Here's stitchery no.5!

This is my Topiary Angel! And isn't she just adorable??
She was made by Jenni over in Australia, (who NEEDS to create a blog for herself as her work is amazing!! lol), and didn't I get a surprise, inside the envelope was some gorgeous floral fabric in the perfect shade of green! I will be using that in the quilt too!
Thanks so much Jenni, I think your angel is lovely!
(I did notice that she has hair like mine too! lol)

Carole :D

Stitchery 4 is here!

And isn't she a doll! This lovely little stitchery has been made by Deb from over at mistressdebrina. Thank you so much for making her for me, ( Am wondering if she takes after me or you? Personally I think her hair is much too neat for it to be me! LOL)

She will look fantastic in my quilt!
Carole :)

Some new tags for my Etsy store

All tags come with tea dyed string ready to attach to your gift.

Carole :)

A post especially for Patty!

Patty I'd like to make you a pav to try, but seeing I can't do that, (unless you come visit me!!) I will share with you my special pav recipe.
Pavs are divine with lots of fresh summer fruit on top, but during winter, I don't like using canned fruit, so I buy Cabury flaky chocolate bars and crumble the chocolate all over it.

Because I could eat one of these completely by myself, with absolutely no help from anyone else in the family, I don't make them very often. So I make them for Christmas or birthdays or other special occasions only.



"The pavlova is an Australian or New Zealand dessert, a single-layered meringue cake with a crisp crust and soft, marshmallow centre, topped with whipped cream and fruit. The confection was popularised when the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova toured Australasia in 1925. Whether the final perfecting and naming of the cake was the achievement of Australians or NewZealanders is a matter of national rivalry. One explanation of the pavlova’s origins is that a West Australian chef found a recipe in a New Zealand women’s magazine and adapted it – an explanation which happily gives each country its own piece of the cake." (taken from a web site, but I can't remember which one)

A true New Zealand Pavlova :D

Beat 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt until very stiff. (there's lots of beating in this) When stiff add 3 tablespoons of cold water, one at a time, while you are beating. Keep beating egg whites. Then add 1 cup of castor sugar, (fine white sugar) a very little at a time, while you are beating, keep adding the sugar until it has all been added and it has all dissolved. Then add 2 teaspoons of cornflour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and 1 teaspoon of malt vinegar and keep beating until egg mixture is very stiff.
Tip the egg mix onto a baking tray, I always tip it in a pile, and I don't spread it too much, as it will spread a little while baking.
Cook it in an oven at 160 / 375 for 1 hour.
Put it onto a large plate and when cool top it with whipped FRESH cream and your toppings.

While the pav cools you will get a little cracking of the meringue shell, and it may also sink a little. Nothing a little extra whipped cream can't hide!!! :))

I couldn't find any pics of my pavs, except this one made last summer. I topped it with fresh strawberries and cherries and pureed some strawberries to made the liquid you see running down the side. (and a little crumbled chocolate on top).


This recipe should come out with a crunchy outside and a soft marshmellowy inside.



Good luck Patty! Let me know how you get on!

Carole :)

Stitchery no. 3 is home!!

Another super gorgeous stitchery for my blogging buddies quilt project.
This one is made by the clever Shiree of Kiwifruit Shiree fame.
Thank you so much, I love it. it will be perfect for my quilt!

Aren't I lucky?
Carole :D

My weekends work

This is what I've been working on over the weekend. I am trying to get it done for DH's birthday, (which was 2 weeks ago) I had to give the poor guy a rain check as it got a bit challenging for my
mental capabilities, LOL.
However, I'm on to it with renewed vigor, I'm gonna nail this quilt!!


But then I have had the odd smallish problem, I haven't had any pattern pieces as I just did the triangles all out freehand. So I used all my scraps of batiks, but some were a bit small, or I had them sewn on at the wrong angle, and BINGO! too short, doesn't fit!


Did I tell you a have quite the relationship with my quick unpick!! LOL


However, now can you see where I'm headed??

A long way to go yet!

Carole :D

Over the Top

Leanne from over at Mixed Media Martyr has bestowed upon me this award. Thank you Leanne, and because I have some time today I will attempt the challenge that goes with it!
I am supposed to send this onto 5 more blogging friends, but I'm not too good at that, I find it terribly hard to choose one blogging friend over another, sooooo, if you read this and you'd like to have a go at answering these questions, then feel free to take this award and post it on your blog, or email me and I will forward it to you, so you can play!

The challenge, should you accept it, is to answer the following questions with 1 word only... let the fun begin!

