One Last Recipe for 2025.

With the greenhouse running ahead of schedule this year, we’ve suddenly found ourselves with tomatoes ripening faster than we can eat them. A lovely problem to have.

So tonight, with our tea, I threw together a tomato salad — one of those quick, simple dishes that somehow always feels like more than the sum of its parts. It’s the kind of salad everyone seems to love, mostly because it doesn’t try too hard. You just use what you’ve got, toss it together, and enjoy the freshness.

Quick Tomato Salad.

Ingredients.

Tomatoes, as many as you need. Any variety, mixed colours looks great. 

Onion, any kind.

Garlic, cloves or salt or crushed or.....  Garlic.

Salt and pepper.

Oil, olive, sunflower, extra virgin.... 

Herbs. Basil, parsley, dried mixed, Italian. Whatever you have.

Method. 

Dice your tomatoes — you can scoop out the seeds and watery bits if you’re that way inclined, but honestly, life’s too short. Into the bowl they go.

Next comes the onion. Any onion. Truly. Today I used a red one (well… purple, but apparently we’re all pretending they’re red). White, brown, Spanish, spring — whatever’s lurking in the pantry will do. Dice it finely and toss it in.

Then garlic. Again, whatever form you’ve got is perfectly acceptable. My home‑grown garlic isn’t ready yet, so I reached for the jar of garlic granules. Fresh or packaged, just about a clove’s worth — crushed, sprinkled, or shaken — in it goes.

Same with the herbs. I used fresh parsley and basil today, but dried herbs work just as well. No fuss. No ceremony. Just throw them in once you have them finely chopped.

Now for the oil: a splash or three. I like olive oil — extra virgin if I’m feeling fancy — but use whatever you have. For five or six good‑sized tomatoes, I add about two tablespoons. 

A grind of salt, a crack of pepper, and give it all a good stir.

It’s best if you let it sit for an hour or two. Don’t put it in the fridge — it sulks in there. I just cover the bowl and pop it in the pantry. Stir again before serving.

Leftovers will keep for a day, but no more. And no, I still don’t put them in the fridge. Just cover the bowl and back into the pantry it goes. Though I rarely have leftovers of this salad.

And that’s it — one last little kitchen moment to round out 2025. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated, just a bowl of tomatoes doing their best. If only all year‑end tasks were this easy.

So that’s me done for the year — finishing on a tomato salad and a smile. Wishing you all a Happy New Year, a joyful Hari Hou, and a cosy Bleïn Vie Noa. May 2026 bring full plates, warm days, and the only pleasant surprises.

Hari Hou (Māori: “Happy New Year”)

Bleïn Vie Noa (Manx Gaelic: “Good New Year”)

The 2025 Creative Round up.

This time last year I was writing my list for the Chookshed Challenge — ten projects I planned to work on through the year. They could be works in progress, UFOs, or even new starts. And right from the beginning… well, things didn’t quite go to plan. Let’s have a look at how that unfolded.

January was easy: make a start on my secret Christmas ornaments.
I did exactly that — three little ornaments stitched and tucked away. A good, confident beginning.

February was to work on an adopted project. I pulled it out, had a play, and very quickly realised it wasn’t for me. So I repackaged the whole thing and passed it on. Hopefully someone out there has turned that collection of fabrics into something lovely.

March was meant to be the month I quilted the Papaver Pizzazz top. I loaded it onto the frame… and it’s still there. Unfinished. I hadn’t realised it had been that long. I really should take another look at it — or pull it off the frame and get something else moving.

April was a two‑parter.
First: make a scrappy quilt top. Done.

Second: take my Down in the Garden stitcheries to Baradine and make progress. Which I did, completing one block and making progress on a second. I even kept working on those blocks after we got home.

May was supposed to be ruler work — practising what I’d learned in a class. I did do some… but not until June.

Which brings us to June, where the Chookshed Challenge was (again) to make progress on the Down in the Garden stitcheries. And I did. Those blocks got a surprising amount of attention this year, considering everything else that fell by the wayside.

By July, I rewrote my challenge list… and then abandoned the whole idea altogether.

So what did I do in 2025? 

Let’s take a look.

