Bright colours on my sewing machine.

I have been pottering around trying to tidyup my sewing area. Sitting on my table was a box of scraps and bits that Tiina sent me when I became her 80th follower. So I thought that I would use them on something that reminded me of her. She makes the most amazing zip purses and bags out of scraps. So I started with her fabrics and added more of my own.  

I now have two sides ready to quilt. Tiina makes use of much smaller pieces, so my one is not going to be as elegant as hers. She also has been making a few quilts that I had never seen patterns for before. I love them. 

In amongst the bits I also found a pile of gingham strips ready to be made into binding, and finally made them up. Do go and check out Tiina's blog as it translates ok into english and she does lovely quilting.

In amongst all of this I have been busy mowing the lawn, pruning the roses and putting out the sawdust we have as a mulch. So much to do and so little time!!!

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19 quilts ready to go

Finally we are organising sending all the quilts off to Hope Homes International for the orphans beds. There are 19 quilts completely finished, which has taken about four years!!

I pulled all the quilts out of all the little hidey holes around the house and am busy labeling who made them, who donated material etc. They are all going to get displayed at church on Sunday so I am hoping the everyone will be impressed and maybe be inspired to send a bit more to this place.

So many people have donated so much for this to occur. A huge thanks to Hazel who is clearing out her house for earthquake repairs and called me to pick up all this wonderful material, books etc.

I am still praying and hoping to get a few more or have some donated as there are currently 23 kids in the orphanage and another 5 living with the directors of the orphanage. But it will happen over time.

I link to these places and crazy mum quilts.

Refashion - Now a merino tunic

Over the last week I have been working on this Merino tunic. I was inspired by a blog I follow "Sew outside the lines" and especially all her refashions of jersey's into tunics - look at the one in the bottom of this post.

After

Jodi used to call her blog "Re-inventing fashion" and that was when I started following. I would love to attend one of her workshops and keep asking why does she not come to NZ?!!

Anyway - after looking at lots of her photos and trying to work out how she does it, this is what I ended up with. Not like hers at all as I have left it opening rather than pull on. Also I cannot quite work out how she uses the sleeves etc, but I know she does.

The cowl restitched on the neck

The back

This is in aim to be warmer at work. If I am out talking the the guys on the floor it is open to the elements and freezing. I want to have a woolen garment that I can use as another layer over anything I am wearing. So black was the choice.

This jersey was given to me by my friend Susan when we visited her in Kerikeri last time. It had a huge cowl neck that in the end was just too big for me, but ended up being a fantastic collar on this and also cut for extra pieces down the front.

Adding the sleeves into the body created some funny shapes around the bottom of the article, some of it I have left as it is quirky, some I have turned into a more straight diagonal look.

The cowl used to tidy up the front bottom

Before

Pretty happy with my first attempt. It will live at work and keep me warm.

Linking up to these places and Crazy Mum Quilts.

revamp a Bean Bag

I had this material sitting around for over a year, all with the intention of redoing Eli's bean bag and other things for his room. I think I need one of the lists - where all my items I want to sew, that I already have the material for  - gets visible to it actually gets actioned!!!

A year ago I finished one for Aaron and meant to get this one done the next week!! Goodness my procrastination is getting long. 

Slowly getting organised for Eli's birthday. I have turned his old Bob the Builder bean bag (say that fast!) into a more up to date, pre teen bean bag seat. His room has the NZ fern material for the covering of other things so it will fit in well. Made more of my own bias binding for this and am pleased with how the bias binding set in this time. I am getting better at sewing it.

I am finding working so many more hours is taking a bit of getting adjusted to, so the sewing and crafting has bottomed out at the moment. Am getting some knitting done on the couch some nights.

I link to these places and crazy mum quilts.

Red Riding Hood's Grandmother

Yes, Eli went to mufti day (raising money for the 40 hour famine) as Red Riding Hood's grandmother who had just come out of the shower. Looking good!!!

Awesome family day

Today the weather was super cold but we had a lovely time after church. Got Eli's birthday present from the Mall, went out to lunch on a voucher that I won at a quizz night. (sat next to Owen Franks the Allblack). Then ended up with a punt on the Avon River. The wonderful people gave us blankets and hot water bottles to keep us warm.
These photos are a few selfies we took.

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Started healthy but will it continue?....

