FYI....

There's a lot of new folks stopping by the blog today so hello and welcome to you :-)

Just an FYI - I will be having some giveaways (stash reduction!) over the next couple weeks that will be open to ONLY the followers of the blog (hi all!).   New folks are more than welcome to sign on as followers so you can sign up for some of the giveaways as they're announced.

Mermaid of Atlantis - Finished!!

I had the pictures posted yesterday but was too wiped out to add some commentary.  Thank goodness for the "edit" feature.

The particulars:  The design is "Mermaid of Atlantis" by Mirabilia.   Done on Picture This Plus 32 count Fathom lugana. 

She's a smaller design, especially when compared to Mirabilia's many "grand ladies" - just 7 1/2 inches by 15 3/4 inches.   However, with three Waterlilies, five Kreiniks, and seven packs of beads....there's no lack of detail or bling.   Warning: kitting up was quite pricey with all those extras!   Factor in the hand dyed fabric (even though it was technically a leftover from another project) and she's not-so-little LOL

I'm not sure how well it comes through on the photo of the fish, but the surrounding beads (the ones that look like bubbles) are all one color.  I attached them using Waterlilies Bermuda Reef (which shows up in the tail as well) since there are scattered stitches of that color;  because the beads there are light in color, it gave them a nifty varigated effect that I really like.   I'm still trying to figure out what it is she is holding - the pattern refers to it as "treasure" and it's vaguely seaweedy/floral in nature LOL   Ah well.  It's pretty, nonetheless.

The Land of Not-Quite-Finished-Projects Part 6: Fairies

So these are the projects that I truly do not know what to do with them.     

When I started work on them, I had a misfire on a Mirabilia (it's just not a good idea to do your first Mirabilia as your first 32 count linen project LOL) and I think I was looking for something easier with the same feel to them.  Meh.  Not quite.  

I think the problem is that compared to the Miras, they're childish.  If there's any more nieces (or more likely, grand nieces) in the family, I could do something with them, or perhaps to a friends' child.   Anyway, they're just not my cup of tea anymore so I won't bother framing or the like.

Obviously, I put quite a bit of work into them once upon a time so I hate to get rid of them or give them away to someone who won't appreciate them.   No worries;  they've been packed away for a couple of years so there's no hurry to find them a new home.

Beading Box

This is the bead box I was waiting for so I could start in on the beading for Mermaid of Atlantis.  Nothing fancy, but the sections lock individually(and firmly) and there's a slope along the bottom rather than being squared off, so I'm really partial to using it to lay out my beads on a project. 

I put the beads out in numerical order and snip the number off the package to drop into each compartment so I can keep track of them. 

It wasn't expensive - maybe a dollar, but I haven't seen them around since I got this over a year ago. 

And of course, the other thing I needed were beading needles, which also got moved up this weekend.

Objects in the Camera are Brighter than They Appear...

Here's today's update on Midsummer Night's Fairy.  I've gotten her wings and skirt done and got started on the other side of the branch.  By the end of the day it should be obvious that she's sitting rather than clinging on for dear life LOL

I'm always a little disappointed by how the pictures I take look as compared to the actual embroidered piece.  That's not actually a bad thing, otherwise we'd probably all save ourselves a lot of time and just hang framed pictures rather do the actual embroideries LOL  For example, on the picture, it appears as if her wings blend in with the fabric but if you see the actual embroider, she really pops against the background color (Misty Blue belfast linen). 

It just makes it a little harder to take what I feel is an accurate picture of the piece, even though I tweak the colors (ahh love digital photography) to make it more "true".

Since she's a Night fairy, I wanted her on a background that would emphasize that feeling with kind of a moonlight color, hence the blue with undertones of grey (rather than a brighter blue).   Eventually I want to do Titania as a companion piece on a "daylight" kind of background that has a distinct daylight feel to it, perhaps a pale yellow or the like.  (I know, more projects, right?)

Fireside Stitchery

I was out and about yesterday, and came across Fireside Stichery, a needlepoint shop in Frazer, PA.  I couldn't resist stopping in to see what they had to offer.

