneous household items).

Another cute idea in the "Amusing Work" chapter is this Wineglass Pincushion:

Another cutie for young girls to craft:

Very sweet pincushions, so different from today's favored designs.
And finally, my favorite, a Common Linen Doll, "to answer every purpose
for very small children".

I hope you enjoyed this peek into the times of the 1830's for children's amusements.

Goodnite, Primmies

Prim Crafts: Freebie for you. Prim Sunflower Pattern

Hi, everyone, sorry about the overlap in the post, just click on the link below to go to
Jean from Prim Crafts.She very generously printed this sunflower tutorial a while back
for everyone to enjoy. It's time for fall projects and this prim sunflower can
be used for lots of things. If you click the pattern here it will open into a separate
page and can be enlarged and then printed out. You'll still need to go to her blog
to read the complete easy tutorial.

Click the link below to read the entire tutorial:
Prim Crafts: Freebie for you. Prim Sunflower Pattern:

'via Blog this'

Spectacular Giveaway and Two Ladies You Have To Meet

Hi, Primmies, here's the post I promised.
Meet Tracey from French Larkspur blog. She is
having a giveaway on her blog that Heather from Post Road Vintage. is hosting. Tracey has a beautiful blog and a Website where she sells Jeanne d'Arc Living products. Heather has a beautiful blog as well and takes gorgeous photos. The giveaway is for a $300.00 (yes, THREE Hundred Dollars!) gift certificate to spend at Post Road Vintage,
Heather's web store. Click Here to see Post Road Vintage Fall 2011 catalog. She's also on Etsy. Look at some of these beautiful photos:

I didn't want to spoil your fun looking but I had to sneak in a few beautiful picture.
Simply go to Heather's shop Post Road Vintage and take a look around and go to French Larkspur
and read Tracey's post about the giveaway and follow from there. Totally easy and enjoyable!
And be thinking about what YOU'LL buy with that $300 gift certificate! (I have)
'Nite, Primmies