Rounding up April.

 Well of course the big news is that I went to Scrub Stitchin'. I had a lovely few days sewing along with some lovely ladies. New friends and old.  You can see more about that if you go back a few posts.

I had tweaked my goals for the month to reflect the projects that I planned to take along with me. Lets take a look back in time and see how that went.
Goal #1.
Complete the Chookshed Challenge.
I swapped out the number for this month as Deanna had called #4 but I had prepared # 5 to take along with me. Then a day or two before we left home I pulled out the number 4 fabrics and a quilt top was born. LOL

Hmm, it seems that I didn't get a final photo for this top. I did audition a few bits and pieces for borders, then settled on no border. It's in the waiting to be quilted pile, with some binding from the leftover binding bin! 

Chookshed Challenge #4 achieved.

So what about Chookshed Challenge #5?

Yes it went with me to Baradine and I completed one block.

Only one block? You ask.

Yep. One block.

Here it is keeping great company with Jenny's block.

There was rather a lot of hand stitching to be done.

I packed all nine blocks and took them along, three already stitched and six to be stitched.

I think I was a bit optimistic. LOL

But progress was made, three whole days of it.

That's a success in my book.

Goal #2

Create a Christmas ornament.

Nope!

Failed again.

Goal #3

Craft for a minimum of 15 minutes each day.

Some days we were travelling and I didn't even think about my sewing.

But I did find some very special quiet moments here and there, like sitting on the patio with Janice and working on my EPP.

I also went along to sewing club with Janice. I came away inspired and have added more projects to the 'want to do' list.

I continued to work on my EPP after we got home.

Some Celestial Stars have been born. I need a total of nine of these larger stars, then four quarter stars before making 24 smaller stars.  Still a long way to go. Also since coming home I have been doing a little crochet in the evenings. It's nice to have something over my lap. It is cold here now, especially after the beautiful warm days in Australia.

I've completed a cosy lap size blanket.

It's not the prettiest and it also needs a good stretch. Once that is done it will be donated and will hopefully keep someone warm.

Do Jigsaw puzzles count as crafting for my 15 minutes a day?

If so my tally can climb a little.

Octopussy was started just before we went away and has progressed since we got home.

He's lying on a log cabin quilt, so I'm going to say yes. He can be included in my 15 minutes tally. LOL

I didn't achieve 30 days, but that's ok. I had more hits than misses and very good excuses for the misses.

Goal #4

Try a new recipe and share.

Well if you read my last post you'll know that I tweaked an old recipe, to make it Keto.

OK, ok so I just swapped out the pasta. LOL

I did share a recipe.

'I'm saying goal achieved!

So what else have I achieved this month?

I made a bunch of scrappy Hexie flowers using some adopted fabrics and 1.5 inch papers.

The pile has grown....

Of course there are acquisitions!

Blue came home with me from Australia.

And made herself right at home.

Along with a collection of lovely fabrics, and a couple of kits, thanks to Janice for taking me shopping.

And this morning, more lovely fabrics arrived. Gifted by Sue. 

Some beautiful batiks for me to play with. 

Thank you sew much Sue, so very generous of you.

I also got to hang out in the Chookshed again.

Nagging   Encouraging Chooky to prepare some projects to take along to Scrub Stitchin'.

Janice and Annette were there too.

April was a very good month. I feel incredibly blessed to count Janice and Chooky as my friends, along with all of the lovely ladies I met at Baradine and online through our blogs.

Of course I'm now home again.

Today is a dark, cold and wet day.

A great day to stay home and sew.

Or plan what I might do with the latest family heirloom I found hidden in the linen pile. 

So I did some more to my jigsaw puzzle.

And wrote a blog post.

A New Recipe.

 This is not a new to us recipe, but a great one for sharing. Neither Tony nor I can ever remember what it's called, but we do remember the words across the top of the page.

And we just call it "Jack (age 9)".

It came to mind today when we were discussing favourite foods with some residents at work. I suddenly remembered Jack (age 9), and later remembered that we would be having sausages for tea tonight. I couldn't recall the recipe but hoped that I could make it Keto style.

As soon as I got home from work I went digging for the recipe.

YES I COULD MAKE IT KETO!!

There is only a tiny amount of flour and I could sub out the pasta for a keto pasta.

Here you go.....

Sausage and mushroom stroganoff.

Approved by Jack (aged 9) and Tony.

Serves 4.

500g Sausages. The recipe says pork, but I just use what ever I have.

1 onion diced.

2 cloves garlic, crushed.

200g button mushrooms sliced.

1 t spn smoked paprika.

1 t spn all purpose flour.

1 tb spn tomato paste.

1 cup stock.

2 tb spn Worcestershire sauce.

1/2 cup sour cream.

1/3 cup fresh chives finely chopped.

Fry the sausages in a little oil until golden on all sides. Set aside for now.

Add onion, garlic and mushrooms to the same pan and cook until the onions are soft and the mushrooms are golden. Sprinkle on the paprika and flour and stir in. Add tomato paste and cook stirring for 1 minute. Gradually add the stock and the Worcestershire sauce to the pan, stirring constantly until well combined. Cut the sausages in to bite size pieces and add them back to the pan. Stir until the mixture comes to the boil, partially cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 mins or until your sausages are cooked through. Stir through the sour cream, allow it to warm, season to taste and serve with pasta.