1. Where is your cell phone?… sideboard


2. Your hair?… unbrushed


3. Your mother?… inspirational


4. Your father?… dependable


5. Your favorite food?… roast


6. Your dream last night?… busy


7. Your favorite drink?… bubbly


8. Your dream/goal?… happiness


9. What room are you in?… garage


10. Your hobby?… creating


11. Your fear?… spiders


12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?… publishing


13. Where were you last night?… sewing


14. Something that you aren’t?… pretentious


15. Muffins?… strawberry


16. Wish list item?… i-phone


17. Where did you grow up?… country


18. Last thing you did?… photographed


19. What are you wearing?… jeans


20. Your TV?… off


21. Your Pets?… 11


22. Friends?… bloggers


23. Your life?… full


24. Your mood?… positive


25. Missing Someone?… family


26. Vehicle?… holden


27. Something you're not wearing?… hat


28. Your favorite store?… quilting


29. Your favorite colour?… many


30. When was the last time you laughed?… morning


31. Last time you cried?… forgotten


32. Your best friend?… DH


33. One place that I go to over and over?… garden


34. Facebook?… no


35. Favorite place to eat?… kitchen!

Now, believe it or not, this was not as easy as it looks. And, I might add, I noticed Leanne has used more than one word in some answers! Like asking what's on your wish list, well I could have filled the page, honestly!

Anyway, some mindless fun, and feel free to have a go!

Carole :)

Stitchery number 2 arrives!!

OMG! Isn't this just gorgeous? The 2nd little stitchery has arrived home, and this one has been made by Deb of The Angel and the Pukeko fame. Now isn't it gorgeous, (did I already say that?!) And just look at those amazing stitches and the texture!
Thank you so much Deb, I totally love it!


And if you have any thread left over, please keep it! You may be able to use it some time!

Carole :D

A give-away I discovered

Hawthorne Threads are giving away a gorgeous bag pattern and 2 sets of fat quarters! Lovely fabric, but don't go check it out because I want to win, and I know darn well you'll only go and enter your name!

:) carole

What I was doing yesterday...

Remember this? I have been working on this McKenna Ryan quilt for two and a half years now. It's all applique, thousands of bits of fabric! Most of the eight blocks have everything top stitched, but there are a few pieces here and there that still need top stitching.

Yesterday I finished the last block and managed to get the sashings on.


Here it is on the floor. It now needs some batting and a piece of backing fabric, and then .... quilting. I hope to hang it on the wall, so will make a hanger for it too. There are still some embellishments to add to it yet, the ducks want beads for eyes, the bird houses need some little wooden beads to join them all, so still a wee way from being finished, but it sure is good to see it being so closed to finished!!! Whew!

Carole :D

First little stitchery arrives home!

And isn't it gorgeous? Made by Christine, (who doesn't have a blog, but wanted to play too!), who said that she had stitched Buddy and Wednesday! A big thank you, I absolutely love it!!

(I will put pictures on the side of my blog of all the stitcheries as they arrive so you can see them all in one place.)

Hope you are all well!
Carole :D

Blah blah and more blah

Yesterday I spent some of the day in my sewing room, under the pretence of creating, working on a new project, but at the end of it nothing looked right. Don't ya just hate that? I had everything figured, planned, fabrics picked. Darn.
Have to make some changes.

In the mean time, my YOUNGER sister sent me this......hilarious!!

It's a rainy old day again, back to the sewing room!!

Carole :)

A beautiful sunny Sunday and the hairdresser comes to visit!!

Today has been a perfect day, finally there is some heat in the sun! Our farming lady decided she would come and give our sheep some pampering, get them looking tip-top for the summer months ahead.
I mean, just look at them, you'd want a bit of a trim if you had hair (aka wool) getting outta control like these girls have! LOL



Do you think Shelby was laughing at them? I think it was a case of "hahahaha" in dog language!
Like, "that'll teach you sheep!"


Then it was all on! Our very slim, wisp of a farming lady, (don't be fooled by her size, she is one mean mama!!) lunged at Holly and before you could blink there was wool flying everywhere! They will be pleased to get the weight of all that wool off their backs, especially the dags and the wool caked with dried mud.



Of course this was all new and unknown to the new lambs, Magpie and Sooty, who could only stare in amazement...



"What on earth is happening?"



They were right to be a little concerned, the 2 little ram lambs were having rubber rings put on their unmentionables, and they all had to have a rubber ring on their tails.



There is a sheep under there!



Then our farming superwoman administered a dose of drench, to keep them in tip-top order and gave each of them a pedicure, so frolicking in the grassy paddocks filled with buttercups will be a joy, especially after their respective weight losses. lol




Meanwhile I think Shelby got a little bored... and wandered off to play amongst the buttercups.



A little distraction for Magpie and Sooty before the big event!



Then before we knew it, it was all over and we had 4 naked sheep! They all looked much lighter, much thinner and much cleaner while the lambs looked a little bewildered! lol
Our very capable farming lady then came in for coffee and date scones before taking our wool off, which she will sell. The wool in the sack on the left comes from the black and white sheep and is worth very little, but the wool in the bag on the right came off Tuesday, who is white and was quite clean, her wool is worth much more, and some time if I want to card and spin some wool, hers will be the stuff to go with. It's way nicer in quality.



