Making a Celtic Braid (Knitted) Pillow

I’ve just finished this Celtic Braid Pillow and thought I’d share the steps to make one.

My beginning inspiration is this book.

Inside are twenty classic Celtic designs. Only half a pattern is shown in the book. Once the design choice was made, I made four copies of one page of the pattern.

Then, these four pages are rotated, overlapped and taped together making one full pattern.

A lightweight cotton blend fabric is cut to a dimension a bit larger than the pattern.

The fabric is then placed on top of the pattern for tracing.

The pattern is then pencil traced onto the fabric.

Now it’s time to knit I-Cord, lots and lots of I-Cord.

Next comes the appliqué of the cord to the fabric on top of the sketched design.

I like to do this is small segments and pin as I go.

One stitch at a time, it’s coming!

My cord is now complete. The interesting thing about Celtic braid, is there is no ending or beginning, and the braid crosses “over and under “ itself consistently.

Next the finished top is placed on a thin batting and another square of more fabric. Then an outline is hand quilted all around the braid.

Here’s the backside once all the quilting is done.

Now I’m ready to make the pillow. I cut two pieces of the same fabric for an overlapped back. Because my fabric is fairly fine weight, I am folding each in half, with the fold toward the center, so there’s no need for an edge hem.

Here’s the second half pinned in place.

I’ve now machine stitched all the way around my pillow.

Now it’s time to bring out the object of the love/hate of my life…my serger. Because I only use my serger for certain, specific jobs, I don’t use it everyday. So, if it decides to misbehave, I’m somewhat at a loss. Let me just say this about sergers…when they’re good…they’re very, very good. When they’re bad…they’re horrid!!!

Today, my serger is good. It does a nice overlock stitch and cuts away excess fabric at the same time.

The pillow top inside edge is now clean and neat. Here’s the pillow top turned right side out. Not finished yet!

Time to knit more….

I-Cord!

This I-Cord is hand stitch around the outside edge of the pillow top.

This must be done around both the front and back side.

Whew! Now I’m ready to insert my pillow form. First I’ll fold back the top half on the back side.

Slide the form into half of the pillow top.

Then, carefully, turn the remaining back, right side out. And, voila! The Knitted, Celtic Braid, with quilting is finished!

*****

This week I’m linking to: Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

All Things Inspired at All Things Heart and Home

Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday…Crafts

Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Show & Tell at My Romantic Home

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

From My Bookshelf—SWAMPLANDIA!

SWAMPLANDIA! by Karen Russell is a debut novel and came to me highly recommended.  I found it on the Indie Bestseller List, which is where I find most of the books I read.  If you’re a fan of books that blend reality and unreality, gothic realism, myths and a few ghosts added for measure, this might be a book for you. 

SWAMPLANDIA! is the name of a Florida alligator theme park, whose tourist show is headlined by the book’s mother and alligator wrestler, Hiola Bigtree.  The park and Hiola’s family unravel fairly quickly when she dies of cancer.  The remainder of the book is about how her dysfunctional family cope with her loss, the failure of the park without its star, and learning truths about family.

The book’s central character is thirteen year old Ava, who aspires to take her mother’s place in the park’s show.  Ava’s two siblings, seventeen year old brother Kiwi and sixteen year old sister Osceola, along with her father, Chief Bigtree round out the cast of quirky characters.  Many of the situations in the book are comedic, but the overall theme of the book is dark.  When Osceola descends into madness and runs away  to marry a ghost, Ava sets out on a journey to the underworld to find her. She is led there by a weird character, The Birdman, who becomes more and more sinister as they proceed.

Perhaps it’s my sense of grounded reality, from the perspective of a middle age woman, but this book did not sit well with me.  I couldn’t stop thinking, “What does it all mean?  Is this symbolism of something else?  What’s real and what’s not real?”  Maybe I am too literal for this type book.   

Celebrating One Year of Blogging!!!

Today's the day! One year ago today I pushed the

"publish" button and have been a blogger since!

I had certainly intended to post this much earlier today, but Blogger had other concerns that didn't include my announcement of the winner of my Give Away.

It's Bonnie at "From a Writer's Kitchen." If you haven't met her, please pay her a visit. She always has delectable things to offer!

Bonnie has her choice of one of my

Tag Along Bags.

*****

Over the year I've fallen in love with blogging and all it brings. Blogging forces me to view everyday events in a new way........"is that post material???" It has helped me appreciate the daily events that make a life unique. It has given me a glimpse into the lives of so many talented and generous women. And, it has even brought me some new friends.

So, a heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who takes the time to visit.
I truly wish I could cut a big slice of cake for each one of you right now!
Happy weekend!

Microwave Scalloped Potatoes

Here's a terrific side dish that is so simple and so good!

