Stitching Up a Storm in Alamo City

Geisha cat is out of the closet

When I got back from Amy's, I was really in the mood to stitch, but I had left my canvas and threads, etc with her to ship back to me.

So I pulled out the Geisha cat.   She is SO CLOSE to being finished!!  I completed the background and started putting the Swarovski crystals in the centers of the silk ribbon flowers.  I put all the gold beads in the center of the trellis stitch.

She's made a public appearance already.   When I did the tour at the McNay with the Handweaver's Guild a couple of weeks ago, I took her with me to show to them.   We have an exhibit called Orient Expressed, which shows the impact that the opening of Japan in the 1850s had on western art.   I decided that the Geisha cat surely complemented the art exhibit.   They loved her.   One lady asked to buy her from me.   Highly flattered, but I don't THINK so.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Happy stitching.
Jane

Stuffed Pumpkin

I have most of the day today without appointments or "must do"s so I decided to cook up a few things from the fridge.   I'd been eyeing this recipe from The Homesick Texan and remembered that my son in law, Matt really likes this kind of thing - it's a remake of Dorie Greenspan's Stuffed Pumpkin that I made last year (and told you about).

It's been affirmed that I have a Texan palate. This is good!!   And if you've ever made a Jack O' Lantern, you can do this!!

Stuffed Pumpkin with Cheese, Bacon and Chipotle Chile

    One 3-4 lb pie pumpkin
    salt and pepper to taste
    4 oz French bread, cut into 1/2 in cubes
    1/4 lb Gruyere cheese, shredded
    1/4 lb white cheddar cheese, shredded
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1-2 chipotle chiles en adobo, diced
    1/4 lb cooked bacon, crumbled (I used HEB's thick sliced pepper bacon)
    1/4 t ground cumin
    1/2 c half and half

Prepare the oven by preheating it to 350 and putting a rack in the center.  

Cut a circle around the pumpkin stem about 1 inch away from the stem.   Remove the top and clean out the seeds and stringy bits from inside the pumpkin.  (Save the seeds for roasting later, if you like.)   Lightly salt and pepper the inside of the pumpkin.

Toss together the bread cubes, shredded cheeses, garlic, diced chiles and crumbled bacon, and stuff into the pumpkin.   Stir the cumin into the cream, adding a bit more salt and pepper to taste.   Pour cream mixture into pumpkin over bread and cheese mixture.

Place the top on the pumpkin and place the pumkin into a baking pan.   Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until filling is brown and bubbling.  To serve, remove the top and spoon out portions of the filling, grabbing some of the cooked pumpkin.   Serve warm.

Happy stuffing and stitching.
Jane

Babies on Halloween

I am actually stitching a little bit these days;  I stitched on Maddie's stocking for 3 days last weekend in Memphis. I had them ship it to me, so I haven't gotten it back yet.  It's a beautiful canvas and the stitch guide Amy wrote for it is so fun.  I'll post pictures as soon as it arrives.

In the meantime, I thought I'd show you the pictures of our (grand)babies in their Halloween costumes.  (Maddie is on the left.) 

Mark and I left a big bowl of candy on our front step on Halloween night and went over to see the babies before they headed out in the wagon to go Trick or Treating.  

After the photo session, we went out to eat and came home to find one piece of candy left in the bowl.   I guess our neighbors are training their children to always leave the last piece for someone who might need it more than they do.  Funny. 

Last year, Jakey was an elephant.   His costume was way too big for him then.

Guess what?   He was the same elephant this year - just a little bit bigger.

He loves food too much to be an elephant 3 years in a row, however.

I have been stitching since I got home, too - on the Cat in a Kimono.   It's so close to being finished it's ridiculous not to do so.

Happy stitching!
Jane