January

I started the year by preparing all of my Down in the Garden blocks, knowing they’d be coming with me to Scrub Stitching. I made a small amount of progress on a Winter Fairy cross stitch project. I also quilted and bound my Windswept quilt top. And I tried — with varying success — to sew or crochet for 15 minutes each morning, either before work or before the day properly began.

February

A very productive month. I quilted and bound the Blue Lanterns EPP top, put together two scrappy quilt tops, and even pulled out some orphan blocks to create a third. I made my swap gift for Scrub Stitchin’, did a little work on Celestial Stars EPP, and kept up my 15‑minute morning crochet ritual.

March

A milestone month. I completed the embroidery on the tablecloth my beautiful Mum began when she was just 11 years old. After all these years, it’s finally finished — I kept my promise to her. I also worked on scrappy hexies and continued trying to keep up with my 15‑minute mornings.

April

Scrub Stitchin’ month. I took my Down in the Garden stitcheries and made progress on two blocks. I also worked on my Celestial Stars EPP project — more pieces were added after we got home. A cosy scrappy crochet blanket grew under my hook, and the hexies kept me company too.

May

This month was all about heirlooms. With Mum’s tablecloth completed, I turned my attention to the other pieces I’d inherited. Gran’s doilies became pretty angels, giving them new life. I also adopted a partially stitched cross‑stitched bumblebee — about a third done — and got stuck in straight away.

June

The bumblebee was finished, and I returned to my Down in the Garden blocks, making more progress there. A quiet, steady month of stitching.

July

The knitting needles came out. I finished a scarf that had been lingering since last year, made progress on the latest scrappy crochet blanket, and knitted another scarf — this one for donation.

August

More knitting. A second donation scarf, and another scarf to gift. The scrappy crochet blanket grew a little more too.

September

The sock journey began. I cast on Voirrey’s boots and kept going. I also completed the scrappy crochet blanket — a satisfying finish.

October

October was mostly about failing to knit a sock. My high after completing Voirrey’s boots didn’t last long — the sock journey brought me right back down to earth. I did, however, make some progress on the mohair sweater I’d started earlier, so the month wasn’t a total loss.

November

The sock disaster continued. Eventually I saw the light and gave up.   I turned my attention to knitted washcloths instead. That didn’t go smoothly either, but I got there in the end.

November also saw the return of my sewing needles. I pulled out my neglected Christmas ornaments and finished them — just in time to catch the last international post. And the hexies came back into play.

December

A return to the sewing machine. I pulled out Christmas fabrics and used offcuts and scraps on paper foundations to make Christmas pot holders for my club Secret Santa, and placemats for the children to use for Christmas lunch.

My last finish of the year was a cross‑stitched cat for Tony — though I accidentally dated it 2023.

So as you can see, 2025 was a mixed bag.

The Chookshed Challenge was abandoned, the “15 minutes a day” was more miss than hit, and the great sock‑knitting adventure was… well, a learning experience. But there were highs too — lovely ones. The bumblebee was completed, the kitty cat was stitched, the ornaments were finished and posted in time, and somehow, in the middle of everything, a few quilt tops and two fully completed quilts made their way into the world.

So no Chookshed Challenge for me in 2026. Instead, there’ll be a simple list of works in progress that may or may not get a visit, depending on how the year unfolds. And alongside that, a very short list of must‑do projects — the ones that matter most, the ones I really want to see finished.

A gentler approach. A realistic one. And hopefully, a joyful one.

If you’ve made it to the end of this epic saga, congratulations — you deserve a cuppa and maybe a lie‑down. It’s been a year of triumphs, tangles, abandoned plans, surprise finishes, and the occasional creative meltdown, but somehow it all stitched itself into something worth celebrating. Here’s to 2026, whatever shape it decides to take.

Christmas Day: Treasures, Tea, and a Tiny Mix‑Up

 I know some of you haven’t even gone to bed yet after Christmas Eve, but I’ve found a few quiet moments before the next round of celebrations begins. The children have been — full of delight and energy — and although their visit was brief (their calendars are packed today), it was lovely to see them enjoy their gifts.

🎁🎁🎁

So now I’m tucked into a peaceful pause before we head out for tea, and I wanted to share a few treasures from the day.

🎁 Santa was very kind to me this year.

