Sew, Cook, Laugh

High Five, Amy!

2012-02-13T16:09:00.000+11:00

You might remember this sweet little jacket from High Five, Alice! After much wear, Alice has grown out of it, and passed it down to her little sister, Amy, who looks just as gorgeous in it!

Pretty Poppet

2012-02-12T21:06:00.000+11:00

I finally finished Miss Milla's Christmas present about 10 days ago, and we delivered it to her yesterday. She was asleep when we arrived, but woke up calmly, and acquiesced to trying it on.

The dress is Pretty Poppet from Australian Smocking and Embroidery magazine. The fabric is similar, but not quite the same as the original.

A bountiful harvest

2012-02-02T20:39:00.000+11:00

Carrots, zucchini and garlic from the garden, and Mum even made the stock!

And it all made delicious risotto

Pesto

2012-01-27T20:36:00.000+11:00

Homemade, with home grown basil. You cannot conceive the beauty until you have tried it.

And there was supposed to be a photo of it on the pasta sprinkled with pine nuts and parmesan, but I ate it before I remembered to take it.

The good chocolate

2012-01-16T15:25:00.000+11:00

I've recently decided that I don't want to use chocolate chips anymore. This is partly because of the cost, and partly because I don't know what is added to make them not melt properly. So I made my chocolate chip cookies using real chocolate - in this case Whittakers Dark Ghana 72%. There's a bit more work involved, cutting up the chocolate, and you don't get even pieces. They're a bit darker than usual, because some of the chocolate has crumbled too fine, and they're not as sweet because the chocolate is so dark. They're somewhat addictive though, and I look forward to making them again this way.

Arancini - Take 2

2012-01-14T21:30:00.001+11:00

I was concerned about the consistency of the risotto, so I added bread crumbs to the mix.

I gave them a centre of mozzarella, and double crumbed them.

This time, they held their shape and were nice and crispy.

Unfortunately, since the risotto was pretty bland, so were the arancini.

Still, I'm counting this as a success, and know that next time will only be better.

I scream for ice cream

2012-01-10T16:49:00.000+11:00

Orange Jaffa Ice Cream...

Risotto Alla Milanese

2012-01-09T20:52:00.000+11:00

Basically a saffron risotto

Soaking the saffron

Frying the onions in butter

Onions and rice

Adding the saffron

About halfway through. Not as yellow as I'd expected.

So I added some more saffron!

Andrew really likes this cheese, but then he really likes cheese in general

Mixing in the cheese.

Ready to eat.

Despite the pretty colour, this was pretty bland. I'm also concerned the consistency is going to be too sloppy for arancini later in the week.

And yes, I know that most of the pictures are sideways, but somehow, I'd uploaded them before I noticed.

Best Way to Use Up Christmas Ham

2012-01-06T22:01:00.000+11:00

Smocking in use

2011-12-29T19:57:00.000+11:00

I don't often get to see my smocking being worn, so it's really nice to see it being handed down.

I made this for Miss Milla's biggest sister, but it looks divine on Milla!

Christmas Dress

2011-12-29T14:18:00.000+11:00

I had to make myself a Christmas dress this year. I bought the fabric last year - it has Christmas trees in 16 different colours/patterns, plus random little robin redbreasts, which are so sweet.

The pattern is a vintage Butterick 2573, and is described as a 'dirndl frock'. I only made two changes - I increased the length of the zip, to make it easier to get into and out of, and I lined the skirt to make it non-see-through! To make it easier to insert the zip, I had my mother-in-law do it for me!

This was really nice to wear all day, though the sleeves don't allow as much movement as I'd like. I'm thinking of making this again, possibly without sleeves as I really liked the way it looked before I added them too. I love that it has pockets!

Speculaas

2011-12-28T21:43:00.000+11:00

My neighbour lent me his speculaas mould, so I had another go. Unfortunately, it was exceedingly hard to get them out of the mould without breaking, so after much frustration, I gave up and went back to plain round ones. We thing a bigger or thick mould might be easier

Some new biscuit recipes

2011-12-16T19:07:00.000+11:00

First some malt biscuits. This recipe was from Donna Hay (found in the Sunday Magazine that comes with the Herald Sun)

These have a subtle taste, but are quite morish. I do need to work on my rolling out skills.

Then some speculaas (Dutch spiced biscuits). This recipe came from the SBS Feast Magazine last month (the pink one, not the orange one that's out now). They don't look like speculaas because I don't have a proper mould, but they sure do taste like them!

If anyone knows where I can get a speculaas mould (I'm told by my Dutch neighbours that it's called a speculaas plank) for a reasonable price, I'd love to know.

Arancini Attempt #1

2011-12-09T19:59:00.000+11:00

I used left over risotto from Monday, added egg and cheese, then rolled balls in breadcrumbs. I'd intended to add a piece of cheese to the middle but I didn't get around to acquiring some bocconcini, and the (ungrated) tasty cheese we had had to be thrown out. Still, I think that may have made my problems worse. They were tasty, but had flattened out and were rather gooey.
Some thoughts:
* Do not use Lemon Pepper breadcrumbs - they overwhelm the flavour of the risotto
* Frying may result in a more golden finish
* Maybe I should have double crumbed them?
*Why were they so gooey that they lost their shape? How can I fix this next time?

Beautiful Blueberries

2011-12-05T17:36:00.000+11:00

I have wanted to make blueberry ice cream for years because I suspected that it would be an amazing colour, but blueberries were always too expensive. Until Michelle from Kitchen Shenanigans came to the rescue and provided me with a whole kilo of blueberries!

So I cooked them down,

Mushed them up,

Semi-froze them

And added cream.

Look at how beautiful it looks next to the strawberry ice cream I made the day before!

A new project

2011-12-01T16:16:00.000+11:00

And I swear this is the best pleating job I have ever done - it's actually straight!

Homemade Pizza

2011-11-21T21:54:00.000+11:00

Base and all! So tasty!

Pick Me! Pick Me!

2011-11-17T10:52:00.000+11:00

Excuse me, dear readers, while I use this to apply for a job!

Hi Yvonne,
My name is Katie. Currently, I am a teacher, working as casual relief (ie emergency/substitute). I enjoy this, but casual teaching is not very stable, and full time teaching eats up your whole life.
You want me for this position because I am enthusiastic, cheerful and highly intelligent. I am good with people, but also good with computers, having grown up around them. I even studied Computer Systems/Software Systems Engineering for a while, before I decided I liked people too much to be an engineer. This means that I know some basic programming and HTML already. I use computers and the internet most days, both personally and professionally. Professionally, I search for teaching ideas, and create learning tasks. When I was teaching full time last year, I became a Lead User for the Ultranet and even ran a Professional Development day for around 20 people. Personally, I have this blog, and an Etsy store. I use email, Facebook and am an active member of several forums.
Prior to teaching, I worked in retail, predominantly selling jewellery at Zamel's Jewellers in Eastland. This means that you know that I can talk to people and help them to figure out what they want. Christmas time especially is pretty high pressure in jewellery, but I always dealt with it with a smile.
Please hire me. I strongly believe that I would be perfect for this job, and it would be perfect for me!

