Roses

Here is another 'small' project finished. I really should wriggle along and get on to the Christmas Baubles. But the next one won't take so long...

Introducing Miss ?

This was the little project that required the bonnet I mentioned yesterday. The person to come up with a name I really like by 6th November will receive a little goody in the mail. She was inspired by Sandi's Ducks at Embroideroo. When I saw Sandi's ducks I remembered this pattern which I wanted to do one day... I have been watching Sandi's Ducks grow and now they are much bigger. I have tried talking hubby to letting us have ducks - but I know they just would not work here in our small inner city block. SO this little Miss will be the best I can do.

On my desk

I am plodding along with my 'little projects' so I can get started on the big. A few extra projects were fitted in at the last minute.

Here from right to left. The Tassie Christmas Bauble Swap continue to be made (though slowly since last time). My uncles quilt all together. Just need to stitch the letters before I ask The Quilted Crow to Quilt it together for me (I just dont want to quilt such a large quilt). Knitting a bonnet for a cute little thing (more on this latter). I finished making a baby's boy quilt - just stitching the block for the back. Last - making fabric flowers. Just need to cut the dow and put them together.

It is very unlike me to be undergoing so many projects at once. I am determined to get through these before I start any more.

I am off to work today (again) so hope every one is having nice suny days like we are.

Please check yourself

I am in shock. Someone I know personally has breast cancer. She is early 40s. Family of four children. No family history. Has eaten her own grown food for absolutely years. Someone I KNOW PERSONALLY.

She sent an email saying... "even if you are young, no family history, breast feed your children for long periods and have the attitude it could not possibly happen to me - well it can. GO CHECK YOUR BOOBS!" She also goes on to say her lump was not seen as serious before and was given the okay till she persisted and eventually it was found to be cancerous. She strongly sends the message if you are not satisfied with the doctors tests etc - go get another opinion.

I am one of those young ladies who thinks it will never happen to me. I am one of those people who has on the occasions checked them but thought it will never happen to me. Now I am taking it more seriously. I know many of us do not check out breast properly so please do your research, call your local breast Cancer Society - they will be more than delighted to send you information to help you check yourself properly. Don't just check the breast - you also need to check surrounding tissue - so please do your research.

To help us all women (and men) I am going to blog a reminder once a month. This is October's reminder. Educated yourself up with info and start checking today please.

I was productive!

I finished this gift for a freind for Christmas.



Oh here is that needle punch case I blogged about...



Made this cute pin cushion - thank you to Jo who has the pattern.

Day off

Today is a public holiday so I hope to be productive. What a beautiful sight to come upon when wandering in the garden. Our cherry tree is growing its first crop. I must think about netting it in a week or so.

On my desk

Even though I have been quiet (been to bed by 8:30 for the last few days) I have still been productive. At the moment I am trying to get through a few small projects as well as get the baubles for the Christmas Bauble swap moving along nicely (see Cathy!). On the right is some Christmas stitcheries designed by Natalie Bird from the Bird House (from the Quilted Crow gathering) finished and framed and now put away for Christmas time (oh my gosh there is Christmas stuff already in the shops). To the left of these is a secret project (I have been asked to road test prior to release - a total honour). To the left of this project is squares cut up to make my uncle a quilt for Christmas (I am being organized). The Christmas Baubles in front and another stitchery for a (cough cough) for (cough) for Christmas. Also completed but not in the piccy is my needle punch holder by Anni Downs from Hatched and Patched- I bought the pattern and goodies to make it at the Quilted Crow gathering. A layout to finish to the left again and above that - the reasons for my early nights. A massive accumulation of late nights to finish the book work for last financial year for our business (our program crashed and backup 'disappeared'). We see the accountant this morning - hip hip hooray.

So see? I have been productive and I plan to keep plodding through my 'small' projects and Uncles Quilt till the pile appears smaller than I will begin making the boys car quits.

At least you have had some peace from me (grin).

Look Jo our books have arrived!

It took my breath away...

My Angel Swapper has reviled herself! BUT guess what LOL I still don't know her blog! I am going to go do some research now...

