I have been seeing lots of Zakka style projects on all over blogland and Flickr, it seems a lot of you are sewing a long. Many of the patterns are so quick and easy and offer a great opportunity to personalise add your own spin so you can make them for special recipients. If you are really organised, you can get all your Christmas makes done extra early! I opted for the scrappy Patchwork Pencil Case designed by Shannon Dreval of Petits Details. Mine is a gift for a horsey girl- I just need to add her initial to the fastener at the front to finish it off. Shannon has some lovely embroidery and French inspired stitching on her website, well worth a look.
The pattern suggests using tightly woven lightweight linen and I used Essex linen/cotton blend in 'Sand' by Robert Kaufman. I always have a little stash of this as it is a great basic to work with and I get mine from Mandy at Simply Solids. It doesn't fray as easily as 100% linen and is perfect for stamping and adding embroidery thread/floss. I used the pattern measurements but added extra scraps to the linen and lining sections to squeeze more fabrics in.
The fabrics are mainly Heather Ross prints ( thankyou Amber and Krista for sharing scraps) with a few extra text and fruit stash additions to keep those horses fed. I regularly use stamping in my makes so I thought I would share a little tip. Take the pad to the stamp and tap the ink onto the stamp. this is a lot more effective than pressing the stamp onto the pad. Small ink pads are easier to work with than large ones. I use Versacraft. It sets easily with an iron and has staying power.
I love this alphabet rolling stamp, it has small letters and is quick to use. I got the idea when Penny used one at Sew-Ichigo. You can find them on Etsy under supplies with the search 'alphabet rolling stamp'.
By taking the pad to the stamp there is less mess and excess ink, I use a bit of wet kitchen paper roll to catch any unwanted bits.
And stamping does work rather well with a little stitching. Lecien were kind enough to send all the blog hop project makers a selection of floss and a colour card of their Cosmo threads, and Katy was even kinder and shared some of her Cosmo with me to give me even more colours!
They are the silkiest and prettiest threads. I have done a fair amount of cross stitch in my time and tended to use DMC but these outclass those, more sheen I think, all I know is I totally fell in love with them! I used a chenille needle which has a blunt narrow end for my stitching.
There is a good technique for joining the lining to the outer but take your time and read the instructions carefully at this point otherwise everything will be the wrong way round! It is a quick make and, like many of the projects, a versatile pattern.
And of course, my piecing was done as always with Aurifil 50wt. I cannot do anything other than wholly and completely recommend this thread, I use it for all my piecing and a lot of my quilting and nothing beats it. Want some? Five variety packs await your comments. I will give 3 to UK residents, 2 for outside the UK. To enter leave a comment and tell me about a food from your country. I'll start you off, when we visit my husband's parents in Preston, Lancashire, we always pick up a couple of Butter Pies. These are a local delicacy restricted to the Preston area only. Meat free and a reminder of the strong Catholic links to Lancashire I can't tell you how delicious they are. They taste strongly savoury and definitely not of butter. I am not a fan of pastry or butter but these surpass both those things!
You can add pics of your makes to the Zakka Style Sew a long Flickr group and find the blog hop info here! And for more giving away, visit Lindsey's blog here where you will find all the sew-along info along with new Kaufman linen essex printed fabrics to win!
***Comments are now closed!***
I live in Canada, but the cuisine I grew up with was very British. Now I live in the far north where the specialties are moose stew and bannock. Bannock is a type of tea biscuit bread which is usually made as a whole cake in a frying pan. Or else deep fried. Delicious either way. Moose stew is also fabulous. There are lots of other things that are "traditional" foods - fish guts, moose guts, singed porcupine etc. but we won't mention them.
ReplyDeleteHello everyone .
ReplyDeleteI live in Australia and a favorite here are Tim Tam biscuits . They are chocolate covered biscuit that have a icing type filling inside . The plain chocolate ones are the nicest but they also come in honeycomb , caramel ,mint and dark chocolate. My mum use to love them and whenever she visited from overseas or if I visited her there would have to be an unending supply. Sadly she passed away in January this year and this morning when I passed by them in the supermarket I thought of how much she loved them
You have gone to a lot of trouble making your little pencil case- beautiful! Now, Gina (above) has taken my first choice of the Tim Tam's (I've just eaten one!) and everyone mentions Vegemite, so I'm going to say Pavlova, the meringue dessert with a crisp outer and a soft gooey inner! Yum!
ReplyDeleteI live on the South coast of England, between the South Downs and Portsmouth. When I was little we would collect cockles from Langstone Harbour. It was a messy task and I would often shout for my father to rescue one of my wellies that had stuck in the mud. My mother would soak the cockles in the old butler sink, cook them and serve them for tea with bread and butter. I no longer go cockling - it is too dangerous. But when I want a reminder of childhood there is a little stall on Southsea seafront that sells cockles already prepared in little pots. Delicious.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful little clutch!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I live in Ireland, I'm originally from Barcelona, so I'll tell you about some Irish food and some Catalan food. I love the Irish brown bread and their potato farls. From Catalonia, I love the Crema Catalana (everybody thinks it's Creme Brulee, but it's a bit different in the way we make it because we don't bake it).