OMG! Tony and I used to make home made pappardelle. No wonder we piled weight on! Tonight it was keto fettucine, though to be honest we really didn't need the pasta, just a bowl of sausages and mushrooms would have been enough. 

A picture from the magazine, because I forgot to take a photo of my version and we ate it all. 

I added a handful of green beans tonight, sometimes it's peas or corn.

There you have it. My new recipe for April.

I hope you like it.

More Heirlooms.

 So the other day I was biffing out our linen pile. Getting rid of some threadbare sheets and tired pillow covers. I came across three more of my Grand mothers hand sewn lovelies. 

There is a pair of pink pillow covers.

As you see they don't have Grans signature daisies but a very pretty cherry blossom.

I've pulled them to the top of the pile and I plan to use them.

They are a little faded, but I can live with that.

Here is a closer look at the beautiful stitches.

As I said there is a pair of these. I remember Mum using them and had forgotten that they had come to NZ with me.

Also tucked away in the back of our walk in closet was this poor thing.

I recall this being on my bed at Grans house. At one time I guess it was on Mums bed at the same house as Mum loved yellow and I was sleeping in her old bed when I stayed over.

A long time ago.

It wasn't stained or torn then.

And the daisies still had their stems.

There are what appears to be blood stains all over the back side and a few holes also.

It's very faded. I recall it being a stronger yellow colour. This image is washed out, in real life it is a little more yellow, though not as yellow as the table cloth of Mums that I recently completed.

The missing stems I can replace, the perished hardanger stitches, maybe. But what to do about all the holes and stains?

What to do??

Current thinking is to cut away the Oxford edge which is attached Hardanger style and is already falling off. As I was unfolding it to take a look more stitches gave up, I guess they are perished. I could re attach it but there is that big stain with the frayed edge, so maybe pull it off completely?  And maybe cut away the back too as it is quite badly stained and has more than a few holes. 

Which would leave just the front, with those pretty white daisies.

I could make it into a table runner, or perhaps something to go over my dresser in my bedroom, one less surface to dust! LOL

I could keep the back, add little patches over the holes and pop a piece of batting between the layers, do some simple quilting then add a pretty trim of some kind? I've seen bias trims with lace edges?

Suggestions and ideas welcomed.

With images and links too if you have them.

I really want to try to preserve this precious item if I can. 

Celestial Stars EPP Progress.

As you know I Completed the stitching on one of my Down in the Garden blocks at Baradine, but before doing that I was playing with my EPP, I also did some EPP when I went with Janice to her sewing club once we got back to Bathurst.

What a very friendly group, I was made to feel very welcome. There was lots of chatter and some very inspiring projects.

I made some good progress on one of these stars. I couldn't tell you which one though. LOL

I also spent some time sat on the patio at Janice's home stitching my EPP. I've continued to work on them since I got home.

As you see I now have six completed stars and another in progress. This project calls for nine complete stars and four quarter stars. I'm thinking I might get the stars and the quarters completed, then put this away for a while and do some more to my down in the garden project before tackling the 24 smaller stars required to finish the quilt top. 

There may also be one or two other hand sewn projects that I would like to give some time and attention too. I'll keep you posted when they show up. LOL

In my sewing room I left the makings of about three scrappy projects lying around before going away.

 I had a wee tidy up after work today, putting away my recent purchases and gifts, making room for focusing on a sewing machine project, any of those scrappy projects would be good, I just need to make a decision, do something and make some progress in there. 

Wish me luck. 

Scrub Stitchin' Part Three.

 Aquisitions...

Of course no trip away for any reason is complete without some shopping and Scrub Stitchin' is no different. There were also one or two gifts, so here goes in no particular order....

A panel of quilt labels as a spot prize for suggesting a fun game with childhood photos. A Sashiko teddy kit from the Crafty Peacock in Bathurst, and a cute basket kit from Sandy (Shiralee Stitches) our wee shop at Scrub Stitchin'.

Janice took me shopping to some of the local stores and I did my bit for the economy. A lovely bundle of fat quarters and Eighths. All beautiful batiks.

A visit to spotlight and another bundle of fat quarters and also two pretty liberty end of bolts.

And more batiks.

The batik Jelly roll and a larger cut piece were found at The Crafters Cottage in Coonabarabran.

The papers and needle tin were from the Crafty Peacock in Bathurst.

At the end of our trip I asked Janice to take me back to Spotlight. This little blue friend is not available in Spotty NZ, our local needlework shop has it but at twice the cost!

Bluey looks right at home up there with my other minis.

Janice gifted me a bunch of glue for EPP and this very cute hexie flower, beautifully finished in a hoop and ready to hang on my wall.

And I gifted a couple of zippy pouches to her. It seems so little. Janice and Mick are wonderful hosts and we felt very welcome in their home.

LOL I forgot to get a picture of the second completed zippy pouch.

But here is an in progress image. LOL

After the main event Tony and I had a few more days with Janice and Mick. We had some days out and some days 'at home'. I have still to sort out all of those photos. 

Scrub Stitchin' Part Two.

 Show 'N' Tell.

Once again I took waaaaay too many photos. I'm not even going to try to explain everything. Suffice to say that the whole thing was very inspiring and I was mixing with a very talented bunch of ladies. The pile of already viewed quilts on the table just kept on growing! Some completed quilts, some flimsies and one or two other items also. Oh and look out for the two special guests, Rosie and Tilly.

Rosie and Tilly sat at the front and waited very patiently until it was their turn in the limelight. 

That is by no means everything that was shown. What an amazing display.