Hope you are all having a fab weekend.
Carole :)

Catching up - bits and pieces!

Well it's lovely and SUNNY here this morning, the type of morning where you feel like jumping out of bed, and doing all sorts of things, just because the sun is out!

I can now tell you that all my exams are over. (relief!!) So now all I have to do is wait for the results. I hope that I have passed all 4 papers I was doing, which will mean that I have completed 8 papers this year, and I only have 3 left to complete in the first semester of next year. It also means I can now read some books of my choice as opposed to reading serious academic stuff for research.

The new Dan Brown novel (The Lost Symbol) was in the library and DH bought it home for me. I really enjoy his books and this one was just as gripping. It moved at a past pace and I completed it in 3 days.

I have also been working on my large Leanne's House Quilt, as I am hand quilting it, so I try and do some every night if I can. I am quilting it using no.8 perle cotton in pale green. It is looking lovely so far, but I am very much a novice when it comes to hand quilting, and I find it hard to quilt using a hoop.

Here are some ATC's from my swap with Ann, Debbi, Doreen and Annie. Our theme was flowers and what beautiful, and different cards I have! Top middle card (12 o'clock) has been made by Ann using a fab mix of fabric, paper, stamping and paint, card at 3 o'clock was made by Debbi and it looks like it has been painted, stenciled, stamped, stitched and sprayed. The card at 6 o'clock was made by Doreen, she has layered some flowers between 2 pieces of card and pounded them with a hammer to make the background and then stamped over top! The card at 8 o'clock was made by Annie and she has made hers using bright coloured paper and cuttlebug flower shapes. And the last card is mine made cut from an old doily.
They are all lovely cards, thank you very much girls!


Yesterday I decided to do some cleaning and sorting. I HAD to clean my sewing room, as things had begun to mount up, you know, when you rush in and dump stuff on your work bench thinking it will be great for a certain project, and it sits in the same place until you rediscover it 6 months later LOL!
Well, I was getting to the stage that I was too scared to go into the room, just in case everything suddenly collapsed on me, it's only a small room, and I was imagining myself buried under a mountain of fabric and paper and books and other miscellaneous ephemera! So I sorted things out into containers, put fabric away, put books away, found a place for everything. Nice clear table top! Rediscovered the things I had dumped on the table 6 months ago! haha I feel like I can start work in my sewing room again now.

While I was on a roll, I decided to go round the house as well, and cleaned and chucked out anything I thought I wouldn't need. Then I went round and picked up little piles of rubbish and vacuumed. Lovely! (By this time it's 9.30 at night) I feel like I've achieved something!

Then I discovered this wee fellow! I mean how could one not notice this???? Buddy had sneaked it in, I think it was a gift. Maybe he appreciates a clean tidy house too?
I picked it up, it was still warm, and it had the cutest little nose and mouth, and whiskers and ears....... All I could see was Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit! Ah well, at least he won't be spending his nights eating all the veges in MY garden!

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend!
Carole :)

OH NO! I missed your birthday!

This is a very belated birthday greeting to 2 of my blogging friends.
Fannie who had her birthday on the 1st Nov,
and Jenni S (who doesn't have a blog) had hers on the 25th Oct
and I missed both!!
I am thinking of you both and hope you both celebrated instyle!

Birthday Hugs
Carole

whew!

another exam done! one more to go......


stay focused!

it's pouring with rain again :(

Here are a few pics taken during a couple of hours sunshine yesterday.
My garden has turned into a patch of madness and mess!
But there are the odd patch of colour and cheerfulness!

There are these....

and some of these....

....and this is flowering like there's no tomorrow! Beautiful!

And these are growing tall and bright....

and this is full of fragrance!

But best of all, there are lots of these!!!

I hope you can see the promise of Summer! :)

Carole :)

Mail coming in.....

Cool eh!! I got this ATC from Annette in Oz. Isn't it amazing? It's an etching on brass. I totally love it! It is so different from anything I would make, as I'm not really into working with metal. Although when you visit Annette's latest post, and see her beautiful etched pendants, it would inspire anyone to try!!




I love this ATC, thank you very much Annette!
Carole :)

mail going out....

I have been trying to get all the bits together so I can post out to all those fab girls who are stitching for my blogging buddies quilt!
Envelopes are done and they will be mailed out over this coming week!



Carole :}

Go see it!

We went and saw the MJ movie today. It was amazing and yet sad, and I doubt I will forget it in a long while. This guy was so very talented, there wouldn't be many, if any musicians who would equal him in talent. His whole life evolved around music, he lived for music, he was music. He was way more than a tall poppy and a lovely and trusting guy.
Go see it if you get the chance.

Carole