Steampunk Husband

2011-11-08T20:30:00.000+11:00

I made this shirt for my husband, using gorgeous steampunk design fabric from Spoonflower and a vintage pattern. I wasn't sure that there was a good reason for using a vintage pattern, since men's styles have not changed all that much, until I realised that the pattern taught me how to flat-fell seams!
I took about an inch out of the sleeve length, in order to fit it on the fabric, but it seems that was just as well. I really enjoyed this project and I love the finished product - the fabric feels divine, and there's not a single exposed seam! Andrew likes it too - he's wearing it right now.

Lasagne Pancakes?

2011-11-04T18:56:00.000+11:00

What do you do when you have left over sauces from making lasagne? Wrap them in pancakes, of course! A cheap, simple dinner, and a great way to use up left overs!

Bunny in Pink Snow

2011-11-03T10:44:00.000+11:00

As beautiful as the blossoms are, they don't last long, fluttering down to the bunnies like pink snow.

Our Daily Bread

2011-11-02T14:46:00.000+11:00

Cheese and Vegemite scrolls, plus a loaf of good white,

served with fresh lemon butter.

Shirt dress

2011-11-02T10:33:00.000+11:00

I am loving this dress. Made from a vintage pattern, with quilting cotton, it looks great and moves beautifully. It's so comfortable to wear!

With a little help from my friends

2011-11-01T19:31:00.000+11:00

My dear friend Michelle from Kitchen Shenanigans has been teaching me how to make bread. We had a little time on out hands on Sunday, so we decided to mix up a batch. Half became focaccia, while we decided to experiment with the other half and make cinnamon scroll. Experiment success!
Credit for all but the first couple of photos goes to Michelle too. The slightly darker toned hands in the second photo are hers, while the ghostly pale ones are mine.

Another Wedding

2011-10-24T12:22:00.000+11:00

Not mine this time, of course, but my little brother's!

The happy couple. They laughed all through the ceremony, I'm told. I didn't hear much of it because I was trying to soothe their son who screamed all through it.

We finally got him sorted out just in time for his naming ceremony.

The family (well, most of us. The wedding was a rush job and my big brother couldn't make it from London)

I made my dress, and I promise that there will be more about it soon.

The Famous Choc Chip Cookie Recipe

2011-09-01T12:24:00.001+10:00

I am well known for this amongst my friends and family, and thought it was time I shared it here too. I originally measured it in cups, but converted it to grams a couple of years ago, and prefer doing it this way.

Ingredients:
200g margarine (I usually use Nuttelex Olive Oil, but it really is better if you don't use butter - weird but true)
185g brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla essence
350g plain flour
375g dark choc chips (see note)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170C, and line baking trays (at least two)
2. Put marg, sugar, egg and essence into a large bowl.

3. Beat until pale and creamy.

4. Add flour and chocolate

5. Stir in (with a spoon - beater and choc chips don't like each other)

6. Roll into balls and place on baking trays. I usually make 48 per batch but you can make them bigger or smaller - I have done both.

7. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

8. I usually only bake half a batch at a time, so if you're doing that too, wrap the rest of the dough in cling wrap, and place in the fridge (for a few days) or freezer (for a couple of weeks - it will probably last longer than that but mine always gets baked before then!)

9. Remove cookies from oven when they're golden, and allow to cool (at least a little) before eating. Originally, I carefully transferred them to a cooling rack after a few minutes, but these days they get left to cool on their trays most of the time. When I'm feeling really lazy, or it's late, I just turn the oven off and open the door, then leave them there. Once cold, place into an airtight container to store. They'll last for about a week, but are better in the first few days - I bake the saved dough once we run out for fresh cookies midweek!

Notes:

* I love these with dark chocolate chips, but have also experimented with milk chocolate, m&ms, jaffas and even marshmallows (as well as, not instead of chocolate). These are all too sweet for my tastes, but you might like them. Nuts could be good too, if your tastes run that way. Recently I didn't have enough choc chips so we chopped up some of my favourite dark chocolate, and that was good.

* These can be adjusted for some dietary requirements. They can be made gluten free with the substitution of gluten free flour (my choc chips are gluten free, but you should check yours!) The texture isn't as nice, but they're still acceptable. Dairy free is also pretty easy if you can get the choc chips. The Nuttelex I use is dairy free, but make sure your margarine is too before feeding these to anyone dairy intolerant (but you probably already know that!)

Wow, that's a big ball of yarn...

2011-08-29T11:04:00.000+10:00

Now if only I could decide what to knit with it....

Outside the kitchen window

2011-08-28T19:09:00.000+10:00

Shade in the Summer, light in the Winter and blossoms in the Spring (almost)!

Chocolate cake recipes

2011-08-27T20:23:00.000+10:00

I tried a new recipe today. The texture is great, but it doesn't really taste chocolatey. Why is it that a good chocolate cake recipe is so hard to find? Do you have a good one? I'd love to try it!

Darkest of the Dark

2011-08-18T20:55:00.000+10:00

Chocolate ice cream, that is!

Another recipe from my Murphy's Sweet Treats book, made with Whittaker's Dark Ghana - my favourite chocolate at the moment.

An Ad!

2011-08-15T16:37:00.000+10:00

You may have noticed the tiny little Nuffnang symbol at the top of my page. It's been there for some time now - I signed up to get ads through Nuffnang ages ago to get a little extra money, but Sew, Cook, Laugh has never been chosen for advertising before. I've just received notification that Campbells Real Stock will be advertised on my blog! I'm really pleased both that it's a product I actually use, and that the website looks really good. If you click on the link now at the top of the page, they have a whole collection of recipes to browse!

A Trio of Winter Skirts

2011-08-14T10:01:00.000+10:00

The biggest hazard of wearing skirts all the time is the Winter cold. I am luck enough to have quite the Stash, and was able to use some fabrics from it to make myself some lovely cosy skirts.

This one was made with the same pattern as the bridesmaids skirts, believe it or not, with corduroy a friend of the family gave me. The fabric was not quite wide enough, so I had to divide the front panel into 3 pieces (well 2 would have been okay, but I didn't want a centre front seam)

This one was also made with fabric I was given, from a pattern I've been wanting to make for a long time. I didn't have quite enough, so I made it shorter than the design, but I like it this length.

This was made from the same pattern as above, but full length. The fabric was left over from a skirt Mum made for herself, but never wore.

Brownies

2011-08-04T21:33:00.000+10:00

The Herald Sun (newspaper) had a brownie recipe this weekend that looked amazing.

So I had to try it.

Unfortunately, it looks better than it is.

It's perfectly edible, but it's not as chocolatey as it looks, and the texture isn't as dense and chewy as I'd like.

Must keep looking.

Lemon curd ice cream

2011-08-01T21:21:00.001+10:00

When we were in Ireland, we went to the most gorgeous little ice cream shop, Murphy's.

While there, I noticed that they had a recipe book.

Although I didn't buy it at the time, I kept it in mind, and eventually bought it off Amazon.

I don't make ice cream often though, and while I drooled over the book, I didn't make anything out of it. Until I found myself once again with left over egg yolks, along with a pile of lemons.

And I just had to make Lemon Curd Ice Cream.

I love the subtle colouring and the divine taste.

Dietary Requirements

2011-07-30T21:24:00.000+10:00

Gluten free. Dairy free. And still delicious!

Lemon Butter

2011-07-26T17:38:00.001+10:00

More than most people I know, I am a creature of habit. This meant Vegemite on almost every school lunch through 12 years of schooling (yes, I know it's usually 13, and yes, I did finish school)

Only one thing could break this monotony - Marnie's Lemon Butter. Marnie was my paternal grandmother and a great one for making preserves - jams, tomato sauce and my beloved lemon butter.
Unfortunately, Marnie died several years ago now, and it had been years before that that she had made lemon butter. So with bowls of lemons sitting on my kitchen bench, I finally gave in and made some myself.
Hopefully, it tastes as good as it looks!

