A rescue job and lots of life interruptions.

You know in a recent post I mentioned that my hands were ready to be doing something other than stitchery? I should be careful what I wish for.

I had big plans for my two days off this week, but very little of what I wanted to happen actually happened.

I came home from work on Saturday with a crochet blanket. It belongs to a resident but was falling apart. Just simple Granny Squares, surely, you can fix it Lou?

Well, I did. There were several squares that needed attention some more than others, and after some messing about I settled on a good method of rescuing them.

I also had a good look at the joining, several of the squares were coming adrift from each other. Then as there was no border, just a bunch of joined squares, would I be good enough to add one? 

It's quite a nice blanket, and hopefully my attention will see it last a while longer.

So that took care of my weekend evenings and also my free time yesterday.

The rest of yesterday was taken up with chores and errands.

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Unfortunately, today has been pretty similar and throw in a training thing for work this afternoon. There really hasn't been much time for my things. That said, I stopped for a while at lunchtime and picked up my stitchery. Down in the Garden has progressed a little more. As it was time to move the hoop, I decided that it was time for an updated photo too.

Oh dear, Blogger is doing that thing again. Click on the image for a clearer view. Though even if you don't, you can see that the coloured border is almost complete. I can see the end of this one. Then it will be time to sew all the blocks together. 

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And just before I return to my stitching, a quick look at what a friend of mine has been up to. On Friday Tony and I went to a Wearable Arts show here in town, our friend Ange had an entry which her daughter Ree was modelling for her.

Sadly, Nature's Palette did not win any prizes.

It was an amazing show with some stunning pieces. 

Even Tony was impressed.

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Back to my needle and thread now. 

Then back to work tomorrow. 

A New Recipe.

 I promised you a new recipe and here it is.

Creamy Peppercorn Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken breast, sliced
Broccoli
1 leek, sliced
1–2 tbsp peppercorns in spring water, with some lightly crushed
100–150 ml cream
2–3 tbsp cream cheese
Salt and black pepper

Method

Brown the sliced chicken in a little oil or butter, then remove it from the pan.

In the same pan sauté the sliced leek in butter until softened.

Add the peppercorns, crushing some against the side of the pan to release their flavour.

Stir in the cream and cream cheese. Let it gently simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.

Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until cooked through and the sauce is lovely and creamy.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste. 

Serve with steamed broccoli. I stirred mine into the sauce.  

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You could use any veg you like with this recipe. I've had broccoli and leeks in the garden over winter. The broccoli has gone nuts and I need to use it up. The leeks are still small, I'm hoping they bulk up a little and don't go to flower. I just pulled the largest while I was out there the other day.

Tony loved this meal and announced that this invention test is a keeper. 

Though I think I would use less peppercorns next time.

It's Spring, Down in the Garden.

 It's only just the third day of the month and already one of my goals has been achieved.

My Christmas ornaments are all completed. No photo though, you know I like to keep them secret until after delivery. Though I probably should take photos now, before I forget and give them all away without doing it! LOL

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I've also been making good progress on my Down in the Garden stitchery. Picking away at it here and there.  Here is where I left it last night.  🪡🪡

Blogger really does not like the images of these stitcheries. It is clickable if you would like to see a clearer image.

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I'm at the three days off point in my roster. Yesterday was taken up mostly with chores and errands which included a haircut. While I was awaiting my turn I looked out of the windows in the upstairs salon. It's in a corner building and has wonderful views out over the bay area and also toward the mountains.

It wasn't the brightest of days and the views over the bay weren't much to write about, but looking inland, to the mountains....

The camera sees things differently. Yes they look majestic rising up beyond the back of town, but in real life, I felt like I could just reach out and touch them. They felt so much closer than they appear in this image.

Speaking of views, looking out of our own dining room widow I can see that the big cherry tree has blossom.

Spring is in the air.

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Back to my goals. 