He brought me a stunning Jen Kingwell book — Quilt Recipes. I don’t even remember dropping a hint, but apparently I did! Santa said it was a proper treasure hunt to track down, and he was so pleased to get his hands on a copy. It’s beautiful, and I can’t wait to dive in.

He also found an amazing jigsaw puzzle: Magician’s Library by Michele Farella. We’re both readers, so it feels very appropriate — full of magical details and towering bookshelves. We’re looking forward to doing it together.

Another perfect gift was Lee Child’s latest Reacher novel, Exit Strategy. We both enjoy the series, and Tony was clever enough to double‑check my list before buying — I keep a running tally of the Reacher books and cross them off when I find them in op shops. Even though this one’s brand new, he still checked. Very clever love.

And finally, from Tony/Santa, a macramé plant hanger kit — just in time, as a colleague gave me a baby off her curly spider plant. It’ll need somewhere to live, and this kit is just the thing.

And it's in a beautiful box that is just asking to be reused later.

🎁 My Secret Santa at work knows me well too.

She found a scissor keeper, a fantail‑shaped needle gauge, and some lovely stitch markers. I adore the gauge — it’s shaped like a New Zealand fantail (piwakawaka), one of my favourite little garden visitors. They’re such sweet birdies, always flitting about with cheerful energy.

I didn't think to take a photo of my Secret Santa gift. My colleague received two of my knitted cloths and a decorated plate. A dusty purple plate with diamante dotted all over it and the words 'Queen of Bling'. She is the queen of bling, all of the desk accessories in her office have diamante on them, the sticky tape holder, the stapler, the pen pot.... Everything is covered in sparkling diamante. The top of her desk is covered in a marbled purple mat and she often has purple hair. I hope she likes it. I haven't seen her since the gifts were shared out. Some opened them at the time, and other like myself and my secret swapper saved our gifts for Christmas day. 

🎄🎄🎄

Tony was delighted with his gifts too, and pointed out that I’d stitched the date on the kitty cat ornament as 2023. I promise I only just finished it last week! I’m really not sure where my mind was the day I did that — perhaps still catching up with the calendar.

And to those of you who saw the photo on my blog and said nothing…

I’m starting to think you were being very polite. Or perhaps you were just as dazzled by the kitty as I was and missed the date entirely.

Well I'm not changing it. It's too much like hard work to remove the felt backing just to undo a single digit. 

🎄🎄🎄

It’s been a joyful day so far — full of thoughtful surprises, shared smiles and gleeful giggles from grand children.

I wonder if I have time to sew a few hexies before we head off to tea with friends?

 I hope your day unfolds with warmth, laughter, and maybe a few unexpected treasures of your own.

From Mending to Making: A Festive Weekend in the Sewing Room

 This afternoon a colleague reached out asking for a bit of help. One of the residents’ patchwork quilts had come back from the laundry with some damage — a few of the patches were badly frayed and looking very sorry for themselves. The resident was understandably upset; the quilt was gifted to her years ago and she treasures it.

Of course I could help.

A quick dig through the greens drawer turned up the perfect replacement fabric. I carefully cut away the ragged remnants of the old patches, measured up, and stitched in fresh pieces. It didn’t take long at all to set them neatly into place. Before I knew it, the quilt was whole again and I had a satisfying little pile of threads to bury.

My stitching even ran right through the label — a reminder of how many hands and stories a quilt can carry.

And here it is now: repaired, refreshed, and ready to be loved again, its pretty tree blocks standing proud.

Can you spot the replacement pieces? There are four of them.

*

Still in repair mode, I pulled out a table runner that’s been waiting patiently for ages — just needing a very simple fix. The cream fabric had pulled away from the gold, fraying around my stitching and looking a bit forlorn.

One quick tweak of the stitch selector and I had exactly what I needed. I eased the fabric back into place, and in moments, the repair was done. It’s visible, yes — but happy. A little scar that says, “I’ve been used, I’ve been loved, and I’m still here.”

*

Enough repairs! Time to move on to creation.

I had spent the morning making foundation paper blocks with Christmas fabrics—scrappy, cheerful, and full of personality. Once the squares were joined, I whipped up two frankenbatts in just the right size. A bit of fast and basic quilting, and then a rummage through the binding scraps turned up a perfect black piece—just long enough. On it went.