When I opened the package I was taken by the beautiful red rose fabric which wrapped the contents. when opened I was greeted with this LOVELY collection of goodies. My pincushion is already sitting proudly on my shelf with all my special needles (ie don't use) in it. I just love the little dutch shoes my they are SO CUTE. And all the lollies in the bag! Lets hope the Australian Quarantine people did not eat any when they opened it for inspection. A matching needle case - ALL so gorgeous!

Thank you Imi!

I finished it...

It is all done - can you believe it. I started this late March and finished it last night. This is the 'There's No Place Like Home' Quilt from Daisies and Dragonflies. I just need to write on my label and sew it on and then it will get hung. Deirdre from The Quilted Crow has talked me into hanging my quilts. She says it makes that house look warm - she is absolutly right.

I would like to thank all you bloggers out there who encourged me along with this quilt. Helen for her technical support and Jo for her ongoing emotional support LOL.

This is.... My current reading material.

Thank you to My Champagne Dreams who is hosting this weeks "This is..." organised by Three Buttons.

I am inbetween books at the moment. I am also finishing off a scrapbooking magazine which is a disappointing edition. So this is what I read today



and here is the outcome!

Make your own labels Tutorial

I have seen lots of tutorials on how to make your own labels. This is another way not using t-shirt transfer. This works if your ink jet printer feeds from the back and through to the front. If it is one of those printers that the paper bends then have a try but I have only had 50 % luck with that. In this tutorial I am making labels to go on the back of the Christmas Bauble swap us Tassie Blog girls are doing.

First you choose the fabric you want to print on and cut it to the appropriate shape. Then iron it super super flat.



Design your label. For these labels I needed something simple and small. But you can print out anything. You can go as far as designing coloured boarders and all! Print it out on paper that has a bit of weight like bazzil.



Place the piece of fabric over the piece of paper you just printed on - making sure the fabric is correctly positioned over the pre printed words. Attach using masking tape. Masking tape is good - it is cheap but also has good adhesive and removes nice and clean. The secret is attaching the top part of the fabric on to the paper well so it cannot catch. If the fabric starts at the top of the paper I fold it over to the back. If the printing starts further down and the fabric does as well then adhere it well to the paper. Make sure there is no opportunity for the printer to catch it. I then adhere the sides down to make sure the fabric does not move and it maintains that super smooth surface for the printer to print on.



Put that paper plus fabric back into the printer feeder like you did the first time and press print again.



TA DA!


**** If you plan to use these for clothes - check that your ink will not run. I find if I give them a really hot dry iron its sets the ink - but please check first!

Don't you hate it...

When things don't turn out as you expect?

I saw this at The Stitching Room and I had to do it. Leanne kindly directed me to where I can get the pattern and I purchased the wool (exactly the wool it says in the pattern). I knitted it up - following the instructions step by step. Then came the felting bit. The bit I was MOST excited about . The bit which I have been wanting to try for SO LONG. Well - it did not work. I felted and felted and boiled and stuck in washing machine and boiled again and it shrunk a tinny whinny bit. I was not happy. It was suggested I wash it again and stick in dryer - well the dryer is one of the sensor ones and would not dry this tiny thing for me. SO I decided I have to many other things in life to enjoy and felting I was not.

I finished it up to make it useful and I think it will be my bag camera case.

On my desk

Can any of you guess???

YES it is the 'There's No Place Like Home' from Daisies and Dragonflies quilt. I finished the last block and have added all the sashing and am in the process of quilting the three layers - WOO HOO. Now I just need patience and time (never enough).

Did you know...

We went to buy some more food from our fish lady - she has her own aquarium business run at home - we go there because she knows what she is talking about and each time I learn something new. She also saved our fish from a fungus - when you have children this is important.

I digress.

We learned something new today. Did you know that the (actually I hope this impresses you as much as it impresses me or maybe you will think me queer).

Okay I will tell you again... Did you know the size of a fishes stomach (wait for it) is the size of their eye!

I was shocked by this - when after studying Science so many cough cough years ago that most animals have stomachs in proportion to their bodies but my 8 inch goldfish stomach is the size of its eye.

So now you know... go impress someone with this new found information...

Will my seeds grow?