Thanks for the chance to win Aurifill!
How lovely this all is - I have always been intrigued by your stamping and will give it a go now I think. Also love the fabrics that you use - your knowledge of sewing notions is quite wondrous! Note for Amanda - I live in Southsea too! Best wishes Jenny
ReplyDeleteOh your pencil case is wonderful - I spent yesterday playing and ended up with 3, but not as sweet as yours!
ReplyDeleteI have no foodie anecdotes, although I remember the only thing my dad would go out of his was to buy when I was little were chipolatas from a butchers in Bromley High Street!
What a gorgeous pen holder, and I love the rolling stamp, such a good idea! I live in Ireland, but I am originally from Spain and grew up in Barcelona (Just like Irina). Lots of yuminess to recommend. One of my favourite Catalan things to eat is Pa amb Tomaquet, which is toasted hard bread, rubbed with tomato garlic, olive oil and salt. Add a bit of Fuet (catalan salami) and it is simple but gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure Oxfordshire has that many regional dishes (although I've noticed lately lots of places getting in on the act by making 'Oxford Sauce' or saying their Cheese is 'Oxford Blue Cheese'. You do get Banbury Cakes in the north of the county which are sort of pastry with a raisin type filling a bit like mince meat - from what I remember anyway. Down where I live close to the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border the Bacon Clanger or Buckinghamshire dumpling was historically a regional dish. It's a boiled suet pudding with bacon inside. The Bucks Dumpling was Christmas Cracker shaped and also had a sweet filling one end so you got your main course and pudding all in one go!
ReplyDeleteLove all the fussy cutting and stamping on the pen holder. These Zakka style makes are great for using up little treasures of fabric!
I live in Jersey and the season for Jersey Royal new potatoes is with us - delicious boiled with a sprig of mint and served with some Jersey butter.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Texas Gal from USA! My DH was raised in East Texas. He loves cajun food and anything spicy. Me I was raised on Mexican dishes. When my father was alive, I loved the smell in the house when he would baked bread (called hobo bread). I loved warm honey and butter on it and my mother would make hot chocolate. What a way to get the kids out of bed early Sunday morning. No excused! My DH does the same when the kids come to visit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your beautiful Pencil Case. Hand stitching is beautiful and the ink stamp. I have my pencil case posted up already. I love how you can add your on style and the instructions are great to follow.
Judith, Texas @ reynoldsjm06@yahoo.com
Hi Kerry, your case is super, so personal. I have made mine and despite having made many bags and pouches , I had not come across this final construction before, it takes a few moments to get the head round it but works well.I also stamped for the first time, not perfect but using tiny individual stamps - thanks for the tips and links, the roller stamp looks just perfect for another project I am working on.
ReplyDeleteI am living in Ayr so will give you my current take on - porridge. Put 1/2 cup porridge oats into deep serving bowl, add 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk,sprinkle in some demerara sugar, a sprinkle of powdered cinnamon, and half a chopped banana. Microwave for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on full power. Stir and chop the other half banana into it. Enjoy.
I love your pencil case. I know it will be adored by it's new owner :)
ReplyDeleteHmm, food. Well, I'm in Australia and my pantry is always stocked with Vegemite. We can't get enough of the stuff! But I also live in a district with lots of vinyards and dairy farms. So locally we have wonderful wines and my favourite, gorgeous cheese.
Lovely case Kerry. I made one yesterday. I followed the instructions of trimming the closing band down to 3" but it felt too tight and scrunched the flap up when it was closed so i'm going to try it a bit bigger today.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Somerset so I suppose our tradition is Cider but I can't stand the stuff!
I agree with you. I think I will make the band a little looser on subsequent pencil cases, too. Either that or taper the flap a little. It was fast and fun. I made three last night and have sent two as gifts.
DeleteVery nice pencilcase! Here in my part of Sweden (Småland) we love cheesecake, and it's nothing at all like the english one. It's served with whipped cream and jam as a dessert. Yum! Hopefully I will be picked!
ReplyDeleteYum.....my dad was born in Sweden. He has passed on now. A visit to Sweden is on my bucket list. I would love to see the land of my heritage...and have some cheesecake!
DeleteGorgeous and def one from the book that's on my to do list. Now I'm in Oz we do enjoy Dimmies! An Australian take on dim sum, good deep fried or on the Barbie!
ReplyDeleteAh Dim Sims ...I wish I was home....
DeleteOk This is my real entry...and I know this is going to be boring but I do love Vegemite on my toast with poached eggs....divine! Not a traditional dish from Ireland (Aussie in Ireland though) but it's hits the spot...Mmm Breakfast anyone?
