One down....one to go!

Today I manged to get this little quilt top finished that I started on the quilting retreat a couple of weekends ago. I had finished out to the white border and was unsure what to do with it to finish it off.

I ended up doing a little peep and the pieced border which I'm really happy with. I also appliqued the recipients name on the bottom right hand corner.

Now all I have to do is send it off for quilting.... might finish the other coin quilt I have almost completed and send them off together!

Until next time.....

Sweet Menagerie

This is the third and final project I have to show you from the "Club Quilt" retreat..... unfortunately, it was time to go home before I got it all together and I haven't had a chance to do even a single stitch on it since!

Hopefully it will take the form of a nice new "Sweet Menagerie" quilt top in the not too distant future..... I've been admiring this pattern of "Bloom's" for quite a while now and can't wait to get it finished. The "Hushabye" fabric range is just gorgeous too!

Until next time.....

Rocky Road

...as promised

Ingredients:

400g Block Cadbury Chocolate
3x Twix bars (a bag of small ones is cheaper)
1 pkt Marshmallows
200g unsalted peanuts
1/3 cup coconut

Method:
· Chop the Marshmallows and Twix bars and put in a bowl with peanuts & coconut.
· Break the block of chocolate into small pieces & microwave until melted.
· Mix melted chocolate into other ingredients & pour into a slice tray lined with baking paper.
· Refrigerate until set.


Enjoy!

Angel Story Runner

Another of my projects from the Club Quilt retreat last weekend:

I used the leftover fabric from my Angels Story quilt and the pattern was out of the Angels Story pattern book.

It turned out lovely and looks great on Miss 11's chest of drawers in her bedroom.

Until next time.........

More stacked coins!

This was my first project for the Club Quilt retreat..... look familiar?

I made one of these a while ago only it had wider strips of white through it.... i'm thinking this one still needs a little something, something. Will have to give it a bit more thought before I send it off for quilting... what do you think? Maybe a peep and another wider white border.... Hmmmm??

Choc Caramel Slice

.... as promised

I got this recipe off my friend Paula who makes the most scrumptious goodies ever.... then realised I'd had the recipe all along in one of my many cookbooks, the only difference was that Paula had increased the amount of butter used in the base so that it wasn't as crumbly.... and since I was privvy to that little detail, mine turned out perfect first time! Thanks Paula!

Ingredients:

125g crushed plain biscuits

100g melted butter (not 80g as it says in the book)

2Tbsp dessicated coconut

1 Tin condensed milk

125g butter

1/3 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup golden syrup

1x block plain chocolate

1Tbsp Vegetable oil

• 
  
  Grease and line a 30x20cm slice tin.
• 
  
  Combine biscuits, coconut and melted butter and press into tin firmly. Refridgerate while making the caramel.
• 
  
  Conbine condensed milk, butter, caster sugar and syrup in a small pan and cook over low heat for 15 mins stirring constantly. Allow to cool slightly then pour over biscuit base.
• 
  
  Melt chocolate and oil in a heat proof bowl over simmering water and pour over caramel.
• 
  
  Refridgerate until almost set and then cut into pieces.

Enjoy!

Deja vu

Sadly the Club Quilt retreat has to come to an end *sniff*.

Such a wonderful group of ladies.... we all sewed up a storm and there was plenty of inspiration to be found in watching everyone create. The view of the landscape from our cabin was amazing but would you believe I was "sew" busy sewing I didn't take a single photograph all weekend *gasp*.

Before I do any show and tell from the weekend, I have to show you what I made last week before I left and didn't have a chance to post about:

Another Abbey Bag

It's almost the same as the one I made for my friend back here, the only difference is the size of the button and the direction of the stripes on the inside pocket..... I just had to have one of my own to take on the retreat and I was so glad I got it finished. What a useful little item it is!

Will be back tomorrow to show you more!
Until then...

Woo Hoo!

Just a quick post before I throw my clothes in a bag and head off for the weekend on a "Club Quilt" retreat.... all my sewing stuff is packed and ready to pile in the car so you can see where my priorities are!

I've made a couple of yummy slices to take..... these too have taken priority over my clothes! Lol

Choc Caramel Slice.... Mmmmm

Rocky Road....... Mmmm Mmmm

Can you tell I'm a foodie???

If anyone's interested I'll post the recipes when I return!

Anyway, I'd best be off.... I really do need to take something to wear!

And I'll be back Sunday or Monday with lots of show and tell from the retreat.

Until next time.....

Have a great weekend.

Yummo.... Mississippi Mud!

