There's Snow Business...

It's been quite chilly here

the last few days...

Last night I found Abby keeping herself

warm with my eldest son's old soft toy

that he called 'Mau'.

That toy went everywhere when he was a toddler

(Thailand, Germany, South Africa...),

now of course, it's abandoned,

but at least it has a new friend :o)

 Perhaps it's time for a kitten??? 

- Perhaps not!!

*****

It's been great working on the scalloped border

because it has kept me nice and warm

while watching telly in the evenings.

 It's all done now, but no chance of a photo outside

just at the moment as we have a little snow:

It's still snowing now

so hopefully it will be enough for the boys

to play in with their friends... 

Me? I'll be staying inside!

Thoughts for Tuesday

My work table absolutely groaned under the weight

of this monster quilt.....

Probably not a good idea with a mainly cream quilt...

 A new project...

 Bang, bang, bang....

All photos taken on my phone (hence the quality!)

In Another Bind!

2013 was/is to be the year of finishes!

I have survived a bad case of Noro-virus

(I can only assume that nasty bug was that!)

and I am patiently sewing the scalloped-edge binding down,

but it is SLOW going!!

So onto the next project!!

My oldest quilt, started in the 1980's

using some rather old-fashioned Laura Ashley style fabrics

and my Mother's scraps....

I was desperate to find a dark/forest green fabric

with very small white dots to bind the quilt in.

I thought that would tie the quilt together,

but my search was fruitless, SO.... 

I tried out 3 other completely off the wall options

and I think I'm going to go with option number three:

A mid green with a white vine-like leaf design....

The 4 different star patterns all have the same 

green fabric in them, which has a white flower pattern.

So although not the same colour, (or pattern)

somehow I think this fabric

sort of works :)

I held it against all the blocks...

And it looked ok....

so I talked myself out of a dark green...

And I hope to get it bound soon!!

Then it can sit and wait it's turn after the scallops.

Yes, 2013 will yield at least 2 finishes - or else LOL

*****

A parting shot of my gorgeous Abyssinian cat.

She's not lazy, her eyelids just can't stay open long :)

Scallops!

I had pretty much talked myself out of scalloping the edges

of my rose hexagon quilt. I thought I'd lose some of the gorgeous quilting

that Chris had done... and I was thinking just to round the corners off,

but then last night I took a few plates from the kitchen and a pencil

and just decided to go for it....

It was trickier than I thought and I'm not sure 

it's been done 'correctly', but hopefully it will look ok

when the binding is on....

It was nice to find this embroidered block right next to the first side I cut -

it sort of spurred me on to finish this quilt

with as much effort as I have already put into it:

There was one hairy moment when I, in an attempt, to be brave,

told myself to 'just go for it!'.

Luckily I didn't at that point as the edges were folded over

and I would have had a big gap between scallops!!!

Of course I cut too much binding

and I was reminded how much I detest making bias binding!!

Both the cutting of it and the joining of it is the worst part!

I started to feel a bit ill as I was ironing the binding.

So I sat down and just pushed through because the studio

fire was on, the children were in bed and I didn't think 

I'd get a chance again to get this done.

I 'quickly' sewed the binding on
a king size scallop-edged quilt :)

Then I came into the house and was rather ill.

Yes, a tummy bug had hit our house!

Myself and the two boys were up ALL night

with sickness :(

But this will pass, the binding is on

and I can almost knock a quilt off my UFO list!

Rose Stars: It Is (nearly) Finished

Just the borders...

 

 

... to think about.

 

Then the quilting...,

but this quilt for Little Miss Kalico 

is sort of a 'top'.

I think I'd like white borders

(or possibly pieced borders??),

so I'll have to paper-piece them on,

but for now I need to get some binding

bought, made and sewn on

those other 2 (nearly) finished quilts of mine!

 

Happy New Year Everyone.

Let's hope it's filled with quilty finishes!!!

Last post for 2012

The year is almost up so I'll be quick...

I am looking forward to 2013

and want to wish everyone all the best.

For many friends I hope it will be a better year

than the last...

Thank you all for friendship and support

and I offer mine in return...

 

 *****

 

Little baby-K got a special hat for Christmas

which she seems to want to wear all the time!!!

Thank you Vicky.

 

Granny knitted a stunning hooded jumper

 and cool hat which I forgot to photograph,

but I will remedy that soon.

- Thanks Granny!

*****

The last few rose-stars

which were hanging around in bits in bags...:

 

 

And almost sewn in:

 

*****

In the BQL Christmas swap

I was gifted a bag with lovely hand-dyed fabric

in purples - Thanks Irene.

 

Vicky spoilt me...

here are a few of the sewing bits:

 

And Birgit sent me these awesome fabrics,

along with a year's supply of chocolate

and alphabet noodles for Baby-K

- Thanks so much Birgit!!!!!

 

*****

And here's my big boy looking after

his baby sister with her sore thumb...

 

 

- thank you family!

I love you all so much!!

SSCS 2012

This year I was lucky enough to join in on

the Chookyblue Secret Santa Swap again.