ReplyDeleteI am Canadian but live in Italy so I really don't know where to start! There are too many amazing things to eat here - from a simple but perfectly made cappuccino to homemade potato gnocchi to octopus salad! But for the giveaway purposes I guess I will choose risotto - something I love to make. You can take any vegetable or vegetable and meat combination, slowly add arborio rice and boiling water, and make a yummy, filling dish. It's my Italian comfort food in the cold months. If I win some Aurifil I've give you my best recipe! ;)
ReplyDeletesuch a great pencil case! i haven't seen the cosmo threads before -or used the aurfil tho' i've heard good things about it :)
ReplyDeletelast night i made tapioca pudding-i'm in the u.s, and not sure from where it originates, but i don't recall ever seeing it in france when we lived there...
Well, that is at least one Xmas present sorted... off to look through my stash and I'll start sewing. Living in Wales one of our traditional foods is Bara Brith. Although anything containing leeks seems to be thought of as Welsh! xx
ReplyDeleteYour horsey pencil post is adorable! Thanks for all the tips - I'll keep them in mind when I get started on mine. Here in the USA we rely on our heritage for many foods. My son just finished an ancestry project, and my husband's family immigrated from Italy. I made a type of cookie called Pizzelles, so my son could share them at school today, while presenting his project. They are anise-flavored - fragrant and delicately crisp, baked on a special iron that makes patterned impressions in the cookies. Mmmmm...
ReplyDeleteI really like what you did to personalize this. I can't wait to make a few this week!!
ReplyDeleteThe pencil case is adorable Kerry. I really love the horsey words...my daughter would adore this so I might have to do something like it some day. Count me out for the awesome giveaway...just wanted to comment anyway!
ReplyDeleteI just luuv Zakka projects!!! One day I will have time to sew some of them!! I live in Brazil, in a small town named Valinhos, São Paulo state. My city is a large traditional producer of figs and grapes, and every January we have a national producer fair of figs and grapes.
ReplyDeleteWe have plenty of mountains and the weather is pleasant, neither too cold nor too warm. Unfortunately many of the farms are being sold for construction of residential condominiums. I hope that some farms can survive!
I fogot to tell about our traditional dishes: it is fig jelly!
ReplyDeleteI love the horsey pencil case! Looking forward to making one this week as well. I live in Amish country (Pa) USA & they are known for their Delicious whoopie pies!! Its two cookies with icing in the middle. My favorite is the chocolate!
ReplyDeleteKaren,
DeleteI live in Lancaster County, also! To be exact in Elizabethtown. It's neat to see someone that lives nearby. Maybe we could get to know each other. I could use a sewing friend in the area.
The alphabet rolling stamp is so nice! I remember when I was a English teacher back home. I use the stamp that's only for dates and stamped on student's assignment books. I was always messy withe extra ink on their books. I just love your project with a the stamping touch to it. so personal! xo
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! I'm from Canada. A traditional dish would be . . . poutine? -- fries, gravy and cheese curds, what could be better!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pencil case!! Love all the pretty details you added :)
ReplyDeleteI'm in Manchester, UK so maybe a Manchester Tart, washed down with some Vimto!
I am a Southern gal living in the Midwest USA. For Thanksgiving, I brought a Sweet Potato Pone to my hostess. It is now requested every year. Apparently, they serve sweet potatoes baked or savory only. For my recipe, you grate raw sweet potatoes, include butter, sugar, eggs and secret ingredient real maple syrup. It is baked in a shallow dish and served warm.
ReplyDeleteCrazy, because Christmas Day is usually steamy hot, but we have a roast lamb lunch with all the baked vegetable trimmings and vegemite gravy every year. Then on boxing day - the complete opposite - fresh sea food. Go figure! We Aussies are a mix of English and indigenous eaters. Fiona from Australia.
ReplyDeleteLove your pencil case!!.
ReplyDeleteI`m from Murcia,Spain and we have pasty filled with tuna,eggs,potatoes,pepper,pine nut,delicious.Here is called "empanada de patata"
OMGosh! Food? I hate cooking, but we always have salad in the fridge. I like mine with a boiled egg, carrots, tomatoes, bacon bits, a little red onion, and a little ranch dressing. Yum! Danielle from USA :)
ReplyDeleteBeing from Canada, we have very diverse eating favourites. Anything from poutine to perogies! Love it all! Thanks for the chance to win some fantastic Aurifil.
ReplyDeleteKerry, your pencil case is sweet. I love the piecing on the back. I agree with you about the lining construction. It took me a few minutes to comprehend it, but I loved the technique. The instructions were clear if you just read them carefully. I think we seasoned sewers just skim sometimes, so it was a little hard for me to really read the instructions! Good lesson for me. You can always learn something new.
ReplyDeleteFor food, I don't have a favorite food from Lancaster County. Whoopie pies are a biggie here, but I really don't like them. My husband and I travel as missionaries and I find the food in the places we travel much more exciting!
