Beyond the Cherry Trees Album Quilt
I continue on with my version of the quilt. 8 blocks now completed and last night I prepped another block, so I have three blocks “on the go”. Hopefully, I’ll get the basket with berries completed for next weekend, but I am all berried out at the moment and there are only 43 of them, so what am I going to be like after 120 grapes for the centre block I wonder?
Maltaville Album Quilt
Do I really need another quilt project – answer is “NO”!, but hey??? Life is too short...
I finally signed up to do the Maltaville Album Quilt. All the patterns are being drafted by Margaret Mew at Quiltstation. I do not envy her task as she must be taking the patterns from photographs, not an easy job to do when scaling up.
I first saw this quilt hanging in the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington DC back in November 2008. It was Thanksgiving Day and having been let down by the promise of seeing three quilts over at the Museum of American Art which transpired to be full sized photographs of the quilts displayed, on rollers – I was not best pleased...
So, in a real grump I found myself on the basement floor of the Museum of American History where I came across the Maltaville Album Quilt and all was forgiven! One problem though was that it was displayed behind glass panels so I had a real problem with reflected light.
I took loads of photographs, but unfortunately, many are blurred and not fit for publication. My then digital camera wasn’t too good at close-ups, but I have enough detail.
I had resolved to add the quilt to my one day list, so was delighted when I discovered that Margaret had decided to produce the patterns. They are relatively simple blocks at only 11” square, so will be an ideal project for my daily train commute. I’ve prepped the first four blocks, except I am not happy with my background fabric, so stitching may have to wait until after the Festival of Quilts in early August.
And all the other quilts? Well, not much progress, other than thinking about them!
Recipe for Gateau au orange et Cointreau
I was asked for the recipe for the Gateau and I am very happy to oblige. Normally I would have made the cake with a Genoese sponge, but on this occasion I made a traditional Victoria Sponge Cake, so traditional that I didn’t even use Delia’s all in one method!
3 large eggs 2 x 7” greased and lined cake tins
6oz butter
6oz caster sugar
6oz self-raising flour
Dash of milk (optional)
1tsp Vanilla essence
1. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Beat in eggs one at a time
3. Sieve flour, a little at a time, and beat into the above mixture
4. Add vanilla essence and continue to beat in
5. Mixture should be at a dropping consistency, i.e when you place some mixture onto a spoon and then tap the spoon on the side of the bowl, the mixture should drop off.
6. If the mixture is too heavy add a dash of milk to ease it.
7. Divide the mixture between the two sandwich tins and bake on the middle shelf of the oven heated to 180°C for 25 minutes.
8. After 25 minutes the top should be a golden brown and when pushed with the finger the centre should bounce back.
9. Cool on a wire rack and decorate once cold
Butter cream
4oz butter to decorate 2 tins mandarin oranges
6oz icing sugar toasted flaked almonds
Cointreau (optional)
1. Cream together butter and icing sugar, add Cointreau to taste.
2. Sandwich together with a thin layer of butter cream the two sponges
3. With a palette knife using the butter cream add a thin layer around the sides of the cake.
4. Place toasted flaked almonds on a paper kitchen towel and roll the sides of the cake along the flaked almonds and place cake on serving plate.
5. Drain mandarin oranges, but keep the juice and with a teaspoon carefully “dribble” the juice over the top of the cake – take care not to make the cake too wet, just enough to add some orange flavour.
6. With the remaining butter cream, spread over the top and arrange the mandarin oranges.
...et voila!
Have a good week.
