verymerryseamstress

Thank you! This recipe really IS one of the best.

Now, if I can just find a recipe for a Naples, NY grape pie, I'll be set for life!

Regimental/military lace suppliers:

Coughlin & Upton

Wooded Hamlet

ggggoodwin

metallic laces - this looks to be a great site

more metallic lace

How to apply it:

tutorial on applying regimental lace

If you Google "regimental lace" (in quotes) you'll get lots of hits.

Hope this helps!

I know the name of it doesn't sound all that appetizing, but this is, hands-down, one of the best-tasting meals I've ever eaten. I have yet to find anyone who doesn't LOVE this. It's terribly unhealthy, but SO worth the extra calories and artery-clogging ingredients. Don't try this unless you're prepared to become a tomato pie addict!

Now that tomatoes are ripe on the vine, I thought you'd be want some recipes to use up those extra 'maters. We make ten of these at a time and freeze them to eat all winter long. ENJOY!

Tomato Pie

1 1/4 cup flour

2 Teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 Teaspoon of crushed basil

1/2 Teaspoon of salt

1/2 Cup of solid shortening (I use butter Crisco)

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

5 large tomatoes peeled and sliced

3/4 - 1 cup of mayo

1 Tablespoon of chopped onions

1 Cup shredded white cheddar cheese (I think I'm a little more generous)

1/2 pound of Bacon fried and patted and cut into pieces

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and basil. Add in shortening. I use a pastry cutter and cut till it crumbly. Add sour cream and mix until dough is moist enough to hold together. Spread or pat dough into greased 9" pie pan (along bottom and sides) to form a crust. Place the sliced tomatoes on the crust. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the bacon on top. Combine mayonnaise, cheese, onion and spoon over top. Spread to cover the tomatoes/bacon.

Bake at 355 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

A very dear friend of mine is searching for a bulk supplier of pirate eye patches for an event he's holding. The problem is he'd really like to find some that can be custom silkscreened, so the cheap plastic ones aren't an option - nor are the flimsy faux silk ones.

Does anyone have any idea where he would be able to find 500 decent quality eye patches?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

A friend and client is a part of a brand new Renaissance faire opening in Indiana. They do have a website, so be sure to check it out!

http://www.fishersrenfaire.com

Wookiee Wheeler is my pornstar name

Lea Michigan is my romance author's name

Blue *bleep* Lea - Pirate Name (Hey, I just had a baby!)

I just had the most wonderful buying experience EVER. The situation was an extreme rush order for a bride who is leaving for Russi in just a couple of weeks.

I worked with Judy from http://www.anjooriansilks.com and she was AMAZING. She was unbelievably attentive, went above and beyond the call of duty: overnighted silk velvet fabrics to her studio, custom dyed them this morning and had them in the mail to me by this afternoon.

She called to double check on my color selection, just to make sure I understood what color I had chosen, called to explain shipping fees and offered several options - she always kept in touch with me about the status of the order.

I just can't say enough about her wonderful customer service - BEST EVER.

Yessir, lots of fabric - there are three godets (two at each side and one at the back) to create a fine swing at the tail.

It be black velvet - Me camera be on the crappish side of good.

(Please ignore the TEE SHIRT under the jabot! And the cargo pants - well, we won't go there, k?)

Hubby posing in my latest coat!

Sterling is my home faire too! How is the new restaurant pub?

ABay - as in Alex Bay up north?? Do tell about about these Pirate Days!

Ain't it grand ta be grown and still love ta play?

That's the key to staying young, my friend, that IS the key. :)

I *so* wish I had pictures from the previous year. Hubby and I went as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, complete with back openings to store our extra "faces". People took turns all night changing out our different eyes and mouths as the mood of the conversation changed. Quite a good time.

That's me, front right and hubby in front left as Legolas and Gandalf.

Yep, I really do climb trees on a regular basis. :)

It be here: www.verymerryseamstress.com/stitch.htm

Nelson, a HUGE congrats! How exciting! You must be thrilled!

I added your book link to my own blog (Blarg - lol) and I hope lots of people buy it!

Again, congratulations - what a fabulous accomplishment!

~Heather

I'm having 80's Big Hair Band flashbacks and listening to a Poison CD. YIKES!

I found this wonderful historical maritime uniform resource this morning while looking for trim detail references for waist coats and frock coats:

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/site/request/setTempl...contentId/14764

You can also search through other items, such as buttons, epaulettes, breeches etc:

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/displayCo..._class=Uniforms

From the website:

As a first instalment of the National Maritime Museums extensive uniform collection, we give details of some of our earliest and most important items. These include the surviving pattern garments of the first Royal Naval uniform of 1748. Other items of particular interest are a captain's full dress coat of the 1774 pattern as worn by Captain James Cook in the famous portrait by Nathaniel Dance (although we do not know its original owner), and three of Nelson's coats including the undress uniform in which he was fatally wounded at Trafalgar. Uniforms of the 1812 pattern take the story up to the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Enjoy!

Mermaid, I love them too - have you ever taken a peek at James Christensen's artwork? He has a couple of amazing mermaid prints available.

http://www.magickware.com/Images2/mermaid.jpg

http://www.world-wide-art.com/art/va/print.../sisterssea.jpg

and my personal fave:

http://www.zooscape.com/dataimg/zoo0041/7/...ig/417547_b.jpg

And be sure to check out the mermaid prints sold by this eBay vendor:

http://search.stores.ebay.com/search/searc...2&submit=Search

JoshuaRed, hiya

I think you'll find that the majority of hard core Ren enthusiasts still love historical accuracy, but there's a huge variety of patrons at faires nowadays. They vary from the most extreme fantasy folks who wear Conan the Barbarian type clothing, all the way over to delicate-winged fairies. Some Renaissance faires are a bit more strict, other faires do tend to open up the themes to include more fantasy-type characters and costuming.

Personally, I applaud anyone who even makes half an effort to get into character. Authentic or not. If they're having fun, that's all that matters to me.

The whole idea is to have fun. I cater to all kinds of costuming needs - and if my customers want fantasy, they'll get it. By the same token, if they want the most historically accurate ensemble, I can do that too. It's all part of being in the costuming business - we have to cater to the customer. And if the customer wants a combo Ren faire/pirate crossover ensemble, by God, I'll make it for them - authen tic or not.

As I said -for most people, it's all about having fun and feeling pretty/handsome/etc in your garb - not who has the most authentic costume.

By the same token - if my customer has strict guidelines to adhere to - I can do that as well. It's all about the customer, and what they want.

Aye, it's www.verymerryseamstress.com

:)

Very Merry Seamstress, here! - I just needed to let you folks know that *all* of my bodices are constucted with 1/2" coated and capped steel boning - I *never* use plastic boning. The ends are tipped with a metal cap designed specifically for steel boning.

Just wanted to make sure everyone understand that I *don't* use plastic boning in my bodices - only steel. Previous commentary made reference to the pictured bodices using plastic boning - and I wanted to assure people that I, personally, do not use it in my bodices.

Heather

Your Very Verry Seamstress