I love all the details on your pencil pouch. It looks fabulous! I live near Chicago, Illinois. I'd say we're known for our style of pizza, but I love the fact that the area is so incredibly diverse and really any type of food from every where in the world is available.
ReplyDeleteYour pencil case is lovely, you did the right thing making it a bit longer, mine's too short!!
ReplyDeleteHmm, you know, I can't think of any local Nottingham delicacies. I suppose we're quite near Melton Mowbray, home of the famous pork pie, and we're not far from Colston Bassett, town of Stilton cheese, or Bakewell of pie-fame. But actually Nottinghamish food? We do have lace though, will lace do??
I live in Wisconsin, and we have a strong German ancestry here. On Friday nights it's fish fries - all you can eat, if you're lucky. We also love our brats and sauerkraut - yummy! Thanks for the give away!
ReplyDeleteI live in the UK but I am French so I'll tell you about French food as you'll know the UK one better than me anyway ;-) I would start my meal with a lovely leak pie, then have mussels and fries and finish with a yummy mousse au chocolat if I could! Thanks for the lovely tutorial and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteCeline_Combet at yahoo.co.uk
your pencil case turned out so cute! i only used two prints with my linen - actually, two colourways of the same print - and it's such a different look. amazing how fabric choices change things, right? i attempted to add stamping to mine, but after i dug out all of my stamps and found my fabric inkpad, it had dried out! do you buy versacraft online? i haven't been able to find it anywhere here.
ReplyDeletei'm in canada, and poutine's already been mentioned, but it's SO GOOD, it's totally worth multiple mentions! i think maple syrup and salmon are the touristy foods, but that's just cause they're easier to travel with than gravy and cheese curds!
Wow, this is a great post on this project - full of helpful info - THANK you. And I live in Washington State, on the west coast of the USA. Something traditional in our neck of the woods is fresh-caught salmon. My folks would go fishing when I was a kid, so we always had Pacific NW salmon in the freezer. It's still an awesome treat & we love serving it to guests from out of town!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all the information you gave us! I've been trying some different stamping methods and was glad to know what you use and about the rolling stamp. I live in Washington DC, the US capital, and since we are close to the bay it's all about crab cakes here. Every restaurant has their own take on this and it's fun to find the places where the crab cakes have more crab than other fillings. I've tried to make them but with limited success.
ReplyDeleteLinda F.
Your case is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI live in North Texas...a very cosmopolitan area where just about anything is available. Around here beef is king and bbq is a natnal pastime.
I love your pencil case - the fussy-cutting is divine!! I grew up in the Southern USA and a guilty pleasure is Frito Chili Pie. It is a cheesy, gooey concoction of Fritos, chili and cheese - how easy is that. We went for the high-class version in an actual pan, but it can be prepared right in the Fritos bag :-) Not proud of it, but it is yummy!
ReplyDeleteHi, I am Mary from West Virginia, USA. A local specialty in the spring is ramps. They are a green, that is picked and cooked, maybe like spinach or leeks or onions. They are very strong in taste and smell! svalgoma@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I really want to try butter pie now! Thanks for the thorough review -- it was nice to get into the nitty gritty of what you use for adding embroidery, stamping tips etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm from New England -- Boston specifically -- which is known for baked beans, parker house rolls, and chowder. A lesser known delicacy that originated around here is the sandwich known as the "Fluffernutter": two pieces of white bread, one half with peanut butter and one with "fluff," i.e. marshmallow creme. Kids love them!
I am not sure my comment stuck, so I am trying it again.
ReplyDeleteLove your version of the pencil case! So many pretty details. I think I will be making another one!
I am from the Netherlands, and what is very Dutch in the winter: mashed potatoes with a cooked and finely stamped vegetable, such as carrots with onions or a cole. To that we eat rookworst (a big smoked Dutch sausage).
In the summer instead of cooking, we put in cut endive with pieces of cheese.
All this talk of food is making me hungry! :) I'm from Canada but my family is originally from China. A specialty that mom makes is lotus roots stuffed with sticky rice and brown sugar, yum!
ReplyDeleteI am from Lafayette, Louisiana, USA and food around here in Cajun Country is crazy! Crawfish Etouffee, Boudin, Dirty Rice and of course Gumbo!
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrific pencil case. I love your rolling alphabet stamp. I think that is going on my must-have list. In Texas (USA) our state tree is the Pecan Tree. I LOVE pecan pie. Sweet, crunchy, decadent. One of my favorite desserts!
ReplyDeleteAh, that pencil case is a treasure! What a huge amount of careful planning and dedicated fussy cutting and stitching you put into it. Hope that horsey girl appreciates all your care.
ReplyDeleteHave been to Preston, but dang, I missed the butter pies. Loaded up on Lancashire cheddar, though.
Since the U.S. is a melting pot of many cultures, we have lots of types of food available. My favorite is Thai food, and my favorite dish is Kao Soi, a sweet and savory sauce with wide rice noodles. Yum!