 

My partner was Tracy

and she made me (or Little Miss-Kalico!)

this gorgeous doll:

 

Tracy also included some beautiful fabric (me!!!)

and a real treat: Australian Homespun magazine!

I don't buy any quilt magazines so they are the

height of luxury!!!

 

The doll can be hung up so she will be looked after

and hung in Baby-K's room and admired!

 

*****

I had the very lovely Shari to send my gifts to.

I sent some birds in a gift bag for her decoration:

 

A Christmas stocking to be opened on the 24th:

 

With a bag and a needlecase wrapped up inside:

 

It's always a great swap

and is as much fun to send as to receive!

Thank you to chookyblue for hosting,

Tracy for sending and Shari for receiving!

Not a Single Stitch!

Note to Self:

Never pack away a project without

leaving yourself notes as to where you are with it...

 (I believe I have all the bits and pieces

needed to complete this project,

but I'm not 100% sure now!)

 Note to self:

Blocks found in random bags

 belonging to above project

 should be kept together!!!:

 Note to self:

Never expect to get any sewing done

with a baby

- ever!

Little Miss-Kalico had a thumb operation today.

I took along loads of sewing to do.

I didn't manage a single stitch!

 

Note to self:

 Sewing is great, but family is better!

She's asleep now and I'm hoping

that she stays that way until morning.

A good night's rest will be just what the doctor ordered!

Christmas Wreath

My first ever home-made Christmas wreath!

 

 

I dried the oranges in the oven

and made the wreath using branches

(with cones growing on them)

from some trees on the farm.

 

It has no oasis, no frame, no wire....

It's being held together by ribbons,

love and hope :)

 

Tomorrow I'll hang it out,

in the meantime I'm off to sew!

♥ Cherry Cake ♥

I was so excited to discover

that I could buy Morello cherries in the UK.

I used to buy them a lot when I lived in Germany.

I would make Cherry-misu

(before I discovered that I was Gluten-free* of course!)

Cherry-misu is basically Tiramisu, but

with Morello cherries added in the layers - Yum!

 I also found a bund tin a few weeks back

and wanted to make something in it other than a sponge...

 So I adapted a courgette cake recipe of Nigella's

and the results have been excellent

(taste-tested twice!!)

♥The recipe:♥

♥ Big jar of Morello cherries

-drained weight approx 350g

♥ 2 Large eggs

♥ 125ml Vegetable Oil

♥ 150g Caster Sugar

♥ 225g Self raising Flour

♥ Half a teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

♥ Half a teaspoon Baking Powder

 

♥ Bund tin (not sure of the size of mine,

but it compares to 2 x 21cm sandwich tins if that helps)

- greased with melted butter.

 

♥ Drain your jar of cherries before anything else!

♥ Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade/Gas mark 4

♥ Beat the eggs, oil and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until creamy.

♥ Sieve in the flour, bicarb, baking powder

and continue to beat until well combined.

♥ Stir in the cherries.

♥ Pour the mixture into your pre-greased tin.

♥ Bake for 40 minutes

(or if you're doing it in 2 sandwich tins then 30 minutes).

The cake should be lightly browned and firm to the touch.

♥ Leave in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out to cool on a rack.

 

 You can dust the cake lightly with icing sugar,

but I prefer it plain...

Slice. Share. Eat and Enjoy!

 

*To make this recipe Gluten-Free, I used Gluten-free Self Raising Flour

and added a teaspoon of Xanthan Gum :)

Studio Pinboard

Brrr...

I went into the studio to get something

and it's mighty cold in there.

I could put the fire on, but I'm just so busy

with other stuff that it wouldn't be worth it :(

While I was in there I glanced at my pinboard,

 

it's filling up with all the lovely things

friends have made or given me...

Or I've bought just because it's pretty

(like the robin and the stocking) :)

 

The 3 Christmas decorations

(the heart, bird and house) were made by a friend

who is an unasssuming crafter...

i.e. she doesn't realise just how lovely her things are!

And the decoration on the right is from Kate

and will always remind me of her last visit

as it comes with a funny story:

Kate bought two of these decorations,

and when she showed me one I said,

"Oh that's gorgeous!"

 

"Just as well" she said,

"because I've bought you one too!"

Bloggy Visit

This past weekend,

I had the joy of a bloggy friend to visit!

Such fun!

Kate and her son came to stay

and we had a great time.

The first day I subjected her to a Christmas market I was doing,

but she certainly made the day fly by!

It was the first time I've ever done a market

and had a decent coffee!!! - Thanks Kate.

 

The second day we managed a bit of sewing!

We decided we wanted to make a block

which could be made into a small Christmas wallhanging

and would remind us of the visit.

(The block pattern is Bonnie's Happy Scrappy Houses.)

 As Kate said...

Can you guess who's is who's? :)

If you know me,

you'll know it's the top one...

although we should probably have swapped

and made a block for each other. Next time!

 

Of course mine is not quilted (yet)

and shan't be for a while.