A salad for all seasons

I love raw food.  Not because it's quick to prepare although that is a distinct advantage when you're late home, hungry and tired.  I love it because I feel better when I've eaten it.  You can't always say that about food.  Well I can't because sometimes I eat rubbish. I always regret it but there's something in your brain that craves the sugar, or the salt or the fat and I'm not very strong willed - quick gratification nearly always lead to long term regret. I love salads of nearly every description and this one never fails me, winter or summer.

Gathering the ingredients for today's version:

New potatoes

Chorizo (it's usually smokey bacon)

Gruyere Cheese

Romaine lettuce

Tomatoes

Avocado pear (rare addition)

lemon and oil dressing

I decided to dry fry some pumpkin seeds for texture.  They swell up and are slightly nutty when fried.

Assembled and ready to eat in less than 15 minutes (that includes cooking the potatoes).  A small glass of merlot and a few shavings of parmesan over the top finish the dish perfectly. Light enough for summer and satisfying enough for winter.  Each bite has a nugget of flavour and you can choose your favourite ingredients  for a an infinite variety.  I had one with 'gesiers' instead of cheese and bacon but I'm not sure what they are and not sure I want to know!  They tasted good though.

New Season Mavis and Gladys

If you click on the Mavis and Gladys tab you will see the plan of the next few classes.  We're really looking forward to continuing the journey with the 'bees'.  No surprise that the first block of the month will be a Tumbling Block.  It's always better to have a made up sample of a block - even better if it can be in a quilt.  Pictures really don't do any quilt justice.  I'm busy working on a Cot Quilt for John and Steph's baby at the moment - it is due the same day as the class so I may not have it with me after all!  

There are different ways to build up the tumbling blocks quilt.  If you're not sure of the final orientation of the blocks it is best to make them up separately and then sew them together.  It is much quicker (not to mention more thrifty with the thread) to build up the quilt in rows.  This is how my quilt is coming together:

I have left the bunny ears on the edge to show how they are sewn on.  I trim the sides as I go.  The top and bottom are not trimmed until I'm ready to put the inner border on. 

I haven't crossed too much off my to do list (with the exception of sitting staring into space) but I feel much refreshed and the house is a bit tidier.  I'm staying at home this afternoon waiting for a delivery so I'll be sewing more blocks.  First though I'm going to iron and then finish the little charms I got at Sandra's on Saturday.

Tonight for tea we will be having Salad Paysanne.  I first had this in France on a camping holiday when the boys were small.  (When we went there was only one pool - the smallest one in the picture if you click on the link)  The salad has new potatoes, cubes of gruyere cheese and little pieces of smoky bacon in it.  You can add other things like chopped up de-seeded tomatoes, or maybe some toasted sweetcorn, but the base must be a good crispy lettuce (not, heaven forfend, the ubiquitous iceberg).  It's mixed up and well dressed  - not like the plates of separate, naked salad items that you get in this country - no grated carrot or watery cucumber.  I'll take a pic tonight.

Yipee! Let the holiday begin!

I have two weeks and one day of wonderful holiday. No foreign trips, just me at home doing what I love.  Work has been a long hard slog for months now. We are having an £8m refurbishment at school and we have had to 'decant' into half of the building.  Getting up at 6am and coming home after 9pm is not quite how I would want to spend my time.  However, the move is done, the school is closed for two weeks and the builders have moved in.  It will be nearly two years and a few more moves before our building is complete but for now the quilt lamp has been lit.  I started my break with a cup of builder's tea and a scone and then I prepared my sewing:

This is my must-complete project for the summer (well before 24th September to be in time for the 'special' event).  I love tumbling blocks. Sometimes I piece them in rows and sometimes in blocks as above.  I always iron my blocks as I piece - it's personal preference of course - I use a dry iron and press straight down.  No steam until the final press and then only a little. Turning the seams makes for a nice flat finish and suits my sense of order. Order is my blankie in times of stress.

