Farmers Market

Hi everyone! Finally!  I made it to the  Wednesday farmers market before closing time the other day.

 The FB photos of the day looked so enticing! Posted in the early morning, the market looked well stocked and well-attended. Below, my pics, 1.45 PM.

It seems I am the only person who doesn't enjoy food shopping at 9 AM.There were lots of shoppers when I got there, but the cake lady was gone, the bread seller gone; instead of masses of sunflowers there was a single--but so cheery---remaining bunch. It got snatched up even as I took its picture.

I love the outdoor market  for the colors and vitality, as much as for the food itself. The fountains, the smiles, the ocean breeze.

And I do admire the lovely organic  veggies and fruits.

Tiny plums, smaller than a golf ball. 

Sweet red onions.

If I get there tomorrow I'll pick up pickles for making dill pickles and maybe some Bread and Butter pickles. The season for the dill Kirby cukes is short here.

I love the colors! I still have the notion to make a Baskets quilt of a simple design, using colors as found here at the market.

Picture this block: a rich green, bright fuchsia, dusty pinky blue-grey. A splash of carrot orange and a background of a dull taupe floral toile, note bottom left corner.

Another with all the carrot colors! Note the tiny bit of lime green stem, the bluer green of a curly leaf ---then all that orange, pink, yellow. And so on.

A new vendor, in NO way local or a farmer*, sells ''wellness'' in the form of hemp and cannabis extracts and treats. My friend Debra in Colorado, proud yet baffled parent of Pork Chop the Pug, recc these treats for separation anxiety. Mo was oblivious, without the treats....[you were gone, mommy? Uh.Like, yawn. But I had hoped they'd help him stop sucking his thumb.] so I passed them to another friend who has an anxiety/ aggressive rescue dog. He was terrified of thunder, etc. til he began using these treats.
[you can order online]

*I'm always annoyed when these vendors who peddle wellness are allowed, even when I enjoy or use their items, because my friend L and I weren't allowed to sell my lavender hearts because: 1-I am not a farmer 2- not edible, 3- the lavender is from Cape Cod not NYS or Long Island. 4-"It's a farmers market not a craft show, ma'am."
But scarves from India, Cannabis from Colorado--oh fine, ''wellness, ya know''.

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The Brooklyn guys who sell Italian specialties were there and immediately offered a fresh handmade ricotta they saved for me. [Have they saved it every week since I was there a year or more ago? Oh, dear, I felt pleased but guilty.] They're friendly and nice and I love the fresh cheeses and marinated olives, the homemade ravioli.

I made a special treat with the ricotta, we just call it Sweet Ricotta---a mix of cheese, berries and toasted almonds. Recipe at the end.

The tiny box of raspberries, admittedly perfect and pristine, was 4.00, as were the blueberries. Seems $$$$? for about 1/4 pint in volume [half a Cup?]

The zucchini I plan to cut in circles and try dredging in cornstarch, frying in olive oil. I'm looking for a way to do gluten free eggplant in a week or so. [yes I also bought gluten free flour to try; it tastes like school paste.]

I was hoping the market would have fresh cut flowers, especially zinnias, or daisies. Black eyed Susans? But no. I swung by Trader Joe's on my way home---they never disappoint. I could spend a hundred dollars, just on their flowers. So enticing.

Tulips! In July! Swoon.

Their field flowers were 2.99 a bunch.

Look! Queen Anne's Lace, so perfectly roadside wildflower-y; and these beautiful blue grey thistles. We call them Seaside or Dune thistles, I don't know what they really are. EDIT - Sea Holly  ( not holly OR a thistle, but a carrot relative, who knew. Scroll down on link to see the post about them.)

A bit off topic---I asked Lori [Humble Quilts] what a certain wildflower is, from her Oregon mountain and field photos. She said, Mexican Hats or ratibida.... I found the seeds here. Aren't they darling. Gotta have some of these.



And last, oh well, I didn't finish my BB Schoolgirl blocks this month. New block comes out Wednesday, tomorrow. I sure am glad I am self taught for quilt piecing, because the directions made something very hard out of a very simple design. See: Square in a Square center, with Wild Geese and cornerstones, unchosen as yet. Easy peasy. ( "...I do it MY waaaaay!"]. The two right/ bottom geese are rotated in picture.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

PS Have you noticed--it's getting dark a  bit earlier. So sad.

Sweet Ricotta Dessert ~ Cannoli Filling 

Container of fresh ricotta cheese, drain it if it's very wet.

