The Memory-Keeper's Daughter

I know this is the name of a book,

I think I have even read it....

but when I cleared out my Mother's flat

and saw that she had kept EVERYTHING.

(Even my old love letters *blush*),

I knew that for me,

my Mother had been the Memory-Keeper

and I the Memory-Keeper's daughter...

This was Mom's Hexagon quilt.

Made many many years ago.... 

It was patiently handquilted

And the edges were finished traditionally...

Backed with a white sheet.

The little hand stitches are beautiful and even.

I used to love having it on my bed 

and looking at all the different fabrics.

I would pick out my favourites

and especially loved all the rose ones.

Hence the inspiration for my Rose Hexagon quilt...

*****

One of the things of Mom's I was desperate to have

was her recipe book....

Many well loved recipes are contained within...

And some surprises!:

"BANANA WITH HAM -

Wrap 1 banana per person in a slice of ham.

Cover with cheese sauce and bake in oven."

I can safely say this was not one of Mom's signature dishes!!!

Although we are talking 1967 here!:

This hot milk sponge chocolate recipe I made

almost to death -

It's fantastic !:

And my Mom always made an amazing Chicken Liver Pate:

But sadly her famous Broccoli recipe was not inside.

Luckily she had given it to me years ago and I found it again:

(Cecile's) Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

1-2    heads of Broccoli

1      small Onion

250g   Sunflower Seeds

250g   Seedless Raisins

250g   Bacon

For the Marinade:

75ml   Lemon Juice

15ml   Sugar

5ml    Mustard

250ml Olive Oil

Celery Salt (optional)

Instructions:

Cut the florets off the broccoli leaving very little of the stalks. Then break the florets into smaller pieces. Finely chop the onions. Chop the bacon into small pieces and cook the bacon until very crisp. Lightly fry the sunflower seeds and raisins in the leftover bacon oil.

Mix the lemon juice, sugar, mustard and olive oil together (include the celery salt if needed). Place the salad ingredients in a sealable container and pour over the marinade. Cover and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, tossing the salad in the container every now and then to ensure that the entire broccoli is marinated in the oil.

Serve and enjoy…. 

Building Blocks

DH managed to put my Longarm quilting machine back together.

He described as playing with giant Meccano ;)

 And he did a good job.

It's all back together and it's even had a test run!

I made up a little quilt last night,

quilted it tonight.....

and will hopefully get the binding on tomorrow night...

Just in time for a very quick gift that is needed for

a colleague expecting a baby.

Not sure why I went for frogs,

but she knows she's having a boy

and she has such a cool design and dress sense

I thought she could 'do' frogs ;)

***** 

Here's a shot of my machine.

She's a big girl with a 24" throat on a 12 foot table.

The last time I sewed with her was the day my Mom died.

I have missed them both the last few months

but I'm ready to sew again 

even if I'm not ready to feel better about my Mom just yet...

 *****

I took this photo to show the quilted top,

the black spotty backing and the paper pantograph used

(stars and loops again - one of my favourites for a boy!)

*****

My parting shot is of the part of the living room 

where my sewing table used to live.

All my stuff (ok, ok most of it)

is out of the living room and in my 'studio' now.

It's Complicated....

... but finally my Longarm quilting machine

is 'home' with us!

We have sort of been between houses, deciding what to do

and so my Longarm has stayed where I was not until yesterday!!!

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have it back.

My new studio feels smaller as I have to share

with the laundry and the general garage stuff,

but the fact that it's pretty much in the house rules out all those minor problems.

I can use my limited time better now without having to drive to the old studio etc.

(And I can always do the laundry while waiting for my machine to warm up ;o) LOL)

*****

The two tractor quilts are now flimsies

and are waiting to be longarmed.... 

The quilting will really make them so much better.

I decided against borders as they are only lap quilts....

The one on the left is for a younger boy

and the one on the right for an older boy.

I'm raring to go on my Longarm so must dash and get myself sorted!

Happy Easter