Tomorrow I start my new job. This requires a lot more planning than my old job where I could just pop through the park from home. Now I have a 35 minute commute (on a bade day 1hr10min). So lunches must be done at night and ready just to take out of the fridge.

So today it is minted pea and feta salad. Home made pickled beetroot, one homemade yoyo and one bought biscuit, an apple and a green tea and Moroccan mint tea bag.

Here is hoping that I can keep this sort of meal going for at least 3 out of 4 days a week. Plus I have my breakfast ready, chopped apple, Greek yogurt, chopped fresh walnuts (from my father) and some bran cereal.

All snuggly for winter

Yeah, a finished item. This scarf is a angora rabbit wool scarf. The wool is so unbelievably soft. I am slowly using all the wool from a jersey I unpicked (see back here) from the Op Shop.

It had to be really really long to be able to double over and wear like this. But Aaron was clear that was how he wanted to wear a scarf and who am I but to oblige him? He has worn it every day since I finished blocking it. 

Over the years I have knitted Aaron heaps of jersey's etc so he did not need any more of those. But when I finished my snood just before winter both the boys and Aaron loved it. Hence the beginning of a scarf for Aaron - two months later and it is done.

The best photo of my gorgeous husband, was no good as he had his eyes shut. Not only do I want to show off the scarf but my gorgeous man as well!!!

Then last night I put the rest of the wool to use as Jakob wants a hat with ear flaps.

I link to these places and finish it up Friday with Crazy Mum Quilts.

Friands

I had no idea how easy they were (well that is if you remember to put all the ingredients in!!).

Recently I went to see my Dad as he was recovering from an Operation. While there I noticed a friand tin in the cupboards. My mother had thought it was a muffin tin. So she handed it over on the promise of Friands when they next visit.

I finally plucked the courage to make them. I had put it off as the ingredients are not cheap. The first batch I was too busy and after they came out of the oven and looked right etc, but did not taste as delicious as I thought they should, I found the melted butter in the microwave!!!

So second attempt  - much more successful. A total hit in our house. Everyone had two and wanted more.

I went through heaps of recipes that are on the internet and in the end this was what I did:

Friand
160g butter - melt in microwave

into bowl sift
1 3/4 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup flour

add in 1 cup Almond meal and stir well.

Fork beat 6 eggwhites until just fluffy and add 1 teaspoon vanilla paste.

use a pastry brush and the melted butter to grease the friand tin (or use a muffin tin or silicon), then use a little flour to dust the tins. I used a friand tin and a tupperware silicon muffin tin and greased and floured them both.

Add all the remaining butter into the mixture and stir well. It will be the consistency of a thick batter. Half fill 12 tins. If the mixture has not all been used then put more into each container. Do not make more than 12.

Bake 180 20-23minutes.
cool in tin for 5 minutes after taking them out of the oven.

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Sausage making and a quilting frame

On the weekend we stayed overnight at my sisters place. Essentially to watch the All Blacks thrash Great Britain in rugby - yeah.


Being a bit of a wine and food buff family we did not want to drink and drive. On Sunday morning Anna and Mark got out the sausage making machine and made lamb and beef sausages with herbs and red wine. Yummy . Lunch was said sausages, mash and crunchy salad.

I was thrilled as I managed to work out how to string sausages like a butcher. I was really proud of my efforts.

Though it was just a tiny bit of help as the sausage making actually took a bit of time. I was the lady of leisure in the spa while they did the hard work.

On Friday I spent the day with Anna helping her put her quilt onto her brand new quilting frame. Very exciting. By the time we came back on Saturday night she was well underway on the quilt for the campervan.

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Low Volume quilt - for charity

Yay another quilt completed. My attempt at low volume quilting is not as low as some. But compared to my normal choice of heaps of colour, this is muted! Finally getting to try one of the style of quilts from a blogger I follow - Crazy mum quilts

I have been following Amy's quilting adventures on how to free motion quilt. This is challenging me but I am also finding that new patterns and ideas are not as hard as they look. So this months challenge was grid quilting.

I drew all the lines on the quilt with taylors chalk at 60o angles.

It took me a wee while to work out how to continuously quilt the pattern, so I used a rough piece of paper to practice in pen before getting the quilt near the machine. I think next time I would do the pattern smaller. I love it though.

Super happy that this is another quilt for Hope Homes International.

Linking to these places