Memories To Be Cherished Of Cookie Making Marathons

 

One of the things I always looked forward to during the Christmas season was my multi-day cookie marathons with my mother. There's nothing quite like the smell of cookies baking, the scent of Christmas candles burning, and the festive atmosphere of a busy kitchen during the holiday season.

And, there's nothing like working with your mother in the kitchen when you're both totally in sync and have similar cooking habits.  Not only did she teach me how to cook when I was a young girl,  but she taught me her cooking and kitchen style.  As a result, whenever we cooked together we were always in a perfect rhythm.

For many years my Mother and I would reserve 3-4 days in the weeks before Christmas for our annual cookie marathons. We would spend two days baking cookies and then one day packaging the cookies for our friends, loved ones, and several senior centers and nursing homes.

Every year we would select the cookies we would be baking from our list. For the most part we kept making ones that we knew were really good. Once in awhile we would add a new cookie, but it had to be exceptional to bump another cookie off the list.

Sometimes we added fudge and chocolate candies that we'd made.

We knew that our cookies were good - how could they not be with many, many years of experience honing our cookie making skills? As our list continued to grow we even had people asking to be put on our list. So, of course, we added them and the list continued to grow and grow.

During this period we really took over the kitchen, the dining room, the family room and the sun-room. Let's face it during our cookie marathons we basically took over the house. There were tables everywhere for cooling the cookies or cookies on cookie sheets waiting to go into the oven or tables for the bags of finished cookies. Everywhere you looked there were cookies, but the smell was irresistible.

Of course, before we ventured to do this I had already decorated the house for the Christmas holiday season.  I decorated the dining room with my carolers scene, which is shown in the picture at the beginning of this post.  I also decorated the kitchen, family room, sun-room, living room and outside of the house.

During our cookie marathons hubby would spend a day or however many days he needed to do his Christmas shopping and my mother and I would bake.  Before we began however we always put the Christmas carols on.  The house was decorated to the hilt, the carols were playing and there was the smell of cookies baking.  What could be better than that.

During the Christmas season hubby and I would inevitably attend one of the larger and more popular craft shows in our area. One show, in particular, always had a fudge booth which I loved seeing. I couldn't resist all the different types of fudge. I wanted to try making some so I started saving fudge and candy making recipes I thought might be good.

During one of our cookie marathons I told my mother I wanted to make some fudge and candy. She thought it was a great idea. Given how we were distributing our cookie containers and the time frame involved with doing so we decided that we would only make fudge and candies that didn't require refrigeration and selected several types of fudge we wanted to try. We created the fudge and then put each into a long rectangular Tupperware container for setting and then put it into a large cooler we had in the garage so it could set overnight.

The following day my mother and I emptied the containers and went to cut them. They were too big for us to easily cut so hubby lent a hand and cut them into 1" by 1" cubes. With the fudge done we started making the cookie recipes we had decided on. Since we had the fudge we didn't need quite as many cookies that year

It was a good thing we both were really organized and had similar kitchen styles for baking, washing, and cleaning up. While one was putting the cookies in the oven the other was taking cookies off the cookie sheets for cooling on the racks. While one was adding new cookie dough to the cookie sheets the other was washing some of the dishes. While one was mixing new dough the other was adding the cooled cookies to the plastic storage bags.

Two cooks in the kitchen spoils the brew was never a true adage during our cookie marathons or anytime we would be in the kitchen together. It was more like a Mother and daughter so in-tuned with each other they would be reading each other's minds at exactly the right moment. Knowing exactly what to do without speaking a word.

Oh, what fun we had. What warm memories to last a lifetime.  Memories to cherish and, now, times to be recalled but oh so missed.

Over the years I've seen pictures of some scrumptious cookies and cookie recipes and thought it might be nice to make them. So I kept copies of them in a 3-ring binder. 