Can't wait to see what spins others put on the sweet pencil case! Thanks for sharing your take on it!
I love your pencil pouch and especially seeing how you stamp the words. Very cool. I live in the south in the US and we are all about southern cooking- fried chicken (which I've never made), macaroni and cheese and especially our sweet desserts. Thanks for participating.
ReplyDeleteI love your take on the pencil case.
ReplyDeleteIt's on my to do list, but as it's going to be for me it needs to give way to other projects.
I'm from Poland and among traditional Polish dishes pierogi are my favourite. As you probably know they are dumplings of a kind, and I especially like those stuffed with sauerkraut and wild mushrooms (very popular on Christmas Eve) or those with potatoes, cottage cheese and a bit of onion, oh and the sweet kind with blueberries, served with cream :)
That rolling stamp...oh my goodness! What a brilliant thing...must get me one of those!
ReplyDeleteI love Aurifil too, so thanks for hosting such a great giveaway. Food, hmmm. Tricky bit is deciding how to place myself, nationally or culturally -- but I'll go back to my roots as a 4th-gen. Brooklynite and identify myself with Nathan's hot dogs, with mustard and sauerkraut, bought at Coney Island and eaten standing up or walking along the boardwalk (while schlepping a metal folding beach chair and a big polyester beach bag, of course).
Hi, I live in Germany and have recently moved to Berlin. A traditional food here is a "Currywurst". This is a grilled german sausage ("Bratwurst"), cut into slices and served under a lot of Curry-flavoured ketchup. Not very healthy, but delicious.
ReplyDeleteLove the pencil case!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the US, but rather localized in Hawaii, so I'll serve you up some laulau & poi from "my country". And I don't get offended, but it's probably an acquired taste!
Great pencil case - very adorable as always! I wish I had the time to take part in this sewalong.. I am feeling very jealous of all the lovely projects I'm seeing.
ReplyDeleteI would love to win some Aurifil - it's an utter addiction :-) Your food memory made my smile - I wrote a dissertation on Catholicism in Lancs... sadly butter pies didn't feature (would love to try one)! I am very lucky to have a rich food heritage - I grew up scoffing Staffordshire Oatcakes, they absolutely say HOME to me, one of the great joys of moving back to my home town was being able to get them easily again...
Such a cut pencil case - such a great selection of fabric!
ReplyDeleteFood - goodness....I live in the US in Vermont but my family's heritage is Polish. I absolutely love, love, love pierogis. We always make them for christmas eve....I'm getting hungry for them just thinking about it.
Lovely case you made!
ReplyDeleteI'm from the Czech Republic. Our city is well known for gingebread. It's the symbol of the city and has long tradition going back to 16th century.
My family gets together for Chinese New Year's, and it's one of my favorite holidays because it's the only time I get to eat dau lau. It's little mochi balls dusted with kinako and topped with lots of chopped peanuts, coconut, and candied squash. YUM!
ReplyDeleteLove your version of the pencil case and a great blog post to go with it. I live in Croydon which definitely does not have a speciality cuisine! However my husband is from Scotland and I always have my fingers crossed when we visit that my sister in law has made some Tablet. This heavenly melt-in-the-mouth concoction of sugar and condensed milk looks like but is much better than toffee.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pencil case and the rolling stamp is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI'm from the North East of England originally, and am not sure if I ate anything particularly regional as a child. I do remember left over christmas pudding being fried in butter! And my Mum would sometimes make Curd tart when our next door neighbours (who were farmers) gave us some of the first milk.
Love the pencil case. The fabrics you used are wonderful. Food. . . I grew up in the Midwest United States. I'm not Norwegian, but many of the town's residents were. They would have a smorgasbord at the church across the street from my house every December. All the Norwegian cooks would outdo themselves with delicacies of all kinds. It was my first introduction to many wonderful foods. My favorite was the potato lefse. Thin pastry that would be spread with some sort of sweet buttery filling. Always had to eat this first so I wouldn't run the risk of being too full for dessert!
ReplyDeleteOooh, lovely pencil case, I think I'm going to have more fun with my newly rediscovered stamp stash here :oD. As for cuisine, deep fried Mars Bar anyone? ;o)
ReplyDeleteI live in the UK now but in Halifax, Nova Scotia have enjoyed breaded deep fried clams, and the deep fried pepperoni is a classic pub snack, best accompanied by a beer of course.
ReplyDeleteMy culinary heritage...German. Not a fan of it! My mom loves her kraut, though. I am in IL, USA. The town I grew up in is Norwegian and kringla is very popular. I am not a fan of that either. I married an Irish-Italian and our family favorite is corned beef with carrots and potatoes, hold the cabbage!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if this pencil case is wide/large enough for a pair of reading glasses?
