Upside down propagating

Most definitely growing

My sister and I have this thing about propagating plants. She swears she cannot do it. I can't see why not.

When I prune etc I just stick some in the ground and next spring they are ready to plant. But my sister swears that nothing she puts in the ground lives. So I often propagate things for her.

No doubt about it being upside down.

Though even I am a bit stunned by this. I have realised that I propagated the gooseberry but put the twig in upside down. Now all the rules about propagating plants are that if you take a trimming you must ensure that you keep it the right way up or not roots etc with grow.

Well this gooseberry is defnitely upside down. I had been looking at it wondering why it looked wrong, then i twigged! It should have been the other way up. As you can see from the branch that is pointing down instead of up and all the buds are pointing down etc.

But blow me down, it is still growing. So I have had to blog about it and skite a bit to my sister.

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A cuddle and a hot soak

Our weekend was filled with little children. Two to be precise. Mieke and Alex came to stay. Lovely to have little ones who like to snuggle. Our own boys were so good with them.

They loved "the big bath"!

A bit of TV before bed time.

Random Sewing

Last night I was super tired and could not really concentrate. I had a broken sleep the night before as I was looking after my 1 year old nephew. But it was only 8pm and too early for bed so I turned the sewing machine on and looked at my scraps.

Now my scraps are not organised, they are not colour coordinated, they are not in neat squares or strips. I have been ready so many people's blogs lately that have such tidy scrap piles. Not me!!!

I keep making things from my scrap bags but they don't seem to reduce, so I thought "right I will just start sewing some together" So I did. I found it really weird not having a definite pattern to think about and trying to jigsaw the pieces together. But I think this may be the beginning of a new quilt.

I had thought of sewing these together and making a ironing board cover BUT then I thought what happens to my ironing with all those bumpy seams?? So that idea got canned.

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A doing day

Today was a day to get things done. I intended to work most of today but the weather got in the way, so I work tomorrow and today I tried to do those things that have been hanging around.
First I went to aquacise with Dawn, it was pretty full on. Then I ...

Put Rimu door knobs on the hall cupboard doors. (Saved from when I redecorated Eli's bedroom)

Then I made a pile of crystalised orange peel. Yummy in Xmas fruit mince and hot cross buns. I don't approve of all the imported fruit and veges we have. We can grow our own, we should be supporting NZ growers. So I only every buy oranges when the NZ ones are in the shops. My mother gave me $10 for my birthday specifically for NZ oranges as she knows I love them. So when eating them I kept all the peel in the freezer and today I preserved them.

It is not quite spring and so fruit has not yet come on but we have run out of berry jams. I had some blackcurrants in the freezer, so I pulled them out and made 7 pots of yummy jam.

I then pulled down the Roman Blinds that I had made for our room as they were mouldy and yucky (that is what not having double glazing will give you). So I painted these wood mouldings as the new curtain rails will go on these and then they will be screwed to the walls. I undercoated, then I did two top coats. By the time I go to bed tonight I will have the new curtain rails up.

I completely dismantled the blinds and kept all the bits for some time when I decide to make others.

In amongst all that I did the usual - two loads of washing out on the line and in, mopped the floors, dealt with the kids, did dinner and lit the hot tub............ off for a soak now.

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A finish and a WIP

All embroidered and embellished

On Tuesday I spent the day in the company of Jane Van Keulen - textile artist, and lots of other ladies. Jane comes to Kaiapoi twice a month and takes a day of stitching.

This was the first time I had juggled my work schedule to attend and I managed to finish a dove for the xmas tree and start a pig.

The back of the dove

The dove I first covered in white silk. This was then satin stitched around all the edge to hold it onto the pattern last. Then the embellishing starting. Silver thread is couched, sequins and beads attached and a little bit of stitching.

Both these projects are patterned and designed by Jane and the fabrics and threads are dyed by her. I loved having time out during the day to stitch and chat.

I do not need to start any other new projects but all of Jane's work just inspired me so much, I want to do a million things!!

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The start of my pig stitchery

Baking with the boys - Rice bubble cake

A wee while ago I blogged about baking with the boys and how I am teaching them to follow a recipe. I had set the target of each of them baking once a week to help to make sweet things for their school lunches, but it is working much better at once a fortnight.

Stirring the rice bubbles together

In the fridge ready for school lunches

Tonight was Eli's baking time. I had told Rachel at church that this recipe only takes 5 minutes to do. Well it took 7 and that was with Eli doing it.

We had a very busy day with Father's Day. A Fantastic service at church where all the men had a paintball competition with a big bulls eye out the front of the church. Then we spent most of the afternoon at Freeman's in Lyttleton listening to live Jazz - a favourite thing to do.

When we got home Eli still had to do his baking, he put it off this afternoon. So Aaron is on the XBox, Jakob is relaxing in a bubble bath and Eli baked. I think Eli likes baking as he really likes licking the bowls and pots!!

Scraping out the bowl

 Rice Bubble cake  (I originally got the recipe off my friend Delwyn years ago, but it is around everywhere)

8 Cups of rice bubbles

7oz butter

8 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons honey (we use Dirk's Kaiapoi honey)

Put the rice bubbles in a big bowl. Put all the other ingredients in a pot on low on the stove. Let it melt and the sugar dissolve, turn it up a fraction until bubbling. Stir every 30 seconds and watch it bubble and turn golden brown.

Pour mixture into rice bubble and mix really well. Tip into a lined tin (I use an old fashioned sponge roll tin but if your tin is square it will just make the biscuit a bit thicker at the end). Press it really really hard into the tin (TIP - dampen the ends of your fingers before doing this and then it wont stick to you). Cut immediately and put in fridge to set (30 minutes). Store in the fridge and enjoy.

I also have a version of this that is dairy free so good for allergies as no dairy, egg, gluten

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Another Upcycled Merino Boys Top

Yes I have been in my finishing mode again. I cut this jumper out for Jakob about 3 weeks ago. I thought that if I cut it out then I would get it done. But it still languished in my sewing corner.

He had picked the colours about 2 months ago!! He went through my stash of Op Shop Merino jersey's. I then had to sift out which ones would not garner enough material to remake a top. Just like Eli's jersey I used an old Top Kids magazine pattern.

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Showing off the coloured facings