As you can imagine my folder got quite large so you can imagine how happy I was when Pinterest came along.  Not only was I able to store as many recipes as I wanted to try but could organize them as well.  A definite win-win.  So, I set-up a Cookie and Cookie Recipe Tutorials, Video's and How-To's for Decorating and Making Cookies Pinterest Board.

Cookie and Cookie Recipe Tutorials, Video's and How-To's for Decorating and Making Cookies

When my  other and I were  making cookies they looked like what you would expect cookies to look like.  Well, nowadays, cookie decorating has become an art form with all sorts of methods for creating some of the most beautiful cookies you could look at.  They are simply gorgeous.  Especially the Victorian ones.  Now why would I think that...... Hmmm.....  Cookie making has become a recognized art form.  How great is that.....

Over the years when I've seen different fudge and candy recipes I thought might be nice I'd save the recipes to a folder. As you can imagine this folder also got quite large so a fudge and candy making " I LOVE Making Fudge and Candy" Pinterest Board was a perfect solution for storing recipes I wanted to try. So, here too, I set one up.

 I LOVE Making Fudge and Candy

If you love my cookie, candy and fudge boards board please follow my boards by clicking on the links above.

Have fun making your cookies, fudge and candy.

The Blue Footed Booby Of The Galapagos Designs

I fell in love with the Blue Footed Booby of the Galapagos Islands in 2012 when I saw several pictures of the adorable bird.  He or she always inspired me to create something.  I didn't know whether it was the teal blue feet or how determined the birds looked in every picture I saw of them.

What ever it was they are, after all quite irresistible.  Wouldn't you agree?

Well, after all this time I decided this weekend to create five Blue Footed Booby graphics, one of which is shown above, and to create some custom fabrics based on the design, which are shown below:

Blue Footed Booby of Galapagos Fabric 4

Blue Footed Booby Bird Fabric

Blue Footed Booby of Galapagos Fabric 2

Blue Footed Booby of Galapagos Fabric 3

Blue Footed Booby of Galapagos Fabric 5

© 2019 - 2023 Copyright Linda Walsh Originals - Designs By Linda Walsh

Kim Would Have Loved Creating These

Cookie Art by Czerina

The past few weeks I'm been perusing YouTube for video's on creating cookie art.  If you don't know what cookie art is it's a popular medium now for creating little works of art on cookies.  The new cookie art takes all sorts of different forms with some being elaborately painted on or molded on using all sorts of frosting or piping gel.

It used to be that you'd use cookie cutters to cut out your cookie shape and then add sprinkles or icing to the top.  Well, cookie artisans have taken that to a whole new level.

In perusing YouTube I found one such cookie artist, Czerina, who creates all sorts of drawings on cookies including Precious Moments designs, like those shown in the picture above and who has several video's on YouTube, like the one Precious Moments one shown below, that demonstrate how she created her design.

Precious Moments Handpainted Cookie Video by Czerina 'shttps://youtu.be/BqsXHAV_qkY

I couldn't help but think how our beloved "Kim" would have loved doing this.  She loved Precious Moments figurines and, I know, would have loved spending hours creating little cookie works of art.

I can recall standing in Kim's kitchen in March of 2000 creating chocolate Easter candy for the kids using the different candy molds I had.  We melted both dark and white chocolate in the microwave and poured the melted chocolate into the candy molds.  Then we put the molds in the freezer for a few minutes.

While waiting for the chocolate to harden in the molds we wanted to use we melted white chocolate in ten little containers that we added food coloring to in order to create different colors of chocolate to decorate our candy with.  Instead of using a paint brushes we were using toothpicks to create the designs on the molded chocolate shapes. 

As you can imagine, using toothpicks to decorate takes a little while.  As a result, we spent several hours over a four day period to create our little works of art.

Kim was a very talented artist who was very meticulous in her designs and could work on her creations for hours on end until she had achieved the perfection she wanted.  Candy decorating was no exception and I know she thoroughly enjoyed creating her little candy works of art.

