Paradise beckons.....

Back in a week! Adios, amigos!

School Hols

We're swimming every day this week - well, when I say "we", I mean the boysies. I am just the driver and cheerleader. Swimming intensives are part of our holiday activity schedule now. They get us out of the house and out of our pj's. We would pretty much spend the whole week lazing about if it wasn't for the swimming. Then I'd get the guilts about not taking them to the Aquarium, or the Museum, or Scienceworks because I can't be arsed with the school holiday crowds. I can now let myself off the hook by getting them out of the house, at least!!

Next week we're off to Cairns! Oh, happy day! Warm weather! Pools! My lovely friend, Lucimar who has two wonderful daughters who will want to play with the boys all week!

Mum's birthday present

It is the year of the quilt when it comes to presents from me, it seems! Having made a quilt for my MIL, I thought it best to make one for my mum too, as her birthday is on Friday.

She's a big fan of red and black and I had bought at my first ever Australian Quilt Convention in Melbourne (2008) a quilt kit featuring vintage kimono silk in a beautiful, vibrant red and black- (it is, co-incidentally, the strip of the local rugby team her and Dad support) I didn't have time to piece it according to the pattern, which wasn't really to my taste anymore, anyway, so just sewed the strips, added a border to the sides and Voila!

 It is wonky. The seams are less than straight. And there are puckers in the quilting.

The silk was hard to stop slipping even though I used lots of pins in the basting.

I don't think she'll mind.

Backed it with black quilter's flannel (never again - picks up every bit of thread and lint possible) and Amy Butler Lotus that I'd been saving but was the only thing even close to the right colour and size in my stash. All to a good cause! Appliqued in red silk.

I really like the way it turned out, even though it is not as perfect as it could be. Bit like me, really!

When only the best will do...

Only the finest vintage Japanese kimono silk for Madamoiselle Nina's lounging pleasure, if you please...

"That lazy minx of a seamstress is making me a little trifle to rest my beautiful self upon."

(Actually, annoying, middle of the night meowing, always hungry, prone to dreadlocks, not that friendly except to me, furball - the silk trifle if for my gorgeous mother's birthday on Friday - so GEDDOORRRRRFF!!!)

Pincushion Parade

I've made a few pincushions in the past few weeks.

I quite like them, which surprises me...
.. I always thought they were a bit pointless!!

They're quick to do, cute and I love working with felt. 

Great way to use up your scraps.

This one was supposed to be for my little niece in NZ but in the last minute leaving confusion, the Drake thought both the pear and the elephant were pincushions and the elephant was for my MIL. 
Pretty bloody big and way too cute to be a pincushion, methinks! 
And she only sews a few buttons on and fixes a hem here and there so a bit wasted on her to be honest! 
Luckily she's lovely and the niece has soft toys, aplenty.

It's Eli Elephant from Two Little Banshees.

Now I've entered a pincushion swap and we had to do a flickr mosaic of the ones we like. My god! It's opened up a whole new pincushiony world to me!!!

1. Toadstool Cottage and Mushroom House #2,
2. Green Apple Pincushion,
3. Wizard Home Pincushion, 

4. ChocoVanilla Cupcake Pincushion, 

5. coloriffic pincushion,
6. Mushroom Fairy House,
7. [ alfineteira n.3 ], 

8. little garden pin cushion,
9. Bottle Cap Pincushion #263,
10. Caddy Pincushion, 

11. Little school of goldfish pincushions,
12. Apple, 13. Strawberry Cottage Pincushion Front, 

14. Pear preserves., 15. Little tree with red beads,
16. Acorn Pincushion, 

17. Mushroom pincushion,
18. Wool felt green apple

As inspired as I was I decided to create
 Ludwig the Ladybird! 


He's not quite (translation: millions of miles away from being)
to the Mushroom House standard...but I like 'im!

Goat's Cheese is the new Chocolate!

I made a Chorizo and Vegetable Lasagne last night. I had it for dinner and again for lunch today. My god, it was divine! (If I may say so myself)

I have henceforth decided that Goat's Cheese is my new Chocolate. It's zesty earthy taste sends shivers into my tastebuds. 

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I hate tea, and I LOVE Goat's Cheese. 

I most definitely would dance for it!

Recipe here, if you're innerested... You can easily leave out the Chorizo if you want.

Chorizo and Vegetable Lasagne

1 onion

1 tsp Garlic

1 (large) bottle Passata

Salt and pepper

1 pkt Philadelphia Light

1 small Goat's Cheese

Milk

Pesto

Thinly sliced Chorizo Sausage (as good as you can get)

Thinly sliced Pumpkin, Zucchini, Eggplant

Lasagne sheets - Fresh or Dried

Sweat the onion and garlic then add 3/4 of the bottle of Passata and cook for 5 minutes or so. Season well.

Process the Philly and Goats cheese, then add milk 'til it is a saucy consistency.

Layer the Lasagne - tomato sauce first, lasagne, pumpkin, GC sauce, pesto, lasagne, tom sauce, zucchini, GC sauce, pesto, lasagne, tom sauce, eggplant, GC sauce, pesto, lasagne, chorizo, GC sauce, pesto, rest of Tom sauce - add the last 1/4 of the bottle to the top. 

Make sure it's nice and saucy or it will dry out.

Cook at 180 degrees for about 30 or 40 minutes.

maaaaa!

Just a quickie post to show the end product of the Around the World Quilt that was started this time last year.

I quilted it in one night. A record! It's by no means perfect, but good enough for me! My darning foot that I use for free-motion quilting got damaged just before the end and it was a bit of a mission to complete. I wanted to get it all done to send of to my MIL today.

It's a rainy day here in Melbourne so the photos aren't the best. I'm not much of a photographer anyway, so I shouldn't think it makes that much difference!!!!