What do you do...

2011-07-11T19:31:00.000+10:00

when you have 4 left over egg yolks? Make ice cream, of course!

Whoopie!

2011-07-11T18:57:00.000+10:00

Pies, that is. Or cakes. Whatever you want to call them, I simply had to try making them. So, of course, I bought a book. Then I got baking.

I thought I'd try the original style first. Chocolate is always a safe bet.

I even made the marshmallow creme filling. That was a bit more of a problem. It was too runny to begin with, and despite the recipe offering golden syrup as an option, I'm pretty sure that 'light corn syrup' is actually glucose syrup. It tastes good anyway, and a bit more beating improved the consistency.

In which she completes her knitting.

2011-07-07T19:09:00.000+10:00

Finally, after months and quite a few 'fix please' moments, I finished knitting my scarf.

You know, I just might stick with this knitting thing!

It worked!

2011-06-27T16:33:00.000+10:00

The dresses worked out,

the colour scheme was perfect,

and I am married!

Toblerone Dip for Sally

2011-02-20T20:58:00.000+11:00

I haven't made this in a while, but it's come up a couple of times lately, and somehow, my friend Sally had never heard of it. This is the world's easiest, but most impressive dessert.

Ingredients:
300ml cream (I like to use pure cream, but whatever you usually use is fine)
1 Toblerone bar, I think it's about 90g
These are pretty flexible, use more or less chocolate depending on what you like, and what you have.Feel free to use dark Toblerone if you prefer.

Method:
1. Melt Toblerone
2. Whip cream (not too stiff - you're looking for a moussy texture in the finished product)
3. Gently fold the chocolate into the cream.

Serve with marshmallows, and soft fruit for dipping (we usually use strawberries, and various kinds of melon - canteloupe, honeydew, watermelon - sliced into fingers) It's amazing how much chocolate and cream many women can justify eating if they eat it with fruit! Alternatively, spoon into bite size chocolate cups.

Biggest and Smallest

2011-02-18T22:29:00.000+11:00

I finished the fourth flowergirl dress. Well, except for the handsewing which my best friend offered to do, which is why I had only the biggest and smallest dresses at home. I love the contrast between them. Jade is 9 1/2, and will wear the green dress. Milla will almost be 1, and will wear the tiny, angelic white dress.

Macarons

2011-02-18T09:05:00.001+11:00

For some time now, I have been obsessed with macarons/macaroons. I blame Paris, where they are piled up in patisserie windows in multi-hued perfection.So I bought this book

and decided that chocolate is always a good place to start.

The batter, ready to go in the oven.

Baked. Crunchy, chewy, and a bit too bubbly.

And sandwiched together with bitter chocolate ganache.

Overall, they were delicious, but definitely not perfect. The extra bubbles made them a bit too fragile, and they lack the 'pied' (foot) that makes them true macarons. Something to keep working at.

What could be more domestic...

2011-02-17T10:19:00.000+11:00

than baking bread?

My first attempt was a little patchy

but with a new recipe from a friend, and actually using the oven instead of the BBQ, I achieved reasonable success!

Red Velvet

2011-02-16T10:45:00.000+11:00

In keeping with the Valentine's theme, I couldn't resist trying Red Velvet cupcakes, from the Nigella Lawson Kitchen book I was given by my beautiful best friend for Christmas.

Look at the colour of that batter!

And the richness once cooked...

And what could be more beautiful than icing them with buttercream, and topping with chocolate flakes?

Absolute indulgence!

An Inexpensive Valentine

2011-02-15T09:59:00.000+11:00

With our wedding now less than two months away, Andrew and I agreed not to spend much for Valentine's Day. In fact, we set a budget of only $10 each. So, to show my love, I went back to my choc-chip cookie recipe, which he loves. Then I went back to the original recipe, which contains peanuts and peanut butter, which I knew he'd love even more (but I hate). I made a couple of big, heart shaped cookies, and used writing icing to outline the shapes, and to write messages.
Meanwhile, he chose to add to my new short sock collection, with a selection of Valentine's coloured socks.

The Liesl Dress

2011-01-06T09:54:00.000+11:00

It's pretty well known that I am a big fan of The Sound of Music. Aside from the story itself, some of the costumes are gorgeous. So I'm pretty thrilled to discover that someone has made a pattern for Liesl's dress. You know, the one she wears when she dances with Rolf?

It's from Edelweiss Patterns and I look forward to seeing more.

Finished at Last!

2011-01-04T18:19:00.000+11:00

There are times when it bothers me that Andrew's family is so small next to me (mostly because it makes me feel freakishly large) Then there a times when I am glad of it. Like when I take an entire extra year to complete a dress for my niece's Christmas present. In any other family, she would have grown out of it by now, but not our Amy. It will fit her perfectly!

Back

Look at that lacy sleeve

And the lace peeking out of the tuck!

And, of course, the smocking, even if it is a little rippled.

Chilli con Carne

2011-01-02T11:49:00.001+11:00

I am sure that this is in no way traditional, but it's tasty anyway.

Ingredients:
1 onion
1kg mince steak (approximately - I use anywhere between 750g-1kg or so)
1-2 tins tomatoes or 1kg pureed fresh tomatoes
2-3 heaped dessert spoons tomato paste
1 tin red kidney beans
1 tin chick peas (this is optional, but I'd use another tin of kidney beans if you're not using this)
salt, pepper, chilli powder to taste
You can also add a grated carrot and zucchini if you like.

Method:
1. Empty kidney beans and chick peas into a strainer and rinse well (I find they tend to foam disturbingly...) Set aside to drain.
2. Cut onion finely (or however you like to chop your onion for these things) and sauté in a large saucepan until clear and tender. (You will need the saucepan as you add the other ingredients. You can fry the onion in a frying pan and transfer it, if you prefer, but that just makes more washing up)
3. Add the mince, and brown.If you're adding carrot and zucchini, do it now.
4. Add salt, pepper and chilli (go sparingly with the chilli. The flavour will become more intense as it cooks. I've made this mistake more than one - lucky my family is not overly sensitive to chilli!)
5. Add tomato paste and tinned tomatoes. Make sure tomatoes are broken up to your liking before adding beans and chick peas.
6. Simmer until there is very little liquid left (this does depend on how you are serving it). Serve. We like to serve with tortillas, cheese and salad, as shown below. Warm the tortillas as instructed on the packet (generally, 10 minutes at 180C wrapped in foil) When I was younger, my brothers ate theirs in taco shells, or with corn chips, while I had mine on pasta (like bolognaise) or with toast soldiers.

Served!

This is mine, ready to wrap.

All rolled up

This is what a normal person's looks like.

But then is much harder to wrap up.

And it's much messier towards the end!

In which she begins to knit

2010-12-30T12:38:00.006+11:00

It may have been Flora's influence, it may have been the Oddballs (and my presence on Ravelry), or it may have been the beautiful skeins of yarn glaring at me balefully from my stash, but I have finally given in and started to knit.
It has not been a good start. I knitted 3 rows, and pulled it all out because I had extra stitches and didn't know why. I knitted 4 rows, had 4 extra stitches, attempted to go back to the previous row (where I knew I had the right number) and ended up 2 stitches short. This resulted in my taking it to my soon-to-be mother-in-law, who corrected the number of stitches and reknitted those rows that had been pulled out. Still, I have now successfully knitted 4 more rows without gaining or losing any stitches, and the pattern is beginning to emerge.
Flora approves.