With everything else going on in her life at the time I was always happy for her when she had brief periods where she could escape from her current reality and enjoy what she was doing.  Creating her little works of art and showing them off put a smile on her beautiful face and, for that, I was thankful.

If she were here with us today I know she would love not only creating "Precious Moments" works of art on cookies, but I know she would love creating all the elaborately decorated cookie works of art that are being created nowadays.  And, given her artistic talent, her cookies would have been unbelievable works of art and way too beautiful to eat.

In fact, my guess would be that she would have perfected her food art to include cookies, cupcakes, and even cakes.  And, I know, she would have been exceptional at all three. 

Those we Love remain with us,

For Love itself lives on.

Cherished memories never fade,

because a loved one is gone.

Those we love can never be,

more than a thought apart.

For as long as there is memory,

They'll live on in our heart.

Author Unknown

Will They Let The Blue Footed Booby of the Galapagos In?

I fell in love with the Blue Footed Booby of the Galapagos Islands in 2012 when I saw several pictures of the adorable bird.  He or she always inspired me to create something.

I didn't know whether it was the teal blue feet or how determined the birds looked in every picture I saw of them.

I thought, "Perhaps he or she will become a member of the "Victorian Animals Tea Society."

They are, after all, quite irresistible.  Wouldn't you agree?

When an animal is as exquisite as the Blue Footed Booby they deserve a title and a name so I've decided to make mine a female and name her "Lady Loren of the Galapagos."

With a name like that she's surely distinguished enough to be a member.  Wouldn't you agree?

Well, after all this time I decided this weekend to create three Blue Footed Booby graphics, one of which is shown above, and to create five custom fabrics based on my new designs, which are shown below:

© 2019 - 2023 Copyright Linda Walsh Originals - Designs By Linda Walsh

I think the designs will make adorable custom fabrics and hope to make them available soon in my Linda Walsh Originals Spoonflower shop.

Hunting Is In My Blood, Quinn Free Woodland Ornament Doll E-Pattern

"Hunting Is In My Blood, Quinn" is a hunter to the core and he's ready to get going. It's hunting season after all and he looks forward to it every year. It doesn't matter if it's freezing out there - he'll be outside.

He doesn't mind a little cold weather, freezing weather, or even rainy weather. He loves the outdoors and all that comes with it. Of course, he also loves to hunt. Not for sport, but to talk to his "friends." You see, he loves nature and he loves all his animal friends. He "hunts" just to talk to them. To him there is nothing better than a brisk walk in the woods and talking to all his "deer" friends.

Quinn's all set for hunting. Now if he could just find his "deer" friends.

Hunting Is In My Blood, Quinn Woodland Ornament Doll Free E-Pattern 

To view and download my free e-book please CLICK HERE. You'll be brought to Google Drive where you can view our free e-book. Then just download our free .pdf e-book.

For more information on all my free e-patterns, e-printables and e-books please CLICK HERE.

Please respect My Terms of Use:  All patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products © 2004-2023 Linda Walsh Originals-Designs by Linda Walsh. All rights reserved. Commercial selling or reselling by any means prohibited without the written consent of Linda Walsh.

Patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products are for personal use only. You may not modify, photocopy, download, upload, post, transmit, display, perform, publish, license, reprint, create derivative works from, mass duplicate, re-sell, digitize, and reproduce in any other form (print, digital or electric) or commercially apply, embed, share, Email, or redistribution in any other means. Use of any of the above is prohibited without the written permission of Linda Walsh.

However, you may link to my website(s)/blog(s) and the individual page(s)/blog post(s) (including 1 picture) but do not copy, reprint or duplicate my website(s)/blog(s) or individual page(s)/post(s ) without my permission.

Items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are intended for personal use for fun or small scale personal and business profit as long as you credit us with the design. Large scale commercial use (i.e. mass production) of items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are by permission only.

Please see my Terms and Conditions for additional information.

Copyright © 2004 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals and Linda's Blog. Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer.

