The Fresh Market

George applied for a position with "The Fresh Market". Apparently they have markets all over the country. I have never heard of them before. They were scheduled to hold interviews last Friday and they suggested that everyone visit their store in Hingham Massachusetts to get a feel for what the store is like.  So off we went on Thursday. I am not a good navigator. We got a little frustrated with each other navigating to this location, but we survived because our friendship has been a long one and a good one. I am so glad I brought my camera. While George was talking to employees I was running around and taking pictures.

 They have two hundred different cheeses. 

  I have not seen this beautiful a selection of meat since we lived in Upstate New York and had access to real butchers.

My sister Denise would just die for these breads.

There must have been at least, at least 50 different types of fresh baked breads.

By the time I got to the pastry department, I was approached by management. a very nice woman, who introduced herself and quietly asked me not to take pictures. I apologized and told her that I was just thrilled about this store. We came here to see the store as they were opening a location in Manchester NH at the end of June and George was going to be one of the applicants. We have nothing like this in our state. Nothing! We are so starved for this. In Oregon we had Zupan's, Whole Foods and New Season's and Trader Joe's. We do have a Trader Joe's in Massachusetts but it is nothing like this. It is going to be phenomenal. We have Hannaford's, Stop and Shop, the big stores. We began a 20 minute conversation about how beautiful this store is. While we were talking, this man comes out to join us. He must have been watching us on camera. She introduces us as the District Manager and he joins in.

Look at these pastries. Just to die for! I told her that there is this program that comes on the local TV station just after the news call NH Chronicle that highlights business in the state and that once the market opens, I was thinking of calling them and having them do a piece on this market. She told me that they are not doing a mass marketing and she would be interested in this. It would be a simple thing to set up, especially with my enthusiasm.  People will be coming from all over the state to shop there. Their offerings of wine, coffee and, you should see the selection of chocolate from all over the world! Oh my god!!

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In the end, she said I could continue with my pictures because I was not a competitor. I reassured her she would not have any competition. No. The Fresh Market will have a breath all of its own. Not to worry. And even on my limited budget, I will spend my grocery money there. And it is going to be just down the street. So perfect.

I think I made their day. And, She gave me fresh pastry to bring home which I brought to my mother's house and we indulged in it on Sunday. A rich chocolate cake with a hint of cinnamon. I got sick because I have not been eating chocolate. But it was worth it. Yes indeed worth it.

It Had To Happen

Long ago I had a baby sister, Linda. Linda has been my baby sister all of her life. It is just how I think of her.

It is how I talk of her. My baby sister Linda this. My baby sister Linda that. So when does she stop being my baby sister?

I am frosting her cake and thinking - is this when I stop? When she turns 50? 

Yes, blow out those candles, but it changes nothing. 

Do what you have done for 50 years - lick the candles as you take them off the cake.

Isn't it a pretty cake for your 50th? A three-color cake.  I have never made one of these for anyone else. No one. Just for your, my baby sister.

We have even imported a violinist (Great-nephew) to play the song.

We almost forgot the special wardrobe. I don't think I got this for my fiftieth birthday.  Just you, my baby sister. 

Oh, and I can see you are wearing my scarf that I gave you for your birthday. 

Just for you, the baby of the family who gets everything. Mom and I were talking about when she "kicks the bucket" as she puts it. I was telling her that all I want are her two bird bed spreads. And she said that I can't have them because, and why am I not surprised? - They are yours!!!!!!

Brocade Jacket

 It all began with this jacket. I thought this project would be simple. There are only five pieces that go into this jacket. My sister had this beautiful China Brocade fabric that she thought would be wonderful made up into this piece. I have worked with brocade quite a bit in my history and so I was happy to take on the creation.

There are no buttons even. Just a small slit at the under sleeve.

                                                                           

The back of the jacket has a slit with a piece of fabric sewn in which gives it a wonderful fullness while never looking full. A hidden secret. The original fabric is very soft, a large weave and sits right on the body. So it fits quite differently from the finished brocade jacket. Brocade has a breath all of its own.

Making the pattern was a challenge. First challenge was that I am not able to find the right paper here. Working at Fabric Depot in Portland Oregon, I was terribly spoiled. They have this pattern paper that is actual paper with a grid. I can lay a garment component on the paper, pin it in place, and then, using a heavy pin upon which I have glued a pretty bead, indent pin marks all around that pattern component leaving marks in the paper. Then I connect the dots, create a seam allowance, and voila! ~ a pattern piece. Here, all I can get is this sheer polyester fiber paper that is sold by the yard that does not show the pin pricks nor does it show pencil marks very well. I am sure there are thousands of seamstresses out there who swear by this product, but it is hell for me. I suppose if I was able to disassemble the garment and lay each piece down and trace around it, it might be a good paper. But I never have that option. I have copied hundreds of garments for customers and I have never been able to take them apart in order to create patterns.

