the cut cloth

Hearts and flowers

2012-01-25T14:15:00.001+08:00

If I thought the embroidery on the Vignette mystery quilt was challenging, it is nothing compared to the applique panels which make up the centre of the quilt. I have not yet finished the embroidery, but it is good to have a break from it and do something different. I have cut out 60 daisy petals, 42 one inch circles, 46 leaves and 8 hearts all of which now have to be stitched in place.

But first they all have to be pressed. I am using the spray starch method as I doubt if my needle turn applique skills are up to the job.

It is 40 degrees outside today so it is a perfect day to be inside in front of the air conditioner drinking iced tea and making hearts and flowers.

Perfect tomato

2012-01-15T16:44:00.000+08:00

Is there such a thing as the perfect tomato? Probably not, but I have grown what I think must be close to perfect. Actually I have grown some lovely tomatoes this summer, but this is the only one I will get to eat. The rotten rats or possums (I am not sure which) have eaten the rest.

Almost perfectly round, a lovely tomato red colour, slightly sunkissed on top - I can't wait to eat it.

Will I have it au naturale, made into a bruschetta with some of the lovely basil in the garden or in a salad? Decisions, decisions.

So nah nah nahnie nah to the rats - I got the best one.

Remarkable transformation

2012-01-05T13:36:00.000+08:00

Who would have thought that this delicate little strawberry flower (any many more just like it), could one day become a most delicious strawberry and lychee sorbet.

This comes from the latest issue of Donna Hay magazine and is the perfect accompaniment to warm summer weather.Strawberry & Lychee Sorbet1 cup caster sugar1/2 cup of water500 gms of strawberries hulled and halved2 x 565 gms cans of lychees (drained)2 tbs lime juicePlace sugar and water in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and boil for one minute. Set aside to cool completely.Place the strawberries and lychees in a food processor and process until smooth. Place the puree in a bowl and add the sugar syrup and lime juice and stir to combine. Pour mixture into an ice-cream maker and churn. Place in freezer for 2 to 3 hours or until frozen.

Roses

2012-01-02T14:22:00.000+08:00

We celebrated little A's 4th birthday yesterday. I was sure she would want a 'princess party', but our A is definitely a free spirit and she bucked the trend and had a 'rose party'. Nana could not have been happier - roses I can do, princesses are not really my thing. I was in charge of the dress

and the cupcakes.

Mandy did a wonderful job with the decorations and 'roses' appeared all over the garden.

The table was very rosy.

Of course, a rose party has to have a rose cake - made by Dad (clever boy).

Happy birthday little one.

Happy Christmas

2011-12-23T11:50:00.000+08:00

Felt pyramid

2011-12-18T15:30:00.000+08:00

As I have not completely embraced the digital age and need only one device to get me through the day, my phone, ipod and camera all roll around in the bottom of my bag bumping into each other, getting lost and scratched. That was until I saw this nifty idea in a magazine and decided to make a colourful home for them all.

Well, I made several homes as you can see and now the excess homes will themselves be looking for a home (so to speak).

Amazing what you can do with a few pieces of colourful felt.

Bowl of sunshine

2011-12-08T15:30:00.000+08:00

My blueberries and strawberries are at their best. The strawberries might be small in comparison to the monsters in the shops, but oh the flavour. I am so thrilled that the blueberries produced fruit and the little ones have been enjoying them. There is nothing like picking and eating something you have grown yourself.

Floral challenge Friday

2011-12-02T17:47:00.001+08:00

What a relief - it's Friday and my floral challenge has finished. I would have had to resort to the flowers from the rocket in the vegetable garden which has gone to seed if the challenge had continued and even these are looking very tired.

It is just as well that the little flowers are very papery and not at all succulent as the white cabbage moth caterpillars have chewed enormous holes in the leaves of my blue statice.

Now I have little posies of flowers all over the house.

Floral challenge Thursday

2011-12-01T19:29:00.001+08:00

My climbing rose 'Pinkie' is today's flower. I love this rose, it flowers profusely all through spring, summer and autumn. It is not a great rose for picking, but always provides lovely colour in the garden.

First day of summer today and it was warm, but not unpleasantly so. That is yet to come.

Floral challenge Wednesday

2011-11-30T14:05:00.001+08:00

Today we have baby hydrangeas. I felt a little guilty picking these as now they will never become fully formed blooms, but they are so sweet and delicate in their infancy and look beautiful in their vases.

We have been having hot easterly winds and the forecast is for very hot weather over the next few days. My challenge is becoming more challenging by the day.

Floral Challenge Tuesday

2011-11-29T17:22:00.000+08:00

Iceberg Roses today. Naturally me being me, there had to be a rose included in this challenge and there will probably be another one if my rose bushes oblige. I know that Iceberg roses are almost a cliche these days, but they would have to be one of my favourite flowers.

Floral challenge

2011-11-28T17:53:00.000+08:00

I decided to set myself a challenge to fill my three little vases with a different flower from the garden every day this week. Despite it being Spring and Summer is only days away, I do not have a lot flowering in the garden at the moment. I have been trying to make my garden more water-wise so I have not been planting lots of annuals and plants which require a lot of attention/water. So it will be a challenge to find something for every day. But here goes.Monday is Queen Anne's Lace. I planted this flower a few years ago and now it comes up all by itself every year. I love plants that do that.

Tea with that

2011-11-26T15:30:00.000+08:00

Copious amounts of piecing and embroidery, requires copious amounts of tea.Tea, when piecing and embroidering, should most definitely be drunk in a colour coordinated cup.

Progress on the mystery quilt is being made, albeit slowly. However, this was never going to be a speedy project.

Do you like butter?

2011-11-09T15:09:00.000+08:00

It is years since I have seen a field of buttercups. While this couldn't really be called a field, it still brought back childhood memories of how we used to hold a buttercup under a chin and if it made a yellow glow that person was said to like butter. The fact that everybody's chin glowed yellow was neither here nor there and, anyway, who doesn't like butter.If you look closely, you can just see a yellow glow.

Someone is not going to thank me in years to come for the very unflattering angle at which this photo was taken.

I love the simplicity of these little yellow flowers.

Even fewer seams

2011-11-06T15:57:00.001+08:00

Here is version two of the no seams jacket.

The sunlight has washed out the colour and the lovely little pink polka dot buttons. I must have been standing in a bad position. So I asked my model to wear it while I took the picture and it looks much better.

I really love this pattern which I found on Ravelry and, while the old saying goes - 'when you are on a good thing.....', I think I will put the knitting needles away for a while and try to make some progress on the mystery quilt.

****

I have had a couple of requests for the name of the cafe in my post of 15 October. It is Kokko Black in the new Claremont Quarter.

Look - no seams

2011-10-29T17:09:00.000+08:00

The little top down jacket is finished.

It was a very quick knit and even quicker to finish off as it had no seams to sew up. As that is always my least favourite part of garment knitting I was very pleased with it and have started another one.

Other people's gardens

2011-10-19T17:58:00.000+08:00

I love visiting other people's gardens so when the Australian Open Garden Scheme commences in the Spring I like to see as many as I can.

I always come home full of enthusiasm and ideas for my own garden. I think my enthusiasm got the better of me this week. In an effort to replicate the lushness of the garden we visited most recently, I started flinging about handfuls of sheep manure. Now, despite the beautiful weather, I have to keep all the doors and windows closed because the smell is suffocating me and the flies are in fly heaven.

This beautiful rose, Chicago Peace, is in Melissa & Stewart's garden.

My garden is looking pretty at the moment, but I can't go outside to take a photo because I don't have a gas mask.

Coffee time

2011-10-15T15:00:00.000+08:00

My new favourite place for coffee makes the best babyccino. This made a little pair of eyes light up and the chocolate teddy disappeared before I could take my first sip of latte.

Samaritans Purse

2011-10-11T16:50:00.001+08:00

One of the ladies in my sewing group is always doing/making something for charity. Her latest project is to fill shoeboxes with goodies for children in third world countries. The boxes are given to the children for Christmas. It is run by an organisation called Samaritans Purse and I have offered to fill up a box for her. That is the easy part. The challenge is to make a teddy bear which is to be included in the box and a knitting pattern is provided. I don't much like making toys but did my best.

At this stage of the process, the poor bear looks more like roadkill than a teddy but I persevered and managed to produce something vaguely resembling a bear.

At our last sewing get-together, when I produced my bear and thought how magnanimous I was, one of the other members had knitted 15 bears, all of them different, very cute and much much better than my poor little mis-shapen offering. That put me back in my box I can tell you.