My Free "Rag-doll Anthony and Rag-doll Annabell Lee" Primitive Dolls E-Pattern

"Rag-doll Anthony" and "Rag-doll Annabell Lee" are as close as brother and sister can get. "Rag-doll Anthony" is very protective of his baby sister "Rag-doll Annabell Lee." He's much wiser, or so he thinks, and knows the ropes, or so he thinks.

"Rag-doll Annabell Lee" lets her brother think that he's in charge but she really knows who rules the roost. Not her Mother, not her Father, and certainly not her older brother, "Rag-doll Anthony." For Rag-doll Annabell Lee it's amazing what a little intuition can do.

"Rag-doll Anthony" and "Rag-doll Annabell Lee" aren't your average rag-dolls. They're very special rag-dolls. You see, they were born with all their seams on the outside.

Their parents were very concerned about this when they were born as they didn't want their children to have a difficult childhood. They were envisioning that they would both be teased unmercifully. You know how children can be! However, they were pleasantly surprised. All the the rag-doll children love both "Rag-doll Anthony" and "Rag-doll Annabell Lee."

The Rag-doll children feel that, "they may be different but, once you get to know them, you realize they are just like you and me." So, their seams being on the outside doesn't bother anyone in the rag-doll children's school yard. They are treated like anyone else and that suits "Rag-doll Anthony" and "Rag-doll Annabell Lee" just fine.

 

2 in 1"Rag-Doll Anthony and Rag-Doll Annabell Lee" Primitive Dolls Combo E-Pattern - 24 Pages

To view and download my free combo e-pattern please CLICK HERE.  You'll be brought to Google Drive where you can view my free e-pattern. Then just download my free .pdf combo e-pattern.

Once my e-product is downloaded to your computer you can save it and print it. I hope you enjoy my free e-products.

"Rag-doll Anthony" is a 16" primitive cloth doll with an embroidered face, and running stitch embroidery on his body, head, legs, and arms. He's wearing a tattered and fringed shirt with collar and four decorative buttons tied with DMC embroidery floss.  His pants are tattered and fringed and gathered at the waist.  He has a fringed burgundy scarf tied around his neck and knotted in front.   He has burgundy ties around his legs and feet and has a mass of dark burgundy curly hair on the top of his head.

Annabell Lee is a primitive girl rag-doll with a cloth body, an embroidered face, and running stitch embroidery on her body, head, legs, and arms. She has dark raggedy red curly hair on the top of her head decorated with fringed bows. She is wearing a fringed dress with fringed bodice insert decorated with buttons tied with DMC embroidery bows, fringed bottom ruffle, and fringed balloon sleeves gathered at the elbows. She also has fringed bloomers gathered at the waist.  Strips of burgundy material are tied to her legs.

"Rag-doll Annabell Lee" thinks she looks quite pretty with her burgundy ties around her legs and feet and hairbows on the top of her head. Her mass of dark burgundy curly hair makes her brother "Rag-doll Anthony" look like he's bald.

Designer - Linda Walsh Originals

For more information on all my free e-patterns, e-printables and e-books please CLICK HERE.

Please respect My Terms of Use:  All patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products © 2004-2023 Linda Walsh Originals-Designs by Linda Walsh. All rights reserved. Commercial selling or reselling by any means prohibited without the written consent of Linda Walsh.

Patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products are for personal use only. You may not modify, photocopy, download, upload, post, transmit, display, perform, publish, license, reprint, create derivative works from, mass duplicate, re-sell, digitize, and reproduce in any other form (print, digital or electric) or commercially apply, embed, share, Email, or redistribution in any other means. Use of any of the above is prohibited without the written permission of Linda Walsh.

However, you may link to my website(s)/blog(s) and the individual page(s)/blog post(s) (including 1 picture) but do not copy, reprint or duplicate my website(s)/blog(s) or individual page(s)/post(s ) without my permission.

Items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are intended for personal use for fun or small scale personal and business profit as long as you credit us with the design. Large scale commercial use (i.e. mass production) of items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are by permission only.

