I finished these two blocks last night and quilted them. They will be a zip pouch for a lovely young lady who is going to Medical School next year. We will miss her. sigh. Anyway, am feeling more inspired with the little bit of sewing and a bit more exercise in my day.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Back into sewing
It has taken a long time for me to feel like sewing again. But lots of things are sorted so now I feel I am on a roll. Signed a new contract at work, sorted my sewing room and read a really inspiring article about just making changes by 1%. So am attempting to sew just for half an hour a day.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Family Fun
On the weekend the boys made the biggest hut ever!! The entire lounge was gone. I got shot while I was taking these shots. Then I was informed they had a food hatch and biscuits and chips would be acceptable,
It was hard getting photos due to being shot all the time. So I went outside and took a photo from the outside in. The boys had not thought about the winder and it was quite funny.
We all went to the Cheviot spring festival. I stayed behind as I was attending a gardening lecture. The boys went over to Gore Bay and got soaking wet and had a fab boys day.
Making toast and drinking hot apple cider.
Playing dodgem with the waves, the waves won!!
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Headbands - Christmas is coming
I have found this YouTube video on making headbands and they are soooooooo simple.
The reason that it is about Christmas coming is this. This year the family Christmas is at our house and I have decided that everyone's present is a home made Christmas Cracker. What goes in a Cracker? The noisy thing, a toy, a joke, and a hat. So I decided to make headbands for all the females as their "hat". So still a few to go!!! But so easy. Get your bag of scraps.
I ironed them straight onto the interfacing rather than cutting separately as the video does.
Sew two sides together and put in the elastic. Sew Simple!!!
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Spelling corrected, a finished quilt top
I have finally fixed the spelling on my embroidered blocks and the quilt top is finished. I did not have to buy any material to get it to this stage. It was all from my stash. The only thing is that the dark blue has run out and I really need that for the binding.
These embroideries are all memory verses from Jakobs first year at Rangiora New Life School. Jakob likes the quilt but says "what will I do with it?" As he is quite a sentimental chap I was a bit surprised at him not taking to it immediately.
So now I am on the issue of how to quilt this together. Due to the stitching this could be difficult. Or I just ignore the stitching and do an continuous line quilting. Hmmm. So sort of a finish and sort of a WIP.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Family Food Friday - Mac'n'Cheese
This is what Family Food Friday is about. Cooking quick, healthy meals that pack in more veges, taste delicious and reduce waste. When using a cauliflower do you throw out all these leaves that surround the white part? Not in this meal.
Did you know that the white part is just the flower so the stalks and greenery are leaves which can be used just like cabbage. So when making Mac'n'Cheese or in NZ it is called Macaroni Cheese, I put an entire cauliflower head in. And no one notices!!!
Here are the chopped up leaves put into the pot of part cooked pasta - all good - no wastage here.
The gorgeous cheesy sauce ready to pour over the pasta and cauliflower.
Family Macaroni Cheese
20 minutes to make - 30 minutes to bake
This makes two dishes - one to eat tonight and one to put into the freezer for a busy day.
1 packet of dried pasta of your choice
1 Head of cauliflower - stalks and all - chopped into large pieces
2 onions
bacon if you feel like it
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp mustard powder (here in NZ it is known as English Mustard)
1 litre trim milk
2 cups grated cheese
Put a big pot 3/4 full of cold water and 2 teaspoons salt onto the stove, put a lid on and complete the rest while waiting for this to boil.
Chop the onions reasonably finely and the bacon and put into a frying pan. Cook on medium heat until bacon looks done and onions going golden. Do not cook so hot that it all browns. (If not using bacon you will need a tablespoon or two of oil). Add the mustard and flour so it coats the onion and bacon and let it cook for a couple of minutes so the flour will not taste raw. Pour the milk into the pan and stir well so there are no lumps. Let it come to the simmer and stir occasionally until thick.
Into the big pot of boiling water pour the whole packet of pasta. Once it has cooked for about 5 minutes add the chopped stalks and cauli and cook another four minutes. Drain in a colander and put back into the big pot. Add the sauce and 1 1/2 cups cheese, stir and put into an oven proof dish.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 180 deg cel.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
It's official - I can quilt but I can't spell
I am sewing together blocks I hand embroidered almost a year ago. They are some of the memory verses from the boys school year in 2013. I need to re stitch the fourth word here...
And the first one here. Too......
Maybe I should join the boys at school again to practise my reading and spelling. Sigh.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Still a Work In Progress
I thought I had this quilt all ready to be batted and backed and quilted. Then send off to the Orphanage we support. The stars are years old, leftover from another quilt I did but they did not blend in well. So I put the centre piece on point and then added a top and bottom to get it to child size.
I take it home and show Aaron and he thinks this is the nicest quilt I have ever done. What is with that? Our tastes are sooooo different. Because he supports my sewing and fabric collecting addiction, if he says he really likes something I can't exactly give it away can I?
As this was all old fabric and bits left over I have had to pop to the shop to get a couple of fabrics for the next rounds. So this is now an ongoing project to become a queen size quilt.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Fresh turmeric and some venison
It was teachers only day on Friday so we took the boys out for a Food and Fun day Friday. First stop was Ohoka Farmers Market. Amongst other things we bought fresh turmeric. I had never even seen it before. If you eat any at all your teeth turn yellow.
Then we headed up to Hanmer Springs and walked, played mini golf and swam. Great day out.
Today I made a stir fry for dinner using the turmeric. I was told to use it like fresh ginger so I julienned it and fried it off with the onions. Gave a nice golden glow and a warmth to the dish. Added lovely thin strips of venison. MMMMmmmm.