Grease a 2-quart microwavable dish. Place 2 T. butter in a 4-cup glass measure. Microwave at 100% power for one minute. Stir in 2T. flour, 1t. salt, 1/2t. pepper and 1/4t. paprika.

Whisk until smooth.

Blend in one and 3/4c. milk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, turning back the edge to vent.

Microwave at 100% power 5 minutes until thickened, stirring twice.

Layer alternately, 4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups) with 1 large onion, thinly sliced, starting and ending with the potatoes. Pour sauce over potatoes and sprinkle with a little more paprika. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap, turning back edge to vent. Microwave at 50% power for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender, rotating dish twice. Let stand on a heatproof surface 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 5-6 servings

If you want a really easy meal, serve it with Cranberry Lane Chicken. You can find the recipe here. Bon Appetit!

Don't forget to "Like" Buttermilk Cottage's Facebook page. You'll find it right here on my sidebar, underneath the "Give Away" button. Leave me a note you've done so and you'll be entered in my Give Away this Friday. Details here!

This week I'm linking to

Tasty Tuesdays at 33 Shades of Green

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

All Things Inspired at All Things Heart and Home

Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

To Have a Mother, To Be a Mother...

You have reason to celebrate the day. Happy Mother's Day!

One more week to get your entry in for my Give Away!
Details here!

From My Bookshelf

Just finished Maeve Binchy's newest book, MINDING FRANKIE. If you've read any of her previous books, this will seem like a continuation of many of them. Characters from previous works make appearances in this one. This is the story of Noel, a young alcoholic, who discovers he's about to become a father to a baby he cannot even remember helping create.

Worse, the mother is dying and wants him to take the baby. Noel steps up and takes responsibility by joining AA, starting university classes, moving out of his parents home to a place of his own, and taking the baby. But, there's much more story here of the "village it takes" to mind baby Frankie. This is a heart warming novel about caring people and family. My one complaint here is that Binchy writes as though you've just put down her previous novel. Characters from previous novels enter with no back story. I have read some of her previous novels, but it's been awhile. So remembering who is who and threads from previous books can be difficult.

If you haven't read Binchy before, here are two I strongly recommend:

Please remember my Give Away,

celebrating my first year of blogging.

The drawing for your choice of a Tag Along Bag from my Etsy Shop

will be on Friday, April 13. I'm trying to increase followers for Buttermilk Cottage's Facebook Fan Page. So, you need to "like" it, right here on my sidebar, and leave me a note you've done so!
Details are here.

It's May, it's May...the Merry Month of May!

It's porch sitting time!

But before that can happen,

some pretty heavy cleaning needs to be done!

The flower boxes need to be planted.




The wicker furniture needs to be moved off the porch and cleaned.



The porch floor needs a thorough scrubbing.


Once that's done, the wicker furniture can come back.


New cushions need to be sewn.

Buttermilk Cottage's color theme is red, blue and yellow.

Happily I already had what I needed in my stash!




The flower boxes were planted with pansies.

And finally, this week, it all came together!

Daisy's water bowl is even in it's place.

The swing is all ready for some lazy summer afternoons.

This is where I plan to spend many hours this spring and summer.

As you can see, it's plenty roomy enough for guests!

Drop by anytime!

Don't forget my Give Away on May 13,

to celebrate my first year of blogging.

You can get all the details here.

*****

This week I'm linking with

The Porch Club at Gypsy Brocante

All Things Inspired at All Things Heart and Home

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Show & Tell at My Romantic Home

Two Books from My Bookshelf

I like Fannie Flagg's books. She's a Southern author and that's never more evident than her newest book, I STILL DREAM ABOUT YOU. It's set in Birmingham, Alabama. I grew up in Alabama, graduated from the University of Montevallo, a half hour's drive from Birmingham, and remember watching Fannie Flagg as the "morning show" girl on the local Birmingham television channel. So, this book brought back a lot of memories. As with other Fannie Flagg books, this one has an assortment of quirky characters, from Maggie, a former Miss Alabama who is suicidal.(YES, it IS a funny book) to the deceased Hazel Whisenknott, a Birmingham real estate magnate, who also happens to be a midget.

It's a fun read.

If you haven't already read this
novel, at least, watch the movie.
Fannie Flagg did the screenplay for it
from her novel.




THE WEIRD SISTERS is a debut novel
by Eleanor Brown.
It's the story of three sisters,
who in their life journeys of leaving home,
and returning home,
find their places in life.
The novel is narrated by a combined, single voice
of the three sisters, which gives it
an interesting perspective.
I liked this book because all the
characters grow and change
during the course of the book.




Don't forget about my
Give Away!
You must "like" my Facebook tab
on my sidebar and leave me a
message that you did so.
The winner will be announced
May 13th, my one year
anniversary of blogging!