A little more of my time will be about fun today, though there are still other less exciting things to do.  Hopefully I can make some more great progress on the stitchery. I'm ready to have something else to do with my hands. My cross stitch is whispering to me from its resting place behind my armchair. But there are other projects vying for my attention too.  A decision will be made once this one is complete. 

Maybe not today, but I do need to add a little stitching to the memory quilt, once I work out what that is, I will let you know. Then maybe it can progress its way to the frame for quilting. 

And finally for today.

There has also been a new to us recipe. I'll share on another day as it was good.

Now I'm off to peg washing out. Then the fun can commence. 🪡

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September Goals.

 A new month. 

A not so new list of goals.

I plan to keep it simple for September.

1) Progress the Christmas ornaments.

It would be nice to finish them, but if I don't that's ok, just so long as they move along somewhat.

2) Progress Down in the Garden.

Blogger what have you got against this project?

The image should be clicky. It's not the latest block, but it is pretty. 

Getting the last block stitched and all the blocks into a completed top would be ideal, but I will be happy if I can complete the stitchery on the final block.

3) Complete the Memory Quilt.

That should be doable. Maybe one more border.

I have the batting and backing fabric.

The frame is empty at the moment.

4) Progress Lest We Forget/ The Poppy Quilt.

It needs some more hand and machine quilting.

An opportunity to try out my new quilting hoop and stand.

5) Try out and share a new to me recipe.

I have a few lined up to try, hopefully I'll find one to share. 

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That should be enough to keep me busy for a few weeks. 

August Achievements and Acquisitions.

Well here we are at the end of August. Time to have a look back and see how I got on with my goals.

I was late posting goals, they didn't appear until the 10th, but here they are.

1) Make progress on Lest We Forget/ The Poppy quilt. 

I wanted to make progress. And I did. I got a lot of hand quilting completed and also the applique flowers have all had some machine quilting added to them. 

I still have a way to go with this one, but I am happy with the progress I have made.

2)  Make progress on Down in the Garden.

It would have been good to have made a little more progress on this one. But I am working on the last block. It is all stitchery, no pretty fabrics.

All of the words are stitched and about a quarter of the floral border. 

Ugh! Blogger what did you do? The image should clear up if you click on it. 

3) Make progress on The Memory Quilt.

This one made the greatest progress. I cut the feature fabrics/clothing into big blocks, so that helped to speed things along.

It now has one narrow border in the same lilac/pink as the sashing strips. I'm undecided about adding another wider border before quilting and finishing. I might also add some hand stitched details to the two school badge blocks. 

4)  Christmas ornaments.

I made good progress on these. I only needed four more, then added an extra. So I now have five under way and need only to add some details and finishing, and they will be done. Plenty of time.

5)  Get a quilt onto the frame.

Done. I loaded my latest scrappy hexagon quilt onto the frame and got busy.

It was quilted and bound in just a couple of days.

Yay!! A finish.

So there it is. Five goals.

One finished and four with great progress.

All achievements in my book. 

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It was also a good month for acquisitions.

I had some amazing acquisitions in July, all from the same lady who was sorting her mother's stash. The money she made was going into the great grandie's bank accounts. They did very well out of me in July, and August saw me making another deposit into that same account and acquiring two more big supermarket paper sacks filled with fabrics and UFOs. 

It took me quite some time to sort and find homes for all of these new fabrics, many of which are quite large, big enough to join a couple and use for backings.

And of course UFOs are a great head start when it comes to quick finishes. No patterns though. Some will be easy to complete, some will require a little thought.

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A more recent acquisition is exciting for different reasons.

Do you recall I brought home a quilting hoop on loan from the club? I wanted to try it out before making an investment in one for me. 

Last week a friend tagged me on one for sale in Christchurch. Oh my! A bargain!

Tony said go for it!

The vendor had family visiting from Timaru and if I could wait, he could get it to Timaru on Sunday.

For that price, yes I can wait!