I have a long list of things I want to do (or should do - like decorate the hall) but I know I probably won't get through everything.  I am, however, determined to make the most of the time I'm at home because I've felt like I've been wading through treacle lately.  I will also make sure I have time to stand and stare, I'm good at that!

For now I'm just off to make some scrambled eggs on toast for tea and then I'll be back stitching and listening to the Olympics.  Mmm - holidays.

Midsummer's Day - really?

Today is Midsummer's Day.  Most people think that the 21st June is Midsummer, but it isn't, it's the Longest Day - a different thing altogether.  I know this because today is my birthday.  Now I'm not a great fan of the huge celebrations and I really don't like people to rush out and buy presents or cards.  I just like peace and quiet. John made cherry pancakes with nectarine sauce and a lovely pot of Machu Piccu coffee for breakfast.  I got some lovely presents from family and friends and have had a day mooching about doing something or nothing because,  despite today's name Summer hasn't arrived in this corner of the land yet. Look at my lovely card made by Alison.

I'm quite shy - at work they make a big fuss of everyone's birthdays - hugs and kisses, presents, 'happy birthday to you' at full volume. They didn't realise how uncomfortable that was for me.  They are very discreet now though and I found a lovely bouquet of flowers on my desk when I went in on Friday.  I'm very affectionate but maybe not that demonstrative.   When John and Steph lived down in Cambridge she couldn't understand why he never gave me a kiss goodbye.  She probably didn't even notice but when we say goodbye I touch his arm.  For me the giving and accepting of that touch has a far deeper meaning than hugs and kisses - people don't notice because it is so quick.


I've been sewing a bit of the mystery quilt this afternoon - here's a sneak preview:

Tomorrow it's the Quilting Bee at the Crafts House and the final part of the quillow instructions are all ready.  If anyone wants to bring their UFOs (unfinished objects) to class we can get on with those, but we also have a little bonus project - another technique to learn, so just turn up with a few scraps of fabric if you want.  We will be revealing the finished quillow and going through a couple of ways of putting it together but for now I'm going to leave the room because there is a box of choccies with my name on it and I'm trying not to wolf them down in one go!

Every quilt tested

I have just put the finishing stitches into Quillow Number 1 - there may be a few tweaks to the final part of the instructions because the envelope to put an extra piece of wadding didn't quite go to plan but hey ho!

This is the quilt inside its pillow.  I put a double piece of 6oz wadding into the cushion (I hate touching polyester wadding when I've been quilting because it catches on my rough finger tips).  I might try to quilt it into the block on Quillow Number Two but I've never tried to quilt something so thick. 

It's been a long day today.  We had no bread this morning so I decided to make a loaf before everyone got up - kneading gets your blood pumping for sure.  Actually I think it must be one of the nicest ways to start the day if you have the time.

Before and after!!  Trouble is it doesn't last too long once the gannets land. And of course you have to put lashings of butter on....

We actually went out to the farm shop to get some meat and ended up having a coffee and a bacon sandwich so there's enough bread left for breakfast tomorrow.  I love toast made from home baked bread because it has a bit of body to it - it doesn't shatter into shards or leave sawdust crumbs.

I have taken lots of pictures of the construction of the quillow because it is almost impossible to explain without pictures.  If the Governors' Meeting tomorrow doesn't go on too late (I've been there at 10pm a few times), then I will try to publish them when I get home.

For now though I am going to finish my quilt in the way I finish all the others I have ever made.  I have a little snooze under them.  Every quilt is tested by the management!

Quilting the quillow has started!

It's just gone seven and all is quiet.  Soon I'm going to have a cup of coffee and a cinnamon and raisin bagel. One of my weekend luxuries is making the start of the day topsy turvey.  Normally I get up, have a shower, make breakfast and load or unload a machine (washing, dishes etc).  Then I listen to the news, get dressed and then out to work by 7.20am.  At the weekend I still get up at 6am but I come downstairs and indulge myself with whatever project I'm working on. Then after about an hour I make something to eat. After that I go and have my shower.  It's saying to myself "You can get ready when you feel like it - or stay in your jammies all day if you want." (Ultimate luxury)

Today I'll be mainly quilting.  My aim is to finish one of my quillows to show how it is all put together at the next Mavis and Gladys session.  I did two blocks yesterday after returning from painting on the hill.