New family members

2010-08-12T18:49:00.001+10:00

We've acquired some new family members during my absence. First there was Filleap. He was a present from Andrew, both a congratulations, and an anniversary gift. He's growing up too fast, and is oh-so-naughty. He likes cupboards, and hates carrots (but loves broccoli)

Then we got Felix, because Andrew saw him when buying animal food, and he was too cute to resist. He and Filleap aren't friends yet though - despite being 'fixed' Filleap molests him, so we're waiting 'til Felix grows up.

And then, following some losses in the chookhouse (The Colonel to illness, and Nando to a fox) we got Goldie Hawn, Ingham, and Fred Rooster.
Goldie is Dad's 2nd chook at last - a bantam to go with Chook, while the others are replacements for the lost ones.

Oh, and back on April 19th, a new niece, Milla was born. She is a sister for Alice and Amy, and absolutely divine. And at 5lb6oz, is the 'big' one in her family!

Winter's End

2010-08-09T20:20:00.002+10:00

I have a love/hate relationship with the end of Winter. On one hand, it almost frightens me, as I know how desperately we need the rain. On the other hand, there's no denying the smile that comes to my face when I get home from work and it's still light.

A thousand apologies...

2010-08-01T19:31:00.002+10:00

...for my prolonged absence. I have obtained a full time teaching position which started at the beginning of last term and while I love my job, it drastically cuts into both my crafting and blogging time. In addition, Anna at Pleasant View Schoolhouse has ceased blogging. As this was my favourite blog, and my inspiration for Sew, Cook, Laugh, I have lost some interest in blogs in general - I have not even been reading blogs regularly. I do, however, love this space for sharing, so I shall try to be better.
Upcoming posts are likely to included - additions to our family (a gorgeous new niece, plus a couple of bunnies and three new chooks) and my latest crafting supplies. There may also be some mention of my current obsession with knitting, though I have about 5 things to finish before I actually do any.
So please hang in there, dear readers, and we shall return to regular programming soon. I hope.

Taking it up a notch...

2010-03-02T21:27:00.002+11:00

Recently, I wanted to make a vegetable based meal, but wanted avoid risotto and pasta, as Dad hates them (which doesn't stop us, but we do try to limit it). Mum suggested the veggie pasties she used to make by roasting vegetables and mixing them with cheese. I liked the idea but decided I could do better.

Katie's Cheesy Veggie Pasties
Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes
1/2 a medium sweet potato
Approximately the same amount of pumpkin
1 carrot
A large handful of frozen peas
60g butter
1/3 cup plain flour
500mL milk
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp English mustard
125g grated tasty cheese
1 tbsp grated parmesan
salt, pepper and nutmeg
4 sheets puff pastry

Method:
Peel and dice all veggies (except peas), aiming for 1-2cm cubes/rectangular prisms. Put in a roasting tray and coat with oil (I use olive oil), then bake in oven until golden and soft through. Tip into a large mixing bowl (I usually put a couple of squares of paper towel at the bottom to soak up excess oil), add peas, and set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour and mustards. Stir for one minute. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Stir until it boils and thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add cheeses and stir until melted.
Pour cheese sauce over vegetables (remembering to remove the paper towel) You won't need it all, so add it bit by bit, stirring as you go, until everything is coated.
Hopefully, you've been smart and gotten the pastry out of the freezer to defrost. Cut each sheet in half vertically (I tried doing it diagonally, and it really doesn't work as well) Spoon some of the veggie mix into the centre of each piece, taking care to leave a little space at each edge. Brush all the edges with a little milk, and roll up into rectangular pasties, making sure to seal the short ends. Place on a baking tray (I like to line with baking paper) brush pasties all over with milk, and pierce tops. Bake at 200C for around 20min or until golden.
Enjoy!

Notes:
The veggies can be varied - tonight's contained beans (I don't know what kind, but they were purple until I cooked them) and I have also mixed grated zucchini through the mix.
These can be reheated later - this makes twice as many as my family needs for dinner, so the rest get gladwrapped, and refrigerated. They can be reheated in either the microwave or the oven.

My Year In Feminine Dress

2010-02-01T13:13:00.004+11:00

It started with the Sense and Sensibility Forums. Every season, the ladies over there have a Week In Feminine Dress, where members wear dresses and skirts (and, due to the religious convictions of many members, dress modestly) for a week, posting pictures each day, with a description of what we wore and did that day. It's about proving that just about anything can be done while still looking feminine, and about providing each other with style inspiration. My first WIFD was while we were still travelling. It was challenging in many ways, having only 2 skirts and hiking boots, but having a lack of choices made it easier too. Still, I kept it up, and have taken part in every WIFD since.

Then, about this time last year, there was another one. No big deal, especially since I realised that I'd already been wearing skirts for a few weeks, due to the heat.
WHich got me wondering how long I could keep it up. First I challenged myself to last through February. That was easy, so I thought I'd just keep going for as long as I could. Pretty soon, I decided to see if I could last a whole year.
It wasn't always easy. Winter got challenging...
...so I resorted to long socks, which I now have a bit of a reputation for (I've been call both Pippi Long Stocking and the Wicked Witch!)
I've dressed casually.

I've had job interviews.
And I've been to parties.

It's been a great year. My style has developed a lot, and ultimately, I think I'll stick mostly to skirts, but it will be nice to be able to throw a pair of jeans on to go horse riding, or shorts for rock climbing.

The girls are growing up!

2010-01-11T17:10:00.003+11:00

Our chooks now all look like adult hens. We're now getting 5 or 6 eggs everyday, and occasionally we even get 7!

This is Opal

Obsidian (Andrew calls her Sid)

and Dora.

We've also had a couple of additions to our little flock. First there was a bantam for Dad. He took so long to name her that Andrew was calling her Henrietta von Cluckington III, but Dad eventually chose a name.

This is Chook.

Then we got a rooster. He, too, is a bantam and is scared of the bigger girls, so I don't think we'll be getting chickens any time soon.

This is the Colonel (as in Colonel Sanders. Guess who named him?)

Feelin' 50s

2009-11-19T09:30:00.000+11:00

I love this outfit!
I wore it last week to teach P.E. of all things. I knew I needed something I could move in and still be decent, and also something that would be cool in the warmer weather we've been having lately. I had intended to wear a polo shirt, then forgot while I was getting dressed that morning. As it was, I spent the day feeling pretty, and feminine and fun. I couldn't have asked for more, and I will definitely be wearing this again.
(please excuse my rather tired look, the photo was taken at around 9pm)

Eggs

2009-11-18T09:31:00.000+11:00

It's been funny having chooks. One of Andrew's tends to lay really big eggs - the one on the left weight a whopping 93 grams, but only contained a single yolk! We've had eggs without a proper shell. And recently Daisy, our neighbour's chook, has started to lay. Because she's still young, most of her eggs are small.

And one looked normal but had two tiny yolks! I can't wait to see what comes next...

Mum's First Quilt

2009-11-16T08:28:00.000+11:00

It's been a couple of months now since Mum finished her first ever quilt. In all honesty, she did the actual hand quilting, while I did all the cutting and construction. Still, she spent ages lovingly quilting words about love and family in both English and Burmese, and finally gave it to the Burmese family she has been working with (she tutors the mother in English through AMES - a great program if anyone is interested)

High Five, Alice!