In a large bowl, whip the cheese with a fork til fluffy. Add 

1 T of Vanilla, 

2 t almond extract,

 and sugar, honey or other sweetener to taste. 

Optional: liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Amaretto. I only had white creme de cocoa so I used that. I've used vodka  or brandy too. A nice ''glug", 1/2C?  

Beat with a fork again til mixed. 

Add bittersweet chocolate chips, mix. 

Then gently fold in fresh  [or frozen, well drained] berries or sliced fruit like peaches or plums.

 I prefer raspberries. 

In winter dried cranberries are nice too. 

Fold in gently. 

Refrigerate for a few hours. Stir gently again before serving with toasted almonds on top. 

It's very rich, a small amount like one scoop of ice cream is plenty.

 You can add more fresh berries around the edges of the serving bowls, if you have them. [if feeding to children, I do not use the liquor, not sure if it evaporates or not, so I avoid it for them.] And if being fancy, some shaved chocolate curls on top.

enjoy!

Quilting Round Up ~ mid-May to mid-June

Hello! Mo and I just got home from a long sunset walk, celebrating the Solstice and a glorious sunset on this first day of summer. As I move my sewing work from machine sewing to hand work only on the deck and beach, I am looking at what I have going and I'm feeling a smidge overwhelmed. First up, Temecula Quilt Company's 1880 Sampler. 4 [4 1/2"]" blocks. Here are the most recent.

Isn't my chicken wire window prop cute!

But this past week we were taxed with the assignment of making FIVE crazy blocks, each incorporating an adorable but perhaps intimidating 2" block in each. My mind skidded to a horrified halt.I really enjoy this project. I can usually get one a week done, or four or five at a time. Nine or ten? I'm not so sure and who knows what this week will bring.

These blocks were all fun to make though, so I'll dither along as best I can.
Here they are with their worksheets. I don't follow the instructions though so I only print the barest dimensions.

If we go back and look at the inspiration quilt, there is little or no blue in it, so I am moving to a Hideous [Jamestown by Nancy Gere]  palette of poison greens, yellows, reds, double pinks, instead.

I did do one blue star, because I wanted to look through my Turkey red fabrics and fell in love with the center piece here.

Here are all the blocks so far. 19. I'm not sure how many we are going to make, 52 +? or what, so this is drop in the bucket time, also discouraging in a way. I hate falling behind.

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Pattern photo, NOT my work

Here is another project that I am working on in a lackadaisical way. It's called Feathered Star and is by Jan Patek, a very old pattern that has been resurrected for a FB sewalong. I think the quilt is beautiful. But the directions and patterns are hopelessly awful. Plan  is to do only the applique bits this summer, then set it aside. Or I may just drop the project entirely. Unusual for me but I am unhappy with it.
I subbed pineapples for the clunky Tulips. The pineapples could have more color and contrast but I am trying to stay within the parameters of the black and cream original [even though it really was red/ white/ and blue, it seems, on close inspection of the marginally useful photo]. But see how the original Tulips form almost abstract tassels from the shield of the Star center. The fabrics for the PAs and my changes have negated that. Not good.

Now I am doing the Birds in Baskets blocks.

Pattern photo, not my work, below. Fabrics provided in the sewalong are beautiful but  dark and  dull, above.

pattern photo, not my work

Then there is the handles problem.

You can see that  my finished piece exactly matches the pattern, on the  original printout, right? Look at the handles. BUT pattern photo shows the handles somewhat set in, with little ears. And truly the handle should be even more. And then the side spacers are set oddly with a short seam and a cutaway. Why? I am annoyed with myself because I knew the handles looked bad and that seam looked awkward but I was following a not at all clear pattern.

pattern

It is crucial in a design like this that each block finishes exactly as intended or the whole thing won't go together. So I didn't fix the handle and with 3 1/2 birds done [think tiny, finicky], I can't see redoing it. It is the exact size, as I perceive what the exact size ought to be...but who knows, it's a Jan Patek pattern.

I always say I never have unfinished projects but this one may be UFO number one, sadly. I'm pretty upset right now. Cute though. And no saltbox house with dog, since it's early.

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Last on the sewing list is my SG Album project with Barbara Brackman. I have a few weeks before I'm behind with that one.  No pics. I guess that's on deck for the next rainy day. [October?]. I don't mind getting behind on BB projects, there's no show and tell or competitiveness in her projects.

For some reason I am struggling with my beach sewing, mostly due to the high winds. Tomorrow I plan to prep Bitty for hand quilting, leaving tiny appliques for deck  time. And I might...just might!...soon start my all applique Christmas quilt.

....

Happy Solstice, Welcome summer.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....