Slowly Moving Forward.

 In my last post I left you hanging. There was no photo of my crochet work in progress and the possibility of spending a little more time with my sewing machine.

Ha! Well, the ugly crochet blanket is now finished... and there is still no photo. Sorry... not sorry!

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So, with one piece of handwork completed, what next? Something that has been whispering to me recently is my Down in the Garden stitcheries. I have seven and a half of the nine blocks completed, so I really just need one final push. Out they came this afternoon, and a little progress was made.

Did I spend Sunday afternoon and evening at the sewing machine? Nope! The Eye Spy quilt is still a collection of individual blocks spread across the design floor. I did, with Janice's help, finally decide on a border though.

Thanks Janice. It's nice to have a friend who helps. 

There is no red fabric left for borders, I had to piece together the last few strips just to have enough for the blocks. So, the plan now is to add a polka dot border and use the same fabric for the binding... whenever I eventually get it all sewn together!

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Of course, there has also been time for baking. My feijoa trees are still dropping fruit, so I've made several batches of feijoa slice since returning home from the Isle of Man.

Feijoa Slice

Base and Topping

220g butter, softened.

1 cup granulated sweetener (or your preferred equivalent)

1½ cups almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup desiccated coconut.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Filling 

1 cup slice feijoa pulp.

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

1 tablespoon brown sugar or substitute. (Optional).

For the topping

Reserve one-third of the base mixture and stir in an extra 1/2 cup of coconut. 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Line a slice tin (approximately 20 x 20cm) with baking paper.

Mix together the melted butter, sweetener, and vanilla.

Stir in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt and coconut until well combined.

Press two-thirds of the mixture firmly into the prepared tin.

Mix the extra coconut into the remaining 1/3 and set aside in the fridge.

Bake the base for 15 minutes until the edges are starting to turn golden. 

It won't be set yet, that's ok.

While the base is cooking prepare your fruit. 

Stir in the cinnamon and sugar if using.

Spread the feijoa mixture evenly over the still warm base. 

It will sink in a little. That's ok. 

Crumble the reserved dough over the top, large or fine, your choice.

Reduce the oven temp to 160 C. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

It seems to me that this recipe could easily be adapted for other fruits too. I'm keen to try it with Black Boy peaches, as I have some in the freezer in just the right-sized portions, and perhaps raspberries as well.

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As you know, Tony and I started a jigsaw puzzle soon after Christmas, but no progress has been made on that one. It's a warplane, and I really feel like it's Tony's puzzle rather than mine. I'm happy to help, but I don't want to take over.

I also set Miss Charmaine up with a 300-piece puzzle back in March, I think. She has struggled with it though, so recently asked if I would finish it for her. I had fun picking away at it over the last couple of days, and today, while waiting for the oven, I popped the last dozen pieces into place.

It really wasn't that difficult. Maybe this image just isn't her thing. Time to look around for something she might prefer.

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I've still got two more days off work, which feels like a luxury. Whether I spend them sewing, stitching, baking or simply catching up on jobs remains to be seen. Whatever happens, I'll keep myself busy... and hopefully have something a little more exciting to show you next time!

Meet Henry...

 In my last post I showed you the beginnings of an Eye Spy quilt. Since then, I've made lots of progress and all of the blocks are now finished. 

Now I just need to find the time to sew them all together. Perhaps that will happen after Sunday lunch with Torstein and Charmaine.

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Yesterday was patchwork and craft club day, and we'd invited a tutor to teach us the basics of needle felting. Lyn was an excellent teacher – patient, encouraging, and happy to guide us through each stage of our chosen designs.

Most of us chose to make hares, while two ladies opted for flowers. 

I was amazed that, in less than five hours, we each went home with a completed felted picture.

I had a wonderful day and would happily do another class if the opportunity came up. However, I have absolutely no intention of dashing out to buy felting needles and wool rovings. My craft room is already bursting with enough supplies to keep me going for more days than I have left. 

And here he is... my finished hare.

Meet Henry.

He still waiting patiently for his whiskers and a few hand-stitched finishing touches, but I was delighted with how he turned out.

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Acquisitions. A Box Full of Possibilities.

 Since returning from our holiday I haven't really done much in the way of crafting. Between battling with jet lag (which I am now over, thank goodness!) and, of course, work, work and more work, there really hasn't been a great deal of time. Most evenings have been spent simply relaxing.

