Ice Cream

I'll admit I was a little sceptical when we recieved and ice cream maker for Christmas. Seriously how many kitchen gadgets do you need? We used it for the first time yesterday and it is fantastic!
I made a basic vanilla ice cream and ate it with passionfruit on top. Next time I will make passionfruit ice cream. I think it is going to get a lot of use.
We have had Dad here for a few days building us a fence and helping us with little things that need doing around the house. The main thing is to keep Evie in as she moves fast. Dad put some gates at the front of the verandah so hopefully the verandah is nearly Evie proof.

Design Wall

I don't really have room for a huge design wall on the wall of my sewing room. I saw this one recently and had it made in about 5 minutes. Brilliant. It won't fit a whole quilt, but it is big enough to hold part of one so I can decide if I like it and see what needs changing.
I'm still deciding if I like the design as crosses or circles. Evie has her own ideas.Which is nothing new.

Walnut Tree Cottage

Broadband is connected! It has been a long 10 days without it.
Some pictures of the new garden. The house is still a work in progress (a nice way of saying it is still a bit of a mess) but we are getting there and I will share pictures when it is a little more sorted.
The sign out the front.
One of the walnut trees.
The view from the walnut trees to some of the roses (I say some as there are quite a lot - I'm sure I will get a crash course in rose growing from Mum).
I feel so scammy inheriting such a great garden. We have picked some passionfruit already.
The side of the house.
The view from the deck.
A gorgeous grassed area for playing.
The vegie patch. Quite overgrown and full of weeds, but it won't take long to clean up. It is already fenced and the soil underneath is wonderful.

The snake that was in the shed the other day. It was quite stuck in the fruit nets. So the wonderful (or slightly crazy depending on how you feel about snakes) snake catcher cut it out and was taking it home to cut the rest of the net off before he let it go out in the bush.

Week One in the New House

Still no broadband so here is a picture less post.
We have been in the new house for a week and in that time Chris and I went to Perth to buy some furniture then went to Albany to get the girls (all in 43 degree heat) and then came back here and finished unpacking.
There was a small problem with a snake (dugite) stuck in the fruit nets in the shed on Sunday. Lucky we know a few snake handlers and one came to get it quite fast but it was a bit tricky getting it out of the nets and a few have holes cut in them. Not that I'm complaining I am just glad there are people around to come and get them!
This morning the girls and I made a start on the overgrown vegie patch and picked a few ripe passionfruit. I feel so totally scammy inheriting this amazing garden with produce already to pick.

We've Moved!

The move is over! There is lots of unpacking and sorting to do but it will slowly get done.
I have spent the morning in the garden. Looking for taps, sprinklers, reticulation and sorting out what needs water now before the next few very hot days.
There will be pictures, hopefully next weekend. I am using very slow dial up at the moment and waiting for the broadband to be reconnected, hopefully at the end of the week.
Chris and I took a few hours from the unpacking last night and took advantage of being kid free and went to dinner and then saw Peter Rowsthorn live in town. Some wonderful people at school had organised it for a school fundraiser. Very, very funny.
Back with pictures when I can!

Ishbel

The Ishbel for Mum is finished. I know why there are so many of them on ravelry. It is such a great pattern. This is my first lace shawl and the pattern was so easy to follow and there were no mistakes. I used my own hand dyed silk/wool yarn which is amazingly soft. All the details are here. Modelled by Evie who would not take it off. I think the colour is the most accurate in the first photo.

Off to finish the packing and cleaning. Hopefully we are moving everything from the shed and outside today and the rest tomorrow and Friday. Crossing fingers my internet will be on sometime next week.

Kaffe Fassett

I am slowly working away on Mum's Ishbel. I am bribing myself to clean. When I finish a little bit of cleaning I get to knit a few rows. Excuse the poor picture quality. Not much light when I was taking photos last night.

I went here to restock some favourite Kaffe Fassett prints a while a go and the fan flowers had disappeared. I did a quick search and found a couple of metres of each of these. Enough to use in quilts and some for soft toys.

lipmag

Holey moley I have packed a lot of boxes today and I'm not sure I have made much of a dent.
I think it might be nearly lie on the couch and recover time as I think my day will be the same tomorrow.
In big news this week I have been to the movies not once, but twice. Somehow it was 5 years and 3 months since I had last been. That's what happens when you have children and you don't live close to any movie theatres. Not much choice in Albany so I saw Did you hear about the Morgans? which wasn't great and Sherlock Holmes which was great.
No pictures to show, but go here to read an interview with me in the lipmag newsletter (it is at the end).

Goodbye 2009

I had huge plans for handmade presents this year. Some were finished, some have been started and some may happen next year.
I made a hat for Chris' Dad (modelled by Chris) out of the softest Malabrigo. Detail on ravelry.


Yes I know I have a half finished Ishbel I should finish first but I cast on this for Mum (before Christmas so i am counting it as a present) and she will get it soon. I am using a beautiful mix of silk and wool I dyed up a while ago.

Not a Christmas present, but I finished it last week before we headed to Albany as it is usually cold here at night. Made with heavyweight Socks That Rock and the pattern is Boheme. More details on ravelry.
The girls all got dresses from me. Here is Grace and her cousin Lysbeth in their dresses. Worn over t shirts, legging and jeans. My girls are definitely still in the "I will only wear a dress phase". Eva in her dress.

Driving

There has been lots of driving this week (and promises to ourselves that the driving at Christmas has to stop) and it is not over yet. Chris and I have been making Christmas playlists for the car consisting of non traditional Christmas music. This has been our favourite Christmas song this year.



