House Hippos Cross-Stitch

Not long ago, I was struck by unexpected inspiration: I needed to make a cross stitch piece featuring house hippos.

If you're a Canadian of a certain age, house hippos are a cultural touchstone; if you're not, you might be a little confused. House hippos were born in 1999:

En francais:

Cute, right? The lesson may not have stuck, but house hippos sure did. Without a house hippo pattern available (at least, not one I could find), I came up with my vision. Then I went looking for patterns to put together.

I didn't really record the details (sorry). I got a hoop that I thought would be a good size, grabbed the aida cloth that seemed like the right one, picked thread colours that seemed appropriate, and found patterns that worked with what I had.

The hippo took longer than I expected. It's a pretty simple design, but there's a surprising amount of detail in it.

The lettering really scared me; I was so worried about it being off center. It's not perfect, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

The red I used for "Caution!" caused me some consternation. I thought I already had the right shade on hand, but it turned out I didn't. It needed a special trip to the store to get the perfect shade of Canadian flag red (DMC 321), and it's not even showing up properly in the picture! This is what it really looks like (or as close as you can get on a screen):

And now for the real stress. The French writing.

The French lines involved longer words/phrases and several wide letters to try to fit in. Paranoid about running out of space, I narrowed the writing on "Attention!" I probably should've left it alone, but by the time I realized that, it was too late to change it.

My original plan was to put a maple leaf on either side of the hippo. Then I realized the French and English parts are equal-- it made no sense to have two large maple leaves and one small fleur de lys. As proud as I was of my freehand mini fleur de lys, it had to go.

For a second I thought about adding a tiny maple leaf to balance out the tiny fleur de lys, but I didn't want it getting too busy.

The final design! I'm happy with how it turned out, especially the fleur de lys, which not only ended up the right size, but is also a pretty good representation in both colour and style of Quebec's fleur de lys (my home province).

I also like to sign my needlepoints. It's always in a hidden spot, but I choose to believe some future needlework enthusiast will notice one of them and start an epic journey to find all the pieces of the mysterious "ASB."

This was actually my first time backing an embroidery hoop with felt. I used this video for the instructions. You can see in the picture above that my "fringe" of aida cloth looks messy and is also too wide. I ended up re-doing it, because it really shows through on the front.

I think that's better (at least there's less excess fabric). By the way, I know people pride themselves on the neatness of the backs of their embroidery pieces. That's great for them, but I can't be bothered. I do needlework to relax and for the love of creating-- I don't need the stress of making sure the back (that no one will see!) looks as good as the front.

I really enjoyed sewing the felt into place. I also enjoy sewing knit/crochet parts together too, which a lot of people seem to hate, so I think I just enjoy hand stitching. The felt isn't completely flat, because (despite my best efforts) it was a tiny bit too big. But it's not so bad that I needed to re-do it. 

All done!

Now to get some mini hippos to leave around the house...

As a bonus, I had enough aida left to make a bookmark!

Anyone familiar with A Series of Unfortunate Events should recognize the quote :)

Speaking of books, have you downloaded mine yet? 

Love Lies Bleeding

Bleeding Heart

Blood Magic

Tooth & Claw

(Links take you to all available stores. Love Lies Bleeding and Bleeding Heart are also available in paperback.)

What projects are you working on lately? If you do needlepoint, do you care what the backs look like? Did you grow up with house hippos? Share in the comments...

Cheers,

Aspasia

PS: Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com. 

All photos by Whimsy Bower/Aspasia S. Bissas, other than the picture of the embroidery threads.

Arts & Crafts with Dior

 

I was going to post something craft related today, but looking through older photos, I found some I'd taken at a past Christian Dior exhibit. It's not exactly crafts, but these dresses are works of art.

Dior's "New Look" was all about femininity: full skirts and cinched waists (if I recall correctly, he tried to bring back corsets). I totally understand why women didn't want to go back to these kinds of restrictive styles after the general comfort and freedom of 1930s and 40s fashions, but a part of me also wishes I could've dressed like this (the part of me that forgets how much I prefer being comfortable).

