A Day at My Machine.

Yesterday, Chooky called a Zoom session — right on time. I’d already planned to spend the morning in my sewing room playing with my batik squares, and that’s exactly what I did. I settled in at the machine and sewed and sewed and sewed, while listening to the ladies chatter as I worked.

First, I sewed all my 4" squares into pairs. Then I kept going until every pair became a four‑patch block. My back grumbled about the forced labour, but it survived.

Later, I spread a few blocks out on the floor to get a feel for how this quilt top might look. I’m not working from a pattern — just an image from the internet and a handful of ideas. But it’s coming together beautifully.

I’d pulled out a couple of fabrics I had purchased to use for the border and the anchor. Now I’m convinced they’re both wrong. The blue border fabric is far too busy, and the patterned black I chose for the anchor is better but still doesn’t sit well against all that movement.

So I might need a shopping trip — not for two new fabrics, but maybe just one that can do both jobs. Something plain, or with a very minimal pattern, to rest quietly on that busy background.

So the plan for today is to get the center of the quilt top put together. I want to be able to take it with me when we go on our trip tomorrow as I happen to know there are some good fabric shops near where we will be staying and I'm hoping to convince Mr H to take me shopping.

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As we went out last night, we couldn’t help but look up at the sky. Dark clouds loomed around us, stormy and unsettled as they had been all day, and we could also see — and smell — the bands of smoke drifting across from the fires burning in Australia. I don’t want to dwell on how vast and angry those fires must be. I just hope everyone is safe

In contrast, my boy Jiffy Jonathan sent me an image he took on his way to work. The sun was rising over the Isle of Man as he steamed his boat out to the scallop grounds. He made some very rude comments about how cold he felt and how glad he was to have a cosy wheelhouse to retreat to — but he still had to catch that image. That promise of warmth.

He often sends me images like this one, with the sun peeking over the horizon. He does get to work in an amazing environment, everyday something different. 

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The weather today is not nice at all. Yesterday was cloudy and smoky; today we have rain. The day began with beautiful sunshine, then a quick gentle shower, then more sunshine — and now heavy rain and dark skies all around. A perfect day to stay indoors and sew.

If you want me, I’ll be at my machine for a couple of hours, stitching together the centre of Jiffy and Josie’s quilt. And just as I settled in, Chooky invited me to Zoom. Perfect timing.

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From Pickles to Patchwork

As planned, Thursday evening finished up in the kitchen with me bottling that big bowl of onions. They’d been sitting in their salt bath for about nine hours, so it was just a quick rinse and straight into the jar — yes, just one huge jar. You can’t really tell from the photo, but some of those onions are the size of golf balls.

I tucked in my usual bay leaves and chillies, a scattering of peppercorns, and a few other little bits and pieces before pouring over the vinegar and sugar/stevia solution. Now the jar is sealed and tucked away, and I’ll be making sure Tony keeps his hands off it until at least April.

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While having a tidy‑up in the freezer the other day, I came across a few packets of homegrown cauliflower that had been there a little bit too long. Time to use them up — but how? I went hunting for pickle or chutney recipes, but nothing felt quite right. Then my trusty Co‑Pilot, who was helping me search, suggested making a curry base. Hmm. Co‑Pilot even came up with a recipe.

So I got stuck right in.

In less than an hour I had four little bowls of curry base cooling on the bench, ready to pop into the slow cooker whenever I want an easy dinner. All I’ll need to add is some meat or veg, maybe a splash of coconut milk or a few tomatoes, and dinner will take care of itself.

And no, it doesn’t taste like cauliflower. It did at first, but after a generous extra hit of ginger and spices, it now tastes exactly like curry should.

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Tired of domestic duties, I cleaned up the kitchen and headed into my happy sewing room. I set about cutting up more fat quarters for Jiffy’s quilt, but of course I started worrying that I didn’t have quite enough. A quick rummage through the batik drawer turned up a few more possibilities, and after a to‑and‑fro Messenger consult with Janice, five more fabrics were added to the collection. 

(Don’t you just love the modern world and the convenience of things like Messenger and Snapchat? I sent Janice a bunch of photos and she was almost instantly able to give me her thoughts on my fabric choices. She joked that she was being picky, but that’s precisely why I ask for her opinions — she sees things I might miss, and I always value her eye).

And that was it — all the squares are now cut. Time to start sewing things together.

But by then it was lunchtime, and my body was very clearly telling me so.

I made myself a quick cheese salad for lunch before retiring to my armchair for the afternoon.

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 Confession time. I know I said no squirrels, no new starts, no getting sidetracked, but… next week we’ll be away for a few days and I need a little project to take along.

If I took my hexies, well, you know how fast I can sew those pretties together — I’d need a huge pile of them. No, I needed something small and a little more time consuming. Then I remembered the mini cross stitch skulking in the drawer beside my chair, so I pulled it out and made sure everything I needed was tucked into a project bag.