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I did manage to pull out an ugly, scrappy crochet project and make a little progress. I call it ugly because I really don't like the collection of yarns or what I've managed to produce with them so far. The yarns are a heavier weight than the DK yarns I usually work with, so they don't mix well with my stash. There isn't a huge amount of each colour either, probably just enough altogether to make a lap-sized throw. The colours simply aren't friends with one another—they don't seem to play nicely together at all! Still, I shall persevere. It keeps me warm while I crochet on these cold winter evenings, and who knows, perhaps it will grow on me. Maybe I'll show you a photo when it's finished! 

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One day over the weekend, when I got home from work, Tony was settled playing his game. It was rather loud, so I escaped to the peace and quiet of my sewing room. 

I pulled out some pre-cut I Spy fabrics, rummaged through my stash for suitable sashing, and finally made a small start.

 Not a huge amount was achieved, but it's a start. 

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While I haven't done a great deal of sewing, I have managed to add to my collection. You all know I enjoy browsing the local Facebook selling pages, and recently I found an English Paper Piecing project that was looking for a new home. 

The previous owner had made a start on these two-sided hexagons, created from diamonds. 

Now I have a decision to make. Her sewing isn't the neatest, but many of the hexagons are already complete, front and back. Do I unpick and start again, or simply continue what she began? I even wondered whether I could disguise some of the untidy seams with decorative embroidery, a little like a crazy quilt. We'll see. It's one to think about.

The bundle also included a small collection of pre-cut elongated hexagons, much longer than the Lucy Boston style long hexagons, along with some squares. 

They might be fun to play with and perhaps even add to one day. You never know where a little bundle like that might lead and happily, she thoughtfully included her templates.

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Then yesterday, on my way home from work, I stopped at a house just around the corner. I thought I was collecting a bundle of pinwheel blocks. It turned out to be so much more! 

There are enough pinwheel blocks for a lovely throw-sized quilt, along with a generous pile of half-square triangles waiting to be assembled. 

I also came home with a stack of pre-cut charm squares, again enough for a good-sized throw.

 A quilt top already pieced from charms and offcuts.

 It's a little untidy in places, but I think I can work with it. Perhaps some large appliqué would hide a few of the little oopsies. Or maybe I'll just quilt and donate? (At the moment it feels a little like my current crochet project. Maybe if I hang it somewhere and just "wait and see". Then maybe, inspiration will strike). 

The box also contained a collection of cotton offcuts. 

A small table runner that simply needs binding to call it finished

Maybe it was going to be an art piece?

 Ribbons.

 Some velvet-style fabrics 

(I'm not sure whether they'll stay or be passed on).

A huge collection of satin-style fabrics. 

Most are at least fat-quarter sized, with a few much larger pieces. I'm not entirely sure what they are or how I'll use them, but they seem to be talking to me, so they'll be staying for now. (I might take one or two of these to club next weekend and see what the other ladies think).

As we chatted, the lady I was purchasing from told me the fabrics and projects had belonged to her mother. She wasn't really a patchworker, but she loved to craft, making teddy bears and all sorts of other things. She isn't a sewer herself, but she wanted to make sure her mother's treasured stash found its way into the hands of people who would appreciate it and actually use it, rather than simply dropping it all off at an op shop.

What touched me most was hearing that every dollar raised from selling her mother's craft supplies will be put aside for the great-grandchildren. I thought that was such a lovely idea. Her mother's creativity is still bringing joy to others, while at the same time leaving a little gift for the next generation. I don't think she could have wished for a nicer legacy. 

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It's always exciting bringing home new-to-me fabrics and unfinished projects. They spark ideas, inspire new plans, and sometimes present a challenge that is just too tempting to ignore. Of course, collecting them is the easy part. The real challenge now is to stop admiring them and actually get on with making something!

Today is my only day off this week, so there are plenty of household jobs waiting for me as well as a sewing room that is calling my name. Hopefully, before too long, I'll have a little more progress to share on the I Spy quilt, and perhaps one or two of these rescued treasures will begin their next chapter.

Until next time, happy stitching.

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Home Again... with a Suitcase Full of Memories.

 Of course, no holiday is complete without a little shopping!

I told you all about the must-have teapot and how the search for it led me to rediscover a very dear friend from my childhood. 

You could read the story here if you missed it. 

In the image you'll see not only the teapot, but also a beautiful matching mug and a snood. The snood has already proved its worth. Since arriving back in New Zealand and straight into winter, I've been wearing it to keep my neck warm on my walks to work.

