TropicalSoup

Bloggers' Quilt Festival

I'm participating in Amy's online quilt festival, where the brief is to post about a favourite quilt.

I made this quilt in a weekend class taken by extraordinary Masterton quilter Katharine Morrison in 2002 (I remember sewing the binding on 6 months later whilst I wated for D to come out of shoulder surgery...); it's called *The Bloke's blanket* and was my first true introduction to improv quilting. The idea was to use all your randomly shaped and sized scraps, to piece together blocks that you'd then trim and join, with some random use of sashing. The primary problem for me was that at this point I'd only made 2 quilts, and my scrap stash was a little light, and the pieces were rather large. I think I spent 2/3 of that first day of class cutting my scraps up! (I've since made up for that, several times over)

It's quilted heavily with parallel lines about 1/4" apart, which I love, but certainly wouldn't try on anything bigger than this, it was hard to stay patient...

Why do I love it? About 3 years ago, it stopped being a throw quilt and became our picnic quilt...it gets dragged out and about and every picnic meal we've had since then - on beaches in Rarotonga and the Seychelles, (and even Ohope Beach in NZ!), on our front decks overseas and our lounge floor at home, this is where we gather. I have such lovely memories of this quilt's place in the rhythm of our family life. It's been washed more times than I can count, is showing some real fading in spots - from both the washing and the drying and the bleaching under the sun, and isn't often grubby-fingermark-free (see bottom of quilt in picture - we'd just finished a picnic lunch inside on yet another cold and miserable rainy day and there had been some warm milo spillage! - may as well see it the way it is) I love all that this quilt stands for, and yes, it's in the washing machine again!

My Creative Space...

 

...is feeling a little rushed and harried today. Final touches for the 5 different knitting kits that I'll have at the market this Sunday (near Hamilton? Come on over - it's the new International Craft Market held on the Hamilton Casino grounds. Promises to have plenty of lovelies and all under cover - very lovely news given our current weather!) Now I just need to get them printed and the kits packaged.

Done and dusted. Phew.

See more creative spaces over at Kootoyou, hosted by the lovely Kirsty

Caravan of love...

(...that title has firmly planted Tears for Fears' 'Seeds of Love' in my head on permanent repeat. I'm not entirely sure why.)

I got a bit frustrated with doing what I should be doing today, and that combined with us all getting a bit stir crazy from being stuck inside with inclement weather all week, meant a change was needed. And quick. A little road trip would be nice but we were all still in our pyjamas and had no desire to change that, so we did a little fabric roadtrip insread.

This little caravan is the result of 25 minutes in the studio with the machine, some fabric and felt, and a little stapler assistance. (The stapling had nothing to do with the caravan, the kids just wanted some brute force to help with constructing their paper books!) I need to do this more often - I get caught up in all the big plans so often I forget to stop and enjoy and create on a small scale...and that's so silly, especially given the pile of small projects I have on my still-in-cranium to do list!

 

I'm rather fond of that raw-edge, mismatched stitching lines style that you see around a bit at the moment, and was trying to emulate it. Still not sure if I succeeded or if it just looks like I was drunk and unco and have an inability to do needle turn...but I think I like it. And Cole and Imogen are very happy for it go on their wall, so we're all good.

 

(ps. I saw a fabric caravan online a while ago and it was definitely the inspiration. For the life of me though I can't remember where or whom!)

Staring down huskies

Today I feel like Cookie. (I just need to remind myself that in spite of the height of the tree and the very eager husky at the bottom, licking his lips, Cookie got through it just fine.)

Balancing and Smiling in Tights

 

Cole and Imogen started ballet this term. It is utterly gorgeous and endearing and hysterical. Much twirling, skipping and striking poses imbues our week. Cole really enjoys it - it's a fun thing to do. Imogen lives and breathes it - I've never seen a person (of any size) concentrate the way she does - and so earnestly - sometimes I truly expect to see smoke coming out her ears. I think the photos say it all. 

ps. Cole already has something of a reputation at ballet class - and not just because he's the only boy in a sea of pink! He has this habit of turning around in the middle of something else and waving or blowing me kisses half a dozen times or more during the course of the 30 minute class...he's melted rather a few of the other mothers' hearts already. My sweet boy. (Miss Mouse is of course entirely too busy soaking up every moment! Too too lovely)

My Creative Space: brought to you by yarn and ink

Lots of ink. And lots and lots of yarn. I am frantically trying to finish up a few new patterns for kits for a craft market next weekend, to get enough samples done for photographing, and to ensure the patterns are perfect. It's coming along.

See loads more creative spaces, and some even without last-minute induced hysteria, over at Kootoyou.

The scary thing is Malapropism is very definitely hereditray...

 

Imogen: *Mama, I am going to give you a surprise and it will be really surprising. You will be really totally surprised ...and you won't respect a thing!*

Changing of the guard

Summer is out, Autumn is the new Fall (guy). nyuck nyuck nyuck. We're enjoying the colourful crunchy leaves just begging to be stomped on and the glorious foliage colour shows...and knitwear and snuggly quilts and soup (and underfloor heating and double insulation, oh how I love you!!!)

My favourite part of this season so far - watching Cole and Imogen savour every morsel of their first actual Autumn - it's pretty amazing.

(Photos taken in our backyard - some people are convinced it's a public park, but the little ones in my house are adamant, and I tend to agree...it's ours for the playing, though thankfully not the mowing!)

Feijoa and White Chocolate Muffins

Good grief, the rest of last week sped by so quickly I think I have whiplash!

As I mentioned last week, I figured out a recipe for feijoa and white chocolate muffins that will knock your socks off...they're good. 

Sift together:

~2.5c flour

~3tsp baking powder

~0.5tsp baking soda

~0.5c sugar (I use castor sugar)

In a separate bowl, whisk together:

~70g melted butter

~1c milk

~2 eggs

Add 1c roughly mashed feijoa innards and stirently into dry mix with 1c white chocolate buttons*. Stir just to combine, spoon into muffin tins and bake at 180C fan bake for about 12 minutes.

It's hard to find photos of the finished item, since they have a tendency to grow wings the instant their temperature dips below scalding, and - completely of their own accord - fly straight into your face. As a mere mortal, I am powerless to withstand their witchery.

*I like to use the big chocolate buttons whole, though you could break them up if you wanted to. I like the decadent edge that big chunks lend to a simple muffin, plus it stops the chocolate from over-saturating the flavour, since you get fewer (more potent!) hits.

 

It also works really well as a pudding-style cake - just cook for 20-25min (depending on the size of the pan), and serve warm with ice cream. Good grief, that is a seriously R18 moment!!

I want to try this with stewed rhubarb in place of the feijoa as well...

Yum

Sometimes the only thing for it is to make and enjoy a couple of margheritas with your kids. It's hard sometimes to think of a better combination than flavour-packed berry tomatoes, basil leaves and a hunk of mozzarella all piled on homemade dough. Okay, so they're not cocktails, but oh goodness were they delish! These rushed shots were the best I could get as I was fending off ravenous wild animals being gently requested to share the bounty at this point!