I just hope that a child who has never owned a toy of her/his own will receive my bear and love him anyway.

Mystery tree

2011-10-05T15:52:00.002+08:00

The tree bearing these gorgeous flowers is in our driveway and I have no idea what it is. I think it is from the tropics so in our climate it does not do all that well and could hardly be called an attractive specimen. What it lacks in appearance, it makes up for when it bursts into flower at this time of the year. I couldn't resist picking a few blooms to bring inside. They won't last long but will give me pleasure for a day or so.

Does anyone know the name of this tree?

Lazy knitter

2011-09-22T15:55:00.000+08:00

I have downloaded a pattern from Ravelry to knit a little jacket for V and I started it last night. It is knitted on circular needles from the top down, a method which I have not tried before. So far it seems to be working.

However, when I reached the buttonhole row, I came to a grinding halt. In the past I have always managed to make very simple buttonholes which are fine for small buttons, but this jacket has large buttons and my little basic holes just would not work. The directions in the pattern were not very clear - what was I to do. Then I spotted my Ipod in my lap - left there after completing my nightly Words with Friends (currently getting soundly beaten by everyone) - so I quickly googled how to make a one-row buttonhole and up came all the information I needed complete with You Tube videos.

I didn't even have to get out of my chair to search for my how to knit bible. I love technology.

2011-09-20T11:49:00.000+08:00

There are a lot of lovely citrusy colours happening in my kitchen this week, most of which have come straight from the garden.The pretty nasturtiums self-seed themselves every year and are so welcome when there is not much else to pick for a vase.To use up some of the good supply of lemons I have, I have preserved a few to add wonderful flavours to moroccon style dishes. They are so easy to do. Simply cut up the lemons into wedges, put them in a sterilised jar, add about two tablespoons of salt and cover with oil. I used grapeseed oil. Leave them to sit for a few weeks and they are ready to use.

Such lovely colour makes you feel happy don't you think.

The sweetness of spring

2011-09-11T14:33:00.000+08:00

Spring has well and truly sprung and I have been watching my sweet peas for signs that they are about to burst into flower.

Sadly, no sign has yet appeared.

So, impatient for a vase of sweet peas, I bought a little bunch at the farmers' market yesterday. I just love their soft pastel colours and the papery look of the petals.

I hope my own will flower very soon so that I can have a fresh bunch every day.

How to make an ottoman

2011-09-03T14:52:00.002+08:00

Or to be more precise - how I made an ottoman.

The coffee table in our living room is too dark, too large and little people keep bumping their precious heads on it. So in order to make the room more child-friendly and to create more space, I decided to replace it with an ottoman.

Of course, I could have gone out and bought one but, me being me, why do that when I could make one to my own specifications at a fraction of the cost. So this is what I did.

Firstly I helped Melissa & Stewart paint their garage. What's that got to do with making an ottoman? Well, in the process of clearing out the garage prior to painting I spied a piece of plywood which had been left over from recent renovations and in true bartering fashion, I traded my painting services for the plywood which Stewart cut to the size I wanted: 90cms x 60 cms. I had my perfect base. I should say here that both John and I are hopeless DIYers and have very limited tools available. Those that we do have are very basic and/or rusty so I needed plenty of help when it came to cutting things to size.

Next I gathered all my supplies; foam rubber which Clark Rubber also cut to size, four legs from the hardware shop, wood stain, screws, wood glue, a couple of pieces of pine to strengthen the ply, and linen fabric (purchased very reasonably from Ikea) to cover the foam.

I also cut out a few pictures from magazines of various ottomans so that I had an idea of what I was trying to achieve.

All this then gathered dust in the garage while I gathered the strength to tackle the project.

Finally, feeling motivated to start, I gave the legs a coat of varnish in a colour which vaguely matched our existing furniture. While this was drying, I decided to get the base ready. I glued the pine to the plywood and then screwed them together.

The reason I used the pine was because the ply was a bit thin and as the ottoman will probably be used as a seat, I didn't want there to be any embarrassing incidents with a guest landing in an undignified heap on the floor because of the ottoman collapsing underneath them. I had a couple of offcuts of pine so I glued and screwed them on as well for extra strength.

It looks a bit dodgy and I don't know if it will make a difference, but I had the wood so I decided to use it.

I could have used a solid piece of MDF, but I thought it would be too heavy and I wanted to be able to move the ottoman around easily.

I was beginning to feel like Rob from Better Homes & Gardens with all my glueing and screwing. However, I was under no illusions that my project would be finished in 3 minutes like his are.

By this time, I had had enough and needed a cup of tea. It was time for a gentler pursuit so I sat down for some stitching.

Some time later,(about three days) I decided it probably would have made more sense to attach the legs before staining them so this is what I did next. Perhaps the title of this post should be "how not to make an ottoman".

Once all the legs had been glued and screwed, I gave them two more coats of stain.

Next, I piled the foam rubber pieces on to my base and to make sure I was happy with the height I took it all inside and put it in situ.

The height was good, but when I sat on it the base did bow a bit, so it was back to the hardware store for more pine which was glued and screwed. Athough I think an elephant could now sit on this without it breaking, I will still feel a bit apprehensive about it being used as a seat. Perhaps I will pile it with books and magazines to discourage this.

Next I covered the whole thing with wadding.

I did this to soften the hard straight lines of the foam rubber and to give it a more upholstered appearance.

Then it was off to the sewing machine to make the cover. Now I am in more familiar territory - no more glueing and screwing.

I cut a piece of fabric the same size as the top and added piping to the edges.

Then I cut a piece of fabric for the sides and attached this to the top making sure I left plenty of fabric which could be turned under and stapled to the base.

Then I pulled the new cover over the foam.

Now the ottoman was upended while I went mad with the staple gun. My next fear, after the one about the whole thing collapsing, was that the fabric would pull away from the base if too much pressure was put on it.

With some trepidation, it was taken to its new home and prettied up a bit.

So, that's how I did it and I am sure there are lots of better ways, but I'm pretty happy with the result and there will be no more bumped heads.

Life is to be enjoyed

2011-08-20T16:25:00.004+08:00

Copenhagen looks nice, but it's hard to beat Perth on a warm winter's day.

We made the most of the gorgeous day and went for a walk along the beach front.

Followed by a coffee on the balcony of a beachside cafe.

I think I'll do Copenhagen another day.

There has been some sadness in the family this week so it was nice to get out and enjoy life's gifts.

Frilled with that

2011-08-14T14:36:00.006+08:00

My girls complain that it is very difficult to buy good knits for little ones. I complain that it is very difficult to find good patterns to knit for little ones. So when I put this pink and white jumper together for Little A without following a pattern, I felt pretty pleased with myself.

It is the first time I have attempted to knit something without religiously following a pattern and while I can't say it has given me great confidence to create more originals, I certainly feel released from the tyranny of slavishly following patterns.

Who knows where this might lead.

More mystery quilt

2011-08-04T15:07:00.006+08:00

I have to make sixty, yes that's 60, of these little shoofly blocks for the mystery quilt. They are all cut out and in various stages of readiness for the sewing machine in two box lids and I have set myself a goal to make at least two a day. On a good day I can make more, but I think I am going to have to raise that number substantially if I hope to ever have them finished.

When I need a break from the sewing machine, there is plenty of embroidery to catch up on.

Mystery quilt

2011-07-27T10:44:00.003+08:00

My Vignette mystery quilt is beginning to reveal its mysteries and I am really enjoying what is appearing.

The amount of embroidery involved is rather daunting but as it is such a relaxing pastime, it doesn't feel too onerous.

I find I am grabbing every spare minute I have to put in a few more stitches.

But, although I am making progress, I still have a long way to go.

The end of the affair

2011-07-21T14:18:00.002+08:00

I have had a life-long love affair with chocolate. Chocolate in all its forms: chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, hot chocolate, chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, you name it, if it includes chocolate, I want it.

I have also been a sufferer of migraines for the last fifteen years and in a desperate attempt to isolate the cause of these I have been eliminating things from my diet which could be contributing to the suffering. It is still early days and I might be wrong, but I am devasted to say that at the moment it is looking highly likely that chocolate could be the cause. What am I to do? The house is full of it.

I still have my Easter stash.

Chocolates brought by friends when coming for dinner.

Chocolates given by lovely friends for no particular reason.

Chocolates given by lovely mothers who know their daughter's weakness.

They might all looking for a good home.

Not being able to pop one of these into my mouth while taking these pictures was sheer torture. Oh well, I guess it could be worse - it could have been coffee or wine doing the damage. At least I still have those two vices (although I sometimes wonder about the latter).