I think it was Hoppo Dumpo who suggested I start collecting little yogurt containers so I can grow my seeds in. Then I saw this (third picture down) at Towards Sustainability and thought what a fabulous idea. I have been saving my toilet rolls for cracker making for Christmas but then decided I can recollect them shortly.

I have planted herbs like basil and parsley. Vegetables like Lebanese cucumber, silver beet, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin and more. In four weeks time I will re seed some more so I can have them staggering all through summer. Just waiting for the patches to be finished so I can then plant corn, carrots and spring onions.

I will keep you up to date with how they go. Tassie weather has usually been cool in morning and evening but day time warms up enough to take your jumper off - but we have had a lot of wind lately and not enough rain so it is dry. Despite this the vegie patch is contributing nicely to the dinner table. I hope with the vegie patches in the front we can actually make a decent dent in the food budget. I am still waiting on the cauliflower to grow bigger - one has seeded which was not a nice sight. Broccoli as well as the never produced brussel sprouts (they are nice young) has all gone to seed now. ON a good note Carrots, beetroot and Leeks are almost there (yum yum). LOADS of silver beet.

Lets hope these little seeds grow and help us produce an even better bumper crop this season.

This is ... My Favourite Kitchen Tool

Handmaiden has hosted this weeks This is. You would think I could just walk into my kitchen and choose something. But no. I looked at many things and had every excuse to not choose them. I finally chose my pressure rice cooker. I know very exciting.

I choose this because this is one of those items in the kitchen that I use at least 2-3 times a week which I can just plug in, throw the rice and water in and leave alone. It also produces the most perfect rice. All nice and fluffy - the way I like it. If I wanted to make rice the same way I would have to be watching it on the stove, watching temperature, boiling, timing etc. Instead I can concentrate on making dinner.

Here is to my humble pressure rice cooker.

Dinner

It is hard to do a nice photo at night and I just wanted to eat my dinner!

This is one of those dinners you will cook over and over and especially on those nights where you so desperatly need dinner quickly. Like lemon, chicken and bacon? Dont sit there and drool make it tonight!

400 g Chicken thighs or breast cut up into tiny cubes (dont get to fussy!)
Juice and rind of one lemon
4 slices of bacon
Olive oil spray
Extra - Leek (I add this only when I have it) you can add garlic etc what ever takes your fancy.

Combine chicken with lemon juice and rind. While it sits cut up your vegies for dinner.

Heat a large frying pan with a good spray of olive oil to quite high (as high as olive oil will take it).

Cook chicken and bacon together - keep the temperature hot.

Just before they are cooked add the extra if you want.

Serve and eat slowly if you can control yourself! I served it with half brown half white rice (the only way for the family will eat brown rice) and vegies last night. Would not mind it again tonight...

5 minute Lemon Cale

Remember that 5 Minute Chocolate Mud Cake I blogged in August? Well Thank you to Kris from Life at Rosemary Hill she has come up with these great alternative flavours and here is the Lemon version - good. A confesion - I still prefer the orange chocolate mud (being a chocolate lover myself)

You will need...

4 Tablespoons Cake Flour
4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
3 Tablespoons of Oil
Grated Lemon Rind
1 Mug

Here is what you do...

Add dry ingredients to the mug and mix well.

Crack an egg and add to your mug (I pre beated it with a fork). Be sure to mix it well to avoid pockets of flour.

Pour in lemon juice and oil then mix well.

Iif you desire add a splash of vanilla essence.

Pop your mug into a microwave and zap for 3 minutes on high (1000 Watt).

Run a knife around the mug, tip the warm cake out and sprinkle icing sugar on the top then eat eat and eat!

Block Eight

The second last block is stitched! Can you feel the excitement oozing out your screen from here?

Do you like this scarecrow?



Have had a good start on the last block. Woo hoo

On my desk

Block nine of 'There's No Place Like Home' from Daisies and Dragonflies, Angel Swapie Package waiting for the home made card, the Adobe Photoshop which will not boot on my computer (but on my husbands - grrrr), Copy of my Great Grandmas diary (which I really need to read and pass on) and what has been occupying most of my time - the last financial year stuff for our business. All tidied just for this photo : )

Must get on with it.