The house packing has started. The panic is setting in. I don't think pictures of packing boxes will interest anyone so I will be back if there is any craft to show.

Twins

I often get asked 'What is it like have twins?' Which I don't have an answer too as I don't know what it is like to have children and not have twins. So it must be odd for a twin to be asked what it is like to be a twin when they don't know what it is like to not be one.
I have just finished the book One and The Same by Abigail Pogrebin about her life as an identical twin and interviews with many other twins. Thanks Amanda for the recommendation. If you are a twin, have twins or know twins this is a great look at twin relationships. It definitely raised more questions than it answered about how to raise twins.

I have been sewing for Christmas presents so i can't show pictures yet, but I have nearly finished and just have to make new dresses for the girls for Chirstmas Day. Grace and Amelia wanted dresses out of this gorgeous fabric I bought from Corrie.
The prettiest Liberty for a dress for Evie.

Another Dress

A dress for Grace based on the one I made Eva yesterday. Not bad, but still needs a bit of tweaking.

The quilt tops are building up so time to baste and quilt.

Cross Over Dress

A new dress for Eva. I wanted something quick to make, that didn't need a zip or buttons so I drafted a pattern and this is what I made. A simple cross over top dress. A little big, but great for hot days. I used bias binding for the arms which I might rethink when I do another one. Actually I might add some sleeves. I think I might try to add some elastic around the waist instead of gathers too (like these dresses).

Poor Evie has another big lump on her head. She runs so fast and is often so busy looking in the other direction.

Sewing and Cooking

The last of my wholesale orders are done. Lots of hats including these. Now I have about a week to do all the sewing I had planned for Christmas presents. Once again I have left everything to the last minute.

I have managd to do some Christmas baking with the girls yesterday. Biscotti (the recipe is in Handmade Help recipe book) and some Christmas shaped biscuits. All packaged up ready to give away for all those little thankyou presents you need at this time of the year.
I forgot to take a picture of this skirt, another fisher skirt, when I made it and I seem to be wearing it all the time. So the girls took some pictures this morning (yes not ironed!). It is such a comfortable pattern. I have another one cut out waiting to be sewn.

Cassatta Part 3

The last layer of the cassatta needs 1 litre of softened ice-cream, a few drops of almond essence and about 2/3 rds of a 100g packet of slivered almonds. Mix them all in and spread on top of the chocolate layer. Sprinkle the rest of the slivered almonds on top and freeze.
When it is frozen you can remove the tin, cut and eat!

Cassatta Part 2

For the second layer of the cassatta. Leave a litre of vanilla ice-cream out until it is soft but not liquid. Melt about 150g of choc chips or chocolate (I do love the 70% Lindt!) with about 1 tbsp of butter. Fold it through the ice-cream with 1-2 tbsp cocoa and some vanilla essence. Spoon onto the cherry layer and put into the freezer to freeze.

Just finishing a few wholesale orders and then hopefully I can started on the Christmas sewing. These creatures are headed to Retrospections in Cammeray in Sydney.

I found a bit of time yesterday to finish this quilt top using Rouenneries fabric by French General.

Cassatta Part 1

Cassatta has been a pretty big part of our summer for as long as I remember. I think this recipe (or a similar one) was originally in a Women's Weekly Cookbook nearly 30 years ago. So yes this is a very 1980s dinner party recipe . This version is really so easy to make, the only thing is you have to plan ahead so the layers have time to freeze. The bottom layer is cherry.
You will need a packet or two of glace cherries chopped up. Marinate in 2 (quite large!) tbsp of brandy for 10 minutes.
Whip 300ml of cream and 2 tbsp of sugar.

Fold through the cherries and spoon into a springform tin lined with baking paper. The springform tin is important or you are never going to get the cassatta out at the end.
Next (hopefully tonight) will be the chocolate layer.

Bridgetown Christmas Fair

My friend Emma, who is always full of amazing ideas, suggested earlier this year that Bridgetown needed a fair full of local products. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical, but she was right. She roped a few of us into helping her realise her vision and yesterday this is what our town hall looked like. Packed full of stalls and people. So packed full of stalls that the night before I had more than a few panicked moments trying to work out how to fit them in.
Quite a few stall olders wanted to be out on the list to get a table next year so I think it might be a possibility that there will be another one next year.

Handbag Pouch Tutorial

I spent yesterday playing with some Grandmother's Flower Garden Laminate from Quilt Fabric Delights. The bottom of my handbag is a bit of a mess, lots of pens and pencils floating around and I can never find the lip gloss when I need it. The laminate was perfect to make a little pouch to put all those things in.

First of all I ironed it on the wrong side to remove the creases. I ironed it on a medium heat quite gently and the creases disappeared.
I cut a piece 15 inches long and 5 inches wide.
I ironed under about 1 cm (I am not sure why as I don't think it will fray much). I used a rajah cloth so I would not melt the fabric. Grab a zip. It doesn't matter what size as they will all be too big and will need to be shortened. Because pinning wil leave holes in the fabric. I used some hair clips to keep it in place.

Sew on the zip to each end.

Turn inside out and pin the sides. I pinned very close to the edge so any pin marks would end up in the seam and not be seen. Open the zip so you can turn it back the right way at the end. Sew the seams. I sewed over the zip a couple of times.

I used pinking shears to finish the seams and cut off the end of the zip.

Turn in the right way. Poke out the corners carefully. I added some ribbon to the zip to make it easier to open. Now my bag is a little tidier.

This fabric is much easier to sew than I thought. It is lovely and soft and I think I will be getting some more to make little raincoats for next winter.