Merry Christmas!

My friend Cheri sent this to me on Christmas Eve. 
It's too wonderful not to share, especially at Christmas time!

The other night, my nephew Bryce and I decided 

we were starting a new holiday tradition - 

 baking "ABC Gingerbread Men" cookies (look closely)

 and swapping ugly sweaters for ugly cookies!

Yikes!!!

That same night, Bryce bravely tried gingerbread  

and then said with certainty,

"Let's do sugar cookies next time."

Enjoy all of your holiday traditions, 

and from Silver Trumpet's Studio, I wish you a very

Merry Christmas!

Down the Chimney

Leaving a Christmas Eve plate of satisfying cookies 

for a gluten-free Santa can be a daunting task, indeed. 

Just in the nick of time I've got the cookie for you,

and kids can help, too!

Myself, I don't have the need to bake gluten-free. 

I'm just curious about what makes gluten-free baking different  

from traditional recipes, other than the obvious. 

Lucky for me, I happened upon the talented, passionate, 
gluten-free goddess herself, Karina Allrich,

and this is her Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

Her informative blog introduced me to new ingredients,

offered helpful tips, and provided excitement about serving 
a whole new set of needs.

All told, the taste test was my favorite part!

5 out of 5 taste testers agreed that the flavor is excellent, 

the texture is appealing, and overall,

just like Santa, this recipe delivers. :)

Turn up the Christmas music 
(Ariana Grande & Elizabeth Gillies, The Christmas Song)
and happy holiday baking!

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to #61, the winner of my festive bucket bag, 

part of SewMamaSew's December Giveaway Day:

Amy DeCesareDecember 9, 2013 at 6:49 PM

How cute is that!!! I LOVE those little handles, and also the prints you've chosen. I think this would be so cute holding hot cocoa pouches for a hot chocolate bar, or for winter mornings.

 I was relieved to leave the selection process up to the 
random number generator because you all left 
fantastic ways to use this bucket bag.

Here are just a few of your fun ideas: 

fill the bag with ornaments and use as a centerpiece 

store holiday cards

fill with Krups coffee cups in the Kitchen

fill with dolls or toy tractors

hold kids crafting supplies

store notepads, remote controls, stuff that needs a home

hold pretty trims in the sewing room

store hexis (I'm so doing this!)

store fabric scraps or sewing tools

hold knitting, crochet projects by the couch (near & dear to my heart!)

Many of you like the fabric combination, 
so I thought I'd share the precursor to the holiday bucket bag, 
the (large knitting) project bag.

Knit through the holidays in style!
There's only one, and it's at Cinch!

This Giveaway event was great fun, and I'm already 

looking forward to May's Giveaway Day... 

suggestions welcome!  

Congrats again to #61, 
and I'm sending you an email, Amy!

It's Giveaway Day!

Each year, I look forward to this day - 

SewMamaSew's Giveaway Day!

It's a fun way to meet other sewists, 

pick up a few new favorite blogs, 

plus enter to win beautiful and fun handmade items 

offered by talented makers.

Ready to join the fun here at Silver Trumpet?

Here's your chance to win my festive Bucket Bag, 
measuring approximately 6.5" high x 6.5" wide.

You'll find roomy pockets in the front and back, 
and one at the interior.
Comfy, durable side handles.
Machine wash and dry.

For your chance to win this festive all-purpose bag

just leave a comment describing how you would use it!

Remember to include your email address so I can let you know if you won.

Put it to good use in your home, or to give as a gift.

One lucky winner will be selected by random number generator 

on Friday Dec. 13th.

The winner will be announced here, 
and will also receive an email. 

Good Luck and Happy Holidays!

Oh, and a quick reminder that the shop sale ends this Wednesday,
and more bags will be posted there soon!

Welcome December!

 Silver Trumpet is kicking off December 

with a sale!

There's plenty of time to stitch up this sweet wool felt applique 

tablet case and coordinating cell phone case for the holidays! 

Or you could give the kit to your favorite stitcher.

Either way, it just got easier...

Kits are on sale for 20% off in the shop. 

Use coupon code: SWEETHOLIDAY13 

now through December 11th.

 Simple stitches and clear instructions mean great results

for beginners to advanced, and everyone in between!

The instructions include sizing for your own devices,

adding a button closure and other personal touches.

Kits provide materials, templates and complete instructions.

Visit the shop for more details and photos.

Happy stitching (or gifting!)

Spoiler alert:

There's a lot of love being stitched in the Studio,

so look for another wave of bags later this week

at Cinch Art Space!

A spunky break from all the Christmas music...

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga singing

"The Lady Is a Tramp", and having so much fun! 

They're Here!

With snow piling up outside my window I feel much like 
one of Santa's elves busily sewing, snipping and pressing 
in time for the holidays...and I love it!

  

I'm so excited to tell you that one batch of 

stylish (project) bags is available locally at Cinch Art Space 

  and another batch will soon be available in my Etsy shop.

Perfect for holding your projects on the go, 

these roomy bags are among my favorite to make. 

By easily undoing the button loop closure, this fairly compact bag 

instantly turns spacious, and has seven roomy pockets!

Any project can quickly be made portable and at the ready 

during your lunch break or while traveling for the holidays. 

All bags are sewn by me and have a (carefully chosen) button closure.

It will cheerfully hold your knitting, crochet, hand sewing, embroidery, 

creative writing, journaling, scrap booking, card making...

and just imagine how much more you'll get done!

Be stylish and productive. 

You and your work deserve it. :)

 I couldn't resist sharing "Kid President's" 
hysterical 3 minute message to moms. 
And if you enjoy that video, don't miss this one
where he briefly shares his inspiring story.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Make Every Day a Picnic

I'm thrilled to announce the forthcoming release

of my first quilt pattern, "Ladies Who Lunch"!

I originally designed and made this quilt for my 

spunky, energetic and fun-loving niece, Fabrizia, 

and I'm excited to now share it with all of you!

The pattern, complete with templates and step-by-step photos,

will be available for sale after December 2nd

in my Etsy shop and at Quilters Corner in Ithaca,

where this quilt will also be on display.

How about a workshop?

Mark you calendar now for my 2-day workshop 

April 12-13, 2014 at Quilters Corner, 

where you can make this sweet decorative quilt top 

which will then be ready for quilting and binding at home. 

We'll use simple fusing and machine sewing techniques, as well as 

a tiny bit of simple embroidery for the most charming detail.

Invite these charming Ladies into your little loved-one's 

nursery or bedroom and make every day a picnic. :)

As the workshop gets closer, more information will be provided. 

I hope you'll join the fun!

 On the hunt for holiday dessert ideas?
Look no further, Apple Clafouti is both impressive and easy!
(Click the link for the recipe)

This French batter cake entertains as it 

puffs up high beyond the sides of the dish, and 

 soft, sweet apples balance the popover-like cake texture. 
Quick to put together, it's best served straight from the oven, 
or shortly thereafter, and I can personally recommend 
adding a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream 
to make it a home run. Enjoy!

One last thing - 

shop owners and shoppers alike, mark your calendars:

Small Business Saturday is November 30th

...a day to celebrate and support small businesses 
and all they do for their communities.  Please join the SBA and 
organizations across the country in supporting your local 
small business by shopping at a small business. 
- US Small Business Administration