Perfect Saturday morning

2011-07-09T16:25:00.005+08:00

A sticky bun on a Saturday morning goes down a treat. I have been wanting to make these ever since I watched Annabel Langbein make them on her TV show, The Free Range Cook, last year and I was not disappointed. They are easy to make.

I made the dough yesterday and kept it in the fridge until this morning when all I had to was roll it out, spread it with butter, sugar and cinnamon, roll it up again and slice into rounds, let the buns rise for 20 minutes and then cook for about 15 minutes. A cup of coffee and a sticky bun - what more could you ask for.

Blueberries

2011-07-05T11:30:00.001+08:00

I got a surprise when I saw that my blueberry plant was already flowering. I thought that wouldn't happen until the Spring, but a quick Google search reassured me that it is normal.

However, I also learnt that the plant needs very cold weather in order to set fruit. I hope that the cold mornings we are having this week will be enough to get the job done.

These beautiful tiny white flowers make me think of a little girl's bonnet.

I am trying not to get too excited about the prospect of blueberries, but I can't help hoping.

Who needs sun?

2011-07-02T11:40:00.010+08:00

We have had some lovely and much needed rain this week and the sun has only made rare and brief appearances. This morning I dodged the showers and went to the nearby farmers' market. Just look what I brought home.

The colours in the golden beetroot and the rainbow carrots are amazing. Who needs sun when the kitchen is glowing with these gorgeous vegetables.

I can feel a big vegetable bake coming up.

I will cook the sweet little baby turnips in boiling water for a few minutes then toss them in a pan with butter, oil and brown sugar to caramelise them.

As if all these weren't enough of a treat, I spoiled myself with a bunch of ornamental cabbages which complement the colours in my little quilt.

All in all a good, although slightly damp, morning.

It's official

2011-06-29T13:49:00.003+08:00

Well I knew that, and if a 'university team' says so, then it must be true.

A home among the gum trees

2011-06-22T11:25:00.001+08:00

I don't know why I thought of the iconic Aussie song when I was stitching this bag, but something must have reminded me of it, so with the greatest respect to John Williamson who recorded this song and made it so well known, and sincere apologies, I give you the embroidered Aussie bag.

I've been around the world
A couple of times or maybe more
I've seen the sights, I've had delights
On every foreign shore
But when my mates all ask me
The place that I adore
I tell them right away

Give me a home among the gumtrees

With lots of plum trees

A sheep or two, and a kangaroo

A clothesline out the back

Verandah out the front (I didn't achieve this so please use your imagination here)

And an old rocking chair

Here is my final panel.

As you can see it is nothing like the pattern from the book,

but I thought that as we were a quilting group, it would be appropriate to incorporate a little quilt or two on the bag.

One of our members had the bright idea that it would be nice to have something made by each member of the group on our bags. I am so over making these buttons using a product called ShrinkyDinks, but I have given everyone a pair of boots.

At last it's finished. The amazing thing is that I am the first in the group to complete it and, far from being considered an embroidery renegade as I feared for not following the pattern, some of the other members have also decided to put their own interpretation on their bags. It is enormous and I don't know what I am going to do with it. But at least it is finished and I can get on with other things.

Phew!

Pottering in Melbourne

2011-06-19T15:34:00.003+08:00

Mum and I had a wonderful time pottering about in Melbourne. What a city of contrasts. From the gentility of high tea at the Windsor Hotel,

we went to the urban grittiness of Melbourne's famous laneways.

About that high tea at the Windsor - it was amazing. After three of us demolished almost everything on these three tiers,

we indulged in the dessert buffet. This is what came back with me to our table.

I immediately thought that my eyes had been bigger than my stomach, but I am ~~proud~~ ashamed to say that I finished everything.

We marvelled at the giddy heights of the new Myer Department store,

and laughed at the outrageousness of someone's transport for the day.

The shopping was fun.

How lucky that there happened to be a 20% sale on the day of our visit.

I thought I had died and gone to fabric heaven when we visited Gail B Patchwork. The photo doesn't really convey the vastness of this store which was filled to overflowing with every fabric known to woman and then some.

We once again enjoyed wonderful hospitality at gorgeous Rose Cottage on the Mornington Peninsula

where there is a wonderful cafe where it is possible to sit among the vegetables to eat lunch or have a coffee. We didn't as the wind was coming straight from the South Pole on the day of our visit so we kept warm inside instead.

Thank you to wonderful family and friends, especially M & D for your amazing generosity.

Pottering about

2011-06-03T13:26:00.005+08:00

I have always thought it would be nice to have a potting shed. If you can't have the real thing, an embroidered one will have to do.

This is what the pattern book has suggested, but a beehive needlecase doesn't really do it for me so I have done my own thing. I will get so much more use from a potting shed.

Now I am off to potter about in Melbourne for a week (should I take my red wellies with me?) When I return I am going to FINISH this bag.

Square in a square

2011-05-27T11:08:00.000+08:00

When I finished piecing this quilt top, I felt a bit ambivalent about it. I loved the fabrics, most of them are by Kaffe Fassett, but the whole thing seemed a bit uninteresting. Then I started to quilt it and I think it has really come to life. This is the first time I have made a quilt where the quilting has made such a difference to the quilt.

I am very happy with the finished result.

I haven't decided it's eventual home, but it certainly will not be up a tree.

Waterlily ripple

2011-05-11T11:52:00.006+08:00

My eye was drawn to this beautiful patch of new nasturtium leaves growing in Melissa & Stewart's garden and they reminded me of lily pads.

While Little C slept, I worked on my latest ripple blanket and as I worked it occurred to me that the colours of the blanket were those of a waterlily and it was the perfect match for the leaves so it will be called waterlily ripple.

Ring-a-ring o' roses

2011-05-07T15:55:00.001+08:00

My roses are looking so beautiful at the moment. Like me, they are revelling in the milder weather we have been having and enjoying cool mornings and evenings. Yesterday I filled this little ring vase with buds.

Today I have put it on the table ready for dinner with friends tonight.

And I was reminded of the nursery rhyme so I filled my pocket as well.

Ring-a-ring o' roses, a pocketful of posies.

A beautiful vignette

2011-05-06T13:38:00.001+08:00

Just when I thought I was making progress into my pile of UFOs, I learnt about this gorgeous magazine and was inspired by its wonderful projects. In particular the 16 block mystery quilt had my name on it. It is a combination of patchwork and embroidery all done in lovely vibrant colours. I am gathering all my supplies and can't wait to make a start. I am afraid that some projects which were high on my to do list have now been relegated to the bottom because I love this one so much.

Most of the fabrics I am using are from the Oliver & S City Weekend range and I bought these with another quilt in mind. However, when I saw this Vignette in Stitches mystery quilt, I knew that these fabrics would be perfect for it.

This really is a lovely publication by Leanne Beasley, an Australian girl who also has a very pretty blog.

To date, the first three blocks of the quilt have been published in the first two issues of the magazine. I will have to get my skates on to catch up. So many projects, so little time.

I think that some patchwork shops might carry the magazine, but I bought mine online from under the mulberry tree.

The magazine is perfectly named - it really is a collection of beautiful vignettes.

Red, white and blue

2011-05-02T20:56:00.000+08:00

Our niece recently gave birth to twin boys. New babies need a new quilt to roll around on and snuggle up in so I have made this for them.

In a perfect world there would be two quilts, but I do not live in a perfect world and I have a limited amount of time so I hope this one will be enough.

It's a wrap

2011-04-25T13:47:00.000+08:00

Not only is it Easter, it is also that time of the year when my two girls have their birthdays three days apart. Consequently, there has been a lot of wrapping going on here.

Once, all the eggs had been wrapped, a different sort of wrapping was needed for the birthday presents so I made a garland using circles cut from pretty paper which I then sewed together.

I then wrapped them around the gifts.

That's enough wrapping for a while.

Happy Easter

2011-04-22T16:47:00.003+08:00

I know there are lots of digital cards out there, but they really annoy me as they usually involve clicking on a link and they take ages to download.

I just love this new app from Cartolina.com. For a special message when an email or text is a bit boring, this app lets you send a lovely hand-written card with the look of a bygone era by 21st century email. Very cute.

Wisteria cottage

2011-04-20T15:30:00.001+08:00

Wisteria cottage is now finished. The wisteria flowers held together long enough for me to attach them to their vine on the cottage and the garden has been filled with flowers.

The birds are happy with their bird boxes.

Toadstools and a little worm have popped through the grass.

The wheelbarrow has been filled with goodies ready for a day in the garden.

Foxgloves and sunflowers are waving in the breeze.