After receiving my beautiful cake stand yesterday for Mothers Day..... I just had to bake something yummy to sit on it and look pretty! How good does this look??? You can only ever eat the smallest amount as it's just so rich, much to the delight of my workmates who got to finish it off today!

We call this one "Melissa's Mississippi Mud Cake" after a friend that gave me the recipe of course..... It takes a while to make but is soooo worth the effort!

Ingredients
250g Butter, Chopped
150g Dark Chocolate, Chopped Coarsely
2 Cups (440g) Caster Sugar
1 Cup (250ml) Hot Water
1/3 Cup (80ml) Tia Maria / Kahlua or Baileys (I use Baileys)
1 Tbsp Instant Coffee Powder
1 ½ Cups (225g) Plain Flour
¼ Cup (35g) S.R. Flour
½ Cup (25g) Cocoa Powder
2 Eggs

Method
· Preheat oven to moderately slow (160oC).
· Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan and line base and sides with baking paper.
· Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, hot water, liqueur and coffee powder in a medium saucepan & stir over low heat until chocolate is melted – Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
· Stir in sifted flours and cocoa, then eggs, one at a time.
· Pour mixture into a prepared pan
· Bake in a moderately slow oven for 1½ hours.
· Stand cake for 30 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

I finished mine off with some chocolate ganache icing, a handful of Malteasers and a dusting of icing sugar!


Until next time

Mothers Day!

I hope all you wonderful Mums out there are having a fantastic day and being spoilt rotten.... I certainly am!

My day started with Croissants for brekky and some beautiful gifts and Miss 11 tells me she's cooking dinner tonight which means I should have the afternoon free to get a little sewing done..... Nice!

Here's a pic of the lovely Cake stand I received for Mother's Day.... I've been admiring these for ages.... isn't it lovely? I'm feeling the need to bake something this afternoon now!

It's sitting on top of the new table runner I made earlier this week..... another "Skinny Verna" just like the one I made Here, only about 10 inches longer.

Please excuse my dark photos... I really don't like taking them inside but wanted to show you how it looks on my timber dining table.

Until Next time.....

School Mother's Day Stall

Last night I finished off the basket of goodies I've been putting together for the School Mother's Day stall that they hold each year and this is what I ended up with:

1x Covered Journal

4x Camera/Ipod cases

2x Makeup Pouches

2x Embroidered Facewashers

13x Covered Button Bookmarks

5x Pairs of covered button earrings

Miss 11 (Little Miss Thimble) covered all these buttons for me and I just glued them and packaged them so they look cute!

The small buttons for the earrings are a lot more fiddly so I was on my own with these... which is why there are only five pairs!
Edited to add: If you're looking for buttons and other bits and pieces like the bookmarks and earrings, pay a visit to Belinda at BJandLee on Etsy. She is really helpful and has loads of great stuff and I received my parcels really quickly.

Last year I made a heap of the little makeup pouches and Master 7 bought me one of the ones i'd made.... he's so cute! He chose the one that was in my favourite fabric too!

Until next time.....

Not even my birthday!

Today I got a couple of lovely surprises.....

My Mum has just returned from spending some time with my Aunt Lin who is not well.... but even while she is unwell she still thinks of me, and sent me this beautiful timber block-keeper that she had custom made with my name on the top. It is lined with felt to protect my blocks and is beautifully made!

She even threw in some nice new blades for my rotary cutter.

 Thankyou sooooo much Aunty Lin.... love you lots!

I also received some lovely goodies in the post:

• 
  
  The latest Homespun Issue with gorgeous projects from Natalie Lymer, Janelle Wind and Jodie Carleton just to name a few.
• 
  
  My third "Bagalicious Club" kit... a lovely design by Janelle Wind that I might save to make on the "Club Quilt" Retreat coming up.
• 
  
  And a new novel "The girl with the dragon tattoo".... can't wait to start this one!

So SPOILT....should keep my busy for a while!

Until next time.....

A May finish.... already!

Given how many projects I have started in the last week, I set out this morning with plans on finishing something..... anything! It's not like me to have so many projects going at the one time and it was really starting to BUG me. I'm pleased to say I HAVE A FINISH..... yay me!

I made this cute little "Abbey Bag" using the pattern from "Abbey Lane Quilts" as a birthday gift for a very special friend of mine. The pincushion is filled with emery to keep her pins nice and sharp and I even dipped into my very precious Sandi Henderson fabric stash for her.... she must be special! ;)

I just love how this one turned out.... only problem is, I can see myself starting another one for me before I finish any of my other projects. It would be perfect for the "Club Quilt" weekend retreat coming up in two weeks time.

Until next time....