I finally broke down and ordered some of my favorite paper from the store. I wish I had it for this project. I think in storage here I have a huge roll of paper that I bought from UPS that weighs a ton and that is what I used to use before working for Fabric Depot. I will have to go to the space and see if it is still there.

It took quite some time to make the pattern. Then there was the seam allowances. The original jacket only had a 1/2 allowance, but of course, I like a little more room, so mine was 5/8th inches.
It took about four hours to get the pattern to fit each seam properly. It was a difficult armhole and side seam that was well designed but a challenge. Not ordinary.

If you have worked with the brocade fabric, you know that the width of the fabric is only 36 to 39 inches wide. And most of the weaves have a nap, meaning that it has an up and down. These fabrics are not printed. The designs are woven in. So the fabric has very loose threads that are exposed on the back that you have to really take care of when working with it.So every pattern piece has to be cut individually and takes up a lot more room than a fabric that folds in half and can be cut two sides at a time. This was a huge challenge.  I ran out of fabric. The front piece also included the front of the sleeve and the back of the collar.. This took up a lot of fabric. I had enough fabric also to cut the back piece which turned inward to create the back pleat, and the underarm pattern piece which had to be cut on the bias. But there was nothing left for the front facing which also included the collar, and the piece that finished the back pleat. I spent two weeks online looking for more of this fabric. Even my old supplier in California, Thai Silks,. that had everything I ever wanted when it came to silk, did not have this. I was shocked as they had at one time, every silk brocade ever produced. I was sure they would have this. But it has been ten years since I have done any business with them and, well, things change. At some point, I will have to invest in their complete sample package to see what they are carrying again. My god, I was sure they would have it. I sent out about ten scraps to different vendors in the hopes they would have this. All I needed was another yard. Nothing. I came up empty handed. 

One day, I went to JoAnn Fabrics on a whim. I was shocked to find they have a rather decent supply of brocades. They didn't have what I was working with, but they did have this golden brown that complimented the green. I called my sister and put to her that I thought it would look great in the facing and the pleat. So I bought a yard.

 
Finally, the fabric was cut and I began to work the garment.

Firstly, every time you handle it, it frays and you lose fabric. So I began wrapping the seams immediately. I had a silk cotton that I cut on the bias in one inch strips. It was a small piece and I cut the whole piece. It took about eight or nine yards  of this bias to wrap all the seams. I stitched it to every seam a little less than a quarter inch in. Then I wrapped it around and hand stitched it closed to bind the seam.

Everything was fitting rather well. I couldn't put in the pockets but my sister had told me from the very beginning that they were not necessary. I wrapped and wrapped. I kept running out of bias and the pieces got smaller and smaller. I used a tiny stitch to make the bias so the connections would disappear better. All the hems, the collar, the way the sleeve connected under the back of the arm, in the end, when pressed, it all looked pretty good.

 


 
I love this type of project. This is such a challenge. It take a lot of hours, but when the last stitch is tied off, and it goes on the mannequin, you just smile. It looks good. It just looks good. 

YoYo's

A couple of months ago I went to Ethan Allen with my sister Suzanne and my Mother. Suzanne was looking for new chairs for her living room. While there, I found this bed that I fell in love with that had this incredible quilt. It was black and had these YoYo's stitched on it. I should have taken pictures.

Last week I went back there to take pictures of the quilt. It was no longer there. Sold. They did have a tiny pillow in white. I got a picture of the bed though. I have always loved sleigh beds. Isn't it just wonderful? I have never liked post beds. I love the look and feel of the wood here. Can't you just imagine a fabulous quilt on this bed? 

I took a picture of the pillow though just to get an idea of the dimensions. I began researching how to make yoyo's. I even bought a yoyo maker which has been the rage for years, making the process easier. I made a few of them before going to Ethan Allen to take the picture. I knew that I was not duplicating them right. The technique I was learning had holes in the center when you gathered the fabric. And as I remembered the original quilt, there were no holes. When I saw the pillow and took pictures, I was right. this is a different technique. I looked everywhere on the internet and saw nothing like this in tutorials. Trial and error. But I have it worked out and now my pieces are looking exactly like the original quilt. It is a project I can bring anywhere with me, like my knitting.

