ATCs

Have you ever been involved with ATCs....artists trading cards? My local embroidery group have been swapping ATCs as the group challenge for this year.

Take a look at what I have been lucky enough to receive......

Selvedges

The other day......way back in June as you will see the date on the photos .............I was playing with the selvedges off fabric being used for the Borderlicious Challenge Quilt....

This is the result.........

A needlebook....my very first!!!!!. The closure is ribbon purchased from Cottage on the Hill at the Girls Day Out in May.....such fun that weekend.

You may have guessed by now that I am kinda into colour.

The Dreaded Chickens

This is block one of a wall hanging I purchased some time ago not realising it is needleturn applique............just started block 2.......

The Finished Product

Here it is............one cushion

Foundation Piecing

When I first joined the local patchwork group back in 2002 I already owned some foundation piecing papers purchased at a Craft Fair from the Quilters Barn in Victoria.

Thinking what a great idea the papers were I embarked on my very first patchwork project. The intention being to make a quilt for the spare bed.

Unfortunately by the time I had started the 6th block I had discovered my total dislike of the process and discarded the project to the bottom of a cupboard.

Well there is nothing like a rainy day to get things moving along.....all two seams and tear away paper........so from bed cover to cushion, I am thinking these four blocks might just make a worthy item for the Royal Far West Charity Auction Dinner next March. Perhaps a lucky draw?

What do you think? Would you feel lucky to receive these four blocks dressed as a 40cm (15 1/2 inch) cushion after buying a ticket for the lucky draws?

Zuchini Pickles

Finally the recipe!!!!!! Please note this is actually a recipe for choko pickles with the chokos replaced by zuchini. It came out of an Australian Woman's Weekly Cookbook of some 25 years ago.


Zuchini Pickles

Ingredients

3lb or 1.5kg zuchini
750 gms onions
½ cup salt
Water
4 cups brown malt vinegar
1kg brown sugar
2 tspns turmeric
2 tspns dry mustard
2 tspns curry powder
¼ tspn ground ginger
1 cup plain flour

Method
1.Peel zuchini and onions and chop into small pieces. Place in large bowl, sprinkle with salt and cover with water. Cover bowl and stand overnight.

2.Drain veges and rinse in cold water.

3.Place 3 cups vinegar and the sugar into a large saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil.

4,Add vegetables (zuchini and onion) and return to boiling point.

5.Mix all dry ingredients to a paste with remaining 1 cup of vinegar. Gradually add to vegetable mixture.

6.Stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens.. Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes.

7.Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Makes approx. 3 L

Monograms

Finished. The first attempt at monogramming.... It will become a tiny pillow and it is very satisfying to finish the embroidery started at a one hour workshop at the Craft & Quilt Fair.

The Vege Patch.

Hi,

Its been a while since the last post........busy, busy, busy.......



The wet weather has been a godsend and now the yard is a mass of weeds and the summer veges need planting.....



Yesterday pulled out the last of the broccoli...it really has been terrific this year....but, alas, it went to seed before we could eat it all. The early cauliflower is very tasty. Amazing. I dont usually enjoy cauliflower. One should never underestimate the flavour of the home grown vege.



The first of the tomatoes went in yesterday ..... Super Prize....hoping they will fruit well. Looking around for some punnets of cherry tomatoes...we always enjoy the small ones. They seem to fruit earlier than the normal tomatoes.







The folks were over on the weekend. It is enormously satisfying to be able to pick from the vege patch and send them home with bags of goodies.....brussel sprouts, english spinach, snow peas, the last pick of the broccoli.....



Cheers



PS: I will post a recipe for the Zuchini Pickles shortly. Sorry to take so long but I have two recipes to hand and I need to find out which is the right one to use.



Cheers


PPS: Nearly finished the Monogram embroidery from the mini workshop ex the Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair. Tried a couple of new stitches - raised stem stitch and padded satin stitch. Will post a pic when the embroidery is done....should be soon