Little violets are peeking out from under a corner of the house.

Pink hyacinths are doing well in their pot. (If only I could grow them like this in real life.)

So far I have more or less stuck to the script (with a little independent interpretation), but from now on this bag lady is gonna do it her way.

Overseas trip

2011-04-16T16:23:00.009+08:00

I cannot think of any good excuses why I have not blogged for so long, other than that I have been busy and have not been able to find much time to sit at the computer. I have, however, been on an 'overseas' trip since I last blogged. Together with mum and our very good friend Connie, I have been to Rottnest Island. Rottnest is a small island about 10 kms off the coast of Perth and it takes about 30 minutes on the ferry to get there. I have always thought that if you let your imagination go, you could almost be on a Greek island when you are on Rottnest. Okay, you have to have a good imagination, but it is not that dissimilar. The climate is the same, ie mediterranean, the water is the same azure colour,

and they have the same ruggedness.

Other little scenes are also suggestive of mediterranean countries, such as this tiny walled garden around the church

I can't think of a better place for lunch.

The local wildlife is very cute. This is a quokka, a small marsupial related to the kangaroo.

I hope I have convinced you that I have been visiting the mediterranean in my absence.

Flying quilts

2011-03-31T10:29:00.004+08:00

The members of my sewing group have been busy sewing quilts to donate to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. I should say some of the members, as I have managed to produce a miserly one. This week we paid a visit to the RFDS at Jandakot Airport to hand over our quilts and we were given a fabulous welcome and a tour of the facilities. Every day, an average of 21 flights are made all over Western Australia, bringing patients to hospitals in the city.

An added bonus was the dashing young pilot who accompanied us with the very busy nurse.

The quilts are given to children who are being transferred by the RFDS and we were told they get through about 600 quilts every year. Many of them are given to indigenous children, some of whom have never had any personal possessions and they cling to their quilt as if their life depended on it. It made me ashamed of my efforts and I resolved to do better next time. While we were so appreciative of the time they gave us, they were also appreciative of our quilts and happy to show us around.

We were allowed to go inside a plane and I was amazed how little space they have to work in. Sometimes they can have up to 2 or 3 patients on board, together with a nurse and a doctor (and a pilot, of course.) Somewhat cramped.

While we were there an emergency call came through and there was a rush to get a plane ready. Here it is taxiing out for take-off to somewhere in the outback. We lost our dashing pilot for a while as he gave a hand to the other crew.

Bon voyage little quilt. I hope you make a little person feel a bit better.

The cut cloth goes out on a limb

2011-03-24T10:15:00.005+08:00

A beautiful new shop has opened in Maylands here in Perth called Out on a Limb. It is based on eco-friendly principles and all products are hand-made in Australia. Mandy and I are very excited that the lovely owners have asked to stock some of our cushions.

I have had my head down over the sewing machine for a while fulfilling the order. Mandy delivered them last week and yesterday Mum and I paid a visit to the shop to see them in their new (temporary) home. I think they look really good and so colourful.

The shop has some gorgeous products and would be a wonderful place to look for that gift which is a bit different.

As an added bonus, a few doors away is a delightful cake shop, Sherbet, which serves wonderful coffee and cakes to die for. It has a lovely nostalgic feel and serves the cakes on lovely old china plates. I can recommend the coconut, blackberry and lemon syrup cake.

For Perthites, the address for Out on a Limb is 194 Whatley Crescent, Maylands. Well worth a visit.

Sculptures by the sea 2011

2011-03-07T19:43:00.012+08:00

We have been to this year's Sculptures by the Sea at Cottesloe Beach. Here is a small sample of the many wonderful sculptures. We had fun naming them ourselves so the names here are not the official ones, rather they are our interpretation.

Waiting for a set (As in set of waves. Melissa & Stewart know the surfing terminology.)

Long hot summer (ain't that the truth!)

Love is in the air

Nest of triangles

Horizon (I think this is also the official title)

Hot air balloons

Sea enemy (Again the official title and a clever play on the words sea anemone. This is my favourite because it is a good reminder of the damage we are doing to marine life with our plastic rubbish.)

Toy town

Red man

Sand shoes

Pleading for rain

Ships of the sea

Indian temples (We called them Indian temples until we realised that at the right angle they cleverly line up with and look like the pylon in the water.)

Wave power (Only because I know (inside information) that these are constructed from turbines used to generate wave power.)

As I said, these are just a small sample of so many creative works. I had to make two visits to appreciate them all.

Wisteria cottage

2011-03-06T14:05:00.000+08:00

Having almost finished rose cottage, I have now made a start on wisteria cottage.

The cottage came together quickly, but the wisteria flowers have proved to be a challenge. When John saw me making these he asked me what I was doing and, in turn, I asked him to guess. Understandably his first and only attempt was 'a bunch of grapes'. When I explained that I was actually embroidering wisteria flowers his response was 'well, they are the right colour'. I suppose that is as much as can be said for my wisteria flowers, but they will have to do.

I embroidered them onto a water soluble fabric, the idea being that when they are attached to their vine on the house, they would give a 3D effect.

I then hoped and prayed that when they were dunked into water the flowers would hold together. Only one of them came apart leaving little purple knots floating in the water. This reminds me of something horrible seen under a microscope.

I can't help wondering that if I had really understood just how much weird and unusual work was going to be involved in this bag, whether I would have attempted the project. Probably just as well I didn't know.

Indoor gardening

2011-02-27T15:58:00.005+08:00

It has been waaaaay too hot to garden outside, so I have turned my mind and hands to a bit of indoor gardening.

The topiary tree has been planted in its pot.

Button flowers are blooming.

A pot of blue hydrangeas is looking very happy (although I actually think that up close they look like little curly blue wigs).

And various flowers are sprouting through the grass.

Houses have been provided for birds and hives for bees.

How very bucolic.

Come on in

2011-02-23T12:25:00.007+08:00

Slow progress is being made.

We have roses meandering over the cottage front and a topiary at the front door.

We have a gum tree in what is the beginning of the garden

and a little duck has made its home on the pond.

Welcome to Rose Cottage.

Now it is time to get into the garden.

Baby it's hot outside

2011-02-16T14:08:00.005+08:00

It has been so hot here, it's been hard to know what to do with myself. I tried to imagine I was a sprig of mint diving into a jug of ice cubes.

That didn't really help so I decided to make some lemon cordial to add to the mint and ice cubes.

At least my insides are cool.

This is my Aunty Dorothy's recipe. We always called her Dor Dor because Dorothy was such a mouthful for little people. She was a wonderful cook. Her pastry melted in the mouth. She made the best green tomato chutney I have ever tasted and her lemon cordial really hits the spot on a hot day.

Dor Dor's Lemon Cordial

Juice of at least 3 lemons
In Dor Dor's words: 1 and a half pounds of sugar (sorry Dor Dor measuring out this much sugar was too much for me and I reduced it to 600 gms.
1 desertspoon epsom salts
2 desertspoons citric acid
1 desertspoon tartaric acid
750 mls of boiling water

Boil water and sugar add other ingredients and strain into a bottle. Keep refrigerated,

and keep cool.

an embroidered bag (under protest)

2011-02-13T17:55:00.001+08:00

I have thought long and hard about whether or not to share what I am currently working on, mainly because it really isn't "me". Why would I make something when my heart isn't in it? Let me explain. Last year I joined a small sewing group. We meet fortnightly and, up to now, we have worked on our own projects while we have a good chat and a laugh. Recently one of our members had a yearning to make a heavily embroidered tote bag called 'the embroidered village bag', but thought she needed the encouragement of doing it with others if she was going to be successful and she implored us to join her.

Most of our group (~~including~~ especially me) had to be picked up off the floor when we saw what she wanted us to attempt, but agreed it would be a good challenge. I haven't done any embroidery for years and had been thinking I would like to do a small project, so somewhat reluctantly I agreed. I have now decided it might help ease my pain if I share my progress.

However, there is a limit to my compliance. As there are a lot of elements on this bag which I do not like at all, I intend to put my own interpretation on it. How will this be accepted by the group I wonder. Will I be regarded as an embroidery renegade?

I have made a start. This is going to be Rose Cottage and it will form a pocket on the front or back of the bag. Some of you will know that I have a weakness for roses and cottages so this part of the project should be relatively pain free.

Here are my first roses.

Yikes, there are so many more to come. My biggest concern is that there is so much work to do on the bag that all my other projects and especially my quilt ufos are going to be ignored. I must try not to let that happen.

