Italian Meat Pies

Made this for a party I attended this weekend and promised I would post the recipe so here it is!  Enjoy!

Italian Meat Pie

Makes 6 Pies

Meat Pie Dough

2 eggs	2 lbs flour
1 pks dry yeast	2 cups milk
¼ c warm water	4 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp salt	6 Tbsp melted shortening

Disolve yeast in warm water.  Heat milk to just scalding.  Add shorting and sugar and allow to cool.  Add to yeast with salt and eggs.  Mix.  Add flour to form a smooth dough.  Knead 10 minutes.  Place in greased bowl and turn to grease top.  Cover and let rise until double in bulk.  Beat down and let rise again.  Divide into 6 pieces . Note:  I use purchased dough.

Meat Filling

5 lbs pork cut into one inch pieces or partially cooked italian sausage

1 lb of cut up cheese (mozzarella, swiss, provolone) or pastrami, procuitto, hot ham, capacolla

3 lbs of onions partially fried with salt pepper and garlic (optional).

Cheese Mixture

3 lbs ricotta cheese

3 eggs

3 Tbsp water

Salt and pepper

Mix together and set aside.

Hard boil, peel and cut in half 24 eggs.(optional)

Mix meat, onion and cheese mixture together

Roll a piece of the dough out to the size of a large pizza.  Put the filling on half of the dough.  Put about 8 egg halfs on top of filling.  Cover with other half of dough and seal the edges.  Brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg mixed with a few tablespoons of brewed tea.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Pierce with a fork to let out air as it bakes.  Bake in a preheated 425d oven for 35 minutes.

Progress on Ghost of Autumn

I am making good progress on Ghost of Autumn.  Thought I found the perfect branch for a stand, but maybe not.  
 I did lots of freemotion leaves some  on tulle, some on shiffon for her clothes, hair and trim.  I created a fabric using die cut chiffon leaves and freemotion stitching for her underskirt, then attached leaves to it and also to her body to create a bodice.  Still can't sew the arms in place until I can finalize her pose.  She needs shoes.

 Her belt is made from twigs and twine.  This is the back side with the twine glued in place.  I wove it through the twigs but wanted to make sure it would stay together.

Ghost of Autumn

I am currently working on a new doll, Ghost of Autumn.  I took a reject head and did a clay/cloth over.  Then I made a body using the one I designed for A Style of her Own.  I made her I natural Southern bell.  I wanted pale leaves all over the body and head so I dyed tissue paper, cut out leaf shapes with my sizzix, stamped them with archival ink then glued them in place with matte medium. I used pencils, pens and pan pastels (a first but liking them for this application!) to color the face.  Now I am off to do some free motion leaves on sheer nylon, tulle, and wash away Solvy.  I should be back on a week!  LOL!

Kit directions for fabric book

Fabric book

Cut 4 pieces off muslin 6" x 12" for the pages

Cut 2 pieces of Muslin 6 1/2" x 12 1/2" for the covers ( so they will be a little larger than the pages

Cut 8 pieces of iron on interfacing 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" and to the pages, two to each page, 1/4" from the outer edges.  There should be 1/2" without interfacing on the center where the spine will be.

Cut 4 pieces of iron on interfacing 6" x 6" and do same as pages.

Cut 2 pieces of chip board 6" x6" to insert into the covers ( optional)

I also added a piece of felt cut the same sixe as the interfacing for backing and sewed through all these layers as I embellished each page.

To assemble book:  sew covers together around the outer edge, inserting the chipboard if you like a stiff cover  I also added a line of stitching form the center spine.  

Sew pages together the same way so you have two "signatures" measuring 6" x12".

To assemble the book: Tack a long - 24" at least- piece of ribbon down the center of on side of the pages.  Tie around the center of the cover at the spine. Tie the ribbons and embellish as you like.

Pics of the book tied together viewed from the top.

Outer cover.  I added one of my Mother's pins.

Inner page.  I added lace over the ribbon.

Just had to try this....