Please see my Terms and Conditions for additional information.

Copyright © 2004 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals and Linda's Blog. Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer.

Check Out Our New Raggedy Little Dolls Free 4 in 1 Combo E-Pattern

If you love making folk-art, primitive and raggedy cloth doll ornaments or little dolls then you're going to love our “Big Brother Andy and Kid Brother Randy and Big Sister Annie and Kid Sister Fannie”  2 in 1 combo free e-pattern.

"Big Brother Andy" and his "Kid Brother Randy" come from a large, loving family and as siblings often do get on each others nerves. Now don't get us wrong. "Big Brother Andy" and "Kid Brother Randy" love each other as brothers. It's just that sometimes they act like a bunch of boys do and get on each others nerves. This inevitably leads to wrestling, which leads to fighting and then punching. Playfully, of course!

When the gloves start coming out is when their "Big Sister Annie" and "Kid Sister Frannie" intervene. They calm them down and straighten out whatever the problem is so the boys can - well, "be boys."

"Kid Brother Randy" wants to be just like his "Big Brother Andy." He dresses just like him. Wears the same clothes. And, even gets the same haircut. Sometimes this bothers "Kid Brother Andy" but, most of the time, he just gives his younger brother a playful shove. He can shove and push his little brother around, but if someone else does that - well, they have "Big Brother Andy" to contend with then.

Boys will be boys and brothers will be brothers. They might fight a lot between themselves, but are thick as mud. They're steadfast and loyal to the core when it comes to their family even though that might be hard to tell at times from all the fighting. "Boys if you're going to wrestle - take it outside!"

"Big Sister Annie" and her "Kid Sister Fannie" often do get on each others nerves, too. Now don't get us wrong. "Big Sister Annie" and "Kid Sister Fannie" adore each other and truly love each other as sisters. It's just that sometimes "Big Sister Annie" wishes she were an only child.

Well, maybe not an only child as she dearly loves her brothers, "Big Brother Andy and Kid Brother Randy." Maybe just the only girl. Well, not even that as she really does love Fannie. It's just that sometimes she wishes she could be alone with her friends without "Kid Sister Fannie" tagging along.

And, sometimes she wishes she could buy an outfit without Fannie wanting to buy the same. And, sometimes she wishes she could have sleepover parties without having to include Fannie. And, sometimes she wishes she didn't have to take care of her kid sister Fannie. "And, why does she have to have the same hairstyle as me!"

Poor "Big Sister Annie!" Doesn't she know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. "Kid Sister Fannie" just worships and adores her big sister and wants to be just like her. To do everything she does. To be loved by her. "Big Sister Annie & Kid Sister Fannie" would make the cutest pair of ornaments or little dolls for any primitive and country home.

4  in 1 “Big Brother Andy and Kid Brother Randy and Big Sister Annie and Kid Sister Fannie” Primitive Raggedy Andy and Raggedy Annie Boy and Girl Doll Ornaments Combo Free E-Pattern - 22 Pages 

To view and download my free combo e-pattern please CLICK HERE.  You'll be brought to Google Drive where you can view my free e-pattern. Then just download my free .pdf combo e-pattern.

Once my e-product is downloaded to your computer you can save it and print it. I hope you enjoy my free e-products.

“Big Brother Andy and Kid Brother Randy”, 9” Primitive Raggedy Andy Boy Dolls or Ornaments E-Pattern - Raggedy Series - Pattern Category - Skill Level - Beginner 

Andy & Randy are 9" primitive or country raggedy Andy small cloth dolls or ornaments. Their bodies are made of muslin and their raggedy red boots are cross laced. Their faces are embroidered. Their noses are satin stitched red as are their lips. The outline of their mouths is embroidered as are their eyelashes and eyebrows. Both Andy & Randy have thick, straight dark brown hair sticking out of the top of their heads with the sides and back left bare. Their cheeks are blushed with an orange color. Their outfits are identical with frayed shirts gathered at the neck. Both of their blue plaid pants are frayed and gathered at the waist.