Summer of discomfort

2011-02-07T13:55:00.006+08:00

Today, I was intending to write a post about how lucky we have been here in Perth over the summer. While the rest of Australia is undergoing terrible disasters, we have continued to live our lives with no disruption. We were threatened with a cyclone a week ago, but that blew itself out over the Indian ocean and we carried on blissfully. We took our daily walk around the lake where we saw these clouds which were a remnant of our non-existent cyclone.

We took our babies to the beach

where we watched the birds sitting contentedly on their rock.

Such was their, and our, complacency that it would take a very big wave to ruffle our feathers.

Then we woke this morning to the terrible news that almost 50 (and rising) homes have been destroyed by bushfire on the outskirts of Perth. The fierce winds which have been fanning the flames have been generated by Cyclone Yasi which devastated so much of Queensland. So it seems that we here in Perth have not been spared and one wonders how much more mother nature is going to throw at us in this summer of discomfort.

To the cloud

2011-01-30T15:42:00.005+08:00

The latest buzz words amongst the IT crowd seem to be "send it to the cloud". I think I understand the basic concept of this, but couldn't explain it if you asked me so when I saw Annabel Langbein's strawberry cloud cake I knew I should stick to the sort of cloud which I do understand.

I should say here that, after watching her TV show on the ABC last year and receiving her cookbook for Christmas, Annabel is my new heroine in the kitchen. Her food is beautiful, easy to prepare and tastes divine. Visit her website, where she has loads of lovely free recipes.

I think it would have to be one of the easiest cakes I have made and one of the most impressive to look at.

Forget about the IT clouds, a slice of this gorgeous pink cloud and I go straight to cloud nine.

As I write this, we are waiting for a cyclone to hit Perth when I expect we shall see clouds of a very different sort.

A star for Australia Day

2011-01-26T14:33:00.006+08:00

To celebrate Australia Day, I made a lovely golden star which became the most amazing mango sorbet. As there are six stars on the Australian flag, I am awarding this sorbet six stars for deliciousness.

Von this is for you. Marjie, I am still working on your gelato a la Tuscany. Stay tuned.

Herb flavoured milk

2011-01-24T17:36:00.000+08:00

Anyone of my generation will remember the bottles of milk which were provided to primary school children during the 1950s, 60s and early 70s. I believe the free milk scheme ended in 1973. The government obviously thought it would be good for the health of us baby-boomers to have a drink of milk every day, but in fact all it achieved was to turn thousands of children (including me) off milk for the rest of their lives. The milk would be delivered in small glass bottles and left sitting in the sunshine until morning playtime/recess. Of course, by this time, the cream at the top of the milk had curdled and the milk was disgusting. On some days, the local magpies had been attracted by the silver foil tops, had pecked holes in them and had a good slurp. Nevertheless we were forced to drink our milk because it was considered "good for us" and we weren't allowed to go off to play until our bottles had been finished. I can still remember how I used to dread morning playtime, especially in the summer and lived in the forlorn hope that the magpies had managed to drain all the bottles.

When I first found these six little milk bottles tied together with string (exactly the same size as our school milk bottles) my first reaction was to gag as those awful memories of curdled milk came flooding back.

My second reaction was to imagine them filled with flowers and to think how good they would look. As I currently don't have many flowers in the garden which are worth picking because of the heat, I decided to fill up my bottles with herbs instead and they are now sitting on my kitchen windowsill.

All in all a much better use for a milk bottle and I am pleased to say that I have managed to overcome my gag reflex whenever I look at them.

Of course if today's government decided, in its generosity, to provide free milk for school children, it would immediately be refrigerated on delivery; it would come in six different flavours; there would be a choice of full-cream, low fat, skim, goat or soy; and no-one would be forced to drink it. How times have changed.

The art of marbling

2011-01-19T17:32:00.001+08:00

No, I haven't been making more ice-cream. I had a sudden urge to make a marble cake, something I haven't made for years. I even dug out my old ring tin from the back of the cupboard to bake it in. It was fun mixing up the three different batters and I made a note to myself that this would be a good project to do with the little ones.

I think we could come up with much more interesting and artistic patterns than I managed if little hands were let loose.

It is fun to marbelise.

I scream, u scream.....

2011-01-14T15:23:00.001+08:00

No-one has to scream for ice-cream in this house. Quite the reverse - I am begging people to eat it. I was lucky enough to be given an ice-cream maker for Christmas and now expect to gain several kilos while I try to decide which is my favourite flavour. I started with a lemon sorbet - not strictly an ice-cream but very tart and delicious just the same and a great way to use up a lot of lemons.

Then I made a mixed berry ice-cream. Not bad, but I think I can do better.

The next, and perhaps my favourite so far, was a rich decadent chocolate ice-cream. I call it death by chocolate and I am never making it again.

I have plans for a fresh strawberry ice-cream followed by a few different flavours of frozen yoghurt.

I hope I discover my favourite soon because the amount of cream, eggs and sugar being poured into this machine is beginning to frighten me. Orders anyone?

A little vest for Baby C

2011-01-12T10:40:00.002+08:00

I love any excuse to play with my button collection so when I finished this little vest for Baby C I reached for the button jar to look for some buttons for the shoulder seam.

For once I was able to find buttons which were just right. Usually when I look for buttons to finish a project, either I don't have enough of the same sort or they are not the right colour and then I have to visit the shops to buy yet more buttons.

Having found the buttons, it was time to block the vest. Back in the day when I learnt to knit I had never heard of blocking and when I finished a garment I used to iron/press it. (Do I hear cries of shock and horror?) Now, thanks to reading knitting blogs I know better and block all my knitting projects which gives them a much better finish. Ironing simply flattens all the stitches. In case there is anyone who doesn't know what blocking is (and I think I am probably the last knitter alive who didn't know), it involves pinning the garment to a flat surface while shaping it and then spraying it with water (lots of water). Leave it to dry and the end result is a beautifully smooth garment which looks as if it has been pressed but all the stitches have remained plump and don't look flattened.

As you can see below, the two top pictures are pre-blocking and the bottom picture is post-blocking. See how much flatter the neck sits and the whole garment has a much smoother look. I was concerned that the armholes were a little small so I stretched them slightly while pinning them down and now they look much better.

To finish the vest, I added a row of cross-stitches around the neck and armholes. I am not sure that these add anything to the vest, but will let mum Melissa be the final arbiter on this. If she doesn't like them they will be easy to remove. Now I think he needs a new shirt to go under the vest.

The pattern came from a Rowan book for children and the recommended yarn was a Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton. However, I believe both the book and the yarn have now been discontinued. I used a yarn which was 80% bamboo and 20% wool and I was very pleased with the result.

Colourful containers

2011-01-08T14:30:00.005+08:00

It occurred to me when I was getting out some cupcake cases, in preparation for some cupcake baking, that they would make very colourful containers for little treasures.

Such as a fluffy feather from a white cockatoo,

or some delicate rose buds

maybe some freshly picked tomatoes

or even a radish just pulled out of the garden.

Of course, in the sewing room, there is no end to the uses they can be put.

They would be just right for pins

or cherry buttons

and especially these lovely little buttons which are so cute I can't bring myself to use them.

So colourful but, of course, totally impractical.

Happy hot new year

2011-01-05T16:54:00.008+08:00

Happy New Year and may it be a wonderful one for all.

John and I began the New Year by going to the Hopman Cup at the Burswood Dome. It was a typical Perth summer day (ie scorching) and the Hipstamatic app on my itouch captured the change in temperature perfectly.

When we first arrived things were reasonably cool and the aircon had not begun to struggle. The atmosphere had a cool blue tinge to it.

As the day and the tennis wore on it started to get pretty hot. The Dome was hot, the spectators were hot and the players were even hotter (you can take that anyway you like).

The spectators are beginning to show signs of heat.

The UK's Andy Murray and Laura Robson were definitely getting hot.

Their opponents (and the winners), Italians Francesca Schiavoni and Potito Starace were probably glad to get off the court and into a cold shower which is exactly what we did when we got home.

I do love playing with gadgets.

2010-12-19T15:57:00.005+08:00

The very unattractive plastic mess under my work table has been replaced with this old suitcase (picked up from a roadside collection) which I painted white and added a new red handle for Christmas.

Much better.

May your Christmas be filled with joy.

Flower garden cushion

2010-12-07T12:09:00.010+08:00

I recently bought a pattern to make an appliqued lilly pilly tree. Then, thinking that I might have bitten off more than I can chew, I discovered on the website of the pattern maker, a free pattern for an applique cushion which I thought would be a good trial run for the larger project.

I used hand applique for this piece, but I think I will use machine applique on the next project, otherwise it will be a very long-term project indeed.