So yesterday I got the message to say the vendor's brother was home here in Timaru and expecting me, I hopped into my car.

Not just the hoop, but also the stand.

And a half hoop.

All for $75 NZ

Delivered to Timaru free of charge.

I didn't try out the hand held hoop from club yet, and now possibly won't, 

but I am very much looking forward to trying out my new Hundred Acre Wood hoop and stand.

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I have had some incredibly lucky finds recently.

I thank whatever lucky star it was that sent them my way. 

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And finally, last time I wrote, I mentioned that Torstein and Charmaine were coming for a visit yesterday. They enjoyed a BBQ lunch and as the weather was so nice, they asked if they could build a playhouse. Out came my Grans old wooden tri fold airer which we covered with a big table cloth.

Add a pile of Nannys quilts and blankets and some cushions off the garden furniture and you have a very comfortable playhouse. 

While we were out in the garden the children spotted this visitor.

He doesn't look like much here on the fence. LOL A furry caterpillar about 1 inch long.

They had fun letting it crawl over their fingers and were then persuaded to put it back onto the fence and allow it to get in with his day.

As I said it was a warm day and after the BBQ had gone cold, Charmaine asked about the 'lovely smell'.

The sun was warming the violets, just below where they were playing.

What a beautiful scent they give off. 

That's my news for August.

Time to plan for September. 

An Unexpected Adventure.

It’s my weekend off, and today our grandchildren, Torstein and Charmaine, are coming to visit for a BBQ lunch. It’s a cool but lovely day, which means Grandad will be happily occupied at the BBQ.

Torstein is still a little nervous around the BBQ, although he does enjoy supervising Grandad. Of course, Grandad is teaching him the important things too — how to stay safe, and that the BBQ is never something to approach on his own.

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Yesterday, though, I had a very different day planned.

I got all my chores done nice and early and was looking forward to spending the rest of the day pottering in my happy room, keeping the Fun Machine busy. I did manage a little sewing before Tony appeared and casually suggested we go out for the day.

I nearly dropped the iron!

What a lovely surprise. Of course, I didn't need asking twice. Everything was quickly switched off, and a few minutes later I was happily settled in the passenger seat beside him, with absolutely no idea where we were going.

We headed towards the mountains.

We stopped in Fairlie for an early lunch, having somehow managed to leave home without eating breakfast. We sat upstairs on the balcony, enjoying the sunshine and the view while we decided that this was already turning into a rather lovely day. It was about this point that Tony finally mentioned that he had arranged to meet up with an old Navy buddy who now lives in Tekapo.

Our lunchtime view. Although I have to apologise for the rather prominent lamp post in the middle of the view. I really should have a word with the town planners.

Back in the car, we continued through Burkes Pass in the Two Thumb Range, then down through the wide-open Mackenzie Basin. 

The landscape seemed to stretch out in every direction.

With the magnificent Southern Alps rising ahead of us.

 Lake Tekapo and the township seem almost tucked away among the mountains, a tiny pocket of civilisation in that vast, open landscape.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was surprised yesterday.

Callum hadn't told his wife Julie we were coming either — at least, not until the last minute. She was busy baking in her kitchen when we arrived and apologised for the mess as she welcomed us in.

There was absolutely no need to apologise. I was perfectly happy chatting with her over mixing bowls and a cup of tea while the boys disappeared into memories of their days in the Navy.

Callum and Julie live right beside Lake Tekapo, tucked away in a wonderfully private little corner, well away from the crowds of tourists. And what a view they have!

After Julie and I had gotten to know each other a little and the boys had finished their trip down memory lane it was time to say our goodbyes, we decided to drive a little further around the lake before heading home. 

Looking back towards the township, the lake and mountains stretched out together in the afternoon light.

Then it was time to turn the car towards home. Back through the Mackenzie Basin and Burkes pass along the road toward Timaru. 

