remembering esther

does your parchment paper begin to burn even below 400℉ as sides of mine do?

Every Labor Day I remember a neighbor named Esther. A dear and very talented woman, I once asked what she did on Labor Day.  I always labor on Labor Day, she said. And now, so do I, in her memory.

edible, but not too…

Had been telling myself all week that it’ll be September soon and time to bake scones again.

Yeah!

Labor Day weekend’s goal was peppery olive oil scones with Parmesan cheese (from this book).

NOTE added 5 Sept.: This recipe is made specifically for olive oil, not butter. It is not a simple substitution! Read remarks in Alston’s introduction, available here as she specifically discusses substitutions!

Remembering I’m not fond of whole wheat (wholemeal) flour in this recipe I used plain, and decided to try Greek yogurt instead of soured-with-lemon milk.

Big mistake because Greek yogurt isn’t nearly as runny as buttermilk or plain yogurt and the dough wouldn’t form into a ball.

I added milk several times, albeit in tiny amounts. That overworked the dough.

rather dense . . .

I used a different combination of herbs, and didn’t get enough to add much flavour.

The just out-dated flour and baking powder probably didn’t help.

At least they didn’t burn!   😳

Neither did the loaf of wheat bread I threw into the machine this afternoon. Mind you, I almost forgot the salt. And the paddle – an essential if you expect the machine to do any mixing or kneading.

Ah! Home-made bread to toast in the morning.

On the sewing front, am making progress with the winter fabric, washing and loading into large zip plastic bags. Now just need to do a bit of a sort and it should be done. Unless I find another pile in some deep, dark corner . . .

he-he-heee!

using up yarn.
still.

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unseasonable weather wardrobe?

NewLook 6871

“Winter” made a brief visit last weekend, and might show up again this coming weekend as we put the clocks forward.

Meanwhile this week’s forecasted temps are an infrequent constancy of low 70’s.

How do you select a wardrobe for weather that jumps from the 30’s to the 80’s each week?   For me, a bit of everything seems to be the only solution.

Is there a couldn’t-live-without garment? Yes, but it might surprise you.

It’s NewLook 6871 pattern gifted by Ali with the top lengthened to mid-thigh, and made with lovely blue embroidered cotton from Anne.

It gets washed and worn multiple times each week, which is more than I can say for anything else at the moment.

Huge Thank You’s to you both for my favourite and most comfortable lounge & sleep wear!

❤     ❤     ❤

Saw something different in the library last week and brought it home for a look through. They caught my eye for several reasons – crochet is not emphasized amongst all the knitting volumes, and proper sized models are used. Given our temps, nothing appealed, but will try to keep these in mind, just in case.

Have since looked at Ohrenstein’s other 2 books and can say the second has some of the patterns given in this third book.

actually the third of her books

interesting designs and i’d be tempted if i lived further north

camellias have been in full bloom since february!

Plants are going crazy with this weather. Talked to men doing landscaping around this complex just yesterday…

All their winter plantings (pansies & white kale) have died and been replaced speedily with spring because it’s been so hot. (As in had to turn on the AC.)

All for now, Lovelies! Hope it’s steady weather wherever you are, and you’re able to enjoy good sewing!

 

can’t imagine why…

… but about 10 days ago I started replaying my box set of BBC’s The Good Life (1975-1978), aka Good Neighbours.

It’s still as delightful as it was when I first saw it (the 90’s), plus the fashions and hair-do’s Margo (Penelope Keith) wears are classic 1970’s. It’s been fun crocheting and pausing to watch, and a much needed respite.

What I haven’t mastered is sewing and telly. But when sewing came up in one of the episodes, I took a screen pic to show that altering was commonplace then, even for Margo Leadbetter.

barbara (felicity kendal) helping fit margo’s over-sized chorale costume

that gorgeous animal print caftan

Also had to include one of her Jungle January outfits – a glorious caftan that must have been silk because it swished so beautifully.