Then we headed up to Hanmer Springs and walked, played mini golf and swam. Great day out.
Today I made a stir fry for dinner using the turmeric. I was told to use it like fresh ginger so I julienned it and fried it off with the onions. Gave a nice golden glow and a warmth to the dish. Added lovely thin strips of venison. MMMMmmmm.
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Scrap, applique cushion
Still using the scrap bag. I had grand illusions of making a complete quilt. Using all my pale scraps for the background and all the bright for the applique sections. Well after doing one section I needed to change the game plan!! Not my style and I knew it would just end up being another UFO.
So at my recent retreat I turned it into a cushion. It is a large cushion 25inches square. And amazingly, satisfyingly, I managed to find a gorgeous condition feather inner exactly the right size at the Op Shop (thrift store). A bargain of $10 as the original cover was yuck (but I saw underneath that).
I came home from retreat and did my wee show and tell at home and Jakob immediately pinched the cushion for his bed.
Linking to these places
Up close. I even hand quilted it using perle 8 thread. |
I came home from retreat and did my wee show and tell at home and Jakob immediately pinched the cushion for his bed.
Linking to these places
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
A bit of refashioning and upcycling
Yes I am into broaches at the moment. They are a lovely addition to the winter wardrobe without being all glitz and glamour. This broach is made from dying an old blanket, I adore this colour. I got this material thanks to Jane Van Kuelen in Hanmer Springs. Oh she dyes the most amazing threads and material.
I followed this pattern but instead of adding a button on the front I got the centre from an Op Shop (thrift shop) as one of a pair of earrings.
The filigree broach back was purchased from Jane. The colour is much more like the bottom photo
Linking to these place.
I followed this pattern but instead of adding a button on the front I got the centre from an Op Shop (thrift shop) as one of a pair of earrings.
The filigree broach back was purchased from Jane. The colour is much more like the bottom photo
Linking to these place.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Lemon and Passion-fruit icecream
MMMMMMM....... Making this today while it is sleeting outside.
First separate the eggs ready for the ice-cream. With some of the leftover yolks make lemon honey (lemon curd). I used Edmonds recipe, a good old trusty NZ recipe.
Then make the ice-cream using this recipe - three ingredients, how easy can it be!
Swirl the lemon curd and some passionfruit pulp through the mixture, put it into the freezer and try to wait!
First separate the eggs ready for the ice-cream. With some of the leftover yolks make lemon honey (lemon curd). I used Edmonds recipe, a good old trusty NZ recipe.
Then make the ice-cream using this recipe - three ingredients, how easy can it be!
Swirl the lemon curd and some passionfruit pulp through the mixture, put it into the freezer and try to wait!
Then eaten in style in the hot tub.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Finished, another quilt for charity
First finished item at retreat. Completed the star last year as a paper piecing experiment and loved it. But was stuck with what to do. Now really pleased to have made it into a quilt for an orphan at Hope Homes International.
Was not that happy with the quilting of the coloured star but love the straight line quilting of the grey fabrics.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Velvet antique broach lessons
Jane has once again given us some beautiful items. Then taught us how to assemble a velvet with antique looking broach pin to make a sumptuous broach.
A treat
Just before I left for my quilting retreat my lovely friends came around after school with an afternoon treat. I am so blessed to know this family. Thanks heaps girls I really appreciate your baking and surprise.
The boys tried to photo bomb this
Blowing out the candles. They suggested I have a candle in each, which was 19. Pretty happy with that birthday number!!!
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Friday, July 31, 2015
I am on my way
It has taken me a week to pack and be organised. I have added projects, removed projects, tried to be realistic and failed. The car is FULL. I am over two hours late leaving...but here I go. Off to my five day retreat for sewing, gorgeous food, rest and recreation. There is no more room in my car!!!
The sewing machine even had to go in the footwell of the passenger seat. I am sure I have missed a project or two!!
The sewing machine even had to go in the footwell of the passenger seat. I am sure I have missed a project or two!!
I call this part of the car my shop. I have two drawers of a selection of fabric and when I need something I pop out there to have a look.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Giant cupcake as a birthday cake
Eli is 10! He wanted a giant cupcake birthday cake and a lolly bar. Whew that was a lot of sugar. Tip to self... Never have 6 x 10year old boys to sleep over (I honestly think it is called a wake over).
Friday, July 24, 2015
First garden bed in.. veges on their way!!
The first garden bed was finished on the weekend. A mighty job by Aaron and the boys. Slowly making the new house feel like our own.
Looking good. Paving for the path started on the lefthand side.
The reality of the mess!!
This is what it looked like just as we started to remove beds that for some reason were plonked in the middle of the lawn. Weird.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Gingerbread castles
School holidays and it was a boy sitter day. But the boys and Arial spent the entire day at her Mum's house making the most amazing gingerbread concoctions.
When I went to pick the boys up after work their day had been a blast. A delicious gingerbread recipe and real chocolate melted to hold it all together. Do you see the Roman Chariot in the front of the photo. Lovely Tracey had not only had our boys around but lots of other teenagers too. The creations were amazing.
Then the next week they spent the whole day out tramping with them all!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
A gorgeous break in Rarotonga
Woo hoo, A holiday with no kids for 11 days. Bliss, relaxing and warm! BTW it was an early 20th wedding anniversary present to ourselves....
-
Mum I have no jersey's. Eek, Jakob has grown and only two things fit. A Merino jersey I made for him last year and a hooded sweatshirt. ...
-
Yesterday I went to the quilt and craft fair in Christchurch . And at a Make area this is what I made. It is a fabulously simple pattern an...