Meaningful stitches...
This post finds me deeply, happily immersed in very personal, very storybook-like stitching for a new art quilt; however, earlier this week, I posted this photo on Instagram and it received lovely feedback (thank you all!), as well as a few requests to explain how I printed my grandparents' letters onto fabric. So, below is a quick tutorial for your creative pursuits! Enjoy, and please share how you decide to use this technique: #tierneybarden. We'd all love to see!
PRINTING ON FABRIC, A TUTORIAL
STEP 1: Cut an 8.5" x 11" piece of freezer paper and with a dry hot iron, press it well, shiny side down, to the back of a piece of fabric cut to the same size.
STEP 2: Place your image that will be printed onto the fabric on your scanner bed and close the lid. Carefully load your fused fabric sheet* into your INK JET printer and print. (I've always read this technique only works with ink jet printers. I haven't tried it with other types.) *It's helpful to know which way to load your fabric sheet in order to print on the correct side.
This is how my fabric looked coming out of the printer.
STEP 3: To set the ink, press your newly printed fabric very well with a dry hot iron. Now, your fabric is ready for use by peeling off the freezer paper and proceeding as you would with any other fabrics in your stash! Have FUN with this technique, and please share what you make! #tierneybarden
This delicious powerhouse seed mixture is now a staple at our house!
Seedy Nut Crumble
This smart, gluten-free snack (or topping) is so tasty and easy to whip up that you'll want to sprinkle it over salads, cottage cheese (above), applesauce, oatmeal, or eat straight out of the jar! I came across the recipe in Bon Apetite (Seedy Oat Crackers), and while the original calls for making crackers, I've found that treating it as a crumble is more my style, so that's how I'm writing the instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 F
Line a jelly roll pan with foil.
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup old-fashioned oats, 3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, 2/3 cup sunflower seeds, 3 Tbsp. chia seeds, 3 Tbsp poppy seeds and 1 tsp. kosher salt with 4 tsp. vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, and 3/4 cup room-temp. water and mix well. Let sit and thicken for 10 minutes. Spread mixture evenly onto the prepared pan, pressing with your hands to an even layer about 1/4" thick.
Bake for 15 minutes. Gently stir the mixture and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until light brown and smelling toasty. Let cool in pan, then transfer the mixture to a glass jar or other air tight container.
* Feel free to substitute chopped nuts of your choosing; chopped sturdy herbs like rosemary or thyme; chopped dried fruits like raisins, apricots or cherries.