2009-10-28T13:29:00.004+11:00

My middle niece turned 4 last month. Much to the fascination and confusion of the family at large, and especially her mother, she's quite a fashion conscious, trendy, feminine little thing. So when I saw High Five! in issue 87 of Australian Smocking and Embroidery, I knew it was the perfect present for her birthday.
I spent far too much time fighting my sewing machine over the topstitching thread, and I'm sure I wasted more of it than I used. I also spent an hour and a half fighting my future mother-in-laws sewing machine over keyhole buttonholes, before giving up and doing standard buttonholes on my own machine.
But in the end, I love it so much that I'm trying to figure out how to make myself one!

My chickies have names...

2009-10-08T13:58:00.002+11:00

The one with the brown around her neck is Opal, while the completely black one is Obsidian.

Morning Tea

2009-09-24T14:32:00.002+10:00

Almost immediately after finishing Oscar's coat, I moved onto my next paid job - catering a morning tea for 35 local principals. I got the job through Mum's boss, who has known me since I was 8, and has often hired me as a relief teacher too. She requested biscuits and muffins, so after much thought I decided upon my famous chocolate chip cookies, ginger biscuits, white choc/raspberry and double chocolate muffins (from the one recipe which I got from an online friend), and lemon cake from a recipe Jill gave me (from the CWA cookbook)
Having never made the muffins or cake before I did a trial run on the Sunday before the big event. Both worked well (though the lemon cake should not be made in a mini bundt pan!) and both Mum's staff and the staff of the school I worked at on Monday were well fed. I also make the choc chip cookie dough up and put it in the fridge.
Monday afternoon and evening saw me very busy baking, from soon after I got home until almost 10pm (though I did fit dinner in there!). After surveying the scene above, and doing some calculating, I decided that one more thing was needed... And so, I got up early on Tuesday morning to make a cinnamon honey cake. I'd debated doing a chocolate cake, but I don't have a recipe I'm sure of, while the cinnamon honey cake is an old favourite.
I took everything up to the school in plastic containers, except the last cake which was still warm, and set it out onto platters when I got there. I had the assistance of some very capable senior students to take it in, and I am told it was a great success!

More chicks at last

2009-09-23T08:50:00.003+10:00

After searching long and hard, we finally acquired some more chooks. We got these little girls from Chesterfield Farm, and they were only 12 weeks old (that was a week and a half ago) so it will be a couple of months before we get any eggs from them.
The two spotty ones (centre) are Mum's, and she has named them Flora and Dora. The grey one (back) belongs to our neighbour (a bit of a joke) and Mum tells me its name is Cora, but I don't believe here. The two black ones are mine, and they are as yet unnamed. Any suggestions? One has a few brown feathers around her neck (it's hard to tell, but I think it's the one on the left)

A coat for Oscar

2009-09-18T13:26:00.004+10:00

I hope that you will forgive my absence these last few weeks. You see, when not working, or sick, or both, I have been obsessed with finishing this gorgeous little coat for an even more gorgeous little boy named Oscar.
After seeing my recent girl's coats, Oscar's mummy commissioned me to make a coat for him. We went fabric shopping together, and after a little searching, I found this pattern.
It took me far too long to make between the work, and the illness and a few little challenges, including eliminating most of the handsewing (the pattern wanted me to handsew in the entire lining!), making pockets
and lining the back vent
but finally I finished this gorgeous little coat and delivered it to a very excited mother.
Not only has she paid me for it, but has had professional photos taken of Oscar wearing it, which she has offered to me for promotional purposes!
Fortunately, considering that Winter is now over, it is still a little big so it will fit Oscar next year and get the wear that it deserves.

Fresh Eggs!

2009-08-17T19:07:00.003+10:00

We got our first fresh eggs today
From the pet chooks we picked up yesterday. These first two are Andrew's and so he has named them.

Meet Lenard...

And Nando...

Bag for Sal

2009-08-02T15:00:00.000+10:00

I found the kit for this bag for half price last year. I soon decided that it was perfect for Sal's birthday present. Putting it together had some challenges - the instructions weren't all that clear - but it wasn't too hard.

And in the end, I was able to give my friend this gorgeous bag.

Love

2009-07-23T19:42:00.000+10:00

the hip-length hemline

the brightly striped lining

and the shiny brass buttons.

If you love it as much as I do, it's in the shop.

Preparations for Yule

2009-07-14T18:30:00.000+10:00

Yule has come and gone for another year, and sadly, I forgot to take any photos of a wonderful night. I did, however, manage to take photos of the invitations. I love to send out formal invitations to events as I think it's more exciting to receive something in your letter box than your email. Sadly, this year, some took the long way through our postal system. Hopefully, next year will be better.

Ottobre Designs

2009-07-09T21:30:00.000+10:00

A while ago, the lovely Erin at Purple Frangipani posted about Ottobre Design. I checked it out, drooled over the gorgeous designs, then forgot about it. Then when I was preparing for the Chestnut Festival, and looking for boys patterns, I found Ottobre again. Each issue contains around 40 (or more!) fantastic kids (and some adults) designs, and costs less than A$20. So I bought two (and Jill bought one of the women's issues) I haven't actually used any of the patterns yet, but I love looking through them and am looking forward to getting some more issues. I'm even thinking of subscribing.

Jam cookies

2009-07-03T11:30:00.000+10:00

I've been experimenting with the jam cookie recipe. Adding jam after baking leads to soggy cookies, but it's tricky to judge how much jam to use before baking. This batch was about right. And I remembered my grandmother's trick for using up left over dough/pastry - little jam pasties.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

2009-06-19T12:23:00.001+10:00

I made this for dinner on Tuesday night. Typically, I forgot to take a photo, but thought you might enjoy the recipe. I used the pumpkin puree leftover from making the pumpkin pies.

Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
60g butter
4tbsp plain flour
2 rounded teaspoons wholegrain mustard
500ml milk
salt, pepper, nutmeg
125g grated tasty cheese (I use Coon, but whatever you prefer)
1tbsp grated parmesan
1 1/2 cups (approx.) pumpkin puree
Method:
Melt butter, then stir in flour. Stir for 1 minute without browning. Stir in mustard.
Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Stir until it boils and thickens.
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Stir in cheese until melted.
Stir in pumpkin.

Notes:
This is still experimental, and I think it's missing something. If anyone can tell me what that is, I'd appreciate it.
Pumpkin puree is made according to instructions on Martha Stewart's website. I was going to link to it, but it's not working right now. Basically roast about 750g pumpkin in one piece until it's really soft, skin it, and run through the food processor or blender. I have also used homemade pumpkin soup instead of puree.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater...

2009-06-15T18:17:00.002+10:00

Two uses for all that pumpkin....

Pumpkin pie.

And pumpkin scones.

Yum!

Etsy

2009-06-09T16:58:00.003+10:00

I now have an Etsy shop, open for business!
You can find it at FriendsAtDaybreak.etsy.com

101 Uses for Pumpkin

2009-05-18T13:58:00.003+10:00

Andrew's pumpkins finally ripened. We got 1x8kg, 1x2kg, and one slightly possum nibbled. So now we have to use them up...
1. Roast as part of dinner - check
2. Make soup - check
3. Pumpkin pie
4. Pumpkin scones.
Now if someone could just help me out with the other 97 uses, we might just get there!

