July's Quirky Holidays

With th USA'S 250th Birthday coming this July, why not make a month of it and celebrate all month long.  July has a lot of holidays.  

Of course in the US, there is July 4th, Independence Day when it was decided to separate from Britain and form our own nation.  That is a big summer celebration with picnics, parades and fireworks.  But there are a lot more reasons to celebrate in July, especially if a picnic on July 4th isn’t enough.

There are all kinds of food “Days”.  July 1st is Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day and International Chicken Wing Day. July 3rd is Eat Beans Day.  Sidewalk Egg Frying Day is also on July 4th (not sure I would want to eat that egg).  Do you like apple turnovers?  Well, have one on July 5th, that is National Apple Turnover Day.  July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day.  July 7th is Chocolate Day, International Cherry Pit Spitting Day (got to eat the cherry to get the pit) and National Strawberry Sundae Day.  My favorite summer fruit – blueberries is honored on July 8th.(and then Pick Blueberries Day is on the 10th and National Blueberry Muffins Day is the 11th)

July 10th is National Sugar Cookie Day (and you could revisit the Chocolate Day and Strawberry Sundae Day by having aother sundae with a little chocolate syrup and a cookie).  Just to make sure we get in another dessert, Pecan Pie Day is July 12th.  French Fries are honored on July 13th (appropriate since French Bastille Day is the 14th).  We go back to ice cream with National Ice Cream Day (different from July 1st which is Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, remember). Have some pudding on Tapioca Pudding Day on the 15th.  And with all these sweets, eat some spinach on the 16th for Fresh Spinach Day.

We do another flavor of ice cream on the 17th for Peach Ice Cream Day.  And to get a little fancy, try some caviar on National Caviar Day on the 18th but I wouldn’t combined it with the other food honored on that day, Hot Dogs.  And with all this food you do need a drink now and then, so for the adults try a Daiquiri on its day the 19th. Cakes are also back on the 19th with National Raspberry Cake Day.  The 20th brings another ice cream day with National Ice Cream Soda day.  Don’t want anymore ice cream but you do want something sweet?  Switch the ice cream for a lollipop on the 20th – it’s that sweet sucker’s national day. 

And so we don’t forget a favorite ‘unofficial’ food group, July 21st is National Junk Food Day.  Remember with chips, you can’t eat just one.  July still hasn’t had enough of ice cream.  We have to honor the basic, vanilla on July 23rd. You don’t have to live south of the border to get some tequila on the 24th.  That day is National Tequila Day.  The 28th is a favorite of children of every age: National Milk Chocolate Day.

July 1st was International Chicken Wing Day.  We also need to bring it home with National Chicken Wing Day on July 29th.  If you want more of a meal, the 29th is also National Lasagna Day.  And we finish off the food month with a sweetie on the 30th, National Cheesecake Day. 

Now if you can’t find something to celebrate with food during the month of July, you are just too picky of an eater.  To the rest of us, I say “LET’S EAT!”

©2018, 2023, 2026 Cheryl Fillion

 

 

Recovering with Needlework

 It's been a while since I have written anything. And that's because I have been sick. 

Two years ago, I had 3 major infections in 1 month, an abdominal tear which caused me to bleed internally (losing half of my blood), and then within 6 months of all of that I had open heart surgery.

The one thing that helped me survive and recover from all of that (and I am still recovering) was my needlework.

In a nursing facility recovering from the infections and abdominal tear, I finished a little needlepoint coin purse.  It had the design of seashells on it.  It gave me a small feeling of being at the beach.

I had some friends pick up some embroidery from my home.  I was so glad I had different projects organized in bags so it was easy for them to find.  I worked on a flamingo embroidery (that allowed me to try some new stitches.  It was a wonderful kit.).  I finished a ballerina embroidery for my hopefully to be completed Nutcracker Ballet Quilt.

I even tried some freeform embroidery.  I took a strip of fabric, would draw a shape on it and then decorated the design with thread. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but putting in and pulling out the needle was soothing to me.  It helped calm me since I was then 2 months in a care facility.

I worked on some needle felting which allowed me to make a gift for an aide who was particularly comforting to me.

Once I got home, my needlework helped me concentrate and kept my mind and hands busy while I continued to recover.   I finished the flamingo and also finished some UFOs.  It was nice feeling of accomplishment since building my strength was going so slow.

Because I was in a wheelchair, I couldn't sit close to my sewing machine so I found myself going back to hand piecing. That was fun rebuilding a skill that had gone dormant.

My doctors and I began to notice problems with my heart and so a valve replacement surgery was scheduled. I made sure as I packed for the surgery, I had needlework to do. I knew I couldn't stay in the hospital with nothing to do.  And it did help.  Having a needle in my hand helped occupy the time as I healed. ( The only problem came when I would drop my needle in the folds of the bedding.  Surprisingly I never did stick myself.)

I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't had my needlework to do.  It helped calm me, comfort me, and bring some normalcy to my life, all of which helped in the healing process.

2026. Cheryl Fillion 

Colored Pencil with Embroidery

 I wrote back earlier this month about using colored pencils on fabric. It is a very simple way to create a design on fabric. But you don’t have to use pencil alone.  Using a colored pencil is also a great way to enhance embroidery.

I am creating a sampler quilt with very bright colors. I decided that the alternate blocks would be embroidery.  But when I put the blocks together, the embroidery which was a simple outline embroidery (similar to Redwork) faded away.  There just was not enough of color to go with the bright pieced blocks.

I didn’t want to do the blocks over in appliqué or do another design so I got out my trusty pencils. Just like with coloring in a book, I colored within the embroidery lines.

After all the coloring is done, you then add the textile medium.  Painting the medium over the embroidery will make it stiff but with some use (like cuddling under the quilt) the embroidery will soften up. 

You might be able to do the coloring first and then add the embroidery but I am not sure what the textile medium will do to the embroidery transfer lines if you use the medium on it.  It is likely to make the transfer lines permanent just as it does the coloring.

 

Think about using your colored pencils the next time you want a little more color to your embroidery.

 

©2017, 2024  Cheryl Fillion