I'm in the U.S. and my favorite local food is originally Norwegian, but I've found in other states its impossible to find- to the point that transplanted relatives ask that we ship it- Krumkake!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Yorkshire (although I'm not a UK resident anymore), and while I'm not sure it's really regional, I sure do miss my Nana's chip butties - a sandwich made with hot, homemade French fries on buttered white bread with HP sauce. Sooo unhealthy (as many things are), but sooo yummy! Thanks for the giveaway - I would love to try those Aurifil threads!
ReplyDeleteAnother Canadian signing in, with a vote for the always delicious Nanaimo Bars!
ReplyDeleteI'm from the United States, living in the state of Alabama. I love Southern cooking, but it's fattening. I recently cooked biscuits, mike gravy and cubed steak that I breaded and fried until crispy. Oh my goodness, it is so good. We only eat this a couple of times a year.
ReplyDeleteI love you blog and the pencil case is fantastic!
Have a great week.
Debbie
Oops... That should be milk gravy. Geeze... I'm so sorry. Still trying to get used to my iPad.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Debbie
I live in Canada, and we have a lot of culinary influences. My family is from the eastern most provinces, though we live in central Canada now. A long time family favourite is cod au gratin. Poached cod swims in a cheese infused white sauce and potatoes. The whole casserole is baked topped with some additional cheese and baked until bubbling. And, for dessert, ginger cake. Both recipes are yours in gratitude for the threads :-) Thank you for the chance to enter the giveaway. I am going to do this pencil case, but I am making it longer so that I can store my turning tools. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for offering this giveaway! I'm signing in from Canada, and I have to say that I have a love affair going with anything maple flavoured - maple syrup, maple sugar, maple butter... so delish!
ReplyDeleteJanet
wyzard(at)interlog(dot)com
The pencil case is next on my zakka list. Love your horsey version. Mine will feature some airplanes.
ReplyDeleteFrom the US - Oregon. We have a lot of 'Pacific Northwest' foods to recommend: Salmon, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Crab, Oysters, Clams, Raspberries, Strawberries, Marionberries, Blueberries, Blackberries. How to decide on one?
(a bit like fabric - lol)
Dark chocolate covered Hazelnuts - because they are easy to ship and something I mail often.
Wait - just saw a comment above which leads me to Halibut Beer-bits. Tempura batter with beer as the liquid surrounding succulent bits of halibut and deep-fried.
Two comments - can't help myself.
ReplyDeleteTraveling to Sweden & Finland this summer to visit friends and family. Hoping to high heaven that someone will have made Karelian Rice Pastries.
I have memories of these like you cannot believe.
Thin rye dough surrounding a rice 'pudding' filling. Lots of butter. My host-sisters grandmother would make a gazillion of these every time she came to visit.
http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/1_4.htm
I'm an Aussie - so we've got Vegemite, pavlova, lamingtons and choc-coated macadamias. YUM! BUT! We're moving to Japan next week for 3 years. So there we'll be gorging on ramen, takoyaki, green tea Kit Kats and plum wine!
ReplyDeleteI would have to say Fried Chicken. I could eat it everyday. Mashed potatoes & gravy, corn on the cob, dinner rolls. YUM!
ReplyDeleteForgot- California USA :)
DeleteI'll jump in ... I live in Colorado in the US and we have a local "delicacy" called "Rocky Mountain Oysters" .... Although they are not oysters at all! They are the snipped parts off a bull, fried up and served in some of the finer Western restaurants around here ... With a sense of humor!
ReplyDelete:). J
I love your horsey pencil pouch! And I really appreciate the stamping tips, as I'm getting really drawn to it and starting to think about purchasing some stamps and fabric ink. I'm in the US, specifically central Texas, where this time of year you can often find a strain of wild blackberry called dewberries. I love them, and my mom and I like to collect them to make jam and cobblers all year around. It's hard work, but worth it! :-)
ReplyDeletegreat little pencil case - hopefully my zakka book arrives this week so I can finally join in and sew !
ReplyDeleteI'm in australia so when you're talking aussie food it would be vegimite which people from other countries don't seem to like but I love it - and then there's pavlova - this is my favourite dessert - made with egg whites and baked then covered in cream and topped with fruit - the outside is crisp and the inside is soft and marshmellowy (is that a word ?) = YUM :)
Thank you for sharing the rubber stamp tip! I live in southern California and grew up strawberry-growing country. This time of year is my favorite for strawberries, in a couple of weeks my hometown hosts a strawberry festival where you can have strawberry everything to eat! My favorite is strawberry shortcake! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
ReplyDeleteBeing Scottish I'm going to forgoe the inevitable haggis and deep-fried mars bars stereotyping and go for a rowie! My Grandma is Aberdonian and I grew up with a deep appreciation of a buttery - it's like a flat croissant but made with WAY more butter. They. Are. The. Dogs.
ReplyDeleteI have thus-far resisted the Zakka style book but this pencil case has me smitten. Smited? Whatever. Thank you as always for your inspiration!
Thanks so much for the tips about printing & the fabric - I've been experimenting with freezer paper & am about to move on to stamps...so your tips are perfectly timed!