Andrew loves his pumpkins.

Spanakopita

2009-05-18T13:27:00.007+10:00

With an abundance of spinach in the veggie garden, I decided to attempt something new, that we'd experienced on our travels - spanakopita (Can anyone tell me how to pronounce that, by the way? Is it SPAN-ah-kop-ih-tah or span-ah-kop-EE-tah?)

A pile of fresh spinach

Fried onion and garlic

In the oven...

Out of the oven...

and onto the plate.

Yum!

Loving Autumn

2009-05-18T09:18:00.009+10:00

I am loving this Autumn. Clear, bright, crisp days, and gorgeous colours, both of leaves and flowers.

Andrew took this photo of me when I was out of the car to take the previous photo.

And this is Metal Mick, a wire sculpture of my younger brother, lovingly guarding Andrew's pumpkins.

Samhain

2009-05-12T08:21:00.003+10:00

May 1 was Samhain (actually, April 30 was, but that was a Thursday) - Pagan New Year, and a time when the veil between the worlds is thin and we can communicate with and remember lost loved ones. I had some friends over for a dinner in front of the fireplace. Only a couple were able to come, and one of those was quite late, so we didn't bother with the planned ritual, and just had a lovely social night instead. Andrew roasted some chestnuts for a pre-dinner snack, I provided baked spuds with garlic butter, cheese and free range bacon. Dessert was provided by my friends - gingerbread skeletons, and pumpkin pie. Yum!

Chestnut Festival Success

2009-05-04T12:02:00.005+10:00

The Chestnut Festival went really well. I ended up with 5 jackets to sell (I made 6 but an online friend bought the first one on Friday) finishing the last one at the stall! I sold 3 of them, which I'm quite pleased with. I think I would have sold more if I'd had more, especially in the bigger sizes. We sold a few of Andrew's wands, and a couple of staves, and even had a woman interested in stocking them in her shop! We also sold some of his mum's knitted gnomes, and a pile of his sister's amigurumi tortoises and hippos, plus a few kids bracelets. I was really surprised that the painted bags his mum made didn't sell at all. We were using one of the primary school's tents (thanks, Mum!) which unfortunately meant we were next to the fairy floss machine, and got coated in sugar! A few of our friends came by, his parents helped out for the day, and the weather was a perfect crisp autumn day.
Prepare for the photo bombardment sequence....
Size 2 short jacket in chocolate corduroy with striped lining (I still have this)

Size 2 Rusty orange polar fleece with floral lining - the last one finished

Size 3 Rusty orange polar fleece with gingham lining (I still have this)

Size 4 Blue polar fleece with floral lining

Size 6 Brown floral velour with floral lining (this was sold to 2 women who plan to pass it down between their daughters!)

Chestnut Festival This Weekend

2009-04-30T09:47:00.002+10:00

The market I have been madly (if surprisingly slowly) sewing for is the Mt Dandenong Pre-School Chestnut Festival, which is THIS Sunday. It will be held at Kalorama Oval on Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd, and goes from 10am until 4 (I think). I'd love to see you there!

Labels

2009-04-21T17:39:00.004+10:00

I ummed and ahhed about whether or not to get labels for the clothes I'm making for the Chestnut Festival. In the end, although they're rather unnecessary, I decided that they added a professional touch, and ordered 300 (I have no expectations of using them up any time soon, but it was either that or get 200 for the same price) They arrived yesterday, and I'm just so thrilled with these little pieces of fabric that will now mark all the clothes that I make.

Chestnut Festival Preparation

2009-04-17T08:40:00.002+10:00

3 patterns, 5 sizes, all traced, cut out, labelled and bagged.
And 1 gorgeous little jacket. I'm not sure how I'm going to bear to sell this one!

Yay for Andrew!

2009-03-30T19:14:00.002+11:00

It looks like my gorgeous man finally has an apprenticeship, so Yay for Andrew!

Kilt Quilt #1 - The Tartan Sampler

2009-03-30T19:04:00.004+11:00

When we lived in Edinburgh, Andrew worked for a kiltmaker's and collected tartan offcuts for me, which I brought home to make quilts. This is the first one. Most of the pieces have come from tartan sampler books, and every one is different. There's 133 different tartans in there! I won't be working on it for a while due to Chestnut Festival sewing, but it may just take me that long to decide whether or not to add a border...

To market, to market...

2009-03-26T15:10:00.004+11:00

The last month brought with it two big craft supply purchasing opportunities. The first was the Australian Quilter's Conference quilt show. I hadn't been going to go to this one, but Mum wanted to, so along we went one Saturday after Italian. The display was gorgeous, though Mum and I have very different tastes. There were many gorgeous fabrics for sale, but in the end, I couldn't cope with the crowds, and only bought a couple of 30cm strips of greens for my Emerald Isle quilt, plus Mum bought me some Beatrix Potter panels.
The other was the Stitches and Craft Show. It was in a new venue this year, and ultimately, I was disappointed with it - there was far fewer stalls than previously. That didn't, however, prevent me from spending over $100.

I simply couldn't resist this Halloween/Samhain fabric.

Or this fairy. Isn't she gorgeous?
And I've wanted this pattern for years. It was finally time to buy it. I already own two from the series, and there's two more to buy. I'll stitch them one day. Really.

Finally, Andrew had the bright idea that we should have a stall at Mt Dandenong Preschool's Chestnut Festival. His mum is knitting gnomes, Andrew is making sticks/staves, and I... am making kids clothes. I'm not at all confident about this. Can I make enough in time? Will people like them? How much should I charge? Will I have the right sizes? Nevertheless, when Spotlight had 20% off everything, I had to go and buy some supplies. Then I raided my stash.
I've also found some corduruoy at the op-shop of all places.
So I'm currently working on getting my kilt quilt out of the way, and pondering whether or not to order some woven labels for the clothes. It would give them a more professional touch, but do I really need $200?

A special dress for a very special baby

2009-03-12T08:35:00.003+11:00

I have been a member of a particular forum for a (frighteningly) long time, and, as such, have made a few friends there. There is one particular lady who I have been aware of, and occasionally in direct contact with over this time. A lovely lady, intelligent and interesting, she spent 5 years desperate to have a second child. Around this time last year, there was a discussion on the forum about Easter/Autumn/Spring Equinox and other festivals, and I related my beliefs. As I was in the Northern Hemisphere at the time, I mostly spoke about the Spring Equinox, which is in large part about new life and fertility. This lady got excited, especially when I mentioned the coinciding full moon, which represents a pregnant belly, and asked that I send the fertility vibes to her. I don't know how serious she was, but I felt a real urge to help her, so I spent several days visualising her pregnant, and finished with a (rare for me) formal ritual. Soon after the equinox, she discovered that she was, at last, pregnant, and in December, she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Though I haven't met this lady, I felt compelled to make a little something for her 'piccolo miracolo' - little miracle. I finally finished it and sent it to her last week, and as the recipient now has it, I can post pictures here without spoiling the surprise (I don't know that she reads this, but just in case...)

All wrapped to be sent

Full length front shot

Full length back shot

Neckline detail

Sleeve detail

Isn't it just adorable? I know it's totally impractical, but I couldn't resist. I'm hoping she'll get to wear it at least a couple of times. It's not perfect - I broke a bunch of needle while pleating it, which caused some minor damage I had to repair, and I used the wrong needle for a bunch of the bullion knots, though they turned out okay in the end - but I'm pleased with the end result.
I've been promised pictures of the baby in it, but will only post them here if I get permission.

