Stitches and Steamers

I'm in lock down prepping for next week's QA TV taping, but when I woke up Sunday to gorgeous, sunny, 80+-degree weather, I just had to lug my fabric and stitching supplies onto the front porch and throw on a swimsuit. (You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl!)

The view from my machine…

 

Pretty, isn't it? I moan and complain (and complain some more) about New England winters, but in August, Stow, Massachusetts, can be a beautiful place to live!

Of course when I left for all of two minutes to refill my coffee cup, someone decided to take over at the wheel, so to speak…

Below is one of the background pages for a stitched, screened, and stenciled fabric book for one of the segments. This piece of fabric is from the lot of screen-printed ones I made last weekend.

 

And the day was topped off with a little clambake on the patio. It’s our anniversary tomorrow and since I'm a little frantic this week,  we opted for a mellow night at home with a couple of lobsters and a big bowl of steamers.

 

Our steamers recipe:
3 - 4 lbs of steamers
1 large yellow onion, diced
As much garlic as you can handle (I dice about 5 large cloves, and I'd put in more if it were just up to me.)
1 bottle of Sam Adams lager (Our tradition is to pour most of it in the pot, but take one swig for good luck)
2 cups of water
1/2 of a lemon

1.   Rinse the clams to get the sand off.
2.  Pour the beer, water, diced onion, and garlic into a large pot and put to a boil.
3.  When it gets to a boil turn down to medium heat, add the clams and squeeze the lemon. Cover.
4. Watch and wait for all the clams to open up (about 10-15 minutes).
5. Save a little of the broth for dipping and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Comments

[judy]

oh, yumm! that's just cruel for a new englander living in the midwest.

Happy Anniversary!

[Cecile]

I wish I would be here, stitching in the sun, and having that nice meal with a glass of wine. Here the weather is awful, rainy and windy, I don't have a chance to even stitch outside !
Cecile, in France

[Robbi Eklow]

happy anniversary. You two are a cute couple.

Love,
Robbi

[Maggie]

Happy Anniversary John & Pokey!

[Juanita Olson]

Mmmmm, lobster!!!! I'll trade you a slice of midwest beef for a bite. Happy Anniversary!

[Cheryl]

Happy anniversary! and many more!
Sounds like your sewing day was nice.

[natalya]

happy anniversary! boy that lobster looks good.... yum..

[Linda Cain]

Beautiful work!!! Love it. And the lobster would work right into my diet, I'm sure!
Linda Cain

[leilani pierson]

oh what great pix, pokey! really love the fabric you created! and how special for your anniversary - happy happy anniversary and blessings to you and hubby! ;)

[Noel]

What a perfect day...warm sunshine, beautiful view, great sewing and lobster...doesn't get better then that for an August day!
Happy anniversary to you and hubby!
May God bless you with many, many more!
Noel for sunny San Diego

[T. Stafford]

I've dyed and sprayed outside but didn't think to bring my machine outside.Great Idea! I just discovered your blog and was happy to hear you listen to Mark Knoeffler. Tee from Wiarton Ontario Canada

[Maggie Gilbert]

Yummmmmm, lobsters and steamers ... now, for the first time in YEARS I'm homesick for Connecticut. I almost miss my brothers and our Mad Steamer Grabs in the backyard.

[Joyce Teal]

The dinner looks delicious - hope you had extra butter! As a former resident of Massachusetts with family in your neck of the woods, you are not the first to drag your machine outside to sew! Many a summer I did so I could watch the kids in the kiddie pool or on the swings. As long as we are on the subject of eating, could you do this for me? I'd like you to have a peppermint stick, hot fudge sundae with marshmellow topping from Friendly's Ice Cream? The ice cream in TN is good but they don't have any peppermint stick and "hot fudge" translates to runny melted chocolate. I'll walk a couple extra miles to burn of the calories!! Enjoy!! Thanks for keeping up my connection to NE.