Two little wallhangings

I made two of these folksy little wallhangings for two friends

in

Christmas 2008

Wow seems so long ago.

I used a pattern from an Australian Patchwork magazine.

I customized the colours to suit my friends individual tastes.

I miss sewing SO much.

It's 14 months now.

That queue of projects in my mind

has

ceased to grow

as it's just so long

since

I

sewed

anything.

Before I finally stopped sewing due to back pain I was

living

 and

breathing

it everyday

like

it was an affliction.

I'd turn on my sewing machine and get a little zap of happiness.

My 3 machines now sit idle but are still loved.

Cardmaking has taken over as it's more achievable than sewing for me.

I just love to read my favourite papercraft blogs and look forward to seeing each lady's daily offering.

BUT

Sewing is still my first love.

I have been sewing since I was 3 years old.

I distinctly remember turning the wheel on my mother's blue HG Palmer sewing machine just to see what it would feel like.

It felt great, I loved it.

BUT

A few hours later, Mum asked, "who has been touching my sewing machine"?

"Um, that would be me"......(eekkk, I'm in trouble).

Not really, she just told me not to touch it again, 

I already knew that before I touched it,

but the temptation was so strong I finally gave in

after thinking about it for

weeks

and

maybe months.

So after that day Mum gave me some needles and thread

and

some material

and

lace offcuts so I could do some hand sewing.

Oh I just loved it!

I still have my first funny little attempts.

Three little hand sewn doilies at about age 4 or 5 I think.

and

my 1st attempt at knitting when I was 8....

obviously

not

as

successful as my sewing....LOL

I have knitted quite a few things over the years but do not really enjoy it.

Sewing is my passion.

I don't really care if it's sewing clothes,

patchwork

or

mending,

if it's fabric needle and thread...

I'm blissful.

Handsewing circa 1965

Knitting circa 1969

Pumpkin scones on a sunday afternoon

Alternate Pumpkin Scones

or

scones with a difference

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*

I have been experimenting with putting a healthier twist on classic recipes.

In Australia, pumpkin scones are an old favourite.

They are normally made by creaming butter and sugar, adding an egg, well mashed cooked pumpkin and vanilla.

Then mixing in SR flour and gently pressing mixture out to about 4cm high and cutting into squares or using a scone cutter.

They are delicious served either warm

or cold

with

butter

or

jam and cream.

They are not like a traditional scone

 as they are slightly heavier and perhaps more cake like

but

served in the same way.

For my experiment/healthy take

I

took

the

following ingredients....

Cream Xylitol and coconut oil

then

add one egg and beat well.

Add vanilla and mix well

then

add mashed pumpkin

and

cinnamon.

Fold in spelt flour, buckwheat flour and baking powder.     

Place on tray lined with baking paper

Bake on 200c for about 12 to 15 mins

Serve with berry jam

and

whipped pure cream

(beaten with vanilla bean paste and stevia).

This is the first attempt.

Next time I will use 2 eggs and slightly more baking powder

as

they

were

a

little heavy

but the taste

was

delightful!

Hubby and I really enjoyed them with a cuppa

for

a

sunday afternoon treat.

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My scottish terrier....Liza

My daughter and Liza

it's winter

as you can no doubt tell

and

Liza loves to be warm lap

on

a

cold night.

Believe it or not listening intently to a Scottish Piper's day at our local park.

Liza and a doll I had just made....she does not like cloth dolls.

Sitting on a re-cycled lap rug.

My daughter on her wedding day with Liza at back

and

her cousin Fraser

who we used to baby sit,

that

is

before

we moved house.

Myself, Liza, my DD, Fraser and DH on DD's wedding day.

Obviously there is food involved here...

Fraser in front

with

Liza behind.

Myself with Fraser and Liza

Fraser is a bit younger than Liza and 2kgs heavier.

He's a big lad.

Liza is quite small for a scotty.

She is 8kg

More food involved here, it's the only thing that gets her so interested

This was a joke...

