September ~ August Round Up

 

"The trouble is---you think you have time."

                                                                                         attributed to Buddha

September is here, school starts next week, but it is so summery and beautiful! Every day must be cherished, winters are long, dark, and oh so cold. [Schoolhouse quilt]

So...not so much was accomplished in August, I admit sheepishly. I have projects with no pics, like late last night I finished piecing Cartwheels' backing, will get it to the quilter asap. And all the hourglass blocks for Giraffe at The Pyramids are done and trimmed. 42 so far. Only to find that I miscalculated and will need an inner border for things to fit. I so want it done for September/ October deck sewing time, so that was a disappointment. The good news is the points do meet.

Pineapple languishes on the work table. With its problems and loss of raison d'etre [reason for being [made]] gone, I am stumped. I also need to make a Christmas gift quilt on the first rainy day, if one ever arrives. I even washed the windows, usually a surefire guarantee of heavy and filled rain. But no. Carwash next?

As mentioned a few weeks ago I am doing primitive whipstitch applique on the stars for a handwork busy work project. 

Seen here with the first machine app'ed stars I am less than thrilled, but I suppose in the end it will all be okay.

I need nine total. Three more to sew this holiday weekend.

Some backgrounds, especially the batiks, reference the weeds and pods and snowy days of the marsh. The setting sun will be the pale white winter sun always so low in the sky.

I drew up a rough but definite plan for the final design since it is so different for the original Jan Patek pattern.

I was disappointed not to be able to use Flying Geese strings vertically but needed them as horizontal spacers.

As drawn I think I need 4 more XL Stars, but probably will only do three. I made them once already in the ugly blue and garish chrome yellow plaid colorway that was quickly discarded a few years ago. Once was enough. Not thrilled with how they bunch up lower left and also how big and clumsy they are. I may use more of the small stars or this Geese in Flight design that I quite like instead. [photo from IG]

Some of the words will [maybe], be appliqued around the border.

I hope I don't hate it.

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Happy mail!

From Lori / Humble Quilts, a historic panel for her challenge. I had looked everywhere for a Statue of Liberty, was not in the mood for CW generals or George Washington. I have an idea for this, won't be ready for due date though.

And from Julie/ Julierose, such pretty things! Lovely cards, how charming to get a real envelope and a real card or two. julierosequilts

Her special hand dyed fabric she creates. I love this. It may encourage me to do a fabric junk journaL And also to get focused and try this myself.

And her beautiful marsh grass print she often uses. It is intended for Marsh, maybe a border? Too special to use?

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Lori / Humble Quilts is doing a Fall sewalong! Her large quilt sewalongs years ago were what got me truly hooked on quilting again. Here it is if you missed it. She goes too fast, i plan to take my time. There is always that someone who zips out the project in minutes and makes us slowpokes feel like sh#t.💩 Not happening this time, I have matured, LOL LOL . 🤣

It is from Little Quilts, a group of quilters from the early 90s maybe. From a time I was not able to find the time to sew. So something fun to look forward to. If you look closely it is quite a detailed sampler quilt. Not sure of my colors or fabrics, it's in the mulling stage.

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Off topic, I have been getting my friend L out more often, saying we need girly time and retail therapy!

Just an hour each week! Home Goods looked like Halloween Party City. Not wonderful, kinda garish and uncool. I said that cute orange Rae Dunn BOO dish for Mo is gonna look really stupid in February, so no. I got him a great Halloween costume instead.

We also did Old Navy another day. A couple Fall-ish tee shirts and Halloween tees for me an Mo. Can't show you the Halloween stuff. L talked me into a medium for Mo's tee, I am pretty sure it is too small. [eye roll].

Tees are Butternut squash and Zuccinis, in my imagination.

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Mo finds cross ventilation!

Happy long weekend! Summer! Bring it on, no pumpkins here........

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...

for blog friend Bonnie who also loves beach pebbles, a screen grab from IG, not mine.

What look like weedy vines here are native bittersweet, so beautifully orange and red in November!

Tomato Tart Heaven ~ Fast and Fun

 

Hi! on a lovely summer Friday. [That said, I am indoors blogging as a brief useless cloudburst has sent me and Mo indoors for a while.

This week it was so hot I did have to air condition in the afternoons for Mo and took advantage of that coolness to try a new recipe. A Goat Cheese, Onion, Tomato Tart. Recipe HERE

The version I used was based on an apparently famous tart recipe by Ina Garten of "Barefoot Contessa" fame. I made her fresh tomato salad earlier this summer and was very pleased. I have read about Ina Garten for many years but avoided her cookbooks etc because I felt she was so Hamptons [NY], a la-di-dah celebrity chef type of cook, not for me at all. Looks like I need to rethink that! Because this tart was amazingly delicious and also easy and fast to make. Original recipe here btw, it is NOT pizza-y at all.

This is a wonderful way to use up tomatoes and onions from the farmers market or your garden. I used local produce sourced by my small market, choosing less juicy Roma tomatoes instead of heirloom beefsteaks because it did say the tart could easily get soggy:

I followed the instructions fairly closely. Store bought puff pastry, defrosted overnight. I adore puff pastry but had never worked with it before. The tomatoes were sliced an hour before, salted, then and drained, 

Meanwhile I caramelized the finely sliced Vidalia onion, adding then reducing  the mixtures with inexpensive but okay store wine. With pepper and spoonful of sugar. Don't add more salt bec the tomatoes were salted already.

I leave the pan of onions on the hot but turned-off stove top to finish the caramelization. [I have an electric stove top.] or you could leave the pan on very low for about 15 minutes if you have a gas stove.

And hour later I began constructing my tart. Parchment is essential, on the cooky sheet, tho I suppose wax paper might be okay too.

Score edges of the pastry to create a rim then spread the goat cheese. [You will not taste the goat cheese, but you can sub a spreadable cheese if you must, maybe Gruyere?]

Spread the cooled onions:

Sprinkle w parm. Add the tomatoes, one overlapping layer.

Add more grated parm and also shaved parm. Add herbs: recipe calls for basil but I used fresh and dried tarragon both.

Isn't it pretty!

Bake 425* [I did 400* bec I am chicken, all I need is an oven fire] and bake about 20 minutes.

Watch the edges for golden brown.

Cool slightly and serve. Melts in your mouth!

I plan to try other versions of this idea. Ordered more pastry sheets this week. One will be peaches w mascarpone and marmalade, another will be summer squash and broccoli, w the onions and whatever cheese I find in the fridge.

My only caveat: try to eat at one sitting, it is enough for a meal for 4 if you serve maybe a green salad and corn on the cob. The tart does NOT reheat well, very limp. Room temp leftovers were better.

I hope you try this! Easiest recipe ever!

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Thank you to everyone who has asked about Mo and his ear problem. The test results of the infection culture  are not yet in, still waiting. But the vet told me that if Mo loses weight it will cure his ear infection! WTF? New diet miracle cure for chronic infection? Maybe weight loss can cure Covid and cancer too. I was very miffed, does she think I am an idiot? Not to mention Mo has worked hard and has lost almost 2 pounds since Memorial Day. That's a big accomplishment, I think.

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This week's journal doodle:

I pasted in a photo printout of a swallowtail butterfly bec my drawing was so clumsy, clunky. I doodle these pages from memory, not real life, I suppose you can tell.

have a great weekend, last of August '22.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...