An update...finally

2009-03-10T08:25:00.009+11:00

After our wonderful engagement party, I have achieved quite a lot in the domestic department (sadly due to not working enough, which has also relegated me to family housekeeper/wife, so I get to feed the animals, and cook dinner most nights)
I had a big cooking day one Friday, which resulted in

Soup
Curried sausages (using the leftover sausages from the engagement party)
And nectarine jam, - my first attempt at jam - which I'm told is good, though I won't eat it myself as I only eat raspberry or strawberry jam!

I smocked these singlets to take as a gift for a baby shower, for a little boy who is expected any day now. I love smocking singlets - so simple, yet so cute!
I made a teddy bear for a friend's 21st. It's been a long time sine I made a fur bear, but I'm quite thrilled with the results. Much more fun than signature bears! This little darling was named Nadira Phoebe.

I finally added the borders to my 21st quilt, which is now layered and basted, ready to be quilted. I've also started cutting blocks (not quite square) for my first kilt quilt.

I experimented with a new pasta sauce on Friday (Fridays seem to be a good day for cooking). I consisted of homemade pumpkin soup, combined with the bechemel sauce I make for macaroni cheese, topped with toasted pinenuts. By all accounts - success! I am contemplating serving it in future with a dollop of pesto too.
In my role as housewife, I have been making the families snacks each week too (they have to make their own lunches - I don't get up early enough!) Most weeks, it has been the usual chocolate chip cookies, because Andrew loves them. Last night, however, Mum requested jam cookies. Since the usual ones contain almond meal though, and with both Mum and I being teachers, and so many kids with life threatening nut allergies, I had to come up with something different....
I haven't had one yet, but Mum likes them!

Bushfires

2009-02-15T16:56:00.002+11:00

I have actually done some craft stuff over the last few weeks, but I've been a little to busy worrying about the Victorian bushfires to post pretty pictures on here. Hopefully a return to your regular programming with occur soon.

A suit to suit...

2009-01-20T18:50:00.004+11:00

I started making this suit a few years ago, when my parents gave me a few sewing lessons as a birthday present.
When the lessons finished, the suit got put on hold - probably because I had gifts to finish, as I usually do. I finally picked it back up in September or October, and today I finished the last of the hem, and it is done.
I know it's a bit fanciful, and I do feel a little swamped in fabric - I probably won't often wear the pieces together.
It's a 100% acrylic linen look, which I'm not too thrilled about, as I prefer natural fibres. But I love the details - the flaps on the back
and the buttons on the cuffs.

Engagement Party Invitations

2009-01-19T12:49:00.003+11:00

Our engagement party invitations went out this week. Andrew's talented 4th sister designed them, while his 2nd sister's partner, who owns a printing company, printed them. They look so professional. I love them!
The invitation designs are copyright Courtney Lindsay 2008

Presents for a new nephew

2009-01-19T12:07:00.006+11:00

Our newest nephew was born on New Year's Eve. A beautiful little boy who has been named Kobe Adam (after his Dad). It has taken me a while, but I have finally completed his handmade presents.
His teddy bear is named Fintan Ajax, and has corduroy paw pads, like his big brother Kalan's, though in a different colour. I think I am giving up on signature bears after this one though. No one ever gets them signed, and I don't really like them - they always end up with weird pointy bits on their heads, and visible closing seams - fur hides those - at the very least, I need a new pattern. I had a particularly hard time with this one - I went to tie on his anklet, and his head fell off! I hadn't gathered his neck tight enough... This meant I had to frog (rip it! rip it!) open his back and neck, remove and replace the joint before putting him back together.

And a smocked singlet. I really love these. They're so quick and easy - I did most of this one on Christmas Eve while waiting in line for Carols - and in the right colours, don't look the least bit girly, which most smocking patterns do...

This is the skirt that Sarah sewed.

2009-01-14T09:05:00.003+11:00

This is the skirt that I helped my cousin to sew. I gave her the instructions and did a little of the sewing right at the end so she could finish it before going home, but she did the rest herself. The fabric is quilting fabric from Spotlight, on sale for $5 p/m. The skirt is supposed to be mid-knee length or just below, but, being 16, she wanted it shorter. We shortened it as we would for a shorter person - folding it and redrawing the sides - and I think we should have just cut it off so that is was a little narrower at the hem, but other than that, I think it's cute, and think she should be very proud of herself for making it in only a few days.

A very special Christmas

2008-12-25T19:30:00.004+11:00

I love Christmas. I have since I was a kid, which is possibly strange in a girl who was raised without religion and is now pagan, but nevertheless, love it I do. It's getting harder to maintain my enthusiasm and enjoyment as I get older, both because it sneaks up on me, and because my immediate family no longer share my love of Christmas (Andrew's younger sisters and my younger brother's girlfriend are great though) I've been working very hard this year to be enthusiastic, but it's turned out a good day.
We went to Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight last night, which I adore. I can't think of a better expression of Christmas spirit than all those people joined in song, with money going towards a charity.
Today was lovely. My family celebrations were severely contracted with the loss of my grandparents and all the Canberra people staying there, but it was nice anyway. Andrew's family was all the wonderful madness it usually is, with the added joy of a new baby (I finally got a cuddle, so I made it a nice long one).

But best of all was the very first present I got this morning...
An engagement ring from my beloved! I'm so happy! (Channelling Marion of Bagelle from Robin Hood: Men In Tights)

A New Niece

2008-12-10T17:33:00.003+11:00

Yesterday, we received word that Andrew's second sister had given birth to her second child. It was by emergency caesarean, and she is a tiny 4lb14oz (I have no idea what that translates to in metric, but she's smaller than her sister who was 5lb3oz, or 2.35kg) so we were a little worried, but apparently both mother and baby are well. As such, we are pleased to welcome to the world our new niece Amy Karla, a second daughter for Kirsten and Chris, and a little sister for Alice.
In honour of this event, I have spent last night and today making the signature bear above. It will go along with other gifts, but it is a tradition of mine to give one to the family babies (sorry Julian) though none have yet actually been signed. Amongst my other bear making traditions, is the naming of the bear after the recipient (which is to say, the bear is given a name with the same meaning), so this bear is named Mary Charlotte, and the silver anklet/friendship band you can just see on her right ankle.