Tony cooked tea—a beautifully done steak with coleslaw—so I was able to sit comfortably and sew while he cooked. After eating, I settled in to finish closing the binding, and before long, the stitching was done.

And here they are—complete, festive, and ready for Charmaine and Torstein to use tomorrow.

Let me see, what else has been happening?

My handmade ornaments have all arrived safely at their new homes, so I can finally share. This year I tried working with felt — a new material for me. Things didn’t turn out quite as amazing as I’d imagined, but I’m happy with my first efforts. 

They’re cheerful, handmade, and stitched with love.

And speaking of ornaments, Janice has been busy too. She made this beautiful hexie tree to hang on my Christmas tree — such thoughtful work, and so very me. 

Thank you, Janice. It’s absolutely beautiful.

The lovely Maria has also been creating, and this week her handmade card arrived in the post. Just look at this beauty — festive, elegant, and full of heart.

Thank you Maria. 

*

Last time I shared my completed cross stitch, it was waiting to be fully finished — something we could hang on the wall here at home.

This week, I popped it into a wooden embroidery hoop and backed it with a piece of soft felt. Now it’s all wrapped and tucked under the tree, ready for Tony. He hasn’t seen it yet, so it’ll be a surprise — and I think he’ll love it. He’s especially fond of cats, and always enjoys my stitching, so this little feline face will be right up his alley.

*

And that just about wraps up my Christmas preparations for the year. The shopping is done, with only one or two little things left to wrap. I’ve got two more shifts to work — Monday and Tuesday — and then I’ll be off duty for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. A lovely stretch of quiet days to look forward to.

But before all that, we have Charmaine and Torstein visiting tomorrow for Sunday lunch. The children will be excited to see the trees, and it feels like the perfect way to begin the festive week: good company, good food, and a home full of handmade things ready to be enjoyed.

Garden Notes, Needle News, and a Weather Watch

I’ve worked the weekend and missed out yet again on Chooky’s Zoom session.

But I have been doing some stitching and sewing — more about those later. As you know, the Christmas decorations are all up and the empty boxes have been put away. So now that I have two days off, I can play.

But first, the chores.

 I’ve been out to the garden for a look around and a tidy‑up this morning. The rhubarb is growing like a weed — and in my opinion, it is a weed, nasty tasting stuff that it is. But I thinned it out and brought a bundle indoors to stew for Tony, who loves it. I added the grated rind and juice of an orange to the pan — he really loves it when I make it that way.

I also brought in the latest offerings from the veg garden. Two little cauliflowers, a variety that only grows to baseball size. Just right for the two of us. That was the last of the cauli, so it’s time to think about what else might grow in that patch beside the broccoli.

Speaking of broccoli, it’s coming along nicely too. I brought in the first head today — there are more coming along very well. I left that plant in the ground, of course, so it can keep producing.

While I was outside, I popped into the greenhouse and was pleased to see the cherry tomatoes ripening well. We’ve already picked a few, and there should be a bowlful ready in the next few days — nothing quite like home‑grown tomatoes. The larger varieties are still green, but there’s plenty of fruit set, so with a little patience we’ll be gathering those soon too.

I have some ironing to do before I scoot into town to gather a few essentials, then I get to sit and sew. The weather forecast for later today and tomorrow is not looking good — thunderstorms all day tomorrow, with hail! My little car will be staying safely in the garage. I only just got it back from being repaired after the last hailstorm.

As promised, here’s an update on recent needle happenings. I completed a total of four knitted washcloths, then wrapped them up and popped them into a Santa box — completely forgetting to take a photo. You’ve seen some of them before, knitted in that pretty pinky‑purple yarn.

I’ve also finished the cross‑stitching on the kitty cat. Today I’ll complete it properly — I think I’ll pop it into a hoop and sew on a felt backing.

And then there are the hexies. They’re starting to come together, though I’m still not one hundred percent sure where this project is going. For now, I’ll just keep adding flowers to the garden.

Another recent project was repairing my shoulder bag. It’s a lovely soft leather and just the right size to hold my purse, phone, shopping list, and a few other essentials. I noticed the strap was breaking right at the point where it joins the bag. 