Designer - Linda Walsh Originals

“Big Sister Annie and Kid Sister Fannie”, 9” Primitive Raggedy Annie and Fannie Dolls or Ornaments E-Pattern - Raggedy Series - Pattern Category - Skill Level - Beginner 

Annie & Fannie are 9" primitive or country raggedy Annie small cloth dolls or ornaments. Their bodies are made of muslin and their raggedy red boots are cross laced. Their faces are embroidered. Their noses are satin stitched red as are their lips. The outline of their mouths is embroidered as are their eyelashes and eyebrows. Both Annie & Fannie have thick, curly dark brown hair along the side seams of their heads with the back left bare. Their cheeks are blushed with a lovely rosy color. Their outfits are identical with frayed and gathered at the waist bloomers. Both of their blue plaid dresses are frayed and gathered at the neck. Their aprons are lace trimmed and lined and wrapped around their waists and ties in the back. Blue embroidery floss bows decorate the fronts of their aprons

Designer - Linda Walsh Originals

For more information on all my free e-patterns, e-printables and e-books please CLICK HERE.

Please respect My Terms of Use:  All patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products © 2004-2023 Linda Walsh Originals-Designs by Linda Walsh. All rights reserved. Commercial selling or reselling by any means prohibited without the written consent of Linda Walsh.

Patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products are for personal use only. You may not modify, photocopy, download, upload, post, transmit, display, perform, publish, license, reprint, create derivative works from, mass duplicate, re-sell, digitize, and reproduce in any other form (print, digital or electric) or commercially apply, embed, share, Email, or redistribution in any other means. Use of any of the above is prohibited without the written permission of Linda Walsh.

However, you may link to my website(s)/blog(s) and the individual page(s)/blog post(s) (including 1 picture) but do not copy, reprint or duplicate my website(s)/blog(s) or individual page(s)/post(s ) without my permission.

Items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are intended for personal use for fun or small scale personal and business profit as long as you credit us with the design. Large scale commercial use (i.e. mass production) of items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are by permission only.

Please see my Terms and Conditions for additional information.

Copyright © 2004 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals and Linda's Blog. Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer.

Re-Designs For My Swaddling Babies Baby Fabrics

One of my all time favorite doll designs is my "Baby Nicky" doll. He's a baby shower centerpiece doll that I designed based upon my grandson "Nicky" who has the most wonderful, curly head of hair you could ever imagine. I just LOVE it and would love to swap hair with him. Of course, he hates it.

If you've been following my Linda's Blog you know that "Baby Nicky" is involved in a lot of what goes on in "The Dollie Storage Room" and was the impetus for my "It's Raining Baby Showers" product lines.

When I was designing new patterns a couple of years ago I wanted to design some more baby shower centerpieces and favors or ornaments to compliment "Baby Nicky."

While thinking about what to make for favors I  thought about my grandson, Nicky, who was born 31 weeks premature.   He had spent 9 weeks in a special care nursery and I remembered that the nurses would wrap him in a swaddling blanket which allowed them to easily carry him around. They always looked like they were carrying him around like a football.

The nurses taught all the family members how to bathe, feed, and dress Nicky so I learned how to wrap my grandson in a swaddling blanket. So, I thought maybe a favor with baby heads sticking out of a swaddling blanket would be cute and created a couple primitive favor ornaments.  I loved the ornaments shown in the picture at the start of this post that I decided to create a new line  of custom fabric designs for my baby shower fabric lines and designed the Swaddling Baby Heads Fabric Designs Collection.  

In thinking about what kind of graphics to create for my "Swaddling Babies" designs I wanted graphics that were adorable and fun. I also wanted fabrics that you could coordinate with each other and make wonderful baby shower decorations or nursery home decor gifts from.