They had an outstandingly impressive selection of threads/fibers/beads that show up regularly in my stitching - Kreiniks, Waterlillies, Mill Hill beads.  They also carry all of the Anchor flosses, so that will be convenient when I want to work on a Silver Lining pattern as many of the newer ones combine Anchor and DMC floss.  There was a huge selection of silk flosses that I've certainly heard of, but have not yet had the opportunity to see in person. 

I didn't get anything this time, but I'm sure I'll head back with a small shopping list to complete some of the projects I need to finish kitting up. 

Tart Tatin

While most of the time I eat low carb, there are those occasions that just call for something a special.   I'm also the designated family baker.  The fiance and I are having my folks over to dinner tomorrow night for the first time, so I'm making coq au vin and a tart tatin with creme anglaise. 

A tart tatin is just a simple apple tart.  Traditionally it's made in a cast iron pan but if you don't have one, it's still doable.  The creme anglaise is a custard sauce, so basically this is a dressed up version of apple pie with ice cream.

Creme Anglaise

1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 split vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar

Fill a large bowl halfway with ice cubes and a little water (not much!!); set aside. 

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, sugar and vanilla bean to a simmer over a medium low heat.  Whisk the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl until they lighten in color, 2-3 minutes.  Once the milk comes to a simmer, take off the stove. 

Here's the fun part - you have to incorporate the hot milk/sugar/vanilla mix into the egg yolks without scrambling them.  While whisking the yolks, drizzle a little of the milk in at a time until it's all incorporated.  Pour the mix back into the saucepan and add the remainder of the cream.   Put the medium size bowl into the ice bath and put a fine sieve into it.  Continue to stir the custard over the stove until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.   Pour through the sieve back into the medium bowl on top of the ice bath, making sure there's no water from the ice bath slopping over into the top bowl.  Remove the seive (which should have caught any lumps that might be in the custard).   Let the custard cool over the ice bath, stirring occasionally.   When cool, pour into a container and cover; refrigerate for several hours. 

If you wanted to, you could also serve this custard warm.  Skip the ice bath, but make sure you seive.

You can also flavor the custard with a couple of tablespoons of liquor, cinnamon, other flavors of extract - it's a really versatile sauce that's great with any kind of fruit pie, crumble, betty, cobbler, or just over fresh fruit.

Tart Tatin

4-5 apples that cook well, such as golden delicious, peeled, cored, and sliced
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 - 1 cup of sugar (how much sugar depends on how tart/sweet the apples are)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons brandy or rum
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator

Set a 9 inch glass pie pan out and spray with cooking spray.  Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over a medium heat.   Add the apples and stir occasionally until the apples start releasing their juices.  Add the brandy, sugar and cinnamon and continue to stir occasionally until apples are cooked but not mushy.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the apples to the pie pan and spread into an even layer, leaving as much cooking liquid in the pan as possible.  Continue cooking the pan liquid until reduced to a thick syrup.   Pour the syrup evenly over the apples. 

Unfold the puff pastry and push down on top of the apples.  Trim excess off with a knife.   Bake at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. 

Let the tart cool for about 10-15 minutes.   Run a sharp knife around the top of the puff pastry to make sure it's not sticking to the pie plan.  Place a large plate with has a little of a lip around it (to catch the juices) on top of the pie pan and carefully flip the pan over so the tart comes out on the plate.  If any of the apples stick to the pan, just replace them on top of the tart.  

Cut into wedges and serve with a spoonful of creme anglaise on top. 

Hmmm....

Could be that another finish is looming on the horizon, which would be great! (Then I could start MORE projects...yay!)
 

I'm working on the skirt area right now to have a break from working with Kreiniks, then it will be back to the wings to try to finish those up.  I realized that I had my first Midsummer Night's post nearly a year ago, so it's about time to get her finished up.   That's the great thing about blogging - it's really making me accountable for my projects so that they don't become UFO's LOL