I don’t want a new bag — the only thing wrong with this one was the strap. So I pulled out Jack the Ripper and began to unpick. Once I got it out, the damage was worse than I thought. Hmm. I cut away the damage and set to sewing everything back together. It’s not a perfect job — yes, one strap is a couple of centimetres shorter than the other — but it’s not noticeable, and now my bag should last a while longer.

The sky is already looking rather moody and threatening. I think I’ll make a quick dash into town for those groceries before the heavens open. Then it’s straight back home, tucking my little car safely into the garage — no hail dents this time, thank you very much! After that, the fun begins: a cosy afternoon of stitching and sewing while the storm rumbles outside.

This Summer is starting with some very questionable weather patterns. 

A Forest of Memory: Our Four Christmas Trees

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Heron house… and yes, we have four trees.

 Four!

🎄🎄🎄🎄

 Each one has its own personality, its own rhythm, and its own story to tell.

The three taller trees are especially dear to me. Their branches hold more than ornaments—they carry memories. Many of the decorations are handmade, stitched or shaped by my own hands, or yours, or gifted by friends who know how much I treasure craft. Some were gifts from my children and others are souvenirs from our travels through Europe, angels from Hamburg, and hand painted bells from Vienna, to name just a couple, each a tiny reminder of the places we wandered and moments we tucked away.

Each tree has its own collection: silver bows and angels, blue baubles and garlands, red and gold sparkle. Together they form a chorus of color and memory, each branch a page in our family’s story.

And beneath them? Patchwork tree skirts, of course. Quilted with love, they catch the sparkle and ground the magic—like seasonal quilts laid out to cradle the trees in warmth.

The Oldest Ornament

Atop the tree that carries only handmade ornaments sits the oldest decoration of them all: a soft stitched angel. She was made for my lovely mum by a dear friend, and she has watched over many Christmases since. Her wand still glimmers, her stitched eyes still rest gently closed, and she remains a quiet guardian of our celebrations.

The Fourth Tree

The fourth tree is a tiny one, but it holds its own charm. Perched with those Hamburg angels flying from it's branches and topped with a cheeky penguin acquired from a cracker somewhere in Christmas past, it reminds me that joy doesn’t depend on size. Even the smallest branches can carry delight and plastic whimseys can bring cherished memories. 

A Forest of Memory

Together, these four trees form more than decoration—they are a forest of memory. There is silver and sparkle, feathers and bows, angels and penguins, and even a few cheeky surprises. But more than anything, there’s love—woven into every ribbon, every stitch, every branch.

Christmas in our home is not just about lights and ornaments. It’s about continuity, craft, and the stories we carry forward. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Christmas Magic in the Making.

 Inspired by a scrappy Christmas quilt I glimpsed somewhere on Facebook, I set to this morning and stitched up a handful of my own scrappy style festive blocks. 

I shuffled them around on the floor, playing with layouts and possibilities. The plan was simple: a quick table runner or topper for a Secret Santa gift.

But while hunting for a suitable offcut of batting, I stumbled across a piece of Insul-Bright—and just like that, a new idea was born. I quickly unpicked the seams holding my blocks together, added some very basic quilting, stitched them back to back and—poof!—I had a pair of pot holders.

I'm very happy with the finished result. They will be gifted on Saturday.

*

After writing yesterday’s post, I got busy. A few chores, then I settled into my chair with needle in hand and worked on the cat cross stitch. I’m happy with the progress—though I’ll feel like I’m being watched as I stitch now! 

I must’ve had an intuitive moment, because I packed it away just minutes before Tony arrived home much earlier than usual. Phew. Secret still safe.

Hopefully I’ll get a little more done today.

After dinner, I made a bit of progress on my knitted washcloth. Flower number two is about one-third done, and I’ll keep going this evening. Some of you have asked about the yarn I’m using—it’s something I’ve had in my stash for a while. 

I’m not sure where I bought it, but I do love it. It’s a very soft cotton, and the colours are so pretty.

*

It’s been a good little stretch of making—scrappy blocks, secret stitches, and soft cotton flowers. I really enjoyed myself this morning; those foundation blocks were such fun to play with. The kitty cat cross stitch is nearly done, the washcloths are coming along, and now it’s time to tuck things away before I head back to work tomorrow. I'm feeling pretty chuffed with my progress and better than I have for quite a few weeks. 

*

Tell me what your needles are doing.