I love these ribbon details. If my sewing skills get a little better, I'm tempted to add something like this to a skirt.

I also think gloves should make a comeback. In this post-covid world, it only makes sense.

The dress above looks like something from a fairytale, and the one below looks like something Marilyn Monroe might've worn...

I'm not usually one for beading on my clothes (maybe I should be?) but the beaded collar on this dress is just amazing. I don't think my photo does it justice.

Speaking of beads, these necklaces were also part of the exhibit...

The exhibit also highlighted some of Dior's perfume bottles, which he designed:

This dress was included at the start of the exhibit. I don't remember if it's a Dior, or if it was there to show some of his influences, but I love it, so I'm sharing.

What do you think of Dior's New Look? Which dress is your favourite? And who is your favourite designer of the past (I also love House of Worth and Callot Soeurs). Share in the comments...

My Books

Love Lies Bleeding

Bleeding Heart

*Blood Magic

*Tooth & Claw

(Links take you to all available stores. Love Lies Bleeding and Bleeding Heart are also available in paperback.)

Cheers,

Aspasia

PS: Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com. 

All photos by Whimsy Bower/Aspasia S. Bissas.

Happy Easter

 

Wishing a lovely holiday to everyone who celebrates!

Cheers,

Aspasia

Hibiscus vs. Aphids

This is my first hibiscus flower in a while (the red one; the white flower is from a Christmas/Thanksgiving/Holiday cactus that decided to flower in March). I was incredibly excited to see a bud-- until I noticed it was covered in aphids.

Photo via https://plantura.garden/uk/trees-shrubs/hibiscus/hibiscus-overview

Disgusting, right?

Luckily there was some insecticidal soap on hand, and a few sprays seemed to take care of them, allowing the flower to open. But they could still be in there, dormant, waiting...

I'm going to have to stay vigilant.

Tips on Dealing with Aphids on Houseplants

• Aphids can weaken plants, stunt their growth, or even kill plants. They also reproduce quickly. Take steps to deal with them as soon as you spot them.
• Aphids can be green, black, or white, and are easy to see with the naked eye.
• On hibiscus, aphids will congregate on flower buds, or at the tops of stems, to feed on sap. They excrete a sticky substance called "honeydew" that falls on the leaves underneath and causes something called sooty black mold. Sticky leaves and sooty mold are other signs that you have an aphid problem.

Photo via https://gardeninggroot.com/black-spots-on-hibiscus-leaves/

• You can control an aphid infestation a few ways: pick insects off by hand and drop in a bowl of soapy water; knock the insects off the plant with a blast of water (then collect and kill them); use insecticidal soap or another pesticide designed for aphids.

Make Your Own Insecticidal Soap

1 Tbs (15 mL) Castile soap 

2 cups (500 mL) water

Mix and pour into a clean spray bottle.

Spray plant thoroughly, including the underside of leaves. Keep applying every few days or weekly until all the insects are gone.

If you're unlucky enough to have aphids or another insect infestation on your plants, you have my sympathy. I wish you much luck getting rid of them.

Aphids are like the vampires of the insect world, sucking the lifeblood (sap) of the plant. Distract yourself by reading about actual vampires (they're a lot more fun and far less gross)-- check out my books (links follow)!

Do you have any other tips for dealing with aphids? Share in the comments...

My Books

Love Lies Bleeding

Bleeding Heart

*Blood Magic

*Tooth & Claw

(Links take you to all available stores. Love Lies Bleeding and Bleeding Heart are also available in paperback.)

Cheers,

Aspasia

PS: Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com. 

All photos by Whimsy Bower/Aspasia S. Bissas unless otherwise noted.

Winter's Winding Down

Of course, this being southern Ontario, winter has a few last gasps before spring finally arrives. I took these photos over the last couple of weeks. A lot of the snow in the earlier pictures has melted. Then it snowed again. Tomorrow it's supposed to be -25C and on Wednesday it's supposed to be +17C. No matter what the weather's doing, though, the birds are singing and the squirrels are frolicking, and spring is definitely on its way...eventually...

We had some impressive fog a little while back, as the snow started melting. The grey "sky" in this shot is actually fog over the Etobicoke Creek.