Having said that I really enjoyed the hand sewing and when it was finished I decided to give it to Little A and so I added the letter A in the bottom right hand corner.

Despite the trial run, I am still a little apprehensive about the lilly pilly tree and hope I can do it justice.

A surfeit of Austen

2010-12-04T12:45:00.001+08:00

Is there such a thing as too much Jane Austen? Not so long ago I would have said definitely not, but I have recently been on a Jane Austen marathon and I think it has sent me crazy. In my head I am speaking in 'Austen'. If someone says something which I don't understand, the response in my head is "La - what can you mean?" Fortunately, this has not yet manifested itself in spoken words.

I have been imagining that as I go about my day-to-day activities, I am being watched and judged by a gaggle of beautifully dressed men and women and I fear that, by their standards, I am being judged very harshly indeed.

Carrying their reticules and parasols, wearing their tippets and warming their hands in their muffs they follow me around in amazement.

I dress myself in the morning, make the bed and do the washing. Fans are brought to mouths to conceal snide remarks. She has not even one maid to assist her.

I turned on the dustbuster this morning to remove some crumbs and enjoyed seeing them cover their ears to block out the noise - the likes of which would never have been heard in their genteel Georgian rooms.

They recoil in horror as I get into my car. What sort of infernal machine is that - she keeps no horses or carriages.

They came with me to my yoga class. Men and women in a state of undress and in the same room together - they quite swooned away and had to revive each other with lavender water.

As I walk with baby C in his perambulator - I hear 'what, no nurserymaid and where is her sprigged muslin and bonnet?'.

As we walk along by the river, lycra-clad bikers and joggers fly past us - there is a collective intake of breath as they almost fall into the bushes in horror.

However, when I bring out my workbasket and begin to knit or sew, I feel that I have slightly redeemed myself when I hear them whisper - she sews a fine seam.

But I wish they would all go away and leave me in peace. Let them try living in my world with no servants to do the dirty work, cooks to prepare the meals, nurserymaids, gardeners and footmen ready to perform all life's chores.

And I think the above-mentioned might have just a tinge of envy when they see some of my labour saving devices - the washing machine, oven and dishwasher must be things of wonder. And surely Jane's ladies would regard my sewing machine as a sight to behold as they laboriously stitch their household linens by hand.

Wait, do I hear some murmurs of approval. What freedom she has. She does not have to rely on finding a man with a great fortune in order to survive. She does not have to wear confining clothes and tight corsets. She can travel unaccompanied and have a profession without being scorned. However, I doubt that there is any real envy in their observations and they won't be wanting to change places with me any time soon. However, if Elizabeth Bennett makes an offer I would have to consider it very seriously. Being mistress of Pemberley would suit me just fine.

Promises, promises

2010-11-25T10:38:00.002+08:00

I currently have three quilt tops waiting to be sandwiched, quilted and bound and I made myself a promise that I would not start any new quilts until these had been finished. Then Oliver & S released a new range of fabrics called 'City Weekend' and I couldn't resist placing an order, especially as it included a free quilt pattern.

I just love this gorgeous range of colourful contemporary designs.

So here is my dilemma - do I keep my promise or do I start this lovely new quilt? It is going to be a hard decision and just goes to prove that you shouldn't make a promise that you might not be able to keep.

Busy as a bee

2010-11-21T15:36:00.008+08:00

Sometimes, life just gets in the way of, well, life really. My absence over the last few weeks cannot be justified except to say that life has been going on, but in a somewhat frenetic manner with no, or very little time, spent at either the computer or sewing machine. And I will have to hang my head in shame on Tuesday morning when I go to my sewing group and I have nothing to produce for show and tell.

Three babies under three can keep their mothers and nana very busy, especially when one mum comes down with a tummy bug and another's husband is working overseas.

While nothing has been stitched, we have occupied our time with other things. There have been mulberries to pick and eat.

and stain our faces.

Two new cafes to be enjoyed and coffee to be drunk.

The local school fete to be visited.

And bees to be watched in the magnolia flowers.

Now husbands have returned from far away places, tummy bugs have been conquered and I am back in the sewing room. All is well with the world.

Having some fun

2010-10-28T15:03:00.005+08:00

The technology gods have not been kind to me this week. My laptop (through my own stupid fault) got a virus and we decided that as it was getting old and clunky that it made sense to replace it rather than spend a lot of money to have it fixed. So we did. However since then it seems that everything I tried to do on the new laptop wouldn't work. None of my old files or pictures, which I had fortunately backed up only the previous week, would load. Software programs, including my photo editing program, would not load; a new bluetooth mouse would not talk to the computer; the list just went on and on. So after spending a week battling with recalcitrant technology, I thought it was time to have some fun.

I downloaded the ColorSplash app on to my ipod and have been having fun playing. I started in the sewing room turning pictures into black and white shots and retaining just a splash of colour.

Then I went around the house looking for more things to play with.

I always keep an apple or two on my bookcase in case I want to take a picture.

The pictures taken on the ipod are not great quality, but I think I can take pictures on my camera, load them onto the ipod and splash them with a shot of colour. But that is for another day.

In the meantime, a ward of warning. If your computer starts flashing at you and making siren noises - you probably don't have a virus as it says. Just close the webpage which has opened rather than click on the box which says remove all viruses. If, like me, you click on this box, you will have a huge problem.

Best ever cake

2010-10-17T12:44:00.004+08:00

I had a birthday this weekend and someone very special gave me a cake.

It was the nicest birthday cake I have ever not eaten.

Fruit salad?

2010-10-13T10:31:00.002+08:00

Ok, I know that one strawberry and one blueberry do not a fruit salad make.

Not even two strawberries and two blueberries can legitimately claim that title. These grew in the garden and I know that that is what berries do - they grow in gardens. But these beauties grew in MY garden so I say they are a fruit salad and I can't wait to eat them.

A flower's journey

2010-10-11T13:20:00.006+08:00

By anyone's standards, you would have to say that the flora in this country is incredible.

Just look what I saw yesterday in the garden of a friend where we had lunch.

The flower begins as a gumnut.

The nut develops and ripens

and an incredible flower bursts open.

It then withers, dies and becomes a hard seed case.

No wonder Joseph Banks got so excited when he landed on our shores in 1770 and was faced with so many new and beautiful plants.

Goodbye winter

2010-10-09T11:35:00.008+08:00

The roses are back and my garden is awash in a frothy foam of pink and white blooms. Nothing gives me more pleasure (in a floral sense) than being able to look at freshly picked roses in a bowl on the table.

In Melissa and Stewart's garden the bluebells are putting on a magnificent display. Nothing says spring has arrived like a patch of bluebells.

Soon it will be summer, although some would say it has arrived already with the current warm temperatures we are enjoying. I hope it doesn't come too quickly so that I can enjoy, for a little while longer, the beautiful first flush of spring roses.

Do clothes make the man?

2010-10-03T19:35:00.007+08:00

It's been looking like a children's wear shop around here lately.

When my girls were little I used to love making pretty dresses for them, so I am really enjoying being able to sew for the new little girls in my life. I didn't have any boys to sew for so this is a new experience for me. There are pages and pages of girls' clothes in the pattern books, but the choices for boys are very limited and as I am not clever enough to draft my own patterns I am somewhat restricted. However, I thought these little overalls were cute.

I followed them up with a shirt and shorts and in a stroke he has gone from a little baby to a little boy. How did that happen?

Art in bloom

2010-09-22T10:02:00.010+08:00

We have been to the Art in Bloom exhibition which is held annually at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. We were greeted at the front entrance by a pond of giant water lilies.

A wide range of local people are invited to interpret the gallery's art works using flowers and I really enjoyed seeing how the works were interpreted. Some of them were obvious,

but others left me wondering.

In some cases, both the art works and their floral interpretation had me puzzled.

By world standards, our gallery is very modest but it does have a very good collection of aboriginal art.

When I came home I was inspired to interpret one of my quilts using blooms from the garden.

I wonder if I will get an invitation next year?

For our newest little flower

2010-09-18T12:09:00.006+08:00

Already she is growing quickly so I had to finish this in a hurry before either the weather became too warm or she was too big.

The pattern came from a little book I picked up recently called Baby Knits - 50 Beautiful Patterns. They are indeed beautiful patterns, the only problem is that all the yarn used is from France and it has taken some research on the internet to find suitable alternatives. As a result what I have been knitting has been improvised, although fortunately I haven't had any disasters yet. It is a gorgeous book and I could knit everything in it (if I had time).