Of course, an unexpected day out in the mountains does mean that I didn't get quite as much sewing done as I had planned. But I'm certainly not complaining!

I did manage to get the first border onto the Memory Quilt, so at least the Fun Machine wasn't completely neglected.

Sometimes a day away from the sewing room is exactly what you need — especially when it comes with sunshine, mountains, a lake, an unexpected visit, and a very welcome cup of tea.

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A new to me recipe.

My plans went awry again today. I had hoped to get the borders onto the memory quilt, but that just didn't happen.  I did however get to spend some time out in the garden. It has been a beautifully warm day. I picked some broccoli and got it into the freezer, pulled some weeds and wandered around with a watering can as everything is so very dry. The weather is forecast to change tomorrow, back to winter with a southern front set to bring snow and rain.   

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Before going outside I had made some English Breakfast Muffins. I would share an image, but there is only one left. They are a keto recipe so we had some for breakfast and more for lunch with home made soup. Tony particularly ;likes them and declared that I could make them again!  Next time, I'll get a photo and share the recipe. 

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Today, I'll share one of the recipes I mentioned yesterday.

Raspberry Jelly Cheesecake.

It was a lot sweeter than a traditional cheesecake even though I used a sugar free jelly. In future I will start with less sweetener and add more later if I need it.

It is also lighter than my usual cheesecake, more like an Ambrosia. That said, we decided I could make it again, maybe using a different flavour of jelly.  

Jelly Cheesecake. 

Base

150g Almond flour

25 g desiccated coconut.

50 g melted butter

1-2 table spoon your preferred sweetener

Stir the melted butter into the dry ingredients and press firmly down into your springform tin and pop into the fridge to chill.

I just used a glass pie dish.

Filling

250 g cream cheese

1 packet of jelly.

1/2 cup boiling water

300 ml cream

1-2 tablespoons your preferred sweetener.

1 tea spoon vanilla.

(Optional, fruit)

Stir the jelly into the boiling water and set aside to cool. Do not allow it to set.

Whip the cream to firm peaks and set aside.

Beat the cream cheese, sweetener and vanilla until smooth.

Gradually add the jelly and beat in.

Fold in the cream.

If you wish to add fresh or tinned fruit, stir it in now. 

Taste for sweetness and adjust now. 

Pour over the chilled base. Add a little fruit topping if using and chill for 4 - 6 hours. 

Any flavour of jelly will work. I'm keen to try a lemon jelly.

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I did make time to do some sewing today, but it was my secret Christmas ornaments. So no sneaky images. 

I also did a little prep work for some EPP. More about that another time. 

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A Change of Plans but still a Productive Day

Here we are at my rostered days off again.  By working weekends, I'm rewarded with days off at home uninterrupted to do my own thing, in my own time. As you know, my days start early.5.45 ish. Tony is off out of the door by 7am and I make a start. I usually try to get my chores done early, if I'm baking it's good to get the oven on, especially in winter as it warms things up a little. Today all of that went sideways. The man of the house decided he was unwell and staying home. I still got up bright and early but felt that maybe I shouldn't make too much noise as Tony had opted for a lie in. No washing machine. No food mixer, no vacuum.... I sat in my chair drinking tea and contemplating how I might rearrange my day. First, homemade seed crackers, not too noisy and I still get to put the oven on. 

The recipe needs a tweak. Once I'm happy, I'll share.

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A quick tidy in the kitchen and another cuppa.  Next, the base for a cheesecake. Again not noisy and by the time it went into the fridge to chill Tony was up. Yay!! I could really start my day. All the noisy chores were done and out came the mixer and the cheese layer of our dessert was made and poured over the base. 

We didn't try it yet, I'll let you know what it's like. But I will say, a new to me recipe. Cheesecake made with Jelly.

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Off I went into town, groceries were purchased and I headed home again. That didn't take long. By now it was lunch time. Yes, he could eat. Then he crashed. 

He very quickly went from not too good, bit of a sore throat to crashed on the sofa under a crochet blanket.