As you can see from the price tag, it’s a kit I rescued somewhere along the way. That cute bowl of strawberries look good enough to stitch, even if I can’t eat them. And since it was all there and ready to go, I made a quick start.

I’ll take this along on our mini break. If I have time to pick it up and make a little progress, great. If not, that’s perfectly fine too. This project isn’t important — it’s just something to take along.

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I sewed a couple more hexies after putting the strawberries away, then set my needle down and watched a movie while I waited for Tony to come home. He took me out for dinner, which was a lovely way to end the day.

So what’s in store for today? No kitchen duties this morning. The only chore on my list is to wrap a gift for a colleague’s 50th birthday — we’re going to her party this evening. After that, the day is mine. I might wander back to the sewing room and start joining some of those squares together…

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A Busy, Bubbling Start to My Leave

The first day and a half of my leave have been busy in the best possible way — productive, but also wonderfully relaxing.

Yesterday morning disappeared into a haircut and the grocery run, and by the time I’d grabbed a quick lunch I was ready to settle into something more enjoyable. I spent a good chunk of the afternoon pressing and cutting batik fat quarters into 4‑inch squares. I’m about halfway down the pile now, so that feels like progress.

Once the fabric was tamed, I made myself a cup of tea and settled in with my jigsaw puzzle. I had it almost finished by bedtime (and of course forgot to take a photo), then completed the last few pieces today while I ate lunch. Believe me, I’d earned the sit‑down.

After tea last night I diced 3 kilos of tomatoes and left them to brine overnight with some onions. So as soon as I was moving this morning, I was straight back into the kitchen — rinsing tomatoes and getting my Possums Pickle Relish underway. The recipe is at the end if you need it. It’s one of those relishes that goes with absolutely everything.

While that was bubbling away in my cauldron, I topped, tailed, and peeled a big bowl of pickling onions. They’re now resting in a bed of salt and will be rinsed and bottled after dinner this evening.

Next stop: the garden. I pulled in a big bundle of rhubarb, washed and diced it, and got it into the big pan as soon as I'd given the relish a stir. 

Rhubarb in the big pan, I stirred the relish again. and it nearly launched itself at me. Properly excitable batch today — good thing I dodged fast and had my apron on, 

With everything bubbling away, I even managed to whip up a batch of my chocolate slice. Yum.

Once the rhubarb was sorted — some for the freezer and a generous bowlful for Tony to enjoy over the next couple of days.

It was time to get the Possums Pickles into jars. I like using Roses marmalade jars for this relish. It's fun and satisfying hearing the lids pop as they cool.

Phew. Cauldrons washed and put away; I finally sat down for brunch at 12.45: leftover spag bol on toast. Bliss.

I think the armchair might be calling me for the rest of the afternoon. 

But first I had a hunt for the next puzzle. These little 500 piece puzzles are fast and fun to complete, but I think it's time for a bigger challenge.

A very colourful op shop find.

Tomorrow it's back to the cutting table.

Oh, I almost forgot. When he got home, Tony went into his happy room and worked on his project for a while. I wonder if he will do that again tonight?

As promised, my relish recipe. 

Affectionately known as Possums Pickles, as Possum is my friends mum, and this is her recipe. 

Possums Pickles

 Tomato and Capsicum Relish.

3 Kg of Tomatos, skins on or off, either way works.

900g - 1 kg onions.

Lots of salt.

12 chillis deseeded  (I leave the seeds in sometimes)

1 bulb of garlic

900g - 1 kg Sugar. (I use Bakers secret, stevia)

3 capsicum peppers, any colour

4 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons curry powder

Enough malt vinegar

 

Placed chopped tomato and onion into a large bowl and lightly cover with salt. Cover loosely and leave overnight.

The next day, pour off the brine and lightly rinse, drain, then in a large saucepan almost cover with malt vinegar, add the sugar, chopped chilli and garlic.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 90 mins.

Add the diced capsicum and cook for another 30 mins.

In a jug mix the flour, curry powder and enough vinegar to produce a pouring consistency, then add this to the saucepan, stir well and cook for another 10 mins. (Sometimes I whizz it with the stick blender, but you don’t have to).

Pour into hot sterile jars and seal.

Days off, Planning a Trip and Creative Adventures.

The rhythm here at Chez Heron has finally settled back into something resembling normal. Mr. Heron returned to work yesterday after his Christmas break — though only for four days, because then we’re off! At long last, a proper break for me too.

I don’t have to be back at work until Monday the 19th of January, which means a lovely stretch of time ahead. Today is only the 7th, so I have five days at home to play, potter, relax, or do absolutely nothing at all. Bliss.