I love the pretty detailing around the edge of the neck. I used bamboo yarn for this little jacket and it is so soft - just perfect for delicate skin.

It's a girl

2010-09-02T15:09:00.001+08:00

Something in pastel pink is curling itself up on my needles because we have another beautiful baby girl in the family. Mother and babe came home from hospital yesterday and are doing well.

Ironing board makeover

2010-08-28T12:22:00.004+08:00

Like a lot of sewers, I use one of Ikea's small ironing boards in the sewing room. Its compact size makes it just right for small pressing jobs. However, the covers do get dirty very quickly and I am ashamed to say that in the past when my cover had seen better days, I just bought a new board. At the ridiculously low price of about $6, it just didn't seem worth the effort to make a new cover. That was until I found this tutorial to make a cover to fit the Ikea board. It took me about 20 minutes to make, far less time than it would take to drive to Ikea, do the long walk through all the departments, stop and ogle at all the gorgeous products, queue to get through the checkout and drive home again. I used an offcut of one of The Cut Cloth fabrics. It looks great, is much better than the fabric Ikea uses and is an addition to the sewing room insted of something that I had to hide away because it was so ugly. Twenty minutes well spent. It makes the cover on my regular ironing board look a bit shabby - it might have to get the same treatment. If I use a really beautiful fabric, it might take away the pain of ironing the clothes.

The neighbourly vest

2010-08-21T15:38:00.001+08:00

The last time Mandy and I visited Materialise to buy fabric for the zig zag cot quilt, a little girl came in with her mum and she was wearing the cutest vest I have seen. I asked her mother if she had knitted it and, of course, she had. She told us that the pattern was available free online and so, as soon as I got home, I downloaded it and knitted it up.

When I presented it to the small one she was not very impressed, thinking it was a dress and, therefore, much too small. She was not in the mood to model it for me so I had to use the props in the back garden.

I am pleased to say that on my next visit she was in a much more receptive mood and made a great model for a great little vest.

The pattern is for an older child so I used a lower ply yarn and smaller needles and am very happy with the result, although if I was to do it again I would make it a bit longer.

Here is the link to the pattern where the pattern writer explains why she has called it the neighborly vest. I thought it was very appropriate to have discovered it at Materialise which is a very neighbourly kind of place with a lovely community atmosphere.

Messing about

2010-08-13T17:04:00.004+08:00

I have been messing about with the layout of the blog and am not sure if I like this new look or not. Actually, I am sort of stuck with it because I am not able to retrieve the old layout. I do think I need a picture, but as it will probably take me hours to find something I like, get it to fit etc etc, this might be a while in coming.
Because I am not able to post without including a picture, here is something which has just come off the needles for the littlest one. With spring (almost) in the air, it is good to have something light and fresh in the wardrobe.

With a zig and a zag

2010-08-12T14:58:00.004+08:00

With two weeks to go I have finished the quilt and have exceeded my own expectations. I had visions of putting in the final stitches as we were in the car on the way to visit Mandy in hospital.

I took a picture of it at home and then delivered it to the new nursery where the light was much better.

And where you can see where the colour inspiration came from.

We looked for ages to find just the right colour for the binding without any luck. Then, we looked where we should have gone in the first place, our own stash, and sure enough there it was. It is from the 'Katie Jump Rope' range by Denyse Schmidt. The backing is a pretty Kaffe Fasset fabric.

I'm not sure about Mandy, but I am now ready for the baby to arrive.

Would you like a cushion with that?

2010-08-07T09:58:00.004+08:00

Mandy was excited when she discovered that some of Amy Butler's designs are now being used on rugs. She ordered one for the baby's room and, of course, I had to make a cushion from some of our matching fabric. Love it.

Three and a bit weeks to go

2010-07-29T15:23:00.006+08:00

It's time to quilt. Outside, it is overcast and occasionally showery. Inside I am enjoying myself with BBC Radio 4 and these gorgeous colours.

I am quilting with two strands of thread and taking large stitches. I hope to make good progress, but suspect that I will need every bit of a week I can get.

Oh, by the way, we decided that the quilt was just the right size.

Four weeks to go

2010-07-25T15:38:00.003+08:00

In all its stained glass glory, here is the quilt with four weeks to go. I love the way the voile spots really stand out with the light behind the quilt.
Mandy and I have been to see Sophie at Materialise, a lovely new fabric shop here in Perth, and have selected a great Kaffe Fassett print for the quilt backing. The binding is proving more of a problem. Mandy wants a particular yellow and we can't seem to find just the right shade. At least I can now sandwich the quilt and start the quilting while we continue to hunt for that elusive binding fabric.

Bread and roses

2010-07-22T14:14:00.000+08:00

While the cot quilt is definitely my priority, I have to do something with my hands while I watch Masterchef every night. Having not watched a single episode of the first series, I find myself addicted to the second series, but at least I am producing something while I watch the contestants cry and sweat over their kitchen benches. If baby is a boy, I can always remove the yellow roses. I know fathers don't approve of their sons wearing flowers.

Speaking of Masterchef, I bought the magazine last week (I said I was addicted) and was really surprised by the number of doable recipes - not just those from the show, many of which I would not attempt. I mainly bought it for the banana bread recipe and, if like me, you like banana bread, this one is a keeper. I like my banana bread toasted, but this is so delicious fresh that it will be all gone by the time it is ready to be toasted. It is so good, I have to share, so here it is.

Banana Bread (Curtis Stone)

250g (1 & 2/3 cups) self-raising flour
1tsp bicarbonate of solda
1/2 tsp gound cinnamon
2 large eggs
275g (1 & 1/4 cups) caster sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
3 overripe bananas, mashed
2tbs Greek-style yoghurt
1sp vanilla extract
150g (1 & 1/2 cups walnuts, roasted, halved

Preheat oven to 150C. Grease and line the base and sides of an 8cm x 11cm x 30 cm (6-cup) loaf pan with baking paper. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt into a bowl.
Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and pale. Reduce speed to low-medium and gradually add oil in a thin, steady stream. Add bananas, yoghurt and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
Add flour mixture and three-quarters of the walnuts and stir until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and scatter with remaining walnuts. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Enjoy

Five weeks to go

2010-07-18T14:22:00.005+08:00

Slow progress has been made. At least the gaping hole in the middle of the quilt has been filled thanks to the arrival of some more fabric.

I have now sewn up the rows, but not yet joined them together and I think the quilt is looking much smaller than was envisaged. The obvious solution would be to add borders to it, but that is going to change the look we wanted. It is time for a conference with my 'client'.

With only five weeks to go, I am feeling a lot less confident than I was two weeks ago.

It's nice to share

2010-07-12T17:23:00.001+08:00

The littlest one was christened on Sunday. When Melissa asked me to make something for him to wear, my heart was in my mouth hoping that she wasn't going to ask me to cut up her wedding dress as Mandy had done two years ago. I breathed easier when I heard that this would not be required and that I was able to purchase some silk from the bridal section of the fabric shop.

Even so, I found it a nerve-wracking experience making something so important. I didn't want to wait until just before the day before finishing the suit in case I had a disaster and had to start from scratch. So many thoughts were going through my head as I was sewing. How much would he grow between when I finished the suit and the big day? How do you have a meaningful "dress-fitting" on a five month old baby? (You don't, you just have to wing it - at least I did.) I also couldn't help thinking that now that I have made two christening outfits, I hope my girls remember what I taught them all those years ago - that it is nice to share. Nana's nerves can't cope with too many more challenges like this.

In the end it all came together on the day. Even the sun came out for a few hours in the middle of a prolonged wet period. Blessings all round.

Seven weeks to go

2010-07-07T10:10:00.004+08:00

With the exception of a gaping hole in the middle where I ran out of fabric, the quilt top is cut and laid out on the spare bed ready to be sewn. I am hoping with all my heart that more of this fabric can be purchased.

The voile is a delight to handle and feels so soft and buttery. It is not so good to cut, however, as its lightness means it tends to fly all over the cutting mat and it was hard to cut accurately. I am looking forward to getting it to the sewing machine and with seven weeks to go I am feeling reasonably confident about finishing it in time.

New baby - new quilt

2010-07-02T11:25:00.003+08:00

Mandy's baby is due in 8 weeks and she has only now decided on the fabrics and colours for the new quilt.

She has chosen the gorgeous new voiles from Anna Maria Horner and I am using the pattern she has on her blog.

Eight weeks - no pressure then.

Brrrrr - it's cold

2010-06-27T18:19:00.003+08:00

It's freezing here.

I hope these help to keep the small one warm in this chilly weather.