Ahh - the little strawberry hen has some legs! Knobbly knees!!  Painting on Saturday morning is the best way to start the weekend.  I go in stressed and come out chilled - who could ask for more?  When I eventually get a camera that is better designed for close up work you may be able to see more detail on the pictures.  The hen has little pips painted with a dotty tool - first some inky dots for the shadows and then some dark antique gold for the pips. Unfortunately no camera on earth will be able to compensate for my lack of photography skills....

Alison and I went to Dainty Supplies where I bought some 6oz polyester wadding to make some padding for my cushions.  The welcome cushion I made this week is 21" x 17" so I have folded some 6oz wadding to use as a cushion pad.  Think I might put another layer though - it's a bit skinny.  I'll be using some more to pad out the quillow cushion.  (It'll be constructed a bit like a pillow case so you can take the cushion pad out before washing - cushions never come out the same shape when they've been washed do they?).  I've loved doing the stitchery on the Welcome cushion.  The fabric is painted with my acrylics but with the addition of some fabric painting medium to keep the paint flexible.  It's very effective.  The design is then outlined with back stitch.  In this case I've used green around the letters and the elements of the letters (the carrot and the beehive).  The other bits are darker shades of the paint colours.  I've done a few cushions like this and they wear quite well although I do tend to keep them away from the chairs where the boys sit.

During the week (it's half term so I am a bit more flexible with my time at work), I went to Whitley Bay to visit my lovely and talented friend Barbara at Ring-a-Rosie.  I bought some backing fabric for the quillows and lo! and behold! only three fat quarters managed to find their way into my purchases! I must be getting strict in my old age.  Barbara still keeps some fabrics despite being mainly wool (and what wool!). These are new fabrics - Primitive Gatherings -

Stars and pumpkins on rich deep autumn colours - heaven!

I have only small amounts of housework on my list today as I've been keeping on top of everything during the week so I can quilt until my fingers can take no more. Oh and watch the Canadian Grand Prix too.  Multi-tasking Gladys style!

My pips are upside down

I'm having a wonderful break, painting, sewing, listening to my newest audiobook (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). I didn't see the film but I'm really enjoying the book.  I love curling up on the sofa with a bit of stitching and listening to a good story.  I've been painting a cushion.  I bought the pattern at Stitchin' Heaven - I'd forgotton how much I enjoyed painting on fabric.  Actually I should be doing my own designing of this kind of thing but I loved the pattern so much I couldn't resist.

The original pattern was shaded with a crayon but the paint gives a much stronger colour.  I just chose the ones I liked.  Then I riffled through my fabric collection (always a pleasure)and picked out a green and a toastie pumpkin colour which had most of the other colours in their patterns.  I'm happily backstitching around the design now.  I'll have it finished tomorrow and ready to make into a cushion.  The weather outside is rather nice if not really hot and I should be out in the garden, but the pull of the threads is too strong.

Yesterday I finished off my giant cotton reel which is ready to send down to my friend for her birthday.  She is a keen gardener so I reckoned this was a nice holder for her twine.  Thanks again to Sandra for her Shape of the Month.

Talking about Shapes of the Month - June's is a semi-circle.  I loved Sandra's design for the watermelon, I was painting this very early yesterday morning as the house slumbered.  I was awake enough to note that I should make sure I put the pips the right way round but not awake enough to actually do it!

Hey ho!  So then I started on the hen.  Mine is a Strawberry Hen but it is waiting for its legs.  I haven't got a drill small enough so they will have to wait for their finishing touches until Saturday.

I think I'll have a little break from sewing (I've had to start wearing my thimble pad because the needle has done what comes naturally and I have a hole in my finger - really big ouch there).  We have pizza planned for tonight so I'll go and knead some dough and then I'll have to answer the siren call of the threads.  And my pips?  They'll just have to stay upside down.