For The Love Of Flowers and Dahlia's

I just LOVE flowers and have since I was a little girl. Our next door neighbor also loved flowers and she had the most beautiful English Garden. I can remember just standing there admiring all the beautiful flowers and thinking of creating a beautiful bouquet with them.

So, I decided that at the age of 8 or so that I should have my OWN garden - just like my neighbors.  I hounded my parents for months on end one year to let me build a garden of my own. I wanted to plant dahlia's as they were my most favorite flower. My Dad always encouraged us to try new things so he agreed, but the catch was that if I wanted my own garden I would have to create it by myself and would have to be responsible for maintaining it. He'd be there to help me, but the work would all be on me. I, being a cocky little thing, said "okay" I can do that.

So, the spent the better part of the weekend one spring digging up the soil, putting rocks around it for a garden edging, and planting my dahlia bulbs. Well, the 1st year that my garden was in full bloom I had the MOST BEAUTIFUL display of color you'd ever want to see. I had red, yellow, pink, white, and maroon dahlia's - all different sizes from colossal to the little patio dahlia's. I was so pleased with myself. That wasn't too hard.

Well, as the summer went along like any 8 year old I soon lost interest in the weeding and maintenance of my little garden. My Dad knew that I would which is why my garden was in the side yard and not on display in the front yard - like my Mom's garden. Like a good gardener she weeded her garden every night.

So, my garden fell to the weeds. That didn't bother me as I was at the end of the season and next spring I could start anew. My Dad mentioned to me that dahlia's were tender bulbs and would not survive the harsh New England winters. I would need to dig the bulbs up and store them in peat moss for the long cold winter and then plant them again. I, of course, thought that was too much work so I opted to leave them in the ground and put lots of pine needles over them for a blanket. My Dad just smiled - knowing full well that this wasn't going to work, but he let me have my way.

Well, of course when the spring came my dahlia bulbs were nothing but mush. More like dahlia soup.  And, of course, they did not sprout. So, that spring I had no garden and no dahlia's. I did however, learn my lesson and the following year after my dahlia's had bloomed I dug them up in the fall and stored them in peat moss to replant them the following spring.

To make a long story short - I never outgrew my love of beautiful natural flowers. That love was my impetus for designing my floral custom fabric designs.  Of course I created dahlia designs.

A Beautiful Swan For The Feathers Design Challenge

I don't know of any better way to start the day or for that matter start the new year than looking at something exquisitely beautiful. Do you?

When hubby and I were walking near a reservoir last winter near our home we were greeted on our walk by an amazingly beautiful and majestic swan. She seemed to have found a winter home just near and under a bridge on a local reservoir. Most of the reservoir was covered with ice except for the area close to the bridge.

Whenever we saw her we had to stop and just admire her beauty. She was unbelievably white and so graceful to watch. She inevitably sensed  us and would go under the bridge. Sometimes she'd just stay where she was and seemed to be looking at us.

A couple of times she has decided to walk on the ice and snow covering the rest of the reservoir. When she did that it was amazing to see how big her footprint in the snow was. Quite extraordinary.

During the summer we often spotted her with a mate. Where the mate is now is unknown. Why she was here in the winter also was unknown. I often wondered if she stayed there all day and slept under the bridge at night.

So, I decided to take some pictures of her. What I didn't realize until I viewed the pictures was she had a tag on her back left leg. You can see it in the picture at the top of this post. Who tagged her and why I don't know.

She was just so incredibly beautiful and such a beautiful image to start the day with. Wouldn't you agree?

After taking those pictures of her I had thoughts of creating a swan doll.  That hasn't happened yet but when I saw the Feathers Challenge on Spoonflower it became the impetus for creating my new swan custom fabric designs, which us shown below:

The Feathers Design Challenge Fabric

I created her fabric showing a mother swan and her babies because hubby and I believe she flew to another reservoir in a nearby town to give birth to her babies.  Driving by that reservoir one day we saw a beautiful white swan and several babies.  It had to be  her.  We were so delighted to see this and so happy to know she survived the winter and has a family of her own now.