I have been purchasing vintage embroidered linens to use when making my Ragalia rag doll pattern.  I finally made one!  I used one of the test heads for my Style pattern - the one with the purple eyes.  I had fabric picked out before for Chrissy's doll until I found out her favorite color was green!  And that fabric and embroidered linen would not work with the purple eyes so back to the stash where I found this sweet little piece with the embroidered basket and the crocheted edge.  I used some fabrics I had dyed with poke berries for her legs and bloomers.  The dress fabric and the laces on it were all in my stash as was the scrap just big enough for her arms.  The hair was a white slubby stuff I have had for years except the slubs were pink and blue so had to dye it with pink.  Hoped the blue would turn lavendar but not really.  I even used DynaFlow which changes everything!  But in the end, I liked the way it turned out.  I crocheted enough for the hair into a strip, dyed it and then dried and ironed it so it would look curly.  Made the wig pieces a little on the short side, but her hair do works.  realized as I took pics, I still have to give her finger nails and I think I'll give her a basket to carry too.  The buttons on her dress were in a tin given to be by a dear friend, Mrs. Youngman who also happens to be my SIL's Mother.

crocheted strip

The yarn I used and the final product after crocheting, dying, drying and unraveling.

What a difference Hair makes!  Her back view.

Last Pages of my Tribute book

Finally finished the last 4 pages of my cloth book.

The left page is my mother around age 17-18 (1937-8) with her parents.  I believe this was taken in front of their house. The pin is 14k gold with pearls.  No idea how old.  The right side is my parents in 1941 before my Dad went into the service. Probably why they look so glum. The pins were my mothers.

Left is my father taken after he received his Sargeant Stripes in maybe 1942-43.  Have several copies of this pic, none of them have a date.  Also have a newspaper article but no date on that either.  The buttons were in her button box and have an eagle seal on them but they are not original uniform buttons. The other pic is their wedding pic, 10-21-1945.  They would have been married 70 years this October.  The rings aren't her original-those where stolen when their house was burglarized though I think the original wedding ring was left with her.  The pin was from her jewely box and I believe it is very old because I saw it in a few pics from the 40s.

Book Continued

The book is now 2/3rds done!  8 out of 12 pages are completed, just 4 to go!  Here are the latest pages paired as they will be when you go through the book.

The page with my father was revealed last post.  Now I have finished the page of my Mother from her grade school graduation, age 14.  The pin is hers.  Rather old one too.

On the left my father in his uniform, on his way overseas probably for a last visit.  The flag was in my mother's jewelry box.  I want to decorate this with his medals but I can't seem to find them.  the picture on the right is my mother in a bathing suit wearing her ankle bracelet.  The bracelet is draped at the bottom of the pic.  It is engraved with my Father's initials.  The pin watch was hers, it is engraved on the back. Ruth and the year.  Since my Dad was overseas not sure if it was a givt from my Dad and purchased for her or from my Grand Parents.

Last inside pages.  My Mother and the three of us, to the left, just the three of us taken in North Bergen one Easter.  One of my clay house charms.  The bird with the medal is from my Mother's jewelry box.  

Done for the day.  Rest of the pages are pinned in place.  hard part of chosing the laces and trims is done, just have to sew them together but I need a brake!

New Book in Progress

My dear friend Victoria Adams Brown and I went up to Brimfield Mass to attend the Antique/Flea Market for two days last week.  We had a blast shopping for all sorts of things.  I got loads of vintage and antique lace and embroideries - some from the turn of the century!  I brought up some dyed laces and fabrics  and a kit for us to make a fabric book.  I told Vic to bring up some pics.  I wanted to make mine about my parents and use some of my Mother's jewelry.  Needless to day, we didn't do anything on the books while we were there, but once home, we are both working on them.  Here is my front cover, the pics are my parents' HS graduation pics.  The pin is my mothers.  The pearls are also hers from a broken bracelet I think.  The background fabric with the little tucks was from the turn of the century.  The border lace is vintage and from the trip.  The pink lace was a flea market find and given to me by my Aunt Marie who gave me lots of laces she gathered in her travels.  The piece on the bottom is from a length of reembroidered french lace that was gifted to me.

The back cover is a pic of the creator of the book - me!  I am three in this pic and at that age I used to like to take my clothes off and wear my mother's high heels.  I also liked to play with keys.  I censored the pic - don't want to be accused of child porn!  The lovely lace doily was also from this trip.  The piece of the left side I dyed. Don't know how old it is but I have had it for at least 15 years. The corner embellishments are cardstock printed with book pages that I cut on the sizzis machine with a cuttlebug die.  the wings are from a filagree buttterfly.  The pearls again are my Mother's.

The last finished page I have is of my father.  I covered the muslin base with a sheet of music then lace from the 50's that I rusted.  Some of the buttons are from my Mother's button box, the rest are from my pearl button collection.  The lace edging with the buttons between is from that bag of old lace.  The trim around the pic, which is of my Dad when he was about 3 and the ring bearer in his Aunt's wedding, is also vintage.  I dyed the border lace and ribbon.  Would like to add a tie tac of his.

