happy new year!
Wishing everyone peace and happiness for 2014 - may all your plans and dreams come true.

ruggie
I've started making a ruggie from scrap balls of wool. I must admit, it does look a bit quilty ...

No deadline, no rush, just something to take with me in the car, and to sewing day when I don't want to pack my machine, or don't have any sewing in particular. Will go out later and get some smaller needles LOL.

new most favourite book

three squares finished

so easy and addictive!

 

 

Thanks for visiting!
cheers
Cait

craft fair
Our arts centre's annual craft fair and fundraiser was on today, so I offered to donate a cake for the cake stall. It didn't even touch the table - a lovely member of the public fell in love and bought it as I was handing it over for display!

top, with ingredients

side of box

inside, yay!

The recipe is a no-fail by Annabel Langbein HERE from her 'simple pleasures' book, and it needs to be shared! The first time I made it I didn't have any sultanas or raisins, so I substituted them with prunes. It was so yum, I make it with prunes every time now!

ONE-POT SPICED APPLE CAKE

 

250g butter

3-4 apples

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp cinnamon

1 cup sultanas or raisins (or roughly chopped pitted prunes)

1/2 cup walnut (or pecan) pieces

 

Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. Grease the sides of a 26 cm diameter cake tin
and line the base with baking paper.

 

Melt butter in a large pot. Remove from heat and mix in apples and sugar then eggs.
Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, sultanas or raisins and walnuts, stirring just enough to blend evenly.

 

The batter will be quite runny. Spread into prepared tin and bake until it is risen
 and golden and the top bounces back when pressed (about 1 hour 20 mins).

 

Allow to cool for 15 mins before turning out of the tin. If desired, top with
 extra walnut pieces and dust with icing sugar before serving.

 

This cake keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days and is also delicious heated
 and served with cream or custard.

 

Enjoy.

Thanks for visiting!

cheers
Cait

breathe
Yesterday I fell in love with this beautiful mixed media painting

breathe grow change

by my artist friend Linda Misa. She now lives here. I'm so happy.

She is very timely with our life at the moment - breathe, grow, change! A lot of all that has been going on - along with trees, birds, houses and a baby crow who visits and leaves debris in the bird bath for me to wash away.

See more of Linda's unique and whimsical work HERE.

Thanks for visiting!
cheers
Cait

not much sewing
but some progress here ...

west end to stove nook on left

and boot room behind ;-)))

east end to kitchen, yes, it is coming!

 back wall after small window was taken out

and before new ones went in ...

... here

 

It has progressed since these were taken, and ceiling lights are going in this week!

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.

overflowing dam
What a lovely sight this was at the end of September. I took time out with Himself for a drive in the hills and to see Wellington Dam overflowing.

from the top

from the lookout

 

at the bottom

lace wall of water

rocks above

natural cliff with wall ...

 

... looking down into picnic area below

 

We took time out here to eat our icecreams ;-)))

And I managed to find a beautiful farm gate along the way. We risked life and limb to stop here on a corner of the highway and up this abandoned road to the gates on the hill!

Thanks for visiting!
cheers
Cait

happy birthday Helen

A casserole holder ...

 made from two tea towels

 

with folded tea towel apron inside ...

voila!

All wrapped in yet another one. I just love tea towels, especially when they have nothing to do with dishes, LOL.


fun sewing

Last week I made some jama pants for himself out of this fabric. He doesn't actually sleep in them ;-)))

This is to keep me sane while the renos progress. We're living in a building site, condensed down to three rooms - but it will be worth it.

Has anyone else managed some fun sewing lately?

Thanks for visiting!

cheers
Cait

stitchery progressing
This version on cotton is almost ready to start adding the detail foreground flowers and grasses. I can't believe how much it's 'shrunk' ... but I didn't use a hoop, so it's to be expected. Next time I'll use a much stronger backing - will try canvas - that should hold it tighter! Haven't started the silk one yet.

all-over stitching

 

building up stitch colour in foreground

[click to enlarge]

 

thermofax workshop
Last month Linda Stokes came to Bunbury for a workshop at our arts centre. Lots of fun and experimenting with this method, similar to silkscreening, but using a more economical/less permanent screen.

I scanned my beautiful jacaranda leaves and sent the pic to Linda, so she was able to bring this screen on the day! Very happy with the results.

jacaranda print on thermofax screen

background fabric was discharge dyed first,

then overprinted with jacaranda

and discharged with blobby stripes

 

repeating this A4 size design of Linda's 

creates a 'cityscape'

two foliage designs printed on white cotton

these ovals discharged onto batik didn't give the results

I expected, but they look 3D here!

gold circles overprinted with

jacaranda leaf

annual retreat
Once again our quilty retreat at Augusta was full of laughs, too much food and even a bit of sewing this year!

Our challenge from last year was to make one of two awful pieces of fabric (IMHO) into 'something'. Here are the results - we're soooo creative and talented!

our finished challenge pieces showing the two

fabrics (pumpkin and Jacobean style)

Jo's corded bowl and Mary's cushion top

 

Helen's linen tea towels

(the overall unanimous winner!)

 

my discharge dyed Jacobean fabric.

I was desperate to kill it, LOL!

Mandy's door stop

Meanwhile, it's back to reality and major renovations. Yup, off to the B-word chain hardware for door quotes!