ReplyDeleteI live in Northern Ireland & of course potatoes feature in just about every meal. But there is one which is particularly weird & yummy...potato bread or fadge as its called locally... The name exactly describes it - squidgy but delicious toasted with butter... When we were growing up we used to call my wee brother "fadgy" cos he was just like that... a wee bit chubby, but cuddly & lovely.... (hopefully he doesn't read your blog!!)
I love your take on the Zakka pencil case. I'm just about to start making mine.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the West Coast of Scotland and growing up my favourite food was those little cocktail sausages - known around here as 'wee willy winkies' :)
Your case looks wonderful, I'm hoping to get on with mine this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI'm from and still live in London, so my regional food would have to be Pie & Mash with liquor!! I can honestly remember my nan and grandad eating it with jellied eels!!! I haven't had it for a few years but it's a nice treat (without the eels!) when I visit the market near where my grandparents lived.
Hi, Kerry! I am delighted with your post. So much fun and information all rolled into one! And that little pencil case is adorable, with all the cute stamping and hand sewing. How clever to tie the text in with the fun fabric.
ReplyDeleteI am from Kansas in the USA, and while I am not big on casseroles, they are big here. There is one that has been around a long time, and I made it when my children were little or to take to a church covered dinner. It is a tater-tot casserole. There is a layer of seasoned ground beef, green beans, canned cream soup and tater-tots on top. This is baked for about an hour, till the meat is done, the tots are toasty and the casserole is bubbly. There are many such dishes in this area.
Hi, I like your pencil case very much. I think, I'll make one myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm from Antwerp, Belgium and we are the inventors of the famous and world wide known french fries. We make the fries ourselves at home and every household has his own deep frying pan. The very best fries are baked twice. The second time you should increase the temperature of the fat. That's the secret of very tasteful fries!!!
I'm from the Finger Lakes region of New York state. However, my mother is from Pennsylvania so we grew up with foods from the Pennsylvania Dutch area. Whoopie Pies were always a favorite with us. Just recently they've become more well known with major baking companies trying to make and package them, but none are as good as my Grama Higgins' recipe. It's two soft puffy chocolate cookies with a delicious white cream filling...my mouth is watering!
ReplyDeleteI have yet to try the Aurifil...my fingers are crossed!!
the alphabet stamp is genius! i have ben trying to find a good way to make tags, this is perfect. the thread sounds nice too.
ReplyDeleteHmm... not sure what culinary delight to tell you about. But I've been in Maryland for about 5 years and Blue Crabs are definitely a local delicacy. You eat them shell and all.
Cute pencil holder and love the words ~ trit-trot and whoah, so cute.
ReplyDeleteA culinary delight? I'm vegan and my most favorite thing to eat is a type of ramen I get from the local health food store. I cook it with extra garlic and cut up kale to put in the soup, then add some hot sauce. It's really yummy (to me, at least)!
Hi Kerry, lovely project - again! Will have to make a pencil case for myself as various big and small people steal my pens...Thanks for the stamp tip too. I'm originally from Dublin but live in the UK. Whenever I went home my Dad would make Colcannon (just for me) and it was delicious. (It's floury mashed potatoes with curly kale and a bucket of butter.)
ReplyDeleteMe please for the giveaway! I had Yorkshire puddings for dinner which is my favourite food from where I live...
ReplyDeleteHello. I am from the South West (Southern California and now Arizona) of the U.S. Mexican food is a very big deal here...My families favorite is when I make turkey enchiladas after Thanksgiving with the dark meat of the turkey. I use green enchilada sauce, corn tortillas and love a mix of jack and cheddar cheese! Yum!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I live in east Texas. We're known for our southern food, and my favorite is fried okra!
ReplyDeleteCornish pasty - nice and easy as I'm in Cornwall and the most important thing is that Cornish pasties do NOT contain carrots - never ever!
ReplyDeleteI'm from NZ but living in Bulgaria. On a trip away in the countryside the hotel owner gifted myself and my friends with some homemade Strawberry Rakia, which would be strawberry brandy. Very potent stuff!
ReplyDeleteI live in the South of England but hail from the Cotswolds where Lardy Cakes are my treat of choice. My freezer always has a few in it for lardy emergencies. My husband thinks its a very odd cake saying that "of course lard and sugar tastes lovely but its not a cake!" You can get them down here but they are not the same at all, really you can only get them from one very particular bakery in Stroud!
ReplyDeleteMy husband's parents are in Preston too!
ReplyDeleteI was going to rave about lardy cakes - lolastitches has done the same and I buy them from the same bakery in Stroud!! Small world!
I live in California but grew up in Texas. I love Texas pecan pie and BBQ. If the BBQ is done right, the meat just falls off the bone! Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThat is the cutest pencil pouch! I've got to make one! I don't want to be entered in your contest but I'll share my food, if you can call it that. I live in California but I was born and raised in Canada, which I miss dearly. And the food I miss most are chips (crisps). In particular, the old Dutch brand in ketchup, all dressed, and dill pickle flavours. I pay an obscene amount of money to have them shipped to me. That's how much I love them. And it's not even real food!