My Best Friend's Wedding

2008-11-30T22:16:00.002+11:00

I have spent the bulk of the last four days doing things related to Jill's wedding.
On Thursday, I went out with her to look for more plastic 'glasses' for the reception (spit roast dinner in the local hall) - then we managed a little Christmas shopping at Dymocks who were having a 20% off day for Booklovers club members. I had my hair trimmed in the afternoon, just to neaten it up for the wedding (it desperately needed to be done, so this was the perfect motivation) Later, I went out to buy her wedding present...plus wrapping paper, card, horseshoe, and guestbook (she'd forgotten. I spotted them and called her)
On Friday I worked for a couple of hours (helping with Prep transition - I love prep kids. They're exhausting but adorable) then picked up umbrellas from Andrew's parents in case of rain, attempted to pick up my pendant for the wedding - the jeweller had forgotten to make it, despite swearing it would be ready in time - had a quick lunch, then went to the ceremony venue - a historic homestead, in her home town, where her grandparents volunteer - for a rehearsal. Then I went home to collect my stuff and headed back to her hometown (10 minutes away) to be waxed so I was lovely and hairless for the wedding. I then sat through her manicure, so I could take her back to her house (another 10 minutes or so away) to collect things she'd forgotten. We then returned to her parents' house, where we were spending the night, for dinner, and packaging bonbonierre.
Neither of us slept very well so we were both ready to go back to sleep while having our hair done on Saturday - the wedding day! - but by the time we made it back to the house, we'd perked up. We both managed to eat lunch - I swear she was the world's most laid back bride! - and the photographer, the lovely Kirsten, showed up just in time to get photos of the make up application process. We had only minor difficulties with the dressing process - her garter straps would not attach to her stockings, and after both of us plus her mother had tried, we cut them off, and she wore pantyhose, Andrew, who had collected my newly made pendant, had gotten confused and hadn't dropped it off (he did in the end), and because her dress was put on before her shoes, I had to put them on for her, but that made for nice photos anyway. There was then time for photos with the various members of her family - parents, brother and his fiancee - including ones where she pinned on boutonieres and put corsages around wrists, and various poses around the house. There was a minor delay, because the friend of the family who had done our make-up had been so involved in getting us ready that she was running behind which held up the car with Jill's mother and siblings, which then meant that we couldn't leave. I got a phonecall at this point from Andrew, because Jimmy (the groom) was getting a little stressed. Finally, Jill, her father and I headed to the ceremony in the most gorgeous old car (I'm not a car girl, but it was 1963, with fins and a great rumble) Then we were there. Her father and I sorted out Jill's train, flipped the veil over her face and I headed down the path/aisle, under the archway and up to the gazebo where my best friend was married. I gave a reading, witnessed the marriage, held her bouquet, and stood smiling with happiness for my friend. After the ceremony was greeting family and friends, followed by photos - all with my trying not to let my far too pointy heels sink into the soft ground. Kirsten did not in any way allow her big pregnant belly to get in to way of getting the perfect shot - even when that meant climbing on chairs! We returned to Jill's parents' place for some photos she wanted in the front garden, which thankfully allowed our make-up lady to touch up Jill's jawline, where she'd unfortunately been bitten by something. Then everyone headed off and the bridal party climbed back into that gorgeous car for the short drive to the reception - we could have climbed through the back fence! Upon our arrival, Andrew stepped into his role as MC (having been playing back up photographer and and general gopher all day) to announce us. I stepped close to the Best Man to walk in, and not being sure what to do, he put his arm around my shoulder "Give me your arm, you idiot!" - he's the groom's best mate, we've known each other for years and get on quite well. The reception went so well. All the speeches were good (including mine) even though we were all nervous. Andrew was amazing as MC - you'd never have known how nervous he was or even that he'd never done it before (he did say a few grammatically incorrect things that had me wincing, but I doubt others noticed) Jill and Jim looked great dancing, I had fun dancing with the bestman (who is taller than me - even in heels... he appreciated that I was tall enough to look in the eye), Andrew, Mum, Jill's mum and my friends. Jill looked like the perfect image of a bride - I swear, if you go out and buy a bride doll, that's what she looked like. I had a brief moment during the night of "she's too young to be married" before remembering that she's 27! It was a great night, and I finally fell in to bed, exhausted, around midnight.
Today we woke up at 10:30 and had to hurry to get ourselves back to Jill's parents' for a post wedding BBQ. We had a lovely relaxed afternoon. Andrew has burnt the photos he took to DVD for both sets of parents and and Jill and Jim. We had a slideshow of them on the big TV, and Jill and Jim opened their cards and presents. They were given a huge amount of money towards their honeymoon, plus some gorgeous presents - including some antique cake forks, dish and tablecloth linens, that had belonged to Jim's grandparents (perfect for sentimental Jill). They loved our present, and have now headed off for a few days away - their actual honeymoon won't be until next year.

And now for some photos
Walking down the aisle

Bridal party

Dancing with Andrew - the height difference is (mostly) due to my heels

Six Things

2008-11-20T08:47:00.002+11:00

Earlier this month Erin tagged me to do a meme in which I relate six things I have learnt this year. It's taken me a while because I had to decide what to write.

1. I miss Nan and Pa terribly now they're gone. I always suspected this would be the case, but now I know for sure

2. I have two new nieces or nephews on the way. One to each of Andrew's 2nd and 3rd sisters and both to be born by the end of the year

3. The reason I have always identified with the Greek gods is that Greece has so many similarities to Australia.

4. My soul is tied to Scotland, Ireland and Greece and I am going to need to continue to visit them throughout my life.

5. I am a bigger wuss than I ever imagined, and fear can keep me frozen in place even when I know I need to get moving.

6. I am more powerful than I imagined I could be, and when I put my mind to it, I can do amazing things.

I am going to tag Sally and Tish because they're the only people (other than Erin) I can say with any degree of confidence actually read this blog.

Professional Framing

2008-11-04T16:47:00.002+11:00

I did this cross stitch for Mum's birthday a couple of years ago, and we finally got around to getting it framed. It's the first time I've had a piece professionally framed - I have framed a few myself - but it certainly won't be the last. I was so pleased with the help we got choosing the matting and frame, with the finished product, and so happy to finally have it on the wall instead of hidden away.

Patterns

2008-10-31T18:40:00.004+11:00

Most sewers are addicted to fabric, and while I will confess to being slightly affected by this affliction, my big craft addiction is patterns. Sewing, cross stitch and quilting, I have more than I will ever use. And today I bought two more. In my defence, they were at least partially paid for with birthday money (originally a Spotlight voucher but they gave me cash change after I bought fabric) and they were 50% off.

This one is described as a 'Walk-away dress' the idea being that you can start making it in the morning and walk away in it in the afternoon.

And I just couldn't resist the gorgeous 40s style of this one.

*sigh* I'm already dreaming about wearing them, but have no idea when I'll manage to make them!

Another Loss

2008-10-20T17:55:00.001+11:00

We buried you today, Pa. I know you didn't want to live without Nan, but it was hard to say goodbye to you so soon after losing her. It was evident in your funeral today that no one could think of you without thinking of her, so it's fitting that you're together again. I'll miss your wicked sense of humour and your stories and your support.
RIP Pa

Jam Drops

2008-10-09T19:15:00.002+11:00

More Jam Drop cookies, once again at Mum's request. I made them this time with blackberry jam, because we were out of raspberry. I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't like the flavour, but as it turns out, it was sweet, but rather bland. Back to raspberry next time!

Cobblers Apron

2008-10-09T18:55:00.005+11:00

I made this for myself. I got the idea from Anna at Pleasant View Schoolhouse who has this exact pattern - I have gotten much inspiration from her gorgeous blog. I made it from a gorgeous cotton print I got from my grandmother's stash, and bound it in white. I'd say my grandmother had started making something out of this fabric herself (curtains perhaps) and there are lines of holes where I removed stitching - I'm hoping these will disappear with wear and washing. I didn't bother to do any measuring of fitting so I was quite impressed to find that the waist ended up exactly where it should, given my above average height. It went together quite easily and quickly, though I made the sash double thickness to enclose the seams rather than hemming it. If I make it again, I will lengthen it a little, and lengthen the sash. I may also round the back corners so that I can bind the bottom and back in one go. I've been wearing it all day today, and it makes me smile. I love the deep pockets, the fabric, and the way the shoulders sit out.