From the same collection I was also able to find a tea towel and an apron. 

 Sadly, the apron is rather small for my matronly figure, so it won't be seeing kitchen duty, 

but it looks lovely hanging on the back of the kitchen door.

Of course, there were a few other treasures that simply had to come home with me. I found a beautiful book of Manx fairy tales.

A piece of Manx Hunter's tartan,

The same tartan that Jiffy wore for his wedding day. 

 A large piece of fabric printed all over with the Triskellion – the famous Three Legs of Man. 

While I was browsing in that same shop, I spotted some delightful fairy scissors sitting on the counter. Well... they simply had to come home with me! 

Along with them came an equally cute thimble and some not so cute bobbin holders. 

Not all of my shopping happened in actual shops. I also did a little online shopping and had a few parcels delivered to my brother's house. One delivery contained a lovely bundle... or rather four bundles... of batik fabrics. 

After all, I'd used up quite a bit making the two large quilts that I gifted while visiting the island. 

Then I spotted the papers for Wensleydale and the templates for Diamond Exchange, two beautiful Jen Kingwell quilt patterns that have been on my wish list for a while. 

I already owned the Quilt Recipes book, so now I have everything I need to get started.

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One of the nicest surprises came while catching up with friends. Ray asked how my collection of poppy pins was coming along. I showed him an old photograph of the collection displayed in our dining room, and to my delight he presented me with around a dozen more pins to add to it. 

When I arrived home, I had to rearrange the display and remove some of the paper poppies to make room for the new additions. Once it was finished, I sent Ray an updated photograph. He was delighted to see how much the collection had grown.

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Each item has a memory attached to it – a place visited, a conversation shared, or a person who made the trip even more special. Every time I make a pot of tea, wrap my snood around my neck, use my fairy scissors, or glance at my poppy collection, I'll be reminded of a wonderful journey back to the Isle of Man.

Now we're home again, back in New Zealand, surrounded by mountains painted white with snow and looking absolutely stunning. We've settled back into our familiar routine of eat, sleep, work, repeat. But that's alright. There's something comforting about everyday life and familiar routines.

Although I will always think of the Isle of Man as home, New Zealand is home too. It's where my sewing machines live, where my garden waits for me, where my projects are scattered across the house, and where everyday life quietly carries on. As wonderful as it was to return to the Isle of Man and spend time with family and friends, it is equally good to be home again.

Thank you for following along on our journey. I hope you've enjoyed travelling with us.

One last look at my beautiful island. Peel castle on a calm and sunny day.

Artworks that caught me eye....

 One thing I really enjoyed seeing on the island was some of the wonderful artwork. Beautiful murals have appeared all over my home town of Ramsey over the past few years.

I'm sure I missed a few, but here are the ones I managed to capture.

They may not be quite as grand as the painted silos in Australia, but they are beautiful in their own right and certainly brighten up the town.

This first collection was dotted around Ramsey, appearing in unexpected places and adding a splash of colour to everyday life. 

The Dragon was on the wall by Mas's restaurant. 

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The next collection can be found along North Promenade, where I enjoyed many walks during our visit. Along the promenade are small shelters with benches where you can sit looking either out to sea or back inland. 

The walls inside each shelter have been transformed by local artists into beautiful works of art.

I only managed to photograph two of the four shelters this time. Perhaps I'll ask Jiffy to take the children for a walk one day and photograph the other two for me! 

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This next mural had only just been completed during our visit. It was lovely to see what had once been a huge, rather plain wall transformed into a striking Manx interpretation of Hokusai's famous Great Wave. 

Even one of the local hair salons had embraced the idea, with its own colourful piece of artwork decorating the outside of the building. 

Finally, I couldn't leave out the basking shark. He was there to greet me as I arrived on the Isle of Man, proudly displayed on the wall at the airport. 

I didn't manage to photograph him then, but I remembered to take a quick snap while we were checking in for our flight home.

The basking shark is the second-largest fish in the world. Despite its enormous size, it is a gentle giant, feeding only on plankton. Every summer they visit Manx waters, and over the years I've been lucky enough to see several. It seemed rather fitting that this magnificent creature should be there to welcome visitors arriving on the island.

I hope you've enjoyed this little wander around Ramsey with me. Sometimes it's the unexpected pieces of art, tucked away in everyday places, that leave the biggest impression.