That mysterious blue crochet became a hat that got finished, along with another beanie-style. (Directions are here.)  It had to be a beanie because I ran out of the blue, and used some cream to complete. Both are on their way across the pond and might be worn for the March NHS event, provided they fit.

this is double crochet , as an experiment

quite like the way it turned out

this is the beanie, done in single crochet

the needed addition

Hope everyone has a grand week!

coaster-size

oops ~ they multiplied!

 

sunday sevens #30

one more lounge top finished, with neck & arms already lowered – yeah!

This week’s been another hot & humid one, with my “get up & go” having done so long ago.

Sunday Seven for this week is looking a bit thin, but hey, it’s August, and can do with a wee vacation. 😎

It’s been a week of chaffing at the bit, so to speak. More specifically, necks & arms not cut as comfortably as I’d have liked. So I’ve gritted me teeth, and fixed ’em.

My denim dress badly needed an arm alteration after I’d jacked up the shoulders at the beginning of the season in an attempt to raise the low neckline. (It didn’t work.)

When last heard from, a rayon blouse I’d made last summer had a questionable binding. Given the fabric’s a rayon and the binding’s cotton, it just wasn’t a match made in heaven. Felt more like the opposite, so it got ditched. I tackled those armholes as well. All should be hand-stitched whilst watching Inspector Lewis: The Final Season in a bit.

Of course, will have my new needle kit close to hand (thank you, Ali!), and am surprised how much just having it somewhere around the sewing table helps mentally with the thought of having to hand sew something. Formerly, that stuff was in a box in another room, which as we all know greatly inhibits thoughts of doing any.

(What? Get up offa my chair, walk into the other room, dig out the box, and find the needles? 😱 You gotta be kidding!)

Now, here are some piccies. Please click one so you don’t miss all the lengthy explanations that are either cut off or hidden.

May everyone have a comfortable week full of everything you  💕  to do! 😘

(top) serged off the neckline and (bottom) each arm… then took a bit more off the sleeve fronts

did a huge shop friday at trader joe’s so again have crumpets, but am wondering why i only got 1 pack.

love the front & neck of this denim (?) jacket on telly’s “Rosemary & Thyme,” particularly those rows of stitching around the neck & down each front

have needles to hand now (thanks to ali/thimberlina!)

do you have these tamper-proof plastic skins over bottle caps? (all the greyed section encircling the cap) i use an old seam ripper to get the plastic off.

sunday sevens #28-ish

isn’t she adorable?! pick th’ litter & pedigrees up the elbow (liberty/yorkshire)!

All it took were 3 days in a row of 50’s percentage humidity and temps in the low 80’s, and I was off, thinking about Autumn & Winter wardrobe options.

Unfortunately, Summer Returned.

[Insert expletive of choice]

The rest of the week looked a bit like these photos, and apologies if there aren’t seven.

Natalie, who came up with the concept of Sunday Sevens, is re-e-e-al generous with the “rules.” 😘

Moving on, I’ll emphasise the wonderful package FULL of goodies from bestie Ali over in Yorkshire, a much happier note to end on than the weather! 😉

Edited to include Ali’s blog & Fabworks Online. Fabworks was super helpful, but their shipping charges to U.S. are exorbitant (just my thought; so much less $$ for fabric 😢). Fingers crossed that changes.

 

finally the 70% dark choc lu’s biscuits were in stock at the local, so i’m indulging. this one’s half-dunked a’ready!

not too inspired leftovers – tomatoes & carrots w’ wheat noodles & chicken

hopefully the last pile of curtain fabric still to be washed, cut & sewn. sigh.

did more crocheting in various colours, using up leftovers

yummy goodies, but will await cooler weather before the 450 oven needed for real yorkshire puds!

awaiting a refresher on deets on these, but as i recall, ali was offered these from someone she knows – aren’t they mah-velous? And such tiny stitching – agh! cannot imagine working anything this teensy! now, how to feature them appropriately… suggestions?

ali discovered an extra in her collection & wanted me to ‘see the packaging’ ~ lovely, but the PATTERN is GREAT!

cotton-linen on RT from fabworks online via ali to coordinate with shweshwe on LT