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After that, Tony and I will hop into the big red car and make the seven‑hour drive to the very top of the South Island, where we’ll tuck ourselves away with friends for a few days. There will be plenty of relaxation, a bit of fishing, and of course I’ll be taking some sewing along. I’m more than ready for it.

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And when we get home, I’ll still have two quiet days to settle back in and do the laundry before returning to work on the 19th. The best part? The phone coverage up in the Marlborough sounds is… well, let’s just say it’s delightfully unreliable. Which means no unexpected calls asking me to work. LOL

So what am I going to do with my five days at home? First on the list is the garden — it needs a bit of a tidy. There are plenty of deadheads out there waiting to be snipped away, and the tomatoes are coming in faster than we can eat them. I’ve got a huge bowl on the bench ready to be turned into something tasty. Tony has a fried tomato with breakfast every morning, and we have sliced tomatoes with tea every night, but we still can’t keep up.

The courgettes have also found their stride. I brought two in last night, and there are many more on the way… so I suspect I’ll be spending a fair bit of time in the kitchen as well.

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Of course, I’ll want to make progress on the latest jigsaw puzzle. Another small puzzle with only 500 pieces. Meet Bambi. 

You could be forgiven for thinking this blog is turning into a jigsaw puzzle record, but I assure you stitchy things have been happening behind the scenes. I’ve added a few more hexies to the scrappy hexie project, and — would you believe it — I’ve finally started cutting for Jiffy’s quilt. 

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Here you go, photographic evidence. 

My lovely pile of blue‑green fat quarters has begun its transformation into an untidy pile of four‑inch squares, with a growing pile of off‑cuts beside them. Hopefully this week will see all the cutting finished, and maybe even the first seams sewn. My little “fifteen minutes before work” routine has been brilliant for making steady progress.

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It seems Tony has been thinking about the fifteen‑minutes‑a‑day idea too. Last night he announced that he might like to start a new after‑work routine — heading straight into his happy room for a while instead of settling into his chair with the laptop, which is his usual habit. He did say he was going to work on his fine scale model project over the Christmas break, and to be fair, he did put in a few hours… maybe two whole afternoons, out of his entire two‑and‑a‑half weeks off. Perhaps seeing me dive into a new start has stirred the urge for a new start in him as well. Though of course he will want to complete his current project first, — the one that has been sitting on his desk for a whole year, quietly waiting between bursts of attention.

Tony can’t understand how I can have so many projects happening all at once, but isn’t that part of the charm? Crafters operate on geological time. Some projects are quick little sparks, some are slow burn, and some wander through the years with us.  We’re not slow — we’re simply working on a different timescale. 

And speaking of timescales, today’s is looking nicely balanced: a quick trip into town for a haircut and the groceries, all while keeping a weather eye on the sky — it went from beautifully sunshiny to dull and overcast in the time it took me to peg out the washing this morning. Spag bol for tea, which won’t take long at all, leaving plenty of time for more cutting… and maybe even the first few seams. Perhaps if I am busy sewing when he gets home, it might encourage Tony to do a little of his model when he gets through the door.

The First Finish for 2026

 My January goals are not lying neglected. I’ve done some extensive research on Pinterest and now have several ornament ideas pinned — hopefully a decision will be made soon. I’ve also pulled the dust covers off the quilting frame and the poppies. I’ve yet to have a proper look and decide what comes next there, but at least they’re out where they can’t hide from me.

My hexies have made progress, and I plan to add a few more once I’m done here. A nice, quiet way to finish off my weekend off work.

Yesterday was anything but quiet — we hosted a 60th birthday party for Tony. That meant a good tidy‑up beforehand, a cake baked, salads prepared, the BBQ busy, and a great time had by all. Our last guests left after one in the morning. I was up again by 7.30, but there wasn’t much cleaning to do thanks to all the help we had last night.

Once Tony surfaced, we got on with taking down our Christmas trees and putting everything away. The house feels big and bare again, but in a peaceful way. We’ve had a relaxing day since — eating leftovers and completing our puzzle together.

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 This finish belongs to Tony and me, a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle I gifted to him for Christmas. He was delighted, and impatient to make a start on Boxing Day.
We’ve worked on it together, on and off, over the past week. This afternoon, Tony placed the final pieces into the sky. For those who need to know: the shark‑toothed Warhawk is attacking Japanese Zeros on a Pacific island runway.  It’s a dramatic scene, I can almost hear the roar of the engines and smell the fires burning— a lovely puzzle to work on, and we enjoyed it very much.

🧩 The First Finish for 2026. 🧩

Next pick is mine: a smaller, oval‑shaped 500‑piece puzzle showing an image of the English countryside. I’m looking forward to piecing this one together — something gentle after the aerial combat.

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So that’s us for today — a finished puzzle, a quiet house, and a few January goals nudged along. I’m back to work for the next two days, but with three days off after that I’m hoping to finally make a start on the cutting for Jiffy’s quilt. It will be good to finally make a start.