I am doing a page similar in style with my Mother's grade school graduation pic.
The book has 12 pages total.  I have all the pics planned out now just have to get working on them.

Rag Bag Diva

I belong to a very creative group on Facebook, the Rag Bag Gals, who use lots of recycled and vintage materials.  I love old lace, doilies, embroideries and have been collecting pieces to use on my dolls.  I finally got one done!  These ladies also demo'd using tea (it seems we all fixated on the Hibiscus) to dye the fabrics so I tried some though I started out with rose hips, no pink there so added some Procion Fuscia and got great results.  I dyed vintage eyelet fabric, lace, and trims.  The color difference based on the fiber content was amazing and I loved them all.   I am also trying to create a new pattern so of course I needed another sample.  I still don't have the shape of the face exact and can't seem to put my hands on the original pattern but I'll get it to my liking next I am sure!  So enough babble, here is her story.  I have named her Rag Bag Diva and she is holding a bag made from an old cotton runner with a crocheted edge dyed with Hibiscus tea from Panera (did this while I was away in Carlisle Pa this weekend!) Who knew?????  That fabic and the lace in her bag were finds this weekend at an Antiques Market.  Her hat is a doily from my mother's Hope chest that I stiffened then added wire to the edge.  She is also holding an ankle bracelet with my Dad's initials my Mother wore while he was overseas in WW II.  Her shoes are from an Ultra Suede remnant I purchased years ago at the now defunct Fabric Outlet of PA (I am broken hearted!!!)  I made them in my hotel room-had to go outside to hammer in the eyelets!  Her hair is from a skein of yarn I got a few years ago at the Punk Rock Market in Trenton.  Crocheted a large swatch, hit it with Victorian Velvet Distress stain, let it dry, ironed it and unraveled then made her wig.  Her bloomers are from overdyed sheer curtains from my Parent's house.  They started as cream/yellow but after hitting the rose hip/fuschia water, turned a lovely shade of faded old rose.  Pic of the dying results is at the end. Forgot I did a doily too.  I think it is too big for the hat though!

New Doll

For the past week or so I have been creating a doll for a friend.  While cleaning out her Mother's home after her parent's death, she found some fabric from her Mother's Wedding Gown and of course thought I would love it.  She was right.  It actually wasn't fabric but rather a slip made to wear under the dress.  It was a medium weight satin with some beautiful lace trim.  Her Grandmother had made the dress and I thought it would be a nice gesture to make a doll in her mother's image.  Well, after lots of angst, it is finally done.  I had a picture to work from, of her mother from the waist up sitting posing and that is what I had to go by.  Hope I guessed right!  Will find out tonight as I am gifting her the doll.  Here are some pics in progress and the finished doll as well as the picture she was based on.
 The gown looks white, but the fabric is ivory.  Those probably aren't her flowers as years ago pics were taken before the wedding at a studio, but just in case.  Just realized I forgot the wedding band!

Progress shots.  I made her legs jointed so she could sit.  I also made a chair and a stand incase Diane doesn't want her to sit.  The major problems were the weight of the fabric and the condition it was in.  It appears someone had washed and pressed it but wrinkles don't iron out of Satin without adding more sizing and that will discolor over time.  There were some spots and also frayed areas I had to work around.  The fabric was also a bit heavy-good thing the dress was fairly simple.

That is all the inprogress shots I took.  Love how the shoes came out though I have no idea what they looked like.  This was a surprise for my friend so I couldn't ask her!

Finished!

Day With Dolls 2015

What a day!!!!  It is so exhilirating to spend the day with a group of people with the same passion!  Above is pictured (top row L2R) Maria Quinones, Diane Kearney, Colleen Athens, Heather Brunner, Susan Ratti, seated, me, Linda Holsteadter, Diane Ignatowitz (forgive my spelling ladies!) from the former Garden State Doll Artisans doll club.  Miss that club but life got in the way it seems.  It was wonderful to be together again.  Heather and Maria gave wonderful tutorials and Colleen holds a mean mic!  A big thank you to  the 3D Doll Club of Mt. Vernon for all their hard work -  especially Gwen Jackson and Doris Sutton

Following are pictures of some of the great dolls from the gallery.  I tried to get the name tags in as much as a I could.  There are also pics from the doll contest, Mini Me.