ReplyDeleteThat pencil case is so cute. Of course, you had me searching all over the internet for rolling stamps and versacraft! My food heritage is jewish, so real comfort food for me just has to be chicken soup!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourites growing up was egg pudding, baked by my mum. Would love some of the Aurifil, I usually use cheap poly thread and would be great to see how different the Aurifil is!
ReplyDeleteBread and butter pudding! My girls love it, and I have to confess so do ! Love your blog especially how you let us in UK know where you source your items from over here.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Maryland, USA, so I love crabcakes! I would really love to try the Aurifil thread. Have heard nothing but good comments about it. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteMmmmm.....here in the southern US, biscuits are a necessity! You can eat them with fresh jams or as a sandwich or with a rich gravy....either way, gotta have those biscuits! And my hubs makes some of the best! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the fun!
I am devonshire through and through and I haven't found anything that makes me happier than a cream tea.
ReplyDeleteFresh scones, jam THEN clotted cream, hot steamy tea in bone china, heaven!
Hi, i'm from Lancashire in England, now living in Somerset and a real favourite of mine is Lancashire hotpot bought from the bakers in a foil tray nice and hot, on a cold day, delicious!
ReplyDeleteI live in the states and I have to say one of my favorite foods is the all american hamburger!! The best way to eat a hamburger is to start with the BEST ground beef and grill it!! Oh it is so yummy!!!
ReplyDeleteemail is sweetbabyjamie@me.com
I live in the US, but my SO is from Toronto. Whenever we go visit his parents they make Nanimo Bars (pronounced Nan-i-mo) for him. These are bars that have a graham cracker crust with a firm custard in the middle and chocolate on top. They are scrumptious! I can't find custard powder in the US, so when we cross the border I usually buy a box and bring it back home. Lobster Grrl
ReplyDeleteyour little horsey pouch is too cute! i love it! i'm from washington and love lots of cultural foods but for dessert a fresh baked blackberry pie is a favorite! we have wild blackberries everywhere here and even have a blackberry festival every year in my town. :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom is from Quebec. A really trditional dish is a meat pie called Tourtiere and then there's the amazing on the lips but not on the hips poutine - french fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy!
ReplyDeleteLove the details you put into this case! I am in the US (New England) We don't have much family tradition in foods but we have wild blueberries, blackberries, grapes and strawberries on our property. I make muffins & cobblers, but mostly they get eaten out of the bowl before I can make anything!
ReplyDeleteSuperb as always Kerry! How about Maids of Honour? My very old aunty used to make them when we were little, her take on them was sublime and imagine my delight when my mum decided to make some at Easter, I had such flashbacks! Yes please I need to try this thread!
ReplyDeletei am in the U.S., and we tend to take on all kinds of food as our own. but i grew up in the Southwest, land of cactus and coyotes, and our comfort food is pinto beans with papitas (small cut up pan fried potatoes) and homemade tortillas.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing better in the fall than apple pie, but as spring is rushing into summer, I will stalk the fruit stands until the first cherries of the season show up. Just a quick wash and pop them in your mouth. Best enjoyed driving down a country road with the windows down for optimal cherry pit spitting!
ReplyDeleteThe very American thing I'm craving right now is a venti vanilla latte from Starbucks. I guess it's not quite a food thing, though, is it?
ReplyDeleteI love your pouch! The next one I make is going to be hand-stitched like yours!
ReplyDeleteI live in the US, specifically, the Midwest. Here we love a good cheese coney. It's a hotdog in a bun topped with a beanless chili (sort of watery), mustard, onions, and shredded cheese. Us die hard coney lovers put hot sauce and oyster crackers in them too.
ReplyDeleteemail: stitchedontheavenue@yahoo.com
Hmmm, I live in Sweden but come from the US. In my hometown of Syracuse, NY, we ate something called white hots, snappies, or coneys, that were white hotdogs with sage spice in them, fried in peanut oil, served with soft buns and brown mustard. Much secret recipe guessing and even some tips from a former griller gave me this insider info. They were served at a restaurant called Heid's, along with Ginger Beer and some other oldfashioned sodas. I don't think they ar there now, but the dogs used to be made by a sausage company in town called Meier and Ranz. Geez, now I miss those!
ReplyDeleteLove your pencil case and its special personal touches!
Mmmm, I'm fromlondon, not sure there are any local foods, eels? Do they count? Love the pencil case!
ReplyDeleteI live in East Texas (US). It is about time to start eating new potatoes and cornbread. I softly boil potatoes. Drain most of the water out and mix flour and water and add to the potatoes, along with a can of evaporated milk and add sweet milk. Crumble your cornbread and add the thickened potatoes. Best thing in the world!
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