Tiny teddies

2010-06-25T13:53:00.001+08:00

When my girls were small they used to love these tiny teddy biscuits. Now they are no longer small and have little ones of their own who will also probably enjoy seeing how many different teddies they can find in a tiny teddy box.

When I saw the pattern for these little booties I wanted to give my big girls some tiny teddies of a different variety.

It took me a while to get my head around intarsia knitting as I hadn't done any of this for years, but after a few false starts I finally remembered how to do it and I am thrilled with the result.

These have gone to Melissa for the littlest one and now I have to knit another pair for Mandy's new baby because I think you can never be too big for a tiny teddy.

Bridging a gap

2010-06-17T14:46:00.001+08:00

It has been a long time between posts so in an effort to bridge the gap and at the risk of repeating myself, the littlest one and I have been down to the river again to see if our friend the dolphin was there. He/she wasn't, so in the absence of our fishy friend, we did a bridge walk.

We saw pretty bridges

long bridges

and functional bridges

Unlike the Sydney Harbour Bridge walk, ours was a much more relaxed walk and did not require the use of harnesses and other scary apparatus.

The scariest thing we encountered was a crop of pampas grass.

I thought these things had been outlawed as a noxious pest years ago and was surprised to see them growing so prolifically. The other surprise was a big patch of lantana. How sad that something so delicate and beautiful should be regarded as a weed.

It's hard to believe that all this is so close to the city. We felt miles from anywhere.

I have been busy in the sewing room but have nothing finished. I hope to rectify this soon when there will be a 'show and tell'.

Exercise anyone?

2010-06-02T20:42:00.010+08:00

This morning while Melissa was at her pool exercise class, the littlest one and I did some exercising of our own. He practised his rapid eye movements and I ~~power~~ walked. It was a perfect winter's day. The sun was shining, it was warm and the river looked like a mirror.

As I ~~powered~~ strolled along I heard a splash in the water and thought a bird had dived in to catch a fish. But it wasn't a bird, it was a dolphin swimming alongside us. I pointed the camera towards the spot where I thought it might resurface, but of course I was always pointing in the wrong direction so you will just have to believe me on this one.

We walked through wetlands and watched the birdlife.

We walked through the park and coveted the enormous piles of leaves which would make such rich compost.

We walked the streets and admired the continuing autumn foliage.

No, we weren't in Tuscany.

All in all, the littlest one and I think we had a good workout this morning and we got to enjoy the scenery as well.

Paradise really.

A find in Freo

2010-05-30T13:29:00.010+08:00

It is amazing what can happen in your own city that you have no idea about. Yesterday we had gone in search of a highly recommended Italian butcher in Fremantle (affectionately known here as Freo).

We found the butcher, but we also stumbled across something completely unexpected.

At first we thought we had found a farmers' market, but then to our delight and amazement we discovered that the Italian grocery next door to the sought after butcher was having a party to celebrate the "cutting of the cheese". Every 18 months a huge cheese is imported from Italy and a big party is held to celebrate the first cut. The cheese was enormous and had to be raised with heavy chains, a large pulley and a very large man.

There was free coffee, chocolates, antipasto, Italian delicacies and, no party is complete without it, music.

We had such a great time soaking up the atmosphere and for a little while, imagined we were in Italy.

On the opposite side of the street, overlooking all the merriment were three of the most colourful little cottages I have seen.

We finished off our morning with a touch of spring. Yes, on the third last day of autumn these were on display.

I was lucky enough to be given a little pot of tiny daffs.

Altogether, a very satisfactory morning. By the way, the butcher was fantastic and we will be making regular visits to both establishments.

Books to inspire

2010-05-17T14:36:00.006+08:00

Two beautiful new books have just landed with a very satisfying thud on the front door mat from Book Depository.

Jane's quilting book is such an inspiration. The photography is superb and the quilts full of colour. I want to start my own new quilt immediately and have begun stroking my fabrics in anticipation of what is to come.

Jane Austen's Sewing Box is fascinating and any lover of Austen will adore this book.

I doubt that I will make any of the projects, but it is so lovely to look at (more stroking going on) and is a real feast for the senses.

Just look at the detail in this dress. It is sobering to think that it was all made by hand. I realise how lucky we are today with all our machines and gadgets to make sewing life easier.

Stick to your knitting

2010-05-10T14:39:00.003+08:00

Our local church had its annual garage sale last weekend. I usually manage to find a few treasures so I flung a bag over my shoulder and trudged up the hill. Arriving slightly out of breath, I was thrilled to find a little tin bucket filled with these wooden blocks. They have obviously been much used and I love to think of the little hands which have played with them and the amazing structures they have built.

I tried to build my own amazing structure but, as you can see, I am rather architectually challenged so I decided to stick with what I know and, instead, I made a batch of cupcakes with paper cases to match the blocks.

I will leave the amazing structures to new pairs of little hands when they come to visit.

down south

2010-05-08T15:38:00.011+08:00

We have been 'down south' for a few days. Here in Perth, if we say we are going down south we mean that we are going to the south-western corner of Western Australia, famous for its beautiful vineyards,

great places to eat

and great surf. I indulged in the first two and looked at the third.

I also fossicked in rock pools

admired the local landmarks:

Cape Naturaliste lighthouse

Busselton jetty - the longest in the southern hemisphere

and took advantage of the photo opportunities provided by the outbuildings at the lighthouse.

This beautiful weeping eucalyptus tree was in the garden of the house where we stayed.

I would love to be present at the birth of these little gumnut babies.

It was lovely to have a few days out of the city and we came home feeling refreshed and full of food.

Time for a cake or two

2010-05-03T16:24:00.000+08:00

What's a birthday without a cake (or two). For Mandy's birthday I made a very plain chocolate cake. She is expecting baby number two and can't eat anything which resembles real food. OK I know that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it does restrict so many food items which I take for granted. Having babies was a lot easier in my day. So I played it safe and kept it plain. A plain chocolate cake is a plain chocolate cake - hence no photo. Melissa, on the other hand, has had her baby so I didn't have any restrictions and I made this lovely zucchini and pistachio spice cake with lime frosting. The recipe came from Delicious magazine and it is delicious.

zucchini & pistachio spice cake with lime frosting
Serves 10-12

3/4 cup (185ml) sunflower oil
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (75g) unsalted pistachios, finely chopped, plus 1/4 cup (35g) slivered unsalted pistachios to decorate
1/2 cup (60g) almond meal
2 cups grated zucchini (about 3-4)
1 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp ground mixed space
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour

lime frosting180g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups (200g) icing sugar, sifted
250g cream cheese, softened, chopped
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius. Grease a 22cm springform pan and line base and sides with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla until thick. Stir in chopped nuts, meal, zucchini and spices. Sift over soda and flours and stir to combine. Pour into pan and bake for 70 minutes (my cake didn't take this long to cook) or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in plan for 20 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and cool comletely.
For frosting, use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With motor running, gradually add cheese, beating well between additions. Add zest and juice and beat until smooth.
Using a bread knife, slice the cake into two rounds and set aside top. Spread a third of the frosting over the bottom half, then replace top and spread cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with slivered pistachios.

Enjoy!

Beauty is only skin deep

2010-04-29T11:14:00.002+08:00

This gorgeous confection of tissue paper froth is Melissa's birthday present. I visited a fabulous shop in Melbourne called Market Import and when I mentioned that my purchase was a gift for my daughter, the assistant gift-wrapped it for me and I couldn't believe my eyes when she had finished.

My girls have their birthdays three days (and several years) apart. So what I do for one, I try to do for the other. I have attempted to recreate the wrapping for Mandy's present.

I think the wrapping outdid the gifts inside.

I just can't help myself.......

2010-04-20T16:47:00.000+08:00

....these were so cute I just had to stitch them.

It's amazing what you see when you look at things in close up. I have missed part of the backstitching on the pink bear's foot.

Hearts and flowers

2010-04-11T15:58:00.001+08:00

Inspiration did eventually strike and it was in the form of gently rolling waves. Many thanks to Quilting Cyclist who suggested channel quilting the border. I thought this was a good idea and would have used it if I had not already started making waves.

I called the quilt Ocean Breezes.

Most of the fabric is from the 'Flights of Fancy' range by Paula Prass and this colour way is called Ocean. The swirling loop d' loop quilting reminds me of the summer breezes which come off the nearby ocean and the waves along the border obviously represent the gentle swell of the sea.

It hadn't occurred to me until now, but the backing fabric could be grains of sand from the beach.

I also quilted in a few subliminal messages.

Nothing to do with the ocean - but just because I felt like it. And now it's off to live with Melissa & Stewart.