Three Finished Stitcheries, and a wonderful gift

I wasn't looking forward to this week as I was going to have my kitchen turned upside down in order to have a new floor laid. It was going to be necessary to have all the appliances, and the table and chairs in my lounge, as we don't have a garage attached to our property where I could store everything while the floor layers did their work. The Garage is round the road, and everything would not be insured there. Anyway, they have had to delay work until next week...... thus delaying the turmoil.

However on Monday morning, after advertising a velvet button backed rocking chair on Freecycle to giveaway, and a lady replying by phone and asking me after having a chat with her after me saying the chair was no good for Stitching in. She said to me, "but would it be good for Spinning in", and me saying yes; she turned around and said would you like a spinning wheel.

I have always wanted a Spinning Wheel since I had visited a County Show some years ago, but could never afford to buy one, as something always came up where I had to for go having one.

About an hour and a half after ringing me she brought me this beautiful Ashford Spinning Wheel. Apparently she belongs to  the Spinning Guild in Exeter, Devon, and it was surplus to her needs. I was so amazed at her generosity, I was speachless nearly......(not the normal me)lol! And.... she even brought me a fleece to start spinning with.

When I last had a go at the spinning I was a natural the lady had said....... but now I think she was sooooo wrong. I need to have loads more practice before I can spin any yarn suitable for knitting. I will get there though!!!

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My latest stitchery finishes

The  Peaceful Bird is a freebie courtesy of Betty at Primitive Betty's.

I thought it was beautiful, and will look lovely in my quilt when it is finished.

I just love the Attitude Fairy..... my husband says it is so me!!

I just love doing these stitcheries, as they are so quick to do, I can do a couple in an evening.

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A Frugal Dessert Recipe. Yummy!!!!!

serves 3

I had a few fruits that were left from last week,

One white peach with a beautiful red centre,

One Necterine,

One Large Black Plum,

One small cooking apple.

I took the skins off all the fruit, cored and stoned, and sliced into a dish.

sprinkled with 2 desertspoons of muscavado sugar.

Topping

Take two crusts of the end of a pre-packed loaf

(normally these get left in our house)

Blitz the crusts in a processor,

add 1.5oz butter, and two tablespoons of muscavado sugar,and

two generous tablespoons of dessicated coconut.

Blitz again for a couple of seconds, and then spoon over the fruit.

Bake for about 20-30 mins until topping truns a nice golden brown, and the fruit starts to bubble through, depending on your oven, mine took 20 mins in a convector oven, at 180 deg C, or Gas 5., 350 deg f.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!   We did.

A Finish, Redwork, and Yummy stuff........

This is the picture of the Mystery Sampler which I have now finished. All I have to do is to go and try to buy a frame for it. I really enjoyed stitching this little piece, particularly because of the variety of stitches which were used in it. Some of which I have never stitched before, and this gave me the satisfaction of not becoming bored with the middle parts as I usually do when doing something that is not a small item. It took me just over a week of evenings for about 2 hours or so each evening.
As on my previous blog, the site where the pattern came from is:http://pagesperso-orange.fr/anne-les-petites-croix/ . Thank you Anne for the beautiful freebie.


I don't normally do Redwork, but I came across a site the other day,( of which I cannot remember the name of) , when I was looking at patchwork things that people had made.

Yesterday after having finished the mystery sampler, and not having much else I wanted to do I printed out the picture, and decided to try machine stitching these gorgeous little mice. I thought originally that I would make it into a tote bag seeing as every supermarket now doesn't like giving polythene bags out to put your shopping in, so I will make a calico bag, and stitch the redwork to it as a motif, along with some buttons and things.
I don't have a fancy embroidery machine,although it does about 9-10 different stitches, but I thought I would give it a try. I did find that the smaller parts were quite difficult to stitch with the pattern paper placed under the calico, and I had to keep maneuvering the corners of the paper underneath the main body of the machine. However, after about 2 hours this is what my first machine Redwork turned out like. I think that if I were going to do a piece for an exchange for someone else then I would have to hand stitch, as I don't like the bits where the machine had to stop and start, but no doubt this would get better with practice.


Spring Food


On Tuesday it was a beautiful sunny day, and I thought I really cannot be bothered to eat a large heavy meal when DH comes in from work, so I cast my mind back to Spring and Summer past, and remembered Pie Saladiere.
Although the pic has come out a bit blurred this is what the finished dish looked like before popping in the oven.

Recipe..... of a fashion.

I made 10oz of Shortcrust Pastry to cover a Swiss Roll Tin 7" x11"...roll out not too thinly, nor too thick.

Spread over base, about 2 large tablespoons of tomato puree. Sprinkle with ground sea salt. Clip the leaves of a handful of Basil. and put on top of the tomato paste. Grate some Cheddar Cheese, or any other kind of cheese you care to have in your fridge.,about 8oz. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the basil.
Finely slice a long red pepper and sprinkle over, then Halve 4 small sweet juicy tomatoes, and finely slice, and sprinkle over the rest of the Pie Saladiere. Finely slice some chestnut mushrooms. I only used 4 small ones.Get one red onion, a bit larger than a golf ball, and finely slice, and scatter over the whole dish.

Bake for approximately 30 mins, or until the vegetables are just coloured and starting to turn a little soft. Gas Mark 6, 400deg F, 200C

I served mine with a chopped salad dressed with honey and mustard dressing, and a small serving of Tuna.


I hope this has whetted your appetite. Its lush!!!