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That was the end of the noisy stuff. While he was out of the way, I decided to spread memory quilt blocks all over the floor and took a photo.

 Did the shuffle.  Swapped some pieces out completely.

Took another photo and set to sewing the blocks into rows and then the rows into a quilt top. Dashing between the sitting room floor and my chair at the fun machine, in the happy room.  Just as I was finished, Tony stirred and was on the move again. 

Hopefully tomorrow I can get some borders on. 

It could do with a good press, but......

All those manmade fabrics are a worry. I got on OK pressing the interfacing onto the fabrics by covering them with baking paper. Pressing the blocks and even the rows under the paper was ok, but trying to press a whole quilt top under s sheet of baking paper? Maybe not so easy.

Last week I ordered a Teflon coated silicone 'shoe' to fit over the sole of my iron. Hopefully it will be here soon. 

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Time now to look at getting some dinner sorted.

Not quite the day I had in mind. But it was a good day.

A Foggy Start and a Productive Day.

 My days off have come to an end, back to work for me tomorrow.  I've enjoyed my three days. I've been busy in the kitchen, completed chores and errands and I've had fun sewing and quilting. 

Today I had cookies in and out of the oven before 8am. 

Treats for the team at work tomorrow.

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While they were baking I got busy on the quilting frame.  It really didn't take long to finish quilting the hexie quilt. 

While I worked, the sun climbed into a foggy sky.

By the time I was finished, the fog had receded a little and the sun was able to shine in on my quilt.

It's only a small quilt. A nice size for a cot or a lap on a cool evening.

I put the hexies to one side, completed some chores then went out to meet a friend for a cuppa. That was fun. Once I got home it was time to work on the memory quilt again. I got the sashing strips sewn to the other sides today and took the time to press them all.

Here they are, all sixty blocks pressed and waiting to be trimmed.

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After a late lunch I trimmed the hexie quilt and had a look for binding. I was lucky and found three blue binding off cuts from previous quilts. I sewed them together and sewed them on. By the time Tony came home I was settled in my chair closing the binding by hand.

No, your eyes are not playing tricks. It has wavy edges. I'm not quite sure what happened there. Never mind, I wasn't aiming for a prize winner. Just a little something to keep me busy and to keep someone warm. 

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Was it last week? Or the week before? That I laid out my goals for August.

By my count, I have achieved them all.

1) Progress on Lest we forget.     ✔

2) Progress on Down in the Garden. ✔

3) Progress on the memory quilt. ✔

4) Christmas Ornaments. ✔

5) Get a quilt onto the frame. ✔

All of that and I still have time left. 

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Back to work for the weekend. Then I'll have two more days off.

More time to sew and play.

I hope your weekend plans include some sewing.

Another Busy Day in the Happy Room 🪡

So here I am, day two of my rostered days off, and though it’s only 2pm, it’s already been another busy day!

I had my chores done by 8.30, then I took myself into the happy room and got busy with the Fun Machine. It was still loaded with a quilting needle and red thread, so I set about adding some more quilting to Lest We Forget.

I’m happy with my progress, and all of the poppies are now quilted. I do still need to work on the leaves and add some final touches before binding this one. 

And I won at thread chicken! The bobbin was just about to run out when I cut the last thread. Talk about cutting it fine!

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Next, I set about cutting the sashing fabric for the memory quilt.

I got one piece sewn onto each block before calling time on that project for the day. It was time to head into town on an errand for Tony.

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I was home just in time for lunch, and while it was cooking I loaded a scrappy hexie quilt onto the frame.

After eating, I set to quilting a meander design. I quilted until the bobbin ran out.

Are you seeing a theme here? LOL.

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Now it’s time to sit in my comfy chair and stitch some more flowers onto the final Down in the Garden block. I made good progress yesterday and hope to get lots more done today.

And with that, I’m off to do some more stitching. 🪡

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