P.S. I didn't win the contest but I loved creating her and hope you like her, too.  

When It Comes To Books Grandma Knows Best

When the 7th and final book in the wildly popular Harry Potter series entitled "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was released in July 21, 2007 I thought it would be a good idea to introduce one of my grandsons to the series.  In thinking about books and my new "We Love Books" collection of products I thought I'd relate a story about the series and my grandson that you might enjoy.

Back in 2007 I was looking for a birthday present for my grandson. I wanted the present that his Grandfather and I gave him to be one that was "THE HOTTEST ITEM" among adolescent and teenage boys at the time.

I had read that one of the hottest and coolest items among adolescents and teenage boys was "The Harry Potter" Series of books, which then had only 3 books in the series. So, I decided we'd give him the 3 hardcover books that were in the series.

Even though this was the "hottest" ticket item it was a gamble for his Grandfather and I. You see, my grandson wasn't a reader. But, I figured peer pressure would create enthusiasm for him and maybe he'd discover a love for reading.

Well, he opened his present, smiled and said thank-you, but wasn't really thrilled. We'd bombed out. At least we thought so until the following year when "Harry Potter" really took off. Then the teenage boys and adolescents couldn't get enough of Harry Potter. Harry Potter mania had set in and all of a sudden we (that is his Grandfather and I) were just the "coolest" grandparents as our Grandson already had the first three books in the series and was "the man" among all his friends.

Even our son-in-law was enthusiastic about the books and decided to start reading them to our youngest grandson for his bedtime stories. It took awhile but they got through the first 3 books and decided to buy the 4th book in the series.

Well, not to be outdone by their younger brothers our older teenage granddaughters decide to read the series, too. So they, too read all three of the books in the set we had given their brother and then read Book 4.

After that they moved on to Book 5, then Book 6, then Book 7.  They all read all of those, too.

Our grandson ended up loving the books. I'd love to say that he became a reader because of it. He did and he didn't.

He has become a reader - just a reader of a different kind of book. You see - he loves the Japanese cartoon books that you read from back to front like "Inu Yasha", "Fruit Basket", "Juvenille Orion", and the "Trigun Maximum" series.

For me, the Grandmother who gives books every Christmas that's terrific. At least he's reading. Doesn't matter whether it's comics or not. He's reading. So, I just buy him the latest comic books in those series.

In fact, all of my grandchildren know that when it comes to Christmas presents that some of those will be books.  And,  believe it or not, they look forward to them.  After all, when it comes to physical presents nothing lasts longer with children than books.  That's a win-win in my book. No pun intended....lol

Books and reading gets them every time. LOL At first my grandson's enthusiasm was lukewarm.  When the mania ended his enthusiasm was he couldn't get it fast enough.  Grandma definitely knows best when it comes to books.

So, the moral of the story is that - "Just because a present isn't initially received with the greatest of enthusiasm doesn't mean it won't be appreciated over time."  When it comes to books Grandma knows best!

For The Love Of Iris

I have been in love with flowers since I was a little girl.  Then again I've been in love with many things since I was a little girl.  My sister and I both love flowers with the dahlia being both our favorite flower.  I also love iris and, when I was gardening, loved planting iris bulbs.  They're such a beautiful flower.  Unfortunately they don't last long.

So, it's no surprise that when I was designing fabrics I would create some with iris in them.  Well, when I saw the Maximalist Design Challenge on Spoonflower I knew the different colors of iris would be perfect for a bright, splashy design.

Shown below is my challenge design.  It's definitely colorful, bright, and splashy.  I love it and hope you do too.

Maximalist Design Challenge Fabric

This, however, isn't the first time I've used iris in some of my Spoonflower Challenge entries.  Shown below is the design I entered into the Gardening Challenge.

 The Gardening Challenge

© 2004-2023 Copyright Linda Walsh Originals - Fabric Designs By Linda Walsh.

I just love iris and have designed several other iris custom fabric designs over the years.