My mother does not like dogs near her and certainly not touching her

My son just after leaving school, growing his hair with his new found freedom and he was lead guitar in an original band...and Liza having an after work cuddle.

Folksy Megan

I am still not able to sew due to back pain.

14 months now and counting.

This is a little doll I made a few years back.

The name of the pattern

is

Megan's Locket

by

Sun Valley Primitives

Australia

I renamed

her

Folksy Megan.

I find that when making a doll

 the name just pops into my head

and

I

usually go with the first one.

It's a system that serves me well

and

I

find it quite funny when

I

discover what my latest creation

will

be

named.

She is a bit mischievious

 and

I

had

trouble keeping up

with 

her

antics 

as

she

posed all around

 my

sewing room

and

garden.

Pretending to be an old tin...didn't fool me though.

Stitching away in the garden

What a little scamp!

Sunday on the range

                                                        Finished a card

Picked some flowers for the table

My aunty and uncle came for lunch

Set the table

Lit the candles

Sideboard in dining room Brambly Hedge tea set

My aunty and uncle with myself in the middle

I was their bridesmaid in 1972

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A card for my sister in law

Here's a card I made for my SIL.

Thankfully she received it before her birthday on Sunday.

The mail up here is so un-reliable, another of the disadvantages of living so far out west.

I used some more of the 1970's wallpaper

I received as a christmas gift

for the lower cream coloured border.

I found at Big W a while ago now

a packet of months of the year

 and

thought they would come in handy for cards.

I circled her birthday.

The pretty vintage flower was part of a gift from my SIL last year.

The double bow was SO fast to do...

I

used

The Amazing Paper Grace

method.

My version of a peg bow maker.

And I just love the music

and

background border stamps

from

JustRite Stampers.

Their stamps are the best quality and make a perfect stamped image every time.

Some stamps

are

so

troublesome

but not these.

78th Birthday Card

My uncle is turning 78 on Sunday so I have made a quick card for him.

He and my aunty are driving 3 hrs to visit me and my DH.

I am still house bound and have not seen them for a few years and am really excited that they are making such an effort to see me.

I am not happy with the photos and will have to do something in the near future in order to take better photos but here it is anyhow.

We are having a cold luncheon.

 Chook (I can't bring myself to say chicken), egg salad, coleslaw, warm potato/sweet potato salad and a green salad.

Home made icecream and fruit salad for dessert

and

chocolate cake with cream and strawberries as a birthday cake.

Everything home made by moi....looking forward to it.

Hope I don't get a phone call to say my daughter has gone into early labour,

she is due on the 10th February.

Even though I am house bound due to pain I am biting the bullet and plan to go there in a couple of weeks to be with her for the birth.

I have asked the Dr my best options for dosing up

and

have to just hope and pray for the best.

It's a nearly 3 hour car trip so I'm not looking forward to it at all.

A vintage inspired apron

I would like to share an apron I made in 2010 when I could still sew a bit.

Now I cannot sew because of back problems

and

maybe never again so I thought I would share this apron.

I just loved making it and entered it in quite a few local agricultural shows in the district.

It did very well and got quite a few first place cards.

The pattern for this vintage inspired apron is from Australian Handmade magazine.

All the fabrics used are from the

Leanika range

designed

by

Dena Fishbein

Detail of lined pocket

Side view on my dressmaker's dummy

Bib detail.

I inserted ricrac

into a tuck

and

sewed another row below the tuck.

I then hand embroidered each row of ricrac.

Another view of pocket

with

stiped fabric binding

ricrac

and

hand embroidery detail

An outing on Sunday

We visited Queens Park Garden in Toowoomba,

it's

very old

and

beautiful especially on a hot summer's day.

                     

Beautiful bed of delphiniums

Another pretty bed of summer annuals

Australian Bottle Tree

Parterre Garden

Topiary cubes in the Parterre Garden

Some beautiful classic Queenlander houses on the way home

So that was my first outing in a month.

It went quite well considering.

I could not have done it without pain killers

and

valium

but I got through it

and

it was SO good to get out of the house

even if it was a fairly hot day.