I have no idea how many it will take to make a quilt. I guess I will just figure that out one day. I don't know how to even think about numbers. I think it will take an experienced quilter to help me with that. It will be quite the thing to see when it's done.

Quilts for Patients

This project began in the fall of last year. My sister Linda is a nurse and told me one day that there was this woman who occasionally brought in these tiny quilts with a note attached and would give them to people in the hospital undergoing treatment for cancer. She said they were simple, just four little squares and a backing. The piece was no more than three inches  square. In the center of each tiny square she tied a knot. We all know this knot. To it she attached a note that said "Each knot was stitched with love for you".

Of course, I can do this. But I am not the sort to do things quite that simple. I spent months collecting patterns. My thinking was that I could make four miniature blocks and put them together to make a miniature quilt. Thing is, to get a piece that is 3 or 4 inches square, these blocks have to be really tiny. Now I love small. I am really good at small. But I was failing.

One day about six weeks ago, I got an email from a quilt shop on this technique and I was intrigued. Thing is, the method of working it, you couldn't make just one. It was a complicated exercise in geometrics. I started Googling this block called "Cathedral Window" and I found a woman who developed a pattern to make single blocks. I was off and running. Half of it is machine stitched and the rest is hand work. They end up being 4 & 1/2 inches square. Perfect. And they end up with little pockets that friends can slip little notes in.

Not a very clear picture, but you get the point. I made 28 of them in a little over a week. that should be a good beginning. We are having a 50th birthday party for Linda this Saturday and i will give these to her then. I think she will like them and they should be a hit at the hospital.

Easter

I love getting together with family. I love cooking for family. Well, I just love cooking period. When I finally move into a bigger apartment, I probably will try to have all family gatherings at my apartment. I will let everyone know that they should bring tupperware so they can bring leftovers home and I will cook massive meals.

We celebrated Easter on Saturday the 14th. We were nine of us this time. Linda's table accommodated everyone which was wonderful.


I made a dish of asparagus, brussel sprouts, leeks, garlic and shallots. I still have a bit of it in my fridge which I will cook up tomorrow. Linda indicated that they tended to eat more of a simple vegetable fare. Mashed potatoes, grated carrots, steamed asparagus. But I insisted on bringing this dish. I figured someone would love it. I managed to get a small container of leftovers. I bought over five pounds of vegetables. They ate it and loved it!!!!


Linda cooked ham with, I think it was a maple, brown sugar glaze with pineapples. Ohhhh. I just loved it. Of course, I love ham and never eat it. I don't know why. It's like turkey. How come we don't eat turkey all year round? It is a fabulous meat. It has a magnificent taste. It is good for you. You throw it in a cooking bag, a little flour, put it in the oven, and in a short time, you have this incredible meat that is so satisfying .....I...I don't know. Now I want to go and buy a turkey. Tomorrow. I will see if I can find a turkey tomorrow. You know how I love turkey? After I cook it, I freeze it in portions in zip lock bags. Then when I am in the mood, I'll defrost a bag and eat it cold dipped in ketchup. I can hear you all going YEWWWW~~~ But I love it. Minimal calories, and better for me than cake, chips, pretzels, ice cream, and shopping the internet for new shoes.

Linda makes great mashed potatoes. We grew up with mashed potatoes. Not the wimpy kind you find in restaurants, with special seasonings, whipped, not mashed, a tiny bit of butter instead of a ton of butter..... We know mashed potatoes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Mother and I made the grated carrots with mayonnaise, a bit of salt and a dash of sugar. It should have had parsley in it but I forgot to bring some. Merde.

I would have normally made bread. I used to always make bread. But this oven here and not dependable and I have not been successful with my bread baking. I keep trying though. I may have lost my bread kharma. I don't know. If I lost it, I will find it again. Promise.




Mom saw this picture of an Easter cake and tore it out of the magazine to see if I would make it. The description called for boxed cake mix, canned frosting, chocolate chips and of course, Peeps.

I made it from scratch. You can barely see it, but in the center of the cake, I piped a chocolate ganache in the shape of chocolate chips. It took over an hour just to do that. The cake itself was a white cake. I think Linda was afraid that everyone was going to be disappointed that it was a white cake so she bought a chocolate cream pie for those who wanted more chocolate. So, as it turned out, everyone had a piece of both. Can you believe it? Nine people. My cake was huge. Ten inches in the round by the time it was frosted. And then a chocolate pie!! GONE!!!



Well, people did bring some home.



I love gathering people around the table. People are always happy when they are eating good food, don't you think???????