Day Four

 And still busy, busy, busy.

My day started at 5.45 like most days. Tony cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast and after clean up we both pulled out our laptops then at 7.20 Tony went off to work and I wandered into my room knowing I needed to have a tidy up. My Down in the garden project was everywhere.

As well as the results of yesterdays tidy up by my armchair.

I couldn't even sit down while I had a think about it!

So I got stuck in, I put a bunch of stuff away then set about completing the applique on the Garden blocks.

The blocks that still need work also now have a calico border as some of the stitching is very close to the edges. It is all now safely tucked away in a project bag along with the threads, the pattern and border fabrics.

My room looks way better and I was able to get the ironing done. Yay!

Hmm, I neglected to get after shots of the room. I promise you it is waaay better. LOL

Still in tidy up mode I turned my attentions to the quilting room. As I tossed the next quilt top and it's backing over the frame

I had noticed the pile of pantographs on the bed of the frame. My patterns are printed on to normal A4 paper and I have to stick the pages together. I used to pull them apart after each use and put them away in a folder, but that leads to a build up of old tape and the risk of tearing.

 Last year I started to just leave them and pop the next one right on top. It was getting untidy and sometimes they would get hooked up in each other. The solution came to me when I was helping with the crafts at work. 

You can't see it but I've written the names of the pantos onto the cardboard tubes. 

Works for me and looks a lot tidier on my quilting frame.

Time for a walk. There was a nasty looking cloud out there so I opted to walk with Leslie on my TV.

Picking a 3 mile walk. 

I was glad I did as it soon started to rain, though it didn't last long.

It wasn't quite lunch time when I was finished so I got on with organising binding for the Windswept quilt. 

It's not a batik like the rest of the fabrics, but it looks like one and it looks better with the finished quilt than my original choice. I got it cut, joined and sewn on before lunch time. After a quick lunch I decided to get a head start on tonights tea, making lamb patties.

I used this recipe. 

Seekh Kebabs.

1/2 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

tablespoon crushed fresh ginger

500g lamb mince. (Beef is ok too).

1 tea spoon each ground cumin, Ground coriander, garam masala and dried mint.

1 tea spoon salt

1/2 tea spoon each Chilli powder, ground cloves and cinnamon.

8-12 wooden skewers, or kitchen paper squares.

Put the skewers if you're using them, into a bowl of warm water to soak.

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and whizz until well mixed.

I couldn't be bothered getting the processor out so I just mixed by hand today.

 Divide the mixture into 8-12 equal portions and press around the skewers.

Or shape into patties by dropping each portion onto a paper square and using damp hands to form a pattie shape. I pulled out my trusty pattie maker.

I found it at a dollar store and use it every time I make patties.

As you can see it works perfectly.

I piled my patties on to a plate, wrapped them in glad wrap and put them in the fridge.

Next a quick coleslaw. That came ready chopped in a bag from the supermarket. LOL

*

Then I sat down to rest and closed the binding by hand. 

It really didn't take long to close up and add my Loulee label.

By now the sun was shining again so once that was done I took a walk around the garden to see what awaited me today.

I think tomorrow I'll be making more of Uncle Ruffies tomato sauce. I might add one of those zucchini to the mix.

As the sun was out I decided to take another walk, around the block this time. When I got back Tony was home and we got busy together in the garden. Tony with the mower and me with the leaf sucker as the foot paths were starting to look like my quilt top.

That didn't take long and pretty soon Tony was cooking up my patties on the BBQ.

While he did that I took my completed quilt in to the garden for a photo shoot.

It was a bit breezy for the old man tree shot so I laid it on the lawn under old man tree. 

Next I draped it over the bench that Joe made for us.

And finally a quick shot in the leaf litter and bark chips.

And that was my busy day.

Time to sit and maybe do a little crochet.