 

 

Staghorn Sumac

Staghorn Sumac

Eastern White Pine

I was so excited to see these coyote tracks and then, when we encountered the coyote later in the walk, I didn't think to take a photo! We spotted him as we were approaching a bridge. He was on the other side of it, coming toward us. We backtracked and gave him space. He was cautious, but eventually passed us and went on his way. It was a highlight for me.

I also spotted a bald eagle being driven into the trees by a group of Canada geese. I've seen smaller birds targetting hawks in the past, but this was my first eagle (outside of the zoo). 

The sign outside Tim Hortons has a vaguely threatening energy. Or maybe it's just me. 

Round-leaved Bittersweet

I tried to capture the water droplets on the berries, but it didn't turn out the way I'd hoped.

What's the weather like where you are? Share in the comments. And don't forget to get my books! (Also, apologies for the wonky formatting--blogger is being weird today and I can't figure out how to fix it.)

My Books 

Bleeding Heart

Love Lies Bleeding

Blood Magic

Tooth & Claw

(Links take you to all available stores. Love Lies Bleeding and Bleeding Heart are also available in paperback.)

Cheers,

Aspasia

PS: Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com. 

All photos by Whimsy Bower/Aspasia S. Bissas

Recipe: Slow-Simmered Pasta Sauce

A delicious vegan sauce that's a hit even with diehard carnivores!

 

Slow-Simmered Pasta Sauce 

1 litre (approx. 4 cups) tomato juice (you can also use crushed tomatoes, thinned with a little water)

1 med-lg yellow onion, chopped 

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced 

250 g (8 oz)  cremini/brown/baby bella mushrooms, chopped coarsely

1 large sweet bell pepper, chopped

3/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1 dried bay leaf

1 Tbs fresh basil, chopped

1 Tbs dried parsley (or a small bunch of fresh leaves, stems removed and leaves chopped)

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Good quality olive oil 

Your choice of fresh or dried pasta 

 

Pour 1 to 2 Tbs olive oil into a large pot (enamelled cast iron, if you've got it). Heat over med-low heat and add onion. Stir until softened and translucent, then add garlic and mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are softened (about 5 minutes), add in pepper. Cook, stirring, for another minute or two.

Add tomato sauce/crushed tomatoes to the pan with the vegetables. Stir well. Add in oregano, bay leaf, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), and salt. Stir again, then cover pot with lid. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove lid from pot and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings (at this time you can add in some ground black pepper, if desired). Lower heat so that the sauce is lightly simmering, and partially place lid back on (leaving a gap for steam to escape). Leave on a low simmer for two or more hours, stirring occasionally (once every 30 minutes). The sauce doesn't need to be watched constantly, so you can do other things while it's cooking (but it does need to simmer that long). If sauce gets too thick as it's cooking, add a little more tomato juice, broth, or water.

Sauce is ready anytime after the 2 hour simmer (although the longer you can let it go, the better). Remove bay leaf. Cook pasta according to package directions.

As soon as pasta is cooked and drained, place in individual bowls or plates, and add a generous amount of sauce. Add some grated cheese, if you want (I like Asiago) and serve with a salad and bread on the side.

Serves 2 to 4

 

Variations

1. Add a bunch of washed, chopped spinach to the pan when you add the tomato sauce. 

2. Chop a small zucchini and add the pieces to the pan when you add the bell pepper.

3. Add some butter to the olive oil when cooking the vegetables, or stir 1 to 2 Tbs of butter into the sauce after simmering.

The basic ingredients. I had mini sweet peppers on hand, so I used the equivalent of a bell pepper.

I meant to take more pictures, but got distracted and forgot (oops).

Feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments. And if you make this, let me know how it turned out. Don't forget to get my books (links follow)! 

My Books 

Bleeding Heart

Love Lies Bleeding

Blood Magic

Tooth & Claw

(Links take you to all available stores. Love Lies Bleeding and Bleeding Heart are also available in paperback.)

 

Cheers,

Aspasia

PS: Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com. 

All photos by Whimsy Bower/Aspasia S. Bissas