Crochet and baking ....

I haven't crocheted for a few months now due to the fact that my hands and thumbs have been very sore this year.  However, when I saw Helen's (from Archie the Wonder Dog) post on IG this morning I felt compelled to make some flowers.

There was a call out for #aflowerforjenny on Instagram a couple of days ago .... if you click here there's a great blog post relating to this.  It broke my heart reading about what this family has gone through and the courage 19 year old Jenny is showing whilst planning her own funeral.

So if you crochet or knit or can make pompoms maybe you will consider making some very soon and send to Jenny.  I have just read an updated IG post and they are already inundated with pledges so do not now need anymore!!  How awesome is this community?!!!

Today is also ANZAC Day when Australians and New Zealanders around the world remember the fallen in Gallipoli.  My girls will be happy when they come home from school to find ANZACs in the tin!  It was very strange to be baking on my own and not have the girls asking for a 'lollipop' - ie a spoon full of raw biscuit mixture!

This is the recipe I use (posted to a very old blog of mine!!) and I did just have to try one that broke as I transferred them to the cooling tray - delicious!

Life can be so fragile and can be ended way too soon for some people.  I often tell people I love "I love you!" and I will continue to do so a very regular basis.  Lots of love heading out from me to you aswell!!

The Weekend - 28/29 January

It felt strange heading off for a workshop on Saturday when the girls were home from school, but I had booked on it before they decided to go to school.  One of my local club members had made a Swan Confetti Quilt which hung in our show last July and the workshop was to make one.

 

It is still at this rather precarious stage but I hope to get it quilted one day this week.

A new ripple blanket was started on Thursday and so the evenings were spent enjoyably working on this.  The evening lighting has really not shown the colours correctly.

And some baking was done - these are kumara (sweet potato), bacon and onion muffins and they were delicious.  The chocolate cup cakes, baked by my eldest, were very tasty too!

And then there was some post.  Two blocks for my month as Queen Bee of Stash Bee Hive 8 - one from a Hive mate and one from a Hive Crasher!  I still a couple of blocks to receive and then piecing this top is top of my list.  These blocks make me so happy and I am going to love, love, love this quilt!

I also managed to spend some time on EQ7 but that's for later! All in all a good, if busy weekend, the downside being my youngest has been off school today with a temperature and sore throat.  Although it has been rather pleasant to sit snuggled up with her this afternoon watching a film! x

February round up .....

Sewing wise it sometime feels like I am not getting much done and there were no big finishes in February.  But when I looked through my photos from February there was lots being made, including Bee blocks, two Secret Valentine's mini quilts,  here and here, a completed Rainbow Mini quilt (don't forget there is a giveaway running at the end of this post) and I even started some new projects.  I got my scraps under control and have slowly been working on a couple of projects using them - a vortex scrap project and quarter log cabin scraps blocks.

With regard to Project Linus 5 finished quilts were donated, along with lots of hearts and materials ....

and these two tops were put together by a group of Home Ed children.

On the Home Ed front there was ....

A bake off ....

which was delicious!

Lots of art and creativity ....

Den making when it was cold, wet and windy outside ....

Visits to Worcester Cathedral, Greyfriar's House and Charlecote plus Oceania; A Christmas Carol; ice skating; lots of reading and lots of playing!

There was great variety in my reading this month - recommendations from friends, daughters and blog posts and some just because they happened to be on my shelf!!

 

 

 

So March is here, usually associated with the ground warming up and plants springing forth.  Well the first daffodil I spotted this year was on New Year's Day, a lot of the blossom is all ready falling from the trees and I have even seen tulips breaking through the soil.  We have lots planned this month on all fronts so it will certainly be a busy one. x

January ....

.... went quickly! 

 

- the first week was spent blatantly ignoring the fact it was a New Year.  I wanted to slow down this year and not over commit, either creatively, mentally or on the Home Education front. 

Whoops - this was spotted on 04 January!

 - the second week was spent organising and feeling like I was playing catch up!

 - the third week contained a big decision on the part of my youngest daughter, which had the capacity to totally change the life we lead.  It left me in limbo for a while but once the decision was made I could breathe again and continue.  Our life is not about to be changed drastically for which I am truly thankful.

 

- the fourth week was feeling like we had a rhythm to our days, including creating, home ed and home cooking aswell as our activities.  It also contained what would have been my Dad's birthday.  It's been just over 2 years since he died and whilst the old saying that time heals is true it still takes a lots of time and there's still a wound no matter how long has passed.

 

Creatively it involved a workshop with Gillian Travis (to be blogged about soon!), the start of three Bees I am involved in, handmade birthday presents - made by me and my daughters, the start of the Farm Girl Vintage blocks, Project Linus quilts and organisation and lots of planning .....

 

Home Ed wise it contained Oceania, illuminated letters, hibernation, healthy eating, the Periodic Table and what elements a body needs, ice skating lessons for the girls and a return to ice skating for me - after a break of over 30 years!, stop animation workshops, lots of art and cooking and 1905-7!!!

 

Baked by Cassia, aged 9 - it was a Christmas for my Mum and it was delicious!!

Christmas Spiced Nuts - recipe from Deliciously Ella

Homemade Nutella - recipe from Deliciously Ella

 

 

Made by Cassia!

 

I have read a mixture of books, adult, children's and teen, recommendations from my daughter and my mum and random ones from the library shelf!

 

I feel like I am in 2016 and look forward to welcoming in February tomorrow! xx

 

 

 

 

 

The colours and smells of our autumn ...

Blackberries and apples from my Mum's house - we 'found' three apple trees laden with fruit that we didn't know were there!!

 

 

 Damsons from a tree that is split in two, chewed on by cows, totally neglected but continues to produce fruit.  Unfortunate most were way out of reach.  Topped up with some fruit from a friend's tree ...

 

Blackberry pudding .... very easy and very delicious ...

 

Plums, from a friend's tree, thrown into the pan with all the other ingredients for plum sauce.  The smell was divine ...

 

The satisfaction when it is all bottled up ...

 

Straining the blackberries and apples for Bramble & Apple Jelly ...

 

 

all bottled and labelled ...

 

Just love the jewel like colours of this with the sunlight catching it ...

 

And the damsons ... here is the gin!  Just got to wait 3 months now ...

 

it didn't quite all fit in!  I had to